The Lycan in You and I ( A Reylo Romance )

Chapter 4 - Instincts

Rey had finished eating and Ben couldn't eat at all. He was too nervous, too absorbed with learning about Rey.

They had talked for hours, but he didn't want it to end.

He found that she really didn't have many preferences because her life was so hard on Jakku.

She was just happy with whatever she had. He planned to change all of that for her. She would never want for anything again.

"Rey, did you enjoy the dinner?"

"Yes, it was amazing. Thank you."

"So, are you tired? I'd like to show you my favorite spot on the ship. Do you want to come with me and see?"

"Sure. I never sleep well anyway. It's always such a struggle for me."

He extended his hand to her and she took it. He was careful not to touch her wrists. Not yet, anyway.

There was a progression pattern to a heat, especially the very first one. It started with the scent glands in the wrists and moved up to the neck and down to the breeding glands located on the lower back.

The more you stimulated them, the faster it progressed into a full blown heat. He didn't think she was quite ready for that yet, and he knew he wanted to be closer to her and know her better before he could help her through her first heat, before she would trust him enough to.

As an Alpha, he was hard-wired to take care of a mate through all stages of a heat. It was biology and instinct. There was a time when only the Alpha males were allowed to take mates, to ensure the strongest of the human race survived. That time had passed, and now it seemed that the tables had turned. It was very difficult to even find an Alpha male, much less a compatible mate capable of producing offspring.

He helped her up from the table and escorted her out into the corridor. He scanned ahead with the force. No other males were around. Good.

He used the lower volume hallways in an attempt to avoid other people. Her scent was like a drug and he didn't want any other males to get a taste of her and approach.

There were so few females on the ship, as it was and of those only a handful that went into heat. When they did, they had to take shore leave because of the distraction it caused on the ship.

They were almost to the observation deck, when Hux came out of nowhere. .

Kriff! Why was he such a bane to his existence, all of the time. Ben decided he really did hate him.

"Lord Ren, who do we have here? Is this your new fiancé?"

He smiled. He tried to be discreet, but Ben knew he was taking in her scent. It made him see red. How dare he partake of it...

It took all he had not to force-choke him.

She was blushing. The assumption had embarrassed her.

Ben instinctively pulled her closer, moved her to his other side, away from Hux, and tucked her under his arm.

How dare he embarrass her like that...

"General Hux, This is the Lady Rey of Jakku. We've only just met today."

"Lady Rey this is General Hux."

He reached for her hand, but Ben put a stop to it.

"No. Males are not allowed to touch her."

It was a statement of fact.

"Oh, I see. She's getting ready for her first heat then.."

He was eyeing her wrists.