Archaic (Reverse Harem 2)

“You are here for my help, so you can’t hide it from me,” he says with his hand on his hips.

“I’m here for Theo and Toshi’s help,” I snap back. “And if you happen to be of some use then so be it, but I meant what I said back in that barn.”

I walk forward waving my finger at Sebastian, watching him back up toward the bush. I stop, shaking my head at him, realizing that now is not the time to flip out again. I have a mission, and I need to get on top of it before whoever did this to Kyle gets away. This is no time to rehash old wounds. I look over at Penny and tilt my head to the side. I like her. She has spirit, and she obviously doesn’t take any shit.

“Will you help me?” I ask.

“Me?” She smiles. “Of course, I will. I wouldn’t be here on this hill catching ol’ peeping Tom over here if I weren’t here to help you.”

“Remember what I told you,” Sebastian says pointing his finger at Penny.

“Okay, okay,” she says, putting her hands up and leaning toward me. “This one has some serious rage issues if you know what I mean.”

Sebastian rolls his eyes and turns around, looking in the other direction. I can tell he is still listening though, and I know that he isn’t going to let me get away with this on my own. I turn back to Penny, getting serious for a moment.

“Have you met the others?”

“No,” she says shaking her head. “Old Red over here won’t let me off the hill.”

“Okay, well if he isn’t going to help, I’m sure I can sniff them out,” I reply looking around. “Most likely they aren’t too far away since they all need to get together to talk and plan their next moves.”

“Damn, you’re so stubborn,” Sebastian growls, turning around and throwing his hands up in the air. “If I don’t help you, you are going to do this anyway, aren’t you?”

“Yes,” I reply nodding my head dramatically.

“And you are not the least bit concerned with what that will do to our kind?” he asks.

“As far as I am concerned, it shouldn’t affect any of the Primals except the ones that killed my husband.” My lip is starting to quiver, but I hold back the emotion. “And I don’t care if it puts me in danger. My life was done the moment that Primal ripped Kyle’s face off his body. I won’t rest until they are dead and then whatever happens next—so be it.”

Chapter 5

~ Theo

Istand in the Chief’s quarters, nodding my head, listening intently. I know that it is dangerous coming to him, but I know no other way to get the information I need. If the council sanctioned this attack on Clarissa, I need to know. My chief is the man that will tell me straight, and I know I can trust him to not repeat our conversation. I want to know who killed Kyle but at the same time, I need to protect Clarissa. I’ve made it my mission, and I am not as sure as the others that she isn’t the girl in my prophecy.

“Thank you, Chief,” I whisper, bowing my head.

“Be careful, Theo,” he replies. “There are many out there who would deceive you. You know the path, and you can look to your ancestors to guide you.”

I nod and turn, walking from the room. As I walk, I think about the circumstances that have arisen. I didn’t know if the others cared to find Kyle’s killer, but I know they are all hell-bent on keeping Clarissa safe. And that is the only reason I stick around with these fools. I would rather have her on my boat in the middle of nowhere, fishing, talking, and knowing for certain no cats were going to come lurking through the cold ocean waters.

But that isn’t what she wants, and I care for her and want to make sure that she is safe and happy.

The trip back to the factory is a long one, but I am used to walking, and it gives me a chance to clear my mind. As I walk across the field adjacent to the building, I can see people in the window. Instantly I am on alert. There shouldn’t be anyone but maybe Toshi back there, and Sebastian is supposed to be watching Clarissa. I creep as quietly as my big body can creep through the doorway and down the hall. As I stand there, I can hear a voice flutter through the wind, calling out Clarissa’s name.

Immediately I turn the corner, ready to fight, thinking she is in danger, but instead I find her, Sebastian, and some short dark-

haired girl standing in the sunlight talking. Sebastian looks irritated, but for the first time since she got married, Clarissa has a smile on her face. She looks up, and her eyes grow bright, forcing a sheepish smile on my face. She takes off toward me, running quickly into my open arms.

“Oh, Theo.” She sighs. “It’s so good to see you.”

“You too,” I whisper. “What are you doing here? Are you okay? I’m so sorry about Kyle. I wanted to come, to hug you so tight, but I am, let’s face it, a bit conspicuous.”

“It’s alright.” She giggles. “I was in a dark place, and I needed time to figure out what my next plans are.”

“And have you done that?” I ask.

“Yeah,” Sebastian growls. “She is on a suicide mission.”