The Werewolf King’s Runaway Queen
Chapter 116

Luke's POV

"Your highness, Alpha El has arrived" one of the guards told me.

I nodded as I continued to button my shirt.

"I'll be there in a moment" I said.

The guard left and I finished fixing my shirt and turned around to look at the mirror.

I stared at myself in the mirror.

13 years.

It's been 13 years since Alissa left.

I still remember that day when she left me.

And that day in her room still haunted me.

"She's gone"

"Alissa is dead"

I didn't believe it.

I still can't believe it.

I still hope and pray it not true.

But it's been 13 years.

We've searched everywhere and found no trace of her whatsoever.

The only thing that's making me hold on to the fact that there's a possibility she's still alive is because we never found a body.

I turned my head to look at the portrait in the room.

I looked at it.

It was a huge solo portrait of Alissa in her wedding gown.

I keep it in our room so that whenever I wake up, I see her.

I reached out to touch the portrait and stopped.

I closed my hand amd backed away.

I sighed and turned my back to leave the room.

I still need to meet my uncle.

I got out of my room and then went downstairs.

Uncle El was waiting for me in the living room.

"Uncle" I said and he turned around.

Uncle El smiled.

"Luke. It's been a while" he said and hugged me.

It's been a year since I last saw him.

I don't get to visit Crescent Moon so much.

Most of the time, Lucas is the one to deal with concern regarding Crescent Moon along with some other packs. "Yeah" I agree.

"You seem to be working harder and harder he said looking me up and down.

I chuckled.

"I spend half my day at work and a quarter of it training" I said.

"So you don't have a life? Got it" he said and we both chuckled.

He was right on that part.

I really don't have a life.

I stopped living since that day and all I do is stay alive because I still have my family and people who rely on me.

"Why don't we talk in the garden?" I suggested.

Uncle El nodded.

"That's a good idea" he said.

"I'll ask the helpers to serve us some food" I said and uncle El nodded.

I was about to do just that when...

"Pa"

I turned around to the familiar voice and saw Archie.

Yes, Archie.

Archie walked over to us and bowed her head to uncle El.

"Alpha" he said.

Uncle El gave him a nod and a pat on the back.

"Archie boy" uncle El said.

Then, Archie turned to look at me.

"Pa, I'm going to train outdoor with a few other warriors" he said.

"When will you be back" I asked.

"Before the sun sets" he said.

I nodded.

"Be careful. Go back home safely" I told him.

Archie nodded.

He gave me a slight bow and left.

Then, I talked with a helper and made our way to the garden.

Uncle El and I sat down by the garden.

"That son of yours seems like a hardworking one" he said.

I nodded.

"He is. He's also way more advanced than everyone else his age" I said.

Uncle El nodded.

"I can see that" he said.

"He can shift now, right?" he asked.

I nodded.

"It's bee a year since he started shifting yes" I said.

"And he's been training with your men" he said.

I nodded again.

"Everyday.

Sometimes he trains with me as well" I said.

Uncle El nodded.

Archie is quite the kid.

Our food came and uncle El and I talked about how Crescent Moon was doing and how the people in the palace were doing.

After that, uncle El looked at me.

"What about you?" he asked.

"What about me?" I asked back.

Uncle El sighed.

"It's been 13 years, Luke. I know that you still have people searching for her" he said.

"I know it's hard but you have to move on. If you can't do it for yourself, atleast do it for your family" uncle El said.

My jaw clenched as I looked away.

How can I?

Even my family hasn't moved on yet.

Lucas still instinctively talks about Alissa and it's worse when he gets drunk.

He hasn't moved on from losing someone who was a big sister to her.

Liana has already moved out but I know she still buys things for Alissa.

I know that she still cries when she misses her.

Then, there's my mom.

Mom often stays in the front yard as if she's waiting for someone.

She goes to 'walk' in the woods but I know she goes to the same place where she talked to Alissa before she first left the Palace.

My family hasn't moved on but nobody else needs to know that.

"Luke, she's gone. And even for the short amount of time that I got to Alissa, I think she would've wanted you to move on" he said.

I bit my lower lip.

"It's not that easy. We don't even have confirmation that she really is gone" I said.

"Is what happened to you not enough confirmation that she's gone? You felt it, Luke. You knew what it meant when you felt that unbearable pain as the bond broke off completely" he said. I sighed.

"What if I don't really know what it actually felt and I mistook it for the bond breaking and she was actually alive?" I said.

Uncle El sighed and massaged the bridge of his nose.

"Do you really want to believe that? You want to make yourself believe that?" he said.

"I do. That's what I want to believe" I sais.

Uncle El sighed.

Then, he pat me on the back.

"Oh well. I guess 13 years is not enough. Let's talk about it on its 15th" he said.

We both chuckled.

I'm not moving on.

Not until I'm completely sure.

"Anyway, have you visited your sister yet? She's expecting her 3rd child soon" uncle El asked.

I shook my head.

"I visited her more than a month ago but I haven't visited her again. I've been busier than usual" I said.

"You should visit her again soon. Maybe even take a week off work and stay in Eero's pack" he said. "Why would I do that? I don't need to stay there for a week and trouble my sister and Eero's pack" I said. "Trust me, you need it" he said.

I sighed.

We talked a little more and after that uncle El left.

I saw him off then went back inside when he was gone.

I sat on the couch in the living room for a moment then looked at the direction of a certain guest room. Should I?

I stood up and walked to room.

I took out a key from my pocket and unlocked the door.

I went inside and stood there for a moment as I looked around.

This was the room that Alissa used when she got here.

This has never been touched or stayed at by anyone else except her and myself.

I go here every now and then because her scent still lingered around.

It was a faint smell but enough to constantly remind me of her.

There are a lot of places here in the palace that reminded not only me but everyone else of Alissa.

My heart clenched inside my chest and closed my eyes and clenched my fists to stop myself from crying.

I took deep calming breaths and walked out of the room and locked it again so no one else could access the room.

I've cried way too many times in that room before.

I'd rather not today.

I made my way to the Palace and decided that I should just work.

I went to my office and did just that.

I worked until lunch time and stopped for a moment to eat lunch.

Then, I continued working again.

Time passed by quickly and the next thing I know, it was almost night time.

I looked at the clock and then at the window in my office.

It's almost sunset.

Archie should be back by now.

I stood up and made my way out of my office.

I should go check on him to make sure that he's alright.

I know how capable he already is but I can't help but worry about him.

I went out of the Palace and walked to the training halls.

I arrived there after a few minutes and went inside.

The guards and warriors I passed by greeted and bowed to me.

I spotted Archie in the end of the hall and made my way to him.

He looked like he had just changed into a fresh set of clothes but he was already training again.

This kid, really.

"Archie" I called.

Archie turned to look at my direction.

"Pa" he said and bowed his head to me.

I got to him and gave him a pat on the back.

"Did you just get back? I asked curiously.

"We did about half an hour ago maybe" he said.

"And you're training again? Why don't you just go back to the palace and rest?" I said

"I will. I just wanted to train for a little bit more. Maybe an hour or two more" he said and I shook my head in disbelief.

"Fine. Let me join you then" I said.

Archie chuckled and nodded.

I went to the side and removed my shirt.

I looked back at Archie for a moment.

He's grown up so much since he first came here.

For the past few months, he's been focusing the most in his training.

Whenever he's not in class, he's usually training.

I think I understand why he does that.

He keeps himself occupied 24/7.

After all, he just lost his mom 6 months ago.

And no, his mom is not my ex.

We found out months after Archie arrived here in the Palace that she deceived us.

She deceived me.

We never had a child together.

And Archie was never her child.

She had kidnapped him from his parents when he was just a newborn.

She had help from the same rogues who attacked the territory and targeted Alissa.

She purposely kidnapped him because of his features that were close to mine and because his birth date was a a few months before we broke up and she connected the dates from when we were together to when we broke up and calculated it so it would be believable that he was indeed my child since he was convinced around the time we were still together.

In the process of kidnapping Archie, his father was killed and so many other wolves in the process.

It's unfortunate and it proved just how crazy my ex was.

My ex was sent to death about a year after we found out because we waited to replace Archie's real mom and when we did, we immediately got her executed.

Although Archie isn't mine, I still felt a certain responsibility towards him so I became a father figure to him.

Throughout the years, I treated him like he was my own family and I took care of him and his mother.

Archie knows that I'm not his father but he still acknowledges the bond that wr have throughout the years.

I do feel relieved that he grew up to be such an amazing kid.

Still the pain, betrayal, confusion and anger that I felt when I found out about his true identity will always be in my memory.

Alissa left me because of all her lies.

It's unfair.

I sighed.

I then walked over to Archie.

I think we both can relieve or stress by training excessively.

Archie and I started training together like the usual.

The kid is impressive.

I made a lot of mistakes in the past.

But taking him in despite everything wasn't one of them.