by Lynn Hagen
Ben closed his eyes and tried to force the images of Jericho’s naked body from his mind. He didn’t need the distraction. He also didn’t need to walk around with his dick hanging out since he had no way of hiding it.
When the doorbell rang, Ben followed Moose to the door. The bear shifter looked down at him before he swung it open. Fuck. Seriously? On the other side stood Joe. He was holding a glass dish in his hand, and as soon as he spotted Moose, his smile slipped.
“I was, uh…I was looking for Ben.” His gaze dropped down to Ben. “He didn’t tell me he had a wolf.” The guy paled a bit. “I…I just brought over some food to apologize for my impromptu visit and give this casserole as a peace offering.”
“You brought food?” Moose snatched the glass container from Joe’s hands. “I’ll make sure Ben gets this.” He slammed the door in Joe’s face. “Hot damn. I get a food break.”
Ben shifted. “He brought that over for me, asshole.”
Moose clutched the dish to his chest. “I’m a growing boy, and I need to eat. Are you willing to take the chance that I might starve?”
Ben snorted. “You look like you ate a five-course meal for dinner. Now give me that fucking dish.” He reached for it, but Moose dodged out of his way.
“At least let me taste it so I can be sure your neighbor isn’t trying to poison you.”
“That smells delicious,” Jericho said as he rounded the corner.
“Why are you out of the pantry?” He snarled the question, but Jericho ignored Ben’s anger.
“Because I heard Joe, and then I heard you and Moose arguing, and then I smelled the food. Tuna casserole. I haven’t had that in forever.” Jericho smacked his lips as he looked at Moose. “I’ll grab some forks from the sink. I washed them earlier just in case we needed them.”
“We are not about to take a damn food break,” Ben snapped as his stomach growled. He wasn’t in the mood to reheat the Chinese food, and he had to admit, the casserole smelled amazing.
But not as amazing as Jericho smelled. Ben couldn’t seem to get enough of him, even though the little shit was supposed to be hiding in the pantry. He moved closer to his mate without realizing he’d done it.
Jericho smiled up at him and then frowned. “You’re naked.”
With a roll of his eyes, Ben went to their bedroom and dressed before joining his mate and Moose, who were in the kitchen sticking their forks into the casserole.
He moved in behind Jericho, and his mate placed his fork in Ben’s mouth. Shit. The casserole was perfect. He kissed Jericho on his neck. “Thanks.”
“At least I know I can get fed when I come over,” Moose said. “Be nice to your neighbor so he can feed me.”
“His name is Joe and don’t get used to it,” Ben said. “Just because he can cook doesn’t mean we’ll be friends.” He wiggled his jaw on Jericho’s shoulder. “Give me another bite.”
“Right?” Jericho said with a laugh. “This is amazing. We’ll have to remember to thank Joe.”
“Speaking of…” Ben took another bite from Jericho’s fork. “Now I have to explain that we don’t really have a wolf.”
Jericho’s brows shot up. “He saw you?”
“Unfortunately,” Ben said.
“Shit,” Jericho grumbled. “Please don’t tell me we have to bury him under the patio. He seemed like a nice guy.”
Moose chuckled. “I like the way Jericho thinks.”
Jericho narrowed his eyes. “You stay out of this.”
With a shrug, Moose grabbed the glass dish and walked away, leaving Jericho standing there holding his fork. “Did he just take our dinner away?”
“I’m not wrestling him for it,” Ben said. “Did you see how fucking big he is?”
“Chicken,” Jericho teased. He set his fork in the sink and turned to face Ben. “Besides, I was bored as hell in the pantry with no one to play with.”
Ben pressed his palms against Jericho’s face and inhaled his mate’s scent before their lips met. There wasn’t another person on the earth who made Ben feel this way, like he couldn’t breathe if he didn’t have Jericho with him.
And he’d meant what he’d said earlier. He loved Jericho, so he repeated his declaration. “I love you, kit.”
Jericho’s eyes shined as he smiled up at Ben. “Thanks for dropping that bomb on me before you shoved me in a closet.”
“It was a pantry, and you’re welcome.” He gave Jericho a quick kiss.
“I had time in my confinement to digest it, think about it, hyperventilate, question the meaning of life, and come to a very sure conclusion,” Jericho said.
“Hmm.” Ben kissed him again, pressing their foreheads together. “And what conclusion is that?”
Jericho’s smile was sweet and adorable, making his dimples pop. “That I love you, too.”
That was the first time anyone besides his parents had told Ben that they loved him. He hooked his fingers into the belt loops of Jericho’s jeans and yanked his body closer. “Say it again.”
Jericho chuckled. “I love you, Benjamin Calloway.”
“I love you, too, Jericho James.” Ben pressed Jericho against the wall and kissed him with all the passion he felt inside. He’d started to slip his hands under his mate’s shirt when he heard the glass dish shatter and a loud roar.
* * * *
Jericho shouted when he rushed into the living room to find a polar bear and a black bear fighting. They were reared up on their hinds legs, their jaws unhinged as they attacked.
“Get in the fucking pantry,” Ben yelled at Jericho. “Stay in there until I come get you.”
Jericho ran to the kitchen, but stopped when he looked at the large knife sitting on the counter. Don’t be stupid. Don’t be stupid. Don’t be stupid.
Jericho glanced at the panel to the pantry and then back at the knife. He pulled his cell phone free and dialed Grayson’s number.
“Sheriff Copache,” the man said when he answered.
“Ivan is here, at my house. I mean my new house. He’s fighting Moose, and Ben just ran in there. Send Deputy Christopher. We might need all the help we can get!”
“On my way,” Grayson said before he hung up.
Hadn’t Grayson heard him? The guy was human and would be of no use. They needed the shifter deputy to get here right away. Jericho pocketed his phone and grabbed the knife from the counter, gripping the hilt in his hand. He debated all of five seconds before he rushed back to the living room.
Ben was in his wolf form, clinging to the polar bear’s back. Jericho had no idea what to do, but he screamed when Ivan tackled the black bear and pinned him. If Ben hadn’t been on Ivan’s back, Jericho would’ve rushed forward and stabbed him.
Thank fuck Moose twisted and regained his footing. He wrestled with Ivan as Ben kept his claws dug into Ivan’s back, trying his best to bite him.
Someone grabbed Jericho from behind. With the way his adrenaline was pumping through his body, Jericho simply reacted. He whirled around and swung the knife forward then cried out and dodged Landon’s grabbing hands.
The hilt was sticking out of his uncle’s gut. But hadn’t Moose said that Landon had been arrested? What the fuck was he doing there?
“You ungrateful bitch,” Landon snarled. “After I took care of your sorry ass, this is how you repay me?”
Jericho took a step back then screamed, “Ben!”
The wolf jumped off Ivan and raced their way. Landon’s eyes rounded before he spun and ran for the door, but Ben beat him to it. Jericho slammed his eyes closed and covered his ears as Ben tore his uncle apart.
Jericho raced down the hall and locked himself in the bathroom before he dropped to his knees and puked into the toilet. Even though Landon had abused the shit out of him, Jericho wasn’t used to this level of violence. He pressed his back into the wall and curled his arms around his legs as he tried desperately to get that image out of his head.
When someone knocked on the door, Jericho jumped into the shower
stall, as though the smoky glass could hide him.
“Open up,” Ben said from the other side of the door.
Jericho moved quickly across the room and opened the door, throwing himself into Ben’s strong arms.
“I’m sorry it went down that way,” Ben said. “I’m so sorry, kit. I never wanted you to see that.”
He pulled Jericho from the bathroom and walked him to their bedroom, where Ben got dressed. “Grayson and Darren are here. Moose took down Ivan. They’re getting rid of the bodies now.”
Jericho slapped his hands over his ears. “I don’t want to know anything about it.”
It wasn’t his uncle’s death that had shaken Jericho. It was seeing the violence. If he were being honest with himself, Jericho was glad Landon would no longer be in his life. The man had been nothing but cruel to him.
Once Ben was dressed, he curled his arms around Jericho. “I’ll hold you for as long as you need me to.”
Jericho rested his head on Ben’s chest. “Is it really over?”
“It’s over,” Ben said. “No more worrying about going outside. No more worrying about anything, pup.”
Jericho leaned back and smiled. “I really wish you would pick one endearment and stick with it.”
Ben brushed a kiss over Jericho’s lips. “You’re smiling. That’s a good thing.” He took Jericho’s hand and kissed his knuckles. “Why don’t you lie down on the blankets until everything is taken care of?”
Jericho was exhausted. “Crap, now I have to buy Joe another glass dish.”
Ben rolled his eyes. “The first thing Moose said when he shifted back to his human form was that he was pissed his casserole was ruined.”
“I’m so glad I’m not the one who has to feed him.” Jericho yawned and stripped down to his underwear as Ben left the room. He curled up on the blankets and rested his head on the pillow, forcing himself to think about Ben instead of what had just happened.
As he inhaled Ben’s scent on the pillow, Jericho smiled as he drifted off to sleep.
* * * *
After everyone was gone, Ben tried his best to clean up the blood by the front door. He didn’t have the proper tools to get the job done, so he used one of his shirts to wipe up what he could. He also cleaned up the glass in the living room but knew he missed pieces since he didn’t have a broom.
First thing tomorrow he was getting cleaning supplies. After that, he and Jericho were going to the nearest furniture store. Ben tossed the bloody shirt out the French doors. He’d throw it in the trash tomorrow. Right now he was tired and just wanted to curl around his mate.
He’d started toward the hallway when his phone rang. Ben grabbed it off the counter and saw it was Milo calling him. “Hey, what’s up? How’s Alice?”
Although Ben heard his best friend breathing, Milo didn’t say anything.
“Milo?”
“She passed away.” Milo’s voice broke. “She didn’t make it, Ben.”
Fuck. Ben lowered himself to the floor and pressed his back against the cabinets. He looked up toward the ceiling as his throat grew hot and tight. “I’m so sorry, Milo.”
Alice had been like a sister to Ben. Tears stung his eyes, and he wiped them away. He would mourn her later. Right now Milo needed a steady rock. “Tell me you’re coming back here.”
“After her funeral,” Milo said.
“I’m coming to you. You don’t need to be alone at a time like this. I’ll hop on my bike and be there tomorrow evening.” Just after he got a few hours of rest. Ben wasn’t going to ride exhausted, and Milo would need Ben fully awake to help handle shit. Neither knew crap about setting up funeral arrangements, and hopefully they could find someone to help them.
“Thanks, man.” Milo cleared his throat. “I appreciate it.”
Ben needed to call Moose. There was no way he was taking Jericho on that long-ass ride.
“Wait, what about the baby?” Ben asked.
Milo made a gasping noise. “That’s another thing. I might need your help. Can you rent a car and get here? I can’t put a baby seat on the back of my bike.”
“You have custody of her?” Ben felt lightheaded. Neither of them knew shit about caring for a kid. “Or is the baby a boy?”
Ben had never thought to ask. He’d also forgotten to call and check on Alice sooner.
“A baby girl.” Milo sounded as though he would break down again at any second, and Ben hated that he wasn’t there already.
“I’ll rent a car and be there sometime tomorrow.” With a car, Ben would be able to take Jericho with him. That was if his mate wanted to go. If not, Moose and Grayson’s was always an option. Ben couldn’t think of two men he would trust more with his mate.
But he’d worry about that once he got some sleep.
He went into the bedroom and leaned against the doorframe as he watched Jericho sleep. His mate hadn’t shifted into his bunny form, either. Ben crawled in next to him and pulled Jericho into his arms.
“I heard your end of the conversation,” Jericho said, his eyes still closed. “I’m going with you. Milo is your family, so he’s my family, too.”
Ben didn’t know what he would do without his little bunny, and he never wanted to find out. He could order their furniture online while on the road. It would give Jericho something to do.
“I love you, kit.”
“Love you, too.” Jericho curled into him. “Love you to the moon and back.”
Ben smiled. “And through the galaxies.” He placed a kiss on Jericho’s forehead. Ben wasn’t sure what would happen tomorrow or the day after. But whatever they had to do, just as long as Jericho was there at his side, Ben knew he could conquer anything.
THE END
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Table of Contents
JERICHO'S WAY
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
