“I am sorry that you felt like you had to run away, Teri. I would have done anything you needed to be happy.” Ben started.
Teri told him that it wasn’t anything like that. Yes, she had been annoyed that he had dropped her off and left her for hours, but it wasn’t like she was going anywhere. She was just going for a walk, that’s it. She wanted fresh air and waiting around for him in that room was harder than she would have imagined. Teri knew that there was more to the story, but for the moment, she was going to be happy with his answer.
They held each other for a while, until Teri started to push herself onto Ben. She was always swept underneath him to be ravished or whatever it was that he wanted. Teri didn’t want that this time. This time, she wanted to be the one that was in control. She watched his eyes as she climbed on top of him, and it was the sort of look that made her weak in the knees.
“What are you doing?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” Teri asked, grinding down on him in a way that made him growl back at her. She undressed as she rubbed onto him, and it wasn’t long until he was no longer objecting to what was on her mind. He was trying his best to hold it together, but it was easier said than done. His hands gripped her waist as she unleashed his hard length. He growled at her again and Teri took it as a good thing.
“Move your hands or I am going to get dressed.”
Ben looked at her funny for a moment and moved his hands down reluctantly. He didn’t want to, that was clear, but she did reward him as soon as he did. She whimpered as she settled down on top of him. It was all he could do to focus on anything else. Ben called out as she sunk down on top of him. Teri loved the way he sounded, looked, and acted. It was heaven all the way around with her and the cold snow, and the lonely feeling she had was a thing of the past.
Teri rode him slowly at first, picking up the pace at the end to push them both over the edge. When Ben finally did put his hands on her hips, it didn’t matter anymore. Teri wasn’t with it enough to stop him. She came several more times, collapsing on his body after a time. Teri felt amazing and she purred into his ear.
Chapter 21
Ben
“I don’t want to go back. Why can’t we just stay here?”
Ben sighed and told Teri as they were packing to leave the cabin that he wouldn’t mind it either. It would never do because he was supposed to take his father’s place soon, but that wasn’t what he was thinking about. He was thinking about all of the negative vibes and comments he was going to get when he got back. They were going to want to know where he was. He wouldn’t want to tell his father that Teri had gotten lost and had to be saved. It would be seen as Ben had been given a bad mate, weak even. He knew how his father was thinking and it worried him because he’d talked about it like it could all change in seconds. Ben didn’t like that feeling at all.
“You don’t know how badly I want the same thing. It’s less complicated when it’s just me and you. I am happier. I hate that my father is being the way he is, but I feel like it’s going to get better. Once he steps down and I will be the leader then, it will be easier to deal with him. He won’t be able to make decisions, just suggestions. I hope that he takes the hint and leaves. That would be the best for everyone.”
Teri looked alarmed and said that she didn’t know that was how Ben felt about it. He had likely been too honest, but there was nothing that he could do about it. It was out and that was truly how he felt. He didn’t want to be Alpha, but if he was going to have to be, his dad needed to step aside and let him take over. Ben was sick of the back and forth. Marrying Teri and starting an heir were the last two things that he was supposed to do. He’d done it, and now it was time for his dad to step down. It wasn’t that Ben wanted the title really, but he knew that it had to be better than what was currently going on waiting for it.
“I am sorry, Ben. This must be really hard on you. I forget sometimes that I wasn’t the only one forced into all of this. Why are the rules so old school? You would think by now that people should be able to find their own mates.”
Ben didn’t want to hear about that, simply because if the Fates hadn’t picked Teri for him, how would he be able to know if he would have seen her or not? Ben didn’t know what to think of it all. He tried his best to slow down his internal madness, at least for a time. “The system does work; it has for many years, and I don’t think it should be changed.” Ben stopped, knowing that he sounded too commanding. “Sorry, Teri, it’s just that’s how we got together, which would have never happened if we weren’t forced. Do you remember how much you fought it?”
Teri looked away, remembering and not wanting to be reminded. Ben didn’t want to be reminded of how she had ignored him either, but that’s just the way it was. That was their story, whether it was love or Fate didn’t matter: they’d met and fallen in love eventually.
Teri was sure that she was getting used to the cold, because she didn’t even shiver once. She mentioned it to Ben, and he just nodded his head. He had a conspiracy look to his face, something she couldn’t place, but it wasn’t enough for her to wonder too much.
“I put an extra liner in your coat, so that you wouldn’t be so cold. I can’t have you going off and freezing to death again.”
Teri sighed. “Of course, you did. What would I do without you?”
Ben got serious for a minute and said that she would likely still be with her family in the Valley, and she wouldn’t have been in any of the dangers she had encountered so far. His life was dangerous and he admitted it to her, though it didn’t really make her feel any better.
Teri got serious too. “I hope you don’t really believe any of that.”
“What do you mean?”
“That I am better off never meeting you. You’re wrong. I am not better off.”
He didn’t know what to say and that was good enough for her. It was hard for the two of them to express themselves. Ben had never felt the feelings that were running through him, so talking about it seemed like the strangest thing she could do. It was likely what she needed to do, but that didn’t matter. Ben wasn’t going to push it. Teri should be happier, and he was going to do everything in his power to make sure that she was happier than she was before. He didn’t want her to walk off again. He would always wonder where exactly she was going and what she was thinking when she had taken off. She had said that she was just getting some air, but Ben would always wonder if there was more to it than that. He still wasn’t secure in where they were together as a couple or anything like that.
“I am glad that you think that.” Ben left it at that. He wasn’t going to pretend like he hadn’t put a vast amount of danger in her life. He knew that there were enemies always lurking and bad luck that seemed to find him no matter what he did. Ben wasn’t sure how any of it was going to work out. He had no clue.
As they slowly headed back and Ben started to cool down. They were going home and once he got close enough that the lights hit their home, he started to relax. It was all going to be okay; Ben was sure of it, and he was trusting the Elders now more than ever before.
***
It didn’t take long after they got back for Ben’s father to want a word with him. Every part of him wanted to say no, but he knew that it wasn’t an option. His father would not be delayed, no matter what. He had always been the leader and it was hard for him to take anyone else’s problems into account. He was only worried about himself and that was about it.
Teri didn’t want to be left alone, but he made her promise that she wouldn’t take off. It wasn’t the greatest way to feel that he had to say it at all, but that was how it was, no matter how much Ben wanted that to change. He kissed her and promised to be back as soon as he could. Teri promised not to leave the room and that was going to have to be the best that Ben could hope for.
