Chapter 5 Six Months Ago.

Liam.

"The council demands that both of you present yourselves as worthy Alphas, and after the proper rites are completed, you are going to be installed as the new Alphas of this pack."

Our Father, despite his illness, could still speak so clearly and loudly that no one would believe he was battling an illness for his life. He is never one to quit and was ready to take even the most difficult decision as long as it was the right thing to do.

All these years I have wondered between me and Damian who was more like him; he was the perfect leader to emulate, and I couldn't compare myself to him.

"You speak like this is supposed to be an emergency. Aren't you still here, Father? You still look very much comfortable; why are you all of a sudden in a hurry to make us alphas?" Damian asked; the tone with which he spoke and the nonchalant expression he gave were typical of Damian, and my father seemed to have gotten used to him.

"I do not want to believe that this statement is coming from you because you are trying to escape your responsibility to this pack, or do I have a reason to believe that?" He asked Damian, who is now staring in silence, the dark look in his eyes one of unconcern and complete indifference.

"What do you need us to do, Father?" I asked, drawing my father's attention from my brother who wouldn't even look at him.

"The council has decided that both of you must fight our pack's strongest warriors; we have over five strong warriors in this pack, and you could pick whoever you want to go in a duel with. You must make your choice before the next full moon because that is when the duel would happen," he said, moving his gaze from me to Damian.

"That sounds easy..." Damian chips in, still having the unconcerned attitude. Sometimes I wonder if his expression and his words ever agree. He has the worst body interpretation, and he didn't seem to care.

"Of course it sounds easy until you lose to that warrior and you finally lose your position as an alpha of this pack. Damian, I believe I do not need to tell you what is at stake here; if you do not win this fight against the Warriors, you are not going to be considered worthy to be an alpha of this pack." His voice was louder now; I could tell that he was already getting upset at Damian. That was one thing Damian did pretty easily.

He always acts like he wants people to hate him and have a very bad impression of him. He does it with me too, but despite how much he tries to make himself look like the devil to me, I can see right through him, and I know exactly well that he is not the devil.

"We will make our picks, Father, and we are going to let you know their names," I said, standing up slowly from my chair as I bowed before my father, who was seated at the alpha's throne.

I turned my gaze to Damian, expecting him to do the same, but instead he stood up, briskly walking out of the throne room like it was just a casual gathering.

My gaze followed him until he walked right out of the door and jammed it.

"Sometimes I wonder if he's even my son, and then I look at you and remember that you are twins; he must truly be my son."

My gaze turned to my father swiftly as he started speaking, and I couldn't help the chuckle that escaped my lips listening to him say those words.

"He is your son, Father; he's just not wired to be the calm one," I said to him, not sure if I was speaking in agreement with my father or in my own brother's defence.

"It is a good thing that he has you by his side; with you by his side, I am sure this pack is going to survive his tyranny."

"Father, Damian is not a tyrant," I instantly said in objection to my father's words.

Then explain to me why he keeps behaving like one. Why is he so different? Why is he not like you?"

"Well, because he's not me? Father, please give him a chance; he's a good person; he just doesn't know how to express his goodness sometimes."

"I am sure you meant all the time because I don't think I have ever seen a day when your brother has behaved in a manner that's applauding," he retorted.

"You've not been looking hard enough," I whispered, intentionally making it inaudible.

"What did you say?" My father asked, his voice loud and offended.

"Nothing, Father; I was going to excuse myself. I'll come back to you with the names," I said to him, bowing my head again as I turned around and walked away.

I wasn't afraid of him; I just was not ready to engage in a word battle while defending my brother before him again.

This wasn't the first time we had been in such a situation; as a matter of fact, each time he had the both of us before him like this, it always ended with Damian displaying his most natural character and my father taking it out on me whenever I tried to defend him.

I walked out of the alpha's court to find Damian speaking to a guard in the middle of the large compound.

"Who are you going to pick?" I asked as I approached him. I knew Damian very well; he wasn't going to reject this duel. In fact, if he were being completely honest, he was excited about this one. His default setting was fight.

"I should be asking you that question, Liam. Who are you going to pick? We both know you are the good son, and you always avoid a fight," he teased.

"This is different, Damian; we are fighting for our throne, and of course I will take the duel. Tell me, who are you going to pick so that we don't end up picking the same warrior?" I asked him again.

"Well, I am going to go with whomever it is you pick first."

"Damian, what's with you and trouble? You don't get tired of it?"