Splitting Edge
1233 Words
♚Archer♚
I stood at the base of the stairs with my hand on the rail and felt the pull.
“Go back,” Ragnar said, his voice low and sure. “She is ours. We should be with her,”
“No,” I said as I forced myself to take the first step. “We have work to do. A pack to run. Eyes on the east climb,”
“Yes, but she is ours. We are hers. Why can’t we just…be with her? Bring her here, then,”
“No,” I said firmly. “I can’t just bring her here. We don’t know what will happen,”
“Who cares? At least she will be with us,”
“I said no,” I said firmly before I went down the stairs and headed straight for the office. There really was work to do, and I needed the distraction. Desperately.
“Everything ok?” Marcus asked, and I startled. “What? You told me to meet you here, remember?”
“Sorry,” I apologized as I hurried to my desk and sat down. I wasn’t sure why I was jumpy. It wasn’t like me. Not at all.
“Archer?”
“I’m fine, sorry…I was just lost in thought,” I explained. It was a lame attempt, but Marcus nodded.
“Kieran called in twice. The fog made a wall near the stones,”
“Right. Tell me more,” I said. Marcus took a seat across from me and sighed softly.
“Cedric sent a runner,” Marcus continued. “Another reed charm. Same binding. Same bone. He wants you at first light,”
“Ok. He will have me…just tell me where,” I said. Marcus leaned forward and tapped the map on the eastern cut.
“Here. It's almost the same place as before. Whoeever is leaving these charm things knows all about our old markers,”
“Possibly not ours then,” I muttered. I rubbed my brow as I thought about it. “Any tracks?”
“Nope. Nothing clear. Prints were either swept away by the wind or washed away by the rain,” he said, and I groaned.
“Double the watch until dawn,” I said. “Then pull them back. No one plays hero in the fog,” Marcus nodded, but his gaze never left mine. He watched me closely for a long time. In fact, I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. “What?”
“You look…it’s strange because you look better, but you seem tired,”
“I am tired,” I admitted.
“Archer…what is going on with you?” Marcus then questioned, and I knew he wasn’t asking as Beta. He was asking as my best friend. I could see the concern in his eyes, and for a moment, I wondered if I could tell him the truth. “Look, you are a great Alpha. Well respected. Extremely fair and just. But…sometimes you just disappear and…like now, you look better physically, but…emotionally? What is going on, Archer?”
“You can’t tell him,” Ragnar said before I could truly consider it.
“But we trust him,” I pointed out, but Ragnar scoffed softly.
“We do, but the question is, will he understand? I don’t think so, Archer,” I didn’t like it, but Ragnar was right. I had no idea how he would react. It was why I hadn’t told him before.
“I’m fine,” I said to Marcus. “I’m here,” he watched me for another second before he sighed and leaned back in his seat.
“Yeah, you are here, but not,”
“Like I said, I’m fine,”
“After your meeting with Cedric, Elder Bertha wants a word with you as well,” Marcus said as he abruptly changed the subject.
“Any reason why?” I asked. I hated that I hadn’t told him the truth, but I wasn’t about to get back into it.
“No idea,” he said as he got to his feet. “I don’t need to remind you that you can trust me, Archer,” Marcus said before he walked out.
“Are we done now? Can we go back?” Ragnar questioned.
“No,” I shook my head. “We have stuff to do,”
“The pack is in good hands,”
“If you don’t stop pushing, then I will take us home instead,” I threatened. Ragnar immediately pulled back, and I sighed. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to be with Harley, it was just different now. Knowing that she wasn’t just another woman to help me with my hunger changed everything. She was my mate. And since I had just realized it, I had to wonder if she knew. I wanted to talk to her about it. I wanted to ask her. But I was afraid. I had no idea what the hunger was capable of. I had no idea what would happen if feelings were involved. No. It was better for me to just take it slow. I decided to actually do some work, so I pulled the ledger closer and got to work.
“Darling,” I looked up to see my mother standing in the doorway holding a small tray. “You must be hungry,” my stomach growled in response, and she chuckled. “You see? A mother always knows,”
“Thanks, Mom,” I said as I accepted the tray. I lifted the lid and smiled. It was one of my favorites. Tomato soup and grilled cheese. Classic comfort food.
“So, you said you would come to dinner,” my mother said as she took a seat across from me. I didn’t answer her right away. Instead, I ate quietly while I tried to figure out a way to get myself out of this situation. “Archer, you are my son. Do you really think I don’t know what is going on?”
“What?”
“You are overworked, and those long walks in the forest aren’t helping. You need to find your mate,” she said, and I nearly choked. “I mean it, Archer. You need to find your mate. She or he can help you with the stress,”
“Ok, Mom, I get it,” I hurriedly said as I pushed the tray aside, my appetite gone.
“I know this isn’t something you like to talk about…but you are acting just like your father,” I stared at her in surprise. “In fact, it wasn’t until we met that he started to calm down and actually live his life,”
“Mom,” I groaned. “I don’t…can we talk about this another time?”
“No time like the present,” she said. “I just want you to know that you aren’t alone…and that if you found your mate, it would make your life so much easier,” I wasn’t sure if she was telling the truth or not. I had found my mate, and I wasn’t sure if Harley was a good thing or a bad thing. I had no idea how the curse was going to react. I had no idea how the hunger would behave. There was just too much at stake.
♚♚
- Writer
