Alliance || 1 || ✔️ mature

37 | Eleven

Happy ending? Sorry we aren't in Disney.

My breath rattles out of me, chest aching and muscles stiff.

A thump echoes in my ear, Archer's chest moving up and down below me.

I blink, pushing myself up.

Archer grunts, hands flinching up to my back as he moves his head my way.

He blinks at me before beginning to push himself up with one arm. I move, putting my arm around him and beginning to help.

Once upright, he scoots back. Letting his head fall back to thump against the wall.

I follow, leaning beside him, our shoulders touching.

Movement beside me has my attention fixating on Archer and I turn to him, almost missing the wince that plagues his features before he masks the pain.

"What's wrong?" My eyes swing to his arm, travelling from his shoulder to his hand as he holds it to his body.

He shakes his head. "Nothing."

I narrow my eyes, "Bullshit. Give me your arm."

He scoffs a chuckle, letting his head crash back into the wall once more.

"Leave it, it's fine."

"Archer, show me." I demand, quickly standing and crouching down on his other side.

I see him roll his eyes, but he relents, looking to me.

I gently take his hand, the fingers cold to the touch.

I slightly push down, watching his face. He hardly reacts.

"Is it numb?" I ask as I push down a bit harder with my thumb.

He narrows his eyes, not answering.

I look back at him, unflinching and press more on the area.

"Slightly, I can feel the pressure."

I slowly move my hands up his arm, following the contours of his muscles.

His shirt lifts as I reach his bicep, pushing the fabric out of the way.

I close my eyes as I see the purplish-blue tinge of the bruise. Stark against his skin and the bandage from the previous wound. His arm is stiff, close to his body. I don't try to move it.

I let the shirt fall back, hiding the bruise from sight.

"I'll be fine." He says.

I open my mouth to reply when a noise sounds, a key entering a chamber, turning.

My strength is waning without food to fuel my energy. My muscles aching at the lack of movement I was putting them through.

I stand, putting my back to Archer, ignoring the agony that pains my muscles, watching the door open.

"Holland." He hisses behind me, but I don't move, continuing to shield him.

The door opens and I look up at the man.

Those amber eyes crinkle as he smiles at me, his body stuffed into a pressed suit.

"You're ready I see."

I don't reply.

He tilts his head, looking past me towards Archer as he tries to lift himself off the floor.

He flicks his chin and I move forward, glaring at him.

"You're not going near him."

Dimitri laughs, taunting me as he takes a slow step inside.