ARCHER

4.

-HER-

It must be Carla, I think to myself as I wipe my hands on the apron and step inside the shop.

The hungry and savage rats in my stomach turn into beautiful butterflies as soon as my eyes land on him. The air around me sizzles with electricity and my heart stops beating when his eyes find mine.

“Corey...” He breathes and my heart flutters in my chest like a caged bird. His green eyes light up when they land on me, drinking in my appearance as I step inside the shop.

A part of me cannot believe that he’s actually standing there, that he actually came back. I feel a part of me lighten up to see him. My bad day lit up seeing him.

“Hello, Archer,” I say with a small smile, trying not to look like a creep and not to make it too obvious that I am actually VERY happy to see him. He flashes me a breathtaking smile as well and my heart stops momentarily before it speeds up.

“Hello, Corey.” He says again but there’s an unknown emotion latched to his voice that tugs at my heart.

“What would you like to have today?” I ask politely. He bought almost half the bakery yesterday and he’s here again today? I mean, I am not complaining because he made a good purchase but still. It surprises me.

Silence falls after my question as he continues to look down at me heatedly. I feel tingles all over my body wherever he looks. I am feeling self-conscious under his gaze. I know I look like a mess right now, covered with flour and what not. I have freckles on my skin and wish if I could afford some concealer to cover them.

There’s this depth in his green eyes into which I seem to get lost whenever I look into them. He takes a step forward before resting his arms on the counter and leaning forward, lessening the distance between us.

My breath hitches as I watch him. His eyes darken considerably as he studies me closely.

“You,” He speaks. His deep voice is low and husky, making my toes curl. I swear my heart did a summersault in my chest. I am not sure if I really heard him say that or just imagined it. I take a step back, feeling overwhelmed by his presence.

No one ever approached me like this, not someone like him. He looks way out of my league.

“Pardon?” I ask after composing myself. My heart is racing a thousand miles per hours in my chest and his stare is doing things to me. Hurt and rage flicker in his eyes when he sees me step back but they’re gone as soon as they appeared.

He sighs before he leans back and lets his arms drop from the counter. I nervously adjust my glasses due to the sudden change in the air.

“I am new in the town. I was wondering if you’d show me around.” He says nodding at me. His eyes are on me all the time. It’s like he cannot look away. It’s like I am the most fascinating thing on this planet he has ever seen.

“I... uh um... I canno-”

“Are you seeing someone else?” He growls, putting his hands back on the counter and leaning forward more this time. His hot breath is fanning my face. His eyes are dark as they look down at me pensively. There’s this feral look on his face that’s oddly attracting me. I should be scared but I am not and I wonder why. His question catches me off guard when my mind finally processes his words.

Why would he be concerned about me seeing someone? And well, I am not really seeing someone. In fact, I don’t have the time or charms to attract someone and be in a relationship. Well, look at me. I wear glasses, without them I am as blind as a bat. I look malnourished. I am so plain and well, I am nothing special, to be honest. I am hideous. Most people choose to ignore me all the time. some look past me as if I am not even there.

Keeping aside all these things, what confuses me is that he sounds jealous. I don’t want to believe it. I’d rather believe that I am just imagining this whole thing and any second I am going to wake up and find that it was a dream.

“No...” I say nervously and he continues to look down at me pensively. His eyes are so dark and intense. I feel gravitated to them. There’s this intense pull that I feel while being so close to him.

His strong arms resting on the counter seem dangerous and tempting at the same time. They can kill me in just a snap but at the same time, they can wrap around me and pull me closer to him.

He nods lightly at me before stepping back. His eyes never leave me. It’s as if he’s afraid that I’ll disappear if he looks away for once. He looks oddly satisfied by my answer.

“Then why not?” He asks gently but there’s this edge to his voice that tells me that he’s impatient for my answer.

“I uh... I am busy.” I tell him while adjusting my glasses. I literally have no time. I have college, work in the bakery and then have to hunt for another job to keep up with the expenses of my family.

“Please, Corey...” He trails off, flashing me his breathtaking smile but there’s this desperation in his eyes. They’re begging me.

I am in a dilemma now. I want to say yes but I have good reasons to say no too. And those reasons are more important than a stranger asking me to show him around the town.

“Just a day, Corey.” He pleads. His voice is laced with desperation, tugging at my heart. It sounds as if it means a lot to him. Me showing him around seems really important to him.

“Uh... okay?” As soon as those words leave my mouth, his face lights up.

“Thanks, Corey.” He says grinning widely. His eyes are gleaming with excitement and an emotion I am unfamiliar with.

I can’t help but ask myself, what does he really want?

~

-HIM-

I look at the human in front of me. My mate.

My Corey.

She’s perfect. I cannot wait to have her. She seems nice and gentle, somewhat like me yet unlike me. My Lycan already craves for her. I met her only yesterday and it’s already getting hard for me to keep myself away from her.

I want her but she is a human and she doesn’t know what I am and what she means to me. I must tell her soon because my Lycan is really impatient. He wants to create a bond with her so that her lycan could start developing and we could bond well.

I just have to find a way to embark my scent on her and then wait until she excepts my bond. If she knew about my kind then I would have taken her the first time I saw her. I know what it feels like for Ace now. I can feel the same emotions brimming inside me.

I need to thank him later because I got to meet my Corey because of him. I feel grateful for accompanying him to this town yesterday. It’s such a surprise that we found our mates in almost the same place, both humans.

Her green eyes which are slightly magnified by her glasses are looking up at me in surprise and bewilderment. I know that she feels the mating pull and it’s going to confuse her if I don’t act soon. She’ll be confused about it and might also dismiss it if I don’t do anything. It’s up to me to create a bond with her and make her give into the pull. I cannot rest until I mark her and have her by my side.

“Let’s do it tomorrow then?” I ask eagerly, my eyes studying her pensively. I want to know what’s going on in her head. Usually, I can tell what a person is thinking by merely looking at their body language and facial expression but it’s different with her. She looks composed and calm but she seems hesitant about me.

I want to know what she thinks of me. Does she like me already? I know it’s stupid to think that because we met just yesterday but still, I’ll be the happiest man alive on the earth if she has developed feelings for me already.

“Uh okay?” She says or rather asks. What bugs me is that she doesn’t seem so sure about me. Even though she seems calm on the outside, I could sense an internal turmoil that she’s trying hard to pressed deep inside her. Is she struggling with something? Is there any crisis going on in her life?

I want to know. I want to know each and everything about her. I am obsessed with her. If I want then I can use my connections and special agents to dig all the information about her but she will be unpleased about it if she finds it out later. I’d rather find everything about her from her because no one knows her better than her but still, I am going to dig some basic information about her which will satisfy me and my Lycan.

“Thanks, Corey,” I say and she nods at me, adjusting her glasses. I want to see what she looks like without the glasses. She won’t need them once she turns into a Lycan for sure and I cannot wait for that.

“I’ll have what I had yesterday,” I say and she nods before taking out boxes and packing my order. I watch her as she works. She seems clumsy and distracted under my gaze but I am enjoying it. At least it shows that I have an effect on her.

Her frame is smaller than the average humans but that’s what makes her adorable. She’s perfect to fit me. I feel tempted to sweep her in my arms and bury my face in the crook of her neck and take long drags of her intoxicating scent that enthralls my senses. It calms me down but it excites my Lycan.

After she finishes packing, she sets the box on the counter. I take out a thousand bucks and put them the counter. Her mouth hangs open at the sight of the money.

“Oh, that’s way too much, I think you sho-”

“Keep the change, Corey. You deserve it” I say and she looks at me as if I grew three heads. I take the box and leave before bidding her goodbye when all I wanted was to take her with me.

“See you in the town square tomorrow, Corey.”

“Uh... yeah. Thanks for coming here.” She says before I leave. My Lycan is irritated as soon as we step outside the bakery. He wants to go inside and spend some more time with her. I want to do that too but it will be inappropriate at this stage. It might scare her off which is the last thing I want.

As I step out of the alley in which the bakery is situated, I find one of my agents waiting there for me. He nods at me in acknowledgment as I near him.

“I want her details,” I order before I hand him the box with the bakery goods.

“As you wish, sir.” He says.