Chapter 63 Unexpected Offer
Kristen's POV
"Can we talk?" Ben comes amid my friends and I.
"Why?" I frown a little because he's been avoiding me since the fight broke out at his mother's funeral.
Ben doesn't even respond, he pulls me away from my friends with his hold on my wrist. This is rather surprising because I never expected him to speak to me again, talk more or touch me.
"And here I was thinking you'll keep avoiding me like the plague," I swat my hand away from his grip and tip my head to look at him. His eyes are hate-free today.
"It's about what happened that day," Ben rakes his hair, pants, puffs, and stares at me.
"Here we go again," I roll my eyes, "is this what you want to talk about?" I don't even want to have flashbacks of the occurrence that evening.
"I want us to talk about something else." Ben finally responds.
"What could it be? I'm this little bitch who goes behind her mother's back to sleep with her stepfather?" I raise a brow at him as I fold my hands across my chest.
"You don't have to say it like that," guilt flashes through his eyes.
"What? You already think the worst of me," a bitter scoff rolls from my throat.
"I was already emotional at my mother's funeral, wanting to let out all of my frustrations on someone.." he stops talking to catch his breath.
"And I was the perfect fit, isn't it, Ben?" Shaking my head at him, I sigh, " I am completely disappointed in you right now because I cared about your feelings that day. Did my best to make you know you weren't alone. I was there as your friend and when the fight broke out, you stared at me with spite."
Ben avoids my eyes for a few seconds but I don't fail to see the regret in them before he does.
"I'm so sorry for being stupid.... What happened isn't completely your fault. She attacked you first and then the fight escalated when you retaliated." He nears my side.
"People are already spreading false information about me," I point out, still putting on that resting mean face so he won't think I've forgiven him so soon.
"It's all my fault, I should have put an end to it when the fight started. Can you forgive me?" He implores innocently.
After taking one look at him, I decided not to cling to my grudge against him.
"How's Clarke holding up?" I hear myself ask this instead.
"He's not been himself since the funeral. No one mentioned how mom died or he'd be traumatized more than the way he is now. "Ben replies.
"The pain doesn't go away, people just learn to deal with it," that's the only thing I can say because telling Ben I feel sorry won't change anything.
Ben nods and his eyes soften as he looks at me. And I don't want to stay mad at him anymore, even though I once thought of him as a jerk.
"Kristen," his voice is clearer now.
"Yes?"
"Are you truly Alpha Calhoun's mate or he lied to everyone because he wanted them to stop being verbally abusive towards you?
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I take a rough gulp because I wasn't expecting Ben to come up with this. How do I even start? Should I tell him Calhoun rejected me once to save his marriage with my mom before he marked me to be his for the second time?
"He told the truth, we're mates," I rasp out. Hating that we're having this conversation.
I watch how the light in Ben's eyes fades and replaces with a dull blue before he clenches his jaw.
Wait a minute, he thought it was all a lie? That Calhoun and I aren't mates and we were just getting intimate because we wanted to?
"So you two were having an affair because of the connection from your mate bond?" His voice is rough when he asks me. Slowly, I nod.
"Without the connection, will still remain attached to him?" There's sadness spreading across his face.
"I don't know," rubbing the side of my arm, I stare at my boots.
"Have you ever thought about rejecting him, to be with another." Ben continues and his tone is already hinting that he's far from letting this drop.
"Why do you even ask? You think I'm hurting my mom?"
"Yes, but that's not even the point. We're graduating next month and I'll be crowned Alpha of the Green Valley pack."
My mouth parts and no words come out because I don't even know what to think he still has me in mind.
"I want you to be my Luna, Kristen. Let's get married right after graduation, get away from all of this mess with your mother and Calhoun to let peace reign."
Ben just confirmed my thoughts right? It never crossed my mind that he would come up with this offer after the occurrence at Layla's funeral.
"I..."
"Don't say anything, Kristen. I've been doing a lot of thinking and I know it's not entirely your fault about things with Calhoun. My father wants me to take after his business, and even if Calhoun has more wealth, I'll do my best to provide everything you'll need. Nor will I make you ever lack."
Oh, Ben... wrong timing. You could've approached before Calhoun marked me.
Wait a minute, am I starting to be selfish with my feelings? Do I still care about Mom?
"You'll reject Calhoun to end it all. You don't love him, do you?"
Blinking, I look away from Ben to my friends. They're five feet away from us and I can tell they're sensing my discomfort because the confused frown on their faces says it all.
When Ben slides my hand in his, I return my gaze to him.
"I'm dead serious, Kristen. And I'm not expecting a response right away. You can take some time to think things through and decide you're willing to let go of all the drama to be with me."
Christ, he's so sweet and I admire him for being so blunt and clear with what he wants. But my heart already belongs to another. Although I'm too chicken to respond to his 'I love you,' I already feel the same way he does. And Ben, I just feel bad for him. How do I even turn down his offer without making him feel bad? I'm still contemplating on how to reject his offer and at the same finding the right words to use.
When Ben squeezes my hand tightly, he blinks in confusion before raising my hand up to his face.
Eventually, he sees the ring on my finger at last. And the diamond reflects in his eyes.
His eyes lower into a squint as he inspects my finger.
In a rush, I snatch my hand away from his hold.
"Is that an engagement ring?"
"I should go," as I turn away from him, he pulls me back immediately.
"Answer me. Is that ring from Calhoun?"
Noise coming from outside pulls my attention away from Ben. And through the entrance doors, I can see people running as if they just spotted something usual.
"Kristen, let's go take a look," Maddy, who senses my discomfort with Ben, catches my wrist and pulls me away from him. While Sapphire takes my other arm. Together, we take a short run to see what's going on.
Cold sweeps through my body when I see a bleeding black wolf who's currently on the floor, bleeding from his nose and mouth. Looking completely weak and at the verge of death.
My feet immediately stop moving and stay glued to my standing spot because I don't want to think that's truly him in that condition.
When the wolf stands on all fours, people back away from him.
"I thought shifting on school grounds is prohibited?"
"He ran all the way here, to meet someone."
"He's going to die."
The wolf immediately snaps his head in my direction and when his eyes meet mine, he shifts to his human form.
And my knees wobble from shock and fear.
Jaws drop, gasps go around and eyes are enlarged in their sockets, upon recognizing this person.
"Calhoun!" Someone shouts with everything in them and people fasten their gazes to my side.
It's me who yelled his name.
And I'm trying as much as I can to not panic right now, but it's not working.
My feet which were glued begin moving and they carry me to his side.
He's bleeding, from his mouth, nose, ears, and even his eyes.
This feels surreal like I am imagining things.
I am trembling really hard and trying as much as I can to not cry when I grab his bloodied shirt.
Right under the gaze of the students, Calhoun pulls me closer to him and hugs me.
"What happened to you?" My voice comes out rough because my throat is tightened with several emotions.
"Kristen..." Calhoun breathes out my name at last.
But then his body suddenly collapses into mine.