Chapter 6- A Red Birthday pt 2

Archer sprinted down the hall, trying to follow the trail of string only he could see. He had to duck and weave around the other residents of the pack house, some shouting curses after him, others hardly being phased as a young werewolf skidded through their legs.

The string was leading Archer out the back of the pack house and toward the thick coniferous treeline that separated them from the icy peaks of the Draconic Ridge Head section of the mountains. Archer raced, doing his best not to skid down the icy path of mud and dying leaves.

He had to find them.

Sniffing the air, he could smell something, even without his wolf being awakened yet. It was warm, like vanilla or cinnamon. His eyes watered from the cold and the churning emotions in his chest.

“This way…” a soft voice whispered in his mind. He swallowed hard, trying desperately to follow the voice.

In the central clearing, in a large sunbeam, sat a large white wolf with pale grey agouti markings. She sat resting, her head on her front legs, her eyes closed. Archer stayed at the treeline, his eyes wide. The wolf opened one eye, and in his mind, he could feel they were smiling at him.

“You ran all that way?” she asked in a soft, feminine voice. Archer nodded, suddenly aware that he was breathless.

“Come here,” the wolf said. He walked over, tentatively.

“You… You’re beautiful,” he whispered.

“Thank you,” she replied.

“What’s your name?” he asked.

“Song,” she said.

“And… Your human?” he asked, his heart racing.

“... You’ll meet her later,” Song said.

“Is she nice?” he asked.

“Very nice,” she replied. “But I don’t think she likes you all that much yet.”

“Yet,” Archer said, taking a steadying breath. “I can… I can make her like me.”

“You can’t 'make' anyone do anything,” Song chuckled.

“But she’s my mate…” Archer pouted.

“A mate bond will only go so far,” Song said.

“... But…” Archer hesitated. “You like me, right?” he hated how desperate he sounded.

Song nuzzled her large snout against his cheek, making him giggle and smile. He gently petted her cheeks and head.

“I like you very much,” Song murmured.

Archer’s chest ached, and his eyes burned with tears.

“You’re a very sweet boy, and I can feel you’ve been through much too much in your little life…”

That was it. Archer collapsed into Song and clung to her, sobbing. His lungs and eyes burned with tears that he finally let himself pour out. Song nuzzled him so he was curled in her paws and clinging to the fur on her chest and shoulders. She held him there, letting him cry and sob into her. He could feel her almost treating him like a pup. He didn’t mind.

Eventually, he sobbed himself to sleep in her paws, clinging to her.

He only woke up when the cold started nipping at his skin. Opening his eyes, they were bleary, making the twilight sky look like a soft watercolour.

He sat up, desperately looking around for his mate.

“...No…” he whispered as he suddenly faced her.

Dark curly hair.

Green eyes.

Her slight form was wrapped in a blanket.

He let out a choked sound as the psychic link opened. He could feel her pain, her fear, her anger, and so much more he didn’t know how to name.

Drowning.

He was drowning in her feelings.

How was anyone supposed to be prepared for this?

“A… Ariadne?” he whispered.

He looked at her face, blinking away the sleep. She was sobbing, her cheeks and nose red from the cold.

How had he never seen how beautiful she was?

“A-Ari-”

“Don’t!” she shouted, taking a step back. He scrambled to his feet.

“You’re freezing,” he said softly. “A-and… Your leg… Did you trip or?”

“I said don’t come any closer!” she shouted, taking another step back. He felt pain shoot through her foot as she stepped on a stone.

“No, your foot, you need-”

She screamed so loudly that birds flew from distant trees.

Archer fell backward onto his ass, terrified for her, not sure how to help.

He should have walked away, given her space, gone to find help.

Instead, with Ariadne afraid… They both stayed frozen in the freezing forest until adults arrived.

***

“Oh… Wow…” Peggy said as she listened to Eli explain it all.

“Yeah,” they nodded. “You can see why Ariadne maybe isn’t a fan of Archer.”

“I guess so,” Peggy said. “I always thought the mate bond was like this inescapable, all-consuming thing, but…”

Eli shook their head.

“It makes things a lot easier, but it doesn’t make it a sure-fire thing,” Eli explained.

“And if your mate is a human or something that makes it even more complicated,” Mikael added.

“Oh, yikes…” Peggy said, looking at them both. “I never thought about all this.”

“Most humans like you don’t need to,” Eli shrugged. “But, Archer has had a lot of time to think on it.”

“I guess,” Peggy nodded. “So… Where is Ariadne now?”