Chapter 274

Neil doesn’t seem super thrilled by Archer’s suggestion, if his deepening frown is anything to go by.

“Even if our father mobilizes something right away, we should still have some time,” Archer says.

“Who knows the area better than me?” I add. I don’t mention that I haven’t spent all that much time here myself. I still know the neighborhood better than the rest of them. It’s not a lie.

Neil glowers at me.

“I’ll keep her safe,” Archer says. “You know I will.”

I have no idea why Archer is pushing so hard for me. It’s not like him to go against Neil, or to not want me to be stuff into whatever safe cocoon they’ve made for me. But I’m not about to look a gift horse in the mouth, not when it benefits me so much.

“Fine,” Neil says. “But I expect you to be back quicker now.”

I roll my eyes. What is he, my dad? I don’t need a curfew!

“Fine,” Archer says. He lightly grabs my arm and starts tugging me toward the door.

“I’m perfectly capable of making my own decisions,” I remind Archer in the hallway. I don’t have to go with Archer or anyone else.

Archer looks at me sideways. “Are you complaining?”

“No,” I say. I suppose there’s no point in arguing it now, not when I’m actually getting what I want.

“That’s what I thought.”

When we get outside, we walk up the driveway to the sidewalk that lines the street. It’s the kind they only have in ritzy neighborhoods, with perfect little trees every other yard and rod-iron lampposts made to look like old-timey oil lanterns.

Archer looks up and down the street.

“Usually neighborhoods like this are backed up to a nature preserve or a forest of some kind,” Archer asks. “There’s so many other trees here, that I can’t decide which way it is.” He looks at me. “So which way is it?”

Oh. I see why he wanted to include me now. He actually wants to have my help, since I do know the most about the area. I don’t want to disappoint him, not after he stood up for me, so I try to concentrate.

When Mom first moved here, she was eager to show me the entire community. I do remember something about a nature preserve. I retrace in mind, the turns the car made. Then I point to the right. “It’s to the east. Past the next street up.”

Archer looks in the direction I’m pointing. He sniffs the air. “Show me,” he says.

I do as he asks, leading him down the sidewalk and around the corner. When the street branches, I follow along, veering back to the right and finally to the edge of the forest.

Archer looks at the neighbor’s lawns, the ones separating Mom’s house from our current position. “Do you think your mom could jump that fence?” he asks.

“If she had too.” Mom’s scrappy. She’d do what she needed to, to survive. It’s not mom I’d be worried about in a fight or flight scenario. “But Isaac… I’m not sure.”

Archer takes those words to heart. “I will help him, if it comes to this.”

“Thank you,” I say. I’m certain Wyatt would want to help his dad too, and while Wyatt is strong, there’s no one I know who is stronger or more physically capable than Archer. It’s a relief to know he’ll watch out for Isaac, who really did seem more… frail… than I remember.

I need to talk to Mom about him. I hope he’s okay. She would have told me if something was wrong though, right?

“With that settled,” Archer says, reclaiming my attention. “Let’s go for a run. I want to see the rest of the neighborhood but I don’t want to waste time.”

I hum. “How about a race, then?”

He looks at me with a stern expression, and for a moment, I’m uncertain if he’s about to tell me that’s a reckless, nonsensical idea.

Instead, he asks, “What do I get when I win?”

His playful mood lightens me and I roll my eyes. He says when I win with such confidence, like he’s so certain that will be the outcome. Overconfident bastard, as always.

Still, I enjoy the game. “What do you want?”

He makes a show of thinking for a moment. Then, when I’m about to tell him to get on with it, he steps closer into me, right up until the space between us is down to a mere inch or two.

My breath catches in my throat. My skin starts to warm.

“I want to fuck you against a tree,” Archer says. “Right here in this forest.”

I swallow hard. Gods… that sounds great. Can we skip the competition and go straight to that? But no, I know victory is all the sweeter when it’s earned.

Archer smirks as he backs up. He must see the desire blossoming like my blush on my face.

“Half-mile circle all around,” Archer says. “Right here where we are now is the finish line.”

I shake myself out of my lust-filled stupor. “We haven’t said what I get when I win.”

He looks me in the eye. “We both know I’ll win, Chloe. You might as well just wait here for me.”

Pompous… arrogant…!!!

Like hell I’m just going to roll over on any competition.

“When I win,” I growl, “I’ll tell you what I want.”

Archer shrugs. We limber up some and then come to stand side by side.

“Count us down,” Archer says.

“Fine,” I snap. Oh, I’m determined to win now. I know it’s unlikely, but crazier things have happened.

“Three.”

“Two.”

“One.”

“Go!” I shout, and tear forward.

Archer stays in line with me. I roughly know where a half-mile radius would be around this neighborhood. Archer stays at my side, keeping pace, following my direction.

Is he doing this on purpose? Surely his innate sense of direction could help him plot his own course. Or does he think I’m cheating?

Either way, whatever. I’m determined to win so that’s what I’ll do.

I push my muscles hard, forcing their strength. I feel myself moving faster than I ever have before. Perhaps more of my wolf is manifesting?

I don’t know, and I don’t have time to reflect on it.

Unfortunately, no matter how much I push myself, or how fast I go, Archer keeps pace beside me. He doesn’t even seem to be putting that much effort in. I know he’s fast and powerful but Gods damn it! I wanted to hold my own.

I begin to circle. A half-mile isn’t all that far, especially at this speed.

Before too long, I see the forest in view again. Archer still maintains speed at my side, like he’s taunting me.

Taunt this, asshole!

I kick my legs as fast and hard as they will go, pushing myself to even new extremes. For a moment I break ahead. There’s nothing between me and trees. I’m so close. Maybe I will win this after all!

But then, just as I’m about to cinch victory, Archer overtakes me, barreling past me at a speed so fast, he’s gone totally blurry.

He touches the tree that was to be our victory line, before I even step off the sidewalk.

I’m amazed. Gods, he’s so impressive.

But I’m also pissed as well. He was playing with me the whole time! Letting me think I might win, just to steal it away in the last moment.

I’m so angry, I want to start yelling. The words bubble up in my throat.

But then, Archer’s eyes darken. He looks down the length of my body, and my angry words swallow down into my stomach.

“I win,” he says.

And I realize I’m a winner too.