Page 15

ARCHER

It was eight a.m. on Wednesday morning, and I was knocking on the door to my dean’s office. I had finally submitted my grades around six in the evening, and started packing to drive to Chicago through the night when he’d emailed and asked to meet with me to discuss my leave request.

“It’s open,”

he called.

Allen Hyde was a shifter, an alpha about a decade older than me. He grunted at me quietly and gestured towards the chair in front of his desk, his eyes still on his screen.

I sat down and waited, letting him get through his display of dominance before he finally sighed and swiveled towards me. “So, you’ve been AWOL for the past three weeks and now want me to approve a last-minute sabbatical leave? And apparently you’ve already been granted visiting scholar status at the University of Chicago starting today?”

Allen was generally a pretty easy-going guy, but I knew I’d been pushing it recently. “I’m sorry, there were some pack emergencies that required my attention, and then an unexpected new lead on my research popped up that I really need to get a head start on, and…”

He held up his hand to stop me. “Lim, I know about the omega. It’s all the news in Maiingan Hollow. One of my pack mates got a whiff of her at the grocery store and hasn’t stopped talking about her since.”

A low growl rolled out of my chest on instinct, and he paused before speaking again. “And I’ve heard all about the vampyrs and your shifting, too.”

I waited for him to continue, wondering which direction this was going to run in, when he grabbed a file out of a drawer and handed it to me. “I know you were in the lab the night of your car accident—I am very glad you’re okay, by the way—because some grad students came to my office the next day and told me the mass spectrometer might be broken.”

I opened the file and skimmed through the results, my heart racing. How could I have forgotten about these?

“Tell me what we’re looking at here, because I can’t make heads or tails out of it,” he said.

I knew what I was looking for, and found the information quickly.

Mass Spectrometry Report for Sample #2473-A (Luminis)

Mass readings detected at m/z 72.3 and m/z 106.7 do not correspond to any known biological compound or element…

The detected properties strongly suggest the presence of a compound unknown to conventional chemistry… Further investigation recommended under controlled conditions to verify reproducibility of anomalous data points.

Allen watched my face carefully. “This is from her, isn’t it?”

My eyes shot up and this time I couldn’t keep a now louder growl to myself. Allen sighed and shook his head. “I mean no threat to your omega or your pack, you can calm down. But you realize what this means, right? I duplicated a run with a few more samples of shifter, human, even vamp blood, and none of them came back like this.”

My wolf raised its hackles in preparation for what he would ask, and there was no way I was going to let him do any kind of research on Marlowe. If it turned out she was the only source of Luminis, and Luminis was the component we’d lost that allowed us to shift into our wolf forms, I’d happily supply my own blood.

But Marlowe wasn’t to be touched.

“Is this related to your sudden sabbatical request?” he asked.

I re-read the reports, finally closing the folder with a quick sigh. “Yes, this report is from Marlowe and one of my pack mate’s blood samples. And yes, this is connected to the urgent research that’s come up.”

Allen turned back to his computer and clicked something on his screen. “Sabbatical approved. Whatever you’re onto, it’s big, and I trust you to bring back results. If this could be the answer to us shifting again, to ending Shifter Repression Syndrome, don’t let the University’s bureaucracy stand in your way, got it? Let me be the scissors to your red tape.”

A newfound respect for my dean blossomed in my chest and I nodded, a slow smile growing on my face. “Understood. Thank you, sir.”

After putting the file in my bag, I headed towards my car, ready to hit the road. Before I pulled out, I texted Elias and Marlowe to let them know I was on my way. Marlowe responded right away.

Marlowe: So excited!! Drive safe, we’ll see you soon!

In a separate message just to me, Elias wrote:

Elias: I’ll have a surprise waiting for you.

My interest piqued, sure he meant a “sexy”

surprise in the form of Marlowe, but I wouldn’t be able to concentrate on the road should I try to guess any further, and the ensuing erection became too distracting.

Instead I thought about the mass spec results. If elements unknown to this world were discovered in the Luminis, what did that mean about Marlowe and her family’s origins? Why did it only seem to be present in her blood, but not other shifters or even vampyrs?

And was it somehow connected to her being an omega?

We’d never ascertained exactly why shifters had lost their abilities in the aftermath of the Great War. It had been hypothesized that interbreeding with humans had diluted our power, but how did that explain vampyrs, who only ever mated with humans, losing their ability to fly?

I had all the pieces to the puzzle laying out in front of me, but I couldn’t put them together on my own. I needed to talk this through with the pack.

The sound of Marlowe’s sweet, panting moans, accompanied by a strong wave of her perfume, hit me as soon as I walked into Elias’s house, my dick becoming instantly hard.

I rushed in and found my omega, wearing a sexy little nightgown, gripping the back of the couch while she was nearly doubled over in ecstasy, her back arched. Slick ran down her legs, and my instinct took over as I pushed her over the back, taking my cock out of my pants.

“Wait!”

she cried. “You have to take it out first!”

I bit back my instinct to growl, angry at the pause, and got down on my knees, finding a hands-free vibrator pulsing rhythmically inside her.

“It’s…”

Another pulse shot through her and she whined, so close to her release I could smell it. “Elias… he has an app… he’s at work…”

Well, this wasn’t what I imagined he’d meant by a surprise.

Elias had been edging Marlowe remotely to make sure she was ready and waiting for me as soon as I arrived. I didn’t have time to even think about the actual plan I’d made in my head for us. Another role play—I’d even brought costumes so we could spend hours together.

But this was excellent, too.

I rubbed her clit with one hand as the other pulled the toy out, and she screamed as she orgasmed, “Archer, yes, fuck… yes, yes!”

Elias knew me better than I did. Or at least he knew an alpha’s reaction better than I did at seeing his omega again after a few days away, because my cock was practically screaming to be inside her immediately.

We needed this—a quick, passionate, hard fuck so we could take our time later.

At least I had the wherewithal to turn her around. We had so much to talk about, and I wanted to see her face while we were knotted. I picked her up and brought her against the wall, wrapping her legs around me while I pounded into her relentlessly.

Moon, I missed her. Her smell, the sound of her voice, the way she said my name, the way she touched me, the way it felt to be inside her… I cursed myself for my plans to stay here in Chicago through January. I would come back for the end of the year, but that was still two weeks away. If this was how I felt after not seeing her for five days…

“Archer,”

she moaned. “Harder, please!”

I expressed my sentiments with my mouth, capturing hers in mine and happily acquiesced to her demands. I gave her everything I had, ignoring the artwork bouncing on the walls.

Her pussy was so wet and sensitive from Elias’s “surprise”

that she came again quickly. I knotted her with one final push as I came in response, roaring at the feeling of her clenching around me.

Stars danced around the periphery of my vision, and I panted heavily as one orgasm rolled into the next, our feelings ricocheting through the bond. Her whole body vibrated in my arms, her moans reduced to sated whimpers.

“Shh,”

I cooed. “I’ve got you, Marlowe. Always.”

Her arms wrapped around my neck and she buried herself in the crook of my shoulder, sighing softly as the aftershocks finally subsided. “I missed you so much,”

she whispered.

I kissed her on the top of her head. “I missed you, too. More than I’ll ever be able to express with words. It felt like I was living with my soul ripped in two while you were away.”

I carried her over to the couch and sat down, taking her face in my hands. “Tell me everything you did for the past few days, I need every detail.”

My heart refilled while she talked about her time in San Francisco, and how she’d been exploring Chicago. Her eyes sparkled, and I lost myself inside them.

“…and then yesterday Elias and I went shopping on the Magnificent Mile, and I found the perfect dress for the company holiday party. I’ll try it on for you later, you’ll have to let me know if you think Cam will like it.”

“Marlowe,”

I chuckled. “You could show up naked and he’d love it. You know what, never mind, he might actually prefer that.”

She rolled her eyes playfully and laid back into my chest, relaxing into my contented purr. “I bet. So what about you, what do you like?”

“Hm? What do you mean?”

Her fingers traced little circles along my skin. “Having this time with Elias has made me realize how much I want to make sure I’m nurturing each of my relationships individually. We’re a pack, but I like the one-on-one time, too, you know?”

My purr deepened. We were still very new to this group relationship, and I adored Marlowe for wanting to create a dynamic that worked for her and the rest of us, too. Elias found it easy to ask for what he needed directly, but Marlowe was grabbing the lead now to make sure we were all taken care of, because she loved us as much as we loved her.

“I don’t care much about what you wear, you always look cute.”

She blushed adorably, nibbling on her lower lip. “Well, what about dates or trips? Is there anywhere special you’d like to go?”

I looked up in thought. Just a night at home with her all to myself sounded appealing enough, but I knew she wanted to make sure we could build special memories together. And there was something to be said about the bonds that strengthened during travel.

“I’d love to explore more of the East Coast. I’ve been to New York and Boston for conferences, but never for fun. Internationally, of course it would be great to visit Korea again. My parents took Ivy and me a few times when we were kids, but I’d love to see it again now.”

Marlowe’s face lit in excitement. “Oh my god, yes! I would love to go to Korea! Have I ever told you how much I love Korean food?”

“Well, I already know about your love for Korean drama…”

I started, nudging her suggestively.

“No, I mean it! I’ve actually made my own kimchi before. My whole apartment smelled like garlic, fish sauce, and chili powder for weeks, but it was worth it.”

I couldn’t stop the pride that swelled in my chest. Of course my little omega would make her own kimchi—she was perfect for me. “Is that right?”

I asked, a sly smile growing on my face.

She slapped my arm and chuckled again. “I’m serious! I’m going to stop by the Asian grocery store in Madison on my way back to Maiingan Hollow on Friday. I’ll start fermenting it right away for when you come back home.”

Home. That word alone, spoken by Marlowe to refer to a place we belonged together, meant more than a thousand vacations ever could. My knot inflated once more, bringing us both into another round of intense orgasms.

Marlowe melted into a puddle on my chest once the feeling passed. “Archer,”

she breathed. “Whatever you want, I’m happy to make it for you.”

“That’s not it,”

I finally choked out. “A trip with you sounds fantastic, it’s just that I’ve lived alone for so long, the idea of coming home and finding you waiting for me with homemade Korean food… it’s more than I ever thought I’d have in this life.”

Marlowe kissed me on the lips, her hands running through my hair. “It’s everything you deserve and more. You’re such an amazing person, Archer. We can go to Seoul and eat the spiciest tofu soup in town, and we can relax in my nest, draped all over each other and reading books. I’m down with it all. What do you say?”

Moon, she really was the perfect female for me. Marlowe made me so happy I could barely breathe. “I say both sound incredible.”

She nestled into my chest and we napped on the couch until Elias returned a couple of hours later, quietly entering the house.

“Did you enjoy my gift?”

he whispered, leaning into my ear from behind the couch.

“Very much so,”

I replied. “Have you gotten enough alone time with Marlowe, then?”

He sighed, running his fingers through his hair. “Never. And you probably know what I mean more than the others, right?”

I did and I didn’t. Camden and Nolan were self-professed townies, having never expressed any desire to leave Maiingan Hollow. Elias, however, had always sought distance from our hometown. I wouldn’t say he was pretentious, but he’d always had a taste for the kind of culture and lifestyle that wasn’t readily available in Northern Wisconsin.

I had left after high school as well, and while Elias had often considered us kindred spirits in that regard, the drive that led me away was due purely to my professional ambitions. Personally, I had no problem with Maiingan Hollow, and was quite glad when a position opened up at UW-Eau Claire so I could be close to home.

“Perhaps. Do you want to go to Sal’s tonight?” I asked.

Sal’s was an Italian restaurant run by shifters, and they even had a special room in the back just for our kind. It was one of the few places in the city we could congregate safely.

I wanted Marlowe to enjoy all the amenities Chicago had to offer, so while the news I had to discuss necessitated some privacy, I couldn’t deprive her of a night on the town before she went back home.

Elias smiled, petting Marlowe’s hair. “Sounds good. I’ll take care of the reservation.”

Marlowe was still fast asleep, not even stirring from our conversation, my knot still deep inside her

“How was your time, just the two of you?”

I asked, already knowing the answer.

Elias leaned against the back of his couch and crossed his arms, a slow smile creeping across his face.

“Heaven,”

he finally replied. “Pure, unadulterated heaven.”

“Look, I don’t want to seem super touristy right now,”

Marlowe said, looking over the menu. “But we have to get a deep-dish pizza, right?”

Elias and I looked at each other and shrugged. He had lived in Chicago for years, and I had spent a significant amount of time here as well while I was going to Northwestern. This night was all about Marlowe and whatever she wanted.

“Fair’s fair,”

Elias said. “I made you get sourdough bread and clam chowder with me at Fisherman’s Wharf. Just don’t get anything with broccoli on it.”

He winked, signaling the waiter.

“Ha ha,”

she replied, putting down the menu with a very bratty smile on her face. “Joke’s on you, I’m ordering Hawaiian—with extra pineapple.”

Sal’s was quite busy for a Wednesday, but Elias took clients here often and was on a first-name basis with the general manager, so he was able to get us a booth in the shifter section. But even with Marlowe tucked into the corner and the overwhelming smell of garlic, tomato sauce, and cheese in the air, her perfume still caused quite a few head turns and curious sniffing.

We tried not to let it affect us too much, but I placed a very possessive arm around her shoulders all the same. Some of my compulsive need to touch her came from our time apart, as well. Ever since I’d arrived that afternoon, I hadn’t taken a hand off her, as though I feared she could be separated from me again at any moment.

“So,”

I started, once the waiter left with our order. “I wanted to talk to you both about something that’s been weighing on my mind, and was recently confirmed by the test results on your blood.”

Elias rubbed his chin with his thumb. “That’s right, I had nearly forgotten all about that in the wake of your accident.”

I sighed. “Me too, which could have been a complete disaster if anyone else had gotten their hands on them.”

I had scanned the papers in Elias’s home office and emailed them to myself before we left. After I pulled them up on my phone, I passed it to the both of them to read.

Marlowe’s eyes widened. “Does not correspond to any known biological compound or element… Does this mean what I think it does?”

Elias whistled and leaned back. “I think it means we’re aliens, California.”

“It means the Luminis in our blood is alien,”

I corrected, putting my phone away.

Our table was silent as they digested the news. I watched Marlowe carefully, her mind working while she slowly swirled the wine in her glass. Finally, she looked up. “Do you think shifters always had Luminis in their blood and just lost it over time, or is this something new that just happens to unlock our latent ability to shift into our wolves?”

Elias arched an eyebrow. “Or perhaps your brother might not be as crazy as he seems.”

The pizza arrived at our table and Marlowe’s face lit up at the steaming insult to Italian culture before us. Elias grimaced as she dug out the first slice, putting it on her plate. “How can you accept this? Didn’t you study abroad in Milan?”

She took a bite and moaned, smiling broadly as the cheese stretched between her lips and the fork. I couldn’t even contain myself, she looked so cute I reached down and kissed her cheek, sending her into a fit of giggles.

“Listen,”

she finally replied. “We’re already eating deep-dish, so any argument you want to start on authenticity is null and void. Besides, if you insist on going through life as some sort of food purist, you’re going to miss out on some truly delicious meals. Do I consider this Italian? Of course not. Is it good? Hell yes.”

Despite the sour look on his face, he still ate quite a bit, all the while picking off pineapple pieces and giving them to Marlowe, who happily accepted them.

I decided to wait until we were home to continue discussing my findings, and after finishing a large tiramisu for dessert, we got up to pay the bill.

“I’ll meet you up front, I just need to go to the bathroom,”

Marlowe said.

Once she was out of ear shot, I turned to Elias and confided in a low voice. “I’m afraid this fight with her brother is unavoidable. And both outcomes will hurt Marlowe, because either we’re responsible for the real death of her brother, or he kills us.”

Three weeks ago, I would have laughed at the claim that shifters and vampyrs were descended from fae. I thought, surely, there had to be some logical, scientific explanation as to how and why we were able to transform into wolves. But after what I’d discovered in our blood…

There was something else at play here, though, too. In all my research, I had never come across any mention of shifters being able to wield magic like Ezra had. We were dealing with something wholly new and unprecedented. Could fairy tales really be the answer?

“I think we need to talk about the prophecy you found on the back of that photo in James’s office, too, and how it might fit into all this,“ Elias replied. “Marlowe told me something strange a few days ago, and I have a feeling you’ve likely come to this conclusion as well without realizing it. She’s especially… Wait, where is she?”

We had been waiting by the door for quite some time, longer than it should have taken.

“I’ll go check on her,”

I said, heading back inside. I navigated my way through the front human section, down the hall with the bathrooms.

What I saw stopped me dead in my tracks, a growl roaring straight through my chest.

A human man had Marlowe shoved against the wall, his nose deep in her neck while she winced, whining in fear.

I grabbed him by the shoulders and whipped him around, pinning him against the opposite side. Yet he didn’t cower in fear or show any sign of discomfort other than being away from Marlowe.

“I’ll fucking kill you!”

I snarled, my wolf howling at the door of my mind to be released so he could tear the man to shreds. How dare he touch my omega like that?

He barely registered the threat, as though his mind were altered by some kind of drug.

“Tim?”

A woman called into the hallway. Her eyes widened in shock when she saw me and she screamed, rushing towards us to pull me off the man. “Get your hands off my husband!”

Nothing, certainly not a human woman, could tear me away from this threat to Marlowe. “I’m teaching him a lesson about keeping his hands to himself,”

I snapped at her.

The woman finally noticed Marlowe, still shaking with tears running down her cheeks. Understanding colored her features as the situation became clear, and her anger pivoted from me to her husband. “You mother fucker—I knew you’d been checking her out! What the hell did you do?”

The man’s eyes appeared glazed over, and he spoke slowly. “I’m so sorry… I don’t know what came over me.”

I lowered my face into his and bared my teeth. It took every ounce of my willpower not to shift and rip out his throat. “You’re lucky my girlfriend hates violence in her name, otherwise you’d be on your way to the morgue right now.”

He nodded, the stench of fear now coming off him in waves as whatever effect Marlowe had on him began to wane. He mumbled his excuses. “She just smelled so good,”

he said quietly. “I wasn’t going to hurt her, I swear.”

I let him go with a final shove and wrapped Marlowe up in my arms, tucking her head under my chin and rubbing her back as I whispered. “It’s okay, I’ve got you.”

The woman continued to berate her husband while I led Marlowe out to the front, trembling in my arms. “I don’t know what happened,”

she said. “I just came out of the bathroom and he…”

“Shhh…”

I soothed her. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”

Elias looked up from his phone where he’d been waiting, and his face contorted from shock to rage at the sight of Marlowe’s distress. “What the fuck happened in there?”

“I’ll explain in the car.”