The Reluctant Cougar (Rise of the Alpha King's Heir)

The Night Before

He started walking towards the kitchen and heard his mother muttering, "And the way that Vampire girl looks at him now, I swear it's like she's planning her next meal."

Ben's dad snorted, "You're overreacting, Clair. She's his Bloodmate. She won't hurt him."

"Oh? Being Bloodmates makes everything magically fine, does it?" Clair shrieked. 

Ben groaned. He wished his mom would give it a rest already. Even before she'd found out Eileen was Ben's Bloodmate she'd been a lot more critical of her. She'd also been fighting with his dad a lot this summer, and it all seemed to originate with some lie his dad had told her in July. Kurt Cougar wasn't one to lie, and he wasn't malicious by nature, so Ben figured he must have had a good reason. Then again, Clair Cougar had always been the epitome of supportive and trusting, so for it to have upset her so much... 

It wasn't his place to figure it out. He was their kid. 

Still, Ben hoped they worked through it soon. 

One more night at home. Just one more.

"For Wayden's sake, Clair, just drop it, okay? I told you--" 

"I didn't bring it up this time, Kurt, you did!" 

Nervous energy spiraled through Ben as their voices continued to rise, making him feel jittery.

"Ma, Dad, I'm going for a run!" he called from the front door.

Silence. Then, "Okay, baby. Supper will be done in about an hour. Watch for cars and--"

Ben was bouncing down the front steps before Clair ended her sentence, thinking about where he wanted to go.

His eyes automatically trailed to Widow O'Hara's house, looking at the dark room at the top, wondering if Eileen was there. Did she want to see him as much as he wanted to see her?

Feeling bold, he stepped to the side of the house, noticing that the street light painted him in soft golden tones. Would she like that? 

Eyes locked on her window, he slowly pulled his T-shirt over his head, dropped it on the ground, and waited.

He saw a flutter of movement through the window. A second later he saw her face more clearly, saw her eyes slowly trailing up and down his body.

She thinks nobody can see her, he realized, feeling a spark of electric heat run through his body at her perusal.

What should he do? He couldn't just stand there awkwardly.

At a loss, he started stretching, allowing his muscles to flex and dance as he prepared for his run. All the while his mind raced, and his body hummed pleasantly. Did she realize he was putting on a show for her? Was she still watching?

He turned his eyes to the window again, but to his supreme dismay she was no longer there.

Did looking at him make her uncomfortable? There was nobody around to judge her now. Why wouldn't she want to look?

Ben glanced down his frame, looking for something wrong, something different from the last time she'd seen him shirtless. As far as he could tell nothing had changed.

Heart sinking, Ben walked around to the front of the house, glancing up and down the sidewalk for inspiration. Which way to start running?

Was that really a question?

His feet were moving before he fully made up his mind. He needed to think, after all, so of course he would go to the parkway overlook.

When he arrived, he slowed his pace, meandering towards the bench at the side of the overlook.