Fighting Fate

Waking and Walking

I woke up to the crackling of a fire. My head was pounding and my entire body was in pain. Ben's back was to me, his eyes trained on the fire.

"Hey, Carrie." He whispered.

I sat up slowly,  "what happened?" I asked, pressing my palm against my forehead.

Things began coming back then, flashes of the past hours.

"Sheamus!"

Ben shook his head, keeping his back to me.

"He's fine. I bound his wounds then tied him up a couple of miles from here. When we get back, the police will know where to find him."

I let out a breath of relief and Ben turned to look at me.

His eyes met mine and memories hit me like a concrete truck.

I scrambled backwards, my back hitting the tree Sheamus had tied me to. Ben must have unchained me after I passed out.

My shaking hands went to my shoulder and I inhaled sharply. A mark, around the size of a golf ball, sat in a cosy spot in the crook of my neck. I looked up at him frantically.

BEN'S POV
Our eyes met, she looked terrified and accusing. I kept our gaze steady, despite the heavy guilt that lay in my stomach.

Her anger and fear-filled me through the link, it buzzed in my veins. She let out a damning breath, and  I closed my eyes, pained.

A low growl filled our clearing and a split second later Carrie tackled me to the ground, her fists melding into my face. 

"Carrie, Carrie, stop."

She kept snarling, even when I caught her wrists and flipped her so that she was underneath me.

"I pulled away." I breathed.

She looked up at me frantically,

"I am not fully marked?"

I shook my head. She wrenched one of her wrists free and decked me right across the face.

"You son of a bitch." She breathed.

She was still furious. But I heard the relief in her voice.

"Will it fade?"

I nodded slowly, "I think so."

She let out another shaky breath, leaning back into the floor.

"You'll feel the effects of the mark, but that will go when the mark goes, I think."

She looked up at me, her eyes blazing.

"You arrogant controlling asshole."

I sighed, my gaze falling from her eyes to her stomach, where her shirt had risen a bit, exposing skin.

"I couldn't help it, Carrie."

She glared at me, and I looked back at her.

"I wasn't in control, your clothes smelt like him. And I would've pulled away sooner but.."

She raised an eyebrow as an I trailed off, "but?" She challenged.

"But you wouldn't stop moaning  Carrie."

She let out a startled breath, and my heart jumped at her sweetness.

"That's a lie." She growled.

I shook my head softly, "no it's not love."

She struggled underneath me, her eyes blazing.

"Aren't we a little off-topic? You fucking marked me!"

I searched her face, her emotions flooding me.

She was angry,  but her fear had turned into embarrassment, trying hard to push aside the idea of her writhing beneath me as my teeth sunk into her skin.

"I'm sorry," I said, my eyes meeting hers steadily.

I wished I wasn't lying. Her skin had been so soft,  so, warm. Her scent drove my wolf insane.

I loved every second of marking her because she's mine. She's always been mine. I felt guilty because I didn't feel as bad as a should.

"You can't shift around me anymore Ben. This could have been a complete disaster."

I let out a low growl, my mark, a disaster. I knew if I had marked her properly, things would have become incredibly complicated. But her repulsion to my mark still stung.

"Carrie, my wolf wants you, more than anything, you know that. I couldn't control him. Let's just be grateful I pulled away."

She closed her eyes letting out a low breath.

I knew she was angry, but she also knew I literally had no control, there was nothing I could have done.

"Fine."

Our eyes met again, and it was only then that I actually realized how close we were.

Apparently, she noticed too, her heart began to beat faster. I felt her body warm beneath me, her feelings filled me through the link and my own breaths became heavy.

"Carrie," I said, her name coming out ragged as our eyes blazed together.

"Get off me." She breathed, sounding strained.

I looked down at her, agonized,

"you don't want me to," I whispered.

Her eyes widened, "you fucking asshole!"

She let out a ragged breath, her next words sounded tired, Trembley warm, her eyes were a little too shiny.

"Haven't you done enough Ben?"

I felt my heart squeeze in my chest, and I slowly stepped off her. She scrambled up, ignoring the hand I held out to her.

"What do we do now?"  She asked, dusting off her dress.

"We need to get back to that alpha, the bombs are still ticking in our necks."

She nibbled at her lip and nodded.

Suddenly a slick whoosh sounded through the air. And a spear landed inches from Carrie's left foot. She let out a shaky breath.

"This is Bonolo's." She whispered, admiring the carved in detail.

"It must be enchanted, "I said, moving closer.

"She's tracking us."

She shook my head, examining the spear, "no, she's sending us a message."

She twisted the spear and the top

metal piece popped open, revealing a tiny rolled up piece of paper. She pulled it out and read it quickly.

"They need to know where we are and what happened. There are instructions on how to get a message back."

We scrambled, pulling out the small bit of extra paper and miniature quill from the other side of the spear. Once our message was complete,

'Both safely escaped trolls.  Get cup to alpha, we'll meet you there.'

Carrie lifted the spear up, whispered,

"Return" then threw it up in the air, it whooshed away, zipping through the air, heading due north.

Then we began to walk, one foot in front of the other, side by side, as we would do for days to come.