Ben

The closer we came to the Gathering taking place, the fewer hours each day seemed to have. I was making phone calls, deciding schedules, talking to constructors, and signing agreements, and could not afford a minute's distraction. And yet, I paused at the top of the stairs to gaze through the windows toward the lake, admiring the serenity. It was a calm, sunny day and I couldn't help but feel that perhaps at least this day wasn't so bad after all. And then the mind-links began again and I moved downstairs.

Reading yet another suggestion from the party committee, I suddenly found myself face-to-face with a blonde woman in our lobby. She seemed confused, and I was confused to see her there. Most of our visitors these days were men. Come to think of it, all were, and this was something else. She actually also was something else. 

I felt... something. A neuron somewhere sending a signal I couldn't interpret. Could be the food served for dinner - it had a funny taste. My body felt.. yes, that was it - it felt. Neurotransmitters moved toward synapses that weren't in use anymore. I took a deep breath, and somewhere my unfortunate brain registered the lack of alluring molecules. Now focus.

She waved as a way of greeting, which was.. odd but kind of charming. I looked around, trying to locate anyone who would be expecting her, a bit annoyed that someone wasn't waiting for her already. After all, the gate would have mind-linked the person when she passed.

She proceeded to introduce herself, but I was too busy studying her face to actually pay attention. She looked oddly familiar. Did she say Hild?

"Oh. You are Hild? I'm..," right. What was the name I used again on the phone? I couldn't remember. I stalled, but time was running out. "uhm.. welcome to the Prospect?"

I frowned, hoping that she wouldn't pick up on that slight delay in answer. She did, and she laughed.

"You sure?"

Her blue eyes glistened, her laugh was contagious, and I smiled back. Ignoring the neuron sending even more signals.  I knew I shouldn't have taken that second serving.

Her face fell, and she grabbed the wall, obviously not feeling well. I helped her to a chair but realized that the leather armchairs just behind the stairs probably would be more comfortable. I mind-linked for someone to come with water and... cookies? Fainting women was not something I was used to, and suddenly I felt a pang of sympathy for Zac, who had experienced the same thing not that long ago. The water came; I poured her a glass and one for myself. I gulped it down, trying to take control of my treasonous body. Perhaps she needed to lay down? Apparently not.

"This is a beautiful place."

She sounded like she had expected something else.

"You sound surprised," the constant mind-links were starting to annoy me. Like, just give me a break, alright?

"Well, I would have thought it to be a little rougher around the edges, and I don't know, torture chambers in the basement sort of."

Heh.

"Who says we don't have that?" they were in another building though.

"Heh, well, actually, I wouldn't bet against it," she said dryly and then realized her misstep. "I am sorry, I shouldn't have.."

Mind-link again. I ignored it.

"You really are Hild. Zac's sister."

"I am."

"Alpha, we really need to tell the caterers.." and then something completely uninteresting, but I answered the mind-link. Again.

"And I know who you are."

The way she said it made me feel like I was five years old again and caught with my hand in the cookie jar. Her voice lightened up.

"We spoke on the phone. You introduced yourself as Connor, Zac's secretary."

She looked at me expectantly. It was a trap. I knew it. She knew I knew. She knew I knew that she knew.

"But you are not, are you?"

Heh. Could I get out of this alive?

"Does it count if I say that I wish I was Connor, Zac's secretary?" I tested the waters hoping my incredible charm would do the trick. I was not sure I had incredible charm at all, but there was always hope.

Suddenly her features changed, going from ascertaining to nervous.

"I called you an asshole, didn't I? Oh, I am supposed to address you differently, aren't I? Like respectful or something. Maybe bow, perhaps curtsy? We just formed a pack in your Prospect-thing, and you are therefore the Alpha of.."

I chuckled, almost a bit out of relief. I couldn't picture her curtsying at all, actually.

The mind-links were now pressing in my mind, and I offered her a truce. I had to go. I mind-linked Zac telling him about his sister's current state, and then excused myself.

It was a struggle to suppress my laughter when she failed badly at showing the respect everyone else around me found so natural. For some reason, though, I let it slide and introduced myself as Ben. I was surprised myself.

I left and went into the meeting room, answering all the mind-links I could before I sat down and chuckled.

Twins indeed. She had the same friendly face as he had, not identical but similar features. Blue eyes, blonde hair, straight nose but her lips were fuller than his, and she had two dimples in her cheeks. Funny but obnoxious, yes, they sure were related.

Pretty.

The mind-links had taken a rest, and I decided to go check on the woman again, just in case Zac hadn't arrived yet. As I turned into the corridor, I could see that he had and as I still felt a bit odd, I decided not to impose on their privacy and went back upstairs to my office.

And that is where Zac found me a couple of hours later.

I welcomed his intrusion by moving over to the armchairs by the windows again, pulling out a bottle of whiskey and two tumblers from the cabinet beside me.

"Is your sister alright again?"

He nodded and accepted the glass of whiskey before he chuckled.

"She seemed more concerned about the way she addressed you."

"Well, I would say that Mr. Magnum Alpha is a step up from asshole or savage," I took a sip from the whiskey and gazed out the window. He did the same.

"She is pretty."

He frowned.

"Of course she is. We are twins, remember?" then he continued in a more serious tone. "I will tell her to address you correctly. Don't worry about that."

I wasn't worried about that at all. Instead, I thought that Hild saying my name would be a pleasant break from the constant avoidance of eye contact and "Alpha" I always got. I didn't say that aloud, though. That thought was not the route to go. She was clearly not my mate. She was pretty, funny, had a lovely smile, but the strongest pull was not there. Her scent was not intoxicating to me; it was basically non-existent, actually. So, not my mate. But pretty. And funny.

Beonnie

I was high. High on emotions from the day. High on the knowledge about how much the world actually vibrated with information if only you were sensitive enough to detect it. Even in human form, everything was just a little bit more.. more. Hild took me to a restaurant halfway on the way home, and I was overemotional about everything. Hild, too it seemed. She was unusually babbly and upbeat, and finally, I had to ask.

"You look a bit flustered. Is everything alright?"

She looked at me and exhaled deeply.

"I quit my medicine yesterday, and today is the first day I am without it. The doctor I spoke with said that there - oomph."

That was me hugging her. Tightly.

"Oomph, B. You are strong."

I let her go and got back into my seat, smiling.

"I am just so happy."

She smiled back and nodded.

"Well, the doctor said that there could be withdrawal symptoms, and I think that is what I am experiencing."

"Ok, well, we will work through it. Is there anything I can do?"

She still looked kind of upset and concerned.

"No, I'll be fine. I just wish I hadn't met that Ben person today."

I frowned.

"That Ben person? Oh, do you mean Alpha King Prospect Ben Connors?"

She hid her face in her palms.

"I do," she said in a miserable tone.

"Oh, what did he do?"

She looked up at me, giving me an almost annoyed glare.

"He didn't do anything. Why does everyone assume he did something? And why am I defending him?!" she stared at me with panic in her eyes. "Quitting the meds was probably a bad idea."

I frowned.

"You have symptoms right now?"

"No, now I feel fine. A slight headache perhaps, but nothing else. But when I was there, I felt dizzy, I couldn't concentrate, and I babbled. A lot. And he.. have you ever met him?"

"Uh, no thanks," I had carefully avoided it all day.

"He's handsome. And very... well, like... and cookies."

I did not expect that. I mean, I had heard the rumors about Ben Connors, mostly the bad ones but also some concerning his features. I just didn't expect it from Hild.

"Bah, and I didn't know what to call him. Do you know what I said? No, of course, you don't. I think I said something that sounded like, 'Mr. Magnum Alpha'," she buried her face in her hands again. "Whoever says a thing like that?"

"Mr Magnum Alpha? I can't even. No one says that," I chuckled. "Especially not to him. Oh, Hild. At least you won't have to meet him for a while now. Not until the Gathering, and then there will be so many people, so you can easily avoid him."

"I guess," she didn't sound convinced. "But, forget about him. Tell me about your day!"

"It was awesome!"

I proceeded to tell her everything from the shift to the run to the growling.

"So when can I see your wolf then? Can you shift alone now?"

"When we come home? Though I think it may hurt a bit this time also. Can we go to Vile? I want to show him too."

When we got home, we were too tired to visit Vile, and the shifting had to wait. I was too tired, and Hild was too.

Hild

I was so tired. So, so tired. I also felt strangely empowered, though. Like I had just done a strenuous weight lifting marathon, and my muscles had broken but then rebuilt themselves stronger and better than before. I had heard that connecting with your wolf made you more powerful, but I didn't feel any wolf yet. Just stronger. Better. 

I even indulged the funny notion I had where it felt like sitting on the bench earlier today at the Prospect parking lot had empowered me. Like the sheer beauty of the place had given some of itself to me and healed me. I had felt good then, and I felt kind of ok now.

It was unfortunate, though, that I hadn't felt so good in between the bench and the dinner with B. I knew that it didn't matter, but I didn't like the idea of someone thinking of me like a weak and helpless woman. I had left that act. It was in the past. Now, I was a strong and powerful woman. Or I strived to be, at least.

It did bother me, though, that this strong and powerful woman would have to submit, for no reason at all, to a man just because she was a werewolf, and he happened to be the boss of them. I didn't like the thought of bending to anyone. But I would have to, wouldn't I? Unless I managed to avoid the alpha altogether. A good plan. And easy to implement. Just not go to the Prospect again.

What I would do, however, was to join the fight training. It could be beneficial, and now since I felt this power surge, I may as well go along for the ride.