Penny pulled into her parking spot at The Den and turned off the engine. She let out a sigh and then lay her head on the wheel. Damn. Damn. Damn. She really didn’t want to be here. She wished she was back in Houston. Or anywhere really. Anywhere but Blackstone.

She barely survived last night. After what happened at Lennox, she considered calling off her shift, but she couldn’t. She had to pay back Ben. So she went right to work.

It had been a disaster. She kept mixing up orders and bumping into people. Then, she dropped a whole tray of glasses because her hands were still shaking. She hadn’t had an episode like that in a long time. Once in a while, sure. Certainly after that customer cornered her when she was taking a break. She usually got over it. She was used to just pushing it out of her mind. But it happened in front of Christina and then she ran into Ben and just lost it.

Oh Ben. He was so sweet and kind. He didn’t know what he’d be getting into with her, and it was best he didn’t find out. The ugliness and the shame was too much. Her reputation followed her like a stink, and he would have found out, eventually.

The clock on her dash told her it was time to punch in. “Another day, another dollar,” she muttered as she stepped out of her car and walked to the employee entrance in the back of the bar.

“Penny.”

She stopped in her tracks and turned around. “Yes?” She squinted at him.

The man looked familiar. Where had she seen him before? He was tall, even by Blackstone shifter standards, probably as tall as Ben, though not as broad. His long blond hair was tied back in a messy bun and those eyes—they were like molten gold.

“Luke. Lennox.”

Ah yes, she remembered. “Uhm, so is there anything you needed?”

“It’s about Ben.”

“Ben?” A strange feeling swept over her. “Is he okay? Is he hurt?”

“Something like that.”

Coldness gripped her, and she stepped forward. “Is he in the hospital? Oh God, is he okay?” She told him she wanted him to leave her alone forever but not like this.

“He will be. If you come with me.”

A group of girls—Olive, Mia, and one other server—walked past and then turned around and gave them strange looks. “I can’t,” she whispered. “I have to get to work.”

“I cleared it with Tim,” he said. “We can take my truck.”

Penny hesitated for a moment, but her instinct was telling her to go to Ben. “All right. If you say it’s fine.”

She followed him across the lot to the black Chevy truck parked in the middle. He opened the door for her, and she climbed in.

“Where are we going?” she asked as they drove away from The Den. “The hospital?”

“No.” Luke kept his gaze straight on the road.

This was probably the part where she should start screaming and try to get out, but something was telling her that Luke would never hurt her. He was Ben’s friend, right? And a Lennox. He wouldn’t try to kidnap her.

Luke was driving toward Main Street, so she knew that was at least a good sign. When he pulled up in front of Rosie’s Bakery and Cafe, she gave him a strange look. “Luke? What’s going on? What’s wrong with Ben?”

He let out a sigh. “I’m doing this for both your sakes.”

“What do you mean?”

He nodded to the window. Christina was sitting at one of the tables. “I know you don’t trust me, but you trust her, right?”

“S-s-sure. But I don’t understand what’s going on.”

“You should talk to her, so you can understand what’s happening.” He got out of his side, walked across the front, and opened the door for her. “I promise, it’ll be fine.” He held his hand out to her. “I’ll bring you back to The Den any time you want, but hear her out. Please. It’s for Ben.”

Penny stared at his hand. She guessed he wasn’t the type to ask favors from anyone, but something about the way he asked made her heart wrench. “Fine.” She took his hand and allowed him to help her down. “If it’s for—”

“What the fuck is going on?”

The surrounding air suddenly felt thick and cold. Penny whipped her head to the right. Ben was standing there, hands fisted at his side, his body tense. Anger didn’t even begin to describe the look on his face. She tried to open her mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

Ben turned to Luke. “So, is this why you came to me last night?”

“What?”

“You came to my house, pretending to care about me, but really,” his eyes narrowed at their hands, “you wanted her for yourself.”

Luke dropped her hand. “What are you talking about?”

Ben lunged forward and grabbed Luke by the front of his shirt. “You know who she is. Were you trying to see if I was going to back off before you tried to take her away from me?”

What was going on? “Ben, please—”

Luke pushed at Ben with all his might, making him stagger back. “Don’t touch me ever again.”

“Or what?” Ben roared, stretching to his full height. “You’ve already done the worst thing you could do to me!”

Ben’s eyes began to glow and the muscles under his skin were crawling and stretching. Oh no. She knew what that meant.

“She’s mine!” he growled.

“Stop!” Penny threw herself toward Ben, placing her trembling hands on his chest. “Ben, please, don’t.” She didn’t want a repeat of the other night. She knew he had gotten in big trouble; Tim had told the staff Ben Walker was not welcome at The Den for the time being.

Ben let out a harsh grunt and stepped back. “So, you want me to leave you alone, huh? But you go out with him?”

Penny gasped. “What are you talking about?”

“You … and Luke,” he spat.

“You think he and I … that we’re …” She put her hands up in frustration. “I came here for you! Because I thought you were hurt.”

“Hurt?” he asked.

“Yeah, that’s what Luke said! And then it turns out it was just a ruse.” Her brows knitted into a frown. “Is this some sick game you’re playing? For kicks? Trying to see the poor girl from the trailer park break? Because I’ve had about enough!” She threw up her hand in frustration and walked away. If she saw Ben Walker again, it would be too soon.

* * *

Penny wasn’t sure where she was going. She was stuck out here with no way to get back to The Den where she’d parked her car. There was no one she could call for a ride and no money for a cab even if she could find one. She had to somehow find her way back to The Den. Squaring her shoulders, she decided this was better than being back there with Ben and Luke. Stupid men.

Twenty minutes later, she was walking down a dark, deserted road. When she had driven this way, it seemed quicker. And brighter. And less scary. She shivered and rubbed her hands together but was determined to keep moving.

Stupid, stupid Penny. Falling for Luke’s lie. And Christina? Was she part of this? She had thought the other woman was nice. Maybe she was just like those rich, snobby girls in high school. The ones who would laugh at her thrift store clothes and walk over to her table during lunch to check if her bag was a knockoff. She had learned to ignore those girls, but their cruelty stung.

And Ben? What was his part in all this?

The hum of an engine came closer from behind and the beams from headlights were getting bigger. Penny moved farther away from the edge of the road, hoping whoever it was didn’t see her.

The vehicle began to slow down until it was right beside her, then the windows rolled down.

“Penny. Penny!”

She picked up her pace when she heard Ben’s voice, which was a silly thing, she knew. He was in a car; she could never outrun him. Still, she kept going.

“Penny, c’mon,” Ben called out as he continued to follow her.

The sound of tires screeching on gravel and the click of a door unlocking didn’t slow her down, nor did the footsteps that were getting closer and closer. However, when she heard the one word from his mouth, she stopped in her tracks.

“Please.”

Her heart jerked forward like one of those crash test dummies when the car hits the wall. That word and the sincerity in his voice shook her to her very core. Slowly, she turned to face him.

Ben was breathing hard, his shoulders were slumped over, and his eyes glowed in the dim light. “Penny. I’m sorry. For what I said back there about you and Luke.”

“You thought I was on a date with him?”

“He told me what was going on. And then Christina came out and explained. That they had set this whole thing up.”

“They set this up? I don’t understand.”

He sighed. “Look, can we talk? Please?”

She wanted to say no. She should say no and tell him and his crazy bunch of friends to leave her alone. But the look on his face was making her heart wrench. Desperation. Anguish. And she wanted to be the one to make it all go away. “Fine. Explain.”

He rubbed his palms over his beard. “Luke, Jason, and Christina thought they were helping. I was trying to do what you asked—leave you alone—but they just couldn’t let it go.”

“Let what go?”

“They were just meddling, you see? She was going to talk to you and tell you—” He stopped short and gritted his teeth.

“Tell me what?” she asked. “What, Ben?”

He remained silent, his jaw going tense. "I shouldn't."

“Ben.” She took a step closer to him, her heart racing in her chest. “Ben.” She wanted to ask him the question that had been lingering in her mind since she walked away. The one about his words that had been branded into her brain. “Ben, what did you mean when you said I was yours?”

He hesitated for a moment and let out a pained grunt. “That you’re mine. My mate.”

The air rushed out of her lungs, and she suddenly felt dizzy. The words didn’t make sense in her brain, but they made her shiver. “I don’t understand. I’m not a shifter.”

“I know,” he said. “You don’t have to be. I mean, it’s probably confusing and I can’t explain it either. It’s just a feeling. My bear chose you.”

She gasped. “You can’t mean that.”

He nodded. “It’s true. It seems fast for you but—”

“No, no, no!” She shook her head. “You can’t. I mean, you don’t want me!”

“What?” He reached for her, but she evaded his grasp. “Of course I want you!”

“But you can’t!” She turned around and wrapped her arms around herself. “You can’t want someone like me.”

“Like what?” he asked.

Pain gripped her like a fist, tightening and squeezing every last bit of life from her body until she couldn’t breathe. “Believe me. You don’t want me. I’m not the type of girl you want to introduce to y-your parents or your friends.”

She felt him come closer, slowly, but he didn’t make a move to touch her. “Is it because … Christina told me you had an episode in Jason’s office. She thinks something happened to you … someone did something to you … something terrible.“

His words hung in the air for a moment before she spoke. “It was terrible.”

“How … terrible?”

Penny’s bottom lip trembled. “He didn’t get to touch me. But I was terrified and ….”

“So you weren’t—”

She shook her head. She supposed it was a logical conclusion. “But he tried.”

“Who?” Ben’s voice was clipped.

“M-m-my momma’s boyfriend. John.” It had been years since she said that name or even anything about the incident aloud. After what happened, she’d actually tried to talk to a counselor and go to group therapy, but it was too much. For one thing, she felt ashamed because those women had suffered real trauma. But, then, what happened to her had been so awful, she didn’t know what to do.

“I was sixteen. He was practically living with us. And … and one night Momma was stuck at work, covering another shift. I came home late because I was s-s-studying for a test.” Her vision swam in front of her, and she took a deep breath. “He accused me of having sex with some boy at school. We were just lab partners!” Her body was shaking now. She could never forget what he had said. The things he had accused her of doing. And what had happened next. “And then he … he grabbed me. I got away and locked myself in the bathroom. I was crying, and he was screaming and trying to break down the door.” Tears began to pour down her face. “Our neighbors must have heard because cops came before he could get to me.”

Ben let out a relieved sigh. “So nothing … happened?”

“No. Not like that.” John never got his hands on her. In fact, no man had ever touched her.

“I’m so glad … I mean, I’m sorry. What you went through was still awful. But it wasn’t your fault.”

“I know.” She wiped the tears with the back of her hand. That’s what Marian, her social worker had said. Marian had been her support. The only one who believed her.

“Penny.” He stepped closer and tried to touch her arm, but she shrank away. “I’m sorry. But that doesn’t matter to me. What happened to you in the past? I wish to God it hadn’t, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be my mate.”

“T-t-that’s not why.”

“I don’t understand.”

“That’s not the end of it.” She took a deep breath, wondering if she should continue. He had to understand. “John was Greenville High’s football coach. Led the team to two championships, about to go for a third. The cops, they arrived in time to stop him, but when I tried to press charges, t-t-they discouraged me. He was drunk, that’s all. Couldn’t control himself. They said it would bring a lot of trouble. But the social worker assigned to me, Marian, said I should press charges. So I did.” She fidgeted with the bottom of her shirt. “But he said I was coming on to him. That I was the one trying to seduce him.”

A low, guttural growl startled her. She realized it was from Ben. “Go on,” he said in a tight voice.

“Then the football team started spreading lies about me. That I was … that I had been with all of them.” She could still hear all the names they called her. And see all the nasty things they had written on her locker.

“Surely someone believed you.”

“My social worker did. But half the town didn’t.” And the other half? Well, it seemed all they cared about was the championship.

“And your mother?”

Penny winced. If she were truly honest with herself, that was what hurt most of all. How could a mother not believe her own daughter? It had taken her years to figure out why. Eleanor had been jealous. Jealous that her daughter was younger and that her own good looks were fading. Jealous that her own boyfriend’s roving eyes had fixed on her Penny. She knew this was why Eleanor had sided with John, but couldn’t say it out loud.

The curse Ben muttered under his breath told her she didn’t have to. “What happened then? You got out of there? Where was your dad?”

“My daddy couldn’t take care of me. He was an alcoholic and didn’t have a job and there was no way social services was going to place me with him. So they found my Grams, his mom, living out in Houston.” The day she left Greenville was the happiest day of her life.

“And your mother?”

She shrugged. “Last I heard, she and John got married and he’s still coaching.” She did her best to avoid going into town. She shopped, filled up her tank, even went to the mechanic miles out of her way just so she wouldn’t run into anyone she knew. But it seemed she still couldn’t avoid her past as evidenced by the other night when Kyle and his friends had come in to The Den.

Penny turned away, trying to hide the shame on her face. “So you see, you can’t get mixed up with—”

He was suddenly in front of her. “No!”

How did he move so fast?

Ben put his hands on her shoulders gingerly. His skin was so warm, the contact barely there. “Penny, I told you, I don’t care about that.”

“It follows me around like a stink. Those guys who were bothering me at The Den that night? They were from my high school. They still remember. You don’t know what that means now, but you will. And you’ll regret it once those old stories are mucked up again.”

He let out a deep sigh. “How can I convince you that I just want you?”

“Your bear wants me,” she pointed out. “Don’t you get a choice in this?”

“I am my bear. It’s hard to explain. But trust me, I want to be with you so bad. The first time you bumped into me? I may not have seen you, but I knew who you were. You were there in the back of my mind this whole time. And seeing you again couldn’t have been a coincidence. Penny, please. Give this a chance.”

She wanted to say no. She should say no and save themselves the trouble.

But what if you say yes?

The voice in the back of her mind was clear. What if she did say yes?

“I’m not good at this. I’ve never had a relationship. I’ve never even been with anyone.” Heat stole into her face. Did he understand what she just admitted to? She looked up at him, trying to assess his gaze. “But … we can try.”

Ben’s shoulders relaxed. “We can take things slow. As slow as you want.” His fingers touched her cheek, and she shivered. He pulled away. “I’m sorry. I won’t touch you without asking.”

“No.” She grabbed his hand and held it up. “It’s okay. That felt nice.” She closed her eyes and placed his large palm on her cheek. It was warm and callused. A feeling of contentment settled over her. It was so different from when anyone else tried to touch her.

“Can I take you out to dinner?”

Her eyes flew open, and she let go of his hand. “Like a date?”

“Yes. Tomorrow, though, not now. You should probably go home now and get some rest. I can drive you back to your car.”

“I probably won’t be able to get another night off until next week.”

“That’s okay. We finish work at the mines early. I can pick you up and we can have dinner before your shift.”

“Okay.” The butterflies in her stomach were fluttering with nervousness and anticipation. A date with Ben? She couldn’t believe this was happening.

“Let’s get you back home then.” Ben led her back to his Jeep, opened the door for her, and helped her inside.

Five minutes later, Ben pulled up behind her car in the parking lot of The Den. “Hold on,” he said. He got out, walked over to her side, and opened the door for her.

“You don’t have to keep doing that,” she said wryly.

“I do. I mean, my mom would throw a fit if I didn’t,” he said with a chuckle.

The mention of his mother made her stomach flip flop and not in a good way, but she pushed that feeling aside for now. “Thank you,” she said as she walked over to the driver’s side door of her car. “Oh! The repairs! You have to let me pay you back.”

He shook his head. “No way.”

“Ben,” she warned.

“Fine, you pay me back when you can,” he said with a smile. It made his face look boyish, even with his thick beard. “I’ll follow you home.”

“It’s out of your way,” she protested. “I’ll be okay.”

“But I won’t be, not until I know you’re home safe.”

She knew she wasn’t going to win this argument. “All right.”

She got into her car and pulled out of her spot. Just as he promised, Ben followed her for the whole drive back to her home, keeping enough distance between them so he didn’t blind her with his headlights but not so much that he lost her.

Were they really going to do this? Dating? Was that even what it was called with shifters. Oh my God. I’m going on a date with a guy who turns into a giant bear! The thoughts reeling around in her head nearly made her pass out, but she kept her eyes on the road. Should she call things off now? Her brain was telling her yes, but that voice in her head kept saying no.

When she pulled into her driveway, an idea popped into her head. She had to be sure before this all went too far. Instead of heading in, she walked back to his Jeep and climbed up on the running board, then knocked on his window.

The glass rolled down. “Everything okay?” His brows were drawn together in concern.

“No. I mean, yes!” Don’t chicken out now. “I need a favor.”

“Anything you want.”

“Kiss me.”

For a brief moment, desire flashed in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by confusion. “Excuse me?”

“Kiss me.” She had to know. “Please.”

His hand snaked out and his fingers threaded through her hair, then pulled her closer. She gasped as his lips came closer, but instead of mashing his mouth against hers as she expected, he brushed his lips softly against hers, his beard tickling her in a pleasant way. He was gentle, and slow, as he had promised. And so warm and soft. The touch sent her knees wobbling, and she had to hang on to the door to keep from toppling back.

“Was that okay?” he asked as he pulled away. His eyes were glazed over, his stare intense.

A small gasp of disappointment escaped her lips. “Yeah.” More than okay. She had tried dating in the past, but each time her date would try to kiss her, she would freeze. The memories would come back and she would push the guy away. But with Ben, it was the complete opposite. She wanted him to kiss her more.

“Penny?” He was looking at her with confusion again.

“Oh, right.” She gave him a shy smile. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“I’ll pick you up at four?”

She nodded. She was afraid she was going to do something embarrassing like squeak with excitement. Or grab his head and kiss him so she could feel his lips again. Letting go of the window, she hopped off his Jeep and scampered to the safety of her front door. When she closed it behind her and clicked the lock, she heard the vehicle drive away.

Penny leaned her head back against the door and let out a breath. She touched her lips; they felt branded, like she would never forget the feel of his mouth on hers. She shivered in anticipation. What would their date be like? And after?

“Oh God.” She walked to the bathroom to get ready for bed. Hopefully, she’d be able to sleep tonight.