Page 22 of Falling for My Shifter Guardian

I nod slowly, trying to gauge where this is going. “Yeah, it was nice. Everyone was really welcoming. It was... fun.”

“Fun,” he echoes flatly. His lips twitch into something that might’ve been a smile, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. He starts pacing, his movements stiff and controlled, like he’s holding something back. “So, what? You had a great time withthem, huh?”

I frown, crossing my arms over my chest. “Ben, what’s this about?”

He stops abruptly, spinning to face me. His blue eyes lock onto mine, and for a second, I see a glimpse of the friend I used to know—uncertain, searching. But the moment passes, and his expression hardens into something colder, something I don’t recognize.

“What have you been up to, Olivia?” he asks, his tone sharper now, the edge unmistakable.

“Up to?” I blink, confused. “What are you talking about?”

“You’ve been spending a lot of time withhim,” he spits, the words laced with venom. “With Derek. And the rest ofthem.”

The word “them” hangs in the air, heavy and bitter.

I sigh, trying to keep my irritation in check. “Derek’s been helping me,” I say carefully. “That’s all.”

“Helping you?” Ben’s laugh is cold, humorless. “Helping you with what? Sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong?”

His words sting, but I force myself to stay calm. “You don’t get to talk to me like that, Ben. And you sure as hell don’t get to tell me who I can and can’t spend time with.”

“You think I don’t know what’s going on, Olivia?” Ben’s laugh is bitter, a sharp, mocking sound that echoes through the room. His lips curl into a sneer as he steps closer, his voice dripping with venom. “I’m trying to protect you, Olivia. From them. You have no idea what they’re capable of.”

My patience snaps, the anger bubbling inside me finally spilling over. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. Derek has done nothing but protect me—”

“Protect you?” Ben cuts me off, his voice rising to an almost frantic pitch. “You’re so blind, Olivia. They’re not human. They’re monsters. And you’re too busy batting your eyelashes at Derek to see it.”

I can’t stop the sharp intake of breath, but I force myself to stand my ground. “You’re wrong,” I snap, my voice trembling with a mix of fury and disbelief. “Derek has never—”

“Never what?” Ben interrupts again, his tone turning cold as his eyes narrow. “Never lied to you? Never manipulated you? Wake up, Olivia! You don’t see it, but I do. People like Derek, like all of them—they’re parasites. They take and take until there’s nothing left.”

I glare at him, my fists clenched at my sides. “You’re letting your hatred blind you, Ben. Derek hasn’t done anything to deserve this. He’s—”

“Deserve?” Ben laughs again, but this time, there’s no humor in it. “You think they deserve anything? I've been barely scraping by since we moved to this godforsaken town. Last month, I lost out on a promotion to a shifter who cozied up to the boss.And while I'm stuck struggling to pay rent, they live like kings, hoarding everything Whispering Pines has to offer.”

I feel the weight of his words settle over me like a heavy fog, but I refuse to let him shift the blame. “That’s not Derek’s fault. That’s not the pack’s fault.”

Ben’s jaw tightens, his voice turning sharp and accusatory. “Isn’t it? They’ve got everyone in this town fooled, Olivia. They act like they’re just people trying to live their lives, but they’re not. They’re predators. And the hunters—” He pauses, his expression hardening. “The hunters are the only ones willing to stand up to them. To protect people like us.”

The words hang in the air, and for a moment, I can’t breathe. “You’ve been talking to them,” I whisper, my voice barely audible. “The hunters. That’s where all of this is coming from.”

Ben doesn’t deny it. Instead, he sneers, his eyes flashing with something dark and unrecognizable. “They opened my eyes. They showed me the truth. While you’ve been busy cozying up to Derek and his pack, they’ve been working to keep people safe.”

I take a step back, shaking my head as I try to process everything. “Safe? You call this safe? Threatening innocent people, spreading lies—”

“Innocent?” Ben’s voice rises, his anger boiling over. “You think they’re innocent? They’re killers, Olivia. They don’t belong in our world, and the sooner you realize that, the better.”

The words hit me like a slap, and my cheeks flush hot with anger—and something dangerously close to guilt. How had I missed this? How had I not seen the bitterness festering inside him? The boy I grew up with, the one who always had a joke or a smile to lift my spirits, was gone. Replaced by this stranger standing before me.

“Ben,” I say, my voice softening despite myself. “This isn’t you. You don’t have to—”

“Don’t,” he snaps, cutting me off. “Don’t pretend you know me anymore. You’ve changed, Olivia. Ever since we moved here, you’ve been different. You don’t see it, but I do. They’ve gotten to you.”

I swallow hard, my throat tight with unshed tears. “No, Ben. You’ve changed. You let them fill your head with lies, and now you’re so caught up in your hatred, you can’t see the harm you’re causing.”

“Harm?” Ben steps closer, and I instinctively take another step back. His voice drops to a low, menacing growl. “I’m trying to save you, Olivia. But if you keep siding with them, you’re no better than they are.”

There’s something in his eyes I don’t recognize—something dark and twisted. For the first time, I feel a flicker of fear. Not for myself, but for the boy I thought I knew. The boy who used to be my best friend.

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