“She's distant . . . More than usual." Archer thought while discreetly eyeing his wife. He could feel a steady rift growing between him and his feline lover. The snow leopard had always been one who was slow to show her affection, but over the last few months he had noticed her becoming more and more standoffish. He tried to offset her behavior by being more loving himself, inquiring about her day, trying to win her over with gifts, and the not so subtle hints to be intimate all of which were rejected.

So there Archer sat at the kitchen counter, his mind working at a 100 miles an hour coming up with every and any excuse as to why his once loving and caring wife, had began to treat him more like a friend than a husband. Archer absentmindedly ran his finger along the counter and sighed. He could see his wife out the corner of his eye and she was every much as gorgeous now as she was when they had met in high school.

She stood in the mirror combing through her snow white fur while humming a faintly familiar tune. She ran her paws down her shapely hips as she adjusted her work blouse, much to the delight of Archer. Though he shook his head and mentally slapped himself thinking “Focus Archer! Gotta stay focused! Big day today!" Unlike his charismatic wife who could always hold a job, Archer had found himself unemployed time and time again. He had went to school to specialize in the ever expanding field of computer science, but it seemed that after he completed a contract for a company they'd let him go in search of the next cheapest labor contract they could secure. Even his short lived stint at the Department of Defense wasn't enough to land him a full time position. If it wasn't for his wife's high paying job, they'd surely be struggling. “Maybe that's why there's this rough patch between us? She probably thinks I'm a good for nothing bum . ." Archer would've continued with his self loathing if not for his wife calling out to him saying

“Archer! God I thought you'd never stop staring off into space . . .You catch anything I said?" Archer looked into his wife's piercing blue eyes and shrunk down a little, even after all these years of being married, living together, and even having a child together she had an indescribable way of making him feel small. Her stare was intense and powerful, whether on purpose or subconscious he didn't know, but when one was a corporate suit Archer supposed it came with the territory.

“Sorry honey I didn't quite catch that, what were you saying?" Archer cringed as the words came out of his mouth. He figured being honest was the best case scenario but as his wife's stare became a dissatisfied glare he knew he was in for it.

“Jesus Archer, can't you pretend to be interested in what I have to say?" Archer felt hurt by the statement since he knew he always tried to be as supportive as he could, but he said nothing only bowed his head as she continued.

“Anyway I was saying you should get out of the house tonight and go do something, I'm tired of seeing you just lounging around like some frat boy." Archer mustered up the most genuine fake chuckle he could and forced a smile saying “Hey that's a great idea Lena! Maybe we could do something together, you and I? It's been forever since we've had our own date night!" Lena's ears quickly flicked at the thought before she shook her head and replied

“Can't. Have an emissary from our European branch in town, I'm supposed to be showing him a good time for the time he's here. The board thinks it's a good idea, try and coax him to signing off on a better distribution deal for us."

“Uh huh. Sounds . . . fascinating? Well what about this Weekend? It's Lily's recital and you promised you would be there. We could even go out for ice cream like we used to!" Archer looked over and saw Lena absentmindedly adjusting her tie as she shook her head no, causing him to huff in frustration saying

“Oh come on now! Not this again!? This is the fourth time you've promised her you would show up and here we are again with you putting work over family!" If the comment bothered Lena she made no show of it and continued tying her tie saying “Lily's 6 now and getting older. She understands someone here has to provide and put a roof over our heads, now I'm off. Make sure she gets to her sleepover tonight on time and you make yourself scarce, get a hobby or friends who actually do something. I'll see you later ciao!"

Archer's face was burning red at her remark about him being jobless. She hadn't said it nasty or with any emotion, she just stated it as if it were a fact. Archer balled his fists and huffed angrily but stopped once he felt something wet hit his pants. The upset human brought his hand to his face and felt even more flush as his tears began streaming down freely. He threw his face in his hands and let his guard down, allowing his eyes to pour to their heart's content. He always felt so powerless and weak around Lena, so insecure about his masculinity and he knew it was all in his head. Just himself getting in his own way, but he still wished for the old Lena back, the girl he fell in love with in high school. The soft and shy feline who's love for plushies and candy was intoxicating.

“Daddy are you crying?" Archer then froze as he heard the small voice of his daughter. The young lily was a splitting image of her mother and it caused Archer more heartache than he could bear some days. The little leopard cub stood at the entrance to the kitchen looking up at him with large green curious eyes. Archer picked her up and snuggled her close, relishing in the close fluffy contact he rarely receives from his wife. Lily wiped a few tears away with her small paw and said

“Why are you sad Daddy?"

“B-Because I'm going to miss you when you go to school today. You're always gone too long and I have no one to play with." Lily's snout curled into a smile as she hopped off Archer's lap saying “I'm not going away forever Daddy! I'll be back by 3 O'clock!"

“You won't be back by 3 because you're not leaving! You're staying here forever!" Archer exclaimed while reaching for the cub. Lily squealed playfully then dashed away from her father's grasping hands. The child quickly scurried into her room and shut the door.

“Alright Missy! The bus is going to be here in 15 minutes and I want you to be ready you hear?"

“Yes Daddy!" Archer smiled as he heard the shuffling of clothes and opening of drawers. He desperately clung to all the time he got with his daughter in hopes of their relationship being solid when she became older. He knew what was coming when she would become a moody and angsty teen, then after that it's adulthood with it's own trials and hardships. There'd be no more Daddy Daughter time when she had her own family so he had to make the most of it while he could.

Archer made his way back into the kitchen and began putting the final touches on his daughter's lunch, making sure to even draw the smiley face on her sandwich as she had let him have it the last time he forgot. He finished her lunch and without a moment to spare. The bus pulled up and with a honk Lily went flying down the stairs, grabbed her lunch then went flying out the door. Archer smiled as she darted across the lawn and into the bus again wishing she would never grow up.

With the house to himself and time to kill before he had to be anywhere Archer continued with his morning routine. He made it a point to to have the house cleaned everyday as not to give Lena any more ammunition to use against him. He may not have been working but he still cooked all the meals, kept the house clean, and played cheerleader for Lily. Lena hardly ever had time for her and the cruel part of Archer liked it that way, hoping Lily would grow up to resent her for all the time she neglected her.

Archer shook his head of the dark thoughts that plagued him. They usually were there, gnawing away at his subconscious, filling him with depression, but with a few positive mantras and an aspirin they went away but today was different. His thoughts were like a heavy storm tossing his poor brain to and fro. He felt like he was going to vomit from the cacophony of thoughts but then they all became still for one . . . “What if she's cheating on you?"

Chapter 2: Discoveries

“It's not possible . . . Is it?" Archer thought while pacing around the living room. “Distant partner doesn't equate to a cheating one! I'm overreacting!" But he could hear the voice inside his head asking if he wasn't overreacting, what if all these years he had been under reacting? Archer could feel his head aching from all the thoughts as he rushed to the bathroom for medicine. The distraught human fumbled around his medicine cabinet clumsily grasping at the bottle and dropping it on the floor. The pills scattered all around causing Archer to scream in frustration and bang his fist on the bathroom countertop.

“Agh shit!" He yelled as he held his wrist to his chest grimacing at the sight of a fresh cut and dripping blood. He recalled his wife nagging him to clean his side of countertop sink, citing the razor he constantly left out as a sign of his laziness. The human sighed and slowly slid to the floor in defeat. Archer lied there not even bothering to patch up his cut, content with the steady stream pooling onto the floor. All he could think of was the thought of his wife having an affair, “Maybe with someone taller, sexier, or more exciting. Maybe someone she can enact all of her wildest fantasies with . . ." Archer slowly stood to his feet and looked at himself in the mirror, to himself he was hideous.

Standing at 5'8 he was of fair complexion with a near shaggy head of sandy brown hair. His build was of a thin and average build, not fat by any means but he'd definitely wouldn't be winning any Olympic medals anytime soon. Archer ran the water and began washing off his wrist, his thoughts weren't going away but he knew someone who might be able to give him some insight into his situation. He finished rinsing up and made his way to go change, determined to figure this out.

Archer stood at the door of his neighbor's house and sighed. Rodney was what Archer called 'a bit of an airhead.' He usually meant well but his antics and attitude were sometimes more than Archer could take at times. Though faced without many options Archer knocked on the door semi hoping Rodney wasn't home. A tense minute seemed to pass before the tumblers on the door started turning and finally opened

“Well well well if it isn't Archer Da man! How's it going bro?"

“Uh swell Rod, real swell." Rodney scratched his chin and murmured to himself as he examined Archer. “Swell huh? Judging by that face and conspicuously wrapped bandage I'd wager things ain't going so hot, hmmm don't tell me! It's your hot wife right?" Archer gave him a deadpanned look and shook his head saying “Look man can I just come in?"

“Of course man! Make yourself at home!" Rodney stepped to the side and ushered his neighbor into the kitchen saying “Can I get you some coffee or anything? And by me I mean my sexy wife." Archer looked off into the corner and say Rodney's wife Sharon standing shyly in the corner.

“Hey Sharon, nice to see you again." The squirrel woman waved her paw but said nothing in response. It was common knowledge among the neighborhood that she was mute, how a man as loud and boisterous as Rodney had a wife as quiet and timid as Sharon was beyond Archer. “Hey Babe can you hook us up with two fresh lemonades? You know how the Archster likes his." Sharon gave another timid nod and began preparing their drinks.

Archer took a seat at the kitchen bar stool and sighed as Rodney took up the seat next to his. “So my man tell me all about your marital issues, I'm all ears." Archer nodded and opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by Rodney who quickly interjected saying “You think she's cheating don't you?"

“Wha?!" Rodney held up his hand saying “Your face said it all man, now you know I've been down that road with my last wife. I was so good to the damn broad too, bought her all the shiny shit she wanted, made myself all vulnerable and crap, even supported all the dumb dreams she had but how did she repay me? She slept with every guy in a 5 mile radius. Said she just didn't feel the love anymore. I say Bah to the bullshit bro! I kicked her ass out and let her run off with some pretty boy from Florida, last I heard he left her with two kids and a shitty apartment in central city and ran off with the next bimbo he saw. Serves the broad right I say!"

Archer shook his head and sighed after Rodney's rant and said “Well I don't know if she's cheating or not, but she sure is more distant. How would I even know?"

“Bro don't be fooled, that's always the first sign! First they get distant, it may seem like they're tired from work or on that time of the month, but then the frequency of it grows and next thing you know you're on the couch! And your wife's got a good job so I bet she does a lot of traveling? Maybe she just happens to be the one that has to show an overseas client a good time every time one comes stateside?'

Archer pondered all Rodney was saying and it felt like all his worse nightmares were finally coming true, the whispers of doubt becoming raging truths. “s-she can't b-be cheating! We've got a daughter together!"

“Don't be naive bro, all the signs are there and all you have to do is catch her in the act." Archer looked at Rodney incredulously and asked “Catch her in the act? Are you crazy? How the hell am I supposed to do something like that?!"

“Wait here! I've got something that'll help you!" Rodney then shot up from his chair and darted upstairs leaving Archer alone. Sharon quietly moved over towards him and politely handed him his glass of lemonade. Archer took the glass and smiled respectfully as he took a sip. She gave a smile back then went back to straightening up the kitchen. Archer heard Rodney crashing back down the stairs and again chuckled at the thought of such an odd couple ending up together.

“Alright man here the answer to all your problems!" Archer examined the item and gave and exaggerated laugh saying “Har har Rodney, very funny. Antidepressants are exactly what I need to feel better."

“Oh ye of little faith! While on the outside this may seem like an ordinary bottle Xanax, it's actually an ordinary bottle of Xanax with a small HD spy camera inside it! It's wedged neatly right here see!" Archer looked closely and sure enough a little hole towards the bottom of the bottle could be seen with a small black lens poking through the bottle.

“Jeez this thing is tiny . . . Does it really work?"

“Of course it works man! How do you think I won the legal battle with Jenny? Proof of infidelity is a sure fire way to crush a broad in divorce court!" Archer took the bottle from Rodney and thumbed around with it for a little contemplating what to do.

“Hey Arch ultimately it's your choice, but don't wait to figure these things out man. Maybe she's cheating, maybe she's not but better to find out she isn't then lose sleep wondering if she is am I right?" Archer nodded his head saying

“Yea you're right Rodney . . I'm tired of wondering. Time to find out once and for all and put these thoughts to rest." Archer then made his way towards the front door waving goodbye. “See ya Arch! Let me know how things turn out too will ya?"

Archer stepped outside and pocketed the bottle, it was a quarter past 10 and he had an interview to catch. He could ponder Lena's possible infidelity later, right now he had a job to land.

Archer stepped across the threshold of his home and breathed a happy sigh. He had gotten the job on the spot and he couldn't be happier. He was going to be doing field work Vostek Security solutions which was some global private security firm. He hadn't heard much about them before, only knew that they were another drop in the bucket for security companies around the world. Archer whistled happily as he twirled the card around, he felt everything about the job was perfect. He'd be mostly working from home unless he had to go to a site and repair something, not to mention the pay was nearly six figures! He may not have been making as much as Lena was, but he no longer needed to grovel to her when he wanted money, he finally had a steady and promising career ahead of himself.

“I'm on top of the world!!" Archer yelled while doing a little twirl. His spy bottle fell out and bounced across the tile pulling him out of his celebratory mood. He then remembered why he had even came home in the first place and that was to set things up. The thought of catching his wife in the act was scary and would raise more issues if it turned out to be true, but Archer was determined.

“I have to do this for myself . . . and Lily." Archer thought back to his daughter and how she might react if a divorce was imminent. He didn't want things to have to get to that point, but he just wouldn't be able to live with someone he knew didn't love or value him. He bent down and picked up the bottle and hit the on switch underneath the cap. Archer knew if Lena would have time to try anything it'd be when she knew he and Lily were out of the house. He shook his head as he thought back to their morning talk, how badly she wanted him out of the house it was so obvious looking back now. How foolish Archer felt for not picking up on the signs earlier, but tonight that'd all change . . .

Archer looked around their shared bedroom and set the bottle on the dresser with the TV. The dresser sat across from the king sized bed and it was covered in their junk, including other random pill bottles, jewelry, loose change,and other miscellaneous items. Archer then re made the bed and took down the photos of them together. He figured why make it difficult for Lena? Why have any reminders of her family up if she was going to cheat? If she really valued them she wouldn't need to see pictures of them to know what she was doing was wrong.

So there Archer went taking down photos all around the house and ridding obvious elements of there ever being anyone else besides Lena who would live there. He went back through the house and did a once over on things. The house was spotless, his spy camera was in place but he still felt like something was missing. Archer's mind began to race at the possibility that Lena might not even cheat in the bedroom, what if her and a lover stopped to soil the living room?! Archer only had the one discreet spy cam and no time to pick up another from somewhere but he may have had the next best thing.

Archer knelt down before the entertainment set and grinned as he saw his old PC webcam all tied up next to the Xbox. It wouldn't take much to get the webcam to stream a feed to his laptop and with it's position facing the largest couch, he knew it was in a prime spot to catch whatever action may take place. Archer stood up and stretched, his wife would be getting off work very soon and if his hunch was correct, she'd be coming home with an “European emissary." Archer grabbed the last of his stuff then made his way towards the car “This ends tonight . . ."

Archer's eyes were heavy. He was parked behind the house on another street watching both feeds and he was bored out of his mind. He imagined spying and surveillance work being much more exciting than sitting in your car with stale fries and a luke warm shake. Archer looked at the time and grimaced, it was a few hours past when he figured Lena would've been home. She usually stayed out late and came back when she felt ready, always citing work as the reason and like the fool he had been he always bowed his head and said yes dear, no more after tonight though.

The street he sat on was dark and quiet without a soul in sight, which did nothing to rouse Archer from his sleepy feeling. “what the hell am I doing? Sitting here late at night, half asleep . . . Who'd bring their lover back to their house anyways? She'd probably just go to a hotel or something . . ." He was stirred from his sleepy musings as he heard the rev of a car engine, someone was coming down the street of his house. Archer immediately regretted not installing some kind of discreet cam in the driveway but it mattered not because he could hear the car stop right around where his house would've been.

Archer looked back at the living room feed and began get tingles as he could hear the locks being unlocked. “Moment of truth!" Archer nervously thought as the door finally opened. In stepped Lena but Archer almost didn't recognize her, she was dressed up like she had just came from the club. She had on a silk dress with criss cross fabric cuts along the back and her chest creating this sexy blend of exposed fur and silk. Lena never wore heavy makeup but even from the video feed he could see the heavy amounts of eye liner and the not so subtle cherry red lipstick streaked across her lips. She had a playful smile on and a loose free gait to her walk. Archer upped the volume as she began to speak

“Well come on in Stud, I don't bite!"

“Don't mind if I do babe." Archer watched on in disbelief as his wife threw her arms around some human's neck and bounced giddily on her feet. She whispered something inaudible into his ear and in response she got a smack on her ass. Lena playfully growled at him as he began to feel her up, running his hands along her hips and underneath her dress. She too began feeling him up, intent on running her paws along his member. “Hmmm" She moaned. “This is a pretty big boy, you know how to use it?" Her lover laughed and pushed atop the couch saying “Oh you're about to feel how I use it!" The two wasted no time and began practically sucking each other's faces.

Archer could only watch on in complete despair as his wife gleefully swapped spit with some stranger from work. They both hungrily pawed at each other tearing, and in Lena's case, ripping each other's clothes off. Archer watched as the stranger took a handful of Lena's breast and roughly squeezed it eliciting a yip out of her. With her lover's pants finally off she went to work feverishly stroking up and down his shaft all the while being still engaged in a fierce tongue wrestling match. When they finally broke apart he immediately made his way for her neck and began sucking and biting much to the delight of Lena who barked her approval

“oOh Yes! More! I need more!!" She wrapped her legs around him as he continued working her neck, to Archer it seemed like he was hitting every right note. He couldn't even remember a time when she had made so much noise. Everything the lover did were things he used to do to Lena, he loved to nibble on her neck and fondle her breasts. She had the perfect size to him, they large enough to grasp in one hand but not too big they became a chore to work. Archer uncomfortably readjusted himself in his seat cursing his body for getting a hard on from this.

The tent in his pants was the tightest it had ever been and hearing the pleasure filled cries from his wife weren't helping. He was about to mute the feed when he heard Lena gasp out saying “*huff* l-let's *huff* take this *huff* to the bedroom . ." The lover nodded in agreement and picked her bridal style. The two continued the touching and kissing up until he threw her roughly on the bed and growled.

Lena looked up at him with half lidded eyes and a seductive smile saying “Ready for the main event?" The lover threw his shirt over into the corner and said “I've been ready since dinner you sexy bitch. All the teasing and games you played earlier are finally over and I'm finally going to get payback." Lena gave a playful laugh as she slid out of the bed saying “Lie back stud, I'm going to get ready. You got protection?"

“Ha wrap it up? Don't trust my pull out game?"

“There's hasn't been a male yet inside me who could pull out, and I doubt a pretty English boy like you could handle an exotic beauty like myself." The lover smiled hungrily at the tease and gave Lena's ass another firm smack saying

“Alright we'll play it your way. I've never had a wild cat ride me before, should prove better than the wolf bitch from the other day. Eager but felt like I was fucking a gaping hole hahaha!" Lena laughed too while in the bathroom before she closed the door to get fully ready.

Archer knew what he was seeing was true but he still could barely process it. Here was his wife, the love of his life, about to defile their marital bed, bragging about how great it was to fuck her like she was some cheap whore. “No she is a cheap whore, just look at her!" Archer angrily yelled while watching her lover recline comfortably on their bed. The lover scratched his chest and yawned saying “hurry up bitch! Sometime today would be nice!"

“Almost ready!" Lena called in her singsong voice. Archer's blood was absolutely boiling, he couldn't possibly bear to hear her lover refer to her like that once more. “I'll kill the son of the bitch the first chance I get! Fuck my wife then degrade her will he? I'll show him how a real man handles business!" Though as Archer would soon find out, he wouldn't get the chance.

Archer had let his zipper down and let his cock out to breathe but the fact that he was even aroused in the first place bothered him. He knew it was a natural reaction to seeing what was about to unfold, but it unnerved him to no end. He should be angry and flaccid, not angry and horny but with a wife who refused to touch him what could he do? Archer was ready to turn off the stream so he could just get a reprieve but the door to the bathroom opened causing the lover to say

“About damn time! I thought you were going t- AGHH FUCKING HELL!" Archer mouth hung wide open as he saw the lover clutching his now injured leg. Blood was pooling underneath him looking like a scene straight from a horror movie and over by the bathroom stood Lena holding a pistol. The lover continued screaming while cradling his leg saying “Y-You fucking bitch! Wait til I call my people about this they'll have you a-AUGHH!!" Archer flinched as another shot rang through the room and pelted him in his left arm. Lena two more shots, each hitting their intended targets of his right arm and left leg. Now with his major limbs dead and him rapidly bleeding out Lena stepped forward as calm as could be saying.

“The key Xavier, the key."

“p-piss o-off . . ." Lena seemed unfazed by the insult and made her way towards the nightstand, scaring Archer even more. Even thought she couldn't see the camera it still felt like she was staring straight at him when her eyes looked in the general direction. Lena seemed to be taking her sweet time even though the tortured lover was dying. Once Lena finally found the object she was looking for she turned around and sprung upon the lover with such speed that scared both Archer and him.

She straddled him as she held the blade like object in her mouth. “I'm only asking one more time because you're soon to be dead. Where's the key? Save yourself the trouble of having to go to hell early and just cooperate." Archer could see the fear and sheer pain on Xavier's face but he shook his head all while gritting his teeth.

Lena shrugged her shoulders and replied “We'll find it regardless of whether you cooperate or not, it's only a matter of time. Just know you brought this upon yourself . . ." Then like a flash of lighting she brought the blade down into left leg again causing him to bolt upright in shock. He was screaming and screaming so loud that Archer thought the neighbors might hear from his laptop alone.

“Scream all you want Xavier, had this room soundproofed a long time ago. Can't conduct business in your office with the possibility of busybodies hearing. My you are desperately clinging on to life, you can let go now." She stabbed him again in the same spot causing the knee jerk reaction from him. He bolted upright but this time found his neck caught in the jaws of Lena. Archer put his hands over his eyes, he knew his Lena and he knew she'd never be able to take a bite out of someone's neck or so he thought . . .

Without another second's delay she clamped her jaws down and sent blood spurting all over it seemed. She shook her head back and forth and ripped a large portion of his neck off. Archer went dizzy at the sight of the blood and flesh pouring straight from the now gaping hole and just the sight of Lena straddling the corpse with her twisted and demented smile made him beyond ill. Her once pristine white fur was now covered in red giving her the appearance of a living macabre candy cane. Archer's sight was going black but what knocked him out was the sight of her licking her lips and smiling once more. Archer held back the vomit but found himself overcome by darkness. He'd just have to face his cheating, murderous wife tomorrow.

*Chapter 3: Soft Stepping *

“Uggh what happened?" Archer examined his surroundings and quickly realized he was still inside his car from the night before. Looking at the time it was already well into the afternoon leaving Archer with only a few hours before both his wife and daughter returned home. Archer's thoughts went back to the night before and he shuddered at the thought of it being anything more than a bad dream. He saw the laptop discarded on the floor and shakily picked it up. He slowly grabbed the top screen and opened the laptop to the feed from last night. Looking at the screen Archer's heart began to flutter. The stream was still running and everything looked normal, there was no mutilated corpse on the bed, no oceans of blood on the bed, and no remnants of any malpractice from Lena. The bedroom and living room looked exactly how he had left them earlier filling Archer with a sense of relief.

“Maybe it was just some crazy stressed related dream?" He thought while looking at the progress bar on the feed. “Or maybe not . . ." Archer dragged the stream progress bar back several hours and instantly his relief was replaced with dread. The horrific images of his wife seducing another man only to interrogate and kill him were back. He once again saw Lena straddling Xavier and pulling a chunk of his neck out as if he were a piece of toughly cooked meat. Archer could see the bloodlust in her eyes, she wasn't doing this because she wanted to she was doing this because she had to.

He could see the refreshed look on her fact after the body laid there motionless. She was content with life, all was right in her little world and Archer was just realizing he hadn't seen her this relaxed and content looking in a long time. It'd been ages since she slouched her shoulders or relaxed her posture like she was doing in the video. Lena then stretched and hopped off the blood soaked sheets deciding to make her way towards the room's exit. Archer couldn't see her but he could hear the faint sound of rustling and clanging, whatever she was doing it was loud. When Lena finally returned she carried with her a bag of tools and a tripod, she set her tools down and begun setting up the tripod.

Archer watched on disgusted as she took out saws, pliers, tweezers, and sharp instruments all of which he knew were going to be used to mutilate Xavier further. He couldn't watch anymore so he slammed the laptop shut, he knew what was going to happen to the corpse next and he didn't need to see anymore. Archer's mind raced as he contemplated his next move, he had to walk ever so carefully now because if his wife wanted to she could have him done away with just like this Xavier guy.

Archer briefly contemplated going to the police, it seemed like the most responsible thing to do but the voice in the back of his head urged him otherwise. “What if she's not just some killer? What if she's a professional with connections!? She could figure out who blew her cover and then it's lights out!" The thought alone of his wife taking a chunk out of him or doing any of the things she did to Xavier was enough to get him to dash any thoughts of police informing. No he knew it'd be wise to just lay low, pretend nothing had happened and formulate a plan as time went on. “I need to protect Lily!" Archer thought while starting up the car. He didn't believe Lena would ever intentionally hurt her daughter, but if Lena was engaged in dangerous and heinous activities like this then Lily would always be in danger. Lena may be a ruthless killer but there was no way she was invincible. There's probably some more bloodthirsty monster out there itching to just tear her apart and if that was the case Archer would get his daughter as far away from Lena as he possibly could. It was now his sole mission. “I'll protect you Lily . . . At whatever cost."

Archer put the car in drive and made his way back to the house, he'd have to really work on his acting if he was going to make Lena feel as if nothing was wrong. She hardly ever asked him how his day went or how he was feeling so he was feeling pretty confident about pulling it off. He looked at his phone and shook his head as he saw no missed calls or texts from his wife, she didn't even care if he was gone. Archer pulled into his driveway and quickly made his way into the house. Once inside he took his laptop to his study and made sure to hide it best he could. Lena never came inside his study since she absolutely hated the mess, so he figured it'd be the perfect place to keep his findings on his wife.

He left the study and peeked inside his bedroom and instantly felt ill. It was completely spotless, not a speck of dirt to be found anywhere but that didn't stop him from feeling sick. He knew what had transpired here and he could still see everything like it had just happened. He closed the door and made his way inside the kitchen to prepare dinner. His family had this nervous tick where they would cook when distressed and it had been passed down to Archer in full force. The human found himself preparing all the meals for the family, Lena had never lifted a paw to even make a sandwich and considering what she did he was sort of glad. He wouldn't want Lily to eat anything prepared by her now.

Archer pulled out a few fresh cuts of salmon and went to work seasoning and dressing them up for the frying pan. Lena rarely ever complimented him on his cooking or ate with them for that matter and now her behavior made sense. No wonder she was distant and despondent, if she was killing on a regular basis then of course she was fatigued. Archer grabbed a knife and began chopping vegetables, trying to get his mind off of his wife.

He always felt this sense of inadequacy when he was around her, like he wasn't good enough to be her husband. She was beyond attractive, intelligent, and wildly successful so much so he wondered why she bothered to keep him around. She could have any man she wanted, the husband of her dream but yet she was married to him. Normally he might feel a sense of comfort at the thought but he begin to think that maybe that's exactly what she wanted. A boring, plain, uneventful life to come home to after all the excitement. A predictable stable life she wouldn't have to worry about when she was off killing.

“Does she kill for fun or is she a professional?" Archer thought again while arranging the vegetables in the wok. “Maybe her whole job is a front for a hitman agency?!" Archer thought back to the interrogation and how she's adamant about the whereabouts of some key. It seemed at the very least she wasn't out killing without a reason, but not that it made much difference. Whether she was a psychopath or professional she was still a dangerous woman and Archer would have to tread around her carefully. There was no telling what she would do if she found out Archer knew about her “extracurricular activities."

He continued to work on his mannerisms and how he would act around her. Archer was absolutely terrified of his wife and he knew it would take everything in him not freak out when she was near. He'd always been very squeamish around blood and gore, it was one of the reasons he had got along so well with Lena, he though she had been too but as he was finding out, there was so much about her he didn't know.

As Archer cooked he lost track of time and his surroundings, losing himself in his own worries and fears. “What if I'm next?! What'll she do to me?!?"

“Hey Archer I'm home."Archer froze at the voice. It was impossible he thought, Lena couldn't have been home so soon, yet there on the stove sat the time. It was almost six and Archer had lost track of time.

“Hey honey, how was work?" He asked while avoiding eye contact. He wasn't sure he was ready to look at her yet.

“Eh same old same old. The routine's killing me."

“Or the other way around . ." Archer mumbled while checking on the salmon.

“What was that?"

“I said how was the guy you showed around town?"

“Oh another boring formality. Took him to dinner and a show, but it was pretty much a wash. He didn't give us what we wanted."

“Ahh how unfortunate for him . . ." Archer said without much thought. Lena arched her eyebrow and asked “How come?"

“I beg your pardon?"

“You said how unfortunate for him and I'm asking how come it's so bad for him?" The question completely caught him off guard. He mentally berated himself as he casually replied saying “I mean it's unfortunate for him that he missed out on that deal or whatever. Thought you said it was mutually beneficial or something? You know how bad my memory gets at times." Lena huffed and replied “Yes your memory is atrocious at times. Anyways you're right he was unfortunate, he missed out on the deal of lifetime." Archer didn't know whether or not she was being coy with her wording but it did nothing to settle his uneasy feeling around her.

Lena continued talking on about her evening and what they did but Archer tuned her lies out. He knew what truly transpired and it frightened him. He was silently praying for a reprieve when his daughter bounded into the kitchen to hug Lena.

“Mommy! Mommy you're home!" Lily said while jumping into her mother's waiting arms. “Of course sweetie! You know I could never stay away from you!" The two continued their embrace which made Archer burn up with jealousy. The combination of Lena's lack of affection towards him and Lily's close contact forced him to turn away while they had their moment. He focused his attention on the food and started to make their plates. Being that they were both predators they both needed a healthy dose of protein to even function. Archer made sure their plates were stacked as he began to serve them.

“Thank you Daddy!" Lily said while beginning to dig in excitedly. Lena mumbled her thanks but kept her focus on her cellphone. Whatever she was doing it must've been important because Archer could see her becoming more and more agitated. She finally huffed in frustration and turned her attention to her food. Archer watched on in disgust as she tore into the piece of meat, reminding him too much of how she tore into Xavier's neck. Even Lily's display of excitement while she ate was getting to him, the two of them reminded him of a pair of feral wolves.

Archer straightened up the kitchen area and began to leave but not before he was confronted by Lena who asked “Aren't you going to eat?" Archer stopped in his tracks annoyed but replied anyway saying “You guys go ahead I ate earlier."

“You ate earlier? What time?"

“Does it matter? Stop worrying about me and enjoy your dinner." Lena raised her eyebrow questioningly but shrugged her shoulders and returned to her meal. Archer quickly darted out of the dining room and made a beeline for his study where he knew he wouldn't be bothered. Once there he closed the door behind him and pulled out the laptop. “Okay Lena what are you after?" Archer figured if he was going to stay a step ahead of Lena he'd have to know what she was up to. 'The Key' was too vague for him to search up in google and he doubted that information related to what she was trying to attain would be plastered all over the internet. Archer needed to be smart about this, think outside of the box!

If Lena was really a creature of habit then she'd still be going somewhere in the morning for work and with Archer not starting work himself until Monday he could afford to shadow her. He knew that he may not know what the 'key' was but the people Lena was killing might. He'd have to be stealthy, couldn't afford to make any mistakes. As Archer continued making preparations he was taken by surprise when Lena barged in the room. Archer shrieked and quickly closed his laptop saying “Hey what're you doing!?" Lena looked around the room then back towards Archer and closed the door quietly.

“I wanted to check up on you. You seem . . . off." Archer could feel the beads of sweat forming on his forehead but he kept his composure and replied “I'm fine Lena. Shouldn't you be getting ready for work right now?"

“True. My apologies for wanting to be concerned about my husband. Oh and I'm thinking of taking time off for the recital. I feel bad about not making the others." Archer shook his head saying “No don't bother I've got it. Like you said someone's gotta keep this place running and make the tough sacrifices. We're a team like that, I can be places you just can't." Lena seemed to give his response some thought and said “Thanks Archer, I knew you understood. I'm going to bed, are you coming?"

Archer thought back to the events of yesterday and shuddered. He'd be damned if he was getting in that bed anytime soon. “Oh yea sure honey go ahead, I'll be there shortly. Just putting the finishing touches on some documents." Lena nodded and turned to leave the room, finally giving Archer the space he so desired. Archer watched as his wife rounded the corner and let out a breath he had been holding. She was usually never so invested in anything he had going on, and all of a sudden she wanted to be involved? Something was up but he wasn't sure what. Archer figured the stress of not finding the key was getting to her so she'd want her family as some sort of reprieve.

Archer wasn't sure what her angle was but he needed her doing her daily routine if he was going to find out. “Let the games begin Lena."

Chapter 4: Close Encounters

Archer felt like a real detective. He had stopped by the local costume shop and grabbed a private eye costume, complete with fedora. He also snagged a ski mask in case he had to keep his face covered, he was doing his best to stay completely prepared. He even invested in a little stun gun, he hoped he wouldn't have to use it but he was taking no chances. Like clockwork his morning had started with Lena getting ready and Lily rushing off to school. Archer played like he had nothing better to do and pretended to be cleaning as they left. As soon as Lena got out the driveway, Archer took the car and began to follow from a huge distance.

He knew where she worked so he wouldn't have to tail so close, the only issue was infiltrating the building. Lena worked for United Security Solutions and seeing as her job dealt with the matters of security it was of the utmost importance that the building was . . . secure. Lena had already parked in the main lot and was making her way towards the door. Archer watched as she pulled out a key card and swiped it through the reader, gaining access inside. During his tenure as a computer tech he had worked on various card based readers and just about all of them had the same sort of lockout measures.

Archer reached into his bag and pulled out his work laptop and a card reader of his own. He had made plenty of skeleton keys for offices before and he knew this would be no different. After running the program and writing it to his own blank key card, he drove the car to the diner across the street and got out. He couldn't risk Lena seeing it and getting suspicious. He adjusted his suit and tie and made his way as confidently as he could across the street.

Once at the door he swiped his phony card and waited for the program to take effect. The door's led light hung on red for a few seconds before chiming green and unlocking the door. Archer smiled as he pulled the card out and twirled it. The card had just downloaded more door certificates from the reader and it would make his job all that much more easier. Archer stepped inside the bustling lobby and blew an impressed whistle. The building was several stories high and was every impressive as a corporate office could be.

Everywhere he looked he could see the company's bank roll being flaunted, from the high vaulted ceilings to the slick decorative tile everywhere. It looked more like a 5 star hotel than an office building. Archer made his way over to the directory map and began scanning. He was vaguely aware of what his wife did but he didn't know enough to be able to pinpoint her workspace on a map.

There were tons of different offices, departments, and sectors he'd have to navigate and it'd take him days to just narrow down where she could be. Archer squinted his eyes and began scanning for a specific location. “Ah ha! Bingo baby!" Archer pointed to the mail room on the map and made his way towards the elevator. He wouldn't be able to find Lena on the map but he could find her from the mail room! The excited snooper pressed the down button in the lift and bounced excitedly at the thought of what he was doing. Even though it was seriously dangerous work, he couldn't help but feel giddy at all the excitement. It wasn't often a husband set out to catch their wife cheating and instead discovered they were a hitman on a mission.

The elevator finally dinged and opened, letting Archer examine his surroundings. The mail room was smaller than expected, loud, and completely crowded. Everyone was pushing past each other, shouting and yelling over others, and just overall being rowdy. Archer slinked his way into the room and began to look for anything that could tell him where his wife was. He found several master lists of mail time deliveries but no names, only departments. Archer scanned the key and saw that the department's delivery was organized alphabetically. Archer looked over and saw the L's and where they were due to be delivered to and smiled.

He knew where Lena's floor and department was and all it'd take was hitching a ride up the elevator to get there. Archer made his way over towards the mail carts then stopped as he noticed a lone figure rummaging through one. Archer leaned back against the wall and peered over at the strange man. The man was obviously moving in a hurry, tossing letters and packages around in a frenzy. He moved his attention over to another cart and after throwing out a few letters he picked one up and nodded his head. The man then reached into his bag and produced a thick manila folder and placed it in that specific cart. He then looked to the left and the right and made a break for the exit.

Archer looked towards where he left and after waiting a few seconds he too made his way towards the cart. Archer picked up the folder and spun it around until he saw the label “Deliver to Lena Beniss." Archer glanced behind him making sure the coast was clear, then tore into the envelope. Inside he found a formally typed letter, a few photos of people, and more typed documents. He wanted to dig into the contents of the folder but he knew this wasn't the place or time. Archer slid the folder underneath his shirt and made his exit as well.

Back across the street Archer sat inside a booth in the diner. He had laid all the contents of the folder out and was making notes as he went along. He picked up the formal letter and began going over it again “

Greetings Agent 22. This is another reminder of the importance OpSec. We lost Agent 909 in the South East ten days ago after they responded to supposed intel leaks about the key. Unfortunately 909 was found dead two days ago from the time this letter was drafted. We would've sent a formal email but it's believed by high command that there's a mole in the agency. While the investigation for them continues we want you to interrogate and eliminate these rogue agents. Agents 656, 425, and 004 have all been compromised. Whether by rival agency or their own volition is unknown, but their directives were clear. No one on sensitive cases goes dark. You are to eliminate the rogue agents then return to your primary mission. Failure to comply will result in a blacklist."

Archer was reading it but still couldn't believe it. His wife was a professional killer and she was scheduled to eliminate these others immediately. Archer looked over the photos and read up on them. Agent 656 was defined as an expeditionist. Looking over his profile it seemed like he was used to infiltrate zones of interest first and survey for others. Archer flipped over to Agent 425 and skimmed through her profile as well. She seemed to be used for missions that required a

Feminine flare to them. Described as a charismatic personality who found great success in acquiring stolen documents, 425 seemed to once be held in high regard with the agency.

Archer sighed and flipped over to the last one, Agent 004. There were several pictures of 004, all completely different. It seemed even the agency didn't exactly know who 004 was. Archer saw a picture of a human woman, human man, A burly looking wolf, a timid looking squirrel, a nasty looking lynx . . . Archer quickly flipped back to the picture of the squirrel and nearly spat out his drink.

“Sharon?! It can't be!" Archer held the photo up towards the light and gawked at it. There in a folder of people to eliminate sat his quiet and friendly neighbor. On first glance it could've been any female squirrel since sharon didn't have a very distinctive figure. Though on further inspection Archer recognized the wedding band she was wearing, it was large and gaudy just like Rodney's style.

He began reading over her profile and was surprised by how scant it was. Apparently not much was known about 004 except they were given an assignment to carry out in Russia and never did. The file wasn't even sure if 004 was a real agent or not, just that they were possibly carrying information regarding other rogue agents.

Archer leaned back in his booth and pinched the bridge of his nose. This whole situation was absurd and completely above him, but he still felt obligated to do something. He knew he had to beat Lena to these three if he was going to find anything else about what was going on with her. He looked over the agents and tried to deduce which one she would go after first. This mission was time sensitive so she would most likely take care of the ones that'd be the easiest to.

All three agents were locals so Lena would have to choose which ones would be the most opportune to kill and at what times. Archer knew she was going to try and get 656 today because another document had mentioned a meeting being arranged with him and an informant. 656's file was the most put together and with a time and date there Lena would have no choice but to capitalize on this and take him out. The supposed meeting was supposed to take place at 1pm in an abandoned building up town. Archer had about only another 20 or so minutes to get there and learn what he could before Lena would show up. The newly minted private eye gathered up the files and made his way back towards his car, he just had to get there before she did.

Archer had cut it close with only seven minutes til one but he had made it. He made sure to park his car across the street once more as he casually made his way toward the building. The main entrance was boarded and locked tight so Archer looked towards the roof in hopes he could still get inside. The private eye hopped onto the fire escape and began climbing up in hopes of finding an entry point. Archer peered over the roof ledge and let out a hushed yes. He could spot a half opened skylight so he wasted no time getting over to it.

Archer peeked into the window and couldn't see anyone anywhere but that didn't stop him from opening the window and climbing down the stairs into the room below. The room was practically dark save for a select few light shafts peering through the ceiling windows. Archer slipped on his ski mask in case 656 was actually here. He didn't want his real face to be associated with any people on Lena's kill list. “Hello anybody home?" Archer weakly called out while staring into the darkness. While he got no response he couldn't help but feel like something was off, it was the same feeling he got when he first suspected something was wrong with Lena. A feeling of dread mixed with anticipation, like something bad was about to happen. Archer heard the rustle of paper and it caused him to whip around violently saying

“Hello!? Anyone there!? I'm not here to hurt you, I just wanna talk!" Archer listened in for more rustling but instead he heard the distinctive click of a gun. Archer froze as he felt the barrel of the weapon placed against the back of his head. “Just wanna talk huh? Well go ahead and start, you got a minute before I splatter your brains all over the floor."

“h-hey man b-be cool now! I'm looking for an Agent 656?" Archer felt the gun press harder into his head causing him to ask “I'm guessing that's you?"

“Who's asking? The agency send you to scrub me off?" Archer's mind began to work quickly to find a suitable response to give 656, he knew he couldn't just give out his real name so he did the next best thing. “I'm agent 302 and I'm not here to kill you, but I know who is and that's why I came . . . to warn you."

“Bullshit!" 656 yelled while smacking Archer in the back of the head. Archer fell to the ground and rolled onto his back finally able to see 656 in person. He was gruff looking doberman, just like his profile described and it seemed he was of short temperament as well. “Agent 302 huh? You think I was born yesterday pal? I know you're not with the agency!"

“fine it's true I'm not. I'm a private investigator following my own leads but I'm most certainly not here to kill you. Who is coming is agent 22 and she'll tear you to shreds!"

“You a copper then?"

“What? No no I'm on my own I swear it!" 656 seemed to contemplate Archer's words then nodded saying “alright 302 say 22 is on her way over here now, that doesn't explain why you're warning me. What's in it for you?"

“I'm trying to learn more about the key. Know anything useful?" 656 chuckled then sheathed his gun. He reached out a paw and lifted Archer up saying “Not much to be honest, for awhile I thought the key was a myth. Supposedly some magical answer to the world's problems or whatnot. Hell if I know, I only was ever a recon scout."

“Why's the agency trying to kill you?" 656 folded his arms and grimaced saying “I ain't squeaky clean 302, I used to run my own private contracts with clients while still being with the agency. My side gigs weren't the issue, the issue was the agency wanted to butt in on my client's info. Find out who I was dealing with and muscle in on those contracts. I wasn't having it so I went off the radar and took my lucrative business deals with me. I got out of that line of work years ago and settled down. Hell if I know why they're just coming after me now."

Archer folded his arms and began pacing in circles. “This honestly doesn't make a lot of sense, but we don't have time to worry about this now. We've got to get out of here before 22 shows up." Archer started walking over towards where he came in at and turned around to see 656 not following him. “You coming 656?"

“What? You want me to run with my tail tucked beneath my legs? Nah that's not my style friend, but I'll tell you what is. Killing any bastard that thinks they can put me down. I don't know who 22 thinks they are, but they ain't tougher than me."

“So what you want to just wait here for them to come and get you??"

“I'll have the element of surprise with all this darkness around. You can leave if you want to but I at least need to buy myself a couple more months of peace by getting rid of her. I off the agency's assassin and they'll think twice about sending another one." Archer shook his head at the thought of Lena getting hurt. She may of been a dangerous assassin but he still loved her and wanted her safe.

Archer opened his mouth to retort but stopped when he saw a shadow moving above him. 656 and Archer watched as something on the roof slowly went over every window, blacking it out and creating just a little more darkness in the abandoned building. Archer already knew it was Lena and watched on in dread as she got to the last window and slowly opened it. She slid through and gracefully landed on the floor a few hundred feet from the duo. She stood in the only light and there was no mistaking that pure white fur and creepy smile she was sporting.

For awhile it seemed as nobody was willing to move until 656 pointed his gun at Lena and said “Agent 22 right? I don't think we had the pleasure of being formally introduced. I'm Agent 656 but I'm guessing if you're here that means you already know that huh?" Lena made no acknowledgement towards his question and stepped into the darkness.

Archer immediately wanted to bolt the room and scramble up the fire escape but he didn't want to become the first target of her attack. 656 pointed the gun in the shadow and fired a round off in Lena's direction. The muzzle flash briefly showed that Lena had moved a little closer and was still moving towards them. “That was a warning shot 22, the next one won't miss. You've seen my file, you know what I'm about. Save yourself the trouble and let this old boy walk huh?"

Archer couldn't see Lena but the sound of her feet moving across the floor as she ran was enough to frighten him into action.

Archer darted past 656 and leapt for the rooftop ladder. 656 paid him no mind and continued shooting wildly into the dark but to no avail. He tried to listen closely to her footsteps but they echoed off the walls and sounded omnipresent as a result. 656 began to spin in circles frustrated and yelled “AGH YOU BITCH COME ON! LET'S NOT DRAG THIS OUT!" 656 fired off the last of the last of his rounds then threw the gun into the darkness, opting to get into a fighting stance.

Lena's rapid steps still continued to echo all around but 656 was ready. The footsteps suddenly stopped throwing 656 off guard, he quickly turned around to see why and was tackled by Lena. The two went tumbling on the floor before the snow leopard pinned 656 down. She immediately went to work scratching and biting at him like a feral beast much to 656's surprise. The shocked agent quickly shook himself from his stupor and tried fighting back. He kicked and thrashed, but her hold on him was like a steel grip.

“UGH ENOUGH!" 656 yelled while thrusting his legs outward. The violent kick caught Lena off guard and sent her staggering across the floor. 656 wasted no time getting up and dashed for the ladder. 656 saw Archer struggling with the ceiling window and said “Thanks for leaving me to die 302!"

“Hey I told you to run! Anyways help get this thing open or we're both going to die!" 656 and Archer both put all their weight into the window and got it open. The duo climbed out then slammed it shut and without a moment to spare. Lena was at the window trying to push it open but 656 picked up a discarded rod and jammed it in the lock saying “That'll hold her . . ." Archer looked on in horror as Lena threw her fist through the window shattering part of it. Her bloodied arm then began clawing for the rod in an attempt to reopen the window.

“Or not! Come on 302!" Archer wasted no time and began running with 656 to safety. 656 pointed to a few buildings ahead of them and said “Hope you're a good swimmer. We hop the next few buildings and jump into the Industrial river we should be able to swim to the maintenance pipes and from there we're free as birds!"

“I'm an awful swimmer and horrible jumper!" 656 looked behind him and laughed saying “Well 302 you're gonna learn today! Keep up or that bitch is gonna claw you to death! If we live through this I'll show you the nasty bite she took of my arm hahaha!" Archer squealed and pumped his legs as hard as he could to keep up with 656 but he was no athlete. He'd never been athletic in school and since he was married he'd really put physical fitness to the side. He could hear all the times Lena had nagged him about going to the gym and if he only knew that it'd literally have been life or death he would've been there every day.

The duo came up to the first building and 656 sped ahead of him, jumping the gap with a practiced grace. The distance wasn't too far Archer surmised but for someone who had never done a long jump in his life? Archer shook his head and thought “No time for a practice run! Do or die Archer!" Archer gritted his teeth and right as he neared the ledge he leapt with all his might. He barely cleared the jump and stumbled as he landed causing 656 to laugh and say

“You're a riot 302! Only a few more and we- HEY WATCH OUT!" Archer turned around and immediately wished he hadn't. Lena was right behind him and with a forceful grab she halted his movement and threw him to the ground. 656 immediately stopped and stared down Lena saying “You alright 302?" Archer looked at Lena and saw the predatory glint in her eye then towards 656 and mentally cursed at his situation. He knew he couldn't say a word or his whole cover was blown and then he was really a dead man.

Archer looked towards 656 and held a finger to his mouth signaling him to be quiet. He then waved him off hoping he'd get the message. 656 nodded and replied “You know the plan, 20 minutes and I'm out. Oh and if you live? Drinks on me pal!" Archer then watched as 656 leapt off the roof towards his rendezvous at the river. Archer quickly rolled out of the way of Lena and stood to his feet. She looked back at the fleeing 656 and remarked “They always try and run, but I always catch them. No matter where they go or how they hide, eventually I come and finish the hunt."

Archer looked at his wife and couldn't help but gawk. He had never seen her in any heavy duty type military garb but she wore it extremely well. She wore a light tactical vest that hugged her curves and sat well against her fur. Her cargo pants were baggy but that wasn't enough to conceal her strong and powerful legs, Archer could even still see the definition through the material. Lena seemed to notice his staring and asked

“See something you like masked stranger?" Archer wanted to make some kind of acknowledgment but was just lost. He now he stood across from her with mixed feelings of fear, anger, betrayal, and lust. Lena sighed and began to pace around him saying “302 was it? I'm not familiar with your designation or what your affiliation is with 656. Truth be told I don't feel like killing you, a little too much paperwork for my liking. So I'll give you an offer you can't refuse . . . Come back with me to HQ and fill my superiors in on what you were doing here with 656. The more you cooperate the higher your chance for survival is."

Archer desperately wanted to take her up on the offer but he knew there was no way he could do that and still live. Even if Lena found him out and decided not to kill him, they wouldn't be safe from the agency's retaliation. Archer dropped his head low and shook it no. Lena chuckled a little and replied “No? Either you're very brave or extremely foolish . . . Or a healthy combination of both. If you won't make my workload easy then that's fine, I'll just take my frustration out on you!" The feline then dashed towards Archer at alarming speed, claws drawn and ready to pounce.

Archer quickly sidestepped out of the way and winced in pain as he felt her claws take a swipe out of his arm. He instantly clutched it and groaned as he felt the blood dripping. His mind began to panic at the thought of a forensics team tracing the dna back to him but he knew that was the least of his worries. Lena made another pass and this time connected, bringing both of them down to the floor. Archer huffed and did his best to stifle his voice as Lena straddled him. The assassin began flexing her claws and playfully drug them across Archer's ski mask saying “I wonder if you have a pretty face? Oh the mystique of it all, to mask or unmask that is the question . . ."

Archer instinctively grabbed her arm as she made a swipe for the mask causing her to say “What? Not the face first? That's alright I can start elsewhere." She then flashed a wicked smiled and leaned down towards his shoulder saying “I wonder if you're a screamer?" Archer closed his eyes braced himself as he felt Lena clamp down on his shoulder. She was shaking her head side to side and growling just like she had when she ripped Xavier's throat out. Archer could feel hot tears streaming down his face as he bottled up the pain, he closed his eyes and in that moment it was if everything went into slow motion for him.

He began to think back on his life and how things had turned out. He thought back to his hard times in grade school and how he struggled to keep friends or even form meaningful relationships. He remembered his wedding and how even at the beginning Lena was controlling and had her hand in every aspect of their marriage. He even reflected on his careers and how every job from working IT at a school to working for the Department of Defense always ended the same, let go for someone better, someone more in control of their life . . . “That was it!" he thought. He was rarely ever in control, always being submissive and taking a backseat in his own life. Forgoing ambition and drive, never taking the bull by the reigns! He had always been indecisive but all that was about to change.

Archer opened his eyes and saw his wife still at his neck shaking away slowly. It was probably the adrenaline he thought but he didn't feel any pain, in fact he felt better than before. Archer felt like a new man, ready to take any challenge that came his way. Archer felt the stun gun in his right pocket and quickly pulled it out. Lena stilled seemed to be moving slowly so Archer cycled the weapon and jabbed it right into her neck.

As soon as he did it seemed life went back to normal and his senses returned, including pain. He grit his teeth but ignored the stings in favor of keeping the high volts of electricity running through Lena. She screamed and writhed on the ground in agony as Archer kept the weapon on her and he was without mercy. The weapon was got hot then suddenly ticked out much to his annoyance, so Archer took a page out Lena's book and straddled her.

Keeping a hand firmly around her neck he hit her across the face. The strike caught him by surprise as he had never once in his life thought about hitting anyone, let alone a woman. Even when he thought she was cheating he never thought of hitting her but as he sat atop her now with his new found feelings of dominance it just felt . . . right to him. She was still convulsing from the stun gun but Archer didn't care, he struck her again and again and again. Her nose started bleeding and she began losing focus in her eyes but Archer continued his bloodthirsty assault, relishing in the feeling on overpowering someone else.

Archer raised his fist to strike her again and as he did he saw a look in her unfocused and glazed eyes. “She's afraid . . ." Archer thought while holding back. Lena's movements were erratic and unsteady, a side effect of prolonged exposure to the stun gun,but most concerning to Archer was her look of utter terror. She didn't seem to be looking at him per say but her eyes were moving around rapidly and dilating heavily. She was still dazed but she made eye contact with Archer and winced in anticipation of his next attack. Archer looked at his blood stained fists and almost vomited. “I'm no better than her . . ." He looked down at his singed and bruised wife and felt sorry for his actions, he never wanted this.

Archer slowly stood up and began making his way toward the rooftop ledge. There was no way he was clearing a jump in his condition but he could definitely make it to the river and meet up with 656 in due time. He cast one last look at his battered and bruised wife and sighed. He didn't know what he was going to do when she eventually made it home but he decided to cross that bridge when he got there. The beat up human slid down the fire escape and hobbled his way towards the rendezvous point as fast as he could. As he escaped he could only wonder what was going through Lena's head this moment.

656 looked at his watch and grimaced “Come on 302 you're already late! God I don't know why I'm sticking my neck out for this goon, don't even know the guy!" The rogue agent folded his arms and leaned against the giant pipe's interior tiredly. It was only a little after 2 and he felt like taking the big sleep. 656's ears then swiveled around as he heard slow and shambling steps coming towards him. 656 chuckled and said “Damn 302 you had me worried! Thought 22 had tore you a new asshole hahaha! Say how about those drinks I owe you huh? Least I could do for you getting me out of this one!"

The footsteps were getting closer but 656 didn't hear any response from Archer so he said “Hey 302 that you? You sound like you just lost a fight with a bus hahaha! 302? Hey say something man!" 656 looked towards the tunnel entrance and froze. Standing there instead of Archer was the bloodied and bruised Lena who was looking ready to pass out. Even with her weakened state 656 felt an overwhelming amount of fear overtake him. To him she looked more like a zombie than a living being, fur all matted and wet from the swim, blood caked clothes and nose still dripping the stuff all over. 656 took a tentative step back as Lena rasped out

“t-tell me e-everything about h-him!" She flexed her claws and 656 wasted no time turning to flee. He ran all the way towards the pipe's exit to the surface but found the sewer lock impossible to turn by himself. He desperately twisted and turned at it but to no avail. “DAMN IT 302! YOU LEFT ME TO DIE!!" 656 screamed out while Lena slowly made her way towards him. From the surface if one listened they could hear 656 banging and banging on the manhole cover, desperate shouts, and panicked scratching until suddenly it all became very still.

Archer hobbled his way back towards his car and sighed. He wish he could have informed 656 of the plan change but he didn't have much of a choice. He knew he wouldn't be able to make the swim with his shoulder and with the time limit of 20 minutes well and over he decided to head back towards his car, he was sure they'd cross paths once again. Archer got inside his car and wasted no time making the drive home. It was past 2 and if Lena was still adhering to some schedule for work she'd be on her way home in just a few short hours and Archer couldn't afford to be caught in his state. He briefly wondered if she'd be alright but he quickly dismissed any thoughts of her perishing as extremely unlikely. “She's been doing this for God knows how long. I got lucky with her today and next time we have to fight I wont be." As he pulled into his driveway the private eye grabbed Lena's mission specs and began going through them again.

If 656 got away then Lena would would either have to spend the time tracking him down or move onto taking out the next target. Archer wagered that Lena would move onto Agent 425 and make some kind of pass around 656 later, he wasn't sure but her itinerary was the least of his concerns. The battered human hobbled inside and rushed for the restroom. Removing his shredded and tattered clothes, Archer began to examine his injuries and breathed a sigh of relief.

Even though Lena had savagely bitten into his shoulder, it seemed as if the damage was more cosmetic than anything. The marks were very noticeable but with a proper cleaning and concealer, Archer figured he'd be able to hide it. He rinsed off the excess dry blood and bagged his clothes. “If Lena finds you then I'm a dead dead man" He said while tying the bag shut. With the evidence of his adventure disposed of Archer made retied to his study and cataloged today's finds. He laid out the contents of her mission folder and began to document the most important parts.

“656, 425, and 004. all agents that need to be eliminated but for what reason? Documents don't mention specific infractions but if 656 is anything to go off of then the Agency doesn't appreciate too much autonomy." Archer spun his pen around as he looked at the clock. Lena would be home soon and he'd need to get dinner going for her and Lily. Archer stood up and chuckled to himself “Private eye by day and stay at home dad by night . . . tsk tsk Archer."

Archer began his daily routine of fixing dinner and let his mind wander back to the events of earlier. His thoughts were flooded with the experience of hitting his wife and it confused him. He knew at first glance he could excuse his actions by claiming it was all in self defense which was true. Though a part of Archer loved being on top of her, holding her down and displaying his power over her. Was it right he thought? Should he have felt great about beating on his wife? Under normal circumstances he knew it would've been wrong to strike her, but the last few days had been nothing short of bizarre. Archer gently rubbed his shoulder thinking back to how she bit him and shuddered “It was a weird place to be in, this was the most physical contact he'd had with his wife in months. She never hugged, kissed, and definitely wasn't intimate anymore so to have the brief contact with her had awoken desires he'd buried for awhile.

When Lena said she was tired or had a long day at work Archer never pressed her for the sake of not being wanting to be overbearing but after learning of her secret life he decided he would take no more from her. He may not have been ready to confront her quite yet, but with his new found assertive nature he sure could bend domestic life more towards his whims.

Archer pulled out the last of the baked chicken and smiled as he heard the door opening. “Right on time baby. . ." Lena walked in and to Archer's surprise she looked great. She looked as if the events of the afternoon hadn't happened at all, her fur was back to its shiny luster and more impressively her face and snout looked nearly perfect. Archer could just barely see where she had applied a little makeup to conceal any bruising but other than that it was nearly impossible to tell she had been in a fight earlier.

Lena gave Archer no greeting as she waltzed into the kitchen opting instead to rummage through the refrigerator. Archer watched her lethargic movements and gave a sly smile. He took a perverse pride in knowing that the reason for her discomfort was by him. Lena grabbed a bottle of water then settled down at the counter, she seemed off in her own world entirely ignoring Archer. The human pulled the chicken out of the oven then said “What happened to your face?" Lena's soft and unfocused eyes bulged wide as Archer gave her a concerned look.

Lena took a slow sip of water then casually said “Come again Archer?"

“I said what happened to your face? Looks like you were hit square across the snout." Lena's ears did a quick swivel before she replied “I haven't the slightest what you're talking about! My face is fine!" Archer chuckled at her outburst and returned to the food saying “Sorry didn't mean to make you self conscious about your looks, you know you look gorgeous to me." Archer studied her reaction out of his peripheral vision and smiled at her reaction. Her ears folded down flat atop her head and she crossed her legs just like she used to when they were first dating. Archer was glad she once again responded to compliments but he returned to his psychological wearing down.

“So how was work honey?"

“It was fine."

“Just fine?" Archer pressed. Lena's mouth tightened into a grimace as she said “Yes just fine."

“You're the only wife I've heard of who refuses to talk about her day, plenty of husbands would kill to have you around I bet." Archer turned off the stove and took up a seat next to Lena saying “It's okay you don't have to tell me about your day, I can just guess how it went. It's pretty obvious you didn't have a good day so I'm gonna guess you're upset because you had your whole day all lined up and something unexpected threw a wrench in your plans?" Lena seemed to completely stiffen at Archer's words causing him to rub her shoulder saying “Hey don't get all bent out of shape, just trying to be a concerned husband is all. You hungry?" Lena nodded and replied “Yes I'm starving actually and umm thank you for cooking Archer." Archer gave only a subtle nod in return and went back to preparing dinner for the family. He watched as Lena retreated to bedroom obviously unnerved by his questioning and smiled. “small victories at a time Archer. Small victories at a time . ." He thought.

The sun had set and with the moon's rising came the Archer household's nightly routines. Archer himself stood in his shower, again lost in his own thoughts. He was still struggling to come to terms that his wife of 10 years was living a secret life as an assassin, sneaking behind his back seducing men and the likes. He thought back to all the times he'd been deprived of attention and intimacy because she had been off with another male. Archer turned pressed his head against the shower wall and exhaled sharply as his mind thought back to her act with Xavier only a few short nights ago. He remembered the way she clung to him and pawed away with desire, desperately trying to get him to fuck her.

“Was it all an act?" Archer thought while absentmindedly rubbing his hair. Her reactions seemed so genuine and believable and even if she had no intention of letting him actually penetrate her what did it matter? He had seen more action with her than Archer had seen in almost two years. Lena didn't even like undressing in front of him anymore, but was alright with kissing and touching on her marks. The upset human could feel his erection growing and the more he thought of Lena the more it throbbed and ached for her. He was tired of having to slink away and jack off to porn for relief when he had a wife as sexy as her in the other room. There was nothing wrong with her Archer surmised, no health issues, no emotional trauma, just her being a sneaking lying bitch he thought.

“For the love of God Archer get out of the shower! You've been in there too long!" Archer looked at her and gave her a neutral look. He was trying to contain his anger and frustration but with the center of his anguish in front of him he just couldn't. There Lena stood completely naked save for the satin bathrobe Archer had bought her for her birthday. The robe was loose fitting and hung sensually off her shoulders, giving the effect she was trying to seduce him. Lena crossed her arms and said “Hello? Earth to brain dead husband? I know you can hear me-HEY! LET ME GO!"

The swiftness of his movements had completely taken her by surprise and Lena found herself pinned against the shower wall with Archer's cock pressing against her backside. Lena began to struggle against him but as he rubbed a finger across her slit she could feel the scathing rebuke get caught dead in her throat. “s-stop a-archer! m-my robe!" She moaned while he continued his pleasurable treatment on her. Archer snatched the robe off of her and pushed her even harder against the wall saying “fuck the robe!" Lena offered little resistance as she felt her husband rubbing his member against her entrance causing her to whine in anticipation. She had never been one for teasing and buildups which Archer knew very well, and it seemed as if he was doing his absolute best to drag this out.

“s-stop t-teasing!" She whined while grinding her hips against him. “What am I doing?! I can stop this!" She thought while trying to snap out of her lust filled state, but she found every move of gyration of his a reason to not fight. Lena felt a growl forming from how long he had been doing this, he knew how sensitive she was down there and yet he continued to toy with her like she was some cheap whore. “i-i said s-sto-AUGHH!" Lena gasped as she felt his cock suddenly slam into her, no warning, no buildup, no easing. He just took her like she belong to him and a part of Lena loved it.

Archer wasted no time and immediately took to ramming into his wife, much to the snow leopard's pleasure. She could feel his thick cock stretching her insides and filling her completely and in the back of her she had to ask “What was going on!?" When did her submissive soft spoken mate become such an alpha male? Everything from the way he held her down, to the low guttural growls he made as he claimed her were all new experiences for her. She couldn't even remember the last time they had mated but right now it mattered not. She was genuinely loving every second of his new dominating nature, her body was aching for more and he knew it.

Archer grabbed the scruff of her neck and with a forceful pull he brought Lena closer to him as he pushed on inside her. The forceful motion wracked her body with intense waves of pleasure causing her to unintentionally bark. Archer grinned at the sound and gave her ass a firm smack eliciting another pleasure filled bark from her. The snow leopard cries grew more sharp and shrill as she neared her climax and with a final thrust and grunt from Archer they both came together, a first for the couple.

As the two gathered their composure Lena could feel their mixed juices running down her legs and it excited her further. She was having trouble formulating words, her mind and heart were racing, and she could barely keep focus as Archer hoisted her up bridal style. Lena gave a surprised yip and eyed her husband in awe as he lifted her out of their shower. She hardly recognized him. This man couldn't have been the same soft spoken man that made Lily sandwiches in the morning. This couldn't be the same man that would sleep on the couch if she told him to, no this Archer was someone new. He lovingly rubbed his hand across the side of her muzzle and she leaned into his touch affectionately, content with the softness of the act. The two lovers stared at each other and Archer made the first move, pressing his lips against hers and forcing her mouth open. She murmured her approval and threw her arms around his neck, moaning as he wrestled her tongue for dominance. “He's so much rougher!" She thought while he grabbed a fistful of her hair and pulled on it. She decided to return the aggression and wrapped her jowls around his neck. She nibbled and bit as hard as he pulled and groped her, both of them losing themselves in the primal nature of the act. When they finally pulled apart Lena stared up at him with a new found feeling of adoration. She had always loved her husband, but until now she had realized how much of a fool she had been. “He's never fucked me like this before . . . Is he seeing someone else? Is that where he learned to act like this?!" Her worrisome thoughts were interrupted when she felt herself briefly thrown onto the bed.

She rolled onto her stomach and watched as Archer crawled up towards her. His movements were predator like as if he had finally found his prey and was going to claim it. Maybe she was reading too much into everything she thought but her body for one was beyond excited still dripping from their shower romp. Archer pushed her flat onto her back and began lining himself up once more. Lena's excitement wasn't lost on her husband who casually said “You like being fucked like a bitch don't you?" His tone was low but oddly harsh sounding she thought, as if he was upset at her about something. She tried to formulate some sexy or witty response but was only able to croak out a needy whine. She mentally slapped herself for sounding so whorish, but Archer didn't seem to care as he threw himself into once more bringing back the waves of pleasure.

He pace this time was even faster and more wild than in the shower which shocked Lena. His thrusts had no rhythm but to Lena that wasn't a bad thing, he was rutting her just like she wanted. “OoOoOhhh! More Archer! Fuck me harder!!" she cried while wrapping her legs around him. He acknowledged her pleas for pleasure by lifting her legs upward and forcing her to arch her back in response. The snow leopard could feel their climaxes building again and she whimpered as Archer's pace quickened bringing both of them to the very edge. “OOOHHH YESSSSS!!!" She hissed as she felt Archer's cock pumping rope after rope of hot seed into her. Before tonight she had never felt Archer cum inside her, before tonight she didn't even know such a wonderful feeling was real and she couldn't believed all these years she had missed out on it.

As they two came down from their climax they shared another passionate, hands and paws still eager to explore each other's bodies. The couple finally settled down with Lena snuggled up and spooning Archer while he lay emotionally distant, opting to instead face the wall. Lena was still giddy and happy after their escapades so she licked his ear and sweetly asked “Hey Love how about another round in the morning? I didn't even get to pleasure you." Lena accented her eagerness with a lick to his ear, but she got no response from him. “Love? Honey are you alright?" Archer huffed and stood up quickly, startling and confusing Lena. The human made his way to his closet and threw on some clothes all the while ignoring his wife worry filled questions. “Where are you going honey?! Come back to bed it's late!" Lena then attempted to make her way out of the bed but was stopped by the deep and frightening voice of her husband “Don't you dare get out of that bed! You stay there you here?! I said stay!"

Lena froze at his words clearly hurt by his tone of voice but she bowed her head and ultimately obeyed. Archer gave her one last indiscernible stare then grabbed his coat and made his way for the front door. Once he left Lena sat fully back in the bed and threw her muzzle into his pillow inhaling deeply. For the first time in their marriage she felt truly alone and it scared her. Not even when she had been half way across the world on missions had she felt this kind of loneliness and it helped none that she had no idea what upset him. Lena grabbed her tail and hugged it close to herself suddenly feeling very vulnerable and worried.

“Was it me? Was he not satisfied with me!? Maybe he's off to another woman! A better lover than me!?" Lena thought while wringing her paws together. She began to think about what would drive a wedge between them and immediately her work and her constant absence came to mind. Lena thought about how she was hardly involved with his or Lily's life anymore. She completely neglected her family when they had been aching for her attention the whole time. She thought about all the times Archer had just asked to know how her day had went and she brushed him off like he was beneath her, the times he had begged for just a little of her attention and she had none to give. “No wonder he's probably off with fucking another woman . . ." But the more she thought about his possible infidelity, the more she felt herself becoming jealous. Just the thought of her husband bending another female over and claiming her as his own also sent a envious shudder down her spine.

Felines of all families were still prone to be polygamous, it wasn't uncommon for people to have two or three mates, and if Archer was planning to start a harem he'd be in for a rude awakening. Lena could feel her anger just boiling at the thought of Archer breeding other women, he belonged to her and her alone. The snow leopard grabbed her phone and quickly sent out a text to her job saying she wouldn't be in for the next few days. She was determined to make up for lost time with her family and snatch Archer away from whatever women he was seeing. “I won't lose you a second time Archer . . . You're mine!"

Archer sat behind the wheel of his car as he coasted down the late night cityscape. He had no particular destination in mind, just a drive to clear his head. His thoughts found themselves revolving around his first sexual experience with his wife in awhile. He enjoyed every second of it, but he still felts the doubts. “Was it genuine Lena? Did you really feel anything or was this just something you did out of pity?" Archer sighed as he questioned himself. He wanted to desperately believe that Lena really was genuine with her expressions tonight but after seeing everything she had done he was still filled with doubts. He wasn't even sure if what he did was right. He could still feel the tingling feeling he got from pinning her against the shower wall and taking her like he owner her, it was exhilarating to him but was it right?

Archer shrugged his shoulders and gave up on the moral dilemma deciding that he didn't care as long as Lena lifted her tail. Archer made a turn at the light and started for his way home, thinking of how he was going to continue his investigation. “I need to find 425, but I need to pick up some heavier firepower . . ." Archer didn't want to kill his wife but having a handgun that he could readily access was something he should have invested into a long time ago he thought.

“Most importantly I'll need it to protect Lily from any danger." Archer had been thinking of relocating his daughter somewhere safer for the time being, he didn't trust his immediate family since Lena could easily find them. Thought he did have a reclusive aunt and uncle who roughed it out in the farm lands of North Dakota. Archer had never introduced them to Lena so it would make a perfect safe house for her when the time came.

He let out a tired yawn as he saw his house coming into view. He was tired. Tired from the sex, the planing and investigating, and most importantly he was tired of hiding his new secret life from her. Archer shook his head and thought about how Lena could do what she did and still come home without going crazy. “Well she's already crazy . . . hmm maybe that's how?" He thought while finally pulling into the driveway. Lena was probably a sociopath and regular family was her escape form work? Archer had thought of this before but he kept thinking on the idea. It was very possible he living with and fucking a sociopath but somehow that didn't bother him. Archer still had a lot of love for the snowy feline and would stick by her no matter how crazy he thought.

Stepping through the house and to his room, Archer tore off all his clothes and threw them in a pile at the foot of the bed. With a tired grunt he threw himself into bed and into the waiting arms of Lena who said nothing only embraced as the night went on. Excited about the prospects of a new day and a new chance at renewed love.