Alpha's Angel

Chapter Forty Six

I was sat in the lounge, brushing out the matts in Maggie's fur, trying to hold her still with my legs and feet as my hands worked with the brush. She thought it funny to lick my hands as soon as they would get close.

"Don't play with food" Abdo said from behind me.

"Haha very funny." I mocked at his poor joke, turning to see his confused expression.

"It was not meant to funny." The smile quickly left my face, and I pulled Maggie closer to me. At my horrified expression he began to chuckle and walked away, leaving me with my mouth slightly agape. His laughter filled the corridor as he walked away. Archer watched him over his shoulder as he passed him the corridor.

I looked down, focussing on the  task at hand as I continued to wrestle with Maggie in my lap. I didn't realise my body was huddling into itself as he got closer, until I felt Maggie begin to wriggle away again under the pressure I'd accidentally put on her. I did my best to seem unaffected as he sat behind me on the couch, keeping my eyesight narrowed on the knots I was trying to undo.

I could feel the burning on my back from where he was staring at me. His presence was pushing down on me, the deceit and lies crushing me. What made it worse was I could see the burden on his shoulders, the regret weighing him down. It pulled at something inside of me that made it unbearable to look at him. I could hear him breathing , feeling the space he took up as his chest expanded with each breath.

I kept my eyes down as he flicked on the television, switching nonchalantly between the channels. Reality TV, a murder documentary, animal attacks on the news, a cooking show-

"Wait!" I said looking up from Maggie. "Go back" Archer flicked back one, going to the news channel.

"Another attack yesterday by the unknown animal making its way south." A stern news-reporter said, say with his back as straight as a pole. "Amelia Jane was found dead after taking a holiday in a cabin near Taringtown..."

"That's an hour from here." Archer sat forward, suddenly more interested.

I felt cold as I listened on. "I stayed in that town for a night" I half whispered but Archer caught it.

"They're getting closer." I turned at the sound of Abdo's voice. He was stood leaning against the door, arms folded nonchalantly across his chest.

"You said they couldn't track her because of the smell of wolf" Archer growled trying to be fierce but I could hear the unnerved tone he was trying to hide.

"If Althea left a trail leading to the wolves den, they'll eventually look inside." Abdo leaned in taking a big whiff from the top of Archer's head. "It doesn't matter how stinky you are." He said pulling a face.

Archer growled pushing him back, not at all amused. "This isn't a joke." He looked back over to me, undoubtedly seeing the worry in my face as I pulled Maggie closer to me for comfort. "Are we safe here or not?"

Abdo sighed rubbing a hand across his face. "We're not safe here. We're not safe if we leave." He looked down at his palms, lifting one after the other in front of his face. "Not safe left. Not safe right."

Archer looked down to me, wincing as he saw the inevitable panic on my face. I closed my eyes for a moment trying to think. "What are you going to do?" I asked after a tense moment.

"Who me?" Abdo quizzed putting a hand to his chest. I nodded still working my fingers through Maggie's fur therapeutically. "I shall be packing my bags very soon" his accent in combination with his light tone made his words sound like music. "Perhaps Hawaii is nice this time of year." He left the room listing other exotic places on his bucket list to visit.

Ignoring him completely Archer turned to me, holding onto my shoulder with what should've been an endearing touch. Instead it felt like a bouldering pressure holding me down to the floor, stopping me from leaving. "We're safe here." His eyes were sincere from his naivety.

"No we're not" I shrugged his hand off. "They're less than a few days away. They'll come here eventually and when they do, they won't just take me, they'll take everyone and everything." I sighed shaking my head. "The longer I'm here, the more danger I'm putting everyone in."

"You're not leaving." Archer said bluntly as if every single word I said went straight out the window.

"Or what Archer!" I yelled, losing my temper. His head was in the fog unable to see anything in front of him. "You'll lock me up? You'll mark me? You'll poison me? Well you've already done all of those things so go ahead and throw whatever you have left at me." He couldn't see truth or reason even when it was hitting him in the face. He stared at me, mouth half open, like the words he was going to say got lost in the air. I rolled my eyes, nudging Maggie slightly so that she would stand up. "That's what I thought." I got up heading upstairs.

I nearly bumped into the silent, dark figure slinking around the banister. Abdo held onto the bars as he swung towards my face. "They say that couples that fight have good chemistry." He leered wiggling his eyebrows.

"Get out of my way." I groaned trying to get past him.

"Packing your bags are you?" He put a hand out fast as lightening to stop me in my tracks. His eyes were bright as the sun as the shon down at me, his pearly teeth forever glistening as they were set in a smile.

"Yes." I leaned back slightly, still finding his manic expressions forever unnerving.

"Good" he said flattening out a wrinkle on the shoulder of my shirt. "We leave tonight." A little giggle left his lips as he leaned in. "Alone."

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Side note/// for the people asking me if I'm alright because of the long time since the last update. Yes I'm not dead- quite yet.  Thank you for checking though it's very kind of you. I shall return the favour.

How are you all doing. Are you well?

Comment and vote xoxox
-Shay