Benjamin Read online

  “Come on in and join me,” Benjamin said. “Once you get used to the temperature, it’s not so bad.”

  “I didn’t bring a swimsuit,” Sabrina replied. She wanted to swim with him. Maybe stripping down to her bra and panties would be good. They covered as much as her bikini did.

  Benjamin’s expression suddenly went cold.

  “Sabrina!”

  He jumped out of the river, spraying water everywhere and startling her. He rushed across the rocks, sprinting toward her, leaping with agile grace. His muscles were working hard as he closed the distance between them.

  Sabrina’s eyes widened and she turned slowly, her heart pounding against her ribcage and goosebumps crawling over the nape of her neck and arms.

  She wasn’t alone on the shore.

  Her eyes met the huge mountain lion’s eyes as it stalked toward her. It was almost close enough to pounce. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move.

  Benjamin appeared between her and the mountain lion. His right hand came around her waist and he moved her behind him, shielding her. He roared at the mountain lion.

  “Don’t move,” he said through their mate bond.

  She looked over his shoulder, the cat hunkered down, preparing to attack. Fear blasted through her. Thinking that Benjamin would have to fight the wild animal turned her blood cold. She was desperate to do something to stop the attack. She was powerless, though. Neither of them was a match for the lion in their human forms.

  Their only hope was for Benjamin to shift into his bear. As the alpha, he was extremely fast with his shifting. His bear was strong enough to face the mountain lion and make it leave.

  The lion growled.

  Benjamin growled back, the sound echoing around them, bouncing off the mountains. She could sense his need to shift. She believed his bear would make the lion leave. She couldn’t bear thinking about her losing him to the mountain lion. Imagining him fighting the big cat cranked up her fear, sending her heart into overdrive as she fought for air.

  Benjamin’s eyes never left the lion. The beast didn’t take its eyes off Benjamin, either. They stared at each other across the length of the rocky ground. It was a silent standoff between two powerful predators.

  Sabrina’s heart stopped when the mountain lion went even lower.

  As the mountain lion lunged forward, Benjamin shifted. The sounds of roaring and fur smacking fur filled the air. The scent of blood soon followed. The mountain lion let out an anguished bellow, then turned and padded back into the forest.

  Sabrina’s heart plummeted into her stomach.

  “Are you alri—”

  Benjamin cut her off as he turned on his heel and dragged her into his arms against his chest. He pressed his forehead to hers, breathing deeply. He tunneled his fingers into the loose waves of her blonde hair. She closed her eyes and leaned in for a kiss.

  “Are you okay?” he whispered, his lips brushing her forehead.

  Sabrina could only nod. Her voice was gone, driven away by the feel of his arms wrapped tightly around her. She had been on the verge of losing everything that mattered to her. He had a way of making her feel as if she was the only other person in his universe. The mountain lion had shaken them both.

  He crossed the short span of shoreline back to his backpack and clothes. He grabbed his shirt and began to tug it on. She noticed the claw marks left by the mountain lion were healing and slowly fading away.

  “I was so frightened.”

  She stroked her fingers across his chest, following the marks that marred his tanned skin. They had been so deep. Hot tears were rising even though she tried to hold them back. She lifted her eyes and saw the heat that she had seen in them before— the desire.

  “Sabrina,” he breathed his voice husky with need.

  They needed to lose themselves in each other as they reassured themselves that they were both alright and safe. He nibbled on her mating mark, sending chills down her spine. Benjamin slowly lowered them to the ground, taking her hard and fast.

  ●●●

  Sabrina and Benjamin had left camp at first light, continuing their hike to Dream Lake.

  Benjamin had been on high alert all night. He breathed her in, reassuring him and his bear that she was safe. He hadn’t been able to sleep as he continually ran the mountain lion attack through his mind. His ears twitched with every little noise he heard outside their tent. His bear had demanded he stay awake and watch over Sabrina, ready to protect his mate from any predators who might stray too close to the tent.

  He watched her sleep fitfully, wondering what haunted her dreams. Did she recall her near-drowning when she was a cub? She was doing well with the swimming lessons. Before long, she wouldn’t need his help anymore.

  She seemed brighter today. The color was back in her cheeks and the dark circles he noticed under her eyes were disappearing. She was as beautiful today as she was all those years ago when he first claimed her as his mate. They both needed this weekend getaway. He was glad that the mountain lion incident wasn’t getting her down or making her want to go back home.

  As he strode through the trees, stepping over the thick roots that littered the forest floor, he recalled the years they had been together. It had been almost six years that he had been with Sabrina. She always had him fired up and driven mad by his need for her. They still didn’t know why their mate bond hadn’t completely formed. He was delighted that Sabrina had been able to shift again. Her bear was gorgeous. His bear loved romping with her.

  The last few years, Benjamin had been stressed. The battles over the mine and the Independence clan brought on by Pickens and his army were taking its toll on him. The attacks against Corbin’s mate by her ex, Cade and Gracie’s kidnapping, and the problems Jase and Libby had all added to the stresses. He let it all get to him. He was exhausted almost every night. He rarely made love with his mate.

  He hated it. He hated the wall that had built between them and he was determined to tear it down. He wouldn’t allow anything to stand between him and Sabrina again. He sensed her patience with him over these last few years. Was this why their mating bond hadn’t fully settled into place?

  He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He was the reason that their mating bond hadn’t fully formed. It wasn’t right. She deserved better than that. It was time he stopped holding back.

  Benjamin watched Sabrina hike in front of him. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. The tight top hugged her breasts and stirred hunger within him, reawakening the desperate need to draw her into his arms and kiss her. He tried to fight off the need to make her surrender to him. He needed to concentrate on hiking. He needed to shut down the way his body was reacting to thinking about all the ways he wanted to take her.

  When he kneeled to tie the laces of his hiking boots, his gaze was level with her hips. He lost the battle against his body. All his blood rushed south, making him instantly hard. He drew in a deep breath and it only made things worse, filling his senses with her scent. He wet his lips and stepped away from her, giving himself a moment to bring his desires under control.

  She stood a short distance away, retying her blonde hair into a ponytail. Benjamin closed the distance between them. He needed to focus on getting them safely to Dream Lake. He couldn’t lose her because he was careless. These mountains were filled with animals that could kill them in a heartbeat. Last night’s encounter with the mountain lion confirmed that. He would sooner die than face the rest of his life without Sabrina.

  One careless second was all it would take. One second in which his focus slipped and end their forever. He had a lot to make up for— lost time and a thousand mistakes included. He was going to spend the rest of his life showing her how much he loved her and making up for everything he had done wrong.

  Chapter 9

  Benjamin had caught the scent early the next morning. He quietly crept out of the tent, not wanting to wake Sabrina. The smell was coated with that scent that he now associated with the vampires. He came up
on the intruders and they didn’t notice him coming. He crept behind them, his bear rising to the surface, loving the hunt. He was about two feet from them when they froze, fear wafting from them. Benjamin gave a harsh smile and growled. They tried to run, but he was faster. He grabbed him by the collars and smashed their heads together, but not with too much force because he needed to hear them talk.

  They groaned, whimpered, and cried out. Benjamin growled again, letting his power flow through him. The vampires paled and bared their throats.

  “Why are you here?” Benjamin growled.

  “We were told to watch, nothing more,” the redhead vampire whimpered.

  Benjamin bared his teeth and the other vampire, the one who hadn’t spoken, growled at him. Benjamin punched the bastard in the nose, almost enjoying the feeling of its break beneath his fist. He didn’t crave violence, but he didn’t shy away from it. He did what he had to do to protect his clan and these vampires didn’t deserve to live. He couldn’t let them go back to Pickens and tell them anything they’d seen. It was too much of a risk.

  “I could make you talk,” he threatened.

  “We promise, we don’t know anything,” the blond-haired vampire said.

  They are telling the truth, Benjamin, his bear said.

  Being the alpha, he could immediately sense when there was a danger to the clan. He could also tell when someone was lying. These two possessed no threat to him other than being in the wrong place at the wrong time. If they left and went back to Pickens with what they’d seen, the danger to his clan would increase, meaning he would have to take care of them. Permanently.

  In the moment it took him to listen to his bear, the redheaded vampire reached out and clawed Benjamin in the face, his long nails piercing his skin, causing the pain to radiate out.

  Benjamin severed the bastard’s neck from his head in one quick movement. He didn’t deserve a quick death, but Benjamin didn’t want to deal with him anymore. The other vampire grew frightened and tried to get away. With a remorseful sigh, he decapitated the other vampire. He leaned back on his haunches and looked down at the blood on his hands. He hated killing. If he didn’t, though, his family and clan wouldn’t be protected. They could all lose everything.

  He felt blood running down his face. He left the bodies where they lay, knowing they were on clan land and humans would not notice. He would send forces back to clean up the mess. He needed to get to Galena and let her heal him.

  As he entered the tent, he noticed that Sabrina had been awake long enough to get dressed and pack their belongings.

  “The vampire smell woke me. As I peeked through the opening in the tent, I saw you had everything under control and decided to pack,” Sabrina said when she heard him come in. Her back was still to him, so she didn’t see his bleeding.

  “I’m sorry we won’t be able to make it to Dream Lake, but I need to get back to Galena.”

  Sabrina turned to look at Benjamin and forced herself not to cry out when she saw his bloody face.

  “I’m sure it looks worse than it really is,” Benjamin said.

  They grabbed their gear and made it back to the Jeep as quickly as possible. Benjamin was relieved when Sabrina offered to drive. His blood was getting into his eyes and making it hard to see.

  He made his way through Galena’s office door with Sabrina’s help. Galena came running from the back of the office, alarm on her face.

  “Oh my god, Benjamin. I knew I smelled blood. What happened?” Galena said as she came up to him and lifted her hands as if she were going to touch him.

  He pulled back, not wanting to get blood on her.

  “It’s nothing,” he said.

  “I swear, all men are the same. Whether they are a bear or man, they don’t like doctors,” Galena laughed.

  “Are you calling all men babies?” he asked, laughing. “Ouch! Don’t make me laugh.”

  “If the rattle fits. It looks pretty bad, let me clean it up first and see how bad it is,” Galena said.

  Benjamin watched Galena get her supplies. He sank into a chair next to the sofa where Sabrina had moved. Galena returned with her medical supplies, then leaned forward and used a wet washcloth to wipe up the blood. As she worked, he watched the way her chestnut curls framed her face and how her brown eyes darkened when she concentrated.

  “Okay, all done.”

  “Didn’t hurt a bit, thanks.”

  “Come back in a couple of days. I want to make sure everything is okay.”

  “Okay, I’ll let you know if I have any problems.”

  ●●●

  “Will you guys keep it down? Benjamin is trying to rest,” Sabrina said softly but firmly.

  She glared at the assembled clanmates. Their friends were all there, hoping to be useful, hoping to be helpful. Her bear wished that they would all leave them alone. All she wanted to do was lay in bed with Benjamin and forget the outside world for a while.

  “We’re sorry, Sabrina,” Oscar said.

  “Is he okay?” Michelle asked.

  “He’ll be fine. He just needs some rest,” Sabrina replied.

  “You see, everything’s going to be fine,” Marek said.

  “I made some chicken noodle soup,” Carmen said.

  “I brought some dinner rolls and ginger ale,” Ashley said.

  “Thank you, Carmen and Ashley. I’m sure Benjamin will appreciate your thoughtfulness,” Sabrina said as she followed the ladies to the kitchen to ladle out some soup for Benjamin.

  Benjamin could hear arguing downstairs, but it didn’t detract from the warm feelings that pervaded his home. He sat up as he heard a soft tap at the door. Sabrina appeared and smiled.

  “Hey, I brought you some chicken noodle soup from Carmen. The dinner rolls and ginger ale are from Ashley. How are you feeling?”

  “Good. My face is a little tight and tender around the claw marks. I really hate being in bed. I should be out there helping Marek tighten security.”

  “Well, eat up, then you can shower and get with Marek.”

  “It smells delicious.”

  “If you’re still hungry after this, I will get you more,” Sabrina said as she lowered the tray onto Benjamin’s lap.

  “I’m sure this will be enough to hold me through till dinner. Thank you.”

  She smiled at him then turned and left him be.

  After finishing his late lunch, Benjamin padded into the bathroom. When he looked into the mirror, he was pleased to see that his face was mostly healed. He turned the knob to hot in the shower. He slowly stripped out of his clothes, shaved, and brushed his teeth as he waited for the water to heat. After his shower, he dried off and got into his underwear, socks, a comfortable Harley Davidson t-shirt, and jeans.

  Benjamin went in search of his mate and his enforcers. It was time to end Pickens. They had the silver dagger and, when they went to battle, they would infuse it with Sabrina’s blood. Her angel blood needed to be as fresh as possible to be strong enough to kill Pickens.

  He was pleased to find Marek, Oscar, Dylan, and Sabrina in Dylan’s office.

  “I’m glad to find you all together. We need to conference call with Corbin and set things in motion for our final battle with Pickens. This needs to end now,” Benjamin said.

  “I couldn’t agree more. I have divided my enforcers in half. Half will stay here to protect our land, the rest will come with us. That will give us ten enforcers at each location,” Marek said.

  “As beta, I will stay here with the women, children, and men who are unable to battle,” Dylan said.

  “I’m pleased to see that you were busy while I was recovering. Oscar, would you please get my brother on the line and tell him to gather his team for the conference call?” Benjamin said.

  Quickly, he was looking at his brother, Corbin, and his team— Jase, Cade, Eloise, and Gracie.

  “Jase, how are Libby and your new baby boy doing?” Benjamin said, easing into the conversation.

  “They are great. It’s be
en a few days of learning his schedule and how we now work as a family. Fatherhood is the greatest thing ever!” Jase replied.

  “I told him he has it easy with only one baby, the slacker. Try having twins,” Cade joked.

  “Ben, I’m glad to see that you are looking better. Those claw marks sounded like they may have been infected from what Galena told Danielle,” Eloise said

  “Sabrina got me to Galena fast enough that there was no chance for an infection. Other than a slight tightness, I feel like new,” Benjamin replied.

  “Let’s get down to business. We have located Pickens’ base camp in Gilman. Our informant said that his lab is on top of Battle Mountain. Since the mine flooded, there has been some desertion. Pickens’ army is down to three hundred vampires,” Corbin said.

  “Our informant said that several of the deserters were captured, tied to trees or stakes and left for the sun to turn them into dust. Those working in the laboratories with our informant are working almost nonstop. They are close to a breakthrough in their engineering his super army with the molybdenum,” Cade said.

  “With your people joining us and those from around the world, we are now at five hundred shifters to fight. They started arriving weeks ago and are currently staying in tents on our land,” Jase added.

  “It seems like we are ready to launch our attack. When do you want us there, Corbin?” Benjamin asked.

  “Come tonight. You and your people will stay in the cabins we reserved for guests. We closed down this year when Pickens’ attacks became too violent for the humans,” Corbin said.

  “After a good night’s sleep, we will attack at dawn. Pickens has developed a spray for his vamps so they can stay out in the sun safely,” Cade said.

  “We will take only the bare necessities for the evening and my enforcers and other clanmates that trained to fight will arrive in a few hours. Galena and a few of her healers will arrive with us to help Danielle and her people. Galena will bring extra medical supplies,” Oscar said.