Chapter 3 : Archer

Archer

"Any news?" I ask Hayden as soon as I get inside the pack house after a long day.

I have been doing a regular tour of the pack clinics lately. Even today, three deviant pups are born. 

"Dr. Ruth is unavailable right now. She can't have an appointment for a couple of weeks", Hayden tells me.

"You kidding me, Hayden? You don't have that much time", I scoff, walking straight towards my father's sanctum room where he usually gathers with the members of the pack authority.

He's seated with the advisor, Griffin, when I enter the sanctum room.

"I was about to summon you. It's good you're here", dad says.

"Something happened?"

"Alpha Brandon reached out to me. He was talking about your alliance with Lucia", Dad sounds a bit worried.

"What did he say about it?"

"He's trying to break the alliance", dad says and I'm not at all surprised. "He said he would want to ally with a pack that is worthy of his pack and his daughter. He fears Lucia's life will be destroyed due to the curse and she will give birth to a deviant"

"What curse, Dad? You also believe this?" I scoff out of frustration.

"Whatever is happening isn't normal, Alpha Archer. You also believe that", Griffin says. "And now Alpha Brandon has also refused to marry Lucia off to you"

"I don't care about the marriage or the alliance. It was a mutual decision between you and Alpha Brandon", I look at Dad. "Right now, my focus is to get to the roots of this problem. I don't believe in any curse"

"Because you are the curse, big brother", Raymond appears there with an evil grin on his face as I try not to lose it. 

"Dad—" I shift my gaze back to Dad, ignoring Raymond. "I am trying to f—"

"Just tell him already, Dad. He's the curse", Raymond snarls as I squeeze my eyes shut.

"Raymond, you better leave and do your job", dad growls.

"Why would I? That's not my job. I can do something better than that only if you realize the real curse is him", he seethes. "You all can't see it. He had a deviant mate. He was cursed by the moon goddess when he got a wolfless female as his mate and that girl could never be found. He didn't even find his second mate because he's not blessed enough for that. What do you think about why this is all happening to our pack, Dad?"

"Raymond, get out of here", Dad's gritted voice comes as my jaw clenches with my wolf roaring inside of me.

But I keep my calm which I had always been trained to do. I had mastered the art of controlling my raging wolf, and in doing so I embraced the power that came from a mind sharpened by calmness. 

"Dad, it's time for you to give me a chance. I'll prove that I can be a better King than him", he roars. 

"Raymond, get out of here right now. You don't beg for a regime. You earn it. And Archer has earned it", Dad's growl shakes the walls of the room. 

I hear Raymond walking away, slamming the door aggressively.

"I'm sorry he brought that thing up again. But I want you to know that you don't need a mate to be blessed", dad says.

I let out a deep sigh and look up at him with my burning eyes.

"I have indeed earned the regime, Dad. But I'll also fight for the regime. I promise that to you", my words carry the weight of a vow as I walk out of the pack house. 

* 

"What the hell are you doing here?" I scoff at Lucia as I discover her outside the council building. 

She nervously smiles, getting closer to me. "I wanted to apologize for that day. I got mad at you for no reason"

I shake my head. "That's the answer to my question"

"I called Hayden. He told me you'd be here", she says.

I turn to Hayden, shooting him a glare, even though I know he's helpless because he can't lie. He lowers his eyes, knowing he screwed up.

"Archer!" Lucia grabs my chin, making me face her. "I'm sorry about everything.  My dad—"

"You don't have to apologize for anything, Lucia. Maybe, it's the right thing for us. For our packs", Deep down, I feel so relieved that she wouldn't break into anywhere I go if we share no alliance.

"Huh!" she exclaims. "Archer! Did you just accept it?"

"You didn't?" I gasp.

"No. Of course. NOT. I can't accept this. I wanna be with you. I wanna marry you"

"But your father doesn't want that"

"It's my life. Not his. I have decided that I'll not go back to my pack. If he accepts us, good for him. If it's not, I'm never going back", she says.

And she's serious!

"Lucia!" I grunt, cutting my frustration off for a while. "You don't have to do that. We have nothing so deep. We agreed to know each other for the sake of our families", I remind her that I can't be this rebel for a relationship that wasn't even based on any kind of emotions.

I tried my best to make it work with Lucia because I needed to. Now, there's no obligation. 

"Yeah", she holds my hands with a smile which clearly gives me all the twisted vibes. "But in this process, I realized that I want to spend my life with you as your Luna, Archer. I think I'm in—"

"I'm getting late", I immediately cut her off before she could utter those things. 

"Oh. I'm sorry. I forgot you were here for some emergency"

I nod. "So, it'll be better if you leave right now. It might take some time. We can talk about all that later"

"Well", she moves next to me and slips her arm into mine. Not again! "I don't have anything to do other than being with you"

I'm not wasting my time on explaining anything to her. 

*

"Dr. Ruth is in the control chamber now. We have no idea when she'll come out", Emma, the assistant of Ruth says in a blank tone. "I think I already told your Beta that Dr. Ruth isn't available for a whole week"

"I sort of need to meet her badly", I say. "It won't take much time"

"Who wouldn't want to meet Alpha Archer?" Lucia grumbles with a crooked grin and I can do nothing but keep up with her. 

"Perhaps those burdened souls, barely able to catch their breath amidst a mountain of responsibilities on their backs", Emma scoffs, her words dripping with a tinge of rudeness.

I shrug it off as Lucia grits her teeth, going silent. 

"Ms. Emma", I let out a sigh. "I understand she's dealing with a lot. But I badly need to meet her as soon as possible"

Emma sighs. "In that case, Alpha Archer, Dr. Ruth can't adjust her schedules for you. If you wanna meet her, you have to wait until she is done with her session. She's been inside for two hours now. It can take a long time. Sometimes, she works for twenty hours straight and she doesn't like to be interrupted"

"Who's she? Moon goddess herself?" Lucia snarls.

I squeeze my eyes shut due to the frustration and embarrassment I feel. 

"Yes, lady", Emma groans. "Things she's doing for the whole community don't make her less than a goddess"

"Okay", I grasp onto the conversation again. "I'll wait"

"Great. You can wait in the lounge. Be comfortable", Emma walks away. 

* 

"Are we really here waiting for ten hours straight?", Lucia yawns. Her hand is still wrapped around my arm and we're seated in the lounge.

"It may take hours. You can go if you want"

"No. I'm good with you", she smiles.

Time passes by. From ten hours to sixteen hours when I stay in the same position darting my eyes at the door. Lucia has fallen asleep with her head on my shoulder.

I look up at Hayden. "I have to move right when Dr. Ruth comes out"

"Okay", he says.

I shoot him a glare. "I need you to take my place over here so she doesn't wake up. Right now"

His eyes widen. "Pardon me, Alpha. She's the future Luna. I don't think", he halts as I tighten my jaw. "Well, Archer, let's get back to the friendly mode. But I'm glad you love her so much that you don't let her sleep be interrupted", he grins, knowing what he's doing. Pissing me off.

"I think I prefer her sleeping because her mouth is shut", I shrug.

"That's wild!"

"Do it fast", I groan and we manage to shift Lucia's head on Hayden's shoulder. She flinches a bit, wrapping Hayden's arm with hers as she did with mine. 

He sits there like a statue, stiffening his body while keeping up with the duties of my beta. Poor guy!

Just when I turn back to the door my eyes pop open. Dr Ruth has just come out and she's already walking towards the elevator. I can clearly say it's her even though I just saw her back. All the guards stand up when she walks out.

Heck! She's already inside the elevator.

"You didn't tell her I was here?" I snap at Emma as she walks past me. 

She turns around. "You were waiting for her out of the professional procedure. You should have shown up to her, Alpha Archer", Emma walks away.

Crap!

Muscles ripple beneath my suit as I bound down the stairs. Floor after floor, I ascend with unwavering purpose as my life lies in her. She's my only hope and I never waited for anyone, or chased anyone like a mad wolf. 

Finally, I reach the down floor and the elevator door clicks open. The woman in the white suit has her messy red hair tied into a messy bun. She is lean and tall in comparison to most of the females in our community. Even though I haven't seen her face yet, her presence radiates something strong and passionate. Maybe, that's how it feels to be around a strong and sleek woman. 

"Dr Ruth!" I screech. 

She stops by the car and I reach just behind her— barely a foot away.

Time freezes for me as she turns to me and our eyes meet. Recognition ignites with my gaze and my mind, mingling with a rush of shock. 

It's her.

It's Echo. 

Although I had barely seen her years ago, I can't make the mistake of recognizing her. She's the same woman, but yet so different that it makes my voice lost and frozen within my soul. 

Her green eyes once filled with a hint of vulnerability, now blaze with undeniable strength. The helplessness she once had in those orbs has subsided into a powerful ambience. She radiates the aura, confidence, and heat of something unknown. 

"Echo!" my voice barely makes it to her. 

Yes, she didn't hear me calling her 'Echo' 

She's Ruth. Maybe, it's not her. She's not Echo. 

"Alpha Archer?" she exclaims in a stern tone. She's surprised, not shocked. If she was Echo, she would be really stunned to see me. 

But her voice— it's also the same.

"Dr Ruth!" I manage to speak with a smile. "I have been waiting for you"

"Emma told me about you. But it was like sixteen hours ago. You have been around?" she asks.

"Yes, actually!" I say into a haze of those eyes. 

"I didn't expect you to wait for this long"

"I needed to meet you, Dr Ruth. I know you're busy but I can't wait. My pack is in danger and I need your help", my voice is filled with desperation. 

She takes a look at her wristwatch when my eyes don't drift away from her even for a second. 

"Please, just hear me out. It'll barely take me ten minutes to tell you about this issue", I beg. 

When our eyes meet once again, a sudden chill races down my spine. For within the depth of her eyes, I sense an unsettling tremor. 

"Let's go back to my office and talk"

She's Echo!

* 

We enter the large conference room with a big table in the centre of it. The room is completely surrounded by glass walls. 

Emma, along with a few of Echo's coworkers are there. 

We take seats and I won't be lying if I said never before have I locked my gaze onto a woman for such an extended period without feeling compelled to avert my gaze. 

"We won't waste time discussing the problem you already mailed me. I wanna know why you think I can help you", she asks.

"You can. And only you can do it", my voice comes out as desperate as it is. "You have successfully helped people to find their wolves. I believe if you help us out, our pack will get back its old position"

"You want me to help each one of the pack to find their wolves, Alpha Archer?" her eyebrows narrow down. 

"Yes. And I'm ready to do anything to convince you to help us", I say. 

"Don't you think it'll be a lot easier if you get rid of all the deviants of your pack and start afresh? The council is already working on a vaccine", she says, looking straight into my eyes, her words hinting at the ugly past of our pack when we ousted all the deviants from our community.

I take a deep breath. "The number is alarming. I don't think it'll be a good idea to kick them out of the pack"

"Why not?" she asks.

I roll my eyes around the conference room. There are four people apart from her.

"Can I talk to you in private, please?" I ask, knowing there is a high chance that she's not gonna agree, at least I have to plead a few times. 

That's what she might want. She knew it was me and undoubtedly she made it difficult for me to meet her. I had to give up the perspective of an Alpha King and beg her. 

Nonetheless, she nods right away and all the coworkers walk out of the conference room. 

I brace myself in an empty room with her. 

"Echo, I know you—"

"Ruth", she corrects me, her gaze meeting mine, with barely any bitterness or hatred which I expected. 

Her eyes radiate everything opposite to hatred. They look warm and peaceful which is even more unsettling. 

"I thought you corrected yourself after accidentally uttering that name in the exit", she says.

"You heard it?"

"I did. I wasn't expecting you to recognize me though. We barely met for minutes", her words sound like we might be just strangers once met, not literally mates— and I rejected her.

"I don't forget anyone easily, Ruth. But you are not definitely the same"

"I know that", her lips slightly widen. "Alright. What did you want to talk about in private", she folds her arms on her chest, giving all her attention to me.

I stand up and clear my throat. 

"I know we didn't share a good past. It was ugly. And you might have a lot of anger and disappointment filled inside you", I take a pause but her reaction is still the same. She's focused. "And it's totally fair. But I hope you'll be generous about the people who need your help and won't let your disappointment stop you from helping them"

"You really think I'm gonna take revenge on you, Alpha Archer?" her voice still filled with grace, with no trace of harshness. 

The more I talk to her and watch her react, speak and be into the situation gracefully, I get drawn to her— her personality. 

"I didn't mean that. But there must be some grudge—"

She doesn't let me complete and lean back in her seat.

"Let me make it really clear to you, Alpha Archer. You and the royals of your pack, don't deserve my apology— my punishments— and my revenge", how could she utter such words and still look so calm and unharmful? 

"My time, my energy, and my hard work are much more important to me", she says. 

"I appreciate it", I say, still not asking for an apology. There's nothing to apologize for. It was my duty to save my pack and I did it. I could do anything but step back from my duties. She must understand that. 

"Good for you", she nods. "Have a seat, please. I would need to clear a lot of things about this project with you"

I sit back and she casually talks about the whole thing that's going on in the pack while checking out the survey. It was a brief discussion as she finally agreed to help us out. 

"I need to form a team to get all the tests done for those who are over sixteen. This procedure is still not examined on pups or anyone below sixteen. But I don't think we can do that in a day. My lab can't hold that much—"

"You can perform the tests in the pack itself", I tell her. 

She looks at me thoughtfully for a second. "Okay. I'll let you know when my team is ready. But I suppose I'm still partially convinced"

"It'll be my responsibility to make sure you're fully convinced"

I get up and look at her with a smile. 

"I'm glad that you survived", I utter out of nowhere. "You worked on yourself, achieved so much, and got your wolf. I'm really happy for you"

Her eyes were on the marble floor when her lips widen into a crooked grin. 

"Who said I got my wolf?" she asks.

"Didn't you?"

She looks up at me. "No"

It leaves me in complete shock as I keep gawking at her in disbelief.

"Why?" It's none of my business but who would not be shocked? She, herself is a deviant who cured others and helped them find their wolves. And she still hasn't found hers!

"Because that's who I am, Alpha Archer. A deviant. I don't wanna change my true self"

"But you said you wanted to give those people a new life. Doesn't that apply to you too?"

"No. Because they are not Echo Ruth Solaris. I fear they won't have the fortune to be where I am today and end up being the victim of injustice", she folds the files, thoroughly talking with no restraints in her tone, and leaves the seat, facing me.

"I chose to be wolfless", a small smile curves on her face. "Because this flaw reminds me of the life I have left behind, all the humiliating, rejection, and loss I have been through. It gives me the courage to be who I am today. And it also reminds me that I don't have to be the PERFECT to be desired"

I stare at her completely awestruck by something unfamiliar.

She possesses something invisible, an indescribable power that worked its charm, leaving me questioning my very sanity.

"If you don't mind, I have to go home and get some sleep", she says, dragging me out of the haze.

"Sure", I mutter, getting closer with my hand extended for a handshake.

She gawks down at my hand. The colours of her face disappear, leaving her looking pale and nervous. Her eyes quiver, which is completely different from how calm she has been earlier. It seems like something has suddenly bothered her. 

What happened to her suddenly?

"Dr Ruth!"

She flinches as I call her out and her hand trembles to reach mine. Our palms meet and I lock her hand into a lazy handshake. 

As soon as we touch, I sense her entire body shivering in a sudden whiff, her palm is burning so hot that it spreads like wildfire beneath my skin. Heat radiates from her touch, engulfing me into a sensation so intense, it leaves me breathless. 

I gaze into her eyes, only to witness a burning transformation. The colours of her face are replaced by a haunting pallor. Her cheeks have turned rosy, her gaze trembling with something unreal. 

Confusion clouds my mind as I try to make sense of this bewildering reaction. 

"You didn't reject me back?" I blurt out of tremendous shock and disbelief.