TWO

ARCHER

THE QUEEN MOTHER handed Archer some scrolls which he went through.

King Anton was the fifth werewolf king and his reign was not the most peaceful one as he had recurring rogue issues throughout. During that time, rogues had not been given a portion of the werewolf land and were rebelling.

The rogue Alpha threatened to take what the king held most valuable if he continued resisting their demands. King Anton refused to be swayed by his decision to not give them a part of his kingdom.

That decision turned detrimental when his mate, the Queen, was taken by the rogue Alpha. King Anton tried all possible ways to find his mate but could not, as the rogues were in cohorts with the mages which helped keep them hidden.

King Anton consulted a witch who told him about an ancient ritual which their ancestors had forgotten about. They called it the sacred binding. It was an ancient way of finding mates when a werewolf neared his prime without finding their mates.

The witch handed the ancient directories over to King Anton who used them to find his mate and end the war. Centuries later, the practice was banned and the scrolls were destroyed but nobody knew why.

Archer was brought out of his reading by his mother's voice.

"All books written about the sacred binding were destroyed and the smaller pages in other books were torn out. I believe the son of King Anton kept the last book but it was said that he gave it to his lover, a Wolf of mixed blood.

"The only clue of her whereabouts is in the castle and is supposedly in the library," Queen Mother Celia explained, staring pointedly at him.

Archer let the information sink in till he had only one thought racing through his mind; hope.

For the first time in a while, Archer was hopeful. But his hope was short-lived as he realized that he would have to step into the library, a place he vowed he would never step his feet into.

"When are you going to get over it? I know it is tough but it has been five decades since-"

"No! Do not speak of that day, Mother. You never bore witness to what I saw." Archer snapped, storming out and slamming the door behind him.

He marched to his room, seething with rage. The palace guards and servants scampered out of the way, detecting the fury coming off their king in waves. Before entering his room, Archer called out to a servant.

"Get me the Butler!" He ordered and entered his room as the servant scrambled off to do the King's bidding.

Archer sat on his huge king-sized bed. The vibrant royal red covers contrasted his mood at that moment.

He had tried so hard to forget or at least ignore it. He ensured that it was never spoken of and everything linked to it was destroyed just so he could move on. It was working or at least he thought it was. But then his mother had to go right ahead to mention it.

Just then, a knock sounded on the door, and Archer grunted a response. The door was pushed open and a man stepped in.

"Alpha," the man greeted, as he bowed.

Archer gestured for him to sit down but he refused, opting to stand, causing Archer to frown.

"How many times will I have to tell you that you do not have to be so formal with me?"

The man chuckled, the small fine lines of wrinkles on his face squeezing together.

"The Alpha King deserves respect from everyone no matter who."

"Not this again, Ben. You have been with my family for centuries and you practically raised me. I find it hurtful that you treat me just like everyone else does. I mean, you are like a second father to me," Archer complained with an annoyed frown.

"I know and I appreciate the opportunity your family gave to me, but I do not deserve the title of anything close to the royal family, much less the Alpha King's father," Benjamin responded to which Archer shook his head disappointed.

"Have you spoken to my mother today? I know she tells you everything," Archer said, looking up at the man he considered his father.

Benjamin Lincaster was an older Wolf who ran to the royal wolf pack for safety after his pack was attacked. He immediately found favour with King Edward and was assigned as the royal butler. Besides Noriel, he was the only one Archer could talk to.

"I guess the Queen Mother has already told you about the scrolls," Benjamin stated with his hands folded behind him as usual.

Archer sighed, leaning back against the brown mahogany headboard. He could feel a headache forming behind his eyes.

He resisted the urge to massage his head because the last thing he wanted was for Benjamin to bring the pack doctor to his room once again.

It was bad enough that his people knew he was dying. But if wind got out that the Alpha King was weak, then his enemies would use that against him, and that was something Archer would not stand for.

"And what do you think of the scrolls?" Archer questioned with clenched fists.

Benjamin glanced down at the King's hands before looking back up again. It was times like this that made Archer hate how observant Benjamin was. Thankfully, Benjamin said nothing about his clenched fists.

"The question, Alpha, is not what I think but what do you think of them? My thoughts on the matter have no weight as long as you have yours," Benjamin answered back.

Archer nodded. It was as he expected. Benjamin would never give a direct answer, knowing that his response could easily change Archer's mind.

"Why now? Why did those scrolls suddenly appear now? My father's things have been in his room for decades but no one has gone through them, not even my mother.

"So why did she suddenly decide to go through them and find the... so-called scrolls? I…" Archer paused and took a deep breath to calm himself.

He continued, "I feel like someone is playing a dirty trick on me and… I do not like it."

Benjamin was silent for a few seconds as he studied the Alpha King's expression. After a while he said,

"Perhaps it is not the sudden appearance of the scrolls but the location of the remaining pieces that bothers you, Alpha."

When Archer did not respond, Benjamin took it as his cue to continue.

"It has been over five decades, Alpha. Don't you think it is time to face it? No one said it will be easy but if you take it one step at a time, you will find it getting easier with each step.

"Still, you can only decide for yourself; do you wish to let go of the burden or will you let it continue to weigh you down?"