Just a word of warning: This chapter is all about Austin and Ben, so there's going to be m/m sex. Let me know what you all think. :)
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Ben found himself wandering around the small campus of the college that he attended. He stuck to the shadows, seeing as there was a large hole in his pants and it would draw a lot of unwanted attention if he were walking around exposed. He roamed with no particular destination in mind, the weight of denying himself and Austin once again bearing down on him. His cougar was upset, and rightly so, for his running had prevented them from being with the one man that had appealed to them after so long. He was their mate, the one that would be with them forever if they allowed him to be.
And why? Most Weres were unafraid to show their bodies in public, to couple with their intendeds or others when they were in need. There was no shame in showing off in either form, but for Ben his embarrassment became acute the moment Caden and Elise had walked in on them...again. It was as if being caught flipped a 'get the heck out of there' switch inside of him.
He explored the events of his life, looking for a moment that would have caused him to behave the way that he did, but there was nothing. Nothing that would have him running for the hills, except...he thought of those memories that he had buried away, memories of the first man that he had given himself to.
"He was trash, less than that, and I am surprised that you allow him to continue to haunt you as he does. You let your fear of him and what he did keep us from our mate, our destiny." Ben sighed softly, the voice of his cougar broadcasting clearly in his head.
"He was our first. He used us, took what he wanted and threw us away like we were nothing to him. That is hard to forget," Ben countered.
"You have a poor judge of character when it comes to men that you are attracted to. His cheap lines and false promises lured you in and made you think that he was a man in the truest sense of the word instead of the fraud I knew him to be. I warned you, that he was not our mate and would only bring us heartache, but you would not listen. It is of no consequence now. We have found our mate and he will not hurt us as that man did. He will cherish us and love us as we deserve."
His cougar had a point, but then again, he often did. It was strange, the mix of pure animal instinct and insight that made up his cougar's consciousness. But, more often than not, his cougar was right. Austin was their mate and there was no need to fear that he would leave them willingly. Perhaps it was time to give in and heal the wounds that he had allowed to fester for so long.
"Austin...," Ben murmured softly into the night.
"Yes, kitty cat?"
Ben felt himself jump, his heart exploding in his chest. He had been so engrossed by the conversation he was having with his cougar that he didn't hear or sense Austin sneaking up on him. "Holy shit! You're going to have to stop scaring the piss out of me, Austin, or I'm going to have a heart attack," Ben chided.
"You should be more aware, kitty. There are more dangerous things creeping through the night than horny werewolves and their wayward mates. I would hate to have to slay someone because they caught you off guard."
Ben smiled. "You would kill for me?"
"Kitty cat, I would die for you. You are my mate, my other half. Without you by my side, there is no me. I would sacrifice any and everything to keep you happy and safe."
Ben smiled warmly at Austin, his heart now beating rapidly from arousal rather than fright. "You better watch out or I'm going to get used to you being so sweet. It will totally ruin that bad boy aura you give off."
Austin snorted. "Bad boy? I think you're the bad boy, running off all the time. And you know, I think it's about time I taught you a lesson."
Ben didn't get a chance to respond before he found himself scooped up and hanging over Austin's shoulder. He felt a hand running up and down his legs, occasionally resting on the curve of his behind, and his cock responded. Apparently it liked his being caressed while slung over Austin's shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
"Austin, really, put me down. I won't run off."
"I know you won't. But that's just because I won't let you."
Austin continued walking in the shadows, caressing Ben and letting him know exactly what he was planning to do to him when they got to their destination. This time, he wasn't going to let Ben get away until after they had mated fully. He knew that his words were keeping Ben on edge, but that's where he wanted him, on edge and near begging.
Ben watched as the scenery changed, from the sidewalks that traversed the campus to lush green grass, twigs and soil. He was taking him into the woods. They continued on for a long while until Ben felt himself being placed upright. He stood on wobbly legs, as most of the blood was only now draining from his head, and looked around.
There were in a clearing and a two-story cabin sat in front of them. Well-built, but worn from the many years it had stood and withstood the elements. It gave him a warm, comforting feeling that reminded him of home, despite never having seen it before.
"Where are we?" Ben asked.
"My place."
"Your place? You live in the middle of the college's arboretum?"
"This is part of the land that my pack owns. This is my place on the outskirts of our territory, which borders the college's arboretum. I have one other, but this is my favorite. It's quite a fitting place to take my mate and make him mine. There will be no interruptions and no excuses. You can run, but here, you won't be able to hide," Austin explained.
Ben ignored the last part of his statement and the way it made shivers run up and down his spine. "You have more than one house?"
"One of the perks of being an Alpha. I usually get what I want and what I want now, more than anything, is you. Come with me." He held out a hand that was hesitantly accepted by his mate.
