7
BENJAMIN
“Your sister did what?!” My mother practically yelled as she sat across from me in the small cafe. My dad hadn't arrived yet, he was coming late with my brother Abraham. But I couldn't keep it in any longer. Especially since when I sat down I realize that there was a paper crumpled up in my back pocket, and when I unfolded it, it was very clearly a drawing that Harper had made. And once my mother saw that, she wasn't taking no for an answer.
She said with her shoulder-length blonde hair, and perfect manicured nails, fuming. I could tell it was taking all of her restraint not to Shift in the restaurant. That would have been all over the tabloids if she had. The Famed Johnsons, Shifter Questions Finally Answered!
“Why didn't you call us? We would have taken her! Benjamin I'm sorry but you are not fit to have a child in your house. You have no idea how to parent!”
“I sure as hell don't, but we're making it work. Celeste picked me Mom, I have no idea why but here we are.”
Sure, I hadn’t really thought about being a dad, but Harper and I worked together. Honestly Lia made it easier, but I wasn’t bringing that up with a fuming she-bear right now.
“It would have been nice if you would have found a mate first. Settle down, become a real family.”
“You mean just like Celeste? You're still pissed that she had Harper out of wedlock. And that she's half human.”
“I do not care that that child is partially human! Don't take that tone with me. But yes, I care that's the Celeste did not create her family the way that we planned. But that doesn't mean that we love Harper any less. And we've always been clear with Celeste about that, that if she couldn't care for her. The clan…”
“Always takes care of our own,” I finished for her. It was a phrase that I had heard a million times growing up. She sighed just as my father and Abraham walked in.
Abraham hadn't even pulled out his chair when he realized something was going on. “Why are we arguing?”
“We're not arguing,” I responded. “We're just having an animated discussion.”
“Like hell. What's going on?”
“Harper is living with me. Celeste is in California in some type of hospital. I guess rehab?”
“Rehab? Like the real kind? Or the kind for people like us?” My father asked in a low voice.
“I don't have any details.” Though I wished I did. I could remember them dragging Celeste to the facility for shifters who didn’t honor their animal. People who saw things, heard voices. It was a nightmare. If you are a shifter, you have to Shift. The Change is so important to us. I do it every Thursday night, I go for a run in the Shyft’s own private conservatory. Everyone had their specified time so if you wanted to be alone, you could. A tiger or a lion and a bear in the same space wouldn’t be ideal. All of our hotels and condos were set up that way.
“And how is Harper? How is she doing with all this?” My mother presses.
I shrugged, “The kid is pretty resilient I'll give her that. But any Cub is going to be thrown off by not having a mommy anymore. Uncle Benjamin just isn't the same. But she's good you know? She loves school, she has this teacher, Lia,” I immediately watched my mother's eyes narrow and corrected my statement, “Miss Lewis, who loves her. She's really helped her grow as a child.”
“And we will help her grow as a shifter,” my father added.
“Of course we will,” Abraham agreed. “So is the little cub at school now?”
“Yeah. I go pick her up in a couple hours. It's a half-day today.”
“Half-day, look at you sounding like a real dad. Like you know what you're talking about.”
“Hey, I'm trying. But let's take the attention off me, what about you Abraham, have you found a mate yet?”
Abraham practically spit out his drink, “Really? Bro, you know that we don't push that subject in front of the parents.”
“And why wouldn't you?” My mother asked.
“Because you're insane,” Abraham responded.
“Don't talk to your mother like that,” my father scolded him, and I enjoyed the break in attention.
“Mates are an issue that none of us are prepared for. Hell, Benjamins the oldest and now he has a kid before he has a mate.”
“Maybe you’ll feel differently once you’ve met the right person,” my mother said as she took my father’s hand in hers.
Immediately my mind went to Lia. I remembered how stunning she looked the other night, her blonde hair in loose waves and her blue eyes reflecting the want that I felt for her. I remembered how she felt in my arms, how her lips tasted. I felt myself get hard just imagining how good her body would taste. I shifted around in my seat awkwardly.
Maybe I should have used more restraint that night. Maybe I should have held back, or kept things platonic between us. I was tempted by beautiful women on a daily basis, and I had no problem saying no. But with Lia, my bear had other plans. I felt so certain that I needed her. And watching her rush out of my apartment left me feeling so confused and conflicted.
I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her since then.
I had to see her again.