Chapter Twenty-Three
Salizar
I followed Chris to the master bedroom, eyeing the bed. It could definitely hold the three of us, and if not, I would let them sleep while I sat and watched over them, something I loved to do.
“This is the master bathroom,” Chris said, moving inside the room. “You can shower first and then I’ll take mine.”
“You think Benji is okay?” I asked, ignoring my need to shower. I’d wanted to ask as soon as we were far enough away for Benji to overhear us.
“I think he’s exhausted and needs a good bath and some food. Then lots of sleep.”
“He just seemed so…”
“Lifeless?”
I sighed. “Yes, lifeless pretty much explains the way he moved and looked. It was like a switch while we drove. One minute he was snapping at you and then…”
“Then he seemed to be nothing but a shell of himself,” Chris finished for me.
“We should keep an eye on him,” I said, instantly hating that our human wasn’t in my sight.
Chris looked uncertain. “That’s what I struggle with. Will he enjoy being near us all the time or does he need space? I know how you feel, because you’re like me, but I don’t want to make Benji unhappy by forcing our presence on him.”
I hadn’t really thought about it myself. “You’re right that he’s different from us, but maybe we should just ask him? If he can’t voice his own needs at the moment, we’ll just do what feels right.”
“This doesn’t feel right,” Chris said immediately and I sighed in relief.
“No, it doesn’t.”
“I’ll grab some clean clothes for all of us. You go and check on him.”
I did as he ordered, and I might’ve used my vampire speed to get to Benji faster. Soft sobs of anguish reached me before I’d even opened the door. It almost caused my legs to give out. My Benji was sad. Crying. All alone. And I had no idea why.
The door slammed open as I flew inside, needing to hold him, to fix whatever made him sad. He blinked red eyes up at me, startled but still so lifeless and quiet. If it hadn’t been for his sobs, I would’ve had no idea he was feeling anything but tired.
I tore my clothes off and joined him in the bath, hugging him into me. The water was cold. He hadn’t even bothered with the temperature. I was beating myself mentally as I turned on the warm water, then kissed his forehead and held him tighter.
Chris came in shortly after, eyeing us with worry. “I placed our clothes on the bed,” he said, getting undressed. “Think there’s enough room for me in there?”
There wasn’t, but we would make it work. Benji was now shivering between us, the water slushing over the sides of the tub, but none of us cared. Benji was hurting and we had no idea why.
“What’s wrong, sweetheart?” I asked once his shivers had subsided.
“I don’t know,” he whispered, his tone so broken it hurt. “I just feel so empty and out of place.”
“When did it start?” Chris asked, his tone soothing and warm.
“In the car,” Benji whispered. “But it’s not the first time I’ve felt like this.”
“Can you remember what triggered it?” I asked, rubbing his back.
“Chris mentioned his bed and I didn’t know if I was allowed to sleep in it or not,” he admitted after a few beats of silence.
“I know we’re all mates and bonded for life, but I still feel…
I feel like I don’t belong and I hate that feeling.
” He was sobbing again, his cold hands clasped against my biceps, likely just to hold on to something.
“You do belong,” I whispered, kissing his forehead.
“And it’s no longer my bed,” Chris added. “Its ours. And I look forward to sharing it with my mates tonight.”
“You promise?” he whispered.
“Of course,” I assured him. “This threeway bonding thing will take time for all of us to adjust to. I’ve been alone for centuries, I might be selfish and not always take you into account because I’m used to making decisions alone.
I doubt our alpha will like that part about me, and we might fight and argue until I learn to take you two into account. ”
Chris took over adding his own take to this.
“I always felt forced into mating with a woman, having lots of kids and heirs. I never envisioned this for myself and it’s still hard for me to wrap my mind around the change in how I see my future.
It used to be with a woman by my side and lots of pups, now all I see is the two of you by my side, smiling and happy.
My future is finally my own and you two are the pieces I had no idea I was missing to find happiness. ”
“You weren’t happy before?” Benji asked, peering over at Chris.
Chris shook his head. “I haven’t felt happiness until I woke up and realized I was bonded to the two of you. That was the first time I truly felt happy.”
That only made Benji cry even harder, so I held him tighter against me.
It was time for full honesty. It seemed our human needed it to truly believe in us.
“I’ve felt happy, but never complete,” I began.
“When I was first turned, happiness for me was hunting, it fed the predator side of me when I killed humans. It was a weak happiness, fleeting. When I claimed you, my sweetheart, I felt like I finally had a purpose, a way of having unlimited happiness forever.”
We were silent after that, with me stroking Benji’s back and Chris petting his thighs. We both needed to touch our human when he was this broken.
“I don’t remember ever feeling happy,” Benji finally admitted.
“I know I was happy as a kid, back when my family was still alive. After that I stopped hoping for it, knowing it could all be taken away anyway. I didn’t dare get close to anyone, lest I lose them all over again.
That was actually why I fought you two so hard in the beginning.
Caring for something means you can lose them and if you lose them, you lose yourself.
I wasn’t ready to face that kind of heartbreak again. ”
“You won’t lose us,” I vowed, kissing the top of his head. “Besides, we all die together when the time comes.”
“Are you sure?” Benji asked, blinking wet tears as he gazed at me with hope. “Even when we’re three?”
I nodded. “I know for certain that I’ll follow you into the next life, if one of us dies, we all do, together.”
There was no more talking after that, just comfort and soap. Chris and I washed our human together, then the three of us showered and got dressed. My mates were exhausted and before I could even suggest ordering something for them to eat, they were asleep on the bed.
I smiled fondly at my men and left the bedroom.
I needed to talk to Altaur and let him know everything we found.
Before when we’d talked, it had all been about us getting back to Keen and out of harm's way. I believed my master felt unnerved by the Greenwren Coven’s interest in the book, and the fact that it also made Yanus nervous.
When Altaur couldn’t fix his human’s emotions, he became fearful and protective.
It was rather adorable, really. Not that I’d ever dare tell my master that.
“Master,” I greeted once he’d picked up.
“My child, you bring more information this time?”
“I do.”
“And you’re safe?”
I chuckled, already foreseen this. “I am. We’re at Chris’ house at the moment.”
“That pleases me to hear. Now, please tell me everything.”
I’d only told him we’d taken care of the source and nothing more, so I began recounting what we’d just been through, to no surprise at all, it was Gabriella’s part in this that had him livid.
“To think she thought herself worthy of our coven,” he scoffed. “I knew that man only wanted eternal life, not a vampire lover.”
“Tom died a rogue,” I reminded him, making him chuckle with glee.
“A fitting death, I must say.”
“Very,” I agreed with a smile.
“Now, you mentioned the witches had scattered their scents?”
“Ah, yes. Chris couldn’t pick up a specific direction, their scents were all over the camping site,” I said.
“Hmm, I’ll need to talk to our witch allies some more.
I also scheduled a meeting with them on your behalf.
They want to destroy the book, and I’ve agreed to it.
This book is causing us too much trouble as it is and they have assured me the world is a better place without it.
Chris is the owner of the book, or the one holding it hostage might be a more fitting explanation.
He’ll decide on what to do after the meeting with the witches.
I just don’t want to keep coven members to stand guard for the rest of eternity.
Let him know that part as well. Might make the decision easier. ”
“When is the meeting?” I asked, already dreading his reply.
“Three days from now. Don’t worry, I remember how it was being newly bonded.
You three take some down time, okay? Make sure the pack is happy and show your faces tomorrow, but otherwise just enjoy each other.
I’ll look into the witch covens near Keen and figure out how many are working on getting their hands on the book. ”
“Thank you, master,” I smiled, feeling so relieved now that I knew we had more time to just exist before we had to go out and fight again.
Us taking down the “rogue creator” had meant less of a headache for the rest of the pack and coven.
Now everyone could relax further. Well, not everyone.
Sadly, with the witches still wanting in, that meant attacks could still happen.
I just doubted it would happen tonight. Besides, the ones already on guard duty tonight would deal with any funny business if they should show.
It was dinner time now and I had a feeling my mates would sleep for eight to ten hours if no one disturbed them.
I placed an order for pizza to be delivered.
Pizza could be reheated, if my memory was right about human food.
So it would simply go into the fridge until my men woke.
Then I would give them reheated pizza for breakfast. I would spoil them rotten these next few days, and for the rest of our lives, if they’d let me.
I had a feeling they would enjoy being spoiled.
I also added garlic bread and some chicken wings as well.
I truly had no idea what Chris preferred, but the burger options were all without bacon and my Benji loved his burgers with bacon.
Burgers would simply have to wait for another time.
With the food ordered, I sat in the living room and waited for it to be delivered.
I doubted it would take long, since the shop owners were likely werewolves.
They would know they were cooking for their alpha.
Sure enough, only fifteen minutes passed before a soft knock sounded on the door.
To my immediate surprise and fury, it was Freddy standing with our food, a wide smile on his face.
“Good evening, Salizar. I hope it was all right that I delivered the food,” he said, still beaming like a lunatic. Why was he so happy? I didn’t trust people that were that happy.
“Why?” I asked, raising one brow and crossing my arms, not even bothering to take the offered food.
“Our alpha is very protective over Benji and you, I doubt he would appreciate too many packmates showing up here. Not everyone is as accepting of you two as I am, you know.”
Now that was interesting information. “They aren’t?” I asked, intrigued.
“No, sadly many of the mothers had hoped to match Alpha with their daughters. He’s the one male everyone wants to mate with and even some of the mothers seem interested in getting him themselves.”
“Werewolves,” I muttered. I had no idea what to do now that I had to deal with them daily.
“I’ve decided not to take offense to that,” Freddy said, frowning slightly. “You want the food, or?”
I took it, then watched it warily. “They haven’t, like, poisoned it, right?”
His eyes widened. “Gods, what do you take us for? That food is for our alpha.”
I nodded, mostly to myself. Werewolves were just weird. “Sure. Have a nice evening, Freddy.” Then I closed the door and took all the food and placed it in the fridge. With food secured for my men, I joined them in the bedroom, ready to stare lovingly at them until they woke.
A perfect evening indeed.