Alpha Benji

♕Chapter Twenty-Five♕

Jeremiah's face haunts me at night, taunting my restless mind. 

I was quick to leave him after his outburst. My body went into fight-or-flight mode, wanting to put much needed space in between us. Benji picked up on my change of attitude as soon as I came inside. I managed to avoid his questioning eyes, instead locking myself in my room with the lame excuse of a stomach ache. 

The light of the moon creeps in through my open window, partially illuminating my room. I hoped the fresh air would lull me in to a sleep, but I'm left disappointed. Every time I close my eyes, I'm drawn back into the cold cells. I'm reminded of the concrete floors stained with blood and the soggy pieces of bread thrown through our gates. Instead of nameless guard wolves tormenting me, though, their faces are all replaced with Jeremiah's. 

I can't shake his emotionless stare from my head. 

With a frustrated groan, I push my comforter off my bare legs, letting it fall to the ground. My eyes are strained from staring at the ceiling and my stomach is empty. Maybe a warm beverage and something to eat will settle my stomach and let me finally sleep. 

I am quiet as I make my way through the upstairs hallway, carefully padding down the staircase. My movements halt for a moment as one of the steps whine from my weight. I don't want to wake Benji up and upset him. After holding my breath for a moment, I continue my journey to the kitchen, thankful that no more noises follow me. 

I settle on brewing a cup of tea. As the water heats up, I pick through the left overs in the kitchen. I shamelessly use my fingers to pick at the food in the container, resting my hip against the fridge frame as I eat. Benji may not be a cook, but at least his kitchen is always fully stocked. It's nice to not have to constantly rely on the pack kitchen for food. 

I pop my thumb and forefinger in my mouth one at a time, cleaning them of any remnants of the food I was picking at. Using my hip, I close the fridge door with a soft thud. A strangled cry barely escapes my lips as the shadow of a man comes into sight. 

I must not have been as quiet as I thought. 

"I'm sorry if I woke you up." I immediately apologize, bashfully letting my hands drop from my mouth. Oh Goddess, he probably saw me going through the food like a scavenger. That's so embarrassing. 

Benji looks me over for a moment, before shaking his head. "No, you're fine. I was up doing work." He's dressed in casual sweatpants and a V-neck shirt, clearly ready for bed. 

"You work at two AM?" I ask. 

"You eat at two AM?" He counters. 

My mouth forms a small 'o' in shock, before I regain myself. "Touché," I mumble underneath my breath loud enough for him to hear. I make myself busy, collecting my now ready tea and discarding the bag in the trashcan. "I couldn't sleep. Figured this would help." 

He furrows his eyebrows, "Why not?"

The cup is warm in my hands, almost scalding my skin. "Stomach ache." I repeat the same excuse  I used earlier. 

He tilts his head to the side, letting a sigh escape his lips. "Jeremiah spoke to me. He said he upset you." 

Of course Jeremiah couldn't just keep this between us. I guess it was naïve for me to think Benji's third in command wouldn't fill him in on potentially upsetting his mate. 

I fidget underneath his stare, shifting my weight in between my heels. He doesn't look angry or upset. If anything, he looks genuinely interested in how I'm feeling. I'm not too sure how to process this reaction.