Chapter 414

Chapter 414

71 – Ben

“Jason, can you stay close? Stick with Owen and Damon,” I instructed, my voice steady but urgent.

“What’s your plan?” he asked, eyes narrowing with concern.

“I’m not entirely sure yet. The past few days have been unbearable-worse than anything I’ve faced before. Watching Junior suffer, knowing she’s isolating herself on purpose… it’s tearing me apart. My wolf refuses to let me push her away, and I’m pretty sure hers feels the same. There has to be more to this than just her not wanting a man to take her Alpha position. But she won’t talk to me for more than five minutes at a time.” I sighed heavily, frustration gnawing at me.

“So, what? You’re thinking of locking her up until she gives in?” Jason’s tone was half teasing, half serious.

“At this point, if that’s what it takes, then yes.” I chuckled softly, trying to lighten the mood.

“There it is again!” Jason murmured inside my mind.

“What is?” I asked, glancing at him.

“That scent I was chasing when we first arrived. I caught it again just now p>

“Go back around. Take Owen and Damon with you. Maybe there’s something else there we haven’t uncovered yet. It’s been months, but if you’re still picking up that scent, it could be one of the casters setting the Shadow Markers p>

“And what about you and Elara? I don’t exactly trust either of you to stay out of trouble p>

“We’ll be fine. Just keep checking in regularly p>

I felt his presence pull away from us. He had to shift to communicate with Owen and Damon, but hopefully, they’d uncover something useful while I worked on my own problem.

“Elara, hey, slow down! We’re tracking, not running across the entire territory,” I called out, quickening my pace to catch up and move ahead of her. She seemed to be ignoring me completely.

“Elara! Stop!” I stepped in front of her abruptly, forcing her to stumble into me. My wolf purred at the contact, a thrill running through me. The tingling sensation spread across his body, making his fur stand on end. It was fleeting but intoxicating. Every time I touched her, the feeling grew stronger. I wanted this-wanted her. Now, I had to find a way to make her want me too.

“You made us the bait, Ben! I want to get as far away from everyone we’re trying to protect as possible,” she snapped, frustration clear in her voice.

“If they can’t keep up, they won’t follow. They’ll set another marker and go after easier targets.” I circled her slowly, letting my wolf nuzzle against her. At least her wolf seemed to be on the same wavelength as ours. “You have to tell me what I’ve done wrong or what I can do to help. I get the Alpha thing I don’t want the title, and I’d never fight you for it. I don’t care what your damn Elders think. They’re just advisors. If they think their opinions matter more than yours, maybe they need replacing p>

“Let’s just keep patrolling. You want to find this witch, and I want this nightmare to end,” she said, trying to move past me.

But we stopped her again. I felt her growl inside my head, though her wolf remained silent. Then she shifted.

“Fuck off, Ben! I want to get this over with. Stop trying to distract me p>

I shifted too, stepping right into her space, fully aware of her strong, beautiful body just inches from mine. “I’m not distracting you! Avoiding this is what’s holding both of us back. Accept me or reject me—make a choice. You’re the only one standing in the way, not anyone else.” My anger simmered just beneath the surface, hot and fierce.

She closed the gap, pressing her chest against mine, fists clenched tightly at her sides. Each heavy breath caused my chest to brush against her smooth skin. My body reacted instantly—and so did hers—but I forced myself to ignore it. I wanted her. I knew she wanted me. I’d finally accepted it; now I had to hope she would too.

“I’m protecting everyone I care about. After losing two of the most important people in my life, there’s no blueprint, no instructions to follow. On top of that, we’re being attacked in ways no one understands. We’re flying blind. I don’t have the capacity to deal with this or make a decision right now p>

I took a step back, my chest tightening, struggling to breathe. Of all the things she could have said, this one hurt the most—a slap in the face. She still hadn’t decided whether to accept me or reject me. I’m sure my expression revealed everything I was feeling.

She reached out, voice soft, “Ben p>

I stepped away again, raising my hands. I couldn’t let her touch me anymore. “No. That’s all I needed to hear. For my wolf’s sake, please reject us sooner rather than later. He’s already attached, and I have a feeling the longer you wait, the worse the separation will be. It’s going to take time to heal, and like you said, we have too much going on. I’ll let Richard know-he’ll be needed as backup while I recover. Melanie will set me up outside the packhouse. I can’t be close for a while.” I turned and resumed walking along our path. My wolf was heartbroken, angry, and desperate all at once. He didn’t want to shift with her nearby-he might force a marking. He didn’t want instinct to take over if she truly didn’t want this mate bond. I understood what it did to Kennedy at first, and I wouldn’t do that to Elara.

“Ben, wait. I didn’t mean I don’t want you she called after me.

I kept walking, speaking over my shoulder. “Stop. No more excuses. I tried to be understanding and gave you plenty of time. I get the pressure from the idiots your dad calls friends—they made you feel inferior. Stop letting them control you. By making you question and prove yourself at every turn, they still control you, and you’re letting it happen. For his sake, I hope the next mate you get meets your standards p>

“Ben, please, wait… BEN!” she shouted desperately.

Before I could react, I saw red eyes flashing in front of me, and then I was slammed to the ground. My wolf shifted beneath the weight of the rogue, ready to fight. We had so much anger and pain bottled up inside, and now we finally had something to unleash it on.

chapter’s end hints at looming dangers that could shatter the fragile peace they’ve been trying to maintain. With mysterious forces still at play and the scent of the casters lingering, the next chapter promises to delve deeper into the shadows threatening to engulf them all. Prepare for raw emotions, unexpected confrontations, and the relentless push to protect what matters most—even when it means facing the darkest parts of themselves.