Chapter 10

Chapter

Ten

BEN

Birdsong pulled Ben from the depths of a dream about trickling water, heated skin against his mouth and strong arms pulling him against a muscled chest. Ben stretched until his bones popped, idly stroking himself as the edges of the dream fell away.

His mind immediately tracked over the memory of Connor striding towards him yesterday, naked and too fucking beautiful for words. The damn alpha was a muscled vision, tanned all over as if clothing was normally optional—and why wouldn't it be, with the defined lines of his abs leading down to a thick cock that caused heat to flare in Ben's groin.

It was dangerous to be attracted to the alpha. Connor might be nothing like other wolves; he didn't try to hurt, touch, or lick Ben as if that was how to own a sprite's luck. But Ben also didn't want to examine how his luck took an immediate liking to Connor and actively got in Ben's way. He'd been so sure he was travelling to meet his fate with Vaughn, only for Connor to show up and snatch him away.

A part of Ben felt relieved. He wasn't stupid—he knew his chances of taking down Vaughn were grim. But the longer he waited, the more he faded like mist in sunlight. Nothing could save him, not even an alpha like Connor.

Even if Ben wanted him to.

Annoyed with himself, Ben disentangled himself from his nest of blankets and set his feet on the wooden floorboards.

Movement in the overstuffed chair by the door made him yelp.

"Fuck, Connor!" Ben clutched the sheet to his chest as the alpha leaned forward in the shadows, hands clasped between his knees. "Have you watched me all night?"

"What else would I be doing?" Connor asked, icy blue eyes clear and sharp like sleep was optional.

"Not watching me sleep like a creeper!"

Connor stood and cracked his neck. "Sentry duty means I keep an eye out for trouble."

"And you thought you'd find it in here?" Ben asked, his voice pitching louder.

Raising an eyebrow, Connor said, "I'm very good at assessing risks, Ben, and I respond accordingly. Now that you're done snoring, I'll see you downstairs."

"Fuck you, I don't snore!"

Connor snorted and closed the door behind him.

Ben growled in frustration. Wolves were the worst. Stomping to the bathroom, he took care of his needs and took a vindictively long shower, hoping to use all the hot water in the cabin.

Dressed in black once more, he thumped down the stairs into the kitchen, where Seamus pulled out a few pans to prepare breakfast.

"What's up, pretty boy?" Seamus said in greeting.

"Where is everyone?" Ben asked, noticing the quiet as he sat at the kitchen island.

"Not far," Seamus said as he poured a glass of orange juice and set it in front of Ben. "Jake will be here in a bit, and Anders likes to check on his garden first thing every morning. Kris is probably trying to lure him away by flirting with some carrots."

Ben raised an eyebrow. "That's more information about their sex life than I ever want to know."

Seamus laughed. "You're not wrong, pretty boy. Some things can't be unseen." He gave an exaggerated shudder before pulling ingredients from the fridge. "Want to help with breakfast?"

"Sure," Ben said, surprised and a little pleased. He hopped off the stool and rounded the marble island.

The wolf got Ben to create the batter for French toast while he heated butter in a few pans and grabbed a board to cut up strawberries and add them to individual fruit salads. Seamus made a berry sauce, humming under his breath.

It was surprisingly nice working alongside the huge wolf, and Ben imagined slow summer mornings spent in a similar fashion. He internally slapped himself as a reminder that this was only temporary. One way or another, this couldn't last.

Ben listened for movement but sensed just him and Seamus in the cabin. "Where's Connor?"

Seamus smirked as he paused to take a sip of coffee. "He got called away on pack business at the other side of the lake, but he'll be back in a few hours."

"Oh," Ben said, flipping some toast and adding them to the obscene amount already piled high on a plate.

He needed to be more observant in the future and take advantage of when Connor was distracted, recognizing the alpha was his most formidable adversary.

The three enforcers arrived soon after, and Jake entered the kitchen to give Seamus a peck on the lips. Kris sat and leaned his elbows on the marble counter with a smug grin, while Anders somehow looked both irritated and content as he poured himself a huge mug of black coffee.

"You have dirt on your neck," Seamus said to Anders.

The wolf wordlessly snarled before settling on the stool beside Kris.

Kris licked his thumb and wiped at something behind Anders's ear, growing more smug as he whispered something.

Seamus pointed at the pair. "You know the rule—no fucking in Connor's cabin. He had to replace the couch last time."

Anders glared down at his coffee like it personally offended him, while Kris didn't even try to look innocent as he popped a blueberry in his mouth.

Ben snorted and set the pile of French toast on the island alongside the syrup and bowls filled with berries.

"Thanks, Ben." Jake gave him a warm smile and handed out plates. "Looks really good."

Ben ignored the flush of pleasure and saved himself from talking by shoving a large piece of toast into his mouth. He let the conversation flow over him, listening for cues or tension that pointed to weakness among the enforcers but found nothing. He watched Anders pour a coma-inducing amount of syrup onto his third serving while Seamus shared his fruit bowl with Jake. These wolves seemed to like each other, sniping and teasing the way family would.

An ache caught in Ben's throat, and he choked it down with a large gulp of orange juice.

Jake straightened from his lean against Seamus. "Right, well, it's Kris's turn to clean up. I'm taking Ben down to the lake with me."

"Pah! You just want a luckbringer around so you can finally catch Fat Garcia," Kris accused.

Jake sputtered indignantly but didn't come up with a defense.

"Who?" Ben asked.

Seamus rolled his eyes. "It's a lake trout bigger than I am, if you believe these two morons. They've been trying to catch Fat Garcia for years."

"Can't catch something that doesn't exist," Anders muttered lowly as he grabbed plates and put them in the sink.

It set off an argument with Jake and Kris pulling out their phones to show Ben photos of indistinct shadows in the water and a video of Kris fighting with his fishing rod before the line snapped.

Ben shrugged, not wanting to get in the middle of things, though he noted which pockets the phones disappeared back into.

The enforcers all got up from the table, Kris still bickering at Anders even as he leaned in to lick the trace of syrup at the edge of Anders's mouth.

Ben followed Jake out onto the deck where he'd left fishing gear by the steps, and then they walked along the shore towards some boulders jutting out into the lake.

Ben felt distinctly managed by the wolves, kept busy by cooking and eating and now fishing. He waited for the other shoe to fall—he'd attempted to escape several times already, and they knew he'd try again, but there was no punishment.

Instead, he found himself perched on a large rock jutting out into the water as morning sunlight glinted across the lake. Jake stood beside him with a fishing line in his hand and a scowl on his face.

"I don't really want to catch Garcia; I'd put him back," Jake said as he determinedly threw out his line. "The biggest catch is currently with Anders, though, and Kris is a smug bastard by association."

"Pretty sure you'll default any fish caught today for using a luckbringer," Ben pointed out.

"Maybe," Jake said with a shrug before revealing a dimpled smile. "But the look on Kris's face will still make it taste sweet. Put your hand in the water." He waved vaguely at the end of the rocks.

Ben raised an eyebrow. "Seriously?"

"There's two things I never joke about—rifles and fishing."

Ben huffed and settled on his belly to put his hand in the water. The cold would be unpleasant if he were human, but the slight immersion instead opened something within him. Ben sensed the flow of water across the lake to where a stream trickled down into the rocks. Waterweeds danced from side to side after being disturbed by a school of small bream. He let himself drift, sinking into the clean depths, relishing the dancing pattern of sunlight on the pebbly bottom.

A fish splashed out of the water in the distance, returning Ben to himself.

Jake made an excited hiss as he threw his line back out.

"You're kind of proving their point, you know," Ben muttered as he kept his hand in the water.

Jake chuckled. "Kris will be jealous you like me best."

Ben looked over his shoulder. "How do you figure that?"

"Isn't that how your magic works? You bring luck to your favorite people."

Ben snorted. "If only. I carry the luck, but I don't get a say on what it does."

His life would be very different if he did.

Jake hummed thoughtfully. "It sounds a bit like a trickster spirit has hitched onto you for the ride and causes whatever chaos it feels like."

Ben blinked in surprise. "That—that's one way of describing it, yes."

Jake nodded. "It must like you, at least, since you've ended up with us."

"That's quite a stretch, don't you think?" Ben muttered.

Jake wrinkled his nose. "We found you twice, and we rescued you both times."

Ben sat up and wiped his wet hand on his t-shirt. "That's not even remotely true! I'd put Craven on his ass the first time you guys grabbed me, and the second time I was minding my own damn business!"

"We saved your scrawny ass. Vaughn was within an hour of having you on both occasions."

Ben shrugged. "It's unlucky Vaughn didn't find me first."

"Don't let Connor hear you say that," Jake muttered, his gaze flicking to the shore.

"Or what? He'll lock me away in some remote scrap of forest?" Ben waved at the trees meaningfully. "I think he's already done that."

"You don't want to piss off my alpha, Ben. He's trying to help you."

All of Connor's wolves were delusional. Ben wondered if that was the cost of loyalty. The weird thing was none of them were scared of Connor, which went against everything Ben knew about alphas. Connor's enforcers actually wanted to spend time with him.

Then something tugged at his senses, and the soft rasp of pebbles underfoot made Ben look again at the shore to see Connor approaching them, hands tucked in the pockets of his black hoodie. His grey sweats hugged his muscled thighs and hinted at the outline of his meaty cock—which Ben was very carefully not looking at.

Connor frowned at Ben as if he'd pissed in the alpha's shoes or something.

Jake sighed loudly and set aside his fishing line. "He has a recent head injury, boss," he said as Connor climbed the rocks. "Ben doesn't mean what's coming out of his mouth."

Connor reached them, his scowl deepening. "Pretty sure he does." He looked Ben up and down. "Why are you wet?"

Ben looked down at himself and saw splotches on his t-shirt and sweats from lying on the damp rocks. He shrugged. "I'm a sprite, Stone. I like water."

Giving him a considering look, Connor said, "If Jake's gotten you out here, you must be bored, and that's a warning flare if ever there was one."

Ben folded his arms, mildly insulted.

"Come along, you can join me in a run."

Raising his eyebrows, Ben said, "I can do what now?"

"You can say no," Connor said with a shrug, as if Ben had a choice. "If you don't want to be strong and fast."

Ben tried to remember why he was attracted to this wolf. No amount of hotness could change the fact Connor was a certifiable asshole. "I thought you wanted me obedient like a pup."

"You don't know what I want," Connor said. His eyes raked over Ben. "And you're no pup."

Ben refused to acknowledge the heat in his cheeks. "Whatever, fine, do your worst, alpha," he said, waving for Connor to lead the way.

"You first, I insist," Connor said, turning slightly to allow Ben to navigate the slippery rocks but not moving enough for Ben to avoid brushing against him as he passed.

Ben's skin tingled at the brief contact, making his breath stutter. He kept going, his back straight to mask how unsettled he felt as he jumped onto the soil and strode for the trail leading up toward the mountain.

Connor followed on silent feet, practically breathing down his neck as Ben broke into an easy jog. Ben refused to look back, concentrating on the steep path climbing between the trees.

Connor let Ben set the pace, a steady presence behind him.

The forest carried the crisp smell of spruce trees and the older smell of decaying branches and rich soil. It made Ben's senses stretch out in a way he didn't dare allow when he was in towns and cities. He breathed deeply, almost tripping over himself from the heady smells.

Bracing his hand against the rough bark of a tree, he peered up the trail as it curved past a rocky outcrop. He could imagine what this place looked like in winter, covered in snow. An unexpected ache grew hard to swallow as Ben thought about how much his clan would have loved this place. There was something special here, despite being overrun with arrogant wolves who thought they knew better than him.

Connor lightly touched his elbow, jolting Ben from his thoughts. "Keep going, or I'll set the pace."

Ben let out a frustrated sigh.

Connor shrugged. "If you can outpace me, I'll let you go into town with Anders this afternoon for a supply run."

Ben gave him a calculating look. He suspected Anders was just as bad as Connor when it came to a hunt, but at least he stood a better chance of taking down one wolf than the alpha and all his enforcers.

Ben asked, "And if I lose?"

"Then you join me every day in a run up the mountain," Connor said.

It didn't sound so bad, and Ben wondered if there was a catch. There was always a hidden game with alphas, but the temptation to get to the nearest town and escape, even knowing Anders would expect him to try something, was too big to pass up.

"No shifting, and you have a deal," Ben said.

Connor nodded his agreement. "I won't shift today," he promised, blue eyes flecked with gold.

"Fine, then we're agreed—hey!"

Connor grinned and sprinted past him, bolting up the trail on powerful legs. Swearing, Ben ran to catch up, his legs pumping as he dug into the loose earth and kept his gaze locked on the alpha's broad back. Of course, the asshole knew the trail like the back of his hand, navigating rocks and hidden roots with ease.

Growling under his breath, Ben concentrated on keeping pace, his lungs burning as they streaked past groves of ferns and fallen trees. He was gaining on the wolf, getting close enough to snag the back of Connor's shirt if he dared. But then the wolf veered east, taking a secondary trail that ascended so sharply that Ben used his hands in some spots to claw his way up. His breath turned ragged, his teeth clenched in determination even though Connor raced ahead unhindered.

Ben lost sight of him amongst the trees but forced himself to continue, refusing to give up. The stupid trail couldn't continue forever, although Ben's breath wheezed as he pushed onwards, his arms and legs trembling as he climbed a steep stairway carved into the mountain. He crawled up the last steps and threw himself onto a surprising stretch of grass in a clearing.

Gulping a huge lungful of air, he flopped onto his back to see Connor in the middle of the clearing, looking calm and unfazed as he stretched his legs as if he were about to start a run rather than having ended one.

Blue eyes swept over him, bright with amusement. "Didn't think you'd make it up here, sweetheart, but I should have remembered you're stubborn."

Ben made a rude gesture, still trying to suck enough air into his lungs. "You tricked me," he wheezed out.

Connor tilted his head. "How so? The mountains are as much your element as mine. Although considering the amount of noise you make, I'd say you haven't been in the mountains for years. Lost your touch, Ben?"

Ben pushed himself up onto his elbows. "Show me a forest that isn't overrun with wolves and I'll happily go there. Your kind take everything and don't give a damn about anyone who might have a claim."

It came out more sharply than Ben wanted, the pain and grief clear in his voice.

Connor squatted beside Ben so that he didn't loom. "The Oakford Pack have protected this territory for centuries. We give sanctuary to many people who are not wolves."

"Is this what this is? Sanctuary?"

Connor reached out and rested his palm against the back of Ben's neck, sweeping his fingers along Ben's sweaty skin before coming to rest against Ben's collarbone. "Yes," he murmured. "And more."

Ben's breath stuttered. "Did you just scent mark me?"

Connor's lips quirked. "You're covered in muck. I wouldn't want anyone to think we've been up here rolling around and getting up to things."

Heat flooded Ben's cheeks, and for a moment he wondered if his attraction towards Connor was mutual. Surely not; he was a means to an end for Connor, although he wasn't quite sure what the alpha wanted.

"Why am I even here?" Ben asked. "What does your pack get out of it?"

Connor's fingers twitched against Ben's skin. "I can tell it's been a long time since you've felt safe. My guess is you've learned how to stay low, moving from city to city and not drawing attention to yourself even though you're a luckbringer. Then something changed. Revenge doesn't come naturally to you, but now you've decided it's your only option."

Ben felt his blood chill at being so easy to read. "That's not an answer," he managed.

"No? I'm compelled to help you, like any decent alpha should."

"Help me?" Ben gaped, pushing himself up onto his elbows. "I'm your prisoner!"

"If that's how you want to think of it," Connor said, unconcerned.

Ben pushed away Connor's hand. "It's not up for interpretation, Stone! You won't let me leave and the only reason I can think of is because you want my luck for yourself."

"I'll say it a million times until you believe me. Being a luckbringer has nothing to do with it," Connor muttered.

"Then what is it?"

Connor shrugged. "I saw someone who'd just fought for their life, and instead of recognizing me as an ally, they saw me as yet another fight to get through. But I see your exhaustion, Ben. I see what running and hiding has done to a young sprite. You need to stop for a while."

Ben looked away. "I can't do that, Connor." He could already feel in his bones that he was running out of time.

He felt the weight of Connor's gaze on the side of his face.

"I won't give you any other option," the alpha said.