Reject, A Continuation

Chapter 5

I feel like one of those ropes in the middle of a tug-of-war.

As soon as Archer woke up he took one look at Q and latched onto my other hand, growling at his father. Both their eyes glowing with their wolves rising to the surface. A lovely father and son bond happening right now.

"Archer?" I questioned, trying to take both my hands back from the two who held onto me like their life depended on it, "Q?"

"Let go of her brat." Q snarled, acting more childish than the actual child.

"You first asshole." Archer spat.

"Archer!" I don't know how to react. I know I definitely didn't teach Archer to say that. Right?

"Marina please let's just go get food," Archer tugged harder, trying his puppy eyes again but this time I was too confused and unfocused to figure out what to do. This wasn't an outcome I anticipated and I didn't think to look ahead because I honestly thought this would go so much better. "Leave him here."

"She isn't going anywhere without me," Q growled, yanking successfully away from Archer who was quick to be off the bed and gripping onto the side of my shirt.

This feels like it isn't going anywhere.

"Archer this is your father, you need to at least behave," I was going to ask him to respect Q, but that feels out of line for me to do, "And Q this is your son, please at least say hi."

Both boys seemed to respond to my desperate tone, both of them grumbling out a small hello.

Taking a deep breath, I began to walk towards the door, opening it to realize Q had left his car on, and the driver's seat door wide open. At least he didn't leave it unoccupied as a tired looking Zach waved at me from the passenger side.

Zach didn't even react to the fact I had two little clingers on me and just got out, crouching down near me to be eye-level with Archer.

"Hey buddy," Zach smiled, a genuine one that Archer seemed to like, "Hungry?"

Still clinging to me, Archer only poked out a little, nodding at Zach very shyly. Where did all his confidence go?

"Me too, what do you want to eat?" Zach squat-walked a bit closer, Archer getting a bit tense but he wasn't outright running away from him.

"Cheeseburger," he whispered very crazed.

"Alright, then let's go, just you and me," Zach rose only slightly, holding out his hand for Archer to take, "Your mom is probably really tired so why don't we get food for her?"

That seemed to get Archer who looked up at me to confirm, which I did, nodding and pushing the little boy forward.

I watched, unconsciously resting my head onto Q's arm as we watch Zach tuck Archer into a car seat - which I assume they picked up - and drive off.

"We have a lot to talk about," I said, turning to face Q but he suddenly moved too quickly for me to react, all of the sudden our faces were only millimeters apart. His lips were incredibly close to mine, so much so our breaths were mixing together and his beard was tickling my face. "Q?"

"I want to kiss you so badly," he whispered, taking a moment of just our foreheads pressed together before he backed up, once again his fingers were locked together and resting in the middle of my back, "But you're right, we need to talk."

It took a second for us to be situated back in the room and for us to be sat on the two beds, my hand and body noticeably cold as we sat only a few feet from each other.

After a few moments of silence Q started with a blunt, "Elise is dead."

I didn't know what to reply with. I didn't really care for Archer's birth mother, but eventually I will have to let him know. It's only his right to know there whereabouts of his mother.

"She died when your pack attacked," his eyes went a bit hazy, just recalling all those years ago, "I should thank you though. Because you warned Wes, we saved all our children and had minimal injuries. Those who died were the ones who wanted to fight back."

"I," I paused, knowing the attack was my fault, "I'm sorry."

He shrugged, not really caring about the past, "We were a pack of rogues in a first place, we aren't supposed to stay in one place for a long time."

"How did you become a rogue?" I asked, given I can only see into the future I don't really know about his past.

"Born into it," he answered simply, "And didn't really care to try and join a pack."

"Oh," I didn't really have any expectations for his answer, so I didn't really have a response prepared in my head.

"How did you learn to control your powers?" Q asked, seeing how we were doing some sort of get-to-know-you now.

It was my turn to shrug, "I just sorta knew how to. Part of my role I suppose."

"Your role?"

Oh, I said it without thinking, "Q, let me tell you why I had to save Archer first."

He nodded, taking the opportunity to sit beside me, taking my hand and rubbing the back of it gently with his thumb. Each little circle sending chills up my arm and through my entire body. The good kind of chills too.

Taking a deep breath, I felt my chest tighten with anxiousness.

"He'll be the savior of the world."