It was too much. Penny thought she’d be able to handle it, but seeing Ben with someone else was making her chest hurt again. Much more than it did last night. Ben was drunk last night, but today, he knew what he was doing.
She waited for the people to settle down, and, once the coast was clear, turned around and headed for the exit, going past Guest List Lady and the two guards.
“I swear I’m on the list. Can’t you just let me in, please? I’m already dressed up.”
“I’m sorry. I can’t, miss,” Guest List Lady said.
Penny froze. She knew that voice. Slowly, she pivoted on her heels. “Mia?”
Mia, dressed in a long red dress, turned around. “Penny?” Her eyes flashed with surprise for a moment, then a cool mask slipped on. “Leaving already?”
“Well, at least I was invited.”
Mia’s face twisted into an expression of hate. “I am invited. When you ran away, Ben asked me to be his date.”
Penny knew that was a complete lie. Ben already had a date. “Really? Then how come you're not on the list?” Score one for Penny.
Mia's lips curled into a vicious smile. "Well, last night—"
“Penny!”
Her damn heart nearly leapt out of her chest at the sound of Ben’s voice. He was standing by the entryway to the ballroom, disbelief on his face. “You came,” he said. “You—” He stopped suddenly, and turned to Mia. “You,” he snarled, then stalked toward her. “What are you doing here?”
“Ben!” Mia cried. “Ben, please!”
“You fucking liar!”
“No! Ben!” Mia cowered as Ben towered over her. He grabbed her by the shoulders and dragged her to Penny. “Tell the truth. Now.”
“The truth?” Mia sneered. “That you’ve been sneaking around with me these past weeks?”
“Shut up! Tell her the truth! I’ve never seen you before, and you’re not from Blackstone.”
“Ben, you’re scaring me,” Mia said. “I am telling the truth.”
Ben ran his fingers through his hair. “Penny, please, you have to believe me. You’re my mate! I swear I would never cheat on you.”
Ben’s words stunned her. Oh God, she wanted to believe him. She looked at Mia and then at Ben. Had she been wrong this whole time? She had to trust her instinct. Ben. It was screaming Ben. She opened her mouth to tell him but was interrupted by a shout from behind.
“What the hell is going on here?”
Kate was standing behind Guest List Lady, hands on her hips. Sybil was behind her, as was Ben’s date.
“Kate!” Ben exclaimed. “Have you seen this woman before? Have any of you seen her? Do you know her?”
Kate shrugged. “Never seen her before.”
Sybil shook her head. “Should we know her?”
The third woman walked closer and narrowed her eyes at Mia. Her nostrils flared, and she crossed her arms over her chest. “Who is she?”
Mia stood there, unmoving, her face a cold mask. She turned to Penny. “You should have stayed away, Penny. He’s mine! He was meant to be mine!”
“Get her out of here,” Ben barked to the two guards standing by the door. “Put her in the holding cell for a couple of hours.” The men nodded and approached Mia. “Don’t even think of shifting,” Ben warned. “Those wolves are armed with special weapons to take you down. This entire hotel is surrounded by snipers, too.”
“No!” Mia screeched as the two guards grabbed her by the arms. “Damn you Ben Walker! This was your last chance!” She let out a laugh as she was being dragged away. “You’ll regret this! You and your mate are going to die!”
Penny felt a pit in her stomach slowly growing. Mia had been the one lying. All this time. She whirled around, covering her face with her hands. It was all clear now. Mia, manipulating her. Making her trust her. She’d bet everything she owned that Mia was the one spreading those rumors at The Den.
“What’s going on? Ben, is she really your mate?” The tall blonde woman stared at Penny with a curious look on her face.
Oh no. Ben’s date. Without a second thought, Penny picked up her skirts and ran.
“Penny!”
She ran as fast as she could, down the long hallway and into the lobby. She made it past the door to the outside, but she was no match for a shifter's speed.
“Penny. Stop.” Ben was right in front of her, and she collided into his chest. He placed his hands on her shoulders to steady her. “Why did you run?”
Humiliation burned in her cheeks. “Ben, I should go.”
“No!” he roared. “Why? I don’t understand. You know she was lying. I was telling the truth, I swear. I would never cheat on you.”
“That’s why I ran!” she burst out suddenly. “Because you were telling the truth, and I didn’t believe you!”
“What?”
She pulled away from him, wrapping her arms around herself. “Ben, I don’t deserve you. I don’t deserve any of this! I should have believed you last night, I’m sorry.”
“Sweetheart,” he said. “There’s nothing to be sorry about. Last night wasn’t your fault. Mia poisoned me. That’s why I acted like I was drunk.”
“She poisoned you?”
“Yeah. And she tried to make it look like … well, I don’t really know what she was up to.”
Penny could guess. “She wanted you for herself.”
“I guess.” He frowned. “I just … please don’t run.”
“Ben, I should have trusted you. Don’t you see? I don’t deserve you.”
“No!’” He grabbed her gently by the arm. “She was manipulating us. There’s nothing to forgive, but if it makes you feel better, then I forgive you.”
“I don’t deserve it. I don’t deserve you. What do you want with me, anyway? I’m just poor trash from the wrong side of town who—”
He cut her off with a kiss, pressing his lips to hers as he wrapped his steely arms around her. He kissed her until she was breathless and limp in his arms. “I won’t have you talking like that. You’re my mate, and I love you.”
“You what?”
“I love you. You’re mine and mine forever, if you’ll have me.” All of a sudden, his expression changed. The air shifted around them, and he let go of her. “Last night, I saw your face when I shifted. I know you were scared.” He turned away, raking his fingers through his hair.
She reached out and touched his arm. “I wasn’t scared of you. I was scared of my own demons. Seeing you like that brought up memories, but I know you would never hurt me.” He remained silent as a stone. “Ben, talk to me.”
He turned around slowly. “Mia was a liar, but she was telling the truth about one thing. I am a monster.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Penny, I need to tell you the truth. And if you don’t want to be with me, I’ll respect your wishes.”
“What truth? Please just tell me.”
Ben’s face was pure anguish. “It’s the bad blood in me.” Then, he told her the whole story. As he relayed it, Penny felt her heart breaking, imagining Ben as a young boy. Because she knew what it was like to have someone who was supposed to take care of you use you instead.
“Ben, I don’t believe you’re a monster.”
“You’ve seen my bear twice. How could you not think that was a monster?”
“The first time I saw your bear, it was trying to protect me. How could I think of it as a monster?” She moved closer to him, placing a palm over his chest. “I know you, Ben. The real you. You told me you are your bear. Well, why can’t the bear be you? You’ve got a good heart, so your bear can’t be a monster.”
He looked at her, his eyes like brilliant blue sapphires, the anguish on his face heartbreaking.
She lunged at him, wrapping her arms around his waist. “I love you, Ben. Both of you. All of you.”
As he leaned down to kiss her, a warm feeling crept into her belly. It was faint, but it began to grow. Despite the chill in the air, she felt cozy, and not j
ust because of Ben’s body heat. Goose pimples broke out over her skin, and she shivered. A feeling washed over her, one she couldn’t name, but it felt pleasant. For the first time in, maybe, ever, she felt calm. At peace. Whole.
“Penny?” Ben asked when he pulled away.
“Huh?”
“You felt that, right?”
“You did, too?”
He nodded. “The mating bond. We’re really mated now.”
“Oh my God.” It was strange. She had always felt a pull toward Ben, but now it was like they were tied together. The warmth buzzing inside her felt incredible.
“I love you so much. You say you don’t deserve me? It’s me who doesn’t deserve you.” He smiled at her. “How did I ever get so lucky?”
“Ben,” she said with a sigh. “I love you, too. Oh no!” She pulled away.
“What’s wrong?” he asked. “Did Mia say something else?”
“No. It’s just that … what about your date?”
“My date?”
“Yeah, the blonde.”
“The blo—” Ben laughed. “Amelia? My sister?”
“She’s your sister?” Huh. She did kinda look like Ben, now that she thought about it. She was definitely tall enough to be related to him. “Oh poop, I feel silly now!”
“Don’t be,” he said. “I want you to meet everyone. Amelia. Mom and Dad. But,” he pulled her back into his arms, “I think that can wait. I want to be alone with you for now, my mate. Let’s go home.”
“But the reception?”
“I’ve done my duty, and everyone will understand.” He winced. “I’m sure Kate has told everyone that you’re my mate by now. And they’ll be looking for us, my mother especially. She’s not going to be happy everyone else got to meet you first. We should go before she sends out a search party.”
Penny was looking forward to meeting Ben’s family, but it had been too long since they were alone together. “All right, let’s go home.”
Chapter 16
Ben drove back to his cabin as fast as he could without breaking any laws. He was still having a hard time believing this was real. That Penny really was his, and she loved him.
Last night, when he had gotten home after roaming the woods for hours, he collapsed on his front porch. He would have preferred to stay home and wallow in grief and shame tonight, but he knew Jason was counting on him to be at the wedding. So, he had gotten cleaned up and dressed. He had put on his best front because today was his cousin’s and Christina's day and he wasn’t going to ruin it.
And then he saw Penny at the reception, looking so beautiful. Hope had bloomed in him and he followed her when he saw her running. He couldn’t help himself. And that bitch Mia. His bear growled. She was crazy. A stalker. He shook his head mentally. He didn’t usually get that kind of women; it was mostly Jason or Nathan who attracted that type. He just hoped a few hours in the makeshift holding cell the wolves from Lykos had prepared would knock some sense into her.
Finally, they arrived at his home. He couldn’t wait to get her inside. He carried her up the stairs to the bedroom as she giggled adorably all the way. He laid her down on the bed, stripped her naked, and drank in the sight of her.
When he reached for the condom in the nightstand, she grabbed his hand and shook her head.
“Are you sure?” he asked. He couldn’t bring himself to believe she would want his cubs, knowing about his bloodline.
“Yes. Ben, please, I want to feel all of you.”
They made love slowly, enjoying the feel of each other. Somehow, it felt different this time. He couldn’t describe it. Stronger. More intense. He felt like someone was plucking strings inside him, sending vibrating waves throughout his body. From the way she moved and cried, Penny must have felt it, too.
“Oh, Ben,” Penny sighed as she fell on top of him.
He eased out of her and rolled her to his side. “I love you,” he whispered. It felt good to say it. He wanted to say it over and over again and shout it to anyone who would listen.
“Hmm.” She snuggled against him, burying her face in his side. “Ben, I—what’s wrong.”
He tensed. His bear’s hackles rose. Something was wrong. His enhanced hearing detected sounds outside the house. Feet and paws shuffling.
“Get dressed,” he said to her in a terse voice.
“What?”
“Please, Penny, just do as I say!” he barked. “Get dressed and stay in here. Lock the door.”
His instincts were going haywire. He didn’t know why, but there was a threat out there.
“Ben!” she called as he raced out the door. He didn’t have time to explain but hoped Penny would obey.
As he reached the outside door, it suddenly went quiet. But he could sense their presence, whoever they were.
“Come out, come out, Ben Walker!” a voice called. “We know you’re in there. We’ve got you surrounded.”
He heard the revving of several engines, the cocking of firearms, and grunts and growls.
“We just want to talk. Now, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. The hard way probably involves a lot of pain for you and your mate.”
“Fuck,” he cursed. His bear was getting restless, sensing the danger they were in. He peeked out the window, so he could see if they were bluffing. They were not. There were two jacked-up trucks, several men with shotguns, and half a dozen full grown bears. They surrounded the front of his house.
“Don’t even thinking of sneaking out the back; we’ve got that covered, too,” the voice said, as if hearing his thoughts. “Just come out. Or we could force our way in.”
Damn. He could maybe fight the bears, but not the men with shotguns before they pumped him full of bullets. Who were these guys, and what did they want?
He cracked the door open. “Fine! I’m coming out.” He didn’t really have a choice.
Ben pushed the door open and stepped outside, squaring his shoulders. He stood on the porch with his eyes staring straight ahead. “You all are trespassing. I suggest you leave now before I call the cops.”
There were guffaws and laughs from the men holding the shotguns. The bears pawed at the earth and snarled at him.
“Trespassing? That’s rich.”
A figure stepped forward, leaving the line of men and bears. He was older but tall and built like a linebacker, with closed-cropped white hair and scars down his face. The scowl he wore cracked into a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. With his physique, it was hard to guess his age, though he was probably much older than he looked. But the dominance he displayed was clear. He was the leader of this ragtag band.
The old man stalked closer until he was a few feet away from the porch. He crossed his arms over his massive chest. “Well now, it’s nice to finally meet you face to face, boy.”
“I’m not your boy,” Ben roared.
He laughed. “I’ll call you whatever the hell I want. The name’s Amos Bronson, Alpha of the Bronson clan. And your grandfather.”
Ben wanted to laugh at him but knew deep inside he was telling the truth. “What do you want?”
“What do I want?” Amos roared. “I want what’s owed to me.”
Ben tensed. “I don’t have whatever it is you think is yours.”
“Don’t be stupid, boy. I want you.” Amos craned his neck up at him. “Since you’re not denying I am your grandfather, let me bring you up to speed. I sent my eldest daughter, Sue, to seduce your daddy.”
“So, you’re a bastard who offered up his own daughter to his enemy.”
“Wanna know why?” Amos didn’t wait for him to answer. “Why do you think your bear is so massive? And your daddy’s? It’s because your line is infused with dragon’s blood.” He spat. “I knew I needed that in my clan, too. You were going to be the start of a new generation of Bronson bears who would be the meanest and most dominant in the world. And the fact that your daddy’s a Walker was icing on the cake. It would have been the biggest slap in the face to that clan.”
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“Well, my father got to me first,” Ben said. “Too bad for you.”
“It was your bitch mother!” Amos said, the rage barely contained in his voice. “She ruined everything when she ran away with you as soon as you were born. It took us years, but we got her. Too bad she had already tucked you away by that time.”
“You lost, get over it. Why did you come here?”
Amos’ voice grew cold. “You were supposed to fall for the same trick your daddy did, and I was going to make sure your cub didn’t get away. But my granddaughter is too stupid to seal the deal.” Amos nodded to a shadow in the corner, and someone stepped forward. Someone familiar.
“Gramps, I told you,” Mia said in a petulant voice. “I almost had him! If they had taken care of his whore mate, then I could have given you what you wanted.”
“Yeah, well, maybe you’re not a good as you think you are,” someone standing on the far right said.
Ben’s head whipped toward the familiar voice. It was Tyler, the man who had interviewed at the mines a couple of weeks back. Beside him was the other man, the simple one, Rick.
“Howdy, cousin,” Tyler said with a grin. “Never did hear that callback from your HR. But that’s okay, we wasn’t really there for a job, right Rick?” Rick nodded. “We was scoping out the place. We've been going in and out at night for the last couple of days. Not that we could find anything useful.”
So it was them. They were the ones who were in the abandoned cave. That means they were also the ones who had prowled around his cabin.
“We’ve been keeping tabs on you, boy,” Amos said. “Ever since we found out your daddy got you. Been watching your every move since you were a boy. We know everything. About homecoming, about you going to Colorado State, and of course, your sweet little mate.”
“Pretty one, ain’t she?” Tyler leered. “Too bad she scared so easy.”
“What the fuck are you saying? You’ve been following her?” Rage was building inside him.
“We was gonna get rid of her, but she was too smart, that one,” Tyler said.
“Shut up, all of you!” Amos boomed. “No more talking. I’m here to finish this, since my own grandchildren are too stupid to get things done.” Tyler and Mia tried to protest, but he silenced them with one hand. “Let me lay out what’s going to happen,” Amos said, turning to Ben. “You’re going to join us, boy. Leave Blackstone and come with us.”
The Blackstone Bear Page 14
