Mated To An Enemy

They held hands and walked close as Granger praised Ashleigh for how understanding she had been. She smiled and listened.

Though she couldn’t help but feel like nothing had truly been resolved. Granger had apologized. He had tried to explain. Yet, when she thought for more than a moment about what had been said, she felt uneasy.

Ashleigh had tried, several times, to ask a question about his reasoning. She had tried to clarify what he had told her previously to what she knew now. Each time Granger would get so upset he couldn’t stop apologizing. He would tell her how worried he had been, and she would comfort him.

But she couldn’t remember getting an actual answer.

Ashleigh wondered if she should try again. She looked up at Granger as they walked. The sun was shining brightly through the trees above them, highlighting him in a dazzling aura of warmth. She smiled and looked away, chiding herself for suspecting him. Pushing her concerns back to the recesses of her mind.

In the distance, she could see the training grounds coming back into view. Their brief walk through the woods was coming to an end. She sighed sadly.

“What are you thinking so hard about?” Granger asked, a smile in his voice.

“Just that I was enjoying my time with you,” she smiled back.

“Why does that sound past tense?” he asked. “I’m free for you all day.”

She laughed, “but I am not. I need to get to the training grounds.”

“For what?” Granger’s voice was steady, a well-practiced control of his tone.

“Today is my first day of training with Alpha Caleb,” Ashleigh replied.

“Isn’t Saul doing that now?” Granger asked, clenching his jaw.

Ashleigh looked back up at him. He smiled, his warmth pouring into her. But for just a moment, she thought she saw a flicker of something else. Something dark, angry.

“It is my responsibility, my assignment,” Ashleigh stated. “If Saul takes my place, Winter has broken their word.”

“Wasn’t it Alpha Wyatt that changed the assignment?” Granger asked. “Isn’t his word, Winter’s word?”

Ashleigh stopped walking. She turned to face Granger.

“I’m not sure why my father asked Saul to train Alpha Caleb, but it was obviously a mistake,” she answered, looking at him carefully. “The agreement that was made stipulated the top-ranked Berserker would train Alpha Caleb. So unless Saul challenges me and wins, that is still my role.”

Granger blinked and then laughed. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t trying to make you angry. I understand. I just thought it had changed. That was all.”

Ashleigh furrowed her brows. “How did you even know about it?”

“I must have heard it on the training grounds earlier.”

“Saul said he was only asked last night…” she questioned.

Granger shrugged his shoulders. “Gossip gets around.”

Ashleigh felt more he wasn’t saying, but they had argued enough today. She let it go.

“Still,” he said, “wouldn’t you rather spend the day with me?”

Granger squeezed her hand playfully. Ashleigh looked up at him and smiled brightly.

“How could I not?”

“Then play hooky,” he offered, a devilish grin on his face, “you just got out of the hospital. They’ll understand if you put it off another day.”

Ashleigh laughed; Granger’s playful voice was comforting. Reminding her of all the time they shared together before her life got so complicated. It was a tempting offer.

“I wish I could,” she sighed. Granger looked away. “It has already been put off so many times. I can’t be selfish.”

Granger stared out into the trees, Ashleigh knew he was disappointed, but she couldn’t skip out on her duties to play. Deep down, he knew and understood that. She was sure of it.

Ashleigh looked up; the sun was already high in the sky. She was running late. But, she still needed to warm up before Caleb arrived.

Standing on her tiptoes, she turned and kissed Granger’s cheek.

“I have to go,” she smiled. Ashleigh took a step forward, almost stumbling as his hand pulled her back.

He wrapped his arms around her, hugging her from behind, and set his chin on her shoulder.

“Why are you in such a rush,” he said sweetly into her ear, “not even a proper goodbye.”

Ashleigh laughed.

“I feel like we haven’t had much quality time together lately,” he said.

“What do you mean?” she asked, remembering all the time they had spent together in the past few weeks since she returned from Summer.

“I miss you,” he whispered against her throat, kissing her softly.

Ashleigh closed her eyes, feeling the warmth of his lips against her sensitive throat. It felt good, his touch, his kiss. It was comforting.

But she needed to go. Caleb would be waiting.

Ashleigh leaned away from him, turning to look him in the eyes.

“I need to go warm up before training,” she said honestly.

“Oh,” he said with a smirk, “is that it?”

Granger lifted his chin and spun her around to face him; he placed his hands firmly on her hips and gave her a mischievous grin. Then, turning her once more, he backed her up until she was pressed lightly against a tree. He leaned in close.

“I can warm you up,” he whispered, hovering just above her mouth.

Without giving her a chance to respond, his mouth covered hers in a rough but fervent kiss. His mouth opened just enough for his teeth to graze her bottom lip, sending an exhilarating shudder over her.

She moaned softly against his mouth. His tongue begged entrance, and she allowed him without hesitation. Their tongues tangled together, tasting each other, and fighting for dominance.

Ashleigh felt her body heating up, pleasure rolling over her as her heart pumped faster and faster. Then, when the need for air overtook them, she pulled away, gasping. Granger’s greedy eyes flashed at her with an intensity that excited her.

Granger smiled to himself as he sensed her enthusiasm building.

Barely taking a breath, he began to trail kisses down her throat, dragging gasps and soft moans from her.

As his mouth danced along her collar bone, she drew a ragged breath. The feeling of his soft lips against the tender flesh sent flows of pleasure down to her very core, pulling out of her a desperate whimper as his mouth moved away.

The embarrassing sound that had escaped her lips woke her from her stupor long enough to realize that they were in an open area. Anyone could walk along this path at any moment.

“Grang–ah…” she tried to speak, interrupted by a soft moan as Granger’s warm tongue ran over her collarbone once more.

Ashleigh bit her bottom lip; as much as she enjoyed these activities, she knew they needed to stop.

Granger squeezed her hips tightly as he pushed himself against her.

She gasped.

“Granger...” she gasped out. “Granger, we need to stop.”

He did not respond to her words. Instead, he ground himself even more assertively against her, pinning her to the tree with his lower half. An unmistakable hardness rubbed against her through the thin fabric of their clothing.

Ashleigh’s back arched reflexively as she felt him, all of him. An aching pleasure spread within her like wildfire.