Chapter 9
Bennie
The Hemlock Wolf Pack, Star’s Territory
I woke up on the sofa, still on top of Alby.
For a second, the living room looked foreign.
Had I crashed out at Raziel’s place again--- It hit me and I couldn’t stop smiling.
I nuzzled into my sleeping mate’s chest, and it was as if I was smelling him for the first time all over again. Only now he smelled a bit like me.
“Hi,” Alby laughed under me. “I think I already smell like you, but you can keep scent marking me.”
I yawned and before I knew it, I was my tiger.
The shift was almost instant or maybe it had started in my sleep because there I was hovering over my mate as he yawned and stretched and ran his soft fingers through my fur.
I purred, leaning into his hands softly.
I was significantly bigger than him now.
Bigger than him even when he was in his wolf form.
Normally, my tiger behaved himself, but meeting our true-mate made him a bit mischievous and I let him by with it today.
He wiggled down the sofa and nuzzled into Alby’s stomach.
My mate laughed and hugged his (my?) head to him.
It was always a bit confusing when I was in the backseat.
I was the tiger and separate from the tiger but still the tiger.
Under most circumstances we were in agreement, but he’d snuck out on me this time and before I knew it I was asleep again.
The next time I woke up, something was tickling my ears.
“Bennie!” Alby laughed. “Bennie! Wake up! I need to pee and you’re holding me down. What did they feed you growing up? You weigh a ton.”
My eyes blinked open, seeing him tickling my ears and barely feeling his shoves in my half-asleep state. My tiger was still tired so he relinquished control and allowed me to shift back to my human form and sit up. Alby followed suit, stretched, and headed off to the bathroom.
“I can’t believe we slept all night on the sofa,” I chuckled.
“I can,” Alby yawned over our mating link. “You wore me out. Not complaining, though. Gives us a chance to use that fancy coffee pot.”
I got up and started the coffee. Scratching my chest I looked out the kitchen window into the private backyard.
It was the only window in the house that looked onto private outside space.
For a second, I imagined rolling around with Alby in the grass, but my stomach growled.
Most mornings, I had breakfast with Ryder and Slyvin at the temple, but this morning I had no desire to leave the nest we’ve turned Raziel’s house into.
Alby walked into the kitchen and hugged me from behind. He was shorter than me so he nuzzled my back and I smiled. This was the good life. The really good life. I wrapped my arms over his and we shared a quiet moment as the coffee percolated.
“Hungry?” I asked, filled with the sudden urge to feed him. My tiger yawned and rolled over in his sleep. It wasn’t time for him to hunt yet, but the kitchen was so stuffed full that wouldn’t be a problem.
“A little. I usually need caffeine and a chapter before breakfast.”
“You say it like reading is a drug,” I laughed.
“Uh… It’s my fix,” he smirked against my back. “Caffeine and a chapter. Then a shower and breakfast.”
“I usually meditate before caffeine,” I admitted.
“You can do that. We shouldn’t give up ourselves just because we met.
Sure, we want to spend time together, but you don’t want to see me if I don’t read for a whole day.
My brain doesn’t like it,” he kissed my back.
“So, I’ll read and have some coffee while you meditate.
Then you can have coffee while I shower and we’ll figure out breakfast.”
I turned around and stole a kiss before heading upstairs for a quick shower and some pants before heading out into the backyard to meditate.
There was something so beautifully simple about the domestic bliss we found ourselves in.
Even as I tried to clear my mind, something deep inside me tried to romanticize our little morning ritual.
Just knowing he was inside the house, cozy with his book and his coffee, made me smile.
He was living with me and happy about it.
That last part mattered to me more than anything else. Mattered so much.
Eventually, I did clear my mind and focused on my breathing.
It was nice to be empty and feel the world inside and out for a few minutes.
As my muscles relaxed, I heard a voice I had only heard once before when I was about to be a stupid teenager and get into a car with a friend who claimed he only had one beer.
Back then it had said, “Don’t you dare throw your life away.
” The voice was deep and gruff. “Take his keys and chuck them into the river. Then call Slyvin.”
I did of course. For days I poked around cautiously asking questions.
The voice had felt very much like an older dragon, but all the older dragons I knew denied having said anything.
It wasn’t until a week later that Slyvin gently suggested that perhaps it was Frost. The old dragon had always been fond of children, and I had practically grown up inside his temple.
To this day I couldn’t be sure, I would’ve died if I got into Gregory’s car, but I always had the feeling I would’ve if I ignored that voice.
Instead, I took Frost’s advice. Gregory and I got into a fist fight before Slyvin and Ryder showed up, but we both lived to see another day.
Gregory is now the father of twelve happy, healthy, panther shifters.
So, when that voice sounded off inside my head so close to meeting Alby, I paid attention. Frost wasn’t a chatterbox. His presence was quiet stability at most usually.
“Do not forget about Chad Boston,” the voice said.
I sat quietly, too afraid to even breathe and miss something he wanted to tell me.
Chad Boston was the bear I killed for trying to assault my friend.
With all the ghosts running around causing chaos in recent years for a split second I feared that’s what would unfold now that I’ve met Alby.
“Chad Boston is dead. Chad Boston is reincarnated but people live on in other ways. If you and Alby play your cards right, you’ll help to heal someone from Raziel’s past life too. Just remember. This is not the time for action as the cards are still being shuffled.”
I thanked him and sat in silence for a long moment in case he wanted to say anything else.
He didn’t. So, I replayed that night in my mind.
My friend nearly being assaulted, the scent of her fear driving my tiger primal.
The battle against Chad who fought like a brick shithouse on steroids.
I won. I won because I fought with years of training behind me and not just a frantic will to live.
His body laying broken in the alleyway while guards poured in from everywhere.
EMTs taking my friend to the hospital just in case.
Slyvin hugging me and then my recounting of everything that happened.
Security footage caught most of our fight.
I sent money to his family for the funeral.
Sure, I didn’t cause his death. His actions did that, but it was an unplanned for expense.
Maybe I was just as bad as Raziel with that sometimes, but I didn’t want debt to meet with their grief.
I glanced in through the kitchen window.
Alby had disappeared further into the house.
His book and coffee mug still sat on the table but he was taking a shower.
Certain that Frost had nothing else to say, I went back inside and poured myself a mug.
I stood in the window, observing the trees, grass, and sky.
A crow flew by. It was still a beautiful day. It was still a good life.