Chapter 4
Tanya waited as patiently as she could inside her hotel room and she smiled the moment her senses perked up. She could feel the presence of a vampire coming her way, but she crouched defensively when she recognized that the scent was not Benjamin's. Amun broke the lock on the door before entering the room and slamming the door shut. He lunged at Tanya, but she swiftly moved out of the way before leg sweeping him. He crashed into the ground but flipped back up to his feet as he glared at her. He tried to grab at her, but she danced around him with ease. She learned her fighting skills from Kate, an expert in the art defense against an attack. Amun swiped at her and she grabbed him by the throat before pinning him to the ground.
"Where is my mate," she hissed and he smiled deviously at her.
"In his rightful place in my temple."
"Do you really think you can keep us apart?"
"He knows your secret now. I am sure your effect on him is starting to wear off. I told him all about you, succubus." Her eyes widened and he chuckled darkly.
"How did you even know that?"
"I have my ways. Now if you will let me up I will be on my way. I just came to tell you Benjamin has decided to stay in his rightful place."
"Do you really think I will leave without talking to him about this?"
"There is nothing to talk about. He has chosen, so leave," he shouted and she tightened her grip on his throat. His nearly indestructible skin began to crack under her grasp.
"What is to stop me from killing you right now?"
"I am sure that would win over his affection, killing his creator," he taunted and she growled but released him as he smiled.
"I am going to see him. I know he loves me."
"Yes because you have such an amazing track record with men. You kill them, grow bored with them as your lovers, or become infatuated with the ones you cannot obtain. Your story was mentioned in passing while we were in Washington, waiting to stand against the Volturi. Didn't you believe that Edward was your mate at one point as well? You wanted to fall in love so badly. Tell me, did you have Irina killed just so you could play the victim and Benjamin would pity you?" The mention of Irina's name made her enraged and she lunged at him again. Her teeth were at his neck, ready to attack if he said one more cross word to her.
"Do it and prove me right," he taunted and she shook her head in disbelief as she stepped away from him.
"You are insane," she growled as he made his way to his feet.
"Tell Carlisle his tricks will not work. I am always ready for them. Stay away from Benjamin. He doesn't want you, just like none of them truly ever wanted you." With that, he disappeared from the room and she crumbled as broken sobs escaped her body. A part of her did not want to believe Amun, but the dread of rejection consumed her. Benjamin was not the first to reject her advances or the first that she thought she was in love with. It was too much for her to bear and she immediately left Egypt, refusing to stay where she was not wanted.
By the time she returned home, her family was extremely concerned about her. She would barely speak to them, simply saying that Benjamin would no longer be their concern. Kate was livid at Tanya's heartbroken state and it took Garrett, Eleazar, and Carmen to stop her from heading to Egypt in search of the man that deeply wounded her sister. Tanya was despondent for the next three days. She was statue still as she sat in her room staring out the window. Kate was too upset to know how to effectively console her when she could not console herself and Tanya was not surprised when Carmen entered her room. Carmen sat beside her and placed a comforting hand on top of hers.
"You have never reacted in such a way to a man. He must be your mate," said Carmen. Tanya stiffened at the words.
"You don't know what you are talking about. He has rejected me."
"He is probably scared Tanya. It is not every day that one of our kind finds out that they are living a lie."
"How did it feel when you saw Eleazar?" Carmen smiled at the memory.
"I knew the moment I saw him. Mates are powerful. You don't know why or how, you just know."
"You just know?"
"Yes and being with him is the most important and amazing part of my existence," she explained as she saw Eleazar smile at her from the doorway. Tanya jumped to her feet and raced into her closet. Eleazar and Carmen looked at her cautiously as she tossed her suitcase on her bed.
"Um, Tanya, what are you doing," asked Eleazar as Kate and Garrett entered her room, looking at her as if she had lost her mind.
"I am going to get my mate. Amun and his mind games will not deter me. I love Ben and he loves me." Kate grabbed her sister's suitcase.
"Whoa, you aren't going anywhere. Benjamin doesn't want you to come after him. If he can't stand up to Amun then he doesn't deserve you. You are not about to chase after this man when he should be the one begging for your forgiveness."
"Not to mention that it doesn't sound like Amun will let him leave willingly. Even if Benjamin wants to go, you could be ambushed by his coven," informed Garrett and Tanya huffed as she grabbed a handful of clothes.
"Then you will come with me. My coven versus theirs, I was able to take down Amun on my own before and this time I will have help. Garrett, are you up for a coup d'état of sorts?"
"Hell yes," declared Garrett but he flinched when Kate shocked him on the forearm. "I mean no, not at all, that wouldn't be a good idea."
"Tanya, you aren't thinking rationally right now," said Kate and Tanya smirked.
"My thoughts have never been clearer in my entire existence. Ben is mine and I am his. If Amun wants a fight then I will give it to him." Kate glanced at Carmen and Eleazar. They were conflicted and did not want to take sides, which Kate expected. If anyone was going to reason with Tanya, it would have to be her.
"Tanya, I know I haven't been around much….."
"It has nothing to do with that! He loves me and I love him. I know it. I just….." Suddenly Tanya's phone rang and she frowned in confusion when she saw the number.
"Alice, what…"
"Stay put, he can't stay away from you either. He will be there soon."
"Alice what….." Tanya could not finish her sentence before Alice hung up and Kate quirked an eyebrow at her sister.
"He is coming here," she questioned and Tanya beamed with happiness as the words sunk in.
"I guess I am not the only one that knows the truth. Benjamin is my mate, so get ready for a new member of the family," she announced. Carmen, Eleazar, and Garrett held their breaths as Kate gritted her teeth, looking as if she was ready to burst with anger.
It was Emmett's turn to interject and Alice giggled as her family looked at her in shock, except for Jasper.
"Whoa, wait a minute, Alice you knew all of this was going on," asked Emmett and Alice scoffed.
"Of course I did silly, but our family had our own drama to worry about. When Jacob went off the deep end, I wanted to see the path that would occur if the Denali Coven were involved. That is when I saw that they had their own issues to work out and if I didn't give Tanya a heads up, she would leave before Benjamin could intercept her. Their mate bond would alert them to one another being in the vicinity but if she left when she wanted to, her route would take her in the opposite direction of Benjamin and they would not sense each other in time."
"While our family's dynamic was shifting, so was theirs and Alice knew they didn't have time to help us when they had their own problems," explained Jasper and Rosalie smirked.
"And let me guess, Edward knew about this," asked Rosalie.
"Yes, but he was a bit preoccupied as were we all," informed Alice as Rosalie shook her head. Zach smiled at Benjamin.
"So you finally stayed," he asked and Benjamin nodded.
"Yes and I knew as soon as I arrived that it would be the best decision I ever made."
Escaping from Amun was the easy part. Deciding to do it was the most difficult. Benjamin read over the succubus folklore repeatedly in the next days and he could not deny that the descriptions fit Tanya. What surprised him was that it did not matter. Her past did not matter as long as she was willing to accept him into her heart. When he reached Alaska, his body was buzzing with anticipation in a way he never thought it could. It felt right, natural, to the point of being instinctive, and a part of him was surprised when he saw Tanya waiting for him on the side of the mountain where her house resided, but another part of him knew that their mate bond would alert her to his presence.
"I was going to come after you," she confessed and Benjamin winced as he walked over to her.
"I broke my promise. I am so sorry. When Amun told me about the succubus stories, I just got scared."
"I am not going to lie to you Ben. I was very lonely in my existence after I was turned and so were my sisters. It was easy to lure human men to us and we would kill them after we were done fulfilling our desires. After my mother was killed, it became harder for me to kill. It reminded me of her too much, that feeling of loss. The pain of losing a lover once I was finished with them became greater than my desires. I stopped for a while, but I missed the romance of it all, finding a man that desired me, that wanted to…."
"As your mate, hearing about you with other men does not sit well with me," he growled and she bit her lip to hide her smile at his agitation.
"Point taken, long story short, I realized that human blood in my diet made me want to kill them even more so I switched to animal blood. It allowed me to….be around human men without killing them," she said as she tried to choose her words carefully. Her sexual escapades were in the past and she did not want Benjamin to be jealous.
"So you were a succubus, but you don't have a power that you are using on me to lure me to you?"
"That is just us Ben. We need each other," she whispered as she wrapped her arms around him and he smiled.
"Then that is all that matters to me. I am so sorry. I should have never trusted Amun instead of you."
"He got to me too. He knows how to play mind games with people."
"It is how he has survived this long. Maybe one day I will get to show him my appreciation for that." He chuckled and leaned his forehead against hers.
"It does not matter anymore. I am here with my mate and he can never hurt us again."
"How did you escape?"
"I threatened to use my power on him. At first he didn't believe me, so I left the temple and built a wall of rock in the doorway. I knew he would break through it, but by that time I was already gone. He won't come here. He is too afraid of Carlisle's coven to do that."
"I am so glad you are safe."
"Can you forgive me? I know I hurt you, but….." She captured his lips in a passionate kiss and he pulled her closer, but they were interrupted by the sound of Kate's voice.
"So you are here for good this time," asked Kate as she hopped down from a tree with Garrett by her side. Carmen and Eleazar appeared beside them and Tanya smiled at Benjamin before leading him over to them.
"Ben, let me properly introduce you to the family. This is Carmen, Eleazar, Garrett….and Kate. Benjamin will be with us from now on," announced Tanya and Kate smirked.
"Until Amun calls him back and he leaves you again," she mumbled.
"Kate," warned Carmen, but Kate shook her head.
"No, let's not act like he can be trusted. How many times have you left my sister?" Benjamin looked down in shame as Tanya glared at Kate.
"Watch it Kate," warned Tanya.
"What if Tia comes to get him back or Amun decides that he wants his coven back intact? Then what are we going to do? You were willing to have us fight them for him, but I would at least like to be prepared if someone is going to come looking for a battle, especially a pissed off mate," shouted Kate and Tanya stepped toe to toe with her.
"You are looking at his mate and I suggest you show him some respect just like I showed Garrett respect when I allowed him into this coven."
"Allowed….when you allowed," challenged Kate and Garrett gulped.
"Oh no," he whispered. Eleazar and Carmen stiffened and glanced warily at each other as they watched Kate's temper flare and Tanya not back down.
"That's right. I allowed it. Did I not," dared Tanya as she crossed her arms and Kate's eyes widened when she noticed Tanya's stance.
"So that's how it is going to be, you are going to pull rank as the leader of the coven," asked Kate.
"Only if I have to, but please don't make me. Why can't you just be happy for me?"
"What about this would make me happy, the part where you are putting yourself in danger or the part where you are putting the rest of us in danger?"
"Ben would never let anyone hurt me."
"How do you know that?" Benjamin stepped forward to speak, but Garrett pulled him back.
"Fall back soldier, you don't want to be a casualty in this war," advised Garrett and Benjamin nodded as Tanya and Kate stared each other down.
"When you met Garrett, how did you know he was your mate?" Kate glanced at Garrett and then sighed.
"I just…."
"You just knew. You felt it in every part of your body. He became an extension of you. Now imagine if you found him and then he was ripped away from you for years? All I am asking is for you to put yourself in my position."
"I have watched one sister lose her life and I will not watch another Tanya. I'm sorry, but I cannot support this."
"Fine, then I am pulling rank. I am the leader of this coven. I decide who is in it and who is not. If you have a problem with that then you can deal with me Katrina," hissed Tanya. Kate looked at her in shock as hurt flashed across her face. She smirked at Benjamin and put on a fake smile.
"Welcome to the family, you are already breaking it apart," she mumbled before disappearing into the trees and Tanya sighed. Garrett ran after his mate and Tanya slipped her hand into Benjamin's.
"Come on, I will show you our home." He kissed her hand and nodded as Carmen and Eleazar followed them back to the house.
Zach whistled in amazement as he thought about how angry Kate must have been at the situation. Suddenly he frowned and raised his hand. Benjamin chuckled.
"Yes Zach?"
"Why didn't you just kill Amun? Wouldn't it have saved you the trouble later on when he kidnapped Tia and caused issues here?"
"Zach," warned Rosalie, but Benjamin shook his head.
"It is okay Rose. Zach, I know that seems like it would have been the best thing to do, but killing my creator would have been too traumatic for me. He was the only family I ever knew. Not everyone is as lucky to be changed by people that truly love them or have parents that want what is best for them. I didn't even know that was possible until I met your grandfather. It was obvious the moment that I met him and saw him interact with his family that Carlisle loves all of you very much, just like you love him. Edward and Bella were willing to die for Renesmee and that shows their love for her. You were born because your mother wanted you so much for so long and it is clear that you are loved in our family Zach, but not all creators have that connection with their children. It doesn't change that there is a bond and I couldn't kill Amun unless I had no other choice. I did have one." Zach smiled happily at his parents and kissed his mother's cheek.
"You're right, my family is so awesome," boasted Zach and Benjamin grinned.
"Very awesome indeed," agreed Benjamin.
"I'm confused though. Kate, you didn't want Ben there? You two are so close," said Zach and Kate sighed.
"I didn't want Ben hurting Tanya and once I knew that he wouldn't, that is when I accepted him into the family." Tanya smirked.
"It wasn't an easy task either, especially with Garrett trying to woo her away," said Tanya and Garrett's eyes widened.
"You told her about that," asked Garrett in shock and Kate shrugged.
"We're sisters. We tell each other everything. Besides, she knew you just wanted what was best for me."
"Oh I got to hear this. What did you do Garrett," laughed Zach and Garrett shook his head in disbelief as he explained what happened when he went to console Kate once Benjamin arrived.
Kate roared in frustration and kicked a boulder. It crumbled and animals cleared out of the area as she began to throw trees around in a rage. She threw another boulder and shrieked at the top of her lungs one last time before taking in a deep breath to regain composure. Garrett clapped from a tree behind her and she rolled her eyes at her mate as he glided over to her.
"Feel better," he asked and she shrugged.
"I will feel better if I know that Benjamin isn't a threat."
"Kate, you can't always protect her. I think Ben is her mate and that is a good thing right?"
"I can't believe she pulled rank on me."
"Yea, about that, I am still trying to get used to this whole coven hierarchy thing, but I don't like it one bit. I hate being told what to do. It is why I have been a nomad for so long. I come and go as I please. I don't answer to anyone….." Kate raised an eyebrow at him. "Except for you of course but that is different. We are mates. You answer to me too and that makes it okay."
"Garrett, what are you saying?"
"I am saying that we don't have to put up with it. You aren't happy here anymore."
"I am happy."
"You just demolished this defenseless strip of forest. That isn't happy Kate and I want your happiness. Look, Eleazar and Carmen have each other. Tanya has Ben now. Nothing is stopping us from doing our own thing. It doesn't mean we will never see them again. We all just need our space, no rules, no hierarchy, just us."
"Garrett, she is my sister."
"She is not your sister. This false sense of family going on around here was just shattered the moment Tanya wanted something."
"She isn't usually like that. We all do what we want and we stay together because we want to. She rarely pulls rank and the only reason she just did was because….." She gasped and Garrett looked at her curiously.
"What is it?"
"Because they truly are mates, Tanya doesn't take a stand against any of us. We have a choice and I didn't feel the need to ask her if it was okay for you to join our coven because I knew what her answer would be. She wants me happy just like I want her happy. We both deserve happiness," she said mostly to herself as she raced back home and Garrett groaned.
"Woman, are we mad at Ben or not," he called and her giggle filled his ears as he chased after her.
"We're staying Garrett, so get used to it."
"If you want to stay then I want to stay. Besides, I could get used to the permanent residency. I am not bowing down to Tanya though so this hierarchy better not become an issue."
"Will you bow down to me?"
"Don't I always," he teased and she winked at him as they entered the house. Tanya was waiting for them and Kate gave her a small smile.
"Hi," she whispered and Tanya smiled.
"Hi, can we talk?"
"Is that an order," asked Kate and Tanya scoffed.
"Of course not."
"Where is Benjamin?"
"Showering, he had a long trip and I told him I needed to speak with you." Kate glanced at Garrett.
"Will you give us a minute?" Garrett saluted her.
"Aye, aye," he called and she slapped at him as ran upstairs with a laugh. Tanya motioned for Kate to follow her outside and Kate obliged.
"Where are Carmen and Eleazar," asked Kate.
"They went for a hunt."
"In other words, to get out of dodge, they hate when we argue."
"So do I. Kate….."
"Oh so I am Kate now, not Katrina. Well that is a good start."
"Stop being difficult, you know I love you."
"And you know I hate when you pull rank, Garrett isn't very fond of it either by the way so you might want to keep that in mind."
"I shouldn't have done that, especially not in front of everyone. I just….I was angry and I wanted to protect my mate. We have gone through a lot to be together and I don't want to have issues with you too."
"I want what is best for you."
"He is what is best for me."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Positive?"
"Definitely."
"And what about Tia and Amun?"
"Tia is in Ireland now and Amun is too afraid of our family and Carlisle's."
"Oh so now we are a family?" Tanya nudged Kate, who laughed.
"You know you are my sister and I love you very much. I am sorry that I pulled rank in such a manner."
"Yea well I am sorry that I made you. You are right. You didn't question me when Garrett and I got together and you have been great with helping him adapt to our lifestyle. Thank you for that."
"You're welcome. All I ask is that you return the favor. Ben and Garrett are very different. Ben has been so sheltered and hidden. All of this is new to him. Being able to roam as he pleases is new to him. He is going to need our support to get used to all of these changes."
"I couldn't imagine being locked away for so long."
"Neither could I, but I am going to make it up to him and if Amun dares to come into our territory I will make sure he knows just how much I appreciate the way he has treated my mate over the years."
"I'm sure I could help you with that," giggled Kate as she wiggled her fingers and Tanya wrapped an arm around her.
"So do you still love me?"
"If I must," teased Kate and Tanya nodded.
"You must."
"You are so bossy. Come on, let's go tend to our mates."
"We have mates now. We have a house full of mates," said Tanya in astonishment and Kate smiled sadly.
"I wish Irina could be here to see it."
"Me too," whispered Tanya as she pulled Kate into a hug. Benjamin cleared his throat as he walked onto the porch and Kate smiled at him.
"I am sorry about earlier. I am just very protective of her."
"Then we already have something in common," explained Benjamin. Garrett joined them and pulled his mate into his arms.
"A house full of mates, this will be interesting," said Garrett and Kate winked at him.
"The Cullens do it all the time and there are more of them," said Kate as he cringed.
"Yikes, I wonder how many full out brawls go on in that house," laughed Garrett and Benjamin smiled.
"Well I just want to be with my mate and keep the peace. I promise I won't hurt her Kate. I will protect her always," assured Benjamin as he stuck his hand out to her. Kate shook it before sending a small jolt through it. Garrett burst with laughter as Benjamin jumped.
"Kate," shouted Tanya and Kate grinned as she ran toward the forest with Garrett.
"Just keeping him honest," called Kate and Benjamin's chuckle echoed off the surrounding trees as Kate and Garrett ran off. Tanya kissed his hands with a smile.
"Are you sure you are okay?"
"Better than okay, she was just teasing," he assured and she sighed in relief.
"If you can get used to her sense of humor then you will fit in just fine."
"I plan on it," he whispered before pulling her into the house to make up for all the time they lost.
Zach's dimples were on full display as he grinned at Tanya and Benjamin. They had everyone's full attention as they finished the story with smiles on their faces.
"I was surprised how easily Ben fit into our family, especially after everything we went through to be together. When we arrived at Renesmee and Nahuel's wedding, I told Edward in my thoughts that I didn't want a big deal to be made about us being together. It was Renesmee and Nahuel's big day, not ours, and when we did get married the first time, it was a small affair. Alice, I cannot thank you enough for our second wedding. It meant a great deal to us," explained Tanya and Alice beamed with happiness. Suddenly, she gasped as she looked over at Kate, who quickly shook her head.
"No, no, no, I wasn't saying I wanted one. I was just thinking what it would be like. Garrett and I are fine, thank you. We don't need a…"
"Your wedding is going to be beautiful! The biggest yet," announced Alice and Kate groaned as Garrett shook his head profusely.
"What have you done," asked Garrett in horror and Kate winced.
"It was an accident! I was just thinking about all the weddings she has planned and then I realized she never planned one for us and how I was happy about that….."
"Hey," shouted Alice, but Kate continued.
"And then I started to think about what it would be like and…."
"Oh I can already see it, Garrett you are going to look so handsome. Kate, that dress, I just can't, and the cake, so big and….." She continued to ramble on and Garrett shook his head as Kate winked at him.
"Come on, we should let her do it. It is like a rite of passage in this family to have Alice plan a wedding for you," said Kate.
"What about Carmen and Eleazar," asked Garrett and Eleazar smirked at him.
"Don't take us down with the ship Garrett," warned Eleazar.
"I'm drowning, I might as well take prisoners," laughed Garrett and Alice glared at them.
"For your information, you are going to love it and you sir are a much bigger sap than you make yourself out to be."
"Am not," protested Garrett and Keegan smiled smugly.
"Aw does Garrett get all sappy at weddings. I can't wait to see that. At least Zafrina and I already experienced that rite of passage. Been there, done that, and I have a shirt that says I survived it," said Keegan and Alice gasped.
"I should make shirts," she squealed and Garrett muttered threats at Keegan as Zafrina pulled her mate out of the room.
"Let's go for a hunt before Garrett tries to dismember you," she giggled and Keegan kissed his mate as they left the house. Carmen giggled at Keegan and Zafrina as they ran from the house.
"The two of them are rarely around lately. I am surprised they lasted this long," teased Carmen and Esme giggled.
"I am sure being newlyweds and the mate bond has something to do with that," said Esme with a smile. Suddenly, Zach's phone rang and he immediately picked it up when he saw the number.
"J, about time you got up! Dude, you missed it. My mom created avalanches, three of them. It was so cool," boasted Zach as he ran to the backyard to speak with his friend in private. Rosalie looked at her watch and shook her head at the time before looking at Seth.
"You stayed up all night again. It is nine in the morning. Seth Clearwater you need to start getting more sleep," she scolded.
"I know. I act like I live with vampires or something," he teased and she playfully glared at him as he chuckled. Kaya pulled him to his feet.
"Let's go take a nap before we head back to Washington," she suggested, but he shook his head.
"I have something very important to do first. I can't believe I almost forgot." He ran over to Esme and gave her his best smile, which made her giggle.
"Yes Seth, you can have cookies," she said before he even had to ask and he pumped his fist.
"Thanks, but these are not just for me. I promised my mom I would bring dessert for Thanksgiving and since your cookies are the best dessert anyone could ever ask for, I was wondering if you could whip me up a huge batch for the family." She kissed his cheek and Carmen winked at Esme.
"You know him so well. She asked me to get the ingredients for her before she got here. You spoil them Esme," giggled Carmen and Esme smiled proudly as she nodded.
"It is what I do best. Seth, since they are for Thanksgiving you must help me."
"Can I lick the bowl," he asked and Kaya rolled her eyes.
"I swear the man turns into a five year old when it comes to his cookies," she mumbled and Emmett let out a booming laugh. Zach ran back into the room and looked around excitedly.
"What did I miss? Dad, why are you laughing," he asked and Rosalie kissed her son's forehead.
"Nothing you don't already know. What did Josh say?"
"Can we go over there for Thanksgiving? He wants to watch the football game with me."
"What did his mom say?"
"To hurry up so you can help her cook." Rosalie scoffed.
"She has lost her mind if she thinks I am going to help her cook," she mumbled as she grabbed her phone and called Leah.
The house returned to its usual noise level as Tanya and Benjamin watched their family. Esme was in the kitchen telling Seth to stop eating the chocolate chips as Kaya snuck a couple when they were not looking. Carmen and Alice went back to planning the decorating for the house while Eleazar and Jasper played chess. Carlisle gave Zach his undivided attention as Zach told him all about the avalanches his mother created. Emmett and Rosalie went upstairs to pack their things and Kate and Garrett went for a hunt. Benjamin kissed Tanya's hand and smiled at their big family.
"I will never be able to thank you enough for accepting me into your heart and your family," said Benjamin and Tanya pulled him closer to her.
"No thanks needed. You are my mate. You were always supposed to be a part of this family. Our paths wouldn't have crossed if you weren't." She kissed him tenderly before escaping with him to their room.