Sasquatch’s Claiming (Mated to the Monster: Season 2)

Chapter 5

5

B en could hear them coming before they were even close. It wasn’t just Adam and Aoife, but there were more beings and he knew exactly what they were here for. He glanced down at Bernadette, curled up against him under the furs, so tiny and sleeping so peacefully. There was a little smile on her face.

After their mating, he heated up the wood-fuelled water heater that he rigged up. It was farther up the hill and he made sure she had enough water.

When he got back, he carried her to the bathroom that was hers. He much preferred his little latrine outside and the small lake nearby to bathe in, but when she wanted him to join her in the shower, he was more than happy to comply.

After their shower, he built a fire and they snuggled up together, where she fell asleep.

It was heaven.

As much as he wanted to stay here, next to her, he couldn’t.

She was his mate now and it was his duty to protect her. And he had no doubt these visitors were coming to try and take her away from him.

There was no way the council could deny the claiming. It had happened. Reluctantly, he got out of bed and pulled on his clothes to head them off. He slipped out of his cave quietly, knowing that Bernadette was safe.

No one could smell her with his scent all over her, so he wouldn’t have to worry about imps or other nasty creatures that lurked in the dark shadows. Besides, they couldn’t break through the barriers. As soon as he stepped outside, he could see his brothers coming up the hill and then Aoife appeared next to him, appearing out of thin air. Her belly slightly swelled his Adam’s offspring, making him bitter that his brother could have his family, but he couldn’t.

And it had nothing to do with Bernadette’s infertility. It was the fact they were obviously here to take Bernadette away.

“Ben,” Aoife said softly.

“Aoife, I know what you’re going to say, but she’s mine,” Ben responded.

Adam came up to join his mate, and his other brothers held back, knowing that they should keep their distance.

“This is setting a perilous precedent,” Aoife responded. “If we let you claim your mate, your human mate , then we have to let others claim humans and that means exposing ourselves.”

And Ben knew that she was referring to his brothers, in particular. When King Tiene ruled over all the realms, before the northern realm was created with the protective barrier, it was something he and his brothers talked about all the time. Finding mates.

Their mother had been human, until King Tiene tried to tear her away and she died. It wasn’t long after until their father passed on.

Their kind had been restricted far too long. Young ones stolen for secret armies. Female Sasquatches were scarce. Yet, Aoife stood up to King Tiene and his son Prince Ivar. They were protected now; screw the council. Cillian was right, they needed to mix their blood freely with humans. Enough with the hiding.

“I have claimed her,” Ben replied hotly.

Aoife glanced at Adam and then at his other five brothers, before letting out a sigh. “The love spell?”

“Yes. It’s fully engaged,” Ben stated. “If you take her from me, I’ll die.”

Which was true. His heart, his soul, the essence of his being, was bound to Bernadette.

Aoife ran her hand over her belly. “I’ll make sure the council sees sense. I mean, you’re right. My father was human, my mother a witch descended from Death. There is powerful magic to be had when mixing.”

Ben was half expecting Cillian to pop out of the shadows, but he didn’t.

“Thank you,” Ben replied. “I will keep her safe.”

“And what about us?” Ethan asked. “Are we free to mingle and find mates?”

“Not yet,” Adam said sternly.

“Why?” Gideon asked. “Why does he get to claim his?”

“He mated with her before our treaty with Tiene,” Aoife explained. “I tried to separate them.”

“This is a first step. There’s a council meeting tomorrow night and we’ll present Bernadette to the newly appointed head. We’ll make the council see sense that this is the right thing to do, and then we can take it slowly. I will make this clear, no carrying off brides in the middle of the night. No raiding for women like what was done a long time ago,” Adam warned.

“Everything must be consensual in this new realm,” Aoife stated.

“And everyone under this realm must abide by that?” Ben asked.

“Of course,” Aoife replied with a curious tone. “Why are you asking?”

“Bernadette, my mate, ran into your half brother and a woman who was tied up.”

Aoife’s eyes flashed with red momentarily. “He’s playing that game again. Playing with souls in his damn goblin realm. Did she say anything else about my brother?”

“No.”

Aoife sighed. “I’ll summon Cillian and find out what’s going on. He likes to barter for souls and play a very dangerous game.”

“So, should I bring Bernadette to the council meeting tomorrow night?” Ben asked.

“Yes,” Adam stated. “Be prepared to defend her.”

“With my life, I will.”

Adam and Aoife exchanged a glance. It was worried. He understood that, but they shouldn’t concern themselves with his life, his soul was on the line. Bernadette was his responsibility. Aoife melted away in the mist and Adam walked down the steep slope to where his brothers were waiting. Caleb looked up at him and Ben knew he was envious. It was hard to be patient and waiting for something that they all had wanted for so long, because they knew what real love looked like between mates. Their parents had that. Those had been the best times of their lives and they were all chasing that.

They were all tired of being lonely.

There were no more rules governing their movements or keeping them isolated away from others, and the new council that governed the northern realms needed to understand that. This was their chance to be free from tyranny.

They could make a utopia here if they wanted.

Ben headed back inside and shut the door. He pulled in the latch so that no one could get in. Bernadette had a sheet wrapped around her and was standing at the door. Her eyes wide.

“I heard voices.”

“Just my family,” Ben offered. “They’re worried because you’re not supposed to be here.”

“Are you in trouble? Do I have to leave?”

Ben crossed the room and pulled her into his arms, wrapping her up tight against him. “No. You’re staying with me. I promise you that. You’re mine now.”

She sighed, her body relaxing against him. “Good. I was worried they were coming to take me away.”

“I would never let anyone take you away.”

“Good, because this is the safest I’ve felt in a long time.” She stifled a yawn. “I didn’t realize how much I hadn’t really been sleeping until tonight.”

“I’m sorry the voices were loud.” Ben stroked her golden hair, revelling in the softness of it.

“It wasn’t so much the voices that woke me up. It was when I rolled over and realized you were gone.”

“Well, let’s get back to bed then.”

He could feel the exhaustion oozing out of her and he knew it was from Aoife’s memory wipe and those other beings trying to capture her. If she was safe with him, then he was happy, because that’s all he ever wanted.

To protect her.

They made their way back to the bed and he picked her up and set her on the feather mattress he’d made. He peeled off his clothes as she pulled back the furs so that he could climb in. The fur blanket didn’t cover his feet, which stuck out at the end and he heard a giggle.

“What?” he asked, wrapping an arm around her as she snuggled up against his side.

“You need a quilt or something,” she said. “Your feet are uncovered.”

He grunted. “My mother used to quilt, but I don’t know how.”

“I do,” Bernadette piped up. “My sewing machine is at home though.”

“We’ll go get it and whatever else you need.”

“I’ll probably have to quit my job,” she remarked.

“I’m sorry about that.”

“It wasn’t my dream job anyways. It was just something because…” She worried her bottom lip.

“Tell me.”

“My parents were killed in a freak accident, but I didn’t think it was. I have an uncle who has always wanted me.”

Ben growled. “An uncle. Disgusting.”

She nodded. “My parents always tried to hide from him too, but he’d always find us and they’d never fight back. Until they moved me to Thunder Bay. He threatened to take me, to hurt me. My parents got me to the city and then died on the way home to Atikokan. My uncle thinks I’m in North Bay. I have a friend who gets my mail and sends it to me. Honestly, I thought all these creepy feelings I had were him. I thought he was tracking me because I hear him.”

She was shaking as she let it all out.

Instantly his hackles went up, especially when she said she could hear him. It sounded like something evil.

“If I ever see him, I will kill him,” Ben snarled.

“I appreciate that. I’ve been hiding so long.” She shuddered. “I like the people I work with, but yeah, it’s not what I wanted in life.”

“What did you want then?”

Bernadette was a little shocked that he asked her that question. She’d had past relationships before and no one seemed to care about her. Sex had always been tedious and not like what she had with Ben.

Of course, it takes a monster to actually give a flying fuck about her , and she kind of snort laughed to herself internally, thinking that.

Ben was staring up at her with those warm eyes, so concerned and so interested in her beyond the amazing sex that they’d been having. He actually did seem to care about her.

“What did I want?”

Ben nodded. “Yes. Out of life.”

“Honestly, I wanted to sew quilts and clothing. I always wanted to have my own shop and…well, that wasn’t a feasible life. Definitely not in the town I grew up in, so I went into medical administration. It was steady work.”

“I can get your sewing machine,” Ben stated proudly. “No one around here does sewing.”

“That’s really sweet, but how long can I logically stay here, Ben?”

“Forever,” Ben replied. “I will protect you forever.”

The idea of forever was thrilling to her, but how did you just disappear from your regular life to live in the woods with a magical monster? It seemed like something out of a fairy tale rather than real life. There was another part of her, though, that wanted to stay here with him. Like some kind of primal urge to have him as her protector.

She wanted to disappear from “real” life and happily stay here with her beast.

Ben was so vehement on protecting her, how could she not fall in love with that?

Even just thinking about that made her want him again. That insatiable need to have him possess her. It made her think a lot of dirty thoughts about him.

When did she get so smutty?

A low growl rumbled from his chest, his nostrils flared and a smile curved over his sharp incisors, his golden eyes illuminating in the shadows of his home, like he could smell it and he knew exactly what she wanted.

Her blood was heating as he climbed across the bed, looming over top of her. She licked her lips staring at his large cock, straining against the denim jeans he was wearing.

“I think we can talk about all this later,” she said huskily.

“Agreed.” He undid his jeans and she lay back, her body thrumming with need.

Maybe disappearing from life wouldn’t be too hard.

She was willing to give it a try with him.