Chapter Twelve
Christopher
Benjamin had either blocked me, or turned off his phone, and I was not dealing with it well.
He’d already been hurt once and was just a frail human.
What made it worse was that I’d learned from Benjamin’s boss, Hazi, that he shared a hotel room with the vampire Salizar.
The one who knew Benjamin didn’t like me.
Panu had been keeping his distance and had stopped with his need for gossip, but still, he was the one to inform me that a vampire and the hunter were here to speak with me.
I all but ran out of my office and into the street.
The sun was setting but it was still too high for a vampire.
I glared at them as I approached where they stood next to a black sedan.
“Really?” I growled once I was close enough for Benjamin to hear me. “You can’t pick up your damn phone, but showing up here is just fine?”
I only had eyes for my mate and he glared hard at me. “I was a bit preoccupied.”
I rolled my eyes at that. “I’m sure you were, meanwhile we had three of my pack members die. Remind me again how you’re the best hunter?”
“I was injured!” Benjamin snapped.
“You sure look like it!” I yelled back, eyeing him where he stood like he was perfectly fine.
A protective hand landed on Benjamin’s shoulder and I saw red. How dare the vampire touch him?!
“You will speak to him with respect,” Salizar snarled.
“I will speak to him however I damn please,” I growled. “Now, what was so important that you couldn’t pick up the fucking phone and help us? Because I’m not buying the injured sob story!”
Benjamin was unsure on his feet, clearly working through on how to answer me and I didn’t like that.
“What!” I snapped. “Happened?!”
To my horror, the hunter looked at the vampire, like he would help him, like he trusted him. I growled when the vampire gave my mate a loving look in return.
Then the vampire looked at me with clear disgust. “My bonded and I needed time to… familiarize ourselves with one another.”
Static sounded in my ears, then a ringing. My blood boiled. What?!
“Alpha!” Abigail, one of my youngest packmates in the station, came running. “Witch attack near the library! They’re trying to break the ward!”
Cursing, I shifted, ripping my clothes to shreds as I ran with all I had toward the treasure. I promised I would protect it. Father died getting it. If I lost it… he would’ve died for nothing.
Salizar was right behind me, his vampire speed enough to surpass me, but he surprisingly didn’t. I could smell Benjamin was with him, but I didn’t dare turn my head.
My mate had been claimed by someone else.
I should’ve been elated, or at least felt settled now that the decision had been made for me.
He would never be mine now. But instead, my werewolf roared and promised pain.
The worst part was that I knew killing Salizar would mean Benjamin would die as well, my werewolf, however, didn’t care and just wanted to kill the fucker who’d claimed what was mine.
I arrived at the shitshow that was witches in capes and obvious magic being cast toward the building, like they had no care in the world if humans saw. I growled in warning, knowing fully well I was about to die facing all these witches alone.
They all turned simultaneously, which was creepy as fuck. Then one of them spoke in a calm tone, “You have taken something that doesn’t belong to you, wolf.”
It was like the air in front of me blurred and once I’d blinked a few times, the witches were no longer standing and crafting their spells, no, they were all lifeless on the ground, their blood filling the street.
My gaze found Benjamin’s. He was standing to the side, staring at the scene in front of him with wide eyes as Salizar brushed blood off a dagger, dirtying his pants but he didn’t seem to even mind.
He strode over to where Benjamin stood and hauled him into a passionate kiss that left me shaking with fury.
My wolf was on the forefront as we pounced, attacking the vampire for even daring to touch our mate.
I didn’t even care what the outcome would be.
I’d already lost Benjamin forever, and it was just my luck that when I realized how badly I actually wanted him, it would be too late.
Because seeing my mate kiss another man was finally what made me want to claim him.
I couldn’t care less about heirs. All I wanted was Benjamin.
But I was too late.
The vampire moved around me, taunting me, and I hated it.
Hated him! My wolf was snarling at me to claim Benjamin, to claim, claim, claim.
It didn’t seem to understand that it was too late for us.
My werewolf was pushing to take over, to let him deal with this, but I needed to stay in control so I pushed him back.
Then I was knocked over and snarled at what I thought would be Salizar’s smug face. Instead, Benjamin was on top of my wolf, glaring with all the hatred he had for me.
Claim! Claim! Claim!
“Benji!” Salizar yelled, “Get away!”
With nothing to lose, I sank my fangs in his unmarked side, giving him the mating bite even though I knew it wouldn’t take. At least I’d gotten the chance to bite my mate before I was killed by his vampire.
But that wasn’t what happened. Instead, I blacked out, right there on the ground, the last thing I saw was Benjamin’s wide eyes as they met mine. Then darkness.
“Feisty,” someone purred close to my right. I tried to sit up but my whole body was on fire. I felt like I would die if I didn’t get… something. But what?
The sound of someone getting slapped came next. “Don’t call me that! What do we do, Zar?!”
Benjamin.
Mate.
The knowledge came forth then. He was my mate! It worked! I sat up, only now realizing I was in my human form and very naked.
“Why are you naked?” I rasped, eyeing the vampire with a touch of admiration. He was hot and I wasn’t about to act like he wasn’t.
Salizar grinned widely as he prowled toward the bed, his cock swinging casually between his legs.
“Because, my wolf, you need me to take care of you.”
I must’ve blinked too many times because the room started to whiten. “What?”
Benjamin pushed the vampire to the side, glaring at us both. “You claimed me and thus, you claimed Salizar as well, you dumbass! Now I’m stuck with both of you, and you’re about to become a whimpering mess if you don’t get Salizar’s cock in you. Hope you like to bottom, by the way.”
“B-bottom?” I asked, now suddenly both afraid and horny beyond belief.
Salizar licked his fangs. “This will be fun. And don’t worry,” he purred, crawling over my body. “I’ll only make it hurt a little bit. You did treat my bonded horribly. But now that you’re mine, I’ll take care of you.”
Take care of you…
His words rang true in my fucking soul. This vampire that I was somehow bonded to would care for me.
I felt the honesty of his words. I wasn’t about to cry now in front of my bonded and my mate, but damn how I wanted to cry.
How long had I wished to be loved? To be taken care of?
I was the alpha of the pack. I was the one who protected, the one who took care of others.
I’d never even dared to wish for someone who would allow me to be the one that got protected and loved.
My thoughts, even though I tried to mask them, must’ve shown somehow because Salizar’s gaze softened. “I’ll take care of you, my wolf. But you still need to be punished for what you did to Benji.”
Benjamin stomped closer to the bed, his face furious. “What he did?! You both claimed me without my consent! Who are you to punish him for something? Who’s gonna punish you, huh?!”
The vampire seemed to think this over, then nodded. “You can spank me once I’m done with the alpha.”
Benjamin spluttered. “Spank you?! I will not!”
The vampire shrugged. “Your loss.”
Then I had warm lips pressed against mine and all else fell away. I was confused about everything, but right now I allowed myself to just feel as I let the vampire do whatever he wanted with me. Happy to have an excuse for submitting for once in my life.
“I’ll just… um…” Benjamin said, sounding so unsure it hurt. I’d messed up, but he was mine; as was this vampire with the wickedly impressive tongue.
“Stay,” I rasped once my mouth was freed. “Please.” I wasn’t above begging. I had a lot to apologize for, but it felt wrong doing this without Benjamin here with us.
“We need you here, feisty. You can punish us both tomorrow, is that a deal?” Salizar asked, moving his gaze from me to our human.
Benjamin nodded. “Okay.” He didn’t come closer, but instead sat at the end of the bed, watching us with clear hunger. He might be mad, but our bond made him just as hungry for us, as I was for him.
Salizar grabbed my chin, forcing my attention away from our human and on to him instead. “Now, I want you to pick your punishment, because I’m nice like that. So, do you want to be spanked, or fucked without prep? Your choice, wolf.”
A shiver ran through me. How could I tell him I wanted both? That I longed to be given whatever punishment he felt I deserved. I didn’t want to choose. I wanted him to pick.
“Please,” I rasped, feeling my skin run hotter and my need for release growing.
The smile that spread across his face was filled with pure feral excitement. “We’re going to have so much fun you and I, wolf.”
I didn’t doubt that. I’d wanted to kill the vampire, but now that we were bonded, I longed for him.
It was hard describing it, but it wasn’t just a mate bond, I was blood bonded to him as well.
The three of us were bonded in all ways that counted.
Mate bonded and blood bonded. We couldn’t live without each other and it was hard hating the vampire for taking Benjamin from me when I needed him with my entire being now.
I felt like I knew his soul. Knew he wouldn’t hurt me.
Knew he’d do what was best for me. It was weird trusting another being so completely.
Benjamin was the only one of us who seemed hesitant with our bond, and it sounded like the vampire had forced their bond as well, something I would need to ask about later once this heat had subsided.
“Please,” I begged again, showing him with my eyes just how badly I wanted him. How much I needed him.
His smile softened and he placed a gentle kiss on my lips. “You’re a wonderful surprise, alpha, and I can’t wait to claim you.”