“Hey, I don’t weigh that much!” Mitch yelled.
Tessa snorted and walked over to Ben’s little mate. “I’m Tessa, and the giant over there is my mate, Mitch. He’s sorry for tackling you, by the way, but we’ve all been just a little high strung with this whole rogue thing and Percival trying to take over the world. Not to mention Ben being missing for almost three months.”
Had it been only three months? To Ben it had seemed like ages ago since the night he blew up Percival’s home and became a prisoner in the process. Granted most of that time he had spent either unconscious or out of his mind. Still, to Ben, that was a lifetime ago.
He wasn’t oblivious to the wince his little mate gave when her father’s name was mentioned. He needed to let the guys in on the fact that Jacqi somehow believed the man was her father and that she worked for the bastard. He had a feeling they had trouble headed their way, and he needed to prepare his friends.
“Listen, guys, we need to have a meeting. First, I need a long, hot shower and something to eat. Then we can talk.”
“Finally. I thought I was going to have to hold my breath forever.”
Ignoring Mitch’s grunt as his mate elbowed him in the stomach for his comment, Ben turned to Tessa. “Do you think you can find something for Jacqi to wear so she can get cleaned up as well?”
“No problem. While you guys get cleaned up, I’ll fix us some lunch. We can all talk while we eat.”
Mitch and Tessa left the room, leaving Ben alone with his little mate. “Are you really okay?”
“Yes.” Jacqi sat on the edge of the bed. “I have to admit, though, your friend scares the crap out of me the way he just glares at everyone. And the other one who guards the door is so huge. I’ve never seen another person as big as he is, shifter or human.”
Ben laughed. “Yeah, Ken is pretty big, but he’s harmless unless you threaten his mate.” He sat next to Jacqi and wrapped his arm around her. He wanted to skip along with his wolf, who was prancing in his head at the moment, when she laid her head on his shoulder and sighed. “You don’t have to be afraid of anyone in this house. Everyone here would die to keep me safe, and if I tell them you can be trusted, they would do the same for you.”
“Yeah, but—”
“No buts. Do you trust me?” He held his breath and waited for his mate’s answer. He had no idea why her answer meant so much to him, but he needed to hear her say it.
Jacqueline stared at him for a few moments before she finally nodded. That small movement made the last three months of his life worth it. Ben would have gladly done it over and over again if it always brought him and his little mate back to that exact moment. Later on in life, when his pups asked him about how he’d met their mother, he wouldn’t tell them the bad stuff. He would tell them their relationship began on the side of the bed when their mother put her trust in his hands.
“Get your shower and we will sort everything else out later. It’ll all work out, I promise.” Ben kissed his mate’s forehead and left the room before he lost his head and threw her to the bed and ripped her clothes off. He had to keep reminding himself that he needed to take things slow with her.
* * * *
Jacqueline shook her head as she stood under the hot water. Her life was too weird at the moment. She has gone from living in terror to being utterly confused all in a matter of hours. She looked down and rubbed the bruise that was developing on her hip. Even though it was painful, she couldn’t find it in her heart to be mad at Mitch for knocking her to the ground. He had just been protecting his home and family from what he’d thought was the enemy. She had no doubt he could have killed her without even trying, but even as he was tackling her, Mitch had made sure not to put his full weight into it. A shifter being protective was something she wasn’t used to.
Even though Mitch and the other large shifter had scowled and glared at her, they hadn’t touched or threatened her, which confused her. She was used to her life being threatened several times a day. She was used to the shifters who worked for her father looking at her with lust in their eyes as they described in detail what they would do to her if her father hadn’t declared her off limits. And her father hadn’t declared her off limits because he was concerned for his daughter’s innocence. No, he just didn’t want her to distract any of his guards from their mission. From what she had seen so far, the shifters she had grown up around were completely different from the ones Ben had brought her to.
Jacqueline thought of Ben as she soaped herself. She had no idea what had possessed her to throw herself in his arms when he had walked into her room. She was just so relieved to see he was okay that she had done it without thinking. Something about him made her want to be around him. She didn’t even know the man, but ever since she’d laid eyes on him the night her father’s guards dragged him into his office unconscious, Jacqueline had felt the need to be next to him. If she was honest with herself, she needed to touch him. That need scared her more than anything. For someone who had never even been attracted to a man in her life, Jacqueline had the urge to rub herself against Ben whenever she saw him.
She barely knew anything about Ben, but what she had seen of him so far had made her answer his question when he asked. She did trust him. So far, he was the only man who had given her a reason to trust in him, and she hoped it stayed that way.
Cold water snapped her out of her thoughts, and Jacqueline quickly got out of the shower and dried herself. She found a pair of sweats and a T-shirt on the bed and put them on. After putting her wet hair in a ponytail, she opened the bedroom door and was relieved to see the large guard was no longer there. She wasn’t ashamed to admit the man scared her with his size. He could really hurt her if he wanted to.
Following the sound of voices, Jacqueline made her way to the kitchen. When she entered, all conversation stopped, and every head turned in her direction. The attention was very uncomfortable to say the least until Ben stepped up beside her and threw his arm around her.
“Everyone, I would like you to meet the woman who saved my life. This is Jacqi Percival.”
“It’s Jacqueline actually.” She felt her cheeks heat as she blushed.
“Did you say Percival?” a man who she had never seen before asked. He was gorgeous, but every man in the room was.
“Jacqi, you’ve already met Mitch and his mate Tessa. This is Ken and his mate Ryan.” Ben pointed to each man. “This little guy is Nico, Tessa and Mitch’s son.”
Jacqueline watched as Ben let her go to lean down and lift Nico up. He threw the little boy over his shoulder and tickled him as the boy squealed and laughed. She couldn’t help but smile. Nico looked to be about two or three, and he was beautiful, just like his mother. She could tell Nico was happy and not afraid of anything Ben was doing to him. That went a long way in calming her nerves and making her feel safe. She had a feeling she could get attached to these people very quickly, so she decided to get everything out in the open as soon as possible. She couldn’t get close to these guys only to have them hate her and throw her out as soon as they found out who she truly was.
“It’s nice to meet you all, and, yes, Ben said Percival. He is my father.”
“What?” Ryan said.
“Why the hell did you bring her here, Ben?” Mitch growled.
“No, he isn’t,” Ken quietly mumbled.
Jacqueline ignored Ben’s growl as he came up behind her with Nico still in his arm and wrapped his other around her. The comments from the other two were exactly what she expected to hear, but it was Ken’s statement that had caught her off guard.
“What do you mean he isn’t my father?” she asked Ken.
“You don’t smell of shifter. You’re one hundred percent human. There is no way that man can be your father.”
Jacqueline sat dawn heavily in her chair. “I don’t understand. How can he not be my father? He’s all I’ve ever known.”
“Where’s your mother?” Tessa rubbed her back as she asked the question.
“Dead. My father told me she died when I was two. I’ve never even seen a picture of her.”
“Jacqi, don’t you think that’s strange? Why wouldn’t Percival at least have one picture of your mother?”
Jacqueline laughed. “You don’t know my father. The man is beyond cruel. He made it a point of letting me know growing up how much he hated my mother and how lucky I was that he kept me instead of giving me away. The man is not, nor has he ever been, sentimental, so, no, I don’t think it’s strange he doesn’t have any pictures.”
A growl had her snapping her head up. She knew it came from Ken, but it hadn’t been directed at her. He was looking at her with sympathy on his face. His mate, Ryan, was rubbing his arm, comforting him. Mitch sat staring at her with an annoyed look that she was starting to believe he used on everyone except his mate and cub.
“I’m starved. Let’s eat.”
She was glad when Ben changed the subject then sat next to her and squeezed her hand. Jacqueline wasn’t used to all the attention being focused on her. In her world, attention was not a good thing. Flying under the radar and going unnoticed was the safest way to stay alive.
Jacqueline ate lunch in silence as she watched everyone at the table interact with each other. They teased and joked, but it was all in fun and not meant to be cruel. She didn’t think she had ever heard so much laughter in one place. Even little Nico laughed along, although she had a feeling he didn’t have a clue what they were laughing at. They all showed concern for Ben and his health. Tessa made sure he had enough to eat as she fussed over him, and even Mitch took the time to ask him if he was okay. Her guilt rose a notch each time Ben brushed off their concerns and didn’t mention what she had done to him. She didn’t understand how he could even be in the same room with her, let alone sit next to her after what she had done.
“Jacqi, are you okay?”
She smiled and nodded at Ben, not wanting to tell him what she was thinking. “It’s Jacqueline, by the way, not Jacqi.” Ben just waved off her comment and smirked. She had to fight to keep from rolling her eyes at the man. It seemed he refused to call her by her correct name.
“What’s wrong? I smelled sadness and despair.”
“You can smell that?” she asked in shock. “What else can you smell?”
“Shifters have a very acute sense of smell. We can smell just about anything.” Ben frowned. “You don’t know very much about shifters, do you?”
“All I know is what my father taught me—which wasn’t much because I tried to stay as far away from the man as possible—and what I observed for myself from his guards.” The group at the table were staring at her as though waiting for her to explain herself, and Jacqueline had a feeling lunch was over. Ben grabbed her hand and squeezed, and she accepted the comfort he was trying to give.
“First off, I should tell you the drug that turns shifters rogue… that came from me. I created it.” Jacqueline waited for the fangs and claws to come out and for them to attack, but no one moved or said anything. No one looked angry or ready to kill her, so she continued. “For as long as I can remember, my father and I constantly moved around. One minute we would be somewhere, and without warning, we would pack up and move halfway around the world. Wherever we moved, my father always set up a lab when we got there. It was usually the first thing he did.
“When I was about sixteen, I got curious about why it was so important to my father, so I went into the lab. I watched the guys working for hours and didn’t even know what they were doing, but I was fascinated. When they all left for the night, I snuck in and began messing around. Unfortunately, my father caught me. Needless to say, he was beyond angry, but after he eventually calmed down, he told me that if I was going to be there then I needed to be taught properly.”
Jacqueline thought back on that day. She had been so eager to do anything to gain a few moments of her father’s attention and approval. For the longest time, she’d felt as though she had signed her soul over to the devil that day, and she didn’t even have a clue what she was selling it for.
“For some insane reason, I excelled at chemistry. My father was so proud of me I didn’t even question him when he asked me to create a serum that would make shifters stronger. I would have done anything to continue receiving his praises rather than slaps across the face.” She didn’t even realize she was crying until Tessa handed her a tissue. After wiping her eyes and blowing her nose, Jacqueline continued. “With each test run, my father would send me back to the lab and demand me to make them even stronger, and I would go back and rework the formula. One night I overheard my father talking on the phone. He was telling someone about his plan to turn shifters rogue using my formula as soon as I perfected it. He was saying how he wanted them super strong but also mindless beasts that only answered to him.”
“Wait.” Ben stopped her. “I don’t understand how you went from increased strength to mindless killing machines.”
“After what I heard, I went back to the lab, and I worked day and night. I realized my father had been using me all along, so I decided to give him exactly what he wanted, but on my terms.”
“What does that mean, on your terms?” Mitch asked.
“I gave him the mindless beast he wanted. They answered only to him, but I made them docile. They weren’t the rogue killing machines he expected. I made them like dogs. They did his bidding, but they had to be trained. Instead of go fetch, they had to be trained to kill.”
Ben doubled over laughing, which confused Jacqueline. The last thing she had expected when she told her story was laughter. The yelling and name-calling she could have handled, but laughing? She didn’t have a clue about how to handle that, so she waited patiently until he was finished.
“Damn, I would have loved to see that little weasel’s face when he finally got his rogue serum. I bet it was priceless,” Ben said in between laughter.
“I remember running into a few of the rogues the night we blew up your father’s mansion. At the time, I remember wondering why they were acting so strange. Now, it all makes sense.” Ben squeezed her hand again. “You have one devious little mind.”
Jacqueline wondered if he would think that or find it so funny when he found out the secret she was keeping. Unless she found a way to finish the antidote, Ben was going to die. The rogue serum she created was engineered to self-destruct. It was a failsafe she had designed just in case her father decided she wasn’t useful anymore and turned to someone else to perfect her serum. If that happened, she couldn’t let her creation be unleashed into the world. Without the antidote, the shifters who took the rogue serum would die within six months of taking it. Ben had three months left and he would hate her when he found out.
Looking around the table at everyone and seeing the love they all had for each other, Jacqueline knew they would all hate her once they found out. Knowing she was taking Ben away from his family devastated her. She looked at Ben just as the first sob escaped. “I’m so sorry.” That was all she could get out before Ben pulled her into his arms, and then the sobs took over.
Chapter 6
Ben sat his little mate in his lap and held her as she cried. The sound of her sobs and the smell of her despair were killing him, but he was powerless to do anything about them. He had no idea why she was crying. From what she had just told them, Jacqi’s life had been hell, but he had a feeling that wasn’t what had upset her. His mate was strong to go through all of that and not come out just as crazy and devious as the man she called her father. Whatever was upsetting her now was something huge, but he decided not to push it. He just hoped his mate would eventually tell them what it was.
Maybe I should lick her face.
Ben kept his laugh to himself not wanting to hurt his wolf’s feelings. I don’t think many people like being slobbered on, pup. Sorry.
But she’s our mate. She should like anything we do to her.
Ben hoped his wolf was right. Holding Jacqi in his arms and breathing in her sweet scent,
he shared his wolf’s urge to lick her from head to toe as well. Instead, he held her until her breathing evened out and she drifted off to sleep. His little mate was obviously worn out if she was able to fall asleep in a room full of strangers. But, based on the responsibilities she had taken on from her father and the huge amount of guilt she was carrying around, he was surprised she hadn’t collapsed sooner.
Ben leaned down and kissed her forehead. When he looked up, he froze when he saw everyone at the table was staring at him. “What?”
“I never thought I would see the day when Benjamin Sullivan became a whipped man.” Ryan leaned back against his overly large mate’s chest and smirked as he said it.
Ben scoffed and hoped his friends didn’t smell his lie. “I’m not whipped. I just didn’t know having a mate would feel like this.” He looked down at his mate. For someone who had vowed never to mate, he couldn’t imagine going back to his life without her, even considering the short amount of time they’d been together.
“You’re stuck with her now, buddy, so get used to it.” Mitch grumbled when Tessa jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow. “They come in and eat all of your food, they wake you up from your naps at all hours of the day, and then they steal your spot in the sunshine.”
Ben laughed at Mitch. The lion was always in a bad mood. He preferred to be alone rather than in a pride, but Ben knew he wouldn’t give up his mate or cub for anything in the world. “For someone who ran away from home to get away from being in a pride, you sure are adding to yours awfully fast. When were you going to tell me Tessa was pregnant?”
That got a huge grin out of Mitch. “It was my glorious mane. She couldn’t resist it.”
Tessa snorted, but Ben noticed her rubbing her fingers through Mitch’s hair at the nape of his neck. “Congrats to you guys. I’m truly happy for you.”
Ben looked down at his mate cradled in his arms. What would it be like if she was carrying my pups?
Forever Is Not Enough [Council Enforcers 2] (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 5