a face to the name

As soon as I entered Archer's pack office, my eyes roamed the room until they fell on one person.

Her.

Curly light brown hair reminding me of the colour of coffee with too much cream, light green eyes that seemed to sparkle, pointed nose and thin pink lips. There's no doubt about it.

Jessica Fields.

Our eyes connected and although she warmly smiled at me, I knew that that wasn't all there was to her.

I've heard that she was a difficult, dramatic person and many more. Well, in short I've heard many negative stories about her. I've never really been one to judge someone by the rumours that surround them, but the fact that she was tied so closely to my mate somehow made me... threatened?

'But I shouldn't be, Archer's my mate anyways.' I tell my wolf, trying to convince her because she was feeling the same that I was.

I calmed myself down and reminded that I was in front other people.

Perhaps I should just observe her for now.

That's when I focused my attention on the other people in the room and they were mostly people that I had already met at least once.

There was Allan, the Beta and Derek who was the Gamma. There was another young boy with another man, and one other lady.

As we entered the room, they all bowed to their Alpha and towards me. I smiled at them although I was feeling nervous and wary because Jessica was literally a few meters away from me.

"Good morning everyone." Archer started as he closed the door behind him. He put his hand behind me and led me behind his desk and made me sit down as he stood behind me.

I bowed briefly as a greeting and looked up to Archer.

"Shall we start?" he says and everyone sits down. "Well, I'm sure you've heard of the news. This is Hazel of Aeternum and she is my mate." he introduces.

Anxious, I quickly stood up and bowed briefly again, trying my best to keep the smile.

C'mon Hazel, your mother taught you to be better than this. She expected you to be the best, you're not exactly being the best right now.

"Hazel Sonder, looking forward to knowing you all." I say briefly.

"Ah! I remember now! Weren't you that girl that everyone liked at the training grounds!" Derek says with a loud voice filling the rather quiet room.

It shocked me, but it soon made all of us laugh.

Everyone liked? I hardly think that's the case.

"If that's how you remember me, I'm honoured." I answered.

"Wait-- there was something else, but it's slipping my mind at the moment." Derek says and turns to the younger man beside him but he only shook his head at the Gamma.

Well, isn't he the lively one.

"Hazel, I'm sure you must remember Allan and Derek. That's Emmett, he leads this pack's warriors along with the three of us. That young boy is the captain of the pack border patrol, his name's Sebastian. That's our pack doctor, Frances and Jessica Fields." Archer introduced them all one by one.

Again, Jessica and I shared a little stare down, but I was the one to look away and look back to Archer.

It kind of irritated me that he didn't mention Jessica's title as if the whole werewolf community didn't already know that she was his Delta.

But I didn't mind. Or at least tried not to.

"She will be presented to the pack as soon as she gets more comfortable, I hope that you all will help her adjust in the pack." Archer says.

After that, we talked about the Luna ceremony, a conversation I wasn't too ready to have because after all, the ceremony required for your old pack mark to be taken away. And if that happens, there really was no more turning back.

They also talked about strengthening the pack borders and other things. I was mostly quiet because I didn't really know what they were talking about and unconsciously, I found myself looking to the Delta.

She was just as pretty as I remembered her to be, right, she's the type that guys would definitely fall for. Once, she caught me looking and I only smiled but inside my head, I was cursing myself for being so obvious.

Just as they were wrapping up with the meeting, a knock was heard through the door and when it was opened, a girl came in. She looked disheveled, she looked like she was running because she was panting.

"Suzy!" Derek stood up and went beside her, guiding her. Ah, they must be mates. The sight made me smile because he looked so worried about her and it was sweet.

"I'm so sorry, Arch. I came as soon as I finished with the little ones." she said and chuckled while Derek led somehow had a glass of water to give her.

That was quick.

"It's fine, you're just in time, we're already done. I have some matters to discuss with Allan so you can take Hazel around the pack now." Archer said.

"Alright, we can go!" Sebastian said and along with Emmett, they left the room in a flash.

Derek and Frances had already stood up to leave, and although Allan was the only one who was supposed to stay, Jessica didn't seem to have any plans of leaving.

Suzy came towards me excitedly, her smile bright and wide that it was easy for me to smile at her too. She held my hands and pulled me gently.

"C'mon, let's go! There's a lot to see." she says.

I looked at Archer who only nodded at me as if comforting me that everything was going to be fine. But what if I wanted to go around with Archer. I don't mind waiting.

And then I caught myself.

Wait-- why am I sounding so clingy?

"You're so clingy, I hate it."

I momentarily froze when I remembered those lines directed to me.

Reluctantly, I stood up and let myself be pulled away by Suzy but before I left the room I kept my eyes on Archer. "See you later." I said, without much thought.

Before I fully left the office, I caught a glimpse of Jessica who was blankly staring at me.