Chapter 3

Now let’s go back to the day Archer met Elena.

"She is our mate." His wolf Leo murmured calmly in his mind, “I am so sure this time.”

Archer stared at Elena in disbelief. He had been alone for so long, and Leo had misidentified so many different girls that he thought he could never find her.

And this time, he didn't even specially come for her.

But there she was, laying in a puddle right in front, looking up straightly at him. 

She looked dying and ragged. Her pale skin covered in bruises and blood. Her thin face expressionless. And her bloodshot dark eyes burning with a calm, persistent fire.

There was something wrong with --

Before his thought was finished, he saw her eyes closed and her head dropped down in the muddy water.

“Holy shit! Go save her! ” growled Leo toward him, but he didn’t move.

Her miserable state reminded him of Violet. And almost immediately, his heart welled up with anger, sadness, sympathy, and a little contempt. Just as what he felt when he found Violet voluntary to be weak.

Leo sensed his feeling and warned him promptly, "Only an asshole like your father thinks of a woman in this way, buddy."

Leo and he were as close as brothers now, knowing and trusting each other 100%. Archer nodded and took a deep breath, abandoning the idea he ought not to have.

He stepped forward to check on his mate.

Poor thing.

She was nothing but skin and bones, frowning with her eyes closed and her hands over her stomach. But her belly bulged out in a weird way. He got down on his knee and reached out to touch it.

“Her rib got broken.” He let out a sigh and pulled her hands away, noticing that her shattered blouse couldn't hide her scratchy breasts. Instantly, he lifted his head and took off his coat to cover her, "She was almost raped."

"Almost?" asked Leo, “How can you be so sure?”

“Not sure yet. But in all these years of war, have you seen any she-wolf get rid of a aroused male?” 

Archer stood up and with incredible speed, checked the 2-mile stretch of riverbank, making sure of no suspicious living creatures around. Then he made a flying leap over the hill and found the rapist knocked out on the ridge.

“Look what she’s done to him!” Leo praised toward the bloody scene, “How adorable.”

“Yeah, but not enough to me.” Archer got close to the criminal and SNAP! He broke his dirty hands.

The guard woke up from the severe pain, but passed out in the next second as Archer stomped his legs off. 

Archer tied his limp hands and feet together, twisted the bastard into a wreath of flesh, and hung him from the nearest tree.

“Beautiful.” Leo generously complimented him, "You've found the best way to let off steam."

With a smile, Archer jumped down and picked up his Luna, "Let’s go. Our mate needs to see the doc."

***

He took Elena back to his pack.

After careful examination, the doctor shook his head with a heavy sigh, “Bruises and scratches everywhere. Malnourished. And unknown toxins inside. What has she been through?"

“I won’t forget to ask her when she woke up.” Archer answered, “What should we do now?”

“Lydia and I has cleaned and dressed her wound. Just take her back to your room.” The stern and warmhearted doc nudged Archer's chest, "Stay with her yourself, OK? ‘Cause her wolf is disconnecting from her. Only her mate can speed up her recovery."

“What?” Archer frowned, “She just beat a guy. It’s impossible for a little girl to fight like that without a wolf.”

Doc shrugged, “I don’t know. But her wolf couldn’t be detected. ” 

“Well, it will be the second question I’m gonna ask her. Anything else, doc?” Archer carried Elena and turn to step out of the infirmary.

“Um...yes.” 

Archer rolled his eyes and turned back around, “Yes?” As the doc got older, he always needed to be reminded to give the whole medical advice.

“You’d better take a bath with her.” The old man stared at him in all seriousness and held up three fingers, “At least for 3 days.”

***

“I’m not sure it’s good advice.” Leo was rattling in Archer’s mind, “You know how victims of sexual assault react when they regain consciousness. We’ve seen a lot through the war!”

“I know." said Archer, but he didn’t stop taking off Elena’s clothes.

“She will be scared of you, man! You’ve waited for her for so long but she will hate to be with you! Think about that!” 

Leo sounded like eager to bite him, but Archer replied calmly, “She won’t. Remember? She beat the bastard herself. She’s strong and tough.” He removed the last piece of Elena's rags and took a deep breath as he saw her totally naked, “She’ll be different from the victims. And I’ll be different from the assholes without respect for ladies. I know what to do, OK?”

Leo gave a reluctant grunt and finally agreed. He dived deep into Archer's mind, "I'll go link her wolf for you and see what happened to her."

"Thanks, bro." With the dialogue finished, Archer looked up. 

He saw Elena and himself in a full-length mirror. She was so short and thin, and he couldn't even feel her weight as he was carrying her. Her skin looked bloodless and lusterless. Her hair was dry as straw. And her face, black and blue, wrinkled from the pain.

Honestly, she can hardly be called a beauty at this point. Especially while Archer is tall, well-built, and healthy. When in the same picture, they seemed like a mismatched couple.

But she would be fine. He’d make her fine.

"Come on, babe. Time for treatment." Archer started to take off his own clothes.