*****CHAPTER 31

DRAVEN'S POV
 
It took me a few days to get ready for my trip to negotiate a treaty with the Black Wolf Pack. My father had spent the past few days briefing me and reminding me of our plans and how we were going to execute them when I got to Alpha Alcot's pack.
 
Get close to him.
 
Spy on the political activities of the pack.
 
Report every finding to my father.
 
And most importantly, strike as soon as the time is right.
 
It was a pretty simple plan that I was sure would never go wrong. I had promised my father that I would bring down the Black Wolf pack, and I was never going to forget that.
 
While I was in my room dressing and making sure I didn't forget a single important thing that I would need for my thirty-day trip, the door was pushed open behind me without a knock. I turned back to see who had the audacity to do that in this castle, even though I most definitely already knew who I was.
 
Kendall was standing before me, her eyes heavy with tears that threatened to fall down her cheeks. Her eyes were red and swollen, and I could tell that she had been crying for so long. Maybe all night.
 
"What's wrong, Kendall?" I asked, feigning nonchalance even though I could correctly guess the reason behind her tears.
 
"Don't go." She said, walking over to me and throwing her body against mine in a hug. The kind of embrace you would give someone you knew you wouldn't be seeing for a very long time.
 
"Come on, Kendall." I chuckled softly and moved my hand to play with her hair in a comforting manner. "I'm only going to be away for thirty days."
 
"That's like thirty years!" She whined now, and I chuckled again. Kendall would forever be a child at heart to me.
 
I sighed deeply before placing a gentle kiss upon her forehead, holding her chin, and gently lifting her face to look at me. Her face was more reddened and her eyes more teary.
 
"Hey.  Listen, Kendall."  I said this to her, trying my best to sound as reassuring as ever. "It's only going to be for thirty days." And within these thirty days, I'm going to write letters to you and call you on the phone every now and then."
 
"Promise?" She hiccuped and looked me in the eyes, perhaps hoping to catch any sign of sincerity. I had never lied to her before, so it was never hard for her to believe me. Well, until today.
 
"I promise." I stretched a fake smile across my lips, and she faked a small reciprocal smile too.
 
"Promise me you'll stay safe too." She cautioned me again. "And remember, you don't always have to do everything that Father asks you to do."
 
I nodded at her. "I promise."
 
I was sure she didn't believe me on this one. Neither did I believe myself, either. I had never disobeyed my father's command, even if it was a life-or-death situation. Again, Kendall pulled me into another hug, and we stayed this way for a minute, the sweet, rosy scent of her hair wafting into my nose.
 
A knock came on my door again, and the person did not wait for my permission to come in before opening the door and stepping into the room. As the sound of my mother's high heels resounded against the hard marble floors, Kendall and I disentangled from each other's arms and waited for her to come close.
 
I gave her a short bow as soon as she was standing directly before us now. "Greetings, mother."
 
But my mother did not respond to me as usual. Her face was hardened and expressionless, and she turned her head to look at Kendall. Her cold gaze already signaled to my sister that it was time for her to leave the room and give us our privacy.
 
With a skeptical look, Kendall halfheartedly obeyed her mother, and she walked out of the room, her long purple hair flowing behind her. I watched her go, imagining my life for thirty days without the only person who had lightened up my life and shown me love unlike the others. Life would most definitely stink for me.
 
My mother took a step closer to me and reached for the collar of my regalia, gently tugging against it even though it clearly needed no fixing. My body went rigid at our closeness, and I felt instantly tense. I couldn't remember the last time I had been this close to my mother before. Except the times she has walked up close to send slaps against my face.
 
"I am sure you must be happy, seeing that you are going to be representing your father as usual at the Black Wolf pack." She whispered to me, her eyes now lifting to look into mine. Her eyes bore no emotion and held nothing but darkness. As a child, I had always thought my mother was the scariest and most intimidating woman in the entire pack. I still wasn't wrong as an adult.
 
"Yes mother. It is only proper since I am now the Alpha of the pack." I tried to keep my answer as brief and simple as I could. Knowing my mother, I was sure she could be trying to push words into my mouth and get me in trouble. But I wouldn't let her win.
 
"Alpha, my foot." She scoffed a small, sarcastic laugh now and peered even deeper into my eyes. "Stop wishing for pie in the sky. "You cannot steal what does not belong to you and own it forever."
 
"I have never coveted anything that wasn't mine." I gulped forcibly and answered. I wondered if she never thought of how her words cut my heart and wounded me whenever she said them. Or maybe she knew the repercussions of her words and truly wanted to see me hurt.
 
She chuckled now and patted my cheeks gently, but in a manner that made her think I was silly.
 
"You naive little child." She finally took a step back and shook her head pitifully at me. "You don't know anything, do you?"
 
"Why do you hate me this much, mother?" For the first time, I swallowed every bit of fear that had always held me back from asking this one question that had lingered in my heart since I was only a boy.
 
A wild laugh crossed my mother's lips, and she again looked at me like I was the silliest thing she had ever come across.
 
"Firstly, because I am not your mother, Archie." And secondly, you stole something that belonged to my son. It is high time you gave it back." And with that, she turned her back against me again and walked out of the room, leaving me alone, speechless and confused.
 
Did she just call me Archie?
 
Did she just call me by the name of the little boy from my dream?