Benjamin

by K R Hall

  ●●●

  “Wow, it’s been two hours? No way!” Gracie said, looking at the clock.

  “What do you think? Go grab our husbands and get some lunch?” Sabrina said.

  They cleaned up after themselves and thanked Kyle and Brett for their help. They placed their guns and leftover ammo in their cases and then went down the hallway and greeted the men.

  “It’s about attitude. It’s about self-discipline. It’s about sportsmanship, manners, modesty, humility, and controlling your emotions,” they heard the instructor say through the open door.

  “Your mates seem to be finished with today’s lessons,” the instructor said when he noticed the ladies standing outside the doorway. “If you would give me just a few minutes to finish filling out your concealed carry permits, I will have them ready before you leave.”

  “How about the Thai restaurant for lunch?” Benjamin asked.

  “That sounds delicious! I haven’t had Thai food in ages,” Cade said.

  The instructor came out of the room a minute later and handed Cade, Corbin, Benjamin, and Jase their concealed carry permits. The men thanked him and followed the ladies out the door. It was a short drive to the Thai restaurant.

  “Sabrina, you look exhausted. You should take a vacation when all this is finished. You've earned it!” Eloise said.

  “I’m not sure a vacation can fix the kind of tired I am,” Sabrina joked.

  “Everyone needs a vacation... even us,” Libby said.

  “I don’t know,” Sabrina replied.

  “We are at war,” Benjamin began, and all the conversations stopped. “We’ve been able to fight back against Pickens and his army. We’ve never been able to have the upper hand, though.”

  “We trained our fighters and enforcers to fight the vampires,” Corbin said.

  “Our next move is to take the fight to them,” Jase said. “Catch them off guard.”

  “They wouldn’t expect that,” Cade said.

  Serious conversation stopped when the waitress brought their food. They dug in, talking about life, love, politics, and funny stories.

  The afternoon was half gone by the time they returned home. They decided to shift and have a romp in the woods. It was delightful to lose themselves in the green forest and to smell the crisp, delicious odors that came up from the earth at the close of day.

  Each one thought about what needed to be done to stop Pickens. The imminent war remained an ever-present pall that hung over the remainder of the evening like a chilly fog. They were determined to win because they were stronger in their hearts than a vampire with an agenda to rid the world of shifters with super-soldiers. The others headed back to Independence as Benjamin and Sabrina went inside, arms wrapped around each other.

  They hadn’t seen the figure in the shadows.

  The beauty of the sunset only intensified Mira’s pain. Without Benjamin, there could be— should be— no beauty in the world. The sky adorned itself with brilliant reds and oranges, clothed itself in garish splendor. Her weakness was her strength. So long as she remained outwardly submissive, no one would suspect her of sabotage, murder, and treason.

  Chapter 8

  The coolness of the early morning was deceptive; the sun had barely risen, and this altitude was always cooler. Early mornings are their own reward. The mountains were silhouetted against a crimson sky, and the air smelled of earth and pine trees. There was something about the dawn that made each new day such a gift, eased in gently, unwrapping the world anew. A chorus of birds broke the silence— Sabrina breathed in deeply. A new day had begun.

  She bounced up and down to the steady rhythm of her music. Slick sweat soaked her light shirt. She panted as she wiped her mouth on her sleeve. She could only imagine how badly she stunk. But something about jogging made her feel rejuvenated. Sabrina shuddered and sighed. She’d had this eerie feeling for a few days now. She tried but couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching... waiting. She nervously glanced around and took off sprinting this time, heading home. Her heart pounded against her chest and she lengthened her strides.

  “Going somewhere, Blondie?” Mira asked in a threatening tone as she suddenly appeared, blocking Sabrina.

  When Mira stepped from the shadow, knife unsheathed, Sabrina set her face to a casual indifference. Her only way out was for Mira to overestimate her skill level, to assume her lack of fear came from mastery instead of a raw nerve.

  “Mira,” Sabrina said, acknowledging her.

  “You know what the trouble about real life is? There’s no danger music. You should have worried about your safety,” Mira said.

  “You need to stay away from me.”

  “Or what are you going to do... burst into tears?” Mira taunted.

  “One day, you’ll realize your feelings for Benjamin were just a crush. I’m warning you,” Sabrina growled as the other woman stepped closer.

  “Growl all you want, bitch, but as soon as I sink my teeth into that bony little neck...” Mira threatened as she shoved Sabrina, causing her to lose her balance and fall to the ground.

  Sabrina grabbed a nearby rock as she stood and knocked Mira down with it, then ran off toward home. Still being pursued, Sabrina sighed in relief as she reached her home. She entered and closed the door.

  “Thank God. I lost her... finally... safe and sound,” Sabrina whispered aloud.

  “Not quite,” she taunted as she came in through the back door.

  “Oh, God!”

  “Well... I am your angel of death, and that’s God-like enough.”

  “Why are you doing this?” Sabrina begged.

  “Because... you hurt my feelings, Sabrina. I’m very delicate. You told me I was loathsome. You told me I wasn’t deserving of being loved. Do you know how that feels? Never to have been loved? Can you even imagine?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well, then… what? Never mind, it’s time for you to become a vampire like me,” Mira said.

  “Oh, please don’t... don’t do this... please.”

  “Let’s see how Ben feels when he can’t even bear to look at you because you’re as revolting as I am,” she said as she grabbed Sabrina, preparing to bite her.

  “No, Mira! No, no! No, please, don’t do this to me!” Sabrina struggled, trying to fight her off.

  “Shut up! Shut up! This time, you can’t stop me, Sabrina,” Mira said as she slapped Sabrina’s face.

  “No!”

  Mira tried to bite her but was incapable. She tried again, but something seemed to be blocking her.

  “What are you doing to me? I’ll kill you with my bare hands if I have to!”

  “No, please, don't!” Sabrina begged. She could sense that something was blocking Mira from biting her, maybe it had to do with her angel blood. She prayed that it would continue to stop Mira from biting her.

  “Sabrina!” Benjamin shouted as he came barreling into their home.

  “Ben!”

  Benjamin grabbed Mira and threw her away from Sabrina. Mira hit the wall and landed on the floor.

  “Oh, oh!”

  Benjamin drew his sword and moved to finish off Mira.

  “It's your time now, bitch! You’re banished from this world!” Benjamin shouted.

  Mira made a horrible mistake by choosing to target Sabrina. Benjamin didn’t think twice about lopping off her head.

  His bear was still on alert, ready to attack. They were at war and this wasn’t the time to play around. He was the alpha and he needed to make a stand. The Hurst family clan would not stand aside; they would stand together with the Black Bears of Independence clan.

  “Did you ever hear the expression ‘Too close for comfort’? That was damn uncomfortable,” Sabrina said.

  “Did she bite you?” Benjamin asked as he looked over her neck for pierce marks.

  “No. Something was stopping her from biting me. I don’t understand what it was.”

  “Maybe Mira could smell your angel blood but didn’t understand
that it would kill her. Maybe something inside her did and it stopped her. Like an instinct for self-preservation.”

  “That makes sense. We haven’t told anyone about it, so she would be confused.”

  Benjamin gathered her in his arms. What terrible things could have happened to Sabrina if he had not been so close to home when he sensed her fear? Benjamin growled, unable to contain his rage as he pictured her afraid and hurt. He had to fight to keep his claws from growing and emerging. He thought about killing Mira all over again. He sucked in a deep breath, catching her scent and steadying himself. He didn’t want to frighten her any more than she already was.

  The thought of his mate being mistreated, abused, and killed sat like a block of ice in his chest. He couldn’t ignore that Mira would have killed her to turn her into a vampire. It was a dreadful feeling that the woman he loved could have been taken from him.

  ●●●

  Today was Sabrina’s turn to host their book club meeting. Benjamin wanted to cancel, but she needed her friends around her. Benjamin had someone clean up the mess in the entryway of their home and dispose of Mira’s body while she showered.

  “Oh my god, Sabrina!” Eloise exclaimed as she ran to her with outstretched arms, ready for a hug.

  Sabrina shifted her weight as she prepared for the impact. Her sister-in-law was surprisingly strong and could easily knock her off balance.

  “I’m okay, Eloise. Really, I am.”

  “I can’t believe Mira tried to kill you. I would have warned you if I had seen it, but my pregnancy is interfering with my seer abilities,” Libby said.

  “It’s no big deal, really. I want to put it out of my mind. You look like you could pop any minute now.”

  “I have three weeks to go, but the mid-wife thinks Tyler may make an early appearance,” Libby replied.

  “Come on inside and let’s go sit in the library so we can be more comfortable,” suggested Sabrina.

  Eloise, Gracie, Libby, Molly, Susan, Amanda, Scarlett, and Madison followed Sabrina into the library where they met Galena, Donna, Carmen, Michelle, Lori, Cassey, Ashley, and Danielle.

  “Now, tell us everything that happened,” Eloise said.

  “There isn’t much else to say. Mira surprised me while I was out for my morning run. She chased me home and broke in through the back door. She tried to turn me into a vampire and that’s when Ben burst through the door and killed her,” Sabrina explained.

  “How awful for you!” Gracie said.

  “Please, let’s change the subject. I don’t want to give her any more of our time,” Sabrina said on a sigh.

  “How did your internet date go last weekend, Donna?” Molly asked, changing the subject.

  “Well, I got more than I planned on,” Donna replied.

  “Ooh, lucky you,” Lori said.

  “No, he showed up. He had his wife with him. It turns out, I’d clicked swinging instead of swimming on my list of likes,” Donna replied.

  “Oh, crap! How did you get out of that?” Gracie asked.

  “That had to have been embarrassing,” Carmen said.

  “Well, after I was able to talk again, I explained the mistake. I apologized profusely and made a mad dash out of there,” Donna explained, laughing.

  “It’s great that you can laugh about it,” Scarlett said.

  “Trevor and I have set a date for our mating ceremony,” Ashley said.

  “That’s so amazing, and I’m so happy for you. I am sorry that I won’t be able to help you celebrate. But my water just broke,” Libby said on a groan.

  Libby was relieved that Galena was with them today. It was helpful having the healer right there taking charge.

  Jase, my water just broke, Libby said through their mating bond.

  Galena moved Libby into one of the guest rooms where Jase joined them.

  “Now, let me check and see how you’re progressing,” Galena said before she examined Libby.

  “You’re doing great, sweetheart,” Jase said, holding Libby’s hand.

  “Libby, you are at eight centimeters. Transitioning has begun. It won’t be long now,” Galena said.

  Libby let out long moans with each contraction, trying to breathe through them. Shortly after, Galena announced that Tyler was crowning, his head came out, his eyes open, ready to take his first look at his new world. Once his head was out, she gave two more distinct pushes to bring the rest of him into the world.

  Galena grabbed him as he slid out. She laid Tyler on Libby’s chest and started to dry him off and keep him warm. He gave a small cry.

  “Jase, would you like to cut the umbilical cord?”

  “Yes, I would, I’ve been practicing,” Jase said as he leaned in to cut the umbilical cord.

  Holding onto Tyler, Jase stepped to the head of the bed, leaned over, and gently kissed Libby.

  Everything went smoothly and there were no complications, so Galena told Jase that he and Libby were safe to take Tyler home back to Independence ranch. The others from Independence left as well.

  Soon, the house was cleaned and put back to order. After everyone left, Sabrina and Benjamin decided to go for their hike to Dream Lake this afternoon instead of waiting for the morning.

  ●●●

  The couple hiked the trail further into the woods that led to Dream Lake inside Rocky Mountain National Park. This place had fond memories from his childhood. He remembered running around and chasing after Charlotte and Corbin. It was beautiful here.

  Sabrina distracted him from his memories by clambering up the enormous boulders in front of them. He stared at her behind, cupped tightly in her jeans, as she climbed to another boulder and scaled the next one with ease. Bear shifters were agile climbers in both of their forms and he’d always loved climbing with his siblings as children, scaling the dangerous mountains that surrounded the valley. There were ledges on the mountains that offered the most incredible and breathtaking views across the Rocky Mountains.

  Her boots slipped and he was behind her in a single leap, his hands pressed against her backside to stop her from falling. She gasped, turning wide blue eyes on him while a blush climbed her cheeks quickly. She moved back toward the rocks and climbed up, away from him.

  “Damn new boots,” she muttered and was more careful as she clambered up the rocks, placing each foot with caution.

  When she reached the top, she looked back down at him. He grinned and ascended the rocks, using his superior strength and agility to make easy work of it. Benjamin followed her, his senses split between her and their surroundings now that they were heading deeper into the forest, away from the humans.

  The evening light danced across the rippling surface of the river, making it look like liquid gold. Benjamin drew in a deep breath, catching the scents of the animals and all the different plants and trees. The mountains had always called to him since he was a child, rising high above the forest that surrounded them— their snowcapped peaks piercing the golden sky.

  The forest drew back from the river ahead of them, leaving a wide bank on either side that gave way to pebbles and rounded stones by the water.

  “We can camp here.” Benjamin scanned the forest with his senses.

  Movement across the riverbank caught his eye and his gaze snapped there, his senses on high alert. A small cub that broke cover spotted him and dashed back into the scrub. He was not a threat to him and Sabrina.

  Sabrina set her backpack down in the middle of the dirt bank and rubbed her shoulders. Dumping his backpack, he moved over to her and began rubbing her shoulders. He would do anything to keep his hands on her. He felt a sliver of pleasure flowing through her as she loosened up.

  His gaze drifted along the wide, slow river, hopping from boulder to boulder that dotted the water, and then up over the trees to the mountains in the distance ahead of them.

  “I needed that, thank you,” Sabrina said.

  “Anytime, my love.”

  Benjamin set the tent up as quickly as possible while sh
e looked around and gathered kindling for their fire. It had been a hard trek and he needed to wash up. The crystal-clear water was just too inviting to resist. He wanted to cool off with a swim, plus he needed to catch some fish if they were going to have dinner that consisted more of just protein bars.

  “I’m going for a swim.”

  Sabrina barely had time to register those words before Benjamin was stripping off his denim jacket and the shirt that he wore beneath. He dropped them on top of his backpack. Sabrina gawked at him, incapable of dragging her eyes away as they leisurely glided down over the hard planes of his chest to the ropes of his abdomen.

  A yearning started low in her belly and only got worse as he tugged off his hiking boots, pulled off his socks, and unbuttoned his jeans. He slowly pushed them down, revealing long toned legs, and stepped out of them, his muscles shifting with the action, mesmerizing her. Her mate absolutely was a majestic male.

  Then he turned away from her, his black briefs still in place. They hugged the toned globes of his backside as he walked; she stared, loving the way they flexed with each stride he took toward the river. She watched him wade into the water and laughed when he made a sharp noise that echoed around the area.

  “Damn, that’s freezing.” He shuddered and kept wading out into the river, his shoulders hunched up, and his fingers flexing at his sides.

  She hid her smile when he looked back at her. He grinned, his golden honey eyes bright with a light she hadn’t seen in them for a long time. This was the gorgeous male she had mated! He had invariably an air of mischief enveloping him, a sense that he was living his life to the fullest and taking every adventure in its stride. Seeing him like this again made her feel glad about making him get away for the weekend. She hadn’t thought he would ever laugh again as he was now, full of happiness. Sabrina had never thought she would see the Benjamin who had been her lover, her best friend and companion, and so much more than that ever again. But here he was...

  Benjamin dipped lower in the water, kicked off, and began to swim in the deepest part of the river, ducking his head under the cold water and surfacing again. He flicked his light brown hair back from his eyes and rivulets of water ran down his chiseled cheeks and rolled along the firm line of his jaw. He made her heart beat hard and still drew her to him.