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*****CHAPTER 1

ALCOT'S POV

"Promise you are not going to take longer than a day." My mother wrapped her hand tight against my father and wouldn't let go. I couldn't comprehend why she would be so sad to let her father go. I mean, it was only going to take a day, and it was also an amazing thing that he was going to spend time with the great alphas of the other packs.

"I promise, Adeline. I'll be back before the night grows old." My father chuckled sweetly and answered. While they continued with their entire lovey-dovey stuff, I looked to my older brother, Archie, who was standing beside me, looking as straight and noble as ever. A mischievous smile played on my lips, and I moved sideways to close the distance between us while he still kept his eyes straight ahead as if he did not take notice of me.

"Hey." I whispered to him, but he paid deaf ears.

I grinned even wider. It was so funny how he still thought ignoring my presence would be of any help to him.

"Psst." I nudged him by the arm, and this time he shut his eyes briefly for a moment before taking a deep breath and turning his head to look at me.

"What do you want?" He stared down at me with tired eyes.

"Want to see a new trick I recently mastered?" The smile on my face did not waver for even a slight second.

"No, Alcot. "I don't have time for any of your silly tricks anymore." He made to turn his head away from me, but I stopped him by the arm, and he groaned lowly before looking back at me again.

"Why?" I feigned hurt, but Archie did not show the slightest remorse at my display. It was obvious he could see past my pretense. I mean, why wouldn't he when I was his younger brother and we had both grown side by side with each other, always together as if bound by the waist? With the same forest green eyes and jet black hair and almost the same height, most people mistook us for twins even though Archie was the older one. He was thirteen, and I was ten. Although there was a clear distinction between my brother and me, Archie, who was born an Alpha, was calm, composed, and way mature for his age, while I was the reckless terror of a younger child. If I were to be honest, it did not bother me the slightest bit that we were different in those aspects. In fact, it was a relief to see that Archie would be the one who gets to handle the responsibility of the pack while I get to be free to do whatever I want and travel the entire world.

"Because, Alcot, whenever you practice one of those silly tricks of yours, someone or something gets hurt one way or the other." Archie points this out, and I try to bite my lips to hold back the laughter from escaping my lips.

"Like the last time I set your pants on fire during training?"

"Don't be so silly." Archie gave me a playful ruffle of my hair before looking ahead again.

Mother finally let Father go and turned to us now, a finger lifted in a warning.

"Remember, boys." "Behave yourself and don't go around causing trouble."

"Okay mother." We said it in unison.

After mother gave each of us separate kisses on the forehead, we exchanged a final goodbye and followed father, a few guards, and the chauffeurs to the convoy. Finally, we got on the road to the 100th Annual Alpha Convention, and while the car moved on, I kept on bothering Archie and wouldn't let him have his rest. I had made a paper boat that I swiped all over his body, mistaking it for a ship. And no matter how much he tried to shoo me away, I never listened and instead continued to laugh an evil laugh.

"Now, boys," My father called to us, and I immediately composed myself, but not without pulling at Archie's ear for the final time and earning a sneer from him. I covered my mouth with my palm to stop myself from laughing out loud.

"You know the rules." Remember to bow and greet everyone you meet at the assembly. Be humble. No running around. No troubles. "Am I clear?"

Somehow, I feel the instructions were specifically directed at me, as always, but I did not mind. I enjoyed being the bad little wolf of the family, and I wouldn't wish for anything better.

"Okay, father." I replied, and my father continued to brief us.

"There will be other boys your age there too." Make yourself some friends and keep to the time too. "We have to be home early for dinner before your mother throws us out of the house."

And then it happened. The moment that everything changed from what I used to know to what it is now.

The moment that large truck ran into our car, causing it to cut from the convoy and somersault countless times until we were tangled in twisted tree branches and bloodied bodies, was the moment I narrowly survived because the impact caused me to be flung out of the car through the broken windows, leaving only my brother and my father in the car. I had tried to crawl to them to save them, ignoring the broken bones in my body and the blood and wounds that decorated my body, while my father and only brother tried to fight their way out of the damaged vehicle. The same moment I saw everything go up in flames, the fire taking the painful screams of my father and Archie with it.

It was the moment the pains, scars, and nightmares were born. And the day my brother and my father broke their promises and never returned home to have my mother's dinner.

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