Alpha's Angel

Chapter Thirty Four

Palms together, I watched how my hand was dwarfed by his. His fingers intertwined with mine, his thumb brushing across my skin. My back pressed into his front, his arm snaking around my waist, whilst the other still held my hand.

I sat in his lap amongst the debris in his office. After he had told me about how his pack was destroyed, I did my best to comfort him under his wolf calmed down.

Whilst we sat here, my mind raced. Who had been the ones to betray them? Who could possibly fathom that hurting that many people, causing that much damage intentionally?

Archer's family- they were gone. Just like mine.

I knew what it felt like to have those you care about be ripped away from you. To have everything you know torn away. His mate was the last thing he was clinging onto.

Archer was terrified of being alone.

"I'm sorry for scaring you mate." he sighed, squeezing my hand apologetically.

"You didn't scare me" I leant my head back against his chest, so I was looking up at him.

His eyebrows pinched together in confusion, before a small smile flashed over his lips. Releasing my waist, his hand came up and wrapped around the back of my neck. He placed a tentative kiss on my forehead. My eyes fluttered shut at the delightful feeling, red rushing to my cheeks.

I brought the hand I was holding close to my chest, liking the way his arms felt around me.

"I lost may parents too." His muscular arms wrapped tighter around me when I spoke. "And for while I thought I had lost my brother. I know what it feels like to lose everything."

His head fell into the crook of my neck as he listened. "Jake and Leah, were they a part of your old pack?" I asked remembering what Jake had said in the kitchen the other day.

"Yes, they were some of the lucky ones. They were with me when the attack began. We were just in the forest, messing around, when we heard screaming coming from the house." He stopped for a second, like thinking of it brought physical pain. "Jake's mate, my sister, and-" He stopped again, his grip getting even tighter around me. "another she-wolf were inside."

His breathing was getting heavier, and I could sense he was getting worked up again. I reached and curled my hand in his hair, trying to sooth his nerves. I knew that the anger he was portraying was deeper than it appeared. Underneath all that immediate rage was a lot of pain.

I noted that Jake had a mate, but I assumed like Archer's sister, it was a sensitive topic and that is why they didn't talk about it much.

"We didn't get there in time" was all he was able to breathe out, his voice strained.

I nodded, not wanting to push him further than he was comfortable with. I knew how much I hated it when people pry into your business .

I turned in his lap so that I was now facing him, wrapping my arms around his neck. We sat for a moment, not moving as he held me against him. We savoured each others embrace, like it was the stability we both been longing for.

For too long I was living in a shell of a dead person, never truly touching my surroundings. It was like I was on autopilot looking onto the world. Nothing connected with me, I didn't feel anything. My mind was only focussed on trying to get through each day, with that end goal in sight.

Me and Elias would finally have outrun him, finally be safe. Maybe then I would be able to know what it was to truly live again.

Yet Archer had smashed that plan to pieces.