Mission Primal (Men of the Pack Book 1)

by Parker Skye

  “Theo, man, I’m sorry. I didn’t even realize I bumped you. Here, take my hoodie until you can get a fresh shirt,” Adam said calmly, dropping his backpack and removing his jacket. Theo took the offered hoodie in hand and dropped it on the floor, like it contained the plague. His lip curled up into a sneer.

  “I don’t want anything of yours touching me, Queer. You’re going to pay for this,” Theo growled, stepping forward and wrapping his fist again in Adam’s shirt. Adam closed his eyes and turned his face away, waiting for the blow. Suddenly, Theo’s hand was gone and Adam stumbled backward. Adam caught himself before he completely lost his balance. Ben slammed Theo bodily into the bay of lockers, holding firm to his shoulders. Ben’s face was barely an inch from Theo’s as the obvious growl started deep in his chest. Theo’s feet were barely touching the floor as Ben easily lifted him up the face of the lockers.

  “Don’t you dare touch him, ever again. Do you hear me?” Ben snarled, his voice barely human.

  Theo paled and looked close to pissing his pants in terror. His mouth hung open stupidly, eyes wide in obvious fear. Ben felt Adam’s hand on his shoulder and felt his breath soothing across the back of his neck as he spoke quietly.

  “Ben, it’s okay. I’m okay. He didn’t hurt me. Just let him go, okay. Everyone’s watching. You have to calm down, Ben,” Adam said in a whisper. He was certain Ben could hear him perfectly well, but didn’t want to feed any more rumors that were guaranteed to start after this incident. Ben shivered from the combination of the rage he could feel pulsing through him and the faint contact of Adam’s hand on his shoulder. Ben sighed and stepped back, releasing Theo as he did.

  “Sorry,” Ben said, patting Theo’s chest none too gently. “Lost my temper.” Theo, still pale, just nodded.

  “Sure, sure, we’re all good. Sorry for the misunderstanding. We’re all friends here, right, Adam?” Theo asked, close to pleading as he looked Adam’s way.

  “Yeah, Theo, we’re all good. I’m sorry again about your shirt,” Adam replied, still holding on to Ben’s shoulder tightly, as if worried his guy was going to lunge any moment.

  “N-n-no problem. I’ve got a spare in my locker anyway. I’m just gonna go now. See you guys around,” Theo responded, walking backwards towards the exit, as if afraid to turn his back on Ben. Ben looked guiltily back at Adam. He knew if Adam hadn’t stepped in, he would have ruined everything. He wasn’t at risk of shifting fully, he didn’t think, but he had planned on rearranging Theo’s face. Ben was positive he would have been expelled if he’d gone that far. Not only would Adam be alone at school after that, but Ben would have unintentionally painted a target on his back.

  “I really am sorry, Adam. I just lost it when I saw him threatening you,” Ben said, softly, unwilling to meet Adam’s gaze directly. Adam picked his hoodie up off the floor as he took in Ben’s contrite expression.

  “You’re an idiot sometimes. You know that, right?” Adam replied, smirking. “Come on, Rocky Balboa, let’s go home.”

  Chapter 29

  Adam

  Adam needed to get Ben home fast. Screw looking at colleges. He was going to reward Ben for stepping in and protecting him once again. That had been scary, sure, but it had also been sexy as fuck. Seeing Ben lifting that asshole without even breaking a sweat, well, he didn’t even have words for it.

  Ben stayed silent as they got on the bike. Adam laughed inside as several students, mostly the popular crowd watched them from a distance, obviously talking about them while they suited up and drove off. Adam absolutely didn’t care. He knew Ben would protect him from anything they tried to dish out. He wasn’t going to hide their relationship anymore just to make these redneck homophobes happy. Adam rested his face on Ben’s shoulder as they sped by, drawing even more open-mouthed stares.

  Once the garage door was closing behind them, Adam was off the bike and tugging Ben behind him. Both helmets ended up on the kitchen counter and a path of discarded clothes ended at the doorway to the bedroom, their bedroom as Adam now thought of it.

  “Fuck, Adam, slow down. You’re going to make me cum before we even get started,” Ben gasped, groaning as Adam pushed him backward onto the bed. Adam ignored his pleas and straddled Ben’s firm thighs, taking both their cocks in his hand. The contact of their erections together made them both groan loudly. The wicked gleam was back in Adam’s gaze as he looked down at Ben’s flushed face. Ben looked worried, which brought forth Adam’s least manly giggle.

  “You look like you’re afraid of me,” Adam said, still laughing. “After that show at school today, I didn’t think my big bad wolf could be afraid of anything.”

  “Damn straight you scare me,” replied Ben, seriously. “I don’t think you understand the control you have over me, Adam. Whatever you want, it’s yours. For someone who’s never been much of a giver, that’s a scary thought. Adam’s laughter died as he realized Ben was serious. He released both of them and leaned forward so their faces were inches apart. He stared deep into Ben’s golden eyes and saw the truth brimming over.

  “You know I would never really hurt you, right? I don’t know what this connection is between us, Ben, but you have to know that.”

  “I do. It’s not that I worry about you physically hurting me. I worry about how much it’s going to destroy me when I have to let you go. When you go off to your big school and I can’t follow. Or when you get this fabulous job opportunity across the country and have to leave me behind. God, Adam, every second I spend with you just makes me more yours. I don’t know what will happen to me if I ever have to give you up.”

  “Is that all you’re worried about?” Adam replied, his confidence returning. “That’s good. I thought you were really worried about an actual possibility. Remember when I said you could be a real idiot sometimes?” Ben nodded, his fear starting to ebb as the direction Adam was leading him became more clear.

  “Well, you’re being one now. You’re a fool if you think I would ever let you go. Why do you think I was so excited when you said you wanted to go to Alabama with me? Even if you don’t get in this year, you could go to community college up there. I’m not ready for this to be over either. I’m not sure I ever will be.”

  “You won’t think that when I tell you the truth,” Ben said, suddenly unwilling to meet Adam’s gaze again. A cold shiver ran down Adam’s spine as he saw their nakedness in a new light.

  This was it. This was the other shoe Adam had been waiting to drop. He knew it was too good to be true. Nothing truly good ever happened to Adam. He should know that by now. Damn it. He knew this was going to suck. He sat back on his haunches and exhaled loudly, pushing down the emotions trying to burst forth.

  “Well, on that happy note, I’m putting my clothes back on. I’ll meet you in the living room and we can talk this out there, okay?” Adam said, turning his back to Ben and leaving the room abruptly. He held his head high and kept his back straight as a board. He wasn’t going to let this destroy him. He had survived the loss of his mother, his father beating him on a regular basis, being an outcast at school, almost dying at the hands of a madman. He was going to survive this, too, whatever it was.

  Chapter 30

  Ben

  Fuck, fuck, fuck. I am such an asshole. Ben could see the pain he just caused his mate. Everything had been going so well. Ben slowly followed, putting his clothes back on as he passed each piece in the hall. He entered the living room to find Adam sitting stoically in one of the chairs flanking the couch. So, he wasn’t even willing to have Ben sit next to him, then? He shouldn’t have been surprised but the realization still hurt.

  Ben took a seat on the couch, folding his hands together in his lap. He struggled to figure out where to start. He expected Adam to start yelling for answers every second he delayed, but Adam just sat silently waiting for Ben. Ben had never seen such a cold expression on Adam’s face, like the electricity inside had been shut off. He knew then that no half-truth was going to rescue him from this disaster. It was
better to start at the beginning and clear the air between them.

  Ben doubted there would be a them left when he was done, but he owed Adam the truth. He couldn’t continue lying. It wasn’t fair to Adam. It wasn’t fair to either of them, really. Every time he twisted the truth was a strike against their bond. If they ever hoped to have a future, it had to be on even ground. He took a deep breath and got started.

  “Remember that first day, when we met on the bus?” Adam just nodded. “I already knew who you were,” Ben continued. Adam flinched but said nothing.

  “I was sent here to find you. I’m not a high school student. I’m twenty-one. Usually I’m just a border guard for my home pack in Florida. My alpha gave me a mission to come find you and bring you back with me.”

  The look in Adam’s eyes screamed betrayal. Ben could see the tears building and Adam’s chin started to quiver as he obviously fought the urge to cry.

  “I was so proud to be chosen for this mission,” Ben continued, his own voice becoming rough with emotion. “But when I saw you, I was confused at first. I was so drawn to you and it didn’t make any sense. I tried to stay true to my mission. I was a good little soldier and checked in with my alpha every few days and I watched you. I tried to gain your trust so I could get you to leave with me. You were right to not trust me in the beginning. Tears finally started to fall down Adam’s cheeks, but he still said nothing.

  “But then I realized who you are. There are legends about soul mates among my people, but it never happens. I thought it was really just a myth. But it’s not and you are not just a mission to me anymore. You have to believe that. You are my soul mate, Adam. My wolf claimed you as his own and there is no going back for me. Even if you leave now and decide you could never trust me again, my wolf will stay yours. Everything I’ve done since that moment was done to protect you, but I’m afraid you won’t believe me. I didn’t mean to lie to you, Adam, but I was so afraid to lose you. I just didn’t know how to tell you the truth.”

  “Why?” Adam asked. When he finally spoke, it felt like hours had passed to Ben.

  “Why what?”

  “Why does your alpha want me?”

  “I don’t know. It wasn’t my place to question my alpha. I was given the basics of the mission – your name and address and an old school photo. That was it. My instructions were to bring you back with me. Nothing else.”

  “Then why did you try to gain my trust? Why didn’t you just kidnap me and take me back once you found me?” Adam asked, voice tinged with anger.

  “In the beginning, I didn’t want anyone coming to look for you. I thought it would be better if you voluntarily left and told people you were leaving,” Ben replied, staring at his hands still clasped together in his lap.

  “And now? Why haven’t you just taken me back with you now? You could have done it easily when I was incapacitated. I’m assuming you made my father disappear. People would have just assumed we left together. It would have been so simple. Why, Ben?” Adam demanded.

  “By then I knew who you were to me. When I had to bite you to keep you alive, not only did I complete our bond on my end, I made you one of us. You were starting the transformation and it was too risky to travel. I called my alpha afterwards and told him what happened. He did send a cleanup crew to deal with your house and the…mess. He told me to stay until you were well and then to bring you back.”

  The stunned expression on Adam’s face had replaced the look of betrayal. It was quickly replaced by anger, though, and Adam pushed himself upright and started to pace, arms folded tight across his chest. Ben dropped his head towards his chest, preparing himself for the rage he could feel building in his mate.

  “You, asshole! How dare you?!! What if I don’t want to be a fucking werewolf?!! Oh, no, that wasn’t important to you was it? It was all about what you needed, what you wanted, not about me. What if I would rather be dead than be one of you?!!”

  Ben jumped as if he’d been slapped across the face. He had known Adam would be mad, but had never expected him to prefer death than to being turned. Adam was right. The thought had never crossed his mind. It was the most selfish thing he had ever done. His wolf howled in anguish as he felt his mate’s pain and rage pouring over them. Ben turned sideways on the couch and pulled his knees to his chest, arms wrapped tight around them. He buried his face into his knees and couldn’t hold back his own tears as he repeated how sorry he was.

  Chapter 31

  Adam

  Adam continued to rage while Ben broke down. He should have been pleased at Ben’s obvious regret, but when he was done yelling, Adam realized it only made him sad. He felt deflated when he finally sat down next to Ben on the couch. He put one hand on Ben’s knee and waited for Ben to look up at him again. It took several more minutes for Ben to get it together enough to meet his gaze. Even puffy eyed with a running nose, Ben was beautiful. Adam admitted he was still truly fucked.

  “I’m better now, so why am I still here? Why didn’t you take me back with you as soon as I was better like your alpha told you to?”

  “I knew it wasn’t what you would want. I couldn’t bring myself to cause you any more pain. You’ve worked so hard to get where you are in school and you have this big plan to go off to college when you’re done. I just couldn’t take all that away from you. Not when I knew how important it was to you,” Ben replied, his voice breaking several times when he spoke.

  Adam leaned back into the couch as if boneless and exhaled a sigh worthy of gale force winds. “Well fuck. What are we going to do now?” Adam asked, worry evident in the deep line between his brows.

  “Honestly, I have no idea,” Ben replied, still looking broken. Adam reached for him and they wrapped their arms around one another.

  They eventually moved back to the bedroom, the couch not big enough for one of them, much less both. They took comfort in each other until exhaustion finally took them both under. When Adam awoke in the middle of the night, he found Ben’s head on his chest, their legs twined together. The arm wrapped around Ben’s back squeezed reflexively as if insuring his…mate… was still there. Well, that was going to take some getting used to, but he still felt the accuracy of the label deep in his bones.

  Ben was obviously wiped out. The dark circles under his eyes only exemplified how puffy they still were. He’d never seen anyone so upset before. He honestly never wanted to see it again. When Ben had broken down, Adam’s own heart had bled with him. If he had any doubts before at the depth of feelings Ben held for him, he didn’t any longer. That didn’t mean Adam wasn’t still pissed.

  Damn Ben for not telling him the truth sooner. He really wasn’t that upset about being turned, but he was upset about being lied to. Ben had needed to understand that Adam would not allow that in the future. Adam was certain he had gotten his point across and hoped he never had to do that again. It had almost torn both of them apart.

  Adam sighed as he continued to stare at the ceiling, trying to think their way out of this situation. If he left now with Ben, his life as he knew it was over. If he didn’t, he knew instinctively Ben’s life was at risk. Adam didn’t know werewolf society yet, but he guessed it functioned somewhat like the military. He’d seen enough movies about what happened to underlings who failed to obey orders to know the risks Ben had put himself in to try to keep Adam happy. Ben had been protecting him all along and Adam knew he needed to do the same for Ben. He couldn’t let his mate come to harm if he could prevent it.

  Hours later, he smiled as his plan solidified. It only proved how exhausted Ben truly was when Adam was able to slip out from under him. Ben barely stirred and tried to cling to Adam’s arm as he moved away. Adam shushed him and stayed perched on the edge of the bed until Ben was soundly asleep again. His hand ran soothingly through Ben’s golden locks, causing his mate to sigh contentedly. Once Adam was certain he wouldn’t wake again, he snuck out of the room, Ben’s phone in hand.

  When he reached the office, Adam opened Ben’s phone an
d faced his first obstacle – Ben’s password. He thought for a moment before the obvious struck him. Not believing it could be that simple, Adam punched in his own birthday and smiled when the lock screen disappeared. He’d talk to his mate later about proper phone security. For now, he was just glad he didn’t have to try his hand at hacking.

  Adam scrolled through Ben’s contacts and found the one he needed. He looked at the time and cringed internally. This was either going to work or they were going to be dead. It didn’t really matter that it was four in the morning when you put it that way. Adam took a deep breath and dialed.

  “You better have a good reason for calling at this hour, Ben,” a stern but sleepy voice answered.