His Guardian (MxM)

Chapter 8

Benjamin

Flames.

Screaming.

Smoke.

"Benjamin!!"

The fire was getting closer this time, beginning to burn my skin.

I was yanked away from the danger.

Yet this time, it was different. As soon as I was away from the fire, I was lying in a large field of wildflowers.

I sat up, looked around, and saw endless, beautiful wildflowers surrounding me. The sky was a magnificent shade of blue, with a few fluffy, white clouds.

I stood. It was so peaceful here. I didn't want to leave.

Suddenly, soft little footsteps brought my attention to a small boy approaching me.

He had curly brown hair much like my own, and looked up at me with big, grey eyes. I bent my knees until they reached the ground, and watched him closely now that I was at his level.

When the child reached me, he extended his arm, and placed his small hand on my cheek. I placed my hand over his.

His lips upturned in a small grin as he never broke eye contact with me. My eyes filled with tears, the reason unknown to me. I just felt such emotion toward this child. Such connection.

"Ben!"

"Ben!" Jackson's voice pulled me back to reality. "Wake up, baby." I opened my eyes to see my mate's concerned face in front of mine. His hands cradled my face that was wet with tears I didn't know had fallen.

"It was just a dream, Bennie. I've got you," Jackson assured me. I pressed my hand against him until he was on his back, and laid my head on his chest.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked me. I just shook my head.

There was no light coming in through the windows of his cabin bedroom, so I knew it was still the middle of the night. I closed my eyes and drifted into a dreamless sleep.

I awoke to the smell of coffee. Reaching my arm across the bed, what I felt was a cold space. Not my warm mate, like I was expecting. My eyebrows wrinkled as I sat up in the bed. I heard movement coming from the kitchen, so I made my way downstairs.

When I reached the kitchen, I saw my handsome mate flip a pancake on the stove. I approached him from behind and wrapped my arms around him in my best attempt at a bear hug.

"Good morning, sunshine," Jackson greeted me. I smiled with my face on his muscular back.

"Good morning," I responded. Jackson turned around and enveloped me in a hug of his own. 

"Are you hungry?" he asked me.

"Starving," I replied while grinning up at him. Jackson chuckled.

'Well, I've made some pancakes," he said as he moved the last pancake from the pan to a plate. "And there's coffee on the island there if you'd like some."

I looked at the kitchen island and saw two mugs of coffee before I grabbed one with two hands and held it close to my face, inhaling it's warm aroma. 

"You're so adorable," Jackson murmured while staring at me. I looked up at him, confused.

"Wearing my shirt that's too big on you, holding your mug with both of your hands," he stepped  closer and gently ruffled my hair, "your beautiful curls that are messy after you've slept." He placed a soft kiss to my lips as I blushed from his comments. Jackson grabbed the two plates of pancakes and began moving toward the small dining room. I saw a bottle of maple syrup and grabbed it before following him. I sat at the small dining table once Jackson set the plates down. He briefly left, and returned with a mug of his own, and silverware.

"Thank you," I told him when he handed a fork and butter knife to me.

I poured the maple syrup across my stack of three pancakes, and looked up at Jackson.

"You know this is entirely too much food for me, right?" His booming laughter was his only response. I cut into my pancakes, and took a bite. They were delicious. 

"Mmm," I moaned with the bite in my mouth.

"You like it?" Jackson asked, and I nodded in response. He smiled at me.

After eating together for a while, my mind began to wander.

"You said your mother left this place for you in her will?" I broached the subject. Jackson nodded.

"She seems like she was a sweet person," I commented.

"She was," he grinned. "The pack loved her as their Luna. She was so selfless and loving, and always willing to help out with whatever was needed." Jackson looked down for a moment. "Things were never the same after she left."

"So... what happened?" I asked in a gentle tone. Jackson looked up at me.

"I haven't told you? Well, she was sick," he stated. This was strange to me. A wolf getting sick? Yeah, it happened, but death from sickness was unheard of.

"Sick?" I asked.

"Yeah, you don't hear of that much, do you?" he chucked softly. "I'm not sure what it was. I was young, so I don't remember many details of it. My father was with her until the end. He just told me she was sick. He doesn't like it when I question him too much about it." My heart broke for my mate. I knew the pain of losing a mother all to well. But tie that with the only other family in your life being so cold, and closed off, and refusing to offer any information that might give closure.

"I'm so sorry," I whispered as I placed my hand over his on the table. He grinned at me.

"Thank you," he whispered back. "Enough of that, though. How are you feeling today?" he asked me.

"I'm feeling fine. Just a little tired. You?" I smiled at him.

"I'm just fine, baby. I just wanted to make sure you're not too sore this morning. And check up on you after your bad dream last night," he murmured to me. I blushed.

"I just get dreams like that sometimes, I'm alright," I stated. "Just a little sore. And this feels better," I said as I motioned to my mark. A look of concern flashed across his face.

"If Atlas had just stayed away, I could've controlled myself," he looked down as he said this.

"It's okay, Jackson. That's what scarves and turtlenecks are for, right?" I smiled at him. He chuckled.

"Yeah, I suppose so," he muttered.

After breakfast, we changed clothes, packed up our things and left the peaceful cabin. During our hike back down the small mountain, I spoke.

"You know, maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea for you to try and talk to your dad-"

"No, he wouldn't take it well, I'm telling you," Jackson interrupted.

"Maybe he'll surprise you. You are his own son, after all," I pointed out.

"Yeah, that's what Liam said," he muttered.

"Liam?" I asked.

"My Beta. We grew up together," he informed me. I wondered if this Liam was the same Liam as bread Liam. But that wasn't the focus of what I wanted to talk about right now.

"Maybe your Beta has a point," I told him. "It's not like the Alpha can do anything to change who your mate is. The most he can do is be grumpy about it." Jackson looked at me walking beside him.

"Your optimism is sickening," he told me. I exploded with laughter at this, and Jackson soon followed.

We made our way to our clearing, said our goodbyes, and went our separate ways. Before I made my way out of the trees, I put a hoodie on, the bunched up collar enough to cover my mark.

I grinned to myself.

It can only go up from here, right?