Mated To An Enemy

Granger tipped back his cup of mead, taking it all in one drag, down to the last drop. He didn鈥檛 even need to order a second. He had already become a regular at the bar now.

鈥淭here you are!鈥?a familiar grinning voice called from the entrance, "I have been looking all over for you."

鈥淣o, you haven鈥檛,鈥?Granger scoffed, sipping from his second cup.

鈥淣o, you鈥檙e right, I haven鈥檛.鈥?Holden chuckled, 鈥淚t鈥檚 quite clear these days that if you aren鈥檛 with Miss Ashleigh, you are here. And since I just saw the lovely miss sparring with Beta Galen, I came straight here.鈥?

Granger growled at the mention of Galen.

鈥楽ummer trash,鈥?he thought to himself, Holden may not have been privy to the actual thought, but he understood the atmosphere.

鈥淪o, my friend, what has you in such a foul mood? I and many others have noted that your relationship seems to be quite 鈥榣oving鈥? Yet, this does not appear to be a celebratory drink,鈥?Holden asked, taking a seat beside Granger.

The bartender brought Holden a small glass with a dark liquid in it. He had been a frequent visitor in his time here as well.

Granger only let out a grunt in response.

Holden took a sip from his glass and looked around the room. The bartender was at the other end, with the only other patron currently in the whole place. He smiled to himself. In the morning, he would be leaving. So it was only right to leave his friend with some parting words of advice before he made his exit.

鈥淚t seems you might have already heard the good news.鈥?

Granger glanced at Holden, taking another drink.

鈥淎bout Alpha Caleb鈥檚 return, I mean.鈥?Holden smiled.

鈥淗ow is that good?鈥?Granger spat.

鈥淚 suppose it鈥檚 not.鈥?Holden stated, 鈥淚 can see why you would be upset. The man who is trying to steal your mate is returning and will be given plenty of opportunities to attempt to convince her. They will be training closely, intimately. Physical contact practically all the time!鈥?

Granger turned with a snarl.

鈥淢y mistake, I should have minded my words.鈥?Holden chuckled, raising his hands in the air as a sign of truce.

Granger turned back to his drink.

鈥淒o you think I am not keenly aware of all that?鈥?he growled.

鈥淣o, I know you are.鈥?Holden grinned once more, 鈥淲hat I was trying to get at, is that you, her mate, might not be able to do anything about their shared assignment. But her father, your alpha, can.鈥?

鈥淗e made the assignment. Why would he change it.鈥?Granger scoffed.

鈥淏ecause he made the assignment without knowing the kind of person Caleb is,鈥?Holden whispered darkly.

Granger turned and gave Holden his full attention. Holden smiled, knowing he had him.

鈥淎lpha Wyatt, from what I know, is quite old-fashioned and a strict believer in tradition.鈥?

鈥淵es, so what?鈥?

鈥淪o,鈥?Holden smiled, 鈥淚 think he might reconsider the pairing, were he to understand that his daughter, who has a mate, has been receiving unwanted attention from the one she is assigned to.鈥?

鈥淢aybe, but Ashleigh wouldn鈥檛 agree to tell him that. She says it鈥檚 her duty to complete the assignment.鈥?Granger huffed.

鈥淎h, but Ashleigh doesn鈥檛 have to be the one to tell Alpha Wyatt, especially if she felt conflicted by it. After all, Caleb is an Alpha, and with the bad blood between the packs, how could she put her own needs first?鈥?

Granger slowly drank from his cup, listening carefully to what Holden said.

鈥淏ut surely, she would confide in her mate about her true feelings.鈥?

鈥淭hat鈥檚 true,鈥?Granger said quietly.

Holden grinned darkly at his 鈥榝riend鈥? He finished off his glass and stood up. Straightening his jacket, he smiled broadly and tipped his head toward Granger.

鈥淢y friend, it has been my pleasure to share this time with you. I wish you the best.鈥?

鈥淲ait,鈥?Granger said, turning to look at Holden, 鈥渨hy have you been helping me? I don鈥檛 believe you actually think of me as a 鈥榝riend鈥? And I don鈥檛 see how my relationship benefits you. So why?鈥?

Holden gave his signature grin once more and let out a soft laugh.

鈥淣o, no I don鈥檛 consider anyone a friend,鈥?Holden admitted. Stepping closer to Granger, he leaned close. 鈥淏ut I don鈥檛 like him, and I do like you.鈥?

Holden straightened his coat once more.

鈥淵ou like me?鈥?Granger said, disbelieving.

鈥淚 do,鈥?Holden answered, delighted, 鈥渢here is a topsy turvy upside downness growing in you, and I just can鈥檛 wait to see which way it goes.鈥?

Granger wasn鈥檛 sure how to respond or what he meant.

鈥淣ow, I really must get going, but first,鈥?Holden said.

He pulled something from his pocket and handed it to Granger.

鈥淚t鈥檚 how to reach me when you get in trouble,鈥?he said.

鈥淒on鈥檛 you mean if? If I am in trouble, this is how I reach you?鈥?Granger replied.

鈥淣o,鈥?Holden shook his head, wearing a severe expression. 鈥淚 don鈥檛.鈥?

***

鈥淕ranger, you saved me a trip. I had planned to meet with you this evening,鈥?Alpha Wyatt said once the formal greetings were out of the way.

He directed Granger to sit on the small couch of his office. Indicating their talk would be personal rather than pack related. This worked with Granger鈥檚 purpose for being here.

鈥淥h?鈥?Granger said as he sat down, 鈥淎nything you need, my Alpha, all you need to do is ask.鈥?

鈥淕lad to hear it,鈥?Wyatt replied, looking carefully at Granger. 鈥淲hat was it you were coming to see me about?鈥?

Granger sat forward.

鈥淚t鈥檚 something personal and a little awkward,鈥?he began, 鈥淚鈥檓 actually here about Ashleigh.鈥?

鈥淥h?鈥?Wyatt said, leaning forward, 鈥渢hat鈥檚 interesting. I wanted to speak with you about Ashleigh as well.鈥?

Granger furrowed his brow. Something in the way Alpha Wyatt spoke made him feel uneasy about the conversation he was looking for.

鈥淲hat about?鈥?Granger asked, attempting to keep his smile even.

鈥淲ell, Granger, I wanted to speak with you about your relationship with Ashleigh.鈥?Wyatt began, 鈥淚 know it hasn鈥檛 been easy, waiting to marry until she came of age. Now, with the rogue attacks, I asked that you move your wedding back even further. I understand your frustrations.鈥?

鈥楧id Ashleigh talk to him?鈥?Granger thought to himself, 鈥楧id she tell him I have been pushing her about the wedding? Did she tell him about Caleb!鈥?

He fought to keep the panic from appearing on his face, shoving it down as hard as he could.

鈥淚 won鈥檛 lie,鈥?Granger replied, 鈥淚 was disappointed about moving the wedding again. But, as we all know, duty before heart.鈥?

鈥淵es! Exactly!鈥?Alpha Wyatt smiled brightly and patted Granger on the shoulder happily. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e a good man, Granger. I knew you would understand. The Goddess did right by Ashleigh when she chose you.鈥?

Granger nodded, feeling a sense of relief wash over him.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 good,鈥?Wyatt continued, 鈥淐orrine was worried there would be a fight between the two of you. She thought that the wedding should have gone ahead. But now that I hear from you, I feel better about the decision.

鈥淚 admit that I made that decision without consulting either of you, and that was wrong of me. So, if you two change your mind, I can鈥檛 say I will agree with your decision, but I will honor it.鈥?

鈥淚 appreciate that, Alpha, I truly do,鈥?Granger said, wondering to himself if it was possible to convince Ashleigh to agree.

鈥淣ow, what was it that you wished to speak with me about Ashleigh?鈥?Wyatt asked.

Granger turned his focus back to Wyatt. He cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck as though he felt uncomfortable; it was essential to put on a good show after all.

鈥淭he thing is, Alpha, you know how Ashleigh is, more than any of us, she believes in putting the good of the pack first,鈥?Granger said.

鈥淵es, it is a quality in her that I admire and have fostered throughout her life,鈥?Wyatt replied.

鈥淚t is a wonderful quality, in most circumstances,鈥?Granger said, pausing for dramatic effect.

鈥淲hat does that mean?鈥?Wyatt said, his tone very serious.

鈥淚 mean that she will suffer through a situation that makes her unhappy or even hurts her if she believes it is for the good of the pack. Especially if she thinks it is for the good of her family.鈥?Granger answered, looking away 鈥榥ervously鈥?

鈥淪peak plainly,鈥?Wyatt growled.

鈥淵es, my Alpha,鈥?Granger replied submissively, smiling in his mind.. 鈥淎lpha Caleb has tried to take advantage of Ashleigh multiple times.鈥?/div>Previous銆怱hortcut keys锛氣啇銆?/a>Catalog銆怱hortcut keys锛欵nter銆?/a>Next銆怱hortcut keys锛氣啋銆?/a>