Chapter 8: Give it a chance
The forest remained still and quiet. Suspiciously quiet.
Slowly, but cautiously, Piper got up from the ground, her claws set to attack. “Playing dumb, huh?” She narrowed her gaze, her eyes fixed on a spot in the bushes. Her voice lowered, almost threatening “I can sense you,”
Whoever it was had a familiar presence and that scared her even more.
She immediately thought of shifting again. If the person was looking for a fight, she was certain that she would have a winning chance in her wolf form.
Frustrated by the suspense, she grunted loudly, “Come out, you coward!”
Steps. When she heard them, she took a fighting stance. But froze on the spot when she saw him. Her eyes went wide with shock and confusion, her round eyes sizing him.
The first thing she noticed was his hair, dark and smooth, perfectly blending into the darkness. Then, his eyes, slightly brighter than they used to be.
It was Archie, both his hands lifting in the universal ‘I surrender.’
What was he doing there?
“Don't attack?” He let out an awkward smile, his eyes slightly squinted as if bracing himself for her potential attacks.
Piper's stance fell, but her instincts remained alert. “Are you stalking me now? What are you doing here?” She asked, folding her arms across her chest.
“If I told you, you…wouldn't believe me,” he said, slowly bringing down his hands. He took a step forward, but stopped when he saw the leveled look on her face.
“What?” She frowned.
“...You brought me here…” he said in one breath, sounding like a complete fool. Piper couldn't agree more. She pointed to herself, raising a brow “What, me?”
The corner of his lips lifted “You shifted and I felt it”
She mouthed an almost unnoticeable ‘oh’ before averting her eyes from him. Her shoulders subconsciously fell, a dampening feeling tugging at her chest. A cold thrill ran down her spine and she hugged herself.
Archie's smile faltered when he noticed her change in mood. His brows came together “Did something….happen?” he asked.
Without knowing Piper took a step back. She bit her lower lip, as if forcing back the words threatening to leave her mouth in a rant.
It made him feel unwanted. He instantly regretted following her scent and the will of his wolf side. She clearly needed space for herself with all that has happened. He shouldn't have come.
“I-I should go,” he stuttered, a hint of dejection raw in his voice.
Piper looked up, stopping him the moment he had his back turned. “No, don't go!” She held out her hand, but quickly retrieved it when she realized.
Archie spun around, his expression lighter now.
She murmured loud enough for him to hear “You can stay,”
–––
A while later they were both seated before the clear stream, savoring the night's peaceful atmosphere. They stayed silent. The only sounds heard were the soft hum of the wind, the distant sounds of crickets, and the croaking of frogs somewhere nearby.
The world couldn't be more serene.
Piper let out a soft sigh. “I come here almost every time to free my head,” she said, breaking the silence. She chuckled dryly when she recalled something. “My father used to warn me about coming here. He'd say ‘the forest is dangerous’, ‘you don't know what's lurking there' but I never listened”
Archie gave her a side glance. Her gaze was lost in the gentle waves of the stream. It seemed the rumours were wrong about her being a bastard with no idea who her father was. He cleared his throat. “I guess you were stubborn then,” he said.
“Yup. As stubborn as he was,” she pursed her lips, reminiscing of the time she spent with him.
Archie raised a brow “Was?”
She nodded wearily, her voice dropping to a whisper “Yeah, he died….three years ago”
Archie felt the heaviness in each word. He muttered. “I'm so sorry,” He wanted to reach out to comfort her, but ditched the idea immediately. “What happened?” He asked instead.
“Well, he decided to fight in a stupid war that wasn't even about him,” She answered almost immediately, annoyance evident in her tone. She exhaled bitterly, “He said it was his responsibility. I don't even know what he meant by that.” The last part of her statement was left in a low mumble.
Before Archie could speak again, she stirred the conversation away. “What is happening to me? To us?” She asked, then looked heavenward, “What is the moon goddess planning?”
Archie blinked, unsure of what she was trying to say. He raised a brow “You mean?”
She hesitated, “I had a mate. How can I have another…?”
“Oh, that,” he paused for a bit. “I don't know,” he answered “But I know what I felt. The pull. The connection. I doubted it at first”
“I felt it too,” she said, recalling how they met on his bed. She was drunk and hadn't realized she was being controlled by something else. Something she couldn't explain.
Archie seized the opening. He drawled “Maybe, we could give it a chance?”
Piper went quiet. The silence, though short, felt like it could stretch to an eternity. It was unnerving, causing him to feel as though he had overstepped.
Maybe he did. His lips parted immediately to rectify “Y-you don't—”
“Rollins and I—” Piper cut in smoothly, pausing at the last second. She took a deep breath before continuing. She said quietly “We've come a long way. I think we still have a future together”
With what happened, she wasn't sure, but she wanted to work things out with him and go back to the way they used to be.
Archie's heart clenched, his stomach tying in on itself. What was he expecting?
“I'm sorry,” She apologized, but he waved her off calmly. “Nah, it's fine. I shouldn't have forced that on you,” he stood up, hiding his hurt under a smiling facade. He extended his hand to her “We can be friends,”
A small smile appeared on Piper's face. She took his hand, rising to her feet. “Yeah, you're right.”
With that, their time together came to a short end. She watched him shift to a majestic grey wolf before sprinting into the forest. The moment he left, Piper couldn't help but snort “A second mate,”
What were the possibilities? She shook her head fiercely. Now, she wanted to focus on getting her true fated mate back.