Chapter 74: Chapter 73

I was sweeping up the living room (by choice) in preparation for the get-together tonight. Being that I was near the staircase, I heard faint tones of Grant’s voice and a lower, masculine voice. Last I knew, she had called Reily in for a quick meeting. Apparently he was in charge of being a mentor for the pack orphanage, as well as the ambassador between them and the alpha.

Grant thought it would be a good idea to reform the system for young wolves who’d lost their parents. Reily would be the perfect person for the job, since he knew what it felt firsthand. Moreover, Grant had rationalized, he could channel his rage and inner despair into something useful. He could feel that he actually made a difference in other’s lives.

“Reily has a lot of inner energy we could use for a greater cause,” Grant had said.

It seemed she was right. Clive had said his brother had toned down the rash anger and become more respondent and present during meetings. The brothers even began spending time with each other.

As I swept, I heard Grant bring up the evening’s gathering.

“You know, I’m sure Clive has already told you, but we’re having a little get-together just for close friends. I wanted to invite you to join us. It’ll be just me, Vera, your brother, Archer, Thelma, and you can invite Gina or your friends to come along.”

There was silence. I had stopped sweeping to hear what Reily had to say, but he seemed to be thinking about it.

“Nah,” he finally replied quietly. “Thank though. But I think it’s better if I don’t. I’m busy anyways.”

“Alright then, feel free to come if you change your mind. You’re dismissed now.”

Reily muttered out a goodbye and the office door clicked shut. I hurried to sweep closer to the kitchen island, humming as I did. Footsteps creaked down the staircase. I peeked up beneath the curtain of my hair, seeing Reily’s legs emerge from the top landing, then torso, than face. He was looking through his phone, distracted. Once he stepped off, he looked up.

Ever since the ritual, every time I came across Reily, I was struck by the amazing feeling of not feeling pulled to him against my will. I think he must have noticed it too, since I caught him looking at me weirdly the first few times. He never mentioned anything though...not that he ever spoke to me. It worked for me - I didn’t think we could ever get to a place of being friends; respected pack members was good enough.

Noticing me, he only gave a nod, mouth in a firm line - something like a neutral acknowledgement. I picked up a hand in a professional greeting, then continued my work. He left the house through the front hall without another word.

By the time I finished setting up the food and snacks on the expansive kitchen counter with Thelma, the others began to arrive. Well, only Clive and Archer, really. Grant managed to finish her paperwork and stomp down the stairs, stretching her back.

Thelma got up to head to the counter, filling up a small bowl of popcorn to bring over. On her way though, she didn’t catch a rumpled part of the rug, and tripped. Yelping, she hugged the bowl of popcorn to her chest, and I wasn’t sure if she hoped it would save her or if she was trying to save it (neither would have worked).

Luckily, Archer was close. Taking a large step forward, he quickly slung an arm around the front of Thelma’s bare waist, pulling her back to him. She hung in her grasp for a few moment, gasping. “Oh shit, that was a close one!” Turning slightly, she realized Archer was holding her, a humorous expression on his face.

“Oh my Moon Goddess, I am so sorry!” Thelma squeaked, her cheeks blooming into a hundred different shades of red. She fumbled in his grip, trying to set her self upright.

“No worries,” Archer chuckled, helping her balance herself.

She jumped out of his arms like his was burning coal, staring at him with wide eyes. “Uh, thanks, A-archer.”

Thelma was so cute. If she were any other girl, my glare would have zeroed in on Archer’s hands on her from a mile away. Luckily, Archer didn’t seem to have any interest in anyone else. While I laughed at her reaction though, I noticed something odd. When Thelma disentangled herself from him, she kept staring at his back in a unusually rueful way, a hint of guilt glimmering in her eyes. Meanwhile, Archer didn’t have any second thoughts as he swaggered to the light switch to turn off the main switch, leaving on some dim lowlights that created a nice ambiance in the room.

Clive settled beside me on the couch.

“So, Vera, when are you leaving? Hopefully we’ll still have some time with you before you hit the road,” Clive said charmingly, trying to take a casual sip of his drink, but I could sense underlying sadness in his words.

I gave him a half smile. “Soon,” I said.

“Mysterious...and kind of alarming. I really hope soon doesn’t mean like this week or something.”

I laughed a bit, thinking wryly that he wasn’t so far off from the truth.

“Why? You gonna miss me?” I said teasingly. I didn’t mean to make Clive look like a puppy who just go kicked to the side of the road. He turned his head, showing me his Adonis-like side profile; a straight, royal nose, perfectly-curled cupid’s bow, golden hair falling across his forehead, brushing his pale lashes.

“I’ll have to find another sparring partner,” he joked.

“Well you have Rely. Maybe he’ll be up for some tree branch pull up contests.”

“Tree branch - what?” Thelma said cluelessly at the same time that Archer choked on his soda.

“Do not even ask,” Archer warned in a low time. I pressed a hand to my lips, trying to stifle the uncontrollable chortle.

Grant rolled her eyes from her seat in the largest, most comfortable armchair in the room, legs crossed and wine in her delicate red-nailed fingers. “It’s probably one of their little games from when they were rivals or something. Ugh. You guys were so annoying those days.”

Turning to Clive again, his laugh faded and in its place was a hesitance. I sensed that he wanted to tell me something.

“What is it, Clive?” I said, placing a hand on his arm. The touch seemed to make him tense up. His golden eyes became liquid with something akin to need or wistfulness - I wasn’t sure. Maybe he really missed going out of the pack for his missions. I’d heard that used to be his thing after all. Getting situated in one place for a long time couldn’t have been easy after getting used to roaming the outdoors.

Just as Clive opened his mouth to say something, Archer came and sat on my other side, his arm stretched out behind me possessively. His appearance made Clive pause.

“What’s going on here?” Archer asked innocently.

“I just hope you’ll visit us again, is all,” Clive said, finishing up with a swing from his drink.

“Don’t tell me you were going to ask to come along with us, golden boy?” Archer said dangerous dripping from his words. I looked to him to find a dark, arched brow raised threateningly. I nudged him in warning and he mouthed, “What?” as if he wasn’t doing anything wrong.

Clive sputtered. “What? No, of course not. I have...better things to do. No offense to you, Vera.”

“Yada yada yada, we get it, Vera’s leaving,” Grant groaned. “Can we turn up this party or something? I knew I should have ordered Reily to come with his friends. Gina would know how to liven things up.”

“So much for the Mount Hunter Alpha,” Thelma snickered. Grant threw a couch pillow at her, eliciting a scream of, “No - my popcorn!”

After everything we’d been through, this was exactly what we needed.

When I closed the door behind my friends, I left Grant to gather the food. Or eat it. I wasn’t sure.

Instead of going to my room, I went all the way up to the attic. Walking up the ladder was so familiar, yet so odd in a different context. My least favorite thing used to be trying to step down fast enough when Dane’s booming calls echoed in the entire house; sometimes I lost my grip and fell, bruising my tailbone.

I shook my head at the memories, peeking my head up through the opening. The attic remained as I had last left it, except for moving my dresser down I’d found my mirror broken to pieces). It had been a mess when I returned, so I salvaged my clothes and the few items I had. The thin mattress was still upended, leaning haphazardly against the wall, with the low, old bed frame bare like a skeleton. I got closer to the frame, seeing my old box that I’d previously held my parent’s bones and other seemingly unimportant items that I valued.

The bones were no longer there, of course. In fact, I didn’t find them after Dane had been locked up. I’d almost broke down upon realizing he must of stolen them or buried them somewhere. But then while Grant was still cleaning out the office, she called me over to ask about something odd: a pile of bones in a gleaming wooden case at the bottom drawer of the desk.

Now they lay right in their proper burial places.

The only thing of value left in the box was the book that I never got to read properly: How to Tame Your Mate. I chuckled at the title, realizing maybe I’d figured it out on my own. Or rather, there was no taming of a mate. You either cherished them for who they were instead of hoping they would change, or you did an unbinding ritual, I thought sardonically.

But the book was a gift, so I held it int he crook of my arm and turned to leave.

When I entered my room, I went straight to my closet, dragging out my backpack and putting it on the floor, zipping it open. I was packing light, but I still wanted to make sure I had all my essentials. Most of my main clothing was in, along with other hygiene stuff. All that was left was my mom’s journal of healing herbs, my tincture supplies, and other gifts I’d been given. I took out the necklace Clive had given me, tucking it into an inside pocket of the bag, so it wouldn’t fall or get lost while shifting.

Something rustled outside my window. Then a tap on the glass took me to the sill. I saw Archer’s face through the glass, and shaking my head, I opened it up.

“I thought you’d just wait for me at the clearing where we used to train,” I whispered as he slung a leg into the house. Standing to his full height, realized he was back in his usual: black sleeveless shirt with the high neck. He wore black cargo pants tucked into vicious looking leather boots. A bag was slung across his chest. I had to admit, he looked devilishly attractive.

My eyes caught on the tulips on my bedstand. They had been in a vase of water, so they’d held up pretty well while I was gone. I stepped closer to them, reaching a finger out to touch the petals.

“Red for passion,” I murmured, examining the flowers. “And white for...?”

“White for forgiveness.” Archer had come to stand near me, and his voice was low and silky-smooth like chocolate. My head turned to him slowly, meeting his knowing gaze. He’d confirmed what I had suspected.

“It all makes so much sense now,” I said, shaking my head in awe.

“Leave them, I’ll get you more,” he smirked. “Are you ready to go?”

I looked around at my new bedroom. Maybe it’d still be here when I got back. Hoisting up my backpack on one shoulder, I sent Archer a radiant smile.

“More ready than I’d ever been.”

And we stole away into the night.