Alpha's Angel

Chapter Thirty Seven

"Maybe this isn't the best idea"

Before I could even lift myself off the couch, Archers hand caught my wrist, easing me down slowly. He smiled that signature smile that distracted me from the anxious snake that was wrapping itself around my chest.

He was right, now was better than any other time. Even though he didn't say anything, he didn't need to. The warm look in his eye brought me back from my worked-up state. I needed to stop overthinking. I just needed to get it out.

But what if he sees me differently?

After last night I promised Archer and myself that I would explain everything as best as I could. The weight of everything had been pressing on my shoulders for too long. I was terrified of what he would think.

I had only just gotten used to this, him and I. I didn't want us to change. Archer wouldn't be able to look at me the same. He wouldn't even want to look at me after I tell him.

I wrought my hands in my lap nervously.

I couldn't lie to him. After everything he's done for me, he deserves to know about the monster he's been sheltering.

Just get it over with.

"I-I'm not human." I started, settling on looking at my lap. I couldn't look at him, I didn't want to see his reaction.  "My mother said I was an Aswang." My hands were shaking. Stop shaking. "But I know I'm something much worse."

I clenched my hands trying to stop them from moving. "Something that I have is the lure" I just wanted to stop. "People with bad souls, particularly men, are drawn to me. It makes them want to do bad things. Like Simon... and at first I thought you- I thought that's why you were attracted to me."

I could feel Archer grow tense beside me. I wanted the world to swallow me up.

"That's why you were so scared" His voice was distant, like he was trying to talk about someone else rather than himself

I glanced up to him for the briefest second to see his reaction, he was looking out the window. I knew he wouldn't want to look at me.

"I didn't know what mates were. I just thought that you were confused and caught by the lure. I-I didn't know the difference" At this point it felt like anything I said was only going to make things worse.

"It's ok." Was all he said, which clearly indicated that it wasn't ok. He wasn't looking at me.

"Elias said not to trust anyone, especially if they paid interest to me." You've started now, might as well finish. "It wasn't safe to."

"Why weren't you safe?" He cut in, his intense gaze back on me. He had one arm casually thrown across the back of the couch, but I could tell he tense from how rigid his back was.

I looked down again, wrapping my arms around my stomach. I didn't want to talk about this. I knew I had said I would tell him everything, but now it had come down to it, the thought of digging up everything I had tried so hard to burry made me want to cry.

He won't want me after he knows.

"Althea" His hand was on my knee, his touch soft in comparison to his pressing voice. "I need you to be safe. I can only keep you safe if you tell me what's wrong."

"He said I could never leave him." I couldn't do this. "He said th-that he would find me" My throat felt like it was closing up.

"Who did?" Archer squeezed my knee gently.

He said it.

A nameless killer.

I was a monster. He made me into a monster.