Chapter 14

T he instant Archer walked out of that bookstore, he earned a nomination for the biggest jerk in the world. He hadn't planned on dropping the bomb on Cecilia at that particular moment, especially after she was having such a good day with her sales. His intention had been to swing by and get a feel for how much she knew about Noah.

At least, that was the bullshit story he kept telling himself. Maybe he wanted to sabotage a dysfunctional relationship on purpose.

Krys's warning about staying out of people's love lives ran through his mind as he stalked back to the Rabbit Lounge. Archer didn't like the way he had left—the things he'd said. It came out all wrong. But she wanted to be alone, so he had to honor that.

He also realized midway during their conversation that browbeating her was the worst approach. Archer wasn't an explosive hothead, and he sure as hell didn't want to give Cici the wrong impression by arguing with her. That was Noah's tactic, and after what he'd seen last night, he didn't want to come down on her. Archer's blow had punched her right in the heart, and she must have felt betrayed and devastated by the news.

Once inside the bar, he joined Krys in the back for a game of pool. Krys must have sensed he was in a mood, so he kept quiet, and they focused on their shots.

Archer hated pool. He sucked at it and couldn't hit anything for shit. But since the darts were taken in the back and he didn't want to drink, he needed something to distract him even if it meant garnering stares from nosy people. Honestly, he was getting better at pool the more he practiced, just not with complicated shots.

Usually he put on a leather jacket before going out, but tonight he just had on a black T-shirt and sweatpants. Who did he have to impress? Montana, Robyn, and Lakota were sitting by the jukebox, and Mercy offered to work the evening shift since they were busy. Everyone else stayed home, which was what Archer should have done.

"What the fuck?" Krys said, staring behind Archer.

Ignoring him, Archer finished taking his shot. After sinking the ball, he noticed the energy in the room had changed. Montana and Robyn weren't in sight, Lakota was on his feet, and everyone was looking to the back.

Struggling to assess what might have happened, Archer spotted a man staggering through the front door.

Noah's long hair was as wild as his eyes, which were bloodshot. He had scratches on his face and arms and a red mark splashed across his left cheek.

Archer walked with the pool stick still in his hand, weaving by the tables until he arrived at the bar area.

"Cecilia!" Noah boomed.

Archer did a slow turn toward the back. Montana and Robyn were crouched on the floor by a pair of legs. He first recognized the black boots, laces undone on one of them. When they sat the woman up, Archer glimpsed her bruised face.

His self-control detonated.

Twirling the pool stick with the blunt end up, he turned and stalked toward Noah.

"Is she here?" Noah asked, searching the busy room.

Archer swung his arm and cracked Noah's skull with the stick. Noah bellowed in pain, blood spraying from his head wound as he hit the ground with a sickening thud.

"You fucking did it now, kid," Calvin growled from behind the bar. "Mercy! Get over here!"

Archer had raised his arm to strike again when Noah morphed into a colossal tiger with dark eyes and long fangs.

A panicked crowd flipped their chairs over as they scrambled to safety.

"Nobody better shift!" Calvin shouted from behind the bar. "I will shoot every last one of you."

Archer turned the pool stick so the narrower end faced the animal. If it so much as jumped in his direction, he would shove it down the animal's gullet.

The tiger staggered to its feet and sniffed the air. His unsteady stance led Archer to believe Noah was heavily intoxicated.

Archer felt no fear. "You like hitting women?" He poked the animal in the face with the stick, and it roared.

Krys sidled close to the animal with a chair in hand like a circus trainer.

The tiger swiped his paw at Krys, making him step back from those razor-sharp claws.

"Careful, Archer," Krys said calmly. "They go for the throat."

A shriek sounded in the back.

The tiger reacted like a gunshot and charged past Archer, knocking him aside .

Archer pivoted and sprinted after the animal. Dropping the pool stick, he dove forward and gripped the tiger's tail, making the animal jerk back for only a second before the tail slipped from Archer's hand.

A scream pealed. Montana shouted, and chaos stirred all around them.

Archer jumped to his feet, but before he could advance, Lakota pushed him back.

"Hold up," Lakota warned him. "Don't go near them."

Archer peered around the beta to see why. The tiger had pounced on top of Cecilia, guarding her as if she were prey. Her legs weren't moving, so he couldn't tell if she was even alive under all that weight.

Robyn and Montana stood like statues in the back hall. In a burst of motion, Montana shoved his mate into the bathroom.

Noah's tiger roared at Montana, swiping his paw and threatening to pounce.

"We have to do something ," Archer bit out.

Lakota glanced over his shoulder. "He won't kill her as long as she doesn't fight him. He's just claiming her."

Claiming. That word made Archer surge forward.

Krys joined their huddle. "So, now what? Montana's trapped and unarmed."

"What are you going to do with that?" Mercy exclaimed.

Calvin walked into view and raised a shiny sword.

When the sharp blade pierced the air, Archer reeled back as the splintering fragments of a memory gripped his spine.

Krys looked over his shoulder and saw what had made Archer react. "Fuck no." He blocked Calvin. "Put that damn thing away. There's a girl underneath all that."

Most of the customers had cleared out, and the jukebox played to the beat of an old love song .

Calvin threw his sword on the bar. "You kids are no fun. Fine. Lure him outside. Everyone, go the hell home! Party's over."

With his back to the bar, the tiger roared at the commotion behind him. He kept his eyes locked on the only immediate threat: Montana.

Calvin spewed a few colorful obscenities as he headed to the front. "Lure him outside. I don't care how you do it, just don't tear up my bar."

When Archer glanced back at Calvin leaving, he noticed the entire bar had cleared out. Motorcycle engines were fading in the distance as everyone moved the party elsewhere.

"Noah, please ," Cecilia croaked. "I can't breathe."

Archer pushed past Lakota and Krys. "Stay quiet," he said to Cecilia, drawing closer. "No matter what happens, don't fight him."

The animal growled over his shoulder, his head bobbing.

That reminded Archer the tiger was drunk.

Archer looked back. "Get out of the way."

After a breath to steady himself, he stalked toward the shadowy hall. His priority was getting that animal as far away from Cecilia as possible, no matter the cost.

Archer locked eyes with Montana. "Don't move." Then he inched close to the tiger's tail, raised his leg, and thanked every hour he'd ever spent doing leg weights as he brought his foot down on the tail.

The animal reared its head, its scream turning into a roar.

Archer assailed him with three more hard stomps until the bones shattered. Then he kicked the animal's haunches and fled.

Running was the only way to incite predatory instinct.

"Look out!" Krys shouted.

Archer hauled ass and exploded through the door without a plan .

He could hear the beast coming at him from behind as the doors crashed open.

Archer ran through the empty parking lot before he realized he didn't hear gravel kicking up behind him. He stopped, looked back, and saw Calvin standing by the unconscious animal.

Heart speeding like a race car, Archer panted and jogged up to the doors.

Noah's tiger was knocked out, eyes rolled back and tongue hanging out.

Krys and Lakota emerged from the half-open door and stepped over the large cat.

Krys bent over and pushed the tiger's massive head. "How the fuck did you do that?"

Calvin dusted off his leather vest. "I never give up trade secrets. You kids are more trouble than a family of raccoons. Get him the hell out of here."

Archer rushed past them into the bar. Nearing the back, he slid onto his knees at Cecilia's side. "Hey. It's me." Seeing no movement, he checked her pulse, and it was steady.

Montana rushed into the bathroom where Robyn was hiding.

Lifting Cecilia to a sitting position, Archer beat himself up for having left the store. Had he been there, this would never have happened. He wanted to lift her up and carry her in his arms like an ordinary man, but instead, he crouched and draped her over his shoulder.

As he rose to his feet, every moment he had ever spent in the gym paid off. Steadying himself, Archer made sure he had a solid grip as he angled his body the right way for balance and turned around.

"Get the car," he shouted to no one and everyone.

Lakota and Montana stayed behind to call the Council and handle the situation with the tiger. Krys drove Bear's SUV, Mercy riding up front with him.

From the middle row, Archer cradled Cecilia's head and kept watch. They had laid her flat, knees bent. Because Cecilia was passed out, Mercy suggested that elevating her legs might stabilize her. They didn't have time to drive home, so instead, they went to see Milly.

Noah had clocked her good in the left eye, leaving a gash on her eyelid. Blood had dribbled into her swollen eye and was drying on her face. He wanted to wipe it away, but he also didn't want to cause her unnecessary pain. Bear had turned on the interior lights, leaving Archer to notice the rips in her dress and scratches on her hands and knees where she must have fallen.

The thought of Noah chasing her down that dark road made Archer wish he still had his left arm. He would get out his finest bow and show that tiger what it felt like to be hunted.

When they arrived, the light switched on in the house. Krys and Mercy got out of the vehicle while the small woman approached.

After opening the back door, Milly peered in and gave Cecilia a cursory glance. "Won't be the first time I've seen this one. Bring her in."

Archer glanced up at Krys.

"I got her," Krys said. "Get out."

As he watched Krys pull Cecilia out and carry her in his arms, Archer felt a stab of guilt that he couldn't do the same. Instead of dwelling on it, he charged up the steps and held the door open.

"What happened?" Milly asked from an open elevator.

Krys got in first, followed by Archer and Milly. "Her boyfriend beat her up."

"I'll stay up here and call Tak," Mercy said as the doors closed .

When the slow-moving elevator opened again, Milly walked out. "Come, come. Hurry up."

Archer had never been down here before, and he was shocked she had a full medical facility underground. It reminded him of an emergency ward with rooms, medical equipment, and medicine.

They stopped when Milly pulled back a curtain on the right.

"Put her down on the table and then get out. I need to do a quick X-ray to check for broken bones."

Krys scoffed. "Just get her to shift. Isn't that what you did with Mercy?"

Milly removed her long brown sweater-jacket and fixed her grey bob. "This one doesn't shift."

"Why the hell not?"

"That's her business. Step out of the way, Shifter. I've got work to do." Milly yanked the curtain closed.

Archer and Krys found a row of chairs and sat down.

"Did you know she can't shift?" Krys asked. "That's crazy."

Rubbing his eyes, Archer replied, "The Relic said ‘doesn't', not can't. She's a horse Shifter, and Noah's a tiger. What do horses do when they're scared?"

Krys stretched out his legs and crossed them at the ankles. "You are one crazy motherfucker," he said quietly. "Stomping on a tiger's tail? That was your big plan?" He chuckled as they listened to a mechanical sound in the other room. "Good thing you can run fast."

Minutes rolled by, and they listened to miscellaneous sounds coming from the room. Archer nervously crossed his foot over his knee and fidgeted with his laces.

Finally, Milly ripped the curtain back.

Archer shot to his feet. "How is she?"

Milly held a cigarette to her lips and lit it up. "No broken bones. Minor abrasions—nothing I couldn't handle. The eye will be slower to heal, so I gave her a special ointment to reduce the swelling."

"What's in it?" Archer asked.

She blew out smoke. "My grandmother's secret ingredient for banana nut bread. It's medicine, Shifter. See that she puts it on once in the morning. It works better than ice." Milly coughed and then waved the smoke away from her face. "I patched up her scrapes and wrapped her wrist. It's only a sprain and should heal up in a couple of days."

Krys milled around, hands in his pants pockets. "Should you be smoking in a medical room?"

She blew the smoke at him. "Don't smart off to a Relic in her own medical lab if you know what's good for you. There might come a day when you need my help, and I'll say, ‘Oh! This is the boy who doesn't like smoking. Maybe he needs to keep driving and find a smoke-free facility.' My clients can't die from secondhand smoke."

Archer looked toward the room. "Is she awake?"

Milly sat in one of the chairs and crossed her legs. "Cecilia's a tough cookie. She'll heal up in no time since she's Breed. The reason she's passed out has to do with her animal being under. It has a snowball effect on the entire system—psychological and physical. Man and beast must learn to coexist. If one suppresses the other, it creates a hostile environment. But if the animal is hiding, they'll pull the human under to protect them in life-or-death situations. It's a defense mechanism, and this one's a horse."

Branching away, Archer walked into the room and found Cecilia sitting on the table, her bare feet hanging down, different parts of her body bandaged, her left wrist wrapped, her ponytail askew, her eye and cheek swollen.

The light in her eyes had dimmed.

"Hey" was all he could manage.

Cecilia stared at her swollen fingers on the hand with the bandaged wrist. "I should have run into the woods. Someone could have been hurt."

Archer dragged a chair up to the table and sat down so he could look up at her. "You did the right thing."

"Where is he?"

"Not here. He's not coming near you. I promise." After a long stretch of silence, he asked, "Cici, are you okay?"

She met his eyes, and it splintered his heart. "No, Archer. I'm not okay. Will you help me?"