Chapter 6: Who Wom

Archie and Rollins stood side by side on the track, their eyes locked on the finish line. The tension around them could be felt a mile away as they set themselves, the muscles in their bodies ready to spring.

They waited for the Coach to get his stopwatch for timing their speed and for him to blow the whistle.

Rollins gave Archie a side glance. It seemed he did not only have eyes for his mate, Piper, but he also wanted his title as Captain. Rollins needed Archie to understand that no one could change his status quo.

His eyes burned as he spoke “Listen to me, Archie,” Rollins muttered, his tone sharp. “I’ll only say this once. Piper is MY mate. She belongs to me. Stay the hell away from her.” he gritted.

Archie didn’t even flinch. He kept his gaze forward, his lips twitching. “You rejected her,” he said simply. Everyone around was whispering about it, both openly and discreetly.

The reminder made Rollins’ jaw clench. He shot back “I made a mistake!”

“And you think she’ll forgive you?” Archie finally looked at him, one brow raised. He knew nothing about Piper, not yet, but he had heard enough to know the truth.

Rollins had humiliated her. It was his fault she drank until she could barely stand. That was how she ended up in Archie’s bed. It wasn't out of desire, but out of heartbreak.

No, Piper wouldn’t go running back. Not to him.

“She loves me,” Rollins snapped, his tone a matter of finality.

Archie gave a short, dry laugh. “Guess the captain’s band isn’t the only thing I’ll be winning, then.”

Before Rollins could speak another word, Coach Drew lifted the stopwatch and blew the whistle.

The sound of the whistle sliced through the air, drawing the attention of everyone on the field to their little race.

Rollins was already off balance at the start, causing him to lag by a hair's length. Archie, on the other hand, surged forward like a bullet, his stride quick and measured.

Panic found its way into Rollins' chest. The crowd's cheer was beginning to shift from him to Archie.

He couldn’t lose. Not to him.

Out of desperation, Rollins reached deep, calling on his wolf’s speed. It would be illegal in a human-only run, but who would notice? His muscles tensed with an unnatural power, his pace abnormally increasing.

Inch by inch, he caught up to Archie. They were side by side now. Rollins' heart raced with the thought of emerging as the winner. He was already starting to throw his dust on Archie.

It would be the big win.

–––

Piper didn’t see the race. She had no idea what was happening on the field. She was set to go him when someone suddenly tackled her.

“I can’t believe you’ve been avoiding me! Me!” Ember’s voice thundered. They were almost at the entrance of the gate, oblivious to the race. “I'm your best friend, cut me some slack!” She pointed to herself dramatically, her eyes raw with disbelief and a hint of anger.

Piper’s shoulders sagged under the weight of guilt. She wanted to leave quietly. But now there was no escape.

Ember crossed her arms, ignoring the sadness in Piper’s eyes. “First, you ditch me at the rink. Then today, you don’t even bother to find me. Do you have any idea how humiliating it is to hear from someone else that your best friend got rejected by that jerk Rollins?”

Piper’s chest tightened. Ember was right. She should have confided in her, but shame turned her dumb. She began, her tone apologetic “I’m sorry, Ember, I—”

Ember didn’t let her finish. She grabbed her into a hug so suddenly that Piper froze. Then, slowly, she melted into it, her tensed shoulders relaxing. Ember’s embrace was warm and tender…..the kind of comfort Piper hadn’t realized she needed.

“There,” Ember murmured, patting her back. “Better?”

Piper nodded faintly as they parted, a small smile spreading on her lips.

But Ember wasn’t done. She suddenly smirked. “Sooo… anything you want to tell me?”

Piper blinked, puzzled. “About what?”

“About Archie Quinn,” Ember chimed. “The transfer everyone’s talking about? The one from your major?” She'd been hearing some pretty interesting rumours about the two of them.

Heat rushed up Piper’s cheeks before she could stop it. “He just….saved me from that lowlife Elsa, that’s all,” she muttered, darting her eyes away. “Nothing more.”

“Uh-huh,” Ember said, clearly unconvinced. But, she didn’t press further. Silence settled between them again until Piper spoke hesitantly.

“Ember… do you think it’s possible to have another mate?”

Ember blinked, taken aback, but as she opened her mouth to speak, a familiar voice cut in.

“Hey, Piper.”

The two of them turned around to find Archie, with a charmed smile etched on his face, standing a few feet from them. Seeing him, Piper immediately tore her gaze away, flustered. He didn't hear them talking, did he?

Ember’s jaw dropped. “It’s you!” she blurted out, pointing at him dramatically.

Archie rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed but amused. “Uh… nice to meet you. I’m—”

“Archie! Archie Quinn!” Ember squealed, so desperately finishing his sentence for him.

Piper wanted the earth to swallow her whole. Ember wasn't just embarrassing herself, but her as well. She gently nudged Ember and gave her a ‘stop acting crazy’ look

Ember immediately understood the gesture and straightened herself up. “Sorry about that, I get excited easily.” She extended her hand with a new composure “I'm Ember Cruise,”

Archie shook it politely, then turned his attention to Piper. “Uh… I just came to see if you needed a lift,” he said, his tone almost shy.

Piper's stomach sank at his words. At first, she was short of words. Then she shook her head slightly. “There's no need.”

It was disappointing but Archie made sure to hide it perfectly. “Are you…sure?” he asked, hoping she would change her mind, but she didn't.

Ember just stood there like a lamppost staring between them. She could sense the weird atmosphere surrounding them. Her eyes narrowed. ‘Did something other than the cafeteria incident happen?’

While Piper left with Ember, Archie stood behind with a disappointed look on his face. He should have expected it though. She had to be going through the same thing as he was.

‘Their wolves’ were drawn to each other despite being rejected by their fated mates…’

It was a puzzle worth unraveling.

Just then, his phone rang. A slight frown settled on his face when he saw who the caller was. He stuck the phone to his ear.

“Hello, Father,” he began with a formal tone.

His Father's voice was calm yet menacing. He asked, “Have you found her?”