The Reluctant Cougar (Rise of the Alpha King's Heir)

Everything

Friday evening everybody was giving him sideways looks and shaking their heads...probably because he was grinning through the suicides and burpees they were alternating.

As time drew closer, even Coach Hail was amused, "Cougar, you're enjoying this entirely too much."

Ben bounced up from his burpee, a faraway look in his eyes. "Huh? You say something, Coach?"

Coach Hail shook his head, grinning, and checked his watch. "Looks like four fifty-eight. Good work this week, cadets. You're dismissed."

Most of them paused, looking at Coach as if not sure they'd heard him correctly. Dismissed two minutes early? Ben, however, was already halfway to the showers.

"Wait up!" Archie called.

Ben slowed, waiting for his roommates and the three guys from Building S to catch up; Ben finally knew the other guy, the quiet one, was Jerry.

"Harry, Jerry, and Kyle. Harry, Jerry, and Kyle," Archie had sang one day, pointing at them in the showers. "I think they were going for something and Kyle messed it up."

The seven of them headed into the showers, stripping as they went and putting their dirty clothes in the laundry hamper and their shoes in their lockers. Ever since his first date, Ben had remembered to stock his locker with new clothes. And deodorant.

"Excited about your Mate visit?" Harry asked.

"Have you not seen him grinning all day?" P.A. laughed.

Quietly, seriously, Jerry asked, "What's it like? The Mate visits?"

The other guys grew silent, including those not in their group.

"Well...we meet at the building to check out. Since I'm not of age, she checks me out."

"I bet she does!" a guy laughed then grunted; somebody had apparently punched him.

"Then we can go on a date," Ben said, soaping his rag.

"You don't come back at night, though," Archie said, waggling his brows. "What happens at night?"

"They give us keys to a couple rooms. We have to check in before lights out."

"And what happens after lights out?" somebody asked with a sly grin.

Ben grinned back and shrugged, "Ask your dad if you don't know."

"Oh!" a chorus of boys shouted.

"Good one, Cougar!"

Ben smiled in answer, making sure to rinse his hair well. Then he turned off the tap and grabbed a dry towel.

"Must suck to still have a chaperone," Kyle called, snickering. "Is that why you said he should ask his dad--'cause you still don't know?"

"Cougar doesn't have a chaperone anymore," P.A. retorted before Ben could. "Hasn't since Coach Hail found out he was dating an older woman."

There was silence for a minute while Ben continued drying.

"Older?" Harry asked. "Like my version of older or Jessup's?"

"Yours," Jessup said automatically. "She's younger than me."

"But not by much," Archie said with a devious grin.

"Daaamn, Cougar. Okay," Kyle said, shaking his hand like he'd hit somebody.

Ben shrugged, walked over to his locker and began to dress, "She's my Bloodmate. It's not like I really did anything."