Mine.
Chapter 4
Ben stood in front of the door for what seemed like an eternity. Penny was his. His mate. The revelation hit Ben like a sack full of bricks to the gut.
That was what mine meant, right? His bear recognized her. It didn’t know how to tell him. Well, it did, in its own fucked up way, tearing out of him and mauling the guy who hurt her.
Ben walked back to his truck, trying to put a coherent thought together. He wished his dad were here. He remembered James telling him about meeting Laura, his mate, for the first time. “I knew right away,” he had said. “Well, my bear did. But I had to take it slow. She’s human, so she didn’t know these things. I wanted her right away, but I had to play by her rules.”
Of course, Ben’s arrival into their lives nearly derailed their relationship. His birth mom had died when he was only three years old and left him with James. His father hadn’t even known he existed until that point, but was willing to take on the responsibility of a son. And much to her credit, Laura stepped up right away, despite having only been with James for a few months. “I fell in love with you the moment I saw you,” Laura would tell him while he was growing up. “Maybe even sooner than I did with your dad,” she’d joke with a knowing smile at James.
As Ben started up the truck, he wondered what he was supposed to do now. His instinct was to take care of her right away. He wanted nothing more than to make sure she never had to worry about anything else in her life. She wouldn’t have to work at The Den and have those other men looking at her or trying to touch her. The mere thought of any other man around her was getting his bear agitated. Yeah, the sooner that happened the better. Then she could just stay home and take care of their cubs. Maybe four or five would be nice ….
But, thinking back to what his father had said, he had to respect that Penny was a human. He had to take it slow. Woo her. Be gentle. He knew where he could start. That piece of junk car of hers. He could tow it back to town, have J.D., their trusted mechanic, take a look and get it fixed for her. He'd rather get her a new car, but that could wait until later.
He’d go slow with her. Yeah, that’s it. Penny was sweet and shy, and she probably would be confused at first. But, she was his mate, one that his bear recognized, and so that should be all that mattered. He would do whatever it took to win her.
Since it was late, Ben towed Penny’s car all the way back to his cabin and then woke up early the next day to take it to J.D.’s Garage in town. Soon, the car was ready and J.D. even offered one of the guys to help return it to Greenville. He and the other guy drove up with Ben leading the way. It was early yet, so they quietly parked the car in her driveway and left in his Jeep.
And now, two hours later, he was back at work in the mines. He had done his usual rounds inside, checking things over, and headed back to his trailer office to get paperwork done.
“Boss.”
“Yeah?” He looked up. The door was halfway open and Boone, one of the workers, popped his head in. “What is it?”
“Security asked me to come check in with you.”
“What for?”
“There’re a couple guys are outside, looking for you. I mean, they said they’re looking for work.”
“Shifters?”
“Yeah. Bears.”
Ben put down the invoices he was examining. Walk-ins weren’t unusual, especially since everyone knew the mine was always looking for shifters willing to put in the work. “All right, give me five and have security escort them over.”
Boone nodded, then disappeared. A couple of minutes later, the door to his office opened. “Thanks, John,” he said to their new head of security as he led the two men behind him in.
“Have a seat,” Ben instructed. He watched as the two men looked at each other, shrugged, and then sat down on the chairs in front of his desk. As they came closer, his bear began to stir. Hmm …. That happened sometimes, when he was around new shifters, so he ignored it. “You guys looking for jobs?”
The one sitting on the right spoke up. “Yeah. We heard you folks hire people like us.” He was the older of the two, with long, stringy blond hair and a scraggly beard. Definitely a bear shifter; he could sense the man’s bear and see the glint in his eye. “Name’s Tyler.”
The younger man looked similar to Tyler, except his hair was cropped close to his head. “Are you father and son?” Ben asked.
“Nah, cousins,” Tyler answered. “But Rick and I used to drive a rig together.”
“Ah, so you guys are truckers?”
“Yeah. But business was slow; we had to be let go.”
“Are you looking for seasonal work?”
“Huh?” Tyler looked confused.
“Uh, seasonal. I mean, just until the summer when things pick up for you?”
Tyler laughed. “No need for fancy words with us,” he said. “We’re just simple folk, right?”
Ben shifted in his seat. “Sure, yeah.”
“We’d like to stay on, as long as it takes.” The smile Tyler gave him was unnerving.
Ben wasn’t sure why, but his bear seemed on edge. Not angry or out of control, but there was something about these people that didn’t sit right with his animal. They smelled strange, too. He could detect the fur, but not their natural scent. It was like they were wearing cologne to mask their normal shifter smell. He took a calming breath.
“Does he speak?” Ben nodded to Rick.
“He does, but not too much. Right, boy?”
“Y-y-yes,” Rick stammered.
“He’s simple, see? His momma dropped him on his head when he was young.” Tyler cackled. “But he’s strong. And so am I. Don’t let the age fool ya.”
“Right.” Two more guys could help their operations, plus Lennox Corp. was all about helping shifters and giving them jobs when no one else would. But there was something about them that just didn’t feel right. He reached for some papers under his desk. “Well, Tyler, Rick. Why don’t you guys fill out these forms,” he handed the papers to them, “and then drop them off with security? I’ll make sure HR gets them.”
“Thank you, Boss,” Tyler said with a wink.
Ben waited for them to leave, but the two men remain planted in their seats. “Was there anything else?”
Tyler looked at the application form. “Oh, no siree.” He grabbed Rick by the elbow and pulled up the younger man. “We’ll be on our way then, Mr. Walker, sir.” The two men got up and left the office.
Ben had never gotten the heebie jeebies, but having those men in his office was probably the closest he had come to being creeped out. They had a strange vibe, and he just couldn’t put his finger on what it was. And his bear? It was still pacing around uncomfortably.
“Yo, Ben!” The door opened again, knocking him out of his thoughts.
“Hey Nathan, what’s up?”
Nathan walked over and plopped down in one of the chairs. “Who the hell were those guys?”
“They were looking for work.”
Nathan gave an exaggerated shiver. “Was it me or did they have a creepy vibe?”
So it wasn’t just me. “Yeah, huh?” He’d call HR in the morning and tell them to give the usual thanks-but-no-thanks reply. He put all thoughts of the duo aside and turned back to Nathan. “So, did you need anything?”
“Yeah, you got time?”
“Sure.”
“Jason called. Said he wants to meet with you, me, and Luke at Lennox HQ. Matthew will be there, too.”
“Did he say what it was about?”
Nathan shook his head. “Not over the phone, he said."
Ben stood up and grabbed his keys, wallet, and phone. “Must be important. Let’s go.”
Chapter 5
Penny rolled over to her back and sighed. The sun peeking in from behind the blinds was unusually bright, and she slapped a hand over her eyes to keep the light out.
After tossing and turning for hours, her body had told her brain, “Enough!” and forced it to
shut down. Thank God, because she wouldn’t be able to get through the day without her sleep. Turning to the small clock beside her bed, she realized it was nearly noon.
She still couldn’t believe what had happened last night. Her stupid Toyota finally conked out and in the middle of the highway, too. She had been so frustrated and annoyed that she hadn’t notice the large pickup truck backing up in front of her. And then he came out. She thought she was hallucinating, but no. It was definitely Ben Walker.
God, he was more handsome up close. Blue eyes like the sky on a clear day. Dark blond hair that was a tad overgrown and an even darker, thicker beard that only made him more attractive. She couldn’t help but stare at him. And then he offered to give her a ride. She didn’t even really protest. Oh yes, Ben, take me home!
She threw a pillow over her face. He could have been a psycho, and she jumped right into his truck. But there was just something about him that made her feel safe, and she wasn't sure why.
“You don’t even know him,” she said to no one in particular. Anyway, it was just a ride, right? What else was she supposed to do, being stuck in the middle of nowhere? So she accepted his offer, forgetting where she lived.
Penny groaned and rolled onto her stomach, burying her face in her pillow. It’s not that she was ashamed of living in a trailer park, but Ben had never even been in one, which only made the gap between them that much more obvious. He probably grew up in some mansion while she’d never lived in anything bigger than this trailer.
You think you’re better than me, Penny? Better than all of us?
Her mother’s words rang in her brain.
Think you’re so high and mighty, doncha?
Sweat broke out on her forehead.
Don’t you know men only want one thing?
She was fourteen when it started.
Deep down inside, she knew her mother loved her. She’d tell herself that over and over again. Momma made sure they had a roof over their head … using whatever means necessary. That usually meant a string of men who would move in and help out with the rent and bills, only to leave a few months later. Sometimes they would just sneak out in the middle of the night, other times, there would be loud fights that ended up with a lot of screaming, broken furniture, and tears.
Of course, when momma wasn’t shacking up with her latest boyfriend, she’d be hitting up the bars, cozying up to any man who would buy her a drink. ‘Cozying up’ might be too soft of a word. Eleanor Bennet was the proverbial town bicycle—everyone got a ride. And it made Penny’s life a living hell.
She didn’t understand it at first. But as she grew up, the whispers became louder and clearer. The women at the supermarket who would give them the side-eye. The other parents who would stop talking when Eleanor walked into homeroom during parent-teacher conferences, dressed in sky-high heels and a short dress. Or even the teachers at her school, who would shake their heads when she would complain about her classmates teasing her.
It didn’t help that puberty arrived early, and her curves came in the summer she turned thirteen. The normal teasing would have been bad enough, but with her mother’s reputation, it had been worse. And she couldn’t even count on Momma for comfort. No, as she blossomed into a woman, Eleanor had lashed back at her, accusing her of all kinds of things. She was a slut if she came home late or wore short shorts; hoity-toity if she stayed at home and didn’t come out of her room for dinner with her and her latest boy toy. It seemed nothing she ever did could please Eleanor. And then it happened ….
She just wished … if her father had been more of a fit parent, if he wasn’t drunk half of the time, then ….
Penny shook her head and sat up. She should be thankful for where she was now. She had a job, a place to live, and food to eat, paid for by her own hard work.
But, still, it only cemented the thought that she and Ben were like oil and water. They would never mix together. What would his family think if he got involved with someone like her?
I can’t.
His words puzzled her and made her feel things she shouldn’t feel, for the reasons she just told herself. Okay, so maybe he was attracted to her physically. She knew men liked to look at her. But it would never work out between them.
Determined to put all thoughts of Ben aside, Penny swung her legs over the side of the bed, walked to the small bathroom, and got ready for the day. She was thankful The Den was able to open so soon. She had considered getting a second job but loved having afternoons to herself before her shift. She winced, thinking that she didn’t have a choice now; the car repairs would surely put her into an even deeper hole. How would she even get to work today?
“No use crying over spilt milk,” she said aloud as she poured some juice into a mug. She took a sip and strode to the front door. As she looked out the window, she nearly dropped the mug. Her car was sitting in the driveway.
Grabbing her coat and slipping into her discarded boots, Penny raced down the steps all the way to the car. It was definitely her car—her keys with The Little Mermaid key chain were sitting on the hood. But who …?
Who else? Ben. How …? Did he tow it all the way back here with his truck?
She touched the hood. It was still warm. That meant it had been running. She grabbed the keys, opened the door, slipped in, and turned on the ignition. The engine roared to life and purred.
“No, no, no, no!” She laid her head on the steering wheel. This couldn’t be. Why the heck would he do this after she told him to stay away?
She didn’t want to owe him. She sighed and lifted her head. “I’ll pay him back,” she said in a determined voice. “Every cent.”
As she drove into Blackstone, Penny realized she didn’t even know where to find him. Did he have an office in town? Heather mentioned he was head of some mining operation, but she didn’t know the first place to start looking. A quick internet search on Ben Walker and Blackstone turned up very little except the Lennox Corporation’s corporate website, all generic and nothing about the location of any mines.
As she drove down Main Street, an idea popped in her head. Maybe Ben had an office at Lennox Corporation. They must have their headquarters in Blackstone somewhere. She stopped the car and punched in ‘Lennox Corporation’ on her GPS app.
“Bingo!” It wasn’t far from where she was right now. After pressing ‘Go Now,’ she followed the device’s instructions. She still wasn’t very familiar with Blackstone, having never really gone anywhere except Main Street and The Den. It wasn’t a sprawling city by any means, but Blackstone was one of the largest towns in the area, so it was still tricky to navigate for newcomers like her.
She turned right from the main road and saw the signs with Lennox Corporation’s red and black logo. Slowing the car down, she stopped right across the street from the large office building, which was just outside the main part of town.
“Now what?”
Penny supposed she could walk in and ask where Ben’s office was. The thought made her cringe, and she looked down at her worn jeans and sweater. It wasn’t exactly office appropriate. If she went in, the receptionist would probably look down her nose at her. Plus, what would she do if she did see him? She didn’t have any money now to give him. This was a mistake. I should leave. But how else was she going to pay him back?
A tapping on the window made her start. A familiar face looking at her from the outside made her sigh in relief, and she rolled her window down.
“Penny! It is you,” Christina Stavros said in an excited voice, her light blue eyes sparkling.
“Christina! What are you doing here?”
She jerked her thumb at the building. “Sybil just dropped me off. I’m here to see Jason. What are you doing outside Lennox?”
Penny froze. She considered lying to the other woman, but what was she supposed to say? That she got lost? “Uhm, I’m looking for someone.”
“Who are you looking for?”
She mumbled under her breath.
“I beg your
pardon?”
“Ben.” She cleared her throat. “Walker. Ben Walker.”
Christina frowned. “Why? I … Oh! I heard about what happened the other night.” Christina leaned down and placed her arms on the window. “Are you hurt? Do you need to pay for medical bills or something? Because you know Matthew will take care of that.”
Penny shook her head. “Oh no. Not at all. Er …,” she took a deep breath, “I just need to talk to him.”
“Well, as far as I know, Ben doesn’t have an office here.” Christina tapped a finger on her chin. “But we could ask Jason or Matthew. C’mon.”
“What?” Before she could protest, Christina unlocked her door, opened it, and tugged her out. “No! I mean, really, it’s fine. I can find him another time.”
But it was no use. Christina dragged her out of her car and across the street toward the imposing building. She tried not to look at the security guards who gave them curious stares, though no one stopped them, not even the stern-looking receptionist who waved them in.
“I’m actually glad I found you,” Christina said as they entered the elevator. She punched the number at the top and the door closed.
“Really? Why?”
“We need to start your self-defense lessons.”
Penny laughed nervously. “Oh, I didn’t think you were serious about that.”
The elevator stopped and Christina led her out. They walked to the end of the hall where there were two doors and two empty desks. “Matthew and Jason don’t have assistants yet,” she explained as they entered the door on the left. “We can talk and wait in here.”
They walked into the plush office, and Christina motioned for her to sit down on the couch. “Coffee or tea?” she asked.
“I’m fine. Maybe some water if you have it?”
“Sure.” Christina strode over to the small refrigerator in the corner and grabbed two bottles of water. She gave one to Penny and sat down next to her. “Now, about those lessons.”
“You don’t really have to do that,” Penny said. “I know you were just being nice.”
The Blackstone Bear Page 4
