CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

B en drove through the Roman traffic and kept glancing over at Anna. She sat quietly in the passenger seat, staring out the window. He could feel her emotions rolling off her and wanted to turn the vehicle around and drive them to—fuck, anywhere.

Tuscany, Spain, Paris.

He didn’t care.

He hated that she was hurting. He hated that he was leaving her.

Ben leaned over and threaded his fingers through hers. She took it and squeezed but didn’t look at him.

“The execution is tomorrow,” she said suddenly.

Fuck, it was too.

The infamous Stefano Russo was finally losing his damn head. Ben had wanted to be there. That male had caused his family much pain and suffering over many years. And his Anna.

“Yes. I had forgotten,” he replied. “Will you attend?”

She turned to him and nodded.

A feeling he didn’t recognize raced through is body. The thought of Anna sitting through such a thing without him there to provide support and protection didn’t sit well.

Ben stared out at the road.

Ari had only given him so much time in Rome and a directive to get back to The Institute. If he stayed for the execution, he wouldn’t make it back in time.

Whether he would be welcomed to attend was another story, though Brayden had been accommodating when he’d rung and requested he take Anna back.

Ben gritted his teeth.

Goddamn it, he needed to be here. But he had a job, a life, a responsibility to Ari Moretti. He couldn’t just stay.

He was already on rocky ground.

Ben parked out the front of the castle, and while Anna hopped out, he grabbed her bag. Brayden and Craig stood at the entrance, waiting for them.

“Nice wheels,” Craig said, arms folded. “Yours?”

Ben glanced back at the luxury vehicle owned by The Institute and grinned. “A rental.”

Brayden laughed at the obvious lie, then shook his head. “Welcome home, Anna.”

“Thank you, my lord.” She smiled at the prince, and Ben moved a few inches closer, placing his hand in the small of her back. Unease began to snake through his body as he got closer to walking away from Anna.

“I’d like to see her settled,” Ben spoke. “And say goodbye to Sofia. If she’ll see me. She won’t answer my calls.”

Brayden craned his neck. “Let’s go inside. We have many things to discuss.”

When Ben hesitated, Craig stared directly at him. “You are free to come and go, but the relationship goes both ways, Ferrero. It’s time you did some talking.”

Nope...not happening.

Instead of saying that, he nodded and walked Anna into the castle.

“We have arranged for a new room for you, Anna. You will have your privacy but will be well protected near the royal wing,” Brayden informed her. “And you’ll be close to Willow and Brianna.”

Anna’s mouth fell open.

“What?”

“Basically, we had to, or we’d get no sex for...how long was it they threatened, Bray?” Craig inquired.

“Six months,” the prince answered, nodding.

“You want me to stay?” Anna asked, and Ben’s heart fucking broke. Why did this beautiful female of his believe no one wanted her? And why did he want to scoop her up and take her away from here, telling her he fucking wanted her?

“Yup. We all want you to stay. You are one of us now, Anna. The females have claimed you,” Brayden told her, winking. “So it’s a done deal.”

Ben’s jaw tightened. He moved closer to Anna as they followed the two males further into the castle.

“SO THIS IS IT. WILLOW and Brianna are on their way down. I’ll give you two a minute to say your farewells,” Brayden said, turning to face Ben. “Come down to the operation room when you’re done.”

Anna watched as Ben’s jaw tensed, but he nodded.

“Thank you. This place is amazing.” She smiled in appreciation before shaking her head. “I don’t—”

“Twenty percent comes out of your wages. That’s it,” Brayden said before Anna could ask. “And let’s keep that rate confidential. These aren’t your usual accommodations.”

Anna nodded and thanked Brayden again as the two senior vampires shut the door behind them.

She could barely believe the Moretti’s wanted her to stay. For the first time in what felt like forever, Anna was beginning to feel like she belonged somewhere. It was both a warm and uncomfortable feeling. It had been so long, she didn’t know how to react.

What if she messed it up?

What if they didn’t like her long term?

Her mind filled with insecurities and fears.

Anna watched Ben walk across the spacious floor and drop her bag beside the large bed. He plunged his hands into his pockets, and like her, swiveled his head around to take in the brightly colored open-plan bedroom and living space.

“Check out this bathroom,” Anna said, popping her head through a doorway. “Double sinks and a bath. Wow.”

When Ben didn’t reply, she turned and found him opening the curtains and exposing glass doors which opened onto a spacious balcony with a view across the royal gardens.

She crossed the room and stepped out into the night air. They stood side by side while millions of stars twinkled overhead. Ben turned and pulled her into his arms. “I never got that dance.”

Anna smiled sadly at him. In a few minutes, he’d be gone. Her eyes filled, and she tried to blink the tears away.

“Maybe in another lifetime.”

Ben smiled at her and tucked her hair behind her ear. “You think we get more than one life? This one is long enough, isn’t it?”

Anna shrugged.

Ben pulled his phone out of his pocket and clicked a few buttons. The space around them filled with Aerosmith’s “Dream On.” He pulled her close and began to sing to her as they swayed to the music.

“...dream until your dream comes true,” Ben sang, and her heart felt like it was going to explode out of her chest.

He swirled her around once, and as the song began to end, he lowered his lips to hers.

One, then two tears slipped out and ran down her cheek.

His lips left hers, and they gazed at one another.

“Live fearlessly, Anna,” Ben whispered thickly.

She swallowed and nodded. “Thank you,” she whispered.

His thumb wiped away a tear, and then he pushed a few strands of loose hair off her forehead.

Anna’s heart pounded, knowing Ben was going to walk away any moment. She nearly couldn’t bear it; she felt as if the moment he did, she wouldn’t be able to breathe. The hole he was leaving behind was vast.

A noise distracted them, and they both turned.

Ben leaned and kissed her nose, then her mouth, with a finality that told her it was time. He stood straight, stared directly into her eyes, pressed his closed, and whispered, Goodbye, Anna.

Then he was gone.

“Hey, do you like your new digs?” Brianna asked, her head flicking between Anna and Ben, who was stepping through the door.

“How can she not; we decorated it,” Willow bragged before seeing the anguish on Anna’s face. “Oh, fuck.”

“Shit,” Bri added.

The two women wrapped Anna in their arms, and she had no way of stopping the flood of tears that poured out of her.

BEN STOOD ON THE OTHER side of the door with his back to it, listening to Anna’s anguish. His fists were clenched and his head lowered.

How was this hurting so much?

He let out a loud growl and pushed away from the door.

“Man, I thought I was a fucking idiot when I was mating,” Craig spoke, shaking his head at him from across the hall. “Follow me, dickhead.”

How was this guy every-fucking-where?

“Your timing is impeccable; I’m looking for something to pound,” Ben ground out.

“You wish.” Craig laughed.

They pushed through the door to the operations room where Brayden was waiting for them. He kicked out a chair in invitation for him to sit, and this time, Ben couldn’t find any of his usual delightful charm, so he plonked his ass down into it.

The prince sat in his own chair and stared at him.

Craig dragged, noisily, a chair over and assed it.

They all sat staring at each other like they were in some kind of human AA meeting.

“Have I missed something?” Ben asked, frowning. He really wasn’t in the mood for this. He had a job to do and a mood to pound out.

Craig and Brayden shared a look and burst out laughing.

What the fuck?

Ben shook his head and began to stand.

“Sit the fuck down,” Brayden ordered loudly, his laughter suddenly subsiding. Shocked by the usually even-tempered prince’s reaction, Ben lowered back down again.

“Look, my lord, I am not in the mood.” His head tilted toward Anna’s part of the castle. “That was fucking hard. I need...”

Brayden let out a long sigh.

“Listen, Ferrero, I’m only going to say this once. Basically, mating males are the dumbest fucking creatures on the planet. It appears we lose all sense of perspective and reason.”

“Even jumbo over here?” Ben asked, glancing at Craig.

“Especially jumbo.” Brayden nodded.

“Oh, hey, wait a minute! Pot kettle black, brother!” Craig responded.

Ben let out a small laugh despite his mood. “Well, I’m happy for you guys. Now, can I get the fuck out of here? Or did you want something?”

The two of them groaned.

“He’s worse than I was,” Craig muttered, shaking his head.

“Debatable, but it’s close,” Brayden said, dropping his elbows on the desk and leaning forward. “Ben, let me spell it out for you.”

“Anna is your mate, you idiot,” Craig interrupted.

“Or the commander can...seriously?” Brayden said, and the two of them kept talking as the room and all its sounds blurred in Ben’s brain.

Anna was his mate?

Could that really be true?

He’d never considered he would meet his mate with the life he’d chosen. Hell, he lived at The Institute and travelled the world as an assassin. It was hardly conducive to meeting the love of your life.

Love of the evening maybe, but not your mate.

Ari had mentioned it once or twice, asking him to consider what he would do if he ever did, but Ben had shrugged him off. He was happy with his life. Ari was like a father to him. The Institute and the team were his family.

Ben had never desired another life.

Meeting his mate would mean leaving it all behind, so there had never been a desire within him to meet them as there was for some vampires.

Hell, Ari Moretti himself still hadn’t met his mate, so why would he think his was just around the corner?

If this whole thing was even true.

What was true were the strong feelings he had for Anna. Walking out of her new apartment earlier had been one of the hardest things he’d ever done. His feet had felt like they were concrete, his heart aching as he pictured her anguished face, her eyes filled with tears as he’d turned away. Then standing outside listening to her break.

He’d done that.

He’d been responsible for her pain.

Right now, he wanted to throw the chair he sat on across the room and plow through the castle and pull her back into his arms.

But did all of that mean she was his mate?

He didn’t know.

Ben had loved his parents, and aside from the fury he’d felt for his father, he’d grieved the loss of them from his life seventy years ago. Powerful emotions didn’t necessarily mean someone was your mate? Did they?

It was true; he’d never felt for a female the way he did for Anna. However, Ben was aware this was a unique situation.

He was privy to classified information describing how Anna had been subjected to experimental tests by evil motherfuckers. The same people he’d been tasked with destroying. One didn’t need to be Sigmund Freud to connect the dots. He felt responsible for protecting her, and he’d failed her.

Their chemistry mixed in was just confusing it all.

“Listen, I like Anna. She’s an incredible female,” Ben spoke, standing. He was beginning to feel uncomfortable. This entire theory of theirs threatened to shake the foundations of his life, and he just couldn’t go there. “She deserves having vampires around her who will care for her and give her a home. You’ve done that. I’m not going to wreck this for her. I can’t.”

Craig looked at him as if he’d just dropped another notch on his respect belt. Ben knew he hadn’t been very high to start with, but fuck him.

None of them could just come out and claim that anyway. Anna needed stability, not some guy claiming to be her mate, unsettling her life further, only to later realize he wasn’t and then to disappear.

“Well, as long as you’re sure,” Brayden said, leaning back in his chair. “I know Anna is popular with the males in the army. Locker talk; you know how it is.”

Ben’s jaw locked.

If the male wasn’t the prince, he would have pushed him up the wall by his collar.

Craig stood and began packing his laptop. “I know a few of them are very fucking keen to lay her wide open and lick that sweet pussy of hers.”

Were they suicidal?

Ben could feel his face reddening with anger.

“I don’t think that’s fucking necessary, asshole. Don’t speak about her like that.”

Craig dropped to the ground to pick up a pair of running shoes. “What? About her wet cunt?”

Ben was across the floor in zero point two seconds.

“Don’t. Talk. About. Her. At. All,” Ben spat in his face.

Behind him, Ben heard Brayden clapping. He glanced over his shoulder at him, confused.

“Let him go, Ben,” the prince ordered. Reluctantly, Ben obeyed, but not without giving him a shove.

Craig smirked.

“You need some time. It’s a huge surprise, but trust me when I say you won’t be able to stay away if Anna is your mate,” Brayden added, tossing him a lanyard. “Your security pass. Come back and work for us. I want you to join my team, but you need to talk first. In the meantime, you can have access to the castle.”

Ben caught the lanyard and stared back at the Moretti prince.

Was he serious?

“I—no, I can’t. I’m sorry,” he admitted.

Brayden stared at him in disappointment.

Fuck.

Something shifted within him.

For the first time in seventy years, he had the desire to share who he was. Who he worked for. He wouldn’t, but he wanted to. Brayden was a good male. A great male. He was, after all, related to Ari Moretti. His great nephew or some fucking thing like that. So it wasn’t surprising Ben liked the guy.

Craig, he was beginning to tolerate, and God knows if he was on a battleground, he’d want the guy standing next to him.

“I’m no threat to you or the king,” he repeated for the hundredth time.

“I know,” Brayden replied.

He knew? Ben stared at him, trying to read his mind. Which he couldn’t, not without sharing blood, and the likelihood of that happening was about zero.

“But you have plans to avenge Anna, and her enemy is our enemy. What do you say we work together and share what we know?” Brayden offered.

Ben shook his head. It was too risky.

“You think you can do this on your own, hotshot?” Craig asked.

Ben frowned. Jumbo had a point. With a team, he would be more successful and be able to get home quicker. His brain raced, working out the odds on how this could work.

“There are limits to what I can share with you. Boundaries I am unable to cross. If we do this, you’ll have to accept that, or I walk now,” Ben said.

Brayden looked at him. He nodded. “Deal.”

“And I’m an independent. I can’t work for you,” he added. “Though I appreciate the offer...and under different circumstances, my lord, I would be honored.”

It was true. He meant every word.

Ben wasn’t a rebel. He’d never been a rebel.

Before he’d met Ari Moretti, Ben had been making his way to the Moretti castle in Maine to apply to join the Royal Army.

What better way to stick it to his father who was a rebel loyalist, right?

Then he’d met Ari and never regretted his decision. He still didn’t.

Anna popped back into the forefront of his mind. She never left completely.

“I’m doing this for her. So she’s safe,” Ben spoke. “I’ll share what I can tell you, but don’t ask me where I got my intel.”

“Her being Anna,” Brayden clarified.

Ben dragged the chair he was sitting in back to its original position. “Yes. And we need to act quickly.”

It was likely Diego had been informed of the attack on Xander’s property by now. Because of the Moretti team’s interference, Oliver and Ben had hightailed it and been unable to do cleanup, so he had no idea what he was dealing with. He knew the Moretti team would have done their own, but to what degree, he didn’t know. Ben hadn’t been working with them long enough or on these types of missions to know their technology or skills.

He doubted they were at the level of The Institute. Few were.

Craig, who had straightened himself and was tucking his laptop under his arm, nodded. “I promised my mate I’d have a meal with her after staking out your ass for the past week, so let’s meet back here in a couple of hours with the rest of the team and you can brief us.”

Ben nodded.

That would give him enough time to get the car home, pack up the apartment, and get back to the castle. In theory, once this job was done, he would be flying home. Ben predicted he’d remain in Italy for no more than twenty-four hours.

Whether his path crossed with Anna’s again during that time was yet to be seen. He didn’t know if he could bare seeing the pain on her face.

Then again, he didn’t know if he could stay away.