*Grayson*
I checked myself out in the mirror, picking up my cellphone. It was still early in the morning; the perfect time to go on patrol around the pack and then head out to inspect the pack’s borders. I sent Ryan a text to let him know we were leaving in thirty minutes. I’d been up hours ago, but knowing Ryan, he’d probably forgotten about our patrol this morning and could do with the reminder. A knock sounded on my door and seconds after I’d given whoever it was permission, Ginny walked in.
She closed the door and walked further into the room, the sound of her footsteps almost inaudible. She stared at me, pushing her hair behind her ears. “I’d hoped I could catch you before you headed out with Ryan.” I rested my weight against my dressing table, watching as she dragged one of the chairs in the room to herself and straddled it and looked up at me. “We need to talk, Grayson.”
I folded my legs at my ankle and my arms across my chest, knowing the conversation was long overdue. There was no use asking what she wanted to talk about. We both already knew. I just wished I’d had the chance to finish my conversation with Keera before Ginny’s confrontation, even though Keera didn’t want to talk. I’d gone to her room again last night and early this morning and on both occasions she’d asked me to leave.
Images of her tear streaked face flooded my mind, causing my chest to tighten until it felt like I couldn’t breathe. I hated, absolutely hated, to see her hurt. The knowledge that I was behind it this time was something I couldn’t bear. How could I let her know that I’d turned Ria down when she didn’t even want to hear it? How could I let her know my exact words to Ria had literally been that I couldn’t take her as my mate.
Ginny’s gaze softened. “I know about Keera and you.” She informed. I knew this wasn’t one of Ginny’s usual confrontations. She wasn’t just speculating this time; she really knew. I wondered if Keera had confessed to her, not that it would really matter. I’d just thought Keera would have given me a heads up. As though she was following my train of thoughts, Ginny smiled ruefully. “I smelled you on her.” She pointed out.
Ahh, that explained it.
I ran my hand down my face, realizing the futility of denial. “What do you want to know?” I asked, pulling the dressing chair out from under the table and straddling it so we were facing each other. My shoulders sagged in resignation and I knew she wasn’t letting me go until I’d provided the answers to all her questions. Her expression softened slightly, her eyes filling with concern.
“I want to know why you’re risking everything for her.” She replied. “You know the pack’s laws, Grayson. You know the consequences of getting involved with a human.” Her voice was laced with worry. I rubbed my temples, feeling a headache brewing. The pack’s laws were clear; no relationships with humans. Was it my fault that I couldn’t help how I felt?
“I care about her, Ginny. Deeply,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. The words felt like a confession. I clasped my hands together, silently begging my sister to understand how I felt. She’d gone against the pack laws a few times herself. Especially on the night of her graduation from college when I’d had to come pick her up myself. I ran my hand through my hair, my frustration at the situation mounting.
If only Keera would just talk to me.
“Grayson, this is way bigger than how you feel. I know I definitely don’t have to remind you what’s at stake here.” No, she didn’t. My mind drifted to Ria’s confession. I’d turned her down but I knew it was only a matter of time before she brought her offer up again. If there was anything I knew about Ria, it was that she never seemed to know when to back down. It had taking her endangering herself to get her to stop overusing her powers, trying to catch the killer.
“Ria told me she’s in love with me.” I admitted to Ginny. Her eyes went wide in shock as her head tilted forward. I shrugged, knowing how crazy that sounded. I’d been surprised by myself, and I’d already suspected her feelings for me were more than just friendly. I couldn’t help telling Ginny the other part of her confession. “She asked me to mate with her,” I waved my hand dismissively in the air. “You know, since I haven’t found my fated mate yet. I turned her down.”
But I have.
They just didn’t know that. And I wasn’t ready to let them know either, since I already knew what I was supposed to do according to the law; reject her. But that was only if she refused to turn, and I didn’t need a reminder of how Keera felt about us. She might have softened the past few days, but it was no way up to the point that she would consider becoming a werewolf for the rest of her life.
Ginny’s expression became thoughtful and she looked like she was considering her next words carefully. “You know, she might actually be on to something.” I felt like I’d been sucker punched. Ginny’s opinions mattered to me. The fact that she agreed with Ria felt a lot like a betrayal. She raised her hands at the disbelieving look I shot her, asking for me to hear her out.
“Grayson, how long are you going to keep waiting for your fated mate? You already know that according to law, if you haven’t found her by this time, then your chances of finding her are really thin.” She reminded. “And it says a lot that Ria is willing to give up being with her fated mate to be with you. Not to mention the fact that you’re both already close.” I opened my mouth to speak but no words came out.
Was Ginny right?
Would mating with Ria be the right thing to do?
Her words resounded in my mind hours after our conversation and Ryan noticed how distracted I was while we were on patrol. He nudged me, jerking his head. “Hey, you okay?” He asked, his eyebrows furrowed. He adjusted the strap of his bag, scouting the area quickly before meeting my gaze again. “You seem worried about something.” His tone was of polite concern, one of the things I loved about him. He hated feeling like he was intruding.
I shot him a small smile, blinking as I tried to gain hold of my thoughts. “I was going to tell you,” I admitted. “I just needed to get it together first.” His concern multiplied and the crease between his eyebrows deepened at my words. I released a deep sigh, wiping down my face with my hand. The weight of Ria’s confession and Ginny’s words hung heavy on my conscience. “Ria told me she’s in love with me.” I announced.
He reared back in shock, halting his step. I might have laughed at his reaction if the situation was funny, but it really wasn’t. “No shit,” He muttered beneath his breath, picking up the pace. He shook his head as if still trying to make sense of it. “That’s really bold of her, man.” He kept his tone neutral but his eyes sparkled with curiosity. He wanted to know more, but he wasn’t sure how much I was willing to share.
“She asked me to mate with her,” I admitted, my words hanging in the air. Ryan’s mouth dropped open in shock. “And I turned her down.” I didn’t need to explain why. Ryan already knew Keera was my mate, and he knew I was involved with her. I had never admitted it to him directly, but we both knew there was no way I could live under the same roof as my fated one and not get intimate with her.
“You made the right decision,” He said.
“Ginny found out about Keera and me.” I told him. “She smelled me on Keera. We had a talk this morning and I told her everything Ria had said to me.” I sighed, tired of the entire situation. “She said she agrees with Ria.” Ryan and I approached the pack border. He seemed thoughtful, like he was only just considering the fact that Keera was human and she would most likely never agree to get turned. He scratched his chin lightly.
“The goddess gave Keera to you as a mate for a reason,” He began carefully. “And it couldn’t be a coincidence that she made tour paths cross again after so many years. Ria might have had a point if you haven’t found your faed mate,” He agreed, “But you have. And I think what matters now is that you fight for you guys to be together instead of being separated.” He shrugged his shoulder. “You deserve to be happy, Grayson. If Ria’s not the one for you then she’s not the one for you. You already know an Alpha is his strongest when he’s with his fated mate.”
He wasn’t wrong. Alphas had their abilities enhanced after the mating ceremony with their fated one. Still, it was something I was willing to give up if I needed to. I’d already made sure my abilities were enhanced more than usual from rigorous trainings and herb medications. I could do without the extra enhancement if there was a need for it. I let out a deep exhale, considering his words for a few more minutes. I was at least glad someone was on my side. No one truly wanted to be without their fated mate.
And my situation was no different.
Something occurred to me then.
I patted his shoulder, scanning my eyes around the perimeter. “Ginny can’t find out you already knew about Keera and me before she did.” I said calmly. I didn’t want to cause friction between them, which was exactly what would happen if Ginny found out Ryan had known about our relationship and had kept it away from her. She didn’t take being kept in the dark lightly. I saw a flicker of confusion on Ryan’s face before understanding dawned. He nodded in agreement, his expression somber.
“I understand. Ginny would feel betrayed if she knew I’d kept it from her,” he said. “I’m sure she’d bring the topic up with me now that she knows,” His gaze met mine. “But I won’t let her find out I’d already known before now.” I nodded, relieved. I always tried to make decisions in the best interest of my pack and right now, this was for the best. Ryan understood the delicate balance of our friendships and we’d already managed to sustain it thus far.
Ginny valued honesty above all else, and knowing Ryan had kept my secret without informing her would hurt her deeply. He was her mate and they were not supposed to keep things away from each other. “Thanks Ryan,” I said softly, my chest threatening to burst from gratitude as I hugged him. I pulled away, shooting him a grateful smile. I’d made a good decision choosing him as my beta. He’d proved countless times that he would always have my back.
We continued patrolling, our senses on high alert for any signs of danger. My mind was at ease, knowing Ryan had my back. As we continued moving further into the woods, the sounds of twigs snapping beneath our boots, I realized I had a choice to make; follow my heart or duty? The weight of that decision hung heavy on my conscience. The silence between us was comfortable, filled with the unspoken understanding of our friendship as I came to a decision.
Keera and I were going to have a discussion whether she liked it or not.