Ben, page 13
Nico’s menacing growl rang around the room, and Judd tried to move away from his colleague. “Hey, Roy. Don’t go upsetting the kitty with the claws.”
“I’d pay attention if I were you, Roy,” Teilo said, causing the men to look back at him again—he could see it was wearing on Roy and Judd’s nerves when Nico just wouldn’t stand still. He disappeared behind the couch they’d plonked them on, and both Roy and Judd tried to dislocate their necks to keep him in sight. Not that they could, although Teilo could’ve helped them with that. In fact, after the disposable comment, his claws itched to help.
“Look, why are you here, and why the fuck are we tied up?” Judd was clearly trying for a moderate ‘let’s work this out’ tone. Teilo had heard it before. “You guys know us. You clearly not going to kill us, or you’d have done it by now. I know about your training regime. I was the one who worked with the trainers to set it up.”
That was something Teilo hadn’t known. “You set the trainers to do all those tests on us? It was your idea to see if Nico would die or shoot me? It was you who came up with the plan to have us be ‘soft-footed’ you called it, by running on a fucking electric grid? You handled that?”
“I have a creative mind.” Judd gave a semblance of a shrug. “Admit it, it was effective. We didn’t hear you come in.”
“You won’t see your death coming, either.” Suddenly, Nico was looming over the back of the couch, Judd’s jaw in his capable hands. “You put me and my mate through hell every single fucking day of our existence, and you call it creative. How about I consider how many creative ways I can tear your skull from your neck?”
Teilo tensed—he could see it. He knew how many ways Nico, and him for that matter, had for tearing a man to pieces. But Ben had said…
Ben’s not here. Nico’s growl reverberated through his skull—so intense, Teilo could tell at that moment how much Nico had been holding back.
He couldn’t show it. Nico had spent so many years being a protector, even with the bars between them. He’d known nothing else, and it’d impacted him in ways Teilo understood but didn’t have words for.
“You’re right, mate of mine.” Teilo held Nico’s eyes and nodded. “These guys can’t tell us anything, and Ben’s not here.”
“I’ll tell you whatever you want to know,” Judd yelled, or more like squawked because of the hold on his head. “Who the hell is Ben?”
“I’m Ben, Head of the Shifter Council.” Ben’s voice came from the hallway. “Next time, beloveds, unlock a door for us, please. I had a real job getting Kylo’s fat ass through the window.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Ben
His brother hissed a curse as he came in behind Ben. Ben paid him little mind as he stared at the two men instrumental in causing his mates’ pain and suffering.
Neither looked anything special, yet their evil creativity caused the pain he heard in both mates’ voices and felt through their connection. He’d listened to the conversation before they’d come into the room and now understood how much Nico held back to keep Teilo safe. It hammered at his conviction to return to the council like nothing else could. He’d do anything to protect his mates—absolutely anything.
“Talk,” he snapped through elongated fangs. “Tell us where the others have gone and why?” The need to stop what happened from being replicated anywhere else was essential and a top priority. After that, Ben would need to talk with his mates.
The one called Judd winced when Teilo came forward when he didn’t instantly answer. “They’ve gone back to the states. They’ve got contacts there and are looking to start—”
“Shut the fuck up. This guy is part of the council…” Ben didn’t so much as hesitate. He may not have the ability to shift a part of his body, he could, however, use his panther’s strength and teeth. On Roy in a second, he shoved back his head and ripped out his throat with razor-sharp teeth. The gurgling sound and wide eyes came with silence from those in the room. Ben spat the bloody flesh onto the broken mess on the ground, springing back with his cat’s agility.
He wiped his coppery-tasting mouth with the back of his hand and leered evilly at Judd before spitting once more to remove the tainted blood from his mouth. “Now, where the fuck were we?”
The dying man sitting next to Judd slumped towards him, his mouth hanging wide, his neck gapping open, revealing what Ben left of his vocal cords as he breathed his last.
Teilo moved and flanked his side, his lethal nails glinting in the daylight pouring through the windows. A second later, Nico was on Ben’s other side, his shoulder brushing against Ben’s.
Ben never took his gaze from Judd, who squirmed away from the man dripping blood over his bare arm, though Ben’s chest had filled with warm fuzzies at the move. “There’s a central place in Alaska where we were all recruited. It’s the hub of the operation.”
Ben’s gut clenched. “Not here?”
Judd glanced at the now dead man. “This place… it was supposed to be the same as the other in the states. Things in Paraguay run differently, only we didn’t know that until we got here. The council lost control of this place the moment we set up shop. The ‘Devil’ has his hand in everything.” Judd looked towards where Kylo was standing. “Even law enforcement. Nothing happens in this country without his say-so.” Judd’s attempt to shrug was hampered by the dead guy next to him and the bonds tying him up.
“So, it was the ‘Devil’ who orchestrated the way of doing things here?” Ben saw the minute the guy’s eyes got crafty.
“It was.”
Ben didn’t hold back. He drop kicked the dead guy off the couch faster than the blink of an eye, then pinned Judd by the throat, stretching his neck back and getting in his face. He scented the fresh urine a second later. Ben’s lips peeled back, and his teeth dropped. “Lying is only going to piss me off.” Ben squeezed the guy’s throat hard enough he could feel the bones crushing together. “And let me tell you, I can, just like my mates, think of a thousand ways to make you suffer. So, what do you want? More playtime or to tell the fucking truth?” He put every ounce of fury he felt at the injustice and suffering he’d read in the files into his words and his grip.
The guy’s eyes wheeled in his head, his mouth gaped, spit ran down his chin, and only when he saw resignation did Ben let go.
Judd coughed, hacking up a lung by the sounds he made, and the smell of beer and nuts met Ben’s nose. He didn’t move from his crouched position over the other man as he waited for him to talk.
“It was us, me, Roy, Tommy, and William, the four of us. When the Devil’s men came to set us straight about how things ran here, we asked for a meeting and came to an agreement.”
His throat worked, and Ben growled impatiently. “What agreement?” Deep in his gut, he knew. It was there in the files he’d read. He just needed to know for sure that he wasn’t missing something.
“That we’d continue with our assassins to order program, and we’d supply test subjects gaining information on how they performed out of the lab environment to assess the benefits of our work.”
Ben’s stomach roiled violently at how Judd spoke without remorse. The man was a monster, with no compassion for the children he’d tortured or caring for the ones they murdered. In Judd’s eyes, his mates were nothing. Ben sank back to allow his panther out. The man underneath him shit himself as Ben’s panther screamed his fury. He slinked slowly off the couch and eyed the man.
Do whatever you want.
His panther didn’t need any further prompting. It ripped the tendons and flesh off first one calf, then the next. The screams were deafening as the man writhed, trying to use his upper body to shift as far away as possible.
“Please… have… mercy…” Judd screamed as the panther’s claws dug into his upper thighs and flayed the skin from the bone.
“What mercy did you show us?” Teilo asked as he stepped closer, shortly followed by Nico.
The large panther glanced at his mates and purred its pleasure, before his gleaming eyes returned to the man in front of him. The roar this time shook the windows before he gutted him. His bowel spilled from his guts into his lap. The panther cast one look at the dying man, his stare one of total disinterest as he stepped away and went to butt his head against his mate’s legs.
Two powerful hands brushed over his messy fur as they murmured their approval.
“We need to get out of here. Despite this place being relatively isolated, someone was bound to have heard you, Ben.” Kylo strode to the couch. “He’s not dead yet, but it won’t be long.” Kylo glanced at Ben’s panther and shook his head, though Ben could sense his brother’s pride. “Did you have to make such a mess of him?”
Ben’s panther snarled.
Kylo rolled his eyes. “Alright, point taken. Are you going to shift back?”
His panther relinquished its hold, and next, Ben stood, naked and bloody. He sighed as he looked down. “You’re gonna need to bring the car closer. We don’t want to shock the neighbors.”
Nico stripped off his T-shirt and rubbed at the bloody stains on Ben’s skin. His chest was once more full of fuzzies. He met Nico’s gaze. “Thank you. Only I think I’ll need more than that. I’m sure I’ve got flesh in between my teeth, too.”
“Oh gross. You always were messy when going after a kill.” This came from Felix, who was grinning.
“The time and place for that conversation is not now,” Kylo muttered as he got them moving out of the house. They avoided being seen and could hear sirens as they turned towards home.
In the car, they made the drive in silence back to Ben’s childhood home. Teilo and Nico came with him as he made it up to his bedroom, wanting a hot shower and a toothbrush. Maybe not in that order. Ben sensed they wanted to say something, yet neither man was projecting what it was.
In the bathroom, they stepped in behind him as he reached for the toothbrush and cleaned his teeth. Then, for good measure, flossed them. When done, he turned and faced both mates. One brow rose. “Want to tell me what’s going on with you two?”
“You’re like us.” Teilo was the first to reply, and then he looked at Nico as if needing reassurance at what he’d just announced.
Ben was a little confused. Did they mean panther? Or were they referring to his killer instinct? One he didn’t often allow out because he believed that taking a life, or two, had to have a real purpose. Death marred the soul. It left an indelible mark. A soul had to live with that, so Ben was careful.
“What happened to talking?” Nico asked, sounding perplexed. “You said talking was important.”
“And I believe that. We can often resolve things through talking. He gave both men a sexy wink. “Or with other forms of communication… like sex.”
“Or killing,” Teilo added.
“Yes or killing. Those men”—Ben came forward and cupped both mates’ cheeks—“they hurt you for no valid reason. They took pleasure in your misery. I could hear it. See it in their expressions. They were soulless and deserved to die. They contributed nothing good to this planet, with two exceptions.” He kissed first Nico, then Teilo. “You two. For that, they got off lightly.”
“Oh! You are like us.” Seemingly thrilled at that idea, Teilo wrapped his arms around Ben’s waist and then tugged Nico to them. He fluttered his eyelashes at Ben in an adoring way. “You mentioned… sex as a way to communicate.” The fluttering increased, as did the sexy scent coming from both mates. “Maybe we should practice a bit more of that?”
Nico maneuvered the three of them into the shower, it was a tight squeeze, and turned on the water. The freezing spray was refreshing after the muggy heat outside. His skin buzzed from the icy spray that quickly turned to fire when Nico lapped at his flesh.
Both mates licked at his body. Cleaning him as he’d done to them, only he’d been in cat form. By the rasp of their tongues, it was their cats washing him of blood.
When they both kneeled on either side of him and lapped at his cock, Ben had to brace his hands on the glass to keep upright. He watched as they kissed each other and his cock. His slit dripped pre-cum with each sexy lick and groan when they returned attention to his arousal.
Nico reached for Teilo’s cock as Teilo reached for his. They fed Ben with how it felt to touch each other and how they loved his taste.
Using only their mouths on him, Ben jerked his hips back and forth, making their mouths slide up and down his cock. He rocked, moaned, then cried out as the two tongues dueled over the head of his cock when they felt his body’s reaction. Cum spurted over the tongues as he came to a deafening yell.
The noises of their pleasure increased when his mates came while still seeking every drop of his cum. Legs weak, Ben panted as his chest billowed from an experience that just seemed to keep getting better.
The thought had no more than a chance to register, and his eyes crossed when two sets of teeth sank into his cock. His balls throbbed painfully as yet more cum spurted from him. He wailed, his head firing back as the electricity held his body hostage as his mates sucked at his life force together.
Head resting against the wet glass, Ben’s whole body shook, and he put the hammering sound he could hear down to his heartbeat which buzzed in his ears.
“Fuck sake, stop what you’re doing, Mom’s home!” Came Niro’s voice from the other side of the bathroom door.
Ben blinked, wide-eyed, staring at his two mates, who’d frozen at his feet. “Mom’s here! Oh shit! Oh, fuck!”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Nico
Nico didn’t understand Ben’s panic. One minute they’d been sharing sexy times—his body was still processing the wonder of being able to share tongues with Teilo and pleasure Ben’s cock, which he seemed to love. Now Ben was running around, ordering them to get dressed, which caused a minor problem. It wasn’t like Nico and Teilo had a lot of clothes to choose from. But with some borrowing from the brother’s wardrobes and a quick shine of his boots, Nico felt himself ready to meet this woman who inspired such emotion in his mate.
Our mate tore out the neck of our enemies. Nico wasn’t sure how to process that, so he stashed it away like he did so much in his life. Teilo had been proud to stand by as his mate acted like the warrior they didn’t know he was, and Nico would admit to feeling the same. But now Ben was fussing with Nico’s collar, and then with Teilo’s.
“Mom will love you,” Ben said, taking hold of their hands and leading them out of the room. “Honestly, she might come on a bit strong, but I promise, she has a good heart.”
“Ben, stop.” They were in the hallway, and the stairs were just a few feet away, but Nico had to know… “You’re nervous. Why? Are we not supposed to meet this Mom? Do you think we’re dangerous to this mom of yours?”
“Dangerous? No, no, no.” At least Ben had stopped, turning so Nico could see his face. “I just worry for you both. Have you had much to do with women before? Actually, I shouldn’t say women, because they’re as diverse in personality as men are, but moms—what do you know about mothers?”
Nico and Teilo looked at each other over Ben’s head. Teilo looked just as worried as Nico felt inside. “Is there something special we have to know?” Nico shrugged. “I’ve heard kids crying for their moms—back when we were little. They were always too upset to tell us why they were crying.”
“They make a family,” Teilo nodded. “Remember Tommy saying he wanted to marry that woman so they could start a family together? He said she’d make a good mother. Is that what you mean?”
Nico felt Ben’s sigh all the way to his toes, and he didn’t like it. It was as if he and Teilo had disappointed Ben somehow. Ben had shown he could be like them—tearing a throat out with teeth wasn’t something even Nico had done very often. Well, maybe a few times, he amended his thoughts, but Ben’s worry was infectious.
“You’re not happy with us. We can feel it. If you don’t want us to meet this Mom…” Nico said slowly.
“Mom would have my guts for garters if I didn’t introduce my mates, and that’s a joke,” Ben added quickly when Nico tensed. “Teasing. Joking. It means Mom would really be upset if I didn’t introduce you.” He looked towards the stairs. “I don’t have enough time to explain the whole concept about families—every family is different. In this family, my Mom is someone we love and respect.”
Nico met Ben’s eyes. “Then we will be respectful.”
“Yes. No. Damn it, I should’ve thought this through more.” Ben gave himself a shake—all over. “You will be you, and Mom will love you because you protect me. Does that make sense?”
“Us protecting you would make her happy?” Nico met Teilo’s grin with one of his own. “We can do that if you want her to be happy with us.”
“I think you’ll just be you, and that’s perfect. Both of you,” Ben added. “Just remember, no matter what is said, no one in this house wants to hurt you or me. Understood? We need to get downstairs.”
The link he had with Ben didn’t seem too edgy now, so Nico nodded.
Teilo hung back, as Ben went to move off. “Do you have a father to go with this Mom of yours?”
“Yes, mate of mine, I have a father, too. Smell that delicious meat coming from the kitchen?”
Nico could smell it, and his stomach rumbled.
“Dad is cooking his famous ribs,” Ben said. “Let’s go before my brothers eat them all.”
~/~/~/~
Teilo
When Teilo wasn’t sure how to behave in any situation, he followed Nico’s lead. The bulk of his interactions with other people were either the scientists and trainers in the house that was now a bombed-out shell, or marks that had to be killed. The scientists and trainers didn’t allow the shifters to talk to each other when they were in their human form. Nico and Teilo had learned to say a lot to each other without talking at all, and that was without the mind link they now shared.
