Bennett

Hearing her say that cut me deeper than anything else she could have said. Especially since she was fucking right. I hadn't meant to scare her, to hurt her. I just wasn't used to pulling in my strength or my feelings for that matter. Logically, I know she's human. The bond isn't instant for her. It needs time to grow. It needs to be nurtured and respected. I had done a shitty job of that. Of course most of my time was spent trying to keep Rowan from killing her.

Then she tried to fucking leave me.

The feeling when we woke up to her gone. The anger, betrayal, but most of all the fear that something could have happened to her. It makes my heart rate kick up even now. Rowan told me to only leave her down there for a few days but I'm still so fucking pissed. He's not. He expected her to try to leave at least once. I knew he had no intentions to kill her. He knows I'd never forgive him if he did, but that doesn't mean I can't let the threat linger. Let her think about what she did.

Convincing my wolf on the other hand is another story. Every night when we go to bed alone he whines and howls in my mind, wanting me to bring her upstairs, beg her for forgiveness and hold her close. But that's something my pride just won't alllow me to do.

I take a deep breath and run my hand down my face. I know Rowan will be home soon, he'll help me deal with her then.

As if he could hear my thoughts, I hear the whipping of his wings and the slight rumble of the earth as he lands outside. I head out onto the porch and watch him shift, appraising his naked body hungrily. It had been too long since we were together. He bounds up the steps and catches me in a bruising kiss. I soak up every ounce of his affection before he pulls away.

"Where's the human?" He asks, looking into the house behind me.

"Her cell." I say simply and he looks at me surprised, cocking a brow.

"Why is she still down there?" He asks and I shrug.

"She pissed me off." I say and he chuckles.

"Bennett. You can't just leave her down there. Especially if you want her to like you." He says softly and I scoff.

"Why do you care? You don't want anything to do with her." I accuse and he shrugs.

"I kinda missed the little demon to be honest." He says surprising me.

"Why don't you go get her then and I'll make breakfast." I say, not wanting to face her again so soon.

He nods and kisses me again before dressing and heading down the stairs. I can hear Claire's heartrate kick up through the walls and pretty soon her frightened screams follow. I head to the kitchen and watch as Rowan carries her into the living room and plops her on the couch.

"Just fucking kill me already! I'm so tired of this!" She yells and Rowan chuckles.

"I just wanted to see you, human. I've been gone a week and this is the warm welcome I receive?" He asks, humor coloring his words. Claire scoffs and crosses her arms ignoring him as her eyes catch mine. I look away as I busy myself with cooking. Rowan sits next to her and throws an arm over her shoulder. Claire is obviously uncomfortable by the contact and sits still as a statue. I smirk at the sight as I load the table with food.

"Come eat." I tell them. Rowan pulls Claire's hand and makes her follow, sitting her next to him and across from me.

"Thanks, Bennett. I'm starving." Rowan says as he digs in to his food. He must have had a good meeting with council if his good mood is any indication how it went. My eyes shift over to Claire and I watch her curiously as she stuffs food in her face. She eats like she'll never see food again and soon her plate is empty. She reaches for more and just as she's about to shove another mouthful in, her stomach makes a strange sound and she groans.

She stands from the table and sprints towards the closest bathroom. I look at Rowan curiously but he just shrugs and goes back to eating. Soon the sounds of Claire retching meet me and I stand, walking to the bathroom to check on her. She spews another mouthful of vomit into the toilet before sitting up and wiping her face, her body trembling.

"What's wrong?" I ask gently, my previous anger forgotten in her current state. I wet a towel and wipe her face off for her. She accepts it, but watches me warily.

"I ate too much and too fast. I should have known better. When a human is starved for days like that our stomach has to stretch back out over time." She says and I growl at her insinuation.

"Starved? I didn't fucking starve you." I shout and she cowers in fear, pushing away from me. I take a few deep breaths to try to calm myself.

"You barely fed me anything, Bennett." She says quietly.

"I watched how much you ate the first couple of days you were here. I fed you as much as you ate." I try to defend myself, but she shakes her head.

"I was upset and terrified those first few days. That wasn't my normal appetite." She explains, no anger in her tone and my stomach drops. I clench my chest, pain radiating through me.

"Why didn't you say anything?" I ask her and she looks away.

"I just thought it was part of my punishment." She whispers and I let out my wolf's whine, catching her by surprise.

I lean down in front of her and scoop her off the floor before carrying her into the living room and sitting her on the couch. I lower myself to my knees in front of her, resting my head in her lap.

"I'm so sorry, Claire. I'm so sorry. I had no idea. I would never do that to you. I could never starve you. My job is to take care of you and yeah I was mad at you, but I would have never done that. Please say you believe me." I plead. I sense Rowan behind me, watching what's happening, but I don't look at him.

I feel my eyes brim with tears as I look up at Claire. She gasps in surprise when she sees my face, but she nods and reaches out to cup my cheek, wiping away the single tear that tracks down my face.

"I believe you, Bennett." She says and relief floods through me along with a painful ripple of shame.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have left you down there like that. I was just upset and... scared." I admit.

"Scared of what?" She asks quietly and I take a deep breath.

"That you would leave me again." I say and she sighs, sadness washing over her gorgeous face.

What I wouldn't give to see light and joy in those brown eyes. To twirl my fingers in her long brown hair, to run my hands along her soft, supple body, to hear her moan in pleasure under me as I worship her.

"I'm not going to leave again. You have both made it blantantly obvious that there is no point. There is no escaping." Even though her voice is morose, my wolf is pleased with her statement.

"I'm going to do better, Claire. I'm going to be kinder to you, more careful with you. I will do my best to remember how fragile you are. I will try to rein in my wolf as well. It's hard to control his emotions but I will be better. For you." I vow and she looks cautious, but nods.

I stand up and sit down next to her before pulling her onto my lap and tucking her face into my neck, rocking back and forth as I enjoy her closeness. She doesn't fight my hold and even seems to relax into me a little.

Maybe this is what she needs, gentle touches and affection. Maybe that is how the bond will grow in her. I will need to be the one to give it to her. Rowan has never been good with affection and with how he feels about her, I doubt he will make much of an effort.

I plant gentle kisses to her forehead, down her cheek and into her neck, breathing in her scent and making her giggle as my breath skates across her skin. The sound soothes my fractured soul and I hear Rowan cross the room to sit next to us. He reaches out to run his fingers through her hair and she watches him warily, but he gives her a small smile before kissing the other side of her neck. His action surprises us both, but maybe he did miss her as much as he said he did.

"This is nice and all, but I think you should go shower, little one. You kind of smell." Rowan says making Claire laugh.