Her Arranged Alpha Husband by Alicia Banks
Chapter 7
Ben
Ben’s entourage was more than ready to get the mating ceremony done and over with. They were ready to get back home, every one of them done with the heat and the sweating. The weather was not made for snowy creatures like them, but he knew that there was nothing that he could do about it. Ben had valued his time in the desert because it made him feel closer to his soon-to-be-mate. She was from Death Valley, which meant that all of the people that he’d talked to about her had given him insight that he needed to make it work with her.
The ceremony began as soon as it started to get dark. Ben didn’t mind all that much. He had seen enough of Teri to know that he wanted her, but the thick veil was hard to see through, especially when the darkness was taken into account. He wanted to snatch it off of her and get a look at his new wife. She was his after all, Fate delivered, so why was he so worried about losing her?
There was also the situation that she didn’t look at him once, through the whole ceremony. Teri just looked down to the ground in front of her and it was so annoying. He kissed her with the veil over most of her face. It didn’t seem to matter that he wanted more, see more, do more, he only got to kiss her briefly before she pulled away. The crowd didn’t seem to notice or ignored her reluctance for some reason. It was clear to Ben though that Teri didn’t want to be there. She found an excuse to leave and was gone quickly after that.
Ben was alone for most of the after-wedding reception and ceremony. Teri just took off, and he had no idea where she was supposed to be. They were supposed to be together in her room, the last night there for the both of them. It was the night that they were supposed to consummate, but Teri was nowhere to be found. It frustrated Ben to no end, but what could he do? It’s not like he could chase her down or anything like that.
Her father came up to him when the service was about over. Ross looked like he had something to ask, likely where his daughter was, but Ben would have no answer. Having a wife that was so against the status quo, Ben should have known that it was going to be a short honeymoon. He wasn’t going to get the same privilege that most men received. Ben very well might not see his wife at all.
“It will all work itself out. My wife wasn’t so happy to marry me either. It is likely in her blood from Eve.”
Ben just nodded, unsure what to say. He knew that the father was trying to share some experience that he had that was similar. He wasn’t too worried about Teri not being there, but it would get old, rather quickly. He was hot like he had been since arriving to Death Valley. He was looking forward to getting back home, sure that Teri would calm down and chill out whether she wanted to or not.
“I just wish that she would give it a chance. This is our last night here. I have to get back home. I hoped that we would be able to meet and get along before we started the journey back home.”
Ross agreed but didn’t say one way or another if Ben was just wasting his time. Ben figured that the father was just as clueless. Teri was her own person, so it didn’t matter what he thought was going to happen. Whatever was going to happen would be a reflection of it all. She would come back eventually, right? She had gone to the ceremony, which meant that she had at least giving up on running away. That’s what he thought anyway, but Ben did want to see her at the very least. Right now, he had no idea where his new bride was. None at all, and neither did her father.
“Your father couldn’t make it?” Ross finally asked.
Ben said that he had wanted to, but there was a fight that he had to take care of and walking away for a mating ceremony wasn’t an option.
“Dad has his hands full, and he is ready for me to get back. He wants to walk away and retire.”
“He deserves it. He always went above and beyond for everyone.”
Ben agreed. He always felt proud when he heard about his dad. He had saved so many people because his father didn’t hesitate to act. He would always do the right thing, Teri’s dad as well from what he was told, so how could he do and be any less? Teri needed time, so he was just going to have to give her some time. It was killing Ben in some small way, but he reminded himself that he didn’t have to worry about it.
Ross took Ben by the shoulder and assured him that his daughter would come around. “She will fight until she sees that it is the right thing to do. All you have to do is convince her of that. You’re a good man, she will see that eventually.”
Ben thanked the dad, but his words didn’t bring the amount of comfort that he imagined they were supposed to. Instead, Ben wondered what that meant.
He waited up as long as he could. Ben was in her bed, in her room, everything about the place screamed about his new bride. He took in all in and dozed off before she came back. Ben figured that she was still working things out in her head, but he was sure that she would come to terms with it, like he had. Ben was ready for forever with his new wife. All he had to do was convince her of that too.
