As she listened to the story, she couldn’t help but lean closer, captivated by the tale. Damon risking all for his mate had a romantic aspect to it.
She shook her head, snapping out of it. As a mediator, she’d listen to both sides and help them come to an agreement.
“You mentioned that your attempts to settle this dispute with them haven’t yielded any progress?”
“Right. They accused us of spying in order to scope out their lands and continue to expand development of the resort.”
“Is that true?” she asked.
His eyes widened, as if offended. “Of course not. That’s a complete fabrication from them.”
She nodded. “Got it. Well, I hope to be able to help you both come to a compromise you can both live with.”
Grayson searched her eyes with his intense look once more. “So do I. My talks with them have gotten nowhere. They’ve demanded Damon’s head as retribution.”
His head? Perhaps Aurora had gotten herself into a more complicated mess with these wolf packs than she’d anticipated. She swallowed and resolved to handle the task as a professional. “That is quite a demand.”
Grayson’s lips tightened into a grim line. He stared off into the distance, and his eyes glowed with a fierce, golden hue. “I’ll never let that happen.” After a few slow breaths, his expression softened, and he returned his gaze to her. “Damon is like a younger brother to me. Will you help me save him?”
Chapter 3
Grayson
Grayson paced over the hardwood floors of his office the next morning. Where was Aurora? Had she already gone over to talk to the Sacco pack? An uncomfortable shiver curled up his spine. He shouldn’t have let her go alone. He should have gone with her. Yet, she’d insisted that it was better for her to hear each side of the story first before bringing the tense packs together.
He could have said that it wasn’t safe. But why? He had no reason to back that claim. He’d spoken to Lars, the Sacco beta, and had made arrangements for Aurora to visit. Why would they hurt a witch who came to them to help them keep peace?
Unless one of their wolves tried to seduce her.
The discomfort twisted with a renewed force.
He stopped pacing and stared at the mountain peak. They’d had a few inches of powder overnight, which meant the trails were packed. The chairlifts were all running smoothly. Everything on his morning checklist was done, so he could head out for a few runs before an afternoon meeting.
That was a good idea. It would help get his mind off his worries.
Only it didn’t work.
On his third ascent up the chairlift, he tried to keep up the conversation with the couple on the lift. He liked to talk to patrons. Not only was it a friendly part of ski culture but also a way for him to keep the pulse on what visitors liked and what they wanted. Yet, Grayson found it difficult to focus.
He wished them a good day before they skied in different directions. He navigated over to a more difficult trail, waiting for the trio ahead of them to drop in, and then followed suit soon after.
As he cut into tight turns, he slipped into a brief period of skiing and nothing else. The steepness of the trail required his full concentration. Once he steered off onto a winding cruiser, his thoughts returned to Aurora.
Talking to her about the concept of mates during dinner last night had to be one of the oddest conversations in his life, considering she was his mate. At least as a witch, she was familiar with the idea, unlike what Damon had gone through in explaining the connection to his human mate.
Did it make the situation any easier, though? Not one bit. He shouldn’t reveal the truth to her, at least not until the issues with the Sacco pack were resolved.
After he completed the run, he removed his skis and returned to the lodge. Before returning to his office, he headed to Rafe’s to see if he was in.
Rafe sat behind his desk, staring at his computer monitor. He glanced up when Grayson approached.
After initial greetings and a quick run-down of operations, Rafe asked, “How was dinner?”
Grayson’s mouth twitched. He had to admit the snafu in his attempt for mediation to his alpha, but first, he summarized getting Aurora up-to-speed with the situation. After a heavy exhale, he added, “There was a bit of a surprise when I met her.”
“How so?”
“My wolf thinks she’s my mate.”
“What?” Rafe’s eyes widened. “Your mate?”
Grayson exhaled. “Yes.”
Rafe rubbed his beard. “Are you sure?”
Grayson nodded. “Without a doubt.”
“Oh.” Rafe’s jaw twitched. “That complicates matters.”
“Indeed.”
“What are you going to do about it?”
Grayson glanced out of the window to the trail he’d just skied. He returned his gaze to Rafe. “Ignore it, at least for now. I can’t let my feelings interfere with what’s best for the pack.”
“Will you be able to do so? She is your mate, after all.”
“I will.” As he returned to face his alpha, Grayson raised his chin, resolved to ignore the call of his mate. He’d lived without one for over thirty years. What was another week or two?
A week or two of what? She could book it back to Salem once she was done here.
He’d have to think about that. Right now, he could only worry about so much. And his primary concern was how Aurora fared over with the Sacco shifters.
“That might be difficult, but I appreciate you putting pack first,” Rafe said. “Although I haven’t been fortunate enough to find my mate, I know it won’t be easy for you to ignore what your wolf wants. With shifters on both sides itching to fight, we can’t add anymore complications or delays.”
“I understand.” Grayson bowed his head. “My duty and loyalty remain with the pack.”
Aurora
What a pain in the ass. The Sacco wolves were stubborn as hell.
Aurora took deep breaths to stay calm as she stood in the Sacco pack’s meeting house set in a log cabin. This wasn’t her fight, and there was no way she should let their complaints get to her. She’d dealt with arguments like this in the past and had always been able to maintain a smooth veneer. That’s why she was good at her job.
“All of this trouble is because of the Franconia pack,” Lars, the Sacco beta wolf, said. “We lived peacefully for years abiding by the terms of the treaty, and one of their wolves broke it when he trespassed onto our lands.”
“Yes, but I understand he had a reason for doing so,” Aurora said. “He thought his mate was in trouble and was trying to make sure she was safe—”
The beta snorted, cutting her off. “Bullshit. That’s a pathetic excuse that allowed them to spy on us.”
“Spy?” She arched her brows. “And why do you think they’d want to do that?”
His eyes widened. “To scout our land to expand their resort.” He gestured to the surrounding forest. “More land they can destroy by developing.”
Aurora pursed her lips. Grayson had warned her about the Sacco’s belief. She preferred to deal with betas. The alphas were too, well—alpha. They wouldn’t budge on negotiations. At least, betas understood that negotiations involved some give and take, but even this one was temperamental. No wonder they needed a mediator. Grayson had mentioned how each time the packs had tried to discuss the situation, tempers had flared.