Claimed

Chapter 24: Nightmares

Ben's POV:

It wasn't like me to snap at someone the way I snapped at Red. She'd crawled under my skin and I'd never felt more confused. I didn't understand the way my body responded to her when it shouldn't. I didn't understand why it was me she kept coming back to when she could've had anyone. I really didn't understand why when she told me she would back off and not try again, it didn't make me happy like it should've. It was confusing and I was tired. Tired of my own mind, tired of not sleeping, tired of everything.

Then we ate dinner and it didn't help. The food was amazing. Her green chile put every other green chile I'd ever had in my life to shame. The flavor, the intense heat, it was like she packed her personality into it and I couldn't get enough of it. It didn't help.

What really didn't help was how she acted different around me.

Why are you acting so weird? Hunter linked. This is your favorite kind of food.

I'm not acting weird, I answered. Red is acting weird.

Red is acting weird? He asked, furrowing his brows and glancing over at her. She's literally being the same she's been since she got here. Except for flirting with you. Is that what you mean?

She's not being the same and of course I don't mean the flirting, I snapped.

He raised his eyebrows and focused on his food. She's totally normal minus the flirting. Can't say the same for you but okay, grumpy. Let me know when the food kicks that hanger out of you.

I sighed and sank back in my seat. I both wanted to eat everything at the table and also didn't feel like eating anymore. Every single desire in my head was a direct conflict with something else and I just wanted the night to be over.

The moment everyone was done, I leapt from my seat to help clean. I needed something to do. As I gathered dishes, I couldn't help but notice Zach yawning over and over again in the corner.

Ness, I linked, grabbing her arm as she made her way towards Zach. Is he okay?

He's... You know, she shrugged. We stayed up all night to catch up but also the thing with the hounds, the blood... All of it kind of triggered him. He was afraid to sleep and he's suffering for it today.

He should've said something, I sighed. I would've let him out of patrol.

He doesn't want special treatment, Ben, she said, smiling sadly.

Let me know if I can help with sleep tonight, I said, giving her a small smile before walking away. Sometimes Nessa slept with me, sometimes she slept with Zach, sometimes we all slept together. It was just an attempt to keep nightmares away, or at least keep the fear away long enough we could fall asleep.

Nessa and I often joked that if we held each other together while we slept, maybe it would be enough we wouldn't fall apart in the day.

I looked back at them only one more time before going inside. Sebastain and I were doing dishes when Hunter walked in holding car keys. "Cool if Dean and I run out for a bit?"

I stopped what I was doing. Sebastian did too. Everyone in the room stopped what they were doing and looked back at Hunter with a frown. Dean came up beside him, hands stuffed in his pockets and silent as usual.

"You two want to go somewhere... Together?" Tess asked, her brows furrowing. "Alone?"

"I won't tolerate pack members killing each other," Kane warned.

"We're not going to kill each other," Hunter laughed, patting Dean's back. "We're great. We've turned over a new leaf and we just wanna hang out. We're full on besties now."