Benjamin

by K R Hall

  “You’re a beautiful bear and a beautiful woman. I hope you know that,” he said.

  No one had ever told her that. Her body heated at his words.

  “We’ve been gone for hours, we need to head back home,” Benjamin said.

  Sabrina nodded and helped gather their picnic supplies. They held hands as they headed back home.

  A branch cracked to their side and Sabrina froze, her bear rising to the surface. She let her senses widen, tasting the energy in the air around them. Benjamin moved closer to her side. As much as she wanted to growl at him for trying to protect her, she knew it wouldn’t do any good. He was a better fighter than her. He had an inherent need to protect her.

  Goosebumps ran up her arms and she clenched her teeth. Another branch snapped to their side and Benjamin ran a hand down her arm, calming her.

  It took everything in her power not to run away. Her bear whimpered for a moment and then stood at attention, ready for whatever was coming for them. She couldn’t sense another shifter around them.

  “Benjamin…” she whispered.

  The vampire walked out of the trees alone, a smile on his face that looked unnatural. She held back the shudder that threatened to consume her.

  “I see you are all by yourselves,” the vampire drawled.

  Benjamin stood beside her, she reached out involuntarily, tangling her fingers with his, willing him not to attack.

  “What do you want?” Benjamin asked, his tone cooler than she thought possible.

  “Your guts would be appropriate, but I think not yet. I want to see you in pain from the cuts and gashes that I can inflict. Then, when you’re just about to heal, I want you to watch your loved one die screaming your name.”

  “You leave her alone,” Benjamin growled.

  The vampire tilted his head, his dark eyes seeming to reach into her soul and violate her. She swallowed the bile that rose into her throat and Benjamin squeezed her hand, again infusing that calming strength she needed. The vampire was enjoying baiting them. She could feel the anger rolling off of Benjamin.

  “You are boring,” the vampire said, attacking them with the speed of the vampires.

  Benjamin howled beside her, lashing out with hands that had turned to claws. He raked them along the vampire’s side, causing him to yell as blood stained his white shirt. Benjamin maneuvered her behind him, trying to keep her safe.

  The vampire was fast, but Benjamin was faster. Sabrina looked around, pushing out her senses, trying to feel for anybody to come to their rescue. She heard the growl before the vampire attacked and she turned to get out of the way.

  From the trees, two more vampires came at her at once, and she struck out, using her claws to take them down. They were weaker than her. She ducked and rolled as one of them came at her throat and the vampire hit the ground with a yelp. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Benjamin in his battle with the vampire. She couldn’t tell who was winning. The other vampire jumped on her, bringing her to the ground. She struggled beneath its weight, turning side to side to avoid its teeth. She kicked and connected with the vampire’s knee, causing the attacker to yell in pain.

  She heard a growl as the vampire was pulled from her body and she rolled to her feet, ready to fight. Benjamin yelled as the vampire that had been on top of her mauled his shoulder with its claws. Sabrina ran toward them and wrapped her arms around the vampire’s neck, squeezing as hard as she could. The vampire struggled against her and Benjamin grabbed its jaws, pulling them apart until Sabrina heard a crack and a snap. The vampire fell limp in her hold and she dropped the body to the ground.

  Her chest heaved as she looked at Benjamin. Blood ran down his shoulder and she leaned to pull him into a hug. She didn’t care if he didn’t want to. She needed it, and it was about time she did something she wanted. Benjamin wrapped his good arm around her as she inhaled his scent, needing it to wash over her and make sure he was all right.

  “We need to take care of that wound,” Sabrina said against his chest, not wanting to let go.

  “I’m fine,” he grumbled, and she shook her head.

  “No, you’re not. You will be, but I want to make sure it’s at least clean. We don’t know what those guys have under their claws.”

  Benjamin sat on a nearby boulder so Sabrina could attend to his wound. There were two deep gashes. He knew it could’ve been worse, but it didn’t make it any less dangerous.

  Sabrina rummaged through her backpack and found the first-aid kit so she could clean the gashes. Without meeting his gaze, wordlessly, she cleaned the wound and put a bandage on it. This would have to do until they could get to the healer where she would probably put stitches in his arm.

  “How does that feel?”

  Benjamin growled and she met his gaze, afraid she’d hurt him. Instead, she found his eyes filled with something close to pain, but she didn’t think it was from the wound.

  “What is it?” she asked

  “Nothing,” he whispered.

  “Thank you for saving my life,” she whispered, placing her hand on his cheek. She never wanted to leave his touch.

  “Anything, Sabrina. Anything for you,” Benjamin said, closing his eyes and swallowing through the pain.

  Despite the pain, Benjamin pulled Sabrina into his arms, wanting to tell her everything would be okay. He needed to inhale her scent and let it settle him. He wrapped his arms around her shoulder and squeezed. Through the pack bond, Benjamin sent a message for help.

  “Everything will work out in the end,” Benjamin said.

  ●●●

  Galena could see the hidden terror in Benjamin’s eyes. She was sure no one else had been able to tell. Hell, this couldn’t be good.

  “We were attacked…” Benjamin began.

  “Shh, don’t speak. Save your energy,” Galena ordered.

  Oscar came running with a bag and a box of medical supplies. He threw the bag at Galena, who caught it and started pulling out bandages.

  “Shush, you,” Galena said when Benjamin tried to speak again. “What did I say about talking? Save your strength.”

  Benjamin gave her a slight nod.

  “Push this hard on Benjamin’s arm to stop the flow of blood,” Galena said, handing gauze to Oscar. He quickly followed her order.

  Benjamin looked into Sabrina’s eyes and saw a spark of hope. He knew he lost a lot of blood, but he had confidence that Galena could fully heal him.

  “You’ll be fine,” Sabrina said, fighting back her tears.

  Benjamin gave a weak smile. “Of course, I will. I got the best healer for taking care of me. I love you.”

  “I love you back. Now, hold still so you can heal,” Sabrina replied, leaning down and kissing his forehead. Her face was pale, but she didn’t run away.

  Oscar hated not being able to help more, but there was nothing he could do, he wasn’t a healer. When Galena asked for bandages or other medical supplies, he was right there to hand them to her.

  “There’s nothing more to be done. The rest of the healing is up to his bear,” Galena said.

  “Can I take him home?” Sabrina asked.

  “Of course. Oscar will help,” Galena said.

  Oscar helped Benjamin get into a sitting position and then gave him a moment to adjust. Benjamin nodded when he felt he was able to stand. Oscar helped him stand and then walked to the Jeep when he was ready.

  The drive from Galena’s clinic to Benjamin’s home was short. Oscar helped Benjamin out of the Jeep and into one of the first-floor guest rooms. They had decided that climbing the stairs would be too much for Benjamin tonight.

  The sun slid through the blinds and Sabrina snuggled deeper into the bed. A heavy arm wrapped around her waist and she smiled. Her mate wrapped around her, closer and more heated than the blanket. He smelled of warmth, bear, and the earth.

  Sabrina could feel Benjamin’s steady breath behind her and knew he was still sleeping. Good, he hadn’t been sleeping enough recently. His stress over the cl
an and the battles with Pickens and his army had stressed him to the point that he had dark circles under his eyes. She knew the demands of being the alpha weighed heavily on him. She hoped she could help ease the burden. There had to be a way to end it all, to find peace.

  She gently eased out of bed and went to the bathroom to take care of nature’s calling, then took a quick shower. She could have gone upstairs to the master suite, but she wanted to be close in case Benjamin called for her. As she came out of the bathroom, she saw Benjamin sitting up in bed.

  “Good morning,” he grumbled.

  “Good morning, my love. Give me just a few minutes and I’ll get you a cup of coffee,” Sabrina said, smiling as she walked over and gave him a chaste kiss then left the bedroom.

  Sabrina prepared scrambled eggs, bacon, and pancakes with maple syrup. She heard Ben get out of bed and come into the kitchen. She knew Benjamin was behind her when the chair legs scraped against the floor as he pulled it out to sit at the table.

  “That smells delicious,” Benjamin said.

  “Breakfast will be ready in ten minutes, Benjamin,” she replied.

  She took down two ceramic plates from the cupboard and added a stack of pancakes on the plates and drizzled syrup. She added the bacon and eggs, then and set one down the plate of delicious food on the table in front of Benjamin. Then she prepared coffee the way he liked it— a touch of milk and a couple of teaspoons of sugar. She placed the coffee in front of him and then grabbed her plate and coffee, joining him at the table.

  “I hope you slept well,” she said.

  “I went to sleep instantly, but I woke up during the night with a little discomfort. I took some ibuprofen and went back to bed. I woke this morning with no aches and pains. I would say that I’m fully healed,” Benjamin said with a smile.

  “It’s a good day for a hike, isn’t it?” Sabrina asked.

  “Ah, damn, I’m working,” Benjamin replied.

  “Oh, okay. I’m sure I can find something to do today.”

  The doorbell rang, interrupting their conversation. Benjamin rose from the table and walked to the door, Sabrina following him. He was pleasantly surprised to see his brother and friends with their mates.

  “What a surprise. Come on in,” Benjamin said as he stepped aside to allow them entry.

  “Come have a seat. Can I get anyone some coffee?” Sabrina asked.

  Mumbles of no filled the air as Corbin, Eloise, Cade, Gracie, Jase, and Libby found comfortable seats in the living room.

  “So, what brings you here?” Benjamin asked.

  “We booked the women for some target practice at the shooting range in town,” Corbin replied.

  “We thought Sabrina would like to join us and have lunch,” Gracie said.

  “Ooh, sounds like fun,” Sabrina said.

  “While the women are busy, I thought we would work on our conceal carry certifications. We’ll be at the same location in case there are any issues,” Jase said.

  “Although access through the outdoor range is a combination locked gate for members, I don’t want to take a chance of a sniper attack. The indoor range is the safest. We’ll have enforcers patrolling the range while we’re there,” Corbin said.

  “Better to be safe than sorry,” Eloise added.

  “Well then, let’s get the show on the road,” Jase said.

  The unseasonably cold weather would continue throughout the rest of the week and the next weekend. It was unusual to have snow in June, but the grassy areas had fresh snow. Benjamin and Sabrina grabbed jackets and followed the others to their waiting vehicles.

  At the Jeep, Benjamin opened the door for Sabrina. He walked around the front and climbed in beside her and placed his arm protectively on the back of the seat behind her neck. They wasted no time getting on the road.

  Traffic was light, made up mostly of Jeeps or pickup trucks. The closer they got to the town of Estes Park, the more vehicles they encountered. The weather didn’t stop the tourists from crowding the sidewalks and streets.

  The road surrounding the range was not paved. It was a gravel road and it backed up to the dog park. The green building was located across from Lake Estes. The color reminded Sabrina of split pea soup.

  When Benjamin and Sabrina pulled into the driveway, they parked as close to the building as they could while waiting for the enforcers to signal that the area was secured. After they indicated to Benjamin that all was secured, the enforcers placed themselves strategically around the building. Jase, Libby, Corbin, Eloise, Cade, and Gracie emerged from their vehicles and headed inside.

  “You will be in good hands with Kyle and Brett. They are part of the eagle shifter clan in Rocky Mountain National Park,” Benjamin said as he introduced them.

  The men went down the hallway to begin their classes for concealed weapon carry certificates, leaving the women in the lobby with Kyle and Brett.

  “Before we get started, does anybody know anything about guns and weapons?” Kyle asked.

  “Before I left the FBI, I was an excellent marksman,” Gracie said.

  “Excellent, Gracie. Would you like to help your friends today?” Brett asked.

  “Sure, I’d be happy to,” Gracie replied.

  “Great! Let’s begin then,” Brett said.

  Kyle guided the ladies to the two display cases holding the single-action and double-action revolvers.

  “Revolvers are the easiest handguns to learn to shoot and operate safely. The single-action revolver is considered by many to be the most reliable design. A first-time shooter should use .357 Magnum revolvers. The single-action Colt is the cowboy gun— it’s the one John Wayne used in all his western movies,” Brett said as he showed the Magnum and Colt revolvers.

  “Double-action revolvers, like Smith and Wesson’s Model 66, are the most popular handguns for defense. Cock the hammer and fire in the single-action mode for accurateness or continually pull the trigger, firing round after round in double-action mode. The double-action is Dirty Harry’s gun,” Kyle said, showing the revolver.

  “How does gunfire damage someone’s ears?” Sabrina asked.

  “Without being too technical, sound pressure is measured in decibels. Most people can hear sounds down to zero decibels. The impact of gunfire is one-hundred forty decibels and will inflict hearing loss unless the ear is protected,” Kyle answered.

  “What is the proper ear protection for shooting firearms?” Libby asked.

  “There are numerous ways to protect your ears. For example, you can use earmuffs, foam plugs, or combinations of ear protection and sound-amplification aids,” Brett answered.

  “The very best protection is to use foam plugs in combination with earmuff protectors. Keep in mind that the object is to obtain a solid and comfortable seal against noise; any ear protector that has a ‘leak’ will not protect your hearing,” Kyle added.

  “Never wear a V-neck shirt on a range... hot brass and cleavage are not a very good mix! ALWAYS wear a shirt that has a neckline that closes in around the base of the neck. Do NOT wear a shirt with a collar, either, as the collar can catch brass. We give our free ‘range safety’ t-shirts to every one of our students and have had to require they change before the range several times.

  “We always, always stress that every caution is made, no matter if you get hot brass in your shirt, a wasp stinging you, or any other issue. Never let the muzzle point anywhere but a safe direction until you can unload and set it down, then deal with the discomfort issue,” Brett said.

  “Any other questions?” Kyle asked. When no one replied, he said, “Feel free to look around at these handguns. Your mates have agreed to let you purchase any handgun and the safety gear needed.”

  Eloise, Libby, Sabrina, and Gracie looked at the various guns in the display cases. They tested the feel of different firearms, ensuring that the grip and wait weren’t too much. They agreed on getting a .357 Magnum each. Kyle rang up their weapons and ammo while Brett filled out the paperwork. Once everything wa
s completed, the men led them to a classroom to teach gun safety and usage.

  “We’ll go ahead and take a quick break right now. Go to the bathroom, get something to drink, stretch your legs, and when we’re finished, we’ll head over and start shooting,” Kyle said, finishing the verbal part of the lesson.

  “Are you ready, Sabrina?” Brett asked.

  “Well, I am a little nervous,” Sabrina replied.

  “Okay then, use it to make yourself aware of what and who is around you,” Brett replied.

  Brett showed Sabrina how to load the rounds into the barrel. They spent time on the rear and front sight configurations, how to line up targets, and how to breathe through the shot.

  “Keep both eyes open and bring the gun up to the target,” Brett said.

  “But I see two targets,” Sabrina said.

  “Just focus on one target,” Brett said.

  POW!

  Missed.

  “Did you focus on the target?” Brett asked.

  Sabrina nodded, keeping her eye on the target. She fired again.

  POW!

  Missed.

  “I can see what I was doing wrong. I was looking at one target and firing at another,” Sabrina said.

  POW!

  CLANG!

  “I did it!” Sabrina exclaimed.

  “Line it up with the paper target. Breathe evenly while slowly squeezing the trigger between breaths,” Kyle said to Libby.

  “That’s good. Now, cycle in a new round and go again.”

  POW!

  CLANG!

  “That’s IT!” Kyle exclaimed as Libby hit her target the first try.

  Libby carefully set the gun down on the counter with the action open. She high-fived the others.

  “Nice and easy, Eloise,” Gracie said.

  Eloise raised the small handgun, pulled back the hammer, and let it fly.

  “Wow, I just shot a real gun for the very first time!” Eloise exclaimed with joy.

  POW!

  CLANG!

  “Let’s have some water. Take a moment to feel what you did and how you did it,” Brett said.

  “Wanna do it again, ladies?” Kyle asked a few minutes later.