(Carter)
Something was wrong.
He was fine when he left class to use the bathroom. His anxiety had suddenly started to spike and that was a red flag I couldn't easily ignore. Plus, he was taking far too long to return from a bathroom that was literally down the corridor and around the corner.
The longer I sat there, the more his anxiety grew and at the sudden wave of fear that washed over me, that did it for me. I couldn't sit there any longer and listen to the teacher go on and on about graphing inequalities when I am sure my mate was somewhere on school grounds in trouble and very much afraid.
I didn't care that we were only allowed to go to the bathroom one person at a time, or that the teacher was questioning why I suddenly got up and was exiting the classroom.
"Mr. Hayes!" he barked, moving forward to intercept my pathway but with one menacing flash of my eyes that dared him to challenge a higher ranking wolf regardless of pack, he submitted. He nodded and allowed me to leave.
I made haste toward the bathroom and rounded the corner, my sneakers scuffing against the floor as Bennett's anxiety had reached an all time toxic high and the pungent odor of lust hung in the air meeting me where I stood a few footsteps away.
"Get off-" came his strangled cry his voice carrying a notable tremble that was so unlike my Beehive. It propelled me forward and I didn't bother taking any time to mentally prepare for what I was to find. Pushing the door open and walking in so that the door didn't slam shut in my face, my steps came to an immediate halt as my gaze landed on the scene before me.
I could feel control steadily slipping away, my muscles already tightening.
From anger and bloodlust or my struggle to stay in control, it really didn't matter at this moment. It made my blood boil seeing how that motherfucker had my mate pinned against the tiled wall, Bennett's thighs parted, and Pike's knee buried between them. Or how Pike had his fingers so tightly wrapped around my mate's neck that his hand seemed to meld into Bennett's skin. My blood boiled hot making me seethe like a rampaging bull seeing Pike's face hovering so closely to what's mine and dragging his disgusting tongue so dangerously close to my mate's mouth.
Bennett had his hands tightly gripped over Pike's and seemed to be in the middle of a struggle trying to get away. The bastard came to a halt, pulling his tongue away from my mate as he snapped his gaze over to me and a gloating gleam entered his eyes.
"Hayes." Pike taunted smirking as he did so holding onto my mate tighter, leaning into him. An audible whimper escaped Bennett making me snap my gaze to his teary eyed one and the fear and helpless I saw there was enough to drive me insane.
"Came to watch? Or you want a piece, too? I don't mind sharing. He was feisty before too and that hasn't changed. Reminds me of why we enjoyed fucking him."
Before?
His words sliced me, and my gaze flickered between the two; the taunting, smug aura that shrouded Pike and the self-hatred I felt from my own mate.
"Let go of him, you sick bastard!" I growled out, stalking forward as the beast that dwelled inside howled out in a thirst for blood, mixing dangerously with anger and pain. My fists were clenched, and the beast clawed at the surface wanting out. Goddess knows I would give anything to shift and for the first time, I would throw the rules out the window, but I stopped short when my foot hit something sending it skidding across the tiled floor.
I frowned at the unusual object to find in a school bathroom but then I noticed the millimeter of odd blue liquid and I snapped my glare back to them.
It would explain why he wasn't fighting back. He couldn't. Even though I knew he took wolfsbane as a way of building immunity, the fact that he couldn't fit back against Teddy Pike rammed home a terrifying reality. Wolfsbane was the plant from hell, and it packed a wallop. It would have to take a lot more in order to render Bennett defenseless.
"Fucking bastard! You injected him with wolfsbane!"
Pike chuckled coldly, locking gazes with me. He was enjoying toying with me knowing damn well I was fucking possessive of my mate.
"How else am I supposed to make him compliant enough to have some fun? I don't about you, but it's been too long since I've fucked his tight ass." he retorted. Something in me snapped and I gave up all restraint on the beast that dwelled inside.
The only thing that mattered was mutilating the fucker so badly that not even the ferryman would be able to recognize him in death. I wanted to taste his blood so badly that I charged forward, giving in to the animal instinct that said to kill the bastard for touching what was mine.
It drove me crazy knowing that Pike had touched my mate like that.
Pike moved away as I stomped toward them. He was ready to fight even if he did have a smug smirk on his face. He knew how riled I was and what this entire situation was doing to me. For a brief moment, I wondered if this is what Beehive had meant when he said I needed to learn control because they would purposely provoke me.
I had to hand it to Pike. He's doing an excellent job meeting an early grave.
As Pike stepped away, turning to face me, Bennett slid down the wall breathing heavily and trembling something terrible battling for control. I saw clearly, the tears that gathered and threatened to spill. There was a large part of me that wanted to go to him. To comfort him and let him know that he was safe. But there was a small, nagging voice that screamed at me to deal with Pike first, and take my sweet time afterward caring for my mate. As much as it pained me to see Bennett this way, maybe he could hang on for two minutes while I dispose of trash.
Pike stepped forward, the gloating smirk vanishing immediately as my palm came up to meet his nose. I felt and heard the satisfying crack before pulling my hand away to see blood already popping out of his busted nose. I smirked.
Learned that one from Beehive!
Pike growled, touching his nose. He cursed under his breath when he pulled his hand away from his face seeing the red liquid that coated it.
"You'll pay for that."
Just fucking try me, bitch! This cunt touched my mate and now has the balls to threaten me? The nerve of some people!
He swung wildly and I dodged feigning right making him lose his balance. Ramming my knee into his gut, I grabbed hold of his wrist twisting his arm painfully behind his back and shoving him forward. Pike stumbled against the stalls, the door to one flying open inward making him fall through.
How I wish he'd fallen, and the toilet had been filled with shit. Instead, the bastard got back up and came running at me with the intention to spear through me. Once again, I sidestepped grabbing him behind the neck and pushing him forward. Pike went barreling head first into one of the sinks, the dull thud of his skull hitting ceramic echoing throughout the tiled room. It filled me with a sense of thrill hearing his pain-filled grunts and that he was making it super easy to literally, bust his head open.
"And you were supposedly Tobias' fourth-in-command? What a joke! You can't even hold your own against me and you had to inject Bennett with wolfsbane just to gain the upper hand." I goaded him, and he growled back staggering to his feet. He swayed, pressing a palm to the side of his head checking for blood and possible wounds.
What a shame his head didn't bust open! He had no fucking right touching what has never been his!
"You're pathetic. You disgrace the honor of being a commander-"
"Fuck you, Hayes!" he spat, but then he frowned, and a gloating smirk replaced his frown. He chuckled humorlessly. "Oh wait, but I guess I did fuck you over without even trying." His smirk grew as his gaze wavered over to my Beehive who was slumped on the floor, knees pulled to his chest as he grappled at the strings of his sanity. I felt everything he was going through right now and I was afraid to leave him alone for only one second. One second would be all it took for him to make a drastic, irrational decision.
Bennett shuddered as if feeling Pike's gaze on him, and the tears started falling faster when Pike suddenly bit his lip and trailed his disgusting eyeballs over my mate in a lecherous manner.
My pressure spiked. I wanted to rip his fucking eyeballs out! Who the fuck does he fucking think he is? He has no fucking right looking at Bennett that way!
Charging forward, I swung my right fist catching Pike square in the jaw, but I didn't allow him the chance to stumble back and dare put more distance between us. I moved forward and grabbed up the front of his shirt, head butting him in the nose hearing yet another crack. Snaking a hand around the back of his neck, I rammed my fist into his stomach- once, twice- making him double over from the force that forcefully had his face meeting my knee.
I didn't relent, dragging him closer to the sinks and smashing his head against one repeatedly, enough times to break it. And still, I wasn't satisfied. It just wasn't enough for what he'd done! Tortured my mate and raped him! Goddess knows how many times the motherfucker had done it! I didn't just want his fucking blood. I wanted him to endure every shred and ounce of pain, suffering and misery he'd forced upon Bennett. I wanted to give him a slow, agonizing death.
Fuck! I wanted to mutilate his fucking worthless being but keep him alive long enough to throw maggots on him and bury him alive. He deserved the worse for what he'd done.
He was a monster. Disgusting! Using sex as a weapon of control and destruction against someone who was probably innocent. I could just imagine it and that thought shredded me. I knew without having to think much that my mate had been innocent when he'd had that monster defile him. Hold him down and do those deplorable things against his will.
It's always the innocent ones who suffered most. Why? Why? Why my Beehive? What had he done to deserve it?
Bennett didn't deserve that. Any of it. I'm sure he had dreamed that he would willingly give his virginity to his mate, and not have it stolen by some demon.
Pike slumped to the floor next to a chunk of the sink that had given way; with a nose broken in two places popping blood and his face well bruised up. His mouth was bleeding too but something so minor would never satisfy the beast that dwelled inside. A feral growl escaped my lips as I moved forward pulling Pike up to his feet by a fistful of hair making me delight in how his worthless mug of a face scrunched in agony. He hasn't even tasted the beginning of it.
"Worthless scum!" I growled into his face. "You think alpha mates are bad? You obviously haven't gone up against a beta mate! Didn't you know we're incredibly ruthless and possessive? We're a lot worse than alphas. We're called the right hand for a reason, cur!"
Pike lifted his gaze to meet my fury and he smirked, giving me a clear view of the chipped and bloodied teeth. The nerve of this motherfucker! I could literally kill him right now and every nerve and fiber in my body was singing my praise at ripping the bastard to pieces.
"At least I fucked his sweet ass before anyone else-" His words were cut off when I grabbed hold of his jaw, squeezing down hard enough to hear a crack followed by his guttural scream. That would be a bitch to heal and I hope it festered and rotted before it ever healed right.
"I hope you have life insurance, Pike." I sneered, balling my fist and sucker punching him in the face. Once, twice. Three times before maneuvering him around away from the sinks. He fought back lifting his leg with the intention to kick me, but I caught his leg making him hop about and seethe with rage as he tried to get away. He wildly swung his arms about as if trying to hit me but failed miserably each time.
This was Tobias' fourth-in-command? I can't see what makes him so special that he's worthy of the honor.
Letting go of him, Pike stumbled and growled in agitation, no doubt because I was proving to be a difficult opponent. Naturally, it was the beta blood and the feral animal half that made me so strong. Top it off with years of training, and the fact that I'm fucking mad. I wanted blood.
Pike lunged forward with a newfound ferocity that I easily sidestepped and turned about, grabbing hold of his shirt from the back. It ripped slightly as I pulled him back and turned him about before launching him forward like a javelin. He stumbled over the two foot distance, crashing against the door to the bathroom, the wood rattling under the impact. I ran forward, lowering my body as though I were about to tackle an opponent on the football field.
The door ripped free from its hinges, the wood snapping in half as Pike went flying out into the corridor. He fell to the floor, coughing, wheezing and cursing me to hell and back.
"This is the part where you run, Pike." My threat was loud and clear and if he valued his life, he'd take my stupid advice and hightail it out of town. Pike stirred, glaring up at me. His scowl was short-lived catching the fury that was no doubt perfectly etched onto my face and fear glazed over in his eyes. He audibly gulped, scrambling to his feet and stumbling around the corner.
What fun! I love a challenge!
Sprinting off after him, I caught the bastard stumbling down the corridor lamely using the lockers to keep him upright.
Oh come on! I didn't beat him that badly for him to flop around like a Muppet on crack! Not if he could run away that fast after getting speared through a door.
Sprinting down the corridor, Pike all but screamed when he noticed me bounding after him, and while he tried to get away, it proved futile as I caught up with him no time. He cursed profanity after profanity at me when I grabbed the back of his already ripped shirt slamming him against the lockers. The impact vibrated through the row of lockers and I'm sure one or two of the classrooms nearby had heard it.
"I thought you were gonna let me go!" he gritted through clenched teeth because of his somewhat dislocated jaw that was already healing. He glared his full hatred.
Let him go? After what he did? Planned to do? I would laugh if I wasn't so pissed off.
My blank expression gave nothing away but I'm guessing he wasn't so stupid to think my silence meant zilch. And a moment later, he seemed to catch the undertone of my silence.
"You're gonna risk going feral? Just to kill me?"
Hold up! What the fuck? My brows pinched in confusion and Pike seemed to catch on to it and he smirked.
"What? You think I didn't know about your hard-to-control wolf?" He laughed as though it were some great joke.
How the fuck did he know that? Not many people outside of Marcana knew about my wolf situation and those who do know, keep shut.
"Wouldn't it be fun if you actually lost that control?" he goaded but I didn't fall for his trap. My goal was clear and would remain unchanged.
For his crimes against my mate, he had to pay with his life.
Pike started laughing loudly as though the last screw in his head had finally come undone.
"Hey, hyena! It won't be fun for you if I slip into madness, you know." I reminded, smirking as I advanced on him. He slumped against the lockers, moving his tongue over his teeth and lapping up some of the blood, grimacing as he did so.
"It's not that I'm laughing at. You really think your relationship with Reid is gonna work out? After what we did to him...oh those glorious three days in that cabin..." he goaded, and I was sure there was fire in my eyes. Did the motherfucker not learn a thing?
"...tied up, gagged. Fucked until he couldn't walk and choking on cum!" My eye twitched at his constant jabs. "Do you actually think he'll be able to look at you now? Now that you know he's defiled? Used? He's beyond repair. Just the way I love my toys-"
Pike's head snapped up and banged against the lockers. My breathing was heavy as my chest rose and fell deeply. The pressure in my head suddenly burst as my claws came out and my fangs elongated. I could already taste his blood on my tongue and I was itching to rip into him. There was no shred of mercy left in me. I was done playing with my prey. I'd given him leeway to throw jab after jab and he succeeded in making me snap completely. Gone was any shred of control as I went after him, sparing him no moment's rest or easy breathing.
My fist came down on any part of his body within my reach, and I didn't hesitate to swipe my claws, slashing through the shirt he wore and ripping bare flesh. Pike's screams echoed through the corridor grating on my nerves.
The fucking cunt!
"Stop...!" he tried weakly, desperately trying to block my blows and kicks.
Motherfucker!
"Why should I?" I screamed into his face, slamming him against one of the classroom doors. "Did you stop? When he begged for mercy! Pleaded with you to stop! Did you? Did you show mercy, or did you delight in the pain you were causing him? The agony and misery you were putting him through because you're fucked up in the head? Did you ever stop to think about your misdeeds when you saw his tears? Heard his screams? No? Then why the fuck should I give you mercy when you've done nothing to deserve it?"
"Hayes!" someone shouted in warning and I vaguely recognized the voice belonging to West even through the bloodlust haze and fog that clouded my mind.
Pike begged for mercy as I advanced on him again, trying to crawl away. His begging made my lips curl in disgust. People like him make me sick. Thinking they are so high and mighty. Invincible and the toughest shit on the block but truly, they're the biggest pussy when they go up against someone who isn't afraid to go all out.
Grabbing hold of him once again, I threw him against the lockers, and he crumbled to the floor clearly unable to support himself upright. I lunged forward, bringing my knee into his face. His arms lay limply at his side and it was obvious that he was no longer putting up a fight. I rained down punch after punch on him, my satisfaction nowhere near sated even as blood began coating my already bruised and bloodied knuckles.
I vaguely registered the rush of several footfalls, gasps and screams, murmurs and the opening and closing of a classroom door. Someone grabbed me from behind. In fact, I think it was two people as I felt four hands, two per arm, peeling me off Pike.
"Hayes! Stop this madness!" West's voice demanded, and I sensed a little of that alpha tone slipping through. Still, it didn't matter if he was a blood born alpha and I was just an out of control beta. I was mad as hell and if these fuckers did not let go, they'd lose their fucking arms, whomever they be.
"Fucking let go! He has to pay! He had no fucking right!" I screamed, feeling tears of anger and frustration pushing to the forefront of my vision. I thrashed about, desperate to rip free from the restraining grips and get back to work.
"This is insane! You've gone ballistic!" West shot back even though I didn't see him- my focus zeroed in on the pile of trash lying limp on the floor just a feet or two away- I knew West was somewhere to my right, as opposed to being one of the guys who held me back.
"You're going to kill somebody at this rate!"
"That's the fucking idea! He touched him, West! He hurt him! He has to fucking pay!" Growling in frustration, I threw my weight onto my right leg and rammed my shoulder into the person there, loosening his grip on me. He stumbled away from the force of my shove allowing me the freedom to move, whirling about and catching the other guy in the face with a right hook.
I turned back around returning my focus to Pike and I managed to take only one step forward when West physically intercepted my pathway, pushing me back.
"That's enough, Hayes! Get a damn grip of yourself!"
"Get the fuck out of my way, West. I swear to the gods, if I can't kill Pike, you'll take his fucking place!" I gritted out, glaring down at him since he was like an inch or two shorter. West shook his head and my fists clenched.
Wait. Why am I holding back from hitting him? It's not like I care for him.
Much... Anyway.
"This isn't the time or place-"
"You don't fucking understand!" I screamed back, shoving him. West barely budged, standing his ground, actually creating a barrier between Pike and me with his own body. Didn't he hate Pike as much? Why was he protecting him?
"I'm not protecting him, Hayes. I'm protecting you. Trust me, I understand exactly how you feel. Those fuckers deserve everything coming their way. I know what it feels like to fantasize ripping them to shreds because they touched what belongs to another. You felt his pain; his helplessness; and it's driving you insane that you can't hurt who want to hurt most. I get that. But this is not the place for revenge."
I tried to find a tell that he was lying as I searched his face. But there was none. Only empathy. The volatile storm of anger, frustration and heartbreak I saw swirling in his eyes mirrored exactly how I felt. But how could he know that?
Unless...
His words ringing loudly in my mind, I flitted my gaze over the crowd of whispering students that had gathered, and I picked Asher out. His head was lowered, blonde hair falling to cover his face and eyes away from my gaze as though he were racked with shame. The possibility rocked me to the core and when Asher hugged his arms and raised his head, the emotion there on his face sucker punched me.
Not Asher, too!
My gaze flitted back to West who was seething with quiet rage as he glared down at the pathetic excuse of a werewolf.
"Did he..." I started, finally taking note of the damage that surrounded us. Some lockers had dents from where Pike had head first collisions and said person lay on the floor. His shirt was slashed and ripped; his flesh torn. Blood oozed out of the countless wounds and stained the light colored shirt he wore. His face was badly bruised, and bleeding and his left shoulder appeared to be dislocated.
Had I really done all of that?
I met West's gaze on me, and it softened significantly catching onto my unfinished question. "I know, Hayes." he started quietly, just soft enough for us both to hear below the low hum of several excited voices merging together. His gaze flicked to my hands. "Put those away before any humans take notice. Go find B. He needs you."
Beehive!
Suddenly remembering that my mate should've been more important than dishing out an execution, I retracted my claws, my fangs having done so a while back. I bolted down the corridor and around the corner to the bathroom where the door lay split in two. Hopping over it, I made it into the bathroom but didn't see him. My panic didn't get time to settle when I heard him regurgitating and heaving. Gravitating toward the sound, I found him curled around a toilet in one of the stalls, puking his guts out.
"Beehive?" I called, carefully approaching him. He didn't seemed to hear me as his heaving and vomiting mixed together with the sobs that racked his body, making his shoulders shake something terrible. There was a notable tremble in his fingers that tightly gripped onto the sides.
Gently, I placed my hand on his shoulder. "Beehive-"
"Get away from me! Don't fucking touch me!" he screamed, shoving my hand off and kicking at my legs. I jumped back, his outburst startling me, and my heart broke seeing him so vulnerable. It was worse than when he'd opened up to me about his ex and his brother. On Saturday, I'd seen the pain and heartbreak he hid. Now...
I was seeing just how far broken he was. Mentally and emotionally. He was destroyed.
"Please..." he whimpered, trying to scoot up against the toilet as though he thought I would hurt him.
"Beehive? It's me." I tried, my heart breaking further at the profound fear etched onto his features and it made me realize he was far too gone to even recognize that I was his mate.
Crouching in the doorway of the stall, I held my hands up for him to see that I meant no harm. "Bennett, it's fine. I'm not going to hurt you-"
"Liar!" he screamed, shuffling further back now squished between the stall wall and the toilet, his body twisted sideways to wriggle in.
"I promise, Bennett. I'm not going to hurt you. I'm your mate."
He cried harder, shaking his head vigorously and covering closing his eyes.
"I would never hurt you, Bennett-"
"Stop lying! You don't love me! You never did! You hurt me every chance you get! Haven't you done enough? Stop pretending to care, Chester!" he screamed, mumbling to himself as his tears continued falling. I was shocked, staring at him wide eyed as my heart broke.
He thought I was Chester? Why? How?
"What's happening?" West's voice suddenly rang throughout the bathroom and I stood, stumbling away from the stall as tears pricked the back of my eyes. I turned to see West surveying the damage done to the door and carefully stepping inside with Asher and Principal Dalton coming inside. Principal Dalton lingered in the doorway probably trying to piece together what had led to us actually busting a door in half.
"Where's Bennett?" Asher's voice said and I glanced to the sub warily approaching me, a concerned frown pinching his brows as he caught my eyes. "Carter-" he said, gasping as he turned to see what had previously held my attention.
"He...He thinks I'm Chester." I caught Asher's frown but the wheels in his head was turning. West on the other hand didn't need time to piece together my cryptic words. He cursed under his breath as he moved forward.
"He doesn't recognize you. He's in a night terror!" West announced, bolting forward.
Night terror?
Asher and I stepped back as West lingered in the stall entrance, staring down at his best friend and assessing the damage. He made a sound of disgust, turning his head to the side and his nose wrinkled probably from the smell of Beehive's upchuck.
"B?" he called softly; gently.
"It's Bennett!" my mate shot back, his voice trembling with hurt and anger. "You've lost the right to call me that after abandoning me, you fucking bastard!"
Bennett was unbelievably angry, yet he didn't raise his head to look at any of us. West shot back at the venom in Bennett's tone and he turned to face us looking frustrated and somewhat hurt.
I don't know a lot about the history between those two but there was clearly some bad blood. West raked a hand through his hair, expelling a deep breath.
"Well?" I said, indicating for West to spit out whatever he had to say.
"He's in a night terror, Carter. He can't tell the difference between dreams and reality and right now, whatever is going on in his head, he's reliving the past. Whatever Teddy did, it caused a trigger." West explained and my heart thudded loudly in my chest.
It was so bad, that he couldn't differentiate between reality and dream, past and present, when a trigger happened.
"What exactly happened, anyway?" West queried; his eyes turned to slits as he turned to look at me. Glancing over to Principal Dalton, I noticed that he was making his way in, a stern, furious expression on his face.
He asked the same question catching a glimpse of Bennett once again regurgitating. He had moved forward to better survey what was happening, but West quickly warned him that it was best to keep a distance.
"Well? I need something to work with. What happened in here and why is Teddy Pike looking like a corpse in the nurse's office?" Principal Dalton crossed his arms over his chest, an irritated tick in his jaw as he patiently awaited our response.
"Pike assaulted and tried molesting my mate. Is that enough to work with?" I shot, my lips curling from disgust and anger over the whole thing. Disgust that the fucker had touched Bennett. Anger that I was stopped from killing the bastard.
Principal Dalton's arms fell limply to his sides and his eyes were wide like saucers. He was quiet. Either, he couldn't believe what he'd just heard or was having trouble processing it.
"Oh..." he breathed, his gaze flickering over to my mate for a split second. "Guess I have some damage control to do..." he said, mostly to himself and he nodded and turned about. He knew his hands were tied here as it was more a mate thing and he had no power there.
"I'll be contacting Marcana and Black Rock over this now that Teddy and his father are rogues." he said lastly as he made his way out grumbling and mumbling about teenagers, boys, hormones, and a pep talk about an early retirement.
"Couldn't Carter 'wake him up'?" Asher queried using air quotations now that it was just the four of us. Bennett had calmed down now, and was struggling to control his breathing, his chest heavily rising and falling. His head was pressed against the stall wall and his eyes were closed. Stray tear droplets glistened on his cheeks and lashes.
West motioned for me to try and I nodded, though uneasy. The last time I tried, he screamed at me. I approached, crouching in the entryway again and reaching forward to gently touch his leg. His eyes flew open and his leg swung up almost catching me in the face. I stepped back, audibly gulping.
"Just leave me alone, you bastard! Go back to Mandy because I don't need you! You sure as hell don't need me!" he cried, tears falling again. Honestly, I didn't know if he still thought I was Chester, or he was actually screaming those words at me as Carter Hayes. All I know is that his words were killing me. "I hate you so much! I don't know what I ever saw in you! Stay away from me, you sick fuck!" Using his leg, he slammed the stall door shut and I backed away, noticing how Asher and West stared at the now closed stall door in shock.
Tears pricked the back of my eyes, but I refused to let my hurt show. He didn't know. It wasn't his fault. He's just reacting based on the trigger.
"I guess that won't work." West said then, drawing my attention to him. I didn't look at him, too focused on battling back my own emotions but I listened to what he had to say. "This is probably the most severe trigger I've witnessed. But we can't use you to bring him back. His ex was horrible to him and having you touch him doesn't make the memory of Chester fade." I frowned at that, glancing up at him. "The mate bond tingles." he clarified. "Despite being a shit mate, B would have still felt those tingles every time Chester touched him or was near."
Seriously? I was this useless? I thought this to myself staring down at my hands.
"Then, how do we get Bennett back to the present?" Asher queried somewhat agitated. "You know, where he has a mate who loves him, and would no doubt go above and beyond to prove it?"
West ruffled his hair, taking in a deep breath of air and blowing it out through his mouth rather noisily. "There isn't much we can do but..." he trailed, whipping out his phone and furiously typing something into it. He went off to linger near the door, texting for a few moments while Asher and I exchanged glances. The sub shrugged as clueless as I am about West's spontaneous bout of texting.
My gaze drifted over to the closed stall and I wanted to go in there and hold him until Bennett came to. But the chances of getting out without a few scratches and my feelings getting hurt were rather slim. I would rather stand here biding my time that risk sending him over the edge.
"He's coming." West announced, grinning as he held up his phone.
Who's coming?
"He'll be able to help, no doubt. Honestly, other than Kosta and Colton, he's probably the only one B will allow to get close enough while he's in this state." West continued. Who the fuck is coming? Who's close enough to Beehive that they could get close enough while he pushed me away?
It hurt knowing that I couldn't help my own mate while he was like this. But that it took someone else. I should be enough, shouldn't I?
The sound of heavy footfalls echoed down the corridor, advancing toward the bathroom making us turn our head in that direction to see who was coming through. West poked his head out the entryway and gestured to someone who hovered nearby as though assessing the fallen door. Sniffing the air to see if I could clue in on whom it was, I caught the faint scent of wood pine and rain.
Yeah...I'm clueless. I don't make it a hobby to go sniffing other people.
A moment later, one long ass leg stepped through followed by another and I glanced up to see Tucker walking in. He didn't say anything, only flitted his gaze over Asher and me, and then to the stalls his eyes lingering on the one my mate was currently hiding in.
With a nod of his head, some unspoken command had been exchanged between him and West and soon, we were being ushered out to stand in the corridor.
"What's he doing here?" I asked peeking around the wall and peering inside to find Tucker standing in front of the stall. His lips were moving but I didn't really hear anything he said too focused on hearing West's response.
"For some reason, B really trusts Tucker. When B went missing those three days, a few of us stayed behind in case he showed up. I was one of them. Tucker was the one who found him and brought him back, but nobody had ever been able to coax Tucker into talking about where he found B and what happened to him. I think B's trust in him has a lot to do with that incident."
Leaning my head against the wall, I crossed my arms and ankles and let those words sink in as I eavesdropped on the conversation happening behind the wall, tuning out Asher and West. I heard nothing from Beehive, only his heavy breathing that he was still trying to get control of. Over his breathing, I heard Tucker speaking in a low, calming tone as though lulling him out of a dream.
"It isn't real, B." he was saying. "Chester isn't here to hurt you anymore. Remember, he passed away. But you do have a mate who wants to help you. Remember it, B. Snap out of it. Those are just memories. Shadows of the past and they can't hurt you."
"But Teddy...h-he..."
"Teddy's not here. He won't hurt you again."
"But it happened! He tried to hurt me again!" Beehive snapped back.
"I'm not saying it didn't happen. But he won't be able to hurt you again. Not if he values his life. Remember, B. You have a new mate now. Remember him? You know that idiot who follows you around like a lost puppy." Tucker reminded and I scowled.
Oh, whatever! So, what if I follow after him like that? That's completely okay since we're mates.
A moment of silence drowned us, and the only thing that could he heard was the drip drop of a leaking tap merging with the low hum of several voices talking over the other, chairs and tables scraping against the floors and teachers barking instructions from over the thick wall that separated us from the classrooms and lockers.
The period had now ended, and the bell had gone signaling the beginning of the last period for the day.
"Carter." came Beehive's quiet voice as he came to, finally realizing where he was. The realization and relief in his tone slapped me hard, but what hurt most was hearing the undertone of uncertainty and fear. Suddenly, Pike's words from earlier came back to haunt me.
No!
I would never do something like that. I wasn't some shallow bastard. Beehive had to know that!
Another bout of silence shrouded us before Beehive gasped, startling me and I almost bolted around the wall to investigate. His startled gasp seemed to have caught Asher and West off guard too, as they glanced to one another in curiosity.
Nosy bastards, eavesdropping.
"They know, Tuck! They know about the wolfsbane! That's how Teddy got to me!"
"What the fuck!" came West's quiet exclamation, and I glanced over to find him with a scrunched up nose as if the knowledge of that didn't sit well with him.
"Then you need to tell your grandfather." Corbin returned, his tone suddenly meaning only business. "Word of advice, tell only him. If they found out about the wolfsbane you're using, then you're in a lot more danger than we initially figured. There's no doubt now. The mole's in Black Rock and it's someone extremely close to you."
"Or..." Asher suddenly drawled, his brows pinched together as though he'd just had an epiphany of sorts. "It could be someone who keeps an extremely close watch to him. It doesn't necessarily have to be someone close to him or with access to this wolfsbane he speaks of."
No matter which way it was said, it did nothing to lessen my queasiness. If it were up to me, I'd take him to Marcana and lock him away in the isolation cabin. The same one I usually go to whenever I felt control slipping too often. Only, I'd make sure he had every comfort to please him coupled with frequent visits from me and we'd do anything he wanted.
But, that was a pipe dream. I couldn't ask him to drop everything and go into hiding for my sake when it wasn't in him to run away from danger. We were playing a dangerous game, gambling with our lives and he was committed to it having put all his chips on the table. And I wasn't about to chicken out. I'd made up my mind tough to stand by him no matter the obstacles thrown our way.
The scuffing of sneakers against the tiled bathroom floor met my hearing and a moment later, they stepped out. Beehive stepped up next to me, but he didn't raise his gaze to meet mine. He kept it glued to the floor. While it did bother me, Pike's words once again returning to haunt me, I was too relieved to care about that now.
Leaning off the wall, I wrapped my arms around him and held him tightly. He returned my hug, thankfully.
"Sorry I scared you." His words brought tears to my eyes and I wasn't even sure why.
"You don't ever have to apologize to me, Beehive. I'm just glad you're okay." But we both knew that was a lie. He wasn't okay, and he would never be. But, he accepted my words as they are and understood by them, what I meant.
His fingers still carried a notable tremble that I felt through the fabric of my T-shirt where he gripped. "I want to go home." he said softly, and he didn't need to say it twice. I had promised him. If things got to be too much, I'd take him away from here. And things had gone more than too far.
Switching my hold to his hand, ignoring the way he kept his gaze pointed to the floor, I turned mine to Asher and West.
"I can assume West will take you home." The sub nodded, glancing over to his mate then back to me. "Take our stuff and tell my mother to pack me a bag. I'm staying the night in Black Rock. Bring it over, will you, West." I glanced to the dominant and he inclined his head in acknowledgement of my request. Without another word, I led Beehive out of the school building and into the parking lot.
He sat quietly, fiddling with his fingers throughout the ride. If he wasn't gazing out the window on his side, he was staring down at his lap, but still, he didn't look me in the face.
As much as it bothered the day lights out of me, I chose to say nothing respecting his need to have some kind of control over his emotions which were relatively calm at the moment.
Nobody was home when we arrived at his house, so he had to use the spare key hidden in the dirt of a basket plant hanging from the porch roof.
"Leave the door unlocked." I commanded. He'd decided to take a shower too, and he knew that I didn't trust him to not do anything stupid. Given the events of today, I was more than afraid he'd have a relapse episode and succumb to his old habits. Or worse.
One would probably say I was a damn pervert for what I did, but it helped calm me down and reassure me that he wasn't doing anything idiotic in there. They had two bathrooms. One downstairs and one upstairs, which is the one Beehive used. I sat in the corridor, a few feet away from the bathroom door propped against the wall.
At this angle, I could hear mostly everything with a little effort. He took a lengthy bath and when half an hour had passed and he still hadn't come out, I went in to check on him. He was in the bathtub, and according to him, he was washing the day's filth away. I left him to his own, knowing it meant that he wanted every inch of himself scrubbed clean of where Pike had touched. He needed some time to grapple with his emotions and I knew this because even as I sat there scrolling through the school's 'student only' social media website, I felt his turmoil. It went against everything to sit there and feel useless. Every fiber in me screamed to go to him and comfort him but I knew physical contact was the last thing he wanted.
Especially if he wasn't the one to initiate it.
Keeping at ear to him, my eyes scanned the multiple comments and posts surrounding the incident this morning. Two videos had been uploaded, both from different angles and both had an equal amount of comments. Most of them were derogatory and aimed at Bennett saying how he was a despicable person for treating a girl like that. Let alone, his own flesh and blood.
It was the same thing over and over again. The same old insults that he belonged in psychiatric ward and locked up from regular people. Some was aimed at me for dating a mentally challenged person. A retard, as they liked to label it.
Some were bold enough to write entire posts talking about how they felt about our relationship. There were a few comments and posts that were in support of our relationship. Some encouraged me to be happy and not be bothered by narrow minded people. But most were aimed toward Bennett hoping he saw it, and they encouraged him to continue being strong and do whatever makes him happy. They thought we made a cute couple and figured it would be a tragedy if we came undone over narrow minded people.
It was quite a lot, and after scrolling through the hundreds of comments, posts, debates and arguments, I decided to post something myself on the page. Hopefully, it would be the last we ever heard of it.
I didn't require this drama in my life, and I was sick of people judging Bennett. I'd done it once and it nearly cost me my happiness. And he sure as hell didn't need people constantly breathing down his neck about how he was unworthy of me.
Scrolling through the pictures gallery on my phone, I selected the photo from our first date in Starlight City. The one the waitress had taken and true to her word, emailed to me as soon as she had the chance. It had been around three the morning after when I got the notification that someone had emailed me something. I couldn't help but smile seeing how far we've come in just a month's time.
Not to mention, Beehive looked fucking hot in the photo. Like he'd previously been at a photoshoot and quickly ran away to grab some dinner without even changing into normal clothing.
It was no wonder the waitress had asked if he was a model. He was simply breathtaking to look at.
Posting the image, I left a long message attached to it:
'There are few things I hold little tolerance for. Nosy people and unnecessary drama are at the top of the list. It isn't anyone's business who I date as you don't see me interfering in another's affairs especially when it doesn't concern me. Why should it matter to any of you that we are together? My relationship with him doesn't impact your lives because surely, you aren't the ones who will have to comfort him when he's had a rough day. None of you will be there to wipe away his tears when things get tough and he feels cornered. None of you will have to deal with his outbursts, and constantly reassure him that it isn't a burden to love him, and that he isn't worthless'.
'I'm happy that I'm the one who has to deal with it because at the end of the day, I get to see a side of him that none of you do. Despite my old rumors, you should have half a mind to think for yourselves and realize that I was clearly in a bad place looking for the closest victim to vent my anger. If you'd stop judging him based on what the rumors say, and what foul words fall from his sister's mouth, you'd come to realize that he's probably the sweetest guy you will ever have the pleasure of talking to'.
'If you all so wish for my happiness, then you will know that it is wise to accept the relationship I've chosen, and the person I've chosen to be with. Just look at that photo! I'm perfectly happy. He's happy too. But if you are one of those people who cannot stand to see us happy, whether it be jealousy or envy, take it somewhere else. Bennett Reid is truly an amazing person and he does not deserve your scorn. Truly, I hope that this will be the last I hear of any ill wishes towards us'.
He was done with his shower by the time I had posted my message. With the page being rather active, it was my intent that by sundown, mostly everyone with access would have seen it. I followed Beehive into his room, walking in after he'd strung up the towel on the hanger nailed to the door. He was curled up on his bed, beneath the covers and had his phone in his hands.
"Beehive? What're you doing?" He didn't answer and his emotions were suddenly on lockdown. I knew he'd been crying again in the bathroom, because not only had I hears his sniffles, but his eyes were puffy. I hated that he was hiding his emotions from me. Again!
Walking around to the other side of the bed, I got behind him and my irritation shot through the roof when I caught a glimpse of the screen.
Is he feeling particularly masochistic, or something?
"Why are you looking at that?" I asked, an edge to my tone. He was scrolling through the school's social media website, and at my question, his walls dropped, and his emotions hit me like a tidal wave. Anger, exhaustion, and sadness. When he didn't respond, I sighed heavily. "I posted something too. Have you seen it yet? It should be at the top of the page."
He scrolled back up, stopping when his eyes landed on the photo of us posted under the username, 'C. K. Hayes'. He was silent as he read through it and even after he was done reading, he remained wordless.
"Well? Do you think it would shut them up?" Bennett sat up, pulling the blankets around him while keeping his gaze glued to the duvet.
"Are you really not disgusted with me?" His voice was but a mere whisper that I almost missed it, not bothering to hide the pain his words caused me. The fact that Pike's words came back to haunt me yet again. Somehow, the bastard knew Bennett would think this way.
"Baby, please look at me." I pleaded, desperately wanting to see those icy blue eyes I was so fond of. He refused to meet my gaze. "I'm not disgusted, Bennett. I'm fucking mad."
He snapped his gaze up to meet mine and I caught to subtle tremor of his lips as tears glistened in his eyes. "At me?" he asked, somewhat fearful.
What? Irritation chewing at my ass now, I pinned him with a firm glare.
"For the love of the gods, Bennett! I'm not your worthless ex! Have I ever given you a reason to make you feel like I was disgusted with you? Have I ever done anything to make you feel like I would love you less if I found out your deepest, darkest secret? Well guess what? I found out what happened those three days. And I'm not disgusted with you nor do I love you any less. Have I ever given you a reason not to trust me? To second guess my feelings when you know I'm an open book?"
His lips trembled and his tears fell. I was off the bed and walking around to his side, kneeling before him and pulling him about so that he was facing me. He kept his gaze downcast, even as teardrops fell onto his palms that were faced up while he fiddled with his fingers.
"I hide nothing from you, Bennett. I don't keep any secrets. You want all my secrets, I'll tell them to you, anytime, anywhere." Peeking at his eyes, I noticed how he tried dodging my stare by turning his head the other way. I didn't let him get away, cupping his face with both hands and trailing them down so that I caressed the sides of his neck, just below his ears. "Whatever gave you the impression that I would ever treat you the way Chester did, please stop thinking like that. I'm not disgusted with you. I'm angry because Pike hurt you before and he tried to do it again today. I'm angry because I didn't get a chance to kill him and make it one less horrible thing you have to worry about."
Bennett finally lifted his gaze to meet mine and I was so glad to see those pretty blue eyes staring back at me that I almost flipped for joy. It didn't matter that he was crying, and his nose was red. He was looking at me and finally able to see the truth in my eyes. He stared at me for a moment longer as though trying to find lie and fault, but his intense stare faltered when he didn't find any. His left hand slid up to touch the back of my hand resting against the side of his neck.
"You would really do that? For me?"
His words brought a smile to my face. "Bennett Reid, you have no idea the things I would do and endure for you."
His lips quivered and his nose scrunched. More teardrops fell as he leaned forward and wrapped his arms around me. I held him close, rubbing his back soothingly as he wept into my shoulder and we stayed like that until his tears had been reduced to mere sniffles.
Letting him go, I plopped down next to him and he leaned into me immediately. I fought back the huge grin, loving how comfortable he was with me. But what's more, I knew he needed the comfort and I'm glad that instead of deflecting and pushing me away, he was letting me in. Letting me be the glue that held him from falling apart. I loved that he was reaching out to me.
"I'm sorry." he started as I placed an arm around him. "I feel like a girl for crying so much. You're making me feel all these new things and I don't know how to deal with it." he admitted.
"Except, you deal with it by crying." I teased making him laughing softly. The sound, though soft and somewhat teary, washed over me like a tidal wave of warmth and it grew my grin.
After today, it was wonderful hearing that beautiful laugh. "The only thing I can say, Beehive, is cry more. Because I'm not stopping anytime soon." I tacked on, pressing my lips into his hair and deeply inhaling that sweet scent of his.
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Happy New Year 2020 everyone! Tonight, I party!