“You should have told me what it was if you are serious and this is how it works. Why didn’t you let me know?”
James scoffed and said that he didn’t think that Ben was ignorant enough to turn down such a beautiful woman. Ben just shook his head. Of course his father would try to ruin his marriage. It seemed like something that he would do.
“I am mated and that means something to me. I am not prepared to be with another, ever.”
James smiled and shook his head. “I guess some guys feel that way at first. You are in love with her, have fallen for her, I get it. It won’t last forever though, son. It will last till that baby is born. She will be all tired out. Trust me, been there.”
Every word that came out of his father’s mouth had the explicit feeling of making him hate his father even more. What was he thinking? Ben would never let his marriage get to the sad state that his dad’s was in.
“I don’t trust you at all, Dad. I don’t know who the hell you are.”
James smirked and said that he was acting like he wasn’t his son. “You should have more respect for me, son. I gave you life.”
Ben waved it off and told him that from what he had heard, it wasn’t that big of a deal because his dad was making people left and right. What was that supposed to feel like? It was torture for Ben. He left the impromptu meeting with his dad and felt sick to his stomach. Not only was he ready to be out from underneath his dad, but it wasn’t going to end well if he didn’t. Ben had some decisions to make.
When he had asked his dad about the comment of Teri being dead, James had laughed loudly and said that shit happens. Ben didn’t like the way he said it or the cold feeling of ice that went down his spine. It was hard for Ben to pay any attention to much else as he made his way to his rooms. He needed to see Teri, and he needed to make sure that she was okay. He knew that she was, but he had to see her, feel her, hold her in his arms until he was relieved enough to breathe again. Why was it so hard to breathe all of a sudden?
Teri knew nothing of the danger he was sure she was in. She wasn’t in the mood to talk about his dad, but Ben insisted. He couldn’t let it go. She had to know what was going on.
“Teri, I think my dad is going to try something bad. I think we need to get away from here.”
“He told me that I wouldn’t be here long. Maybe he knew that you were going to run off. Can you really though?”
Ben was shocked. “You want to stay, even though I think my dad is stupid enough to try something?”
She nodded that she was. “What else are we going to do, run away and live in the woods alone? Shifters need people, we need family, and our children will be here soon. We need somewhere safe for them to be. It’s too cold to be alone. I’ve been out there on my own and that’s not the way I want to live.”
Ben could see the point to everything she said, but then, what was going to happen? If his father was going to try to hurt them, shouldn’t they leave?
“This is your clan, and you are about to be Alpha. You make sure that happens. Your father won’t do anything. He is just bluffing.”
Ben felt like she was right, but he worried that it was putting her in danger. He was also turned on by her strength. He hadn’t seen that coming.
Chapter 24
Teri
If Teri thought James was terrifying, Mark was even worse. There was something about how she felt when he just showed up after Ben had left. Teri wanted to tell him that it would be a while until Ben was back, so he could come back then. Mark had other plans and before she could get anything out, he had pushed his way in and was talking to her like they were old friends. They weren’t. He had tried to take advantage of her, and Teri hadn’t forgotten how helpless she had felt when he had turned on the charm. If he was doing that again, it didn’t have any effect on her. Teri liked the thought of that.
Once he pushed his way in, she stood outside the door and asked him what it was that he was doing there. “I told you that Ben isn’t here. I can’t imagine that you and I have much business.” Her voice sounded haughty, but it was just because of what happened the last time they were together. Teri felt like she had a right and a reason to act the way she did.
“I was hoping that we could let bygones be bygones. I don’t want us to start off on the wrong foot. If you are going to stay, then we should get to know each other.”
Teri nodded her head but didn’t think that she was supposed to be friends with Mark. There was a friendship between him and her husband, but that was strained because he had flirted with her in such a fashion. Teri still felt the way he looked at her was wrong and how it had all made her feel. She needed that.
“I would rather we do that when my husband is around, thank you.”
For a moment, Teri thought that he was going to try to push it one way or another, but she was grateful that he instead seemed to take it all in and didn’t push it. Teri was hoping that he would leave, and he did. He turned back to her and asked why she was acting so cold. Teri could have mentioned how he was just as bad as James and all the bad ill she felt there, but she just smiled and said she was just likely tired and needed to go to sleep. “You know, pregnancy and all.”
Mark’s face tightened up and he left moments later. The look, the anger, it was an expression that Teri wasn’t going to be able to forget very easily. There was something more to it than the fact that she had said no to him. It was like he hated her and the children she had mentioned. Teri didn’t like the feeling he gave her at all.
When he was gone, she locked the door, but it didn’t feel like she was any safer. She remembered the talk she had with Ben. He was convinced that everything was going to be okay, but what if it wasn’t? Teri had an urge to run off again. She was feeling like anything could happen and it wasn’t just Ben’s position that they had to worry about. Teri was worried about her kids. She thought about the place they’d gone before, and Teri left in that direction. She left with a note on the bed, telling Ben where she would be. Teri wasn’t running from him, but she was running from his family. Mark was the last straw. Why did they hate her so much?
***
Ben came to the cabin later that evening and he was not happy that she was there. Teri had prepared herself, wore more clothing layers and had gotten there without many problems. Ben held her for at least five minutes when he came in. His body was warm and even though there was a fire going inside, Teri was warmer with him right there. He was so warm, and she felt like it was a hug that could last forever. She certainly wanted it to.
“I was so worried about you. I thought we talked about this, and you promised me that you weren’t going to do that. You can’t just take off.”
