Her Arranged Alpha Husband by Alicia Banks
Chapter 18
Teri
Teri didn’t know what to think about everything that was going on. When she first woke up though, she wasn’t thinking about much of anything else. They were not alone when her eyes came open. Ben was talking to Mark and the conversation wasn’t one that she wanted to hear about. It was about her.
“You can’t stay here with her, Ben. The attackers are coming. I don’t know why they know we are out here or what we are doing, but don’t you think that we should turn it around? They would never suspect if you left her and went ahead. I would take her, Ben, and you could fight.”
Teri got up from where she was laying. “You aren’t going anywhere, Ben. Don’t leave me.” Her voice rose at the end, and it was clear that she didn’t want to be left, not with Mark. She didn’t trust Mark; he had tried to draw her in before when it wasn’t her choice. She would never understand why he would do that. He wasn’t honest and though Ben trusted him, it didn’t mean that Teri did. She wanted to make sure that Mark wasn’t left with her.
Ben assured her that he wasn’t going to leave her with anyone. Teri didn’t look at Mark, sure that he would see how she really felt about him. Sure, Ben trusted him, but that didn’t mean that she did. There was something about him, something about how he acted and how he looked that she didn’t like at all. She wasn’t sure what it meant, just that he wasn’t trustable.
He held her in her arms, until Teri was feeling better about it all and Ben was telling her that everything was going to be okay. He said it several times, like she had to listen to him. Teri was alright with the idea of it, as long as he kept his promise and didn’t leave her with him. Mark shot her a dirty look, he didn’t like her, but Teri didn’t care. She knew where she stood with Ben.
They kissed after a moment and Teri was immediately transported to the place they were last night. Her body was already yearning for him and there was nothing that she could do about it. The two of them were getting overwhelmed and Mark cleared his throat. His eyes were on her, and it looked like he was ready to attack. He certainly wasn’t happy with her and how Ben was treating her. Teri didn’t know what was going on with Mark, but she knew that she was going to have to watch her back when it came to him. It wasn’t easy either. Mark and Ben were close. That much was clear, so where did that leave her?
Mark took off not long after she got up and the two of them made love slowly. After they were done, Teri wanted to know what he wanted.
“Just that you were right, people are coming, and we have to hurry up.”
Teri’s eyes got big, and Ben just chuckled. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”He shrugged. “Us being together is worth more to me.”
She started to get dressed and he just laughed, pulling her back down and Teri didn’t know what to do. Her heart was almost to bursting and it wasn’t at all what Teri needed. She was pulled back for a kiss, and Teri almost got lost in it again.
“Come on, let’s get out of here.”
Ben agreed finally and asked her once what was up with her and Mark. “You know that it wasn’t all his fault, you know?”
Teri didn’t want to hear it. It was his fault. “Did he not have a choice like me?” Teri wanted to know. When she was told that it wasn’t the same, Teri said that she didn’t trust him.
“I have known him all my life. Is there a reason that I shouldn’t trust him? I mean, more than what has already happened?”
Teri said that there wasn’t, but she had a feeling. Teri liked to follow her gut, it did her right usually.
“I just want to stay with you, that’s all,” Teri said with less conviction than she felt. Her body was rubber, she felt amazing, maybe Ben was right, and everything was okay. With him she could pretend that could be true, even if it didn’t feel possible. Teri felt a lot of new things with Ben. He made everything feel possible.
***
Teri was literally freezing as they made their way to the southernmost tip of his land and even though she did feel a surge of power underneath her, Teri was convinced that she would freeze to death. It was hard for her to focus on much of anything else. He went to her, told her that it was fine, and gave her a jacket.
“We are home now. Soon, you will see everything. It will be perfect.” Ben was very excited to be back. She could see the happiness on his face, but she didn’t feel it. She missed her home and though there was this new and exciting thing with Ben, she was lonely. She missed her parents, her friends, her freedom. Everywhere she went now, Ben was with her, or someone was watching her. She was always in danger, so any sort of freedom that she had was gone. While Teri didn’t regret coming together with Ben, it wasn’t her choice anyway. She was just making the best out of the situation she was thrown into.
Teri nodded, not saying anything. There was an immediate change in Ben when they got around more people. Even though it was the tail end of the village in the cold mountains, there were obviously lookouts. There was a huge gate that they had to walk through, opened by his own people. It stood thirty feet tall at least, and Teri wondered to herself what in the world it was keeping out. Or in.
The vibe through the village was not a comfortable one. She knew that there were going to be some people that were curious about her. She came from so far away, but that wasn’t the curious look that she received. It was instead of reverence. Teri’s clan had an Alpha and he had kids, but there was nothing to the way that Ben was treated. He was loved and respected like he was the Alpha already. Teri didn’t know what to think of that. The jealousy from a few women in the crowd was disheartening as well.
What she noticed the most was how they were all dressed. Some had shorts and tank tops on. Teri was close to freezing to death and others there were acting like it was a warm, sunny day. Teri was shivering more just looking at them. How strange she must appear to them. Teri tried to not grip her arms together as much. She tried to appear not as cold as she felt, but Teri didn’t know if that worked or not. Either way, all eyes were on her, and it was more than a little disconcerting.
Teri felt out of place. No one there looked like her. Everyone had blonde or light brown hair. Their eyes were distinct, and there was a glow to Ben’s people. He had told her of the extra power that was there, and she could almost feel it when she stepped onto their land. It was a different power that he retained. Ben’s skin glowed and his mood lifted. He was obviously affected by what was going on and where he was. Even Teri felt affected by what Ben called the Pearls.
He also didn’t take long to need to have to leave her side. Teri was shown to their room by another one of his soldiers and Teri felt strange. She felt like she was home, but it was more of a prison than anything else. Every step she took was watched and now she was made to sit in a room and wait for him? She didn’t ask the quiet shifter next to her, he didn’t look at her, had no personality or anything. Teri wasn’t sure what she was supposed to do with the moment. Ben was obviously busy, but what was she to do?
Teri looked around the room and it was masculine, but everything was of the best quality. Through their cold procession to the large house at the center of the village, Teri hadn’t seen any of Ben’s family. If she had, she didn’t know it, because Ben didn’t point any of them out.
She wished that Ben was with her. Teri looked around her surroundings and then she sat down on the bed. The whole room smelled like Ben. The furs that they’d traveled with were nothing in comparison to the softness that she encountered on the bed. It was so comfortable, and she was warm in seconds. It was like Ben was there warming her up, even though he was gone in a meeting. Teri didn’t know what they were meeting about, but she imagined it was because of the attack and the deaths as they came back.
Even though Teri didn’t want to go to sleep, she couldn’t help it. She felt safe and warm and after the anxiousness that she had about everything, shutting her brain off was preferable. She dreamt of Ben and some of the naughty things that they were going to do together.
