Granger tipped back his cup of mead, taking it all in one drag, down to the last drop. He didn’t even need to order a second. He had already become a regular at the bar now.

“There you are!” a familiar grinning voice called from the entrance, “I have been looking all over for you.”

“No, you haven’t,” Granger scoffed, sipping from his second cup.

“No, you’re right, I haven’t.” Holden chuckled, “It’s quite clear these days that if you aren’t with Miss Ashleigh, you are here. And since I just saw the lovely miss sparring with Beta Galen, I came straight here.”

Granger growled at the mention of Galen.

‘Summer trash,’ he thought to himself, Holden may not have been privy to the actual thought, but he understood the atmosphere.

“So, my friend, what has you in such a foul mood? I and many others have noted that your relationship seems to be quite ‘loving’. Yet, this does not appear to be a celebratory drink,” 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.

“It seems you might have already heard the good news.”

Granger glanced at Holden, taking another drink.

“About Alpha Caleb’s return, I mean.” Holden smiled._.

“How is that good?” Granger spat.

“I suppose it’s not.” Holden stated, “I 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!”

Granger turned with a snarl.

“My mistake, I should have minded my words.” Holden chuckled, raising his hands in the air as a sign of truce.

Granger turned back to his drink.

“Do you think I am not keenly aware of all that?” he growled.

“No, I know you are.” Holden grinned once more, “What 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.”

“He made the assignment. Why would he change it.” Granger scoffed.

“Because he made the assignment without knowing the kind of person Caleb is,” Holden whispered darkly.

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

“Alpha Wyatt, from what I know, is quite old-fashioned and a strict believer in tradition.”

“Yes, so what?”

“So,” Holden smiled, “I 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.”

“Maybe, but Ashleigh wouldn’t agree to tell him that. She says it’s her duty to complete the assignment.” Granger huffed.

“Ah, but Ashleigh doesn’t 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?”

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

“But surely, she would confide in her mate about her true feelings.”

“That’s true,” Granger said quietly.

Holden grinned darkly at his ‘friend’. He finished off his glass and stood up. Straightening his jacket, he smiled broadly and tipped his head toward Granger.

“My friend, it has been my pleasure to share this time with you. I wish you the best.”

“Wait,” Granger said, turning to look at Holden, “why have you been helping me? I don’t believe you actually think of me as a ‘friend’. And I don’t see how my relationship benefits you. So why?”

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

“No, no I don’t consider anyone a friend,” Holden admitted. Stepping closer to Granger, he leaned close. “But I don’t like him, and I do like you.”

Holden straightened his coat once more.

“You like me?” Granger said, disbelieving.

“I do,” Holden answered, delighted, “there is a topsy turvy upside downness growing in you, and I just can’t wait to see which way it goes.”

Granger wasn’t sure how to respond or what he meant.

“Now, I really must get going, but first,” Holden said.

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

“It’s how to reach me when you get in trouble,” he said.

“Don’t you mean if? If I am in trouble, this is how I reach you?” Granger replied.

“No,” Holden shook his head, wearing a severe expression. “I don’t.”

***

“Granger, you saved me a trip. I had planned to meet with you this evening,” 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’s purpose for being here.

“Oh?” Granger said as he sat down, “Anything you need, my Alpha, all you need to do is ask.”

“Glad to hear it,” Wyatt replied, looking carefully at Granger. “What was it you were coming to see me about?”

Granger sat forward.

“It’s something personal and a little awkward,” he began, “I’m actually here about Ashleigh.”

“Oh?” Wyatt said, leaning forward, “that’s interesting. I wanted to speak with you about Ashleigh as well.”

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

“What about?” Granger asked, attempting to keep his smile even.

“Well, Granger, I wanted to speak with you about your relationship with Ashleigh.” Wyatt began, “I know it hasn’t 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.”

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

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

“I won’t lie,” Granger replied, “I was disappointed about moving the wedding again. But, as we all know, duty before heart.”

“Yes! Exactly!” Alpha Wyatt smiled brightly and patted Granger on the shoulder happily. “You’re a good man, Granger. I knew you would understand. The Goddess did right by Ashleigh when she chose you.”

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

“That’s good,” Wyatt continued, “Corrine 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.

“I 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’t say I will agree with your decision, but I will honor it.”

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

“Now, what was it that you wished to speak with me about Ashleigh?” 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.

“The thing is, Alpha, you know how Ashleigh is, more than any of us, she believes in putting the good of the pack first,” Granger said.

“Yes, it is a quality in her that I admire and have fostered throughout her life,” Wyatt replied.

“It is a wonderful quality, in most circumstances,” Granger said, pausing for dramatic effect.

“What does that mean?” Wyatt said, his tone very serious.

“I 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.” Granger answered, looking away ‘nervously’.

“Speak plainly,” Wyatt growled.

“Yes, my Alpha,” Granger replied submissively, smiling in his mind. “Alpha Caleb has tried to take advantage of Ashleigh multiple times.”