The Lycan King & I

Fourteen.

The couch in the living room is sinfully soft but I still toss and turn all night. I try to blame my insomnia on the wind howling against the windows, instead of the distance I am from Ben.  Maybe I am a child, I wish I wasn't so stubborn and could just crawl back into his stupid big bed.

I guess sleep finally hits me. The sun is blinding me through the windows of the living room, it's too bright to be morning. I sit up gingerly and nearly have a heart attack when I see who's sitting on the end of the couch, just watching.

"Good morning, Luna." Valerie isn't as scary as Axle, but she still looks like she has done a few unspeakable things with her strong hands. Last night's events register in my mind, I'm disappointed that Benjamin assigned Valerie to watch me after our discussion.

"Where-"

"Your man's at work." Valerie cuts me off, "It's just you and me today."

"Ben left?" This is one of the first time I've been away from him since we met, I feel ignored, he left without saying goodbye and without respecting my babysitter wishes. Though I wasn't sure how I felt about Ben right now, I hope he won't be away too long.

"You call Alpha Ben?" Valerie smirks at me, "Cute."

I busy myself with folding my blankets to hide my blush. While she had been nice enough so far, Valerie with an assignment was quickly becoming irritating. She took her task of babysitting me comically serious, eyes narrowed and alert. I hover around the house, cleaning up here and there; and folding the laundry. The house feels like a cage, as Valerie practically follows me from room to room.

"I'm going to get ready." I take my time in the shower just to get some space. I'm brushing my hair in the mirror when I hear Valerie greet Ben, who enters the bedroom. Of course she's waiting outside.

"Nothing to report, Sir." Valerie is ever dutiful.

"How'd it go today?" Benjamin's muffled voice is easy to recognize through the wood  bathroom door.

"There's nothing to report-"

"I mean, never mind. " There's a pause so long that I nearly chuckle.

"Benjamin, I got to be honest, I don't think the Luna wants me as her guard." Valerie's words make me feel a bit guilty for ignoring her most of the day. "Not much of a talker, is she?"

"Then it'd be too easy for me. Same time tomorrow?"

I inwardly groan, the slight guilt gone already. Not another day with Val. I am careful that she's out of the house before emerging from the bathroom. Benjamin is waiting for me on the other side of the door, his anger from last night seems to have vanished. His eyes are blue again.

Ben greets me, "Hello, Eliette. How was your day?"

Is this a test? He is pleasant enough, but the way he growled after me in anger last night is still echoing in my mind. Being on the other end of his anger was terrifying.

"Grace and Wells are joining us for dinner tonight." El." He continues on, making his way around the room as he pulls off his damp shirt. Snow or sweat, I don't know. But I do know that I am enthralled by watching the way the muscles in his back contour with every movement. I'd never noticed another's back with great detail, but I felt an urge to memorize his. "Oh... you- thanks for putting away my laundry, but you didn't have to clean the house again."

"You know you can leave, right?" I don't say anything as he turns around, the new blue sweater clung tightly around his collarbone. It looked warm and inviting, I felt like his house was always a few degrees to chilly for my liking. I wished he'd light the fireplaces more.

"I don't have anywhere to go." Today was mundane and uncomfortable. I was envious that Benjamin had spent most of the day out and about, while I had been imprisoned under Val's watch.

"You can explore the town if you want to." He suggests. "Get to know your new home?"

I shake my head, letting my hair fall in front of my eyes. I couldn't imagine Val playing tour guide, or liking it, she seemed to be the type that enjoyed being in the action.

"Elliette-" He begins. Here we go, I guess we had to talk about last night.

"I didn't know you left this morning." I don't know how I seem to cut him off, my voice was practically a soft whisper in comparison to him, but he always seems to fall silent when my mouth opens.

His anger is forgotten as his face softens, "It was early....I didn't want to wake you..."

"And... I didn't sleep much without you, so I was crabby...." He continues on, his face sheepish. "Plus I figured you were upset with me."

I want to find it on my tongue to say the words: Of course I'm not mad at you. I am grateful you've provided me with a play to stay, luxurious clothes, warm meals... I am not angry because despite whatever happened, I am alive and should be happy with that.

"Please say something, El." He pleads.

"I don't know how I feel," It's true. I'm confused about my feelings. My body is pushing me to just fall into the bed and relax into the blissful slumber that came with Ben. But I couldn't deny one thing: I felt like a pet today waiting on their my to return home.

"I can help you," He nods, "Are you scared right now?"

I shake my head no.

His face perks, "You could feel unsettled that we were apart, that happens with new mates. Does this help?" He reaches forward and grabs my wrist, pulling us both so were sitting on the side of the bed. My legs dangle, as our shoulders brush one another as we breath.

I do feel a slight tranquility at the small contact between us, my skin settling back down. But it doesn't help the sour taste I had with feeling more like a pet and less like a partner. I meet his eyes in confusion, "I don't know."

"Promise you'll tell me when you do?" He requests, and I nod.

"Eliette," Benjamin's disappointed tone rings through the lower level later, as I finish up the plates I was preparing in the kitchen. I didn't know what Lycans preferred to eat, but I had prepared enough meals for Shifter families to guess. 

"Coming!" I balance the three plates on my arms as I push the doors open into the dinning room, where Grace, Wells and Ben were already seated around the wooden table.

"Queenie," Wells greets me with excited eyes, "You didn't have to make us a big meal!"

"This looks delicious, Luna." Grace's smile was dazzling as I set her plate down in front of her. I hover next to Ben, unsure of whether I was supposed to join them or let them discuss pack business. Honestly? I wasn't in a talking mood, I didn't want to have to endure another conversation that went right over my head.

"Would you like me to stay for dinner?" I ask as I set the last plate in front of Ben. 

Ben shoots me a frown, "Of course, grab a plate."

"I-I only prepared three..." I stumble out awkwardly. I hadn't ever been asked to join who I was working for to dinner. Ben slides out his chair loudly, he returns from the kitchen a few minutes later with a plate. We all watch as he divides his meal onto the extra plate before handing it to me, "Now sit."

I obey.

There's no sound but silverware clinkling for a moment, before Benjamin clears his throat, "Ellie, I know you probably have a lot of... questions. I invited over Wells and Grace to help me explain anything you are confused about-"

"Will I be stuck here everyday with Valerie?" I cut him off. 

"-about the mate bond."

"Oh." Of course. The one thing I wanted to ask about he wouldn't let me.

"Benjamin, if Eliette wants to ask a different question, that's okay too." Grace shoots him a look.

"Luckily," Wells backs up his mate, trying to keep the conversation light. "I have wisdom in nearly every topic, Luna."

Ben rolls his eyes, "Fine. Did Valerie do something? Say something? Why are you scared of her?"

I shrug, letting my gaze drop down to the distressed wood of the table. I didn't like being under the gaze of so many Lycans, even if I knew these three pretty well.

I frown, not wanting to insult her. Grace nods encouragingly at me so I ask, "How old is she?"

Ben groans, dropping his fork. "Please don't bring up age again, Lycans don't think about age. It's such a foolish human worry."

I look down at at my plate, not taking a bite. Childish as it may be, I feel a pout form on my face. "I guess I'll forget my foolish human ways soon." I mumble, ignoring Ben's gaze.

Wells chuckles uncomfortably, "Hey, I'm sure growing up you never thought you'd be a wolf, huh? Talk about rags to riches, Queenie."

The look the three of us shoot him make is very clear that his comment was not helpful in the slightest.

"Growing up, I just wanted to survive." I have to make myself say it slowly so it's not an angry hiss. We all go back to eating in discomfort.

"Eliette, can you eat more of your dinner?" Benjamin chides after a few moments of me pushing around my plate with my fork. His voice reminds me of the way I used to reason with picky children at the dinner table, I don't like it.

Wells inhales deeply, exaggerating for dramatic effect, "Now, I will graciously share my sage wisdom with you two lovebirds. Where to start..."