A Summer To Never Forget {Complete}

24. Riley

(Riles looking worried---->)

        The silence following my words was loud. Keelan and his mother looked gobsmacked, Archie looked confused. "How can the King have an older brother?" Keelan asked still confused.

        Archie was the first to recover from the bombshell. "I thought he was exiled by the previous Alpha King because of the crimes he committed against the Pack?" I smile slightly, knowing what he is thinking.

        Everybody knew of the history between Vincent and his younger brother the current Alpha King. Since Vincent was the oldest he thought he was going to be King. He passed all the necessary tests and everything, still, the Oracle told him he wasn't his destiny to be King. That destiny would go to his younger brother.

        As you can imagine Vincent wasn't very happy about it. He even challenged his brother to a duel with the title of king on the line. Their mother who was Alpha King at the time consented to it, hoping that once it was over and there was a winner it would be all over.

        For some reason, his younger brother won the duel, much to his chagrin. He had given his word that after this he would drop the whole thing, and he did. In the beginning, but during the last few years though, subtle sabotages were coming to light. The guards say that Vincent is behind it, apparently he never really let go of his resentment for his younger brother.

        Guess I need to tell them some Pack history

        "Before the current Alpha King became the Alpha King, his mother was the previous Alpha King. During her reign, he was the younger brother to this guy."

        I point to Vincent's picture. "Everything was fine and rosy between the brothers, until, one day Vincent became of age and went to the oracle. Their relationship changed when Vincent came back from the oracle; he snapped at his younger brother and became more angry and violent. Everybody noticed the deteriorating relationship between the two brothers."

        "Most feared that it would escalate into a fight and Pack members were divided into two groups; Vincent and the current Alpha King. There have been several bloody fights between the divided Pack members, and the Alpha King was frantic about what to do. She loves both her sons equally and this matter needed to be settled quickly."

        Keelan interrupted me before I could continue "Doesn't he have a name? The current Alpha King I mean?"

        I smiled "He does, but he stopped using it ever since he claimed the Alpha King title. It's one of the rules form a long time ago. Once a person accepts the title of Alpha King, he or she throws away their given name. Hence the reason we never have any crap like Henry the serene and that kind of crap. We just have the Alpha King. Only a few chosen people know the given name of the Alpha King, for their and the King's own safety."

        "Do you know the Alpha King's real name?" Keelan seemed very interested in knowing the Alpha King's name.

        "I don't mean to gloat or anything but yes, I am one of the chosen few who knows the Alpha King's given name."

        Keelan glared "That counts as gloating."

        Archie managed to bring my focus back to the story with his question "So whatever happened to Vincent when he lost the duel?"

        I frown as I thought about that "That's a moot point in the story I am afraid. The records are conflicted about what really happened afterwards. One account says that Vincent was brutally killed and strung on a pick for all to see as a reminder for those thinking of crossing the Alpha King. Another account says that even after losing the duel Vincent kept harassing his brother and mother about the Alpha King title, so much so it became unbearable for the Alpha King."