Take Me Instead

''Well, I came to see your King on behalf of my son.'' Alpha Michael told Bernard.

Bernard did not have any problem with Alpha Michael seeing King Archer, but he thought, on the other hand, was King Archer willing to see anyone at that moment, especially werewolves? He was still mourning the fact that he had lost Eidenel yet again. Even if Eidenel always demonstrated that she did not want him, the fact that he had access to her and could spend time with her was enough for him. But now, she had gone back to that measely vampire. He was at a loss, a terrible loss.

''You kmow what? I would have taken you directly to the King, but I am sure your comrades have told you what happened, so I don't know how willing he is to see you. Why don't you wait here while I inform him of your presence?'' Bernard started to walk away without even waiting for a reply from Alpha Michael. Of course, Alpha Michael had no choice than to wait. As old as he was, he didn't want to upset the young King further and start a fight.

''Please, I am an old man and I have come a long way. Try and cajole him as much as you can to listen to me.'' Alpha Michael raised his voice to speak to Bernard who was on his way to meet the King.

Bernard nodded.

''They have the guts to return to my kingdom?'' King Archer asked, anger obvious in his looks.

''It's Oliver's father. Of course, he came to look out for his son.'' Bernard mentioned Alpha Michael, and King Archer's temper came down instantly.

''His father?'' King Archer could not believe it.

''I thought Oliver was the Alpha of the pack. Who is this person now claiming to be his father just because they are trying to get me to let him go?''

''Oliver is the Alpha-In-Training. The soon-to-be Alpha. His father, Michael is still the Alpha of the pack. He's an old man, my King, you should see him. By the time you take a look at him once you will not have a doubt that he is Oliver's father. The resemblance is uncanny.'' Bernard made sure to look out for Alpha Michael's interest as he had explained.

''Hmmm...'' King Archer hummed.

''I'm not happy with Oliver, even though I like the young man very much...''

''I don't think Oliver led the wolves here. Besides, we killed the most dangerous of them, we are lucky. If that dangerous one had survived, it would have been worse for us. Moreover, you have to do something about our secret passage that has been exposed,'' Bernard reminded the King.

''That's true. Why didn't they come through the secret passage? They know their way around already.'' King Archer suddenly remembered that his security was now porous.

''That has to be the wisdom of an old man. Alpha Michael must have been the person to advice his comrades not to insult you by entering through the back door.'' Bernard was sure of what he was saying.

King Archer appeared to be thinking of what to do.

"Just because he's an old man, like you said. If it were those young wolves I would have thrown them into the Siege forest." King Archer's temper was rising again, but he was able to tone it down before it got the better of him.

"Bring him in. Just him. And he had better be as old as you claim or else he would be faced with my rage." King Archer watched Bernard's back and said those words.

"Follow me." As soon as Bernard went back outside, he said that to Alpha Michael.

Alpha Michael smiled pleasantly and started to follow Bernard.

"The rest of you were lucky to have escaped being burnt alive. If you don't want to be thrown into the darkest part of the dungeon where you will be set ablaze by at least one hundred angry dragons, you had better stay back and wait for your Alpha," Bernard warned the other wolves who wanted to escort their Alpha to see King Archer.

They quickly stopped in their tracks.

"Don't worry. I'll go alone. I'm safe in there, and even if I'm not safe, there's nothing just the lot of you can do about it so wait here." Alpha Michael hurried up behind Bernard who had already walked quite a distance away.

"Thank you so much Mr. You are a nice man. May the ancestors reward you." Alpha Michael was humble before Bernard.

Bernard ignored the Alpha and simply took him to meet King Archer.

"My King, Alpha Michael, Oliver's father." Bernard bowed before King Archer and stepped aside.

King Archer, even though he liked Alpha Oliver, made sure not to display any form of familiarity with Alpha Michael, so that he would not be taken advantage of.

"My King." Alpha Michael was there to ask for favours so he dared not show any sign of superiority over King Archer either because of his age or for the fact that he was also a leader.

"I'm the father of the prisoner that you have in your custody Mr. Dragon King. Please, take me instead as I am an old man and I have lived my life to the fullest, but please spare my son. The pack depends on him to lead them." Alpha Michael did not plan the speech that he made in front of the Dragon King Archer, and even he was surprised at the words that came out of his mouth.

King Archer was also shocked. He had originally thought that Alpha Michael had just come to plead for his son's release, little did he know that the old man would give up himself for his son.

King Archer glanced at Bernard dramatically and adjusted in his seat. What would he say now? How would he reply to the request that the advanced aged Alpha Michael had made?