Page 53 of The Puck Chase

“Merry Christmas, Archer.”

When I am finally staring at the blank phone screen, I’m half-wondering if all of that just actually happened, and I end up stumbling out of his room without stealing anything in return. By the time I make it downstairs, Alexander is sitting back on the sofa enjoying another cup of tea, and when I slip his phone back on the table, ready to take my leave, he nods his head at another filled cup. Which is how I find myself spending the next hour drinking tea with Alexander Reign, while Archer Gray blows up his phone.

All in all, it’s a weird fucking Christmas, and yet I go to bed smiling wider than I have in a long time.

Growing up in my family I have always felt lucky, even when my parents got divorced, because I never once felt unloved or unwanted. There were no huge arguments, no separate holidays, and no wondering if things were ever my fault. In fact, all of my parents go out of their way to constantly remind not just me, but Rora and Ever too, that we are appreciated and loved. Yet still, when Aurora loudly asked about the marks on my neck over Christmas dinner, and boldly questioned if they were from Daemon, I did feel a little panic. Not because I thought my parents would judge me in any way for getting with a guy, but because I know things between said guy and I are still undecided, unlabeled, and I knew they would have questions.

Which I was right about, of course. The remainder of the night was spent being bombarded with questions from my mom and Katrina, about who Daemon is, how I met him, when we got together, and each one was more painful than the last. It’s why I had to escape to Everest’s room to drink. The fucker is the only one with a lock on his door, but of course he also teased me endlessly, about apparently having fucked all the women in Fairfield that I had no choice but to move onto the men. I pushed the little prick off his bed for that, but all he did was wink, before calling both his best friends and telling them I had a boyfriend.

Now, as I try to leave the house and start my drive back to Fairfield, I am being assaulted by all four of my parents and their unconditional love.

“I wish you were staying longer, Sweetheart,” my mom coos, following me hand in hand with David, as I make my way outside to my car.

“We could send a car to pick up your boyfriend,” my dad cuts in from behind them, with Katrina at his side, being just as accepting as always.

“He’s not my boyfriend,” I groan for probably the hundredth time in the last two days, tossing my bags in the trunk of my car, before turning and finding them all in a line, staring at me with smiles. I groan again. “Can we please not do this, you guys, you’ve never taken an interest in my love life before, so why start now?”

They all share a look, and laugh, before my dad clears his throat. “I don’t think casually fucking an endless string of girls counts as a love life, son,” he tells me, and fuck me, there are certain things that you should never hear from your parents’ mouths, and that was definitely one of them.

“Please stop,” I plead, slamming my trunk closed, and moving to give them all a hug.

“We’re just excited, Arch,” Katrina tells me. “You’ve never been serious about anyone before.”

A flush creeps up the back of my neck. “I never said I was serious about Daemon. In fact, I never said anything about him at all,” I toss back, silently cursing out my sister for putting me in this position, as I reach my mom.

“You didn’t have to say it, Sweetheart, I can see it, we all can,” she beams, before pulling me in for a hug. “I can’t wait to meet the boy who has mine smiling so widely,” she adds in a whisper, just as my siblings approach.

“Rushing home to your boyfriend?” Everest smirks, and Aurora doesn’t even try to look sorry as she laughs, his head snapping towards her and his smile getting ever wider.

“Nope, heading out to find new siblings, as my current ones suck,” I grin back, rubbing both their heads with my knuckles, before I head around to the driver’s side of my car. “Why are you all out here seeing me off like I am leaving for war? I’ll be back next week for Mom’s charity thing,” I say, waving them off, but still I am smiling as I climb in my car and begin the drive back home.

You’re fucking mine now, Archer. I own you, and I own your fucking pleasure.

Those fucking words have done nothing but plague my mind since he walked out of my room the other day. I mean, fuck, the whole encounter of him jerking us off, while holding me down against my desk, will probably be something I never forget. It felt like I had died and finally found fucking Heaven, but what did he mean by those words? In what way am I his? Are we in this now, are we finally exploring whatever this fucking thing is between us? Or is he going to go back to being a giant fucking prick and acting like I don’t exist?

We can talk when you get back.

That’s what he said, so I guess there is only one way to find out.

I floor it all the way back to Fairfield, grateful for the quiet roads, thanks to the holidays, and when I pull up in front of my house, it’s almost 10 p.m. I have barely shut off the engine when I pull out my phone and fire off a text to him.

Archer - Are you awake?

He only makes me wait a couple of seconds for his response, my eyes on his already darkened house.

Daemon - Yes

One word, that’s it, and I can’t help but smile, as I shove open my car door, grab my bag, and make my way across the street.

Archer - Good, then let me in

My message shows as read right away, and the typing bubbles come and go, but a reply is never sent, and it isn’t until a minute later, when he rips open the front door and his confused stare meets mine, that I smile.

“Finally, I thought you were going to let me freeze my balls off out here,” I muse, pushing past him to get inside, not pausing for even a second as I head straight up to his room. By the time he joins me, it’s clear his confusion has only grown, especially when I drop my bag on the floor and shrug off my coat. “You don’t mind if I shower before we go to bed, right? Driving always makes me feel gross.” I nod towards his en suite, as he flicks his stare between me and my bag.

“Archer, what are you doing here?” he asks, completely bewildered, which I’m not sure why when he’s the one who said I was his. Why wouldn’t I be here?

“You said we could talk when I got home.” I gesture towards my very clear presence in his room. “You also said I was yours now. So, here I am, clearly ready to talk, and definitely ready to be yours,” I tell him, not sure which part of this is tripping him up, but still he continues to stare. I close the distance between us, suddenly feeling nervous that he doesn’t want me here, or worse, has changed his mind about me. “Should I leave?” I ask carefully, not sure if I want the answer, but his eyes instantly soften.

---