Lessons in Love

Chapter 19: Parking Lot Scuffle

POV: Beta Ben Westlake

“My dear, you were fantastic.” My mother said as she approached us. I thought she had been talking to me, but she stopped in front of Riley and cupped Riley’s face in her hands. “Absolutely wonderful.” She let go of Riley and looked at me nervously. “Would you two walk me home?” My mother said.

I checked my watch and realized why she was nervous. My father might be a drunk, but his stomach always knew when dinner was. She’d need to get home in order to make sure dinner was on the table. “Allow me,” I took the bear back from Riley and scooped up both of their bags. Riley started to protest, but my mother grabbed her arm and turned her toward the road. I held the bear tight against me, hoping my scent would rub off on it. I wanted her to have something that smelled like me.

The two of them walked ahead of me, chatting about gardening and herbal teas the whole way back. The sound of my mother’s laughter mixing with Riley’s made me incredibly happy. To the point where I felt a lump in my throat. We took mom’s stuff inside, and she shooed us off.

“Why were sad just now?” Riley asked as we left.

“I wasn’t really.” I said. “It’s just nice to see my mother so happy. She doesn’t get that often.” I admitted sheepishly.

“Your …” she stopped talking as we passed some folks on the road. “Your father.” She looked at me. I nodded and felt her rage flare. I felt her questions, but she didn’t ask them. “You found the scent.” She gestured to my pocket.

“Yeah, I did.” I smiled down at her, putting my hand over it. “What about you?”

Her cheeks went pink, and she nodded. I saw her glance at one of the bags I was carrying. “Well, I have a bit of experimentation to confirm, but I think I have it.” She lapsed into an unease silence, and I prepared myself to have to explain the horrors that were my father.

“Ben,” she sighed. “There are some things I think we need to talk about.”

“I know.” I raked my hand through my hair and immediately felt Riley lock her emotions down.

“I just think we need to have all our cards on the table. I’ve been doing some research about …” more people passed us, nodding at me and smiling.

“Why don’t we talk tonight? We could talk on the phone or text.” I suggested. “Or tomorrow morning.” I shrugged when she didn’t answer right away. We reached the steps of her porch. “Riley?” I said her name softly and saw her shiver at the sound. She didn’t let me feel it, but knew she’d liked the sound of my voice just then.

“Tomorrow. We can meet at the school. It won’t cause any rumors.” She looked around us at people going by, staring at us. That hadn’t even occurred to me as I stood their holding her stuff, including a giant stuff bear that I had gifted her publicly. I hadn’t done a very good job of keeping this quiet.

“That’s probably a good idea.” I said stiffly, I went up her front steps and set the bear and bags down on the little bistro table she’d set up on the porch. I smelled the herbs from her bag and noticed the crate of apples that had been delivered throughout the day. I knew instantly what my mate scent was and wasn’t sure how to feel about it.

“Are you okay?” Riley asked, coming up on the porch.

“You’ll want to add sea salt.” I said quietly.

“Oh, Ben,” she whispered. “Was it not a good memory?”

“It was,” I said, staring at the apples. “It’s a long story, but it’s a good memory.” I looked up at her with a stiff smile. “I’ll tell you tomorrow.” I headed down the stairs and started to walk away. I turned back as she was unlocking her door.

“Riley,” I said from the bottom of the stairs. “I think you’re really great.”

Her face went bright red. “You’re pretty great, too.” She let me feel her emotions as she said. It was a good thing she had because she looked uncomfortable saying it, and I would have thought it a lie if I hadn’t felt the genuine affection behind the words.

“I’ll see you tomorrow.” I smiled awkwardly and left.

I pulled the clipping of jasmine from my pocket as I walked toward the pub to relieve Sam and Rick. I held it up to my nose and smiled to myself. Riley was amazing, and when I was with her, I felt like nothing was impossible. I felt like I could take on anything or anyone and win. I felt confident.

I heard rowdy singing coming from the pub as I approached. Rick and Sam were bringing my father out onto the street, stumbling under his weight. I tucked the clipping of jasmine in my pocket with a heavy sigh.

“I got this,” I said to Sam and took his place under my father’s arm. “Go be with your family.” Rick and I headed for the packhouse without a word to each other. We both knew what would happen if he went home.

“Where are we going?” My father slurred and growled as we got closer to the packhouse.

“We’re getting you cleaned up for dinner.” I said.

“I can clean up at home.” He growled.

We stopped walking, and Rick mind-linked me. “It’s your call. I’ll back your play.”

I gritted my teeth to stifle the growl growing in my chest. “Get the car. We can’t walk him all the way home.” I mind-linked back. Rick hurried off.

“Where’s he going?” My father snapped.

“We’ll drive you back.” I said.

“Too weak to get me there?” He laughed in my face, spitting on me and stinking of liquor.

“No,” I bit out. “We donn’t want people to see you being carried back and think our acting Alpha is a pathetic drunk.” I growled my reply.

My father shoved me away from him, and sucker punched me. I was partially expecting it. It winded me for a moment, and I straightened up to my full height with a growl. He threw two more punches, both of which I blocked. On his third swing, I grabbed his wrist with a vicious growl.

“Enough!” I growled threateningly, baring my teeth. My father ignored my tone and took a swing with his free hand. He managed to clip me in the jaw, and I had to take a step back from him to keep my balance.

“You are such a f*****g coward …” Je snarled.

The growl I leveled drowned him out, and all my rage focused on hitting him back, my aura reaching it’s peak. My arm came back, and I lunged forward when someone grabbed me.

“Easy,” Rick’s voice was low and calm. “Breathe.” He whispered, eyeing my pocket. “Sir, let’s get you home.” Rick said, letting go of me slowly.

My father sneered at me. “Show some restraint. You’re acting like a Rogue.” I made another move to get to him and Rick grabbed again.

“Don’t,” he growled softly. “Don’t do it.” He patted my shirt pocket, pressing the jasmine into my chest. Riley was feeling all of this. I needed to calm down. “Sir, do you really want to go home right now? Why not come for another round in my quarters.” Rick said to my father, still with a hand on my chest.

“Now that is what I call respect.” My father glared at me.

Rick’s voice was in my head immediately. “I’ll dope his drink and put him in a guest room. Go have dinner with your mother.” Rick moved toward the packhouse with my father.

“I’m going to kill him.” I mind-linked him back with a growl.

“And then what?” Rick snapped. “With Marcus still alive, you’ll end up in a dungeon instead of the Alpha’s office.”

I looked over my shoulder to give him a dirty look, but he was already up the packhouse steps. I raked my hands through my hair and took a slow, deep breath, catching the hint of jasmine in my pocket. My hands unclenched at the smell, and I felt a little bit of calm return. I felt my phone buzz in my pocket and pulled it out to see a message from Riley.

‘Are you okay?’ She asked. She had felt my rage boiling over. I cursed under my breath. It was hard to contain my hatred for him sometimes, but I needed to remember to block my emotions.

‘Yeah, I’m fine. I’m so sorry. I need to contain that better.’ I sent back.

‘You never have to apologize for it.’ She replied immediately. ‘Do you want to talk about it?’

I did. I felt like I could trust her, but it was more than that. I couldn’t describe it, but I wanted to go straight to her house and tell her everything that had ever happened. I wanted to cry, scream, break something, hold her, and tell her I would never do anything to make her feel the way my father had made us feel. I gritted my teeth and locked my emotions down before I started to cry.

‘Not right now, if that’s okay?’ I wrote back.

‘Whenever you’re ready, I’m here.’ Her reply was quick.

I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. ‘Thank you.’

She really was incredible. Her warmth, even in a text message, translated easily. I may never have wanted to be mated, but I also had never imagined I’d be fated to a woman as spectacular as Riley. I felt a sudden burst of excitement from her, and my phone dinged again.

‘Apples roasted on an open fire with rosemary and thyme.’ The message read.

I smiled to myself. ‘How many attempts?’ I wrote back as I reached my mother’s front door.

‘4, but only because it took me that long to try doing them in the fireplace. Benji helped!’ A photo came through of the bear I’d given her, sitting at her breakfast nook, with a roasted apple on a plate in front of it. My heart beat a little faster, knowing she’d named the bear after me, even if she was calling him Benji.

I knocked twice and let myself in. “Hey mom, it’s just me.” I called out as I went in. “Dad’s staying at the pub for dinner.” I was about to type a response to Riley when I heard my mother gasp, and I looked up to find her coming toward me with tears in her eyes.