Page 9 of Broken Arranged Mate
“Oren,” Ash had said, her hands on either side of my face, blurry through the pain in my body, her face barely coming into focus, only her voice crystal clear in my head. “Youhaveto get up.”
She was there, somehow, defying logic. Emaline was there as well, screaming Aidan’s name—everything was a mess, but Ash was there, willing me to get up.
The initial hit of Mhairi’s stuffhadsevered my connection with the Amanzite, but it wasn’t until I felt Ash’s touch that I realized I could get through it.
Then, realizing Mhairi posed a threat to Ash, I’d acted on instinct again, rising up, pushing through the pain, getting my hands around Mhairi’s throat and wasting no time on theatrics.
It wasn’t until I’d killed her that I realized I’d taken the role of alpha leader from Aidan, after telling him he could have it.
Now, Kira pulls me from my thoughts and says to Ash, “You’re saying you’ll do it?”
“Ash, you have no idea what you’re talking about,” Dorian growls, glancing over at me like this has all been some sort of setup. Like I’ve poisoned or brainwashed his sister.
“Fuck you, Dorian, I knowexactlywhat I’m talking about,” Ash snaps, and several people in the room suck in audible breaths. Nobody talks to an alpha leader like that—and certainly not an omega.
Except, maybe, his little sister. Maybe I should say something, but I feel trapped, suspended between the two Fields in this room.
“A marriage might be the perfect answer,” Ash goes on, her eyes flickering to me like thehusband, itself, doesn’t matter that much. “Bring the packs together through that ancient strategy. You know as well as I do that it’s worked over and over in the past.”
“We are not in the past,” Dorian growls, shaking his head. “There are a lot of things we’re going to leave behind.”
“If he and I come together,” Ash says, throwing her hand out and pointing at me, like I’m just one of the many optionson the shelf, her eyes still on her brother, “wolves willhaveto adjust. You know that. It’s in our biology. They’ll fight less.”
She’s right. Mating between packs often adjusts our scenting, turning even the most adversarial of relationships into something softer, less violent.
Not that she and I would bemating—only coming together for the good of the packs. A strategic move. Like she said.
The other half of my brain interjects—how am I even considering this? I’ve spent years trying to avoid her, staying clear of anything that might cloud my judgment. And now I’m listening quietly to a discussion of marriage?
“We are not—”
“Our people aredying,” Ash insists, voice going tight. “Maybe I can’t be a real leader. Maybe the best thing I’ll ever get is a quiet spot at the table. Butthisis something I can do to help.”
There’s a beat of silence, then Dorian turns to me. “You meant it as a joke, right?”
Everyone is looking at me, but it’s Ash’s gaze that I feel, physically, on the side of my face. Fierce and searching, determining.
“My first priority is keeping the peace between our packs,” I finally say, searching for the most diplomatic phrasing, eyes darting to Ash. “And I am willing to do whatever you think is best in that vein.”
Before I’ve even finished, Dorian is letting out a quick, incredulous breath, bracing his hands on the back of his chair. “This is madness.” A long silence passes, then he lifts his head, looking at his sister. “Youwantto do this, Ash?”
“Yes.” The answer is simple, immediate, and I can’t ignore the slight tightening in my chest, even as I try to keep every emotion under wraps.
Dorian swallows, turns, and looks to me. “And you want to do this?”
I nod, jaw ticking from the effort of keeping a straight face. “I would do anything to help the Grayhides. And my pack would appreciate the sacrifice from your sister.”
Another long silence follows, and Dorian shakes his head, almost at himself, like he can’t believe he’s agreeing to this. “Well. I guess if both of you want to, and it would help the packs…Then I won’t stand in the way.”
Now I’m standing, heart starting to hammer. I’m sure Dorian can sense it now, but I reason that he may think it’s excitement over potentially solving this issue between our packs.
“Excellent,” I say, gaze skipping to Ash. Her cheeks are flushed, her dark hair streaked with gray, those eyes trained right on me. When I think about what might happen after the wedding, I push the thought away, turning on my heel and ripping my eyes from her, instead focusing on the matter at hand. “I’ll have the preparations made. If we start straight away, we may be able to finish this the day after tomorrow—”
“Finish this?” Ash asks, and when I look at her, I realize I’ve made a mistake. She looks crestfallen. I must have said something wrong, and I have no idea what it was.
Luckily, Dorian seems to know immediately what’s wrong. Turning to me, crossing his arms, he says, “If my sister is to get married for political gain, she’s getting all the parties. Every ounce of celebration she deserves. She’s doing this pack a service, and you’ll do everything you can to make sure she feels cherished, do you understand?”
Kira is already straightening up, eyes widening. “Engagement party, rehearsals, flowers, food—there is going to besomuch to do.”
