Chapter 16

Chapter

Sixteen

BEN

It was barely dawn when a large hand gave him a gentle shake. Grumbling, Ben rolled onto his belly and buried his head under the pillow. He'd kicked down the sheets during the night, his bare back slightly cool from the morning air. Nothing uncomfortable—sprites could walk barefoot through the snow without suffering. Still, Ben preferred the warmth, and he searched blindly with his toes for the sheet.

A soft chuckle resonated beside him as the grip shifted to the nape of his neck, squeezing tenderly. Something within Ben bloomed, making him want to arch into the touch.

Connor ...

Ben didn't need to open his eyes to know it was the alpha. He reached out and snagged the hand, trying to pull Connor down like he would if they were in pristine water, taking him into the secret depths where it was dark and magical.

Connor resisted, then seemed to slip on the mess of sheets beside the bed and tumbled onto the mattress with a curse.

Ben smirked into the pillow, acknowledging his luck.

Connor settled behind him, moving Ben's limbs just so until the alpha was a solid presence along his spine, his muscular legs pressed against the back of Ben's thighs. A puff of breath warmed his nape, and Ben snuggled down. Sprites and wolves weren't so different regarding the need for physical contact, and Ben knew himself well enough to know he preferred one wolf's touch above all others.

"Day off today," Connor rumbled in his ear. "But I still want to take you into the mountains."

Ben let out a low sigh but felt no flare of annoyance. He'd grown strong in the last few weeks from being harassed by play-fighting wolves. He wondered if that was Connor's goal all along, even if it made no sense.

"After breakfast," Ben murmured, not releasing his hold on the alpha's arm that he tucked against his chest.

"Okay," Connor said, his lips on Ben's neck in a way that made his flesh tingle.

Connor let him drowse for another hour before the clang of pans in the kitchen made the alpha stretch and sigh. "It's my turn to cook," Connor murmured, lips briefly pressing against Ben's skin.

Ben leaned into the touch as his dick took notice.

"I need to get down there before Anders sets fire to the kitchen just to make a point," Connor said, trying to extricate himself.

Ben let go with a grumble and rolled out of bed. He felt the heat of Connor's gaze as he strode his bare ass to the bathroom to take care of his morning wood. If Connor played a starring role, Ben wasn't going to own up to it, instead focusing on the heat pooling in his groin whenever he thought of full lips against the nape of his neck. He stroked more firmly, wanting to focus on pure physical need, but the memory of Connor's hands tracking across his ass and thighs derailed him into a hot, spurting mess.

Relaxed and satisfied, Ben took a quick shower to clean up.

Connor was gone by the time he emerged, and Ben threw on a shirt before heading down the stairs where the smell of bacon and eggs made his stomach growl.

Anders gave his usual morning grunt from where he hunched over his coffee as Ben sat beside him. The other wolves were nowhere to be found, which made Ben immediately suspicious.

"They're on a hunt," Connor said as he dished up scrambled eggs. "A couple of Vaughn's enforcers were seen sniffing around Lake Erie."

Ben gave him a blank look.

"Where we extracted you from," Anders supplied.

"Extracted? That's cute," Ben said out of habit, though he didn't mean it.

Connor heaved a loud sigh while Anders smirked into his coffee. "Anyway, Kris and Seamus are meeting with other pack members for some intel before we decide our next steps. At this point, it doesn't appear that Vaughn knows where you are."

Ben nodded, not entirely sure how he felt. Despite how the wolves had brought him to Oakford territory, he'd been treated far better than he ever thought possible, and not once had Connor or his wolves demanded his luck as payment. And despite the almost obsessive way Connor's wolves claimed his time and cheered each other on when pummeling him on the trail, Ben didn't want Vaughn's shadow to touch this place.

"What will you do?" Ben asked, swallowing around the hardness in his throat. "If Vaughn comes here?"

Connor's smile turned savage. "Vaughn's not brave enough to dare."

"He's stupid enough," Anders muttered into his coffee.

Connor shrugged. "Any alpha who enters Oakford Pack territory uninvited gets put down."

"Would you invite Vaughn?" Ben asked, feeling tightness grip his spine.

Connor looked at him steadily. "Never. Not even to lure him into a trap. Not even if you begged me. The Oakford Pack will always be a sanctuary, and I won't risk it for convenience."

Ben arched an eyebrow. "You're that confident you can take him?"

A hunting look hardened Connor's icy blue eyes. "Vaughn's a coward. He surrounds himself with wolves who've been kicked out of their own packs, and he mistakes brutality for leadership."

"He needs to die," Ben said, edging towards the same old argument, although Connor seemed more open to it now.

Connor dished up scrambled eggs and bacon, sliding plates towards Ben and Anders. "I understand your vendetta, Ben, I always have. Taking down Vaughn isn't enough, not when wolves like Craven are waiting to take his place."

Ben glared down at his plate. "Need to start somewhere," he muttered. He forced himself to eat, knowing he needed to keep rekindling his strength.

"When Vaughn falls, everything he's touched will die with him," Connor vowed.

Ben looked up, meeting the alpha's eyes and seeing the promise within. This was an alpha who knew his own strength, with a loyal pack to help him.

"Okay," Ben said softly.

Anders muttered something under his breath between shoveling mouthfuls of bacon.

Ben dropped his gaze back to his breakfast, letting himself be comforted by the quiet contentment of a good meal. Once he finished, he helped Anders clean up before trotting upstairs to change into black sweats and hiking boots.

When he returned downstairs, Connor waited for him by the back door, a backpack slung over one shoulder. "Ready?"

"No ambushes today?" Ben asked suspiciously.

Connor winked and crossed the deck before striding along the pebbly bank of the shore.

"Real comforting," Ben muttered as he hurried to catch up. He shouldn't expect anything different, even though he now knew the sounds Connor made when he came. He felt no regrets about last night. It ignited a new need that throbbed in his bones, and Ben shamelessly ogled Connor's muscled ass, picturing himself squeezing and biting until Connor moaned.

The clear blue sky carried the first hint of summer, heating the rocks at the far end of the beach.

Connor took him to a new trail he'd never noticed before, hidden behind thick ferns and a large grey boulder. They steadily climbed northeast, following the ridgeline before entering a small plateau thickly covered with trees. Ben sniffed, scenting water but couldn't hear the trickle of a stream. Connor pushed back thick fronds of ferns, revealing a tranquil pool surrounded by quartz boulders.

Ben froze.

Steam wafted off the surface of a natural pool, the water so clear that Ben could see the pebbly bottom and dark tree roots. The pool's edge appeared completely untouched, almost as if even the local animals knew the water was special.

Ben approached on trembling legs and sank to his knees beside the ferns. Dipping his fingers into the warm water, he could feel its pureness seep through his skin. His breath hitched as he sank his arm to the elbow, feeling himself drift beyond himself, his world both expanding and contracting to the tiny grotto and beyond.

Connor remained a respectful distance from the edge. "It's spring-fed and stays warm enough not to freeze over in winter, though no one comes here to swim," he murmured. "We know it's sacred."

Ben let out a choked laugh.

Sacred!

The pool was too small to ever be home to a clan, but echoes in the water told him it was once a safe place to stop for travelling sprites who needed to rejuvenate from a long journey. He wondered if he listened long enough whether he'd hear the whispers of his ancestors in the water.

Tears burned in Ben's eyes as he spun to stare at the alpha. "Why would you show me this place?"

"Not because of last night," Connor promised. He frowned, taking a step forward as he saw the distress on Ben's face. "It's yours, Ben. Your birthright. We figured your people forgot it was here centuries ago, but we haven't. We kept it safe for you."

Ben sniffed, his vision blurring. "Thank you," he whispered, entirely certain Connor had no idea what he'd done.

Connor took Ben's face in his hands, his thumb sweeping over the tear on Ben's cheek. "Oh, baby, I thought this was a good thing."

"It is," Ben said. He leaned into the touch, skin humming from being so close to crystalline water and this confounding, kind wolf. He pulled Connor down for a slow kiss, their tongues sliding against each other.

Memories of last night and Connor taking care of him took on new meaning now that Ben could lure him into the warm water of the grotto. Wolves were strong swimmers, though Connor probably wasn't ready to trust Ben to stay underwater and live.

Soon , he thought, hooking his arms around Connor's neck as he deepened their kiss. Connor rumbled appreciatively, his hands skimming down Ben's sides.

Ben eventually pulled back and wiped his cheeks. "Will you stay while I swim?"

Connor smiled. "I'd like that."