4

A whole week passed since Archer started working at my side.

The first three days were total chaos, then Archer picked up the pace and took care of all the tedious part of digital categorization. He was fast at it, so because of that I was able to arrange the new library shelving properly without falling behind.

We reached a point of good efficiency and my days were quiet next to Archer as he told me stories about the Reserve and avoided anything about his life. Although I understood that he was a private person, I felt that his avoidance of the subject was unusual. However, it was nice to know him; he was not as quiet as I was, he had an opinion for everything and he was always cooperative with everyone.

He was a perfect gentleman, to the point that Carol was ecstatic to have him in the library.

“The He-Man is a visual spectacle and he's divine as a person,” my best friend said that Tuesday while we were having lunch and Archer had gone to buy some candy she liked. “He's nice; he looks like the perfect man.”

“The truth is, he's too perfect,” I said with a frown. “A man isn't that perfect, so there's something else. I don't know; I feel like he's hiding something. He avoids talking about his life when he's basically known everyone's life in a few days.”

Carol looked at me with a smile.

“He's a sweet guy; I think he's just asking to make conversation,” she said and I looked at her mockingly. “It's true, some people do that; he's just excessively private.”

“If you ask about other people's lives, you should assume they're going to ask about your life,” I said calmly. “It's illogical for him to be evasive in such an obvious way.”

Carol nodded and then smiled.

“You like Archer and that's why you want to know about his life,” the brunette said smugly. “I've seen how the two of you interact and I can firmly say that he's interested in you. He gravitates around you.”

“Archer doesn't like me,” I replied calmly. “He's handsome, maybe the most handsome man I've ever seen in my life, but he's too perfect and I've learned the hard way that perfect men are a mirage. Besides, he doesn't gravitate around me; he's by my side because he has to work with me.”

And that terrified me because I was attracted to him.

We had had innocent interactions that had left my heart racing. Many times, we would touch each other by mistake, which generated an electricity that made me uneasy. And the worst part was that lately I would think about Archer after dreaming about the black wolf visiting me in my dreams.

I felt that something was not normal.

“You're blind and while I understand that you're hurt by what Paul did to you, I'm telling you that Archer likes you as a man,” Carol said seriously. “He watches you, analyzes your moves, is aware of what you like, pleases you, helps you, and many times I've noticed he likes to smell you. He does it slyly, but I've seen him do it a couple times. He smiles after he smells you behind your back.”

My mouth dropped open at that shocking piece of information.

“You've got to be kidding,” I said to Carol.

“I'm not kidding,” my friend said seriously. “I'm a funny woman and it's not because I have high self-esteem, which I do; I'm very sexy. Every heterosexual man who has passed through the library has looked at my butt or my boobies at one time or another. Archer hasn't seen me for more than two seconds, but you he devours with his eyes and I understand why he does it.”

At that point, Archer came back, and we didn't talk about it, but I kept it in the back of my mind every moment. I definitely did not notice what my best friend was saying, but I was very curious to know if it was true. I started sorting through the old binders of economics books right on a seat facing a large mirror in the library.

There I had a privileged view of the shelves that Archer was cleaning behind me.

I glanced slyly at the mirror and watched Archer go about his work, but I noticed that he was watching me every chance he got and moving closer to me. I could see the interest in his gaze, then I caught the moment when he smelled me and smiled.

I couldn't help but blush.

The idea that a man like Archer would notice me was too unbelievable to be true. Embarrassed just thinking about it, I hurriedly got up.

“I'll go get some records from the warehouse,” I said in a quick manner and went straight to the old records area.

I sighed calmly and began to deny in disbelief.

I liked Archer, maybe too much, and so I felt it was a big deal.

Archer seemed like the kind of guy that people had fantasies about, and one characteristic of fantasies was that they never became real, not for people like me.

I had to assimilate that maybe what he was doing was some kind of weird fetish with smells.

“Is everything okay?” asked Archer, and I looked at him, surprised that he followed me into the storeroom. “It looks to me like something bothered you.”

Archer was too perceptive and as I was about to answer him, I felt a sharp pain in my head. I put my hands to my temples and began to groan from the pressure I felt.

“What's wrong with you?” asked Archer with concern after he grabbed my arms.

“I don't know,” I answered haltingly. “My head really hurts.”

“Close your eyes,” Archer said and I did.

Archer put his hand on my head delicately and began to stroke me, as if he were trying to heal me. And he did. All at once, the pain went away and I felt confused. Archer removed his hand and I looked at him in disbelief.

“What just happened?” I asked him immediately.

Archer raised his eyebrows and I frowned.

“What happened?”

“My headache went away and rest assured, a headache doesn't just go away,” I said seriously and Archer smiled.

“I don't know what you're trying to say, but if it's a joke, it's a very bad one,” Archer said and I looked at him with annoyance.

“Don't try to play me for a fool; I know you did something to me to take the pain away.”

Archer burst out laughing loudly and at that moment Rob walked in.

“What's so funny about the old files?” asked our boss and Archer denied.

"Nothing, sir; it was Ian's joke that made me laugh; excuse me if I was rash,” Archer said before walking away.

Rob scowled at him and then looked at me in disbelief.

“You don't joke around with anyone unless it's someone you trust,” my boss said and I clenched my hands. “Are you okay?”

“I'm fine, Rob,” I said calmly. “It was a silly thing to do; the scene won't happen again.”

My boss nodded and I continued to work calmly, but aware of what had happened.

His eyes were turning gold and I knew perfectly well that he did something with his hand.

Something wasn't normal about Archer.

When we finished, I went with Carol to buy some cookies and took the opportunity to buy some strawberry cookies for my mom. I knew she would love them, so I walked in a hurry to try to get home.

I was unaware that someone was following me and when I entered an alley to cut back to my house, someone roughly slammed me against the wall. The box of cookies slipped from my hands and the cookies rolled down the alley.

I looked at Paul in shock.

The redhead was furious, and as Archer had said, my ex-boyfriend was back for revenge. So I shoved him hard to get him away from me.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” I asked him angrily. “I told you to stay away from me, but you don't seem to understand.”

“I told you you'd pay me back; no one turns me down and now you're going to know what I'm talking about,” Paul said and out from the other side of the alley came three hooded men.

I looked at Paul in horror and started running in a hurry. I tried to pull out my phone to call an emergency and warn Carol. However, one of the hooded men rushed up to me and grabbed the phone out of my hand, then punched me in the jaw hard.

I fell to the ground like a sack of potatoes and saw stars of pain.

“Get him and get him in the van,” Paul said firmly. “Take him to safety.”

I shook my head in confusion.

The blow had stunned me too much, but not enough for me not to understand that Paul had gone crazy to the point of wanting to kidnap me.

The man who hit me tied my hands and I knew I had lost the battle.

Or so I thought until I heard a growl.

I raised my head and, from across the alley, approached Archer with a terrified expression. His eyes were completely golden, his mouth was on edge as he bared elongated fangs and I noticed his hands. I opened my mouth in horror as I realized his fingernails had turned into claws.

“This asshole I want killed,” Paul said with amusement, paying no attention to Archer's appearance.

“Don't do anything foolish,” I pleaded with Paul, fearing the worst.

“I'm not going to save your lover, so you might as well watch him die so you learn your lesson,” Paul said proudly and one of the men sat me down on the floor.

What happened next was like watching an action movie.

Archer approached the hooded men at unnatural speed. He hit them one by one without hesitation and knocked them out on the floor, giving them no time to strike back. That made Paul gasp in fear and try to move away, but Archer caught him and slammed him against the wall.

“I should kill you for what you intended to do to my mate,” Archer said before growling in a superhuman way and headbutting Paul, knocking him to the floor.

I watched Archer in dread, wondering what the hell he was and why he was saying I was his mate.