Gathering Their Mates ( Lycan Romance )

by M. L. Briers

  “You don’t have to be sorry sweetheart.”He whispered gently as he brushed her hair back from her face and stroked down her wet cheek. His hand other hand stroked over her back as he tried to sooth her.

  “I’m not here because I have nowhere to go…”

  “Silver, we can talk about all of this when you’ve had some sleep…” Her head shot up and she scrunched up her face as she stared at him.

  “You think I came here because I had nowhere else to go don’t you?”

  “No. I hadn’t thought much about it…”

  “You do!” She protested and he shook his head, confused.

  “Silver…”

  “I came back so you would have the pup and the pup would have you.” She scooted off his lap and back onto the mattress and he let her go. Pushing herself up she started towards the bedroom door.

  “Where are you going?” Ben got there first, but she’d already decided that she was heading in the wrong direction and tuned towards the bathroom.

  “Toilet.” She snapped out and he rolled his eyes. Damn hormones, he told himself as he dropped his head back against the door and closed his eyes for a moment, until she slammed the door behind her and he growled and rolled his eyes.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  “Silver let me in.” He rested his head against the bathroom door and listened to her sobbing on the other side. His wolf was doing back flips inside him, pawing the ground with the need to get in there and comfort their mate. But he didn’t want to break down another damn door and scare her again, or worse, make her as mad as hell at him.

  “In a minute.” She called back. Frustration burned within him. He turned on his heels and walked back towards the bed. His wolf needed quieting within him, and he could really do with shifting and going for a run around the perimeter of pack land right about now, but his mate came first. He wasn’t about to leave her like this.

  He wasn’t sure what he could say to her that would be right, but he didn’t want to say or do anything wrong either. He must have really thrown her for a loop when he had slung her over his shoulder and she’d had to inform him of her pregnancy, and he took a moment to wonder just how she might have told him if things had been different.

  That was something he was never going to know for sure in much the same way as if she had never walked out on him that day, how would she have told him if they had been together as bonded mates?

  Damn, he could think about this stuff for the rest of his life and never come up with a definitive answer. But she was pregnant and she was back home now, and he would be damned if she was going to leave pack land now. Even if she didn’t want him as a mate, then she could still make a home here with her family. He would still look out for her and protect her, because she was still his mate.

  She never needed to be alone again, and he hated to think of where she had been all of this time and how alone she may have felt, especially when she found out about the baby. But she had come back to him when she knew, surely that was a good sign?

  Ben walked back to the door and listened. She wasn’t sobbing anymore. Her heartbeat sounded strong, but slowed, as if she were asleep.

  “Silver…” He tapped on the door and heard her mew and panicked within himself, she was sick and he needed to get to her. He put his shoulder and his foot against the door and forced it open. The sound of the lock breaking and the wood splintering echoed through the bathroom, as his eyes took in the scene. Her boots had been discarded on the floor and she was curled up in the empty tub underneath a large towel. She stirred slightly as he closed his eyes briefly and shook his head.

  Ben walked over to her and lifted the towel away, dropping in on the floor with her boots, he reached in and scooped her up into his arms. Silver panicked for a moment, her eyes came open and she stared up at him.

  “I have you love, go back to sleep.” He whispered gently against her cheek, brushing his cheek against hers as he carried her from the room and over to the bed. Slowly and gently he climbed onto the bed on his knees as she stirred against his chest, one hand circling his neck.

  “Stay.” She breathed out, as he tried to untangle her from him and he felt that tight grip of a hand around his heart as he lay down at her side, pulling her against his body and holding her close. If she woke and hated him for it, so be it.

  Silver felt safe and warm for the first time in as long as she could remember as she floated from sleep into that wonderful time, just before reality takes control and you remember that it’s another day and all is not right with the world.

  She wondered for a long moment if she was in her room, but the warmth and strength of the body beside her seeped into her consciousness, and she dismissed the idea. She smiled as she reached for his aura and felt him. They had spent all night making love and she was in his arms. Strong, safe arms that made her feel as if she finally had a purpose in life, a reason for being, a love that would last forever and defy anything that life could thrown at her.

  Silver stretched around him like a cat. Feeling his breath against her cheek she nestled in closer, but couldn’t seem to get close enough. Allowing the feeling of peacefulness to wash through her, she decided that this was worth waking up for, worth leaving that good feeling of floating to come back too, and she let go of her sleep world and drifted into reality.

  But the reality wasn’t how she remembered it to be. She hadn’t been making love with her mate all night, she was pregnant and curled up beside the mate who must surely hate her for rejecting him. A chill froze her heart as she stirred against him.

  “How do you feel now?” His deep tone brought her completely awake and she tensed in his arms.

  Ben felt her tense and hated himself for allowing his selfishness to come before his mates needs. She didn’t want him, she had made that clear when she rejected him, and now she had woken to him and she didn’t seem too happy about it.

  “I don’t…” She tried to clear her mind of just how good he felt against her, just how right it felt to be in his arms. “I’m fine.” She didn’t want to move away from him and yet she couldn’t stay curled up around him like this.

  “Are you hungry?” He brushed his hand down her back and her body responded with a jolt of excitement that washed through her.

  “I haven’t really felt like eating…” She felt him tense around her and knew she had said the wrong thing again.

  “Look at me, Silver.” He growled this time and she pulled back away from him to look up at him, losing the closeness, the warmth of him about her.

  “Why haven’t you been eating?” His eyes weren’t accusing her, but still she felt guilty. His words weren’t admonishing her and yet she felt berated.

  “I just haven’t…” She went to roll away, but he kept his arms around her, held her gently in his hands.

  “We need to talk. You haven’t been sleeping or eating…” His growl was more prominent and getting more so with every word. “From what I can feel you’re practically skin and bones…”

  “I just haven’t felt right.” She pushed against his chest and this time he let her go and she pulled herself up on the bed. Pulling her knees up to her chest and against the slight swell of her baby bump, she laid her cheek against her knees and stared at the window on the far side of the room. It was dark outside and she wondered how long she had slept in his arms, she hadn’t slept properly since she had left him.

  Ben sat up beside her, “Is it the pup?” He reached out and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and the brush of his fingers against her cheek made her catch her breath as tears threatened her again.

  “I don’t think so…” She turned her head away and rested her other cheek against her knee.

  “Silver, I know you don’t want to hear this, but I’m still your mate and I need to know how to help you…” He heard her sob and reached for her, expecting her to push him away or put up a struggle, but she went into his arms and curled up in his lap.

  “I missed you so much…” Sh
e whispered against his chest and his heart thundered within him. He hooked her chin with his finger and brought her face up so he could see her eyes, but she wouldn’t look at him.

  “Silver look at me.” He commanded and she brought her eyes up to his. Tears streaked down her cheeks and she looked as though the weight of the world rested upon her fragile shoulders. “Tell me sweetheart.”

  She gave a small shake of her head. How could she tell him she had made the biggest mistake of her life the day she left him?

  “I love you silver and there isn’t anything…” She swallowed hard at his words and he stopped and stared down at her, not understanding her emotions. Maybe it was the pup, but her emotions were all over the place and he couldn’t get a handle on what she was feeling from one moment to the next.

  “What is it?” He felt the frustration running through him and knew that unless she opened herself up to him there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it.

  “I need to go to the bathroom.” She went to move but he held her in place.

  “You need to talk to me.” He growled gently and she looked pained.

  “I’m going to pee on your lap and I’m not joking.” She put in quickly and saw the amusement fire across his face.

  He scooped her close and carried her to the bathroom putting her down in front of the door quickly and she scooted off as he pulled the door too. He would have closed it but…

  “Close the door.” She cried out in a flurry of activity and he grinned to himself.

  “I can’t I broke it earlier getting into you.”

  “Well walk away, I’m about to burst and my bladder is shy…”

  “Sorry.” He chuckled as he walked away humming loudly to himself as he went. Even on the top of it he could still hear her, but he didn’t think she needed to know that. He even caught her sigh of relief and chuckled to himself.

  He waited patiently for her to clean up and come back out and when she did she still couldn’t meet his eyes. He started towards her and she balked, holding up her index finger to warn him off.

  “If you pick me up again…” She started, but he held his hands up in front of him in mock surrender.

  “I won’t. But you need to eat. So I’m going to go make us some food and you can, shower, or rest, or do whatever it is you want to do as long as you promise not to try to leave. Because we need to talk.” He made no move towards her and she shrugged her shoulder at him, a slight nod of her head in agreement.

  Ben walked out into the hallway straight into Jason, who snatched his headphones off his head and scowled up at him.

  “What’s for dinner?” He asked and Ben growled. Reaching in his pocket he shoved some bills into Jason’s hand and his younger brother grinned. “Cool. See you later.” He turned on his heels and back tracked down the stairs as Ben turned to look at the closed door of his bedroom and frowned.

  Ben reached for the spoon and something caught his eye. He jumped backwards as he spun towards it, his body tense as he prepared to fight, he scented vampire and then realised that it was Kirk.

  “Do you have to do that stealthy vampire thing?” He growled and Kirk leaned into the doorframe, a wide grin on his face as he folded his arms over his chest and shook his head.

  “No, but its fun catching you unawares.”Kirk admitted. “So I hear your mate is back and I’ve been dispatched to make sure the two of you haven’t killed each other yet.” He added.

  “Why did the girls send you?” He eyed the vampire, trying to keep his mind on the conversation and not the sound of his mate in the shower upstairs.

  “I think they figure that I heal the quickest.”

  Ben raised just one brow before turning his attention back to the stove.

  “Well, I’m not dead yet.”

  “And you can’t kill her because she has your pup.” Kirk eyed him.

  “What do you want, Kirk?”

  “They want to know if she’s staying.” He admitted and Ben growled as much to himself as to the nosey vampire.

  “She’s staying.” Ben growled out. There was absolutely no doubt in his mind. He wouldn’t let her leave again.

  “You know you can keep her here, but you can’t make her stay.” Kirk held up his hands in front of him when Ben rallied towards him. “I’m just saying.”

  “Thanks for your input.” Ben growled back, he wasn’t impressed with the advice, but that more to do with the fact that he knew it to be true rather than the advice itself.

  “Well I have over a thousand years of experience and I’m told it’s good to share.” He quirked a brow before turning on his heels to leave. “If you need anything…”He called over his shoulder and Ben dropped his head and considered his words.

  He couldn’t make her stay and he wasn’t about to chain her to the damn bed or watch her twenty four hours a day. She had said she missed him. Now he just needed to figure out if that was enough to keep her here.

  Silver had riffled through his clothes and grabbed what she could from the absurdly oversized collection that made her feel like a child playing dress up.

  She’d given his sweatpants a try, but even turning the tops and legs back until they looked as if she was wearing a lifebelt around her ankles and waist, couldn’t keep the damn things from falling down her legs. So she gave up and went in the other direction, finding the largest sweater he had, so that it looked like mini dress, resting just above her knees, and teaming it with a thick pair of socks. It wasn’t going to make the cover of a fashion magazine, but she was comfortable, and his scent on the soft wool made her feel warmer than she had felt in a while.

  The fact that he did a double take at her legs as he walked through the bedroom door carrying a tray of food, made her want to chuckle. Not to mention the low rumble of a growl that she heard, like thunder in the distance roll off him, that did something completely different to her insides, and it felt like butterflies doing cartwheels within her.

  “Sit and eat.” It wasn’t a command, but there was still and underlying growl to his tone that she found appealing, as she climbed up on the bed and tried to keep the sweater from riding up too high on her thighs. His eyes were already dark and she could see the bulge at his groin, both of which only made the damn butterflies giddy with need. “And don’t tell me you’re not hungry…”

  “I am hungry.” She cut off his speech before he even started. She was hungry, for the first time in quite a while. The scent of the food made her mouth water and she couldn’t wait to dig in. She’d almost managed to match him fork for fork, but she couldn’t match the sheer quantity that he could eat, she didn’t have hollow legs, and not eating properly in a while made her fuller, faster.

  They played the game of, let’s eye each other when the other isn’t looking, occasionally the timing was out and both of them would look away at once having been busted, but it was an easy truce between them as they ate in silence, and then Ben cleared away the plates and stood beside the bed with his hands dug deep in his pockets, unsure of how to broach the subject of everything, and just where to start when everything was what he wanted answers too.

  “Sit down, Ben. You’re making my neck ache looking up at you.” She offered, not sure what she was supposed to say or do now there were no distractions between them.

  Ben sat facing her on the bed. His hands rested against his long legs as he tossed and turned everything he wanted to say in his mind but still came up empty.

  “How much do you hate me?” Silver had been burning to know the answer to that question for three months. It was one of the reasons that she hadn’t made contact with Ashley or Emily, because she wanted to know, and yet dreaded the answer. But it was cards on the table time, now there was a baby to think about.

  Ben’s eyes flicked to hers and held them. She saw his brow furrow and his eyes darken and held her breath for the answer.

  “I don’t hate you, Silver. You’re my mate.” His voice was gentle and his tone even, but she couldn’t help the frustratio
n that rose up within her.

  “And if I wasn’t your mate…?”

  “But you are…”

  “But if I wasn’t…?”

  “I’d be pissed.”

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Ben admitted, letting the anger rise within him. His eyes flaring at her.

  “But I still wouldn’t hate you.” He offered.

  Pulling her knees up against her chest, she wrapped her arms around them and closed her eyes, letting her head drop forward to her knees as the tears threatened her eyes again. She never cried, hated the poor saps that seemed to wilt at the drop of a hankie, and yet here she was in tears every time they spoke. This was crazy, hormones were the bane of her life right now, and she wanted to curl up in a small ball and not have to face any of this.

  “Hey, I didn’t mean to get angry with you.” He reached out and ran his fingers lightly over her hair, and she turned her head towards him, pressing her cheek against her knees, and tried to give him a smile to ease his tension.

  “It’s fine, Ben. I get that you’re angry. I do. I’d be fine if it wasn’t for these damn hormones making me blubber like an idiot every thirty seconds.” She seemed to curl herself smaller as he watched her, and he couldn’t take it a moment longer, reaching for her and lifting her onto his lap. She went without question, curling herself into him and accepting his comfort. The feel of his strong arms around her were like a promise that everything was going to be alright, even if it didn’t much feel like that right now.

  “Tell me you’re staying, Silver. It’s all I need to hear. We can sort out the where and how and why another time. I just need to know I’m not going to wake up to find you gone tomorrow, or the next day.” Ben breathed her in. Pressing his cheek to the top of her head and scenting her under the fresh smell of his shampoo and body wash. He ached for her. He’d ached for her from the moment she left and it wasn’t just physical.