Destroyer
Chapter 12

“Destroyer?” He was dazed for a moment and before he knew it she was in front of him and her eyes widened in hard surprise. He didn’t know what to say, her beauty was more than the women and people he had ever seen during his time away. He was ready for any physical violence and his suspicion of her hurting him when they met had been right, at least he thought. He watched as her arm reached up to his face, touched his cheek and for a moment he saw the exact same images he had seen before he was days for movement and before he knew it she was in front of him and her eyes widen didn’t have surprised he didn’t know what to say he was moving the women than people he had ever seen during his time away back then. It came crashing down when her hand lifted from his face and launched back making a loud smack noise. His face stayed in place but his eyes closed tightly and when opening his eyes back up, he saw as she walked away past him.

He Sensed that she was in so much shock that she didn’t say anything and watched as she shot off to her home. He made a note that she was going to go to her parents for some type of explanation. He followed some feet behind her and watched as others stared at him some more and heard as she stormed through the door and decided to hang back and just listen to what she had to say to her parents, about him and anything ever since he appeared in her life. The typical ‘What the hell.’

“Dad?” Caroline’s voice cracked ever so lightly, but she kept her composure and her ears seemed to turn to a light red. Archie was in one of the walkways and inhaled tightly. He wasn’t sure if she was going to yell, scream or set him on fire. She had her mothers temper and it wasn’t pretty.

“Yes? Wait, I know what you’re going to say-”

“No. Not really. What I want to do is... I don’t know what I really want to do because I don’t know what just happened.” She felt her heart race in two beats. The anger in her was slowly rising and she didn’t know it. She was dancing one moment, heard a voice, and then the man that had been in her dreams was there, the man she had befriended more than ten years ago showed up.

She didn’t quite understand the mate feeling, the spark you’re supposed to feel when meeting your mate for the first time. She certainly did feel something, it was strange. She remembered who he was clearly, her best friend. Should or could she still call him that? The spark of anger she felt towards him was that he abandoned her. Seeing him set that anger on fire, but she didn’t understand why it stung. She was only ten, barely into puberty and although at the time she could admittedly say she had a baby crush on him, she didn’t think it could affect her in this way.

“What is he doing here?” She asked, almost out of breath while thinking on what to say. The vibes in her body and the silver fox wolf at the back of her mind had pulled her back.

“Well, I’m guessing he is here, because, he...is finished being away? I mean, we are his family and it’s been almost ten years. Simple really…” Archie had no idea what to say. He was stumped, it was clear why he decided to come back. It was for her, his so said mate and he wasn’t sure how to explain that.

“Archie, I think I should explain…” Charlie showed up behind him and placed her hands onto his shoulder. He decided to let her take the lead and Charlie grabbed onto Caroline. They decided to go into her room to explain everything. The voice began softly and then slowly raised as it went on.

“What?! Are you kidding me?! Who...why did you think it to be wise to keep that from me! How could you lie to me like that?! Who did you think you were?!” Caroline grabbed at her hair and raised her voice to her mother, which she didn’t take so kindly.

“Who the hell do you think you’re yelling at?!” Charlie stood up from her bed and looked her daughter straight in the eye.

“I am your mother, who at the time thought, and still thinks, that a ten-year-old shouldn’t know that her mate was more than a ten-thousand-year-old man. He was right to leave till this time and you can’t say anything about it. It wasn’t our job to tell you who he was until he was ready. Now that he’s here. You should give him some respect and lower your voice when you’re speaking to your mother.” Charlie’s air hung high and it made Caroline feel bad for yelling at her.

“I’m sorry. I don’t get it. I don’t get anything. When I saw him standing behind me it was like... I knew him. I do? It was different and then when I hit him-”

“You hit him!?” Charlies eyes widened in shock and she nodded.

“I didn’t think I was going to hit him. I saw him, wasn’t sure how to feel and...hit him. He didn’t even move. He just stood there and for the moment I hit him it was like I saw...something. And if he is my mate I sure as hell didn’t feel it.”

“He’s not a wolf. Of course, you wouldn’t feel it. You have to speak to him. It’s not like I liked him, also.” She beckoned her hand to the door and lifted her brow for a moment.

“He left me…” She dropped down into her rolling chair and looked at her hands. She only slightly understand why she was so attached to him, why when he left she couldn’t get close to people as close as she had been with him.

“I was only ten, and it was eight years ago but I feel so angry. I shouldn’t but it feels as if it was more and he left me at a horrible state. He lied to me, is that someone I should really be mated to?” She asked and she shook her head.

“You have to figure that out for yourself. He was only in the world as a ‘human’ for five years when he left. Give him some credit.” Her mother walked out of her room and left with a long look on her face. Caroline tilted her head to the side and sighed. She glanced at a glass box. It was the one with Destroyers pet tarantula. Mistress.

She kept her for a long time, it reminded her of him.

“Hey mistress, guess who’s back to take you.” She said aloud. She didn’t want to freeze up like she did last time. She needed to be mentally ready, she honestly couldn’t replace a plausible reason to be like this. Her mind didn’t want to cooperate and she sat on her bed staring at the wall and contemplated.

“So, what happened? Why did you stop?” Archie was speaking to Destroyer as he looked in a mirror.

“I...i had to. I mean I thought I had to. I thought it was best and then I couldn’t even when I wanted to. I met a woman on the first day and I thought she was good. I thought she would help... I honestly spent the next four years in….another type of hell. I did things...so many things.”

“What did you do..?” Archie asked and he shook his head.

“Another time.” He stated. Archie could tell he changed. It didn’t seem much, but he sensed that he didn’t enjoy most his time in New York that much.

“You should have called.” He told him and Destroyer shook her head.

“No. It was for the best. Probably...it was too late already.” He stated and stretched his arms.

“I didn’t ruin her life did I?” Destroyer turned to Archie. He had a pleading look in his eye. He truly hoped that he didn’t ruin her small bit of childhood.

“No. She was sad for a while...it took some time for her to actually replace friends, but you didn’t ruin her childhood. You did play a big role in her life though. She talked about you all the time until she turned thirteen. You did make it seem as if you were never coming back. She had to eventually accept it and now since you’re here. It may take some time.” He admittedly told him. He was grateful he wasn’t hurt in the years he had been gone. He made it seem like time was longer than it had been.

“Hey...would you like to see Jughead? He’s thirteen. He also has a little sister named Jellybean. She’s eight.”

“Wow...I would like to, but I would just like to settle in. Its been awhile since I’ve been here you know? Been able to relax.” He told him and Archie nodded.

“I get it. Your room is still the same. I’ll let you settle down. We should...have a welcome back get together too.” Archie patted his back. When he did he felt something rigid and soft. Like a scar. He never remembered a scar being there, but just assumed he had a bad memory of that time.

Destroyer walked out of the office and closed the door behind him, he decided to go to the backyard towards the gardens. When he did so he saw Charlie. He composed himself and walked to her side.

“Hello.” He stated and glanced at her.

“Hello...I’m glad your back. Sincerely.” She turned to him and watched as he stared off into the distance.

“Really? That’s hard to imagine. Considering you never really liked me in the first place.” She was taken back by his words for a moment, but what he said was truth.

“Yes, but that was selfish of me in every way. But I really am grateful you’re here. It took some work to convince Caroline.”

“Convince her about what?” Charlie shook her head and turned to him.

“Just, I hope you can somehow make it up to her. For not coming as you promised.” He nodded. He figured that it would take some time. Her pull to him was very weak, he hoped he could mend it and start it going on the right course. He himself couldn’t even say he loved her, he kept himself in check for years trying not to just be in love with the concept of her. He wanted to get to know her and enjoy time with her. Then he would make his emotional checklist.

“Well, I’ll be going then.” He told her and she waved him off. He walked up to his room and grabbed his bags that had been beside the door. He sucked in a breath and opened the cracked door and walked inside. He lifted up and saw Caroline leaning over the desk in his room. She had a spider in her hand and she dropped it into the cage as she was startled.