Page 60 of The Chosen One Universe: Volume One

“That’s totally true, Ben! It’s like when bears hibernate, like in the book! Remember?”

Ben nodded. “I’m supposed to be hungry?”

“Well, yeah. It’s normal. We’ve just got to make sure you’re eating the right things. Even though you’re a bear, you’re a boy, too. So we have to find the right balance of food.”

“So we won’t be filling the snack stash with junk food,” Sam added.

“Definitely not,” Vaughn said. “And we’ll work on your food during the day so you’re getting more of what you need.”

Henry’s stomach gurgled, and he scowled down at it. “I’ve got to go to the bathroom again.”

“Go on,” Vaughn said. “But if you need to throw up, you need to call for us.”

Henry nodded before scurrying across the house to the powder room near the laundry area.

“I’m sorry I made Henry get sick,” Ben whispered. He tucked his face into Sam’s shoulder again.

“You didn’t,” Vaughn said. “Ice cream made Henry sick.”

“But—”

“Ben, it’s not your fault Henry can’t have milk or ice cream. Henry decided to eat it, and now he’s going to have to get it out of his system. That’s all there is to it. No one’s in trouble, no one’s mad, and no one’s got to worry about anything bad happening other than Henry not feeling well.”

“I was just s-so hungry,” Ben said. His voice broke and wet tears hit Sam’s shoulder.

Vaughn moved to Ben’s other side, sandwiching the boy between them. “I’m sorry you were hungry, Ben. I really am. I will do everything in my power to make sure you always have enough to eat, okay? Whatever you need, you’ll have.”

“I d-don’t want to be a pig,” Ben cried. “If I eat too much, everyone else will be hungry.”

Vaughn and Sam locked eyes above Ben’s head. Both were filled with anger at the helplessness of the crying boy in their arms. Neither of them could do anything to change his past, but they could do everything to change his future.

“You will never run out of food here, Ben. Ever. Tomorrow we’ll get the snack stash set up, okay? And I can make you whatever you want tonight. Right now. You still hungry? We’ve got eggs and fruit. I can make pancakes. Peanut butter toast. I don’t know what else is in there, but whatever it is, you can have it.” Vaughn grabbed Sam’s arm when he finished speaking and squeezed, silently begging for help.

Ben’s broken sobs continued to shake him. Henry came back into the room, running the last few feet when he realized Ben was crying. “Ben! What’s wrong?”

Sam waved him over.

“What happened?” A breeze began to flow around them, nippier than the soft gentle breezes Sam had felt before from Henry.

“He feels bad about you being sick. Lots of other stuff, too.”

Henry sighed and sat down across Sam’s legs. “He doesn’t like for us to know how hungry he is all the time. He’s bigger than us so he has to eat more, right? But he doesn’t like to because Mrs. Foote never got enough for all of us. She hated doing anything like that and always kept food locked away in her room because she said Ben always ate everything.”

“Well, if Ben is ever hungry here, he’s allowed to eat. That goes for all of you,” Vaughn said.

“Ben?” Henry leaned into him and rested his head on Ben’s arm. “I can feel that it’s better here. Remember how you said to trust my magic? It told us to come here, remember? To find Alpha Jerrick. You said if my magic told me, I had to listen. And my magic is telling me that it’s going to be better here.”

Ben nodded, but his broken sobs didn’t cease. Sam hoped it was a healing cry for him, letting out years of pent up fear and frustration. He might have been bigger than Sam physically, but Ben was just a little boy, carrying a too heavy load for too long for a fourteen-year-old.

From what Zaire had told them, he’d been responsible for taking care of the younger kids for years. Sam couldn’t imagine that level of responsibility. When he had been fourteen, he couldn’t even remember to take the trash out when his mom asked him to, much less be responsible for five other kids who depended on him for everything from food to safety.

Sam continued to slowly rub Ben’s back until he calmed, his breath still catching as the last of his tears fell. Henry leaned against his front, and both Sam and Vaughn had him wrapped up between them.

“Better?” Sam asked quietly.

He nodded, still keeping his face tucked into Sam’s neck.

“Henry, will you go get the box of tissues from the bathroom for me?”