Finding My Mate

Chapter 17

Ben's POV: 

"Calla Johnson," I said. "Where do you think you're going?" She froze when I used her full name. Sighing, she turned around. The moonlight streaming through our bedroom window allow me to see her face full on. Her big blue eyes looked surreal, like giant marbles. Or planets. "Ben, relax, I just have to use the bathroom." A lie. "Calla." I said. She didn't respond and I just waited. Again, she sighed and gave up. "Ok, fine. I've been hearing Clara be restless a lot. I'm worried about her. And Ether, she sometimes stops breathing. I mean, I know the woman is 22 but it worries me. So does-" I cut her off then and pulled her into my arms. "Calla baby, I know you're worried, but you just have to trust that they'll be ok. You can worry yourself like that." She held onto me tight and my heart swelled. "Even if that proves what an amazing Luna you are." I felt her smile against my bare chest. Then she punched me and said, "shut up... I'm not amazing. I'm a freak. I worry too much." 

She was kidding right? "Calla, are you joking? How can you say that about yourself." We sat down on the bed and I pulled her onto my lap. "Because," She responded. "I really do worry too much!" She buried her beautiful face in my neck. "Honey," I started. "You are the most wonderful girl in the world. You are my girl. And I love you more than I thought it was even possible to. You make not only me, but everyone of our wolves a better person on a daily basis. I love you more than anything. And I would do anything for you. Never, not ever, forget that. Ok?" She didn't say anything for a while and after a minute I realized it was because she was crying. 

"Aw, shit, Calla I'm sorry. What did I say baby?" I said. I held her tighter. "Please don' t cry Calla." She sniffed and looked back at me. "Ben, I'm not crying because I'm sad." she said. Wait, what? "I'm crying because that was the most beautiful thing you've ever said to me. No, that anyone has ever said to me. I love you too. Forever." She kissed me then. A very light kiss, waiting to be deepened. Instead, I broke it off and said, "Do you remember two days ago when I said we could pick back up later?" She smiled. "Why yes I think I do remember that. Do I finally get to take you up on that offer?" I looked at the clock and it read 1:23am. "Yeah," I said, "We have time before the patrols get back." She smiled when I pulled her on top of me and kissed her. She was the one to deepen the kiss and flip me over on top of her. Someone had definitely been waiting for this. 

The next morning I woke up, the first thing I did was look at the clock. Now it read 8:16am. Calla was missing beside me, so she must've gotten up already. 

I walked through the house trying to scent her out when Rachel stopped me. "Ben?" She asked. "Yes Rachel?" I said gently. "When is Calla going to pick her beta?" Oh. I hadn't thought about that. "Um, I'm actually trying to find her now. I'll talk to her about it when I find her." I said. She beamed at me. "Thanks Ben!" 

I continued to search for Calla. I was so glad all the wolves liked her. The males were respectful of her and the females weren't jealous or bitchy to her. I was proud of our pack. We had really become a family since Calla joined us. " she smiled. She was holding a coffee mug and grabbed another steaming one from the table and handed it to me. We both took our coffee straight black. I accepted the mug gratefully and drank it. "Hey, I gotta talk to you." Her brow creased. "I know, I'm sorry about last night, I didn't mean to be that aggressive. That's not like me..." she trailed off and blushed bright red. 

I couldn't help it then. I burst out laughing. She frowned again and took my coffee away. "Hey!" I said still laughing. "That's not funny! Why are you laughing?!" she exclaimed. "Baby, I'm sorry, but that's not at all what I was going to talk to you about." I apologized. "Oh." She said. "Besides, I like that I can bring out the wild side of you." I winked at her and she blushed even more. I laughed again and she hit me. "So what did you want to talk to me about then?" She asked. "Well, some of the female wolves are wondering when you're going to appoint your beta. You know Kyle is mine. You just have to pick one." I told her. She looked shocked and then said, "I have no idea. I like all of them so much. Who do you think I should pick?" Calla asked. "I would say that you should pick the one with the best leadership qualities." I advised her. She sighed. "This just makes me miss Bryn." She said. I hugged her then. She must've been home sick. "Would you like to visit them tomorrow?" I aksed her. She looked up at me and smiled. "Can we really do that? Can I request that from my parents?" "Yes, absolutely darling." I said. "But for today, please think about the beta situation." She nodded. "I just don't know who to choose. They all feel like good choices." She said. "Well, maybe you should spend the day talking to them about it." I suggested. "Ok." She nodded. 

Calla called her parents and requested to see them. They agreed to it. After that, she went to go talk to Clara, Rachel, and Jane about being possible betas. I was proud. She was doing well. In the mean time, I check in with Kyle about patrols. 

"Hey man, what's up?" Kyle said. "I don't know. Not a lot. How've patrols been going?"  I asked. "Good until about a day ago. The rouge pack had a few scouts out. What they were looking for, I have no idea. But maybe we should be expecting an attack." He told me. I wasn't sure how to take this new information. "Kyle I'd like it if you would tell me as soon as these things happen. I'm serious. We do need to be awaiting an attack. I'll start training Calla to fight. Strengthen patrols and let me know as soon as you see something. I don't care if I'm having sex, or eating breakfast, or sleeping. You tell me. We have a family to protect now." I scolded. "I'm sorry Ben, I should've told you but I thought it was nothing. They didn't even attack." He said. "Then that's all the more reason that it was dangerous, now isn't it?" I asked. He didn't respond. "I mean it about strengthening patrols dammit." I said as I walked out. God, Lucas would've never given me that kind of trouble. I then felt a pang of grief for my lost beta. no wonder Clara had been restless. 

I later found Calla and the girls. They were giggling and having what most girls call "girl talk". I was happy I would never understand what that meant. "Hey ladies." I said as I plopped down next to my perfect mate. "Have we come to a decision?" I asked. Calla beamed. "Yes, we have. Clara will be my new beta. She is a skilled fighter and friend." Clara smiled a smile I hadn't seen since Lucas died. That's why Calla picked her. She needed something to feel good about. To be happy about. She was a good choice though. " Also, we were just discussing another matter." Rachel said smugly. "Ugh, Rachel!" Calla said. "What?" I asked. Now I wanted to know. "Well," Jane said. "We were just wondering..." She trailed off. Then she looked at Calla, as if asking permission to continue. "We were only wondering when you were going to change Calla's last name." They all smiled. 

Woah.