Raven (Book 3: Old Version)

Chapter ten Letting Go

Darius watched his son for a moment. “I’m harder on you, Daven, because I have to be.”

“I’m tired of being blamed for something he does,” muttered the boy with his shoulder sagging. “You never yell at him like you do me. I do something wrong, and you act like the world going to end, but Raven does whatever the hell he wants and nothing happens.”

“Do you really believe that?” said Darius. “That your brother feels nothing when his Alpha raises his voice to him. I do it to you because you can take it.” He shook his head. “Your wolf is strong Daven. I knew that the day you were born, but Raven his can’t handle it. I have to be protective of him,” he sat back and let out a deep breath, “and I guess I expected you to be too.”

The guilt was starting to sink into the future dominate. “If he’d just listen to me for once,” breathed Daven. 

“You don’t understand how much Raven looks up to you.” Darius peered into his son’s brown eyes.

“Everyday pack members say things about him, but it’s only when you call him a worthless sub, a bitch, or an omega that he lets it show how much it hurts him.”

Daven flinched at the words, regretting have uttered them to his little brother only an hour ago. “I’m sorry. I was mad about you grounding me. I blamed him for it, even though I did go outside our territory without permission. I didn’t want Raven to get hurt, and I regret doing it.”

“I’m sorry to Daven,” breathed Darius. “I do blame you for things that I shouldn’t. I expected a lot out of you. You’re going to be a leader of his pack one day, I can sense it, and I want you to be a great Alpha one day.”

“I’ll try harder to be nicer to him,” replied Daven. “I might get mad at him sometimes, but he’s still my brother. I don’t mean to make him cry.”

Darius nodded and patted his son’s back. “I going to let you and Jagger start going out with the hunting party again, but I better not ever hear you call your brother an omega or a bitch again.”

Daven nodded, giving his father a small smile. “I won’t.”

“Good because one day Raven is going to have a mate and if he finds out you called your brother that, he might knock you around a little.”

The boy simply laughed. “Face it dad, you’re never going to let anyone near Raven. Either that or he’s going to be a beast, and I do have something to worry about.”

“Watch it boy, or I’ll put you on food clean up,” said the alpha with a grin. 

“Yeah, yeah, whatever dad.” Daven stood and headed back to his room to tell Jagger they’d be heading out tomorrow with the hunting party.

***

Summer was coming to an end, and Raven was running out of time to ask his father something that he been contemplate all during the break. Darius was relaxing in his bed with his eyes closed. Raven created into the room and knelt beside the bed.

“Dad.”

“Hmm…” replied the Alpha not moving from his position.

“Can I ask you something?” Raven ran his hands down a lock of his mid-back length hair. 

“Sure, Raven,” yawned the Darius. “What do you need?”

The boy bit his lip, worried about how his father was going to react. “I want to go back to school.”

Darius sat up and stared at his child. “No.”

Raven’s shoulder sagged. “But dad, I really want to.”