2. Late night Ice cream

Ben.

She had kicked off her trainers and placed her feet up on my dash. I instantly couldn't think of anything but her beautiful, toned, skin kissed, golden legs. I asked her to take her feet down but as usual Rori refused and continued on with her rant. I sighed what she was saying about me controlling her hurt me but I couldn't help it no matter how I tried. Seeing her earlier in the pink and black sports bra and black training shorts that hugged her curves had pushed my resolve at least when I got her into my hoodie my Bear backed down when he knew our scent was on her.

I had always cared about Rori but last summer when I had turned nineteen and she had come closer to gaining her wolf it all suddenly changed. I suddenly dreamed about her at night, her scent of warm pancakes, honey had a new floral scent addition of Peonies that now tormented me. The day she showed her new unexpected womanly curves in a pale blue bikini had been seared into my brain. It was clear she still viewed our relationship as the best friend almost sibling like one when my mind had shifted firmly into a place of teenage debauchery. I knew I hurt her that day at the watering hole when I told her she was being vulgar in her near naked attire and forced her into her shorts, but it was easier then allowing Kane out to tear the eyes out of every male there.

The night in the tree house I had lost it again when she was dared to kiss that Alpha idiot Anthony and I stopped it. She was so angry at me and I had lost all resolve and kissed her. When she ran out into the night I couldn't let myself follow her because i didnt trust myself after feeling her mouth on mine. After that I did everything to keep away from her but in the past month she had been actively making it more difficult. Her skirts were being rolled shorter showing me more of her shapely legs, she wore make up and her clothing in general was more skimpy and revealing. The fact she was showing an interest in Sir Anthony was driving my resolve wild. I couldn't tell her I thought she was my mate the law was that if an older shifter knows it they must await the younger wolf to come of age. Sage's Uncle Max was an early shifter and his mate Daphne Rori's aunt got her wolf early as a result and they marked each other under age. I had always hoped this would be similar for us. However knowing this Rori's father King Emmett who always suspected we were mates forbade me from marking her before she was eighteen just in case. There was another thing that stood in my way Rori had started declaring she didn't want to be told who to love and she would reject her mate. I couldn't bare the thought of her rejecting me. So now she seemed to hate me. Having declared she wouldn't chose to get in my car and as I sat and watched her go in with Sage I gave a distraught growl. I drove back to the academy to my dorm room there, I did have a guest room in the Palace but given how Rori felt about me right now it was probably best I gave her space. I lay on my bed staring at the ceiling when my phone buzzed I had no intention of answering it but I saw my father's name and felt maybe I should.

"Hi Dad." I answered

"Hello Ben." he said softly "I thought I would just check in." he added.

"Really." I smiled rolling my eyes he was too far away to sense my bears unease in our father son bond. So it was more likely Rori had complained to her parents and her dad had called my dad.

"Yea are you having a hard time controlling Kane?" he asked gently.

"What makes you say that?" I mused.

"Okay according to King Emmett you have been a little possessive towards Princess Rori lately." he sighed.

"I am doing my best here. She rolls her school skirt up way too short. She wears this new shiny cherry lip gloss that makes her lips....." I trailed off clamping my mouth shut remembering it was my father I was talking to.

"Oh really?" my father chuckled.

"In the last month she is just different." I mumbled.

"Yea okay look Emmett did say she has grown up alot and as the summer approaches her taste in clothes is more mature but you cannot reveal who you are. She may get some idea when she gets her wolf." he said. I gulped I couldn't do much more of this.

"I cannot do this dad." I sighed. " She likes Sir Anthony." I added sadly.

"Oh ....." he breathed. I heard the phone jiggle around and my mother had now taken it from him.

"Listen son you cannot tell Rori you are her mate but there is no rule saying you cannot date her anyway." she said.

"Ivy." my father gasped. "that wasn't the plan." he added.

"screw the plan made by you idiot men years ago." my mother snapped. "my baby is miserable and Rori is miserable. Ben make her remember your connection. Make Rori love you mate bond be damned." she said.

"Mom she hates me." I replied as my mother began to laugh

"There is a thin line between love and hate. According to her mother she doesn't hate you at all. Just spend time with her again like you did before you abandoned her last summer. you might be surprised. " she told me. "and in the mean time cold shower." she giggled.

"Mom." I groaned and hung up.

I stared at my phone before typing the text message out.

Me: Hey Princess.

Rori: what do you want Ben?

Me: Truce?

Rori: Truce.

Me: yea come on please Princess. How about a late night ice cream run as an apology?

Rori: Fine meet me in twenty by our tree.

Me: see you there Princess.

Rori: don't be late Cuddly Bear.

My face broke into a grin she hadn't called me cuddly Bear in a long time. We always used to sneak out of the Palace to eat ice cream. I grabbed my hoodie and left. She was standing in the moon light leaning against the tree we called ours. She wore purple denim shorts and a cropped white t-shirt that gave a tiny glimpse of her stomach. Her red hair hung over her shoulder in a side braid, I smiled at the purple and white chuck Taylors on her feet. She stuffed her phone in her pocket as I approached.

"I didn't expect you to text." she said.

"I wanted a sugar rush and you were always the one who went with me." I smiled as we walked the path to where I had hid my car.

"Its easier now we don't have to run on foot to the village." she added a little surprised when I held the car door open for her.

"Run?" I laughed. "I ran you used ride on my back." I smirked thinking of how ridiculous a black bear carrying a young red haired petite girl must of looked.

"True" she laughed with me. Her laugh gave me shivers and I was sad to think I hadn't heard her laugh in a long time. We drove in silence to the ice cream shop and climbed out. We filled our tubs and added our toppings before returning to the car I drove her out of the village where she was likely to be spotted and out to the watering hole and parked up. She kicked off her trainers and placed her feet on my dash this time I smiled at her as she licked strawberry ice cream off her spoon. I tried desperately not to think about her mouth and turned back to my chocolate ice cream cursing the response my body and stupid bear had to her.

"She is the most beautiful creature." Kane growled in my head.

"I promise we will have more moments near her if you can control your possessive crap." I told him.

"Deal." he sighed retreating into my mind.

"How is Kane?" She asked as if she knew he had been at the surface seconds before.

"He is good." I smiled through my mouthful of marshmallow. "Getting bigger by the day and stronger with Alpha training." I added.

"That's great to hear." she smiled at me warmly.

"Any sign of your wolf?" I asked her and she shook her head.

"Its strange sometimes I feel like I can feel her in there like when we were driving out here but now I feel nothing." she shrugged.

"Strange." I agreed.

We finished our ice cream and enjoyed the lingering warmth of the day. Rori got out of the car leaving her trainers as she walked towards the waters edge. She pulled her shirt over her head and I held my breath as the sight. She slid her shorts off and turning to me she called.

"Are you going to come swimming with me?" She asked. She looked amazing in a white lace bra and panty set that made her golden skin shine. I gulped Rori had always been a little wild and it had always been fun but now it was sexy as hell. I couldn't work out if she knew what she was doing now or if she was still that innocent girl I grew up with.

"Ben." she called before turning back to the water her skimpy panties barely cover her peachy little buttocks and I gulped.

"Oh she knows." Kane growled in my head.

"How do we know for sure?" I sighed.

"Only a woman wears an underwear set like that." i could feel him smirking as I shoved him down.

"Fuck it." I said as I jumped out of the car toeing my shoes and pulling my shirt over my head. I nearly tripped pulling my jeans off as I raced after her. She dove in and I didn't hesitate as I followed. She surfaced giggling as she pushed wet hair back from her face. She looked and me and smiled.

"There is my Ben, I missed you." she laughed

"what?" I moved towards her.

"My Ben, my best friend. The boy who would follow me into a lake for a midnight swim just because I wanted him to." she smiled. "Just because it was fun." she swam a little further from me and I swam after her.

"Oh so you like it when your in charge Princess?" I smirked reaching for her.

"No I liked it when you let me be in charge because you didn't care." she whispered. "Then you went to Alpha training and bam overnight you became another Alpha asshole."

"Hey I was always an Alpha Princess that never changed. I have to be an Alpha just like you are a true born Luna. You don't need an Alpha mate to make you a Luna you already are one. You are a direct descendant of the Moon Goddess a royal Luna . Your blood dictates it just as mine dictates I am an Alpha." I replied.

"And...." she asked.

"And no matter what you say or do Rori you are still Princess Rori Catherine Sinclair." I murmured pulling her closer. "You can run but you will always be a Princess."

"And when I was with you it never mattered." she whispered putting her hands on my shoulders and moving closer still. "You called me Princess but it felt like when you said it you were the only one in the world who meant it." her nose was almost touching mine and her breath was warm on my cool skin. I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her to my chest. She wrapped her legs around my waist and I could feel the tingles on my skin.

"Rori..." I warned about to realise my resolve was melting as she leaned closer to me. Her lips brushed mine gently and unsure at first but she grew in confidence when I didn't move or stop her truth was I couldn't if I wanted to. She kissed me harder and my lips responded, I brushed my tongue along her bottom lip tasting the cherry lip gloss she had been torturing me with over the past few weeks. She gasped opening her mouth and allowing my tongue to taste her fully. Her scent was driving me wild and then she left out the sweetest moan that made me run my hands down to her buttocks she tightened her legs around me but I broke the kiss and pulled away.

"Come on its getting cold and late. If they notice you are gone they will send warriors." I said softly. She looked briefly like she was going to argue but instead she nodded and went to untangle herself but I held her tight. I walked us both to the edge and out of the water. I slowly placed her on her feet by her discarded clothes and paused to take her in. Before I turned away and pulled on my own clothes. I saw her shiver slightly and slowly pulled my hoodie over her head. We drove to the Palace in silence and I watched her sneak up the servants back stairs out of sight.

"Well Well well Romeo." Kane said

"I know I am screwed." I mumbled.