Because he had been gone for so long, Ben was stopped by several people as he made his way back to the house. He knew that Teri was waiting there for him and that was all that mattered. He didn’t want to rush everyone that wanted to stop and say hello, but it wasn’t helpful for him at all. Ben wanted to get to his destination and all he could think was that she would be ready for him. They’d made love several times since the first time, but Ben didn’t think that he was ever going to be able to get sick of it. He was so into her, into the moment, that it took him several minutes to figure out that she wasn’t even there.
The room was empty, and Ben looked around quickly. The bathroom door was closed, so he figured that was where she would be. He was so convinced of it, that when she wasn’t in the bathroom, he didn’t know what to do. Ben just stared at the empty rooms for several more seconds before he started to realize that he was on his way out. He tore out of the rooms, then searched the rest of the house quickly. It was big, but he was determined, and it didn’t take any time at all.
Once he realized that she wasn’t in the house, Ben had to find out where she was. He asked a few people that were around, and they said that they had seen someone leaving the house earlier. The only reason that she was noticed was because she had on his shawl. It was the one from his room and it’s not that it was his that made it unique. It was the fact that it wasn’t near thick enough or warm enough for anyone, even his own people. His father had talked his ear off, and it was dark when he got back. That meant that the darkness had brought about some cold that she wouldn’t be prepared for. It would be their first night together in his home, and it was much colder than she was used to. If she had taken off in the cold with nothing but the shawl on, Ben worried about what that would mean for her. It wasn’t a way that would make it easier to deal with it. She had no idea where to go, and she could easily get lost in the mountains. Traversing his home was hard and he would have liked a chance to teach her how to do it. It was too late now. Where was she going? Was she trying to get away from him?
Ben didn’t know what to think of any of it. He was worried about if he was going to find her at all. While she was likely safe from attack in the village, if she went too far outside of it, she would not have the same protection. Ben wasn’t sure what he was worried about more, the cold or the enemies that his kind couldn’t seem to shake. Then he thought of the fact that she was carrying his children and it made it all the more important to find her as quickly as he could. His whole life was Teri now and he wasn’t going to let her go, no matter how easy his dad made it out to be.
***
Ben searched for her, trying to make heads or tails of what was going on. He thought that she was happy, that she loved him, why would she leave like she did? It didn’t make any sense to him. The only thing that he could think was that she was scared. She must have taken off because she was afraid to live there, afraid of their love, Ben didn’t know. He thought that her fear would have subsided. He tried his best to make sure that it happened.
When he couldn’t find her though, Ben started to blame himself. It wasn’t the first time that he’d wished he had kept her at the Valley where she was safe. There were no enemies there and no one was trying to kill her. Likely she was a lot better off than in the cold climate as well. To Teri, there wasn’t much that could happen to make it better. She had been shivering since they were halfway up the country. The closer they got to home and Ben feeling like he was where he was supposed to be, the worse Teri felt. Was what he asked of her too much?
Ben hated himself. He was silently cursing himself with every step he took to find her. She had to be somewhere, but Ben had no idea where. His eyes were accustomed to the snow and the blizzard that was raising a ruckus around him. He was used to the cold quiet that came when the snow was high and impeding travel of nature too. Everything was up for the night, except a few. Ben felt alone. He wolfed out after a time, trying to see if he could pick up her scent, but there was nothing that was going to make it in the storm and wind. There were no footprints. Ben didn’t know what to do, but he was ready to go back and try another path when he saw a shape that could be Teri slumped at the bottom of a tree.
His heart leapt into his chest because Ben didn’t know if she was alive or not. He only knew that she looked bluish when he got closer and that made him steel himself to what he was going to find. He wanted to believe positive with a fury, hoping that whatever came next, he would figure it out. Teri was there, and then she was in his arms as he lifted her up with care. Ben couldn’t believe that she was so cold, her lips blue, as well as her skin. She was breathing though, just barely, and that was all Ben needed to have faith that it was all going to work out okay.
He held her close and after realizing how far from the village they were, Ben took her somewhere closer where he could help her warmed up and get back to her old self. Ben hated to see her like that, all vulnerable and ready for something to go wrong. He took her to a cabin that was about a half a mile from there. Teri had barely moved, just enough to snuggle closer to his chest. Those tiny movements were all that were needed for him to realize that he was going to have to get her down and warmed up soon. She was still too cold for his liking.
Chapter 20
Teri
She came to and it was warmer than she remembered. Teri looked around and it looked like she was inside of a log cabin, but she didn’t know where. It took a few seconds for her to remember what happened last. She had been lost in the snow going on a walk to clear her head. She had been turned around so quickly, and the home that was warm and inviting was gone. She had trudged around until she’d given up, leaning up against a tree. She had felt desperate, but tired as well. As soon as she had moved to the ground and leaned up against the tree, she had felt peace. It had been disconcerting and now Teri wasn’t sure where she was.
After a moment, she got her wits about her and started to get up. She was achy, but alive. Teri tried to speak, called to someone to see who had saved her, but nothing came out. Her throat was raw and dry. She felt horrible, a headache coming when she lifted her head up. It was as if Teri had been there longer than she thought. What was wrong? Why was she feeling the way that she was? How long had she been there?
Since she couldn’t get up, Teri started to look around more closely. She could see that someone else was there next to her. It didn’t occur to her it was someone she knew. Teri was convinced that it was a complete stranger that had run across her in the storm and saved her. It made more sense when she heard the door open and saw Ben. She sighed, leaning back onto the pillows.
“It is good to see you up, Teri. I was wondering when you were going to get warm enough.”
It felt like some kind of inside joke that she was privy to. “Where are we?”
“We are at an old cabin that our people keep. When we are traveling or hunting, it’s good to have some of these around. There is no telling what happens if we get stuck out here this far from the village. You had wandered a couple of miles away, Teri. Out here, especially now in the winter, it’s not safe to be out here for long. You should never come out alone.”
Teri felt chastised and she didn’t like the feeling that it gave her at all. It wasn’t her fault that she had gotten turned around. She had been bored, left to her own devices, and no one had given her a warning. Teri was defensive and he told her that there was no reason to be.
“I don’t care what happened, Teri, really I don’t. As long as you are okay, that’s all that matters to me. You scared me, that’s all.”
Teri said that she was doing her best to get used to the cold, but it had hit her hard. She felt embarrassed that he had to save her in the first place.
Ben promised to help her get used to the cold. “This is your home now Teri, I have to teach you the good of living here. I didn’t think to tell you how dangerous it was. I thought you would sleep because of our extracurricular activities.”
Teri made the biggest smile that she could manage. They had a great time before he had dropped her off. Teri hadn’t known what to do when he hadn’t come back after an hour or two. She waited and waited and finally got so restless that she had to get out of there. She did and that was how she ended up miles away from the village, almost dying of hypothermia. Teri didn’t know what she was supposed to say about it. She still couldn’t believe any of it was going on.
“I thought I was a goner,” Teri finally said in a sad, quiet tone. It had scared her and though she didn’t want him to feel sorry for her, Teri was overwhelmed with everything that happened. It was more than she could handle.
Ben moved to the side of the bed where he could sit next to her. He pulled her in for a hug and Teri slackened against him. She missed him, missed his assurances that everything was going to be okay. Teri was so worried that it was all going to be a disaster. She had the feeling of impending doom and then peace. She had sat down with every intention of never getting back up. Teri was so mad at herself for the weakness that made her sit down in the first place. Now, she felt like it had all been worth it and it had somehow had to happen that way. It made her feel a bit better, although she didn’t feel one hundred percent about it all.
Once he held her for a time, Teri finally felt better, and she asked him how long they had been there. She would have thought by the way she felt and how much time had passed according to her, that it had only been a few hours. The fact that there were several glasses by her bed and Ben looked rumpled, she had to bet that it was longer than that.
“We have been here for a few days now.”
Teri didn’t know what to say. She was shocked. She was more shocked that Ben had been by her side the whole time. It had been just the two of them, and he had likely taken care of her the whole time by himself. Teri couldn’t believe how different Ben was than she thought he would be.
“We have really been here that long?”
Ben agreed and moved her back into bed, his own body taking up much of the space. He wanted to be there, Teri could feel it, but she had questions. How had he found her? Why were they there? Teri wanted to know so many things, but first she had to extricate herself from Ben. He was clinging hard and when she said that she had thought she was a goner, it looked like Ben had thought the same thing. It might be why he was feeling so attached to her now. He was so afraid of losing her. He couldn’t let that happen. Ben kept repeating those things as he kissed her.
