Her Savior Alpha

Cianwood was no Mount Hunter, but it was to be my new home and I had enough determination to make it so. Archer had dropped the hint a couple of times that Beartown probably wasn’t bad as I thought it was. I tussled with my hair a new apartment a few streets back from the quaint town center. Not much to see in Cianwood, but it had all the amenities that one might need. I didn’t want too much hoopla anyway because I wanted to give myself time to heal and process all I’d been through.

As I clipped my hair to the side, if I was being honest I hadn’t given myself enough time to grieve even my parents. When they died I was thrust right into turmoil, beatings and endless chores. Being the pack pariah had taken its toll in not just a physical way, but in an emotional and psychological way.

Archer being the perfect, well sculpted gentleman was lying on the floor resting peacefully.

You even look spectacular in your sleep, how can that be? I worried about him other than myself, I’d grown accustomed to being this way, but Archer cared about me more so than himself. We were both givers so it seemed to work. He helped me find the apartment and set up the furniture. He had called someone to assist me with the money for the apartment which I vowed to pay him back. I never asked him who helped, but he wanted to keep it hush, hush from me. I became flustered when he told me how much the apartment was as I didn’t want a debt hanging over my head.

“Archer, are you sure you want to help me with this? I mean I can pay you back. I don’t-”

He’d looked at me as if I was an alien wolf. “Vera, I’m happy to help you. It’s not a big deal and you don’t have to rush to pay me back. I want to tell you not to pay me back...” I shook my head furiously, there was no way I would accept all he’d done for me free of charge. I would offer something back to him and that would be that. I already had my mind made up that I would cook for him.

“I can’t let you do that Archer. I would have to at least cook for you, or do something in return.” Archer was patient with me and let me express my unfounded fears as his dark mess of hair glistened in the sun. He rubbed the side of my arm as a spread of lukewarm warmth ran through it.

“I knew you would say that.” Brusquely he brushed his lips with mine and my whole body lit up like a Christmas tree from the inside out. Archer was like a slow runner vine that grew on you. I had no idea why at first I thought Clive more attractive. Archer’s hot-o-meter ramped up the more time I spent with him. If ever I brought up a concern, he quelled it with a solution, until their were no more objections. “You can do this Vera. You’re free now and you can start a new life. It’s not going to be like it was anymore.”

I smiled back at myself as I stared at a new wolf, one who was on her road to freedom. It was a weird concept to me Was I really free or was I still jailed in the confines of my mind?

I stepped over him to the small kitchen that I could turn around in pulling back the curtains to let the sunshine grace me with its presence. The warmth felt amazing on my skin. For once I could relax and let my hair down. I had enough, it was two times bigger than the attic I slept in. A little stove which was functional, a tiny sink, windows all the way around and one bedroom. That was enough for me. I even had dreams of getting a small desk where I could sit and look for jobs.

I stared back at Archer as I prepared the staple dish I learned how to cook. Bacon and eggs. I cracked the golden yolk into the pan as it sizzled. It woke Archer up and I could hear him stretching. There was something comforting about him being in my presence and he gave me my space when I needed it. Next I placed the rashers of bacon in the pan happy that parts of my life were falling into place.

“Mmm, that smells so good Vera. Did you cook like this back at the main house?” The smile had on my face wiped off as soon as he mentioned the house of horrors.

“Yes, sometimes I would cook, but Dane would always say it wasn’t good enough.” As soon as I uttered his name I saw his face and it drove me insane. If I could erase that portion of my life I would have. I would go back to the thatched roof house I grew up in were I slept soundly. My mother would be the one making bacon and eggs then.

Archer studied my face realizing he’d hit a nerve. “Sorry I didn’t mean to upset you,” he comforted quietly.

“It’s okay, I guess I’m going to have some memory of the place. I can’t think I won’t.” As I stirred the egg yolk I thought of Thelma and the laughs we had, the messages she would send me letting me know when Dane was around and how to get away. My 18th birthday and the moments we shared. I would treasure them. I was hoping if there were any way, I would invite her to my apartment.

“You’re thinking of everyone right now aren’t you?” Archer probed.

“Yeah, I am. I hope Clive is okay. I don’t want him or Thelma getting hurt on my account.” My eggs puffed up to be a golden yellow, fluffy and mouth watering as I dropped the bacon into the skillet.

Archer massaged my shoulders and I instantly felt them melt. “It’s going to take time, but I can help you get in touch with them if you need to. It’s not like they don’t have phones. You have their numbers right?”

“I do. I just think Dane will be on high alert, he will be watchful and so will the rest of the pack. I’m worried for them Archer.”

“Worry about yourself for once Vera. You’ve endured so much, it’s time to love yourself.” Archer coaxed me back into reality as the bacon zinged and popped.

Sighing with gratitude I thanked him. “Thank you Archer. I can’t believe you saved my sister, and now look you’re saving me.”

Archer looked as delicious as the bacon I put on his plate with his messy bedhead hair. His biceps were just the right size to wrap around me. I traced my eyes over the outline of them as I tried hard to ignore his scent, but it was impossible. I desired to reach out and touch him, to run my finger over the bulge one time. If only once to feel, to excite even, but instead I swallowed the tight lump of desire down and fed him. That was a task I was proficient at; feeding people. He took his plate gladly kissing the side of my face lightly.

I wasn’t sure if he had any idea of the effect he had on me, but when the moisture of his full lips hit my skin, it was as if a rocket ship had sent me to the moon. I couldn’t stonewall him if I tried, I could only hold in my feelings for so long. I’d began to daydream about him between job hunting. Every now and then I would peek around the paper to watch as he fixed things in the apartment or circled suitable jobs for me. The way his hair sat so close to his eyebrow, adding to his rogue mystique left me fantasizing about what lay inside his pants.

“I didn’t save you Vera. You have more courage than I’ve ever known. I’m in awe of your resilience and ability to trust after all you’ve been through. I couldn’t be who you are. I would have done just what your lycan did that night, probably worse. I would have killed Reily.”

Archer’s brow furrowed as he fired up, his stormy gray’s shifting with anger.

“I hope I can get over things, but I miss my parents. I’m an orphan Archer, no matter which way you look at it.” A wave of melancholy swept over me, as it did from time to time. I assumed it was normal, but still I soldiered on as I always did.

“You have me now. I’m here and we can make a new life together. You’re not alone anymore. I do think Beartown would be okay for us. This town seems to be devoid of wolves. More human’s reside here.”

“You keep mentioning Beartown, why is that? It carries such horrible memories for me.” I crunched into my succulent bacon, pleased that I had cooking skills at least. It gave me the idea I might be able to work in a kitchen. I made a mental note to drop into town.

Archer avoided my gaze as shards of his bacon crumbled. “I was thinking about you being close to your wolf pack is all. I wondered if you might like to keep some connection to your kind. Never mind about it. It was a suggestion, that’s all.”

“Okay, thank you for thinking of me like that, but some degree of separation from wolf culture might be good for me right now.” I wound my shoulders down as I enjoyed breakfast with Archer. I added thoughtful to the list.

“Don’t thank me just yet,” he grumbled. I let the comment slide.

“Let’s drop into town together. There’s a few stores I want to go into to see if I can get a job.” Panic seeped in as I thought about filling out the application form.

“What is it? You look confused,” Archer said as he rubbed my leg. I wished he would stop doing that, he was getting closer and closer to me. I had to fight the daily urge to kiss his perfect lips again. We glided like swans together, his mouth tasted of silk, the way his tongue glided so effortlessly as we dove into one another. Now, Archer had a firm grip on my leg, and his touch was unconscious. He seemed at ease putting his hands on me, and I didn’t dare take his hand away.

In fact I liked it there. It gave me more to dream about later. I studied is open palm as his fingers splayed out over my leg. Did he realize he was turning me on every time he stroked my leg? I started to think he might be teasing me. Whatever the case, it certainly worked to take my mind off the peril of my life.

“I was thinking about the application process,” I finally answered once my throat cleared.

“Why? Who says there will be an application process. You’re in a small town, they may not want an application. You might find you get a job on the spot.” Archer smiled with the same cheerful optimism in which I met him with.

“You have a good point. I’m glad I have you to reason with me.”

Archer’s eyes darkened as I put my plate down and he grabbed both my hands cupping them and staring into my eyes. “You don’t have to worry. I’m not leaving Vera.”

“I know you’re not. Come on, let’s go into town.” A few things weren’t adding up for me in regards to Archer, but he’d shown me nothing but kindness and compassion. A niggling feeling tugged at my heart, but I let it pass as we ventured into the township of Cianwood. It was nothing like Mount Hunter, if anything it was flat and more of a hilly landscape. There were no mountains to hide in, this town had open grasslands, farms and a smattering of local stores. I had no special resume to give them, but I guessed I could tell them my skills and create one if need be.

A local grocery store was the main attraction of the town as I watched people drift in and out of it. Most of them weren’t interested in Archer and I as I found my eyes wandering around looking for Reily or the others in disguise. That’s when Archer held my hand a little tighter and I exhaled the outward breath I held in. I was safe, I had to remind myself of that. We were a little over 100 miles away from Mount Hunter, but the haunting of my past remained. There were other stores such as the drugstore, the hardware store, a tourist bureau - not that I knew what the town attractions would hold, but I walked in every single one of them asking for work.

Archer hugged me every time I received a rejection of we’re not looking right now, come back in summer when things pick up, or we just hired two new people sorry, you missed out.

I lucked out for the day, but Archer bought me lunch and we sat in the local park. That eased the pain, but that nagging feeling floated back in... my wolf was talking to me, but I shut it down and talked to Archer.

“Archer, why do you have money? Where did it come from? I’ve never heard you speak about your family, and you know all about mine.” We ate our sandwiches as we sat peacefully together. If I broke things down, I didn’t know Archer that well at all.

“Your father gave me money when I saved your sister. I saved most of that as I had no need for anything at Mount Hunter.”

“Huh.”

“My mother and father are out of sight, much like yours. I guess that’s why I can relate.”

“Wow. I’m sorry, I never knew that.”

“We are a lot more alike than you think Vera. In many ways.” His words were wistful as he bit into the last of his chicken sandwich. He was so handsome and sweet, that it made me feel gooey inside, yet still the nag persisted. Oh well...