BEN

The Atherton Pack 2
Release Date: August 23, 2014
Word Count: 26,040
Editor: Erika Orrick
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Tommy Morgan's life was turned upside down at the hands of his Alpha. Now, another one is claiming to be his mate. He's not ready to jump into a relationship with anyone, still suffering from nightmares due to the abuse he experienced. Instead, Tommy moves in with his brother, Declan, hoping for the space he needs to heal.

Pennaeth Alpha, Benjamin Taylor, has his hands full dealing with all the packs across Australia. When he finds his young mate battered and bloody, he knows Tommy is going to need time to recover and come to terms with everything. Ben is more than willing to give his mate anything he needs. Even if that means them living apart for now.

When passion finally ignites with unexpected consequences, Ben knows he'll do anything, fight anyone, to keep his mate safe.

Please Note: This is a re-edited second edition. The only changes made were edits.

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Excerpt - Chapter One:

Tommy grunted once again as Gregory's and Barry's fists met his flesh. He gritted his teeth, refusing with everything he had to let the scream that desperately wanted out past his lips. He could feel his flesh split again and again as they continued to work him over. All the while, his Alpha—the one man he should have been able to count on to protect him—paced back and forth, shaking his head when Tommy refused to answer any questions about his brother's whereabouts.

"Tell me where he is and this can all stop." Alpha Wallis nodded in the direction of his Betas and they took up the fight once again.

Tommy could feel the tears slipping down his cheeks as he was pummelled over and over again. He bit down so hard on his lip he tasted blood when a well-placed shot to his side had him hearing­—and feeling—a rib or two breaking under the barrage.

It wasn't fair. Even if he had known the location of his brother, there was no way he would give it up after everything Declan had said to him. Tommy still didn't know exactly what had happened between his brother and his Alpha to cause the man to run, but whatever it was—by Alpha Wallis's reaction—it wasn't good.

Tommy's arms ached from where they had been tied above his head. The cuffs binding his hands to an adjustable chain hanging from the ceiling were cutting into his wrists. Tommy could feel the blood slowly dripping down his arms. He was stretched until he was forced to stand on tiptoes in order to be able to get a small measure of relief for his arms.

His entire body throbbed in pain. He didn't think there was a single area that hadn't been intimately introduced to the fists of the Betas. The blows were a constant barrage, never seeming to stop for very long. Tommy could feel the swelling around his left eye and the split to his lip.

He would have shifted had he not been in so much pain and strung up like a Christmas turkey. The cuffs around his wrist were too tight, and due to the pain currently racking his body, his wolf had curled up in a corner. Only an Alpha could get him to shift in his current state, and he highly doubted Alpha Wallis was about to do that.

"Tell me where the fuck I can find Declan," the man practically screamed at him, small amounts of spittle flying from the corners of his mouth.

Tommy resolutely kept his mouth shut. He wasn't in any fit state to answer the man's questions, not that he would've if he could.

All of a sudden blinding pain seared through his body, radiating upwards from his leg. He had no idea what the hell they had done, but it was successful in finally getting something to pass Tommy's lips. He screamed.

 

Tommy bolted upright in bed, his heart pounding frantically as he tried desperately to cut the scream off that was currently pouring from his mouth. His body throbbed with the remembered pain of the blows he'd endured at the hands of his previous Alpha and Betas.

The sheets below him were damp with sweat, the acrid smell of it penetrating his sluggish brain.

Slowly, his heartbeat and his breathing began to return to normal. It wasn't until a couple of minutes had passed that he noticed someone sitting on the bed beside him. His heart rate increased again, suddenly pounding out a staccato rhythm in his chest, fear gripping him and making it impossible to move.

The deep, soothing, whispered words finally registered, and Tommy started to relax again.

"Shh, pup, everything's going to be okay. You're safe now. No one is ever going to hurt you again," Ben murmured over and over.

The deep rumble of his mate's voice calmed his body faster than anything else possibly could. Tommy knew the man was his mate. He had figured that out a couple of weeks after he had woken up at his brother's house. Yes, it had taken him some time, but he finally was able to recognise his feelings for the big strong man for what they were. That didn't mean he was ready to jump into bed with Ben, though, far from it.

Ben seemed to understand that fact and never pushed. It was times like these that endeared the man to Tommy all the more. He sat beside Tommy on the edge of the bed with a cool damp cloth, wiping over his sweat-soaked skin, his other hand rubbing soothingly along his arm. The touch alone brought Tommy more comfort than he really wanted to admit to at that moment. All the while that deep sexy voice whispered words of safety to him, helping to combat the remembered fear and pain that had been almost overwhelming.

Tommy knew Ben had taken to spending most of his nights in one of Declan and Liam's spare rooms, even though the man must have a house of his own. Tommy hadn't seen it, so he was just assuming. Whenever Tommy woke in the middle of the night, Ben always seemed to be there by his side to help calm him back down. Tommy wasn't entirely sure how many times he had flinched away from the large man in fear and honestly thought the bigger man must have the patience of a saint to still be there, night after night. He was grateful, though.

"Better?" the soft rumbly growl came from beside him.

Tommy nodded his head, not sure if his voice would work at the moment or not. Tommy reached out tentatively and placed his hand gently on Ben's forearm. He needed the connection at the moment. Just that little bit of added touch had waves of peace and calm moving over him. He knew it was Ben's doing, but he wasn't about to complain.

"Come on, pup. Let's get these sheets changed so you can try and get some sleep." Ben stood and clicked on the light on the bedside table. Tommy blinked furiously as the light assaulted his eyes. He should be used to it by now; they seemed to replay this same scene a few times per week. Ben reached down and helped untangle Tommy from the sheets that had wrapped themselves around his body, several times over by the feel of things.

Once Tommy was free, Ben offered his hand to assist him to his feet. Still feeling rather shaky from the dream, Tommy wasn't about to turn down the help.

Tommy stood in front of Ben, his eyes level with the man's massive naked chest. If there was one thing he had learnt in the last several months, it was that Ben never slept with a shirt on, just a pair of silk sleep pants.

He watched, enthralled as the chest rose and fell with every breath Ben took. He wanted to reach out and touch, to trace the dark brown nipple in front of him, to tangle his fingers in the chest hair that covered the large muscled upper body. But he couldn't do it. Hopefully with a little more time, he wouldn't feel so… so… broken.

Almost as if Ben could read his thoughts, he cupped Tommy's cheeks in his enormous hands and tilted his head up. The larger man bent down and placed a gentle kiss to his forehead.

"Why don't you go have a quick shower and wash away all that sweat? I'll change the sheets, and then you can crawl back into bed."

Tommy desperately wanted to reach up to the place that Ben's lips had touched his skin. It wasn't the first time he had done it, and Tommy doubted it would be the last. Even still, a small thrill rushed through his body each and every time Ben kissed him.

Ben stepped back and allowed Tommy to exit the room so he could shower. As soon as he walked into the hallway, he could feel his brother's presence. He looked to the right, and sure enough, standing at the end of the hall leaning against the doorjamb to his room was Declan, looking tired and sleepy, his hair sticking up all over the place.

"Everything okay?" he asked, rubbing at his eyes.

"Yeah, I'm really sorry I woke you again. I'm just going to take a quick shower. Go back to sleep, Declan, I'll see you in the morning." Tommy hated the fact that because of him both his brother and his mate were woken at all hours of the night. They never bitched about it, though, just came to make sure everything was okay if Ben wasn't there and sat with him until he fell back to sleep.

"You sure?" Declan, ever the protective older brother, had to double check. Tommy loved him desperately, even if he had gone a little over the top recently. He couldn't really blame the guy.

"Yeah. Go crawl back into bed and cuddle up to Liam." Liam was a great guy, and Tommy honestly couldn't have wished for a better mate for his brother than the one fate had given him. The pure happiness that bloomed on his brother's face at the thought of what Tommy suggested made him hopeful that someday he would feel that same way about Ben.

"Okay, I'm here if you need me, though." Declan sent him a tired smile.

"I know. Thanks."