Overlooked

Chapter 27

Archers Pov

I drifted awake, deeply inhaling Ash's scent. She looked so calm, so innocent sleeping there beside me. I moved some hair from her forehead to get a better look. Her skin was so clear, her lips were slightly parted as she breathed.  I leaned into her ear, quietly whispering, "I love you."

At this Ash stirred, but like a bear she seemed to be in a deep enough sleep to last till spring. Archer climbed out of bed and just as he opened the door Damon had his hand up to knock. They both inhaled sharply at the sudden presence of one another. "Archer-" Archer help up a finger to his lips, gesturing to the sleeping Ash. "She's so peaceful." Archer said as he closed the door. "Archer we need to talk about the Vampire Queen."

I shook my head of the warm dazed feeling. Did I really just say I love her? I haven't said those words in years. "Of the Bloodlust clan?" I inquired. Why are we talking about the vampire queen this early in the morning? "Yes." Damon confirmed. I suddenly remembered Ciara, she's been gone for weeks now and everything was more peaceful for it. "What about her?" "She's here." I stopped on the spot and glowered at him.

Ash's POV

I woke up to the door closing. I had every intention of falling back to sleep when the clock read eight in the morning but then I realized I wasn't alone last night. I sat straight up, fully awake now. I could feel all the blood rush to my face as I tried to remember everything that was said and done. I let out a sigh of relief when I realized Archer and I had only made out...a couple of times.

I stood up and ran to the washroom, desperately searching my neck for anything I needed to cover up. There could be no evidence of the late night fun. Unfortunately I didn't need to search very long because they were not one, not two, but three visible hickeys on my neck. "God fucking damn it." I had to go through my mourning routine deciding wether or not a scarf was going to do the trick or if I should someone for some cover up. Yeah, like asking for makeup would be inconspicuous.

I finally decided on a dark blue scarf. Opening the window to see how ridiculous wearing a scarf would be in this weather, I noticed there was a beautiful scent in the air. Something different than the werewolves here, everyone seemed to have a crisp nature like smell. But this was something different, it drew you in, it was captivating, it was coming from the front of the house.

I went downstairs and noticed no one about. "Hello?" I called out. No answer. I opened the front door to see nothing, but the scent still lingered. I could feel myself being drawn to the woods. The deeper into the trees I hiked the stronger the beautiful smell grew. Finally I stumbled out into a clearing. Archer was there with his back to me. Damon was standing beside him. They seemed to be waiting for something. The wind blew into my face, that's probably why they haven't noticed me, I was standing down wind. Just as a large cloud shaded us from the sun, a woman with long flowing black hair stepped into the clearing across from us. She was what the scent was coming from. She was wearing a completely black dress the only eventuated how pale her skin was. Next to her another woman stepped out holding Ciara by the arm. Ciara looked bloody and bruised, Archer stiffened at the sight of her. 

Damons POV

"You brought my sister, a little worse for wear by the looks of it." He said through gritted teeth. "I'm sorry," began the queen with her sweet voice, "but I thought this was a private meeting." She turned her gaze to someone behind us. Archer and I turned to see Ash standing there, frozen. She looked at us with wide eyes and grimaced, obviously shy that she had been caught. "He-hello." She said nervously. I would have been nervous too if Archer was staring at me like that. He let out a growl, "What are you doing here?" At this a smirk crossed Ash's face, and said, in a smug kind of voice that I have never heard from her before, "Thought you'd like to see my scarf. An with that she took the scarf off, revealing three incredibly prominent bruises. At first I was confused but as I looked at Archers increasingly reddening face I realized, number one, those are hickeys. And two, by God, she's learning to manipulate Archer!