The Prince’s Unwilling mate

054 Griffin

Everything happened in a blur, Ayla tellingshe would have been ready to take the next step. And how what I did had caused her to cback on that decision. How she didn’t wait forto finish apologizing but how she had just mindlinked for her family to cback inside. I don’t think I will ever forget the look of disappointment she had when I told her about my overprotectiveness.

But then she showed herself to be the perfect Luna. David was a damn fool for not seeing it. Now that the rage is gone, and I can see clearly once again I pity him. Of course, he wanted her back I heard how that Hannah girl, who could have been his chosen mate was waiting in hopes that I would be single again soon. I hoped to the MoonGoddess that, that wouldn’t happen but if it did then I would still not choose her as my chosen mate. She would not make a good Luna, and everyone not blinded by rank and physical appearance knew that.

However, the moment Alpha Cedric puts down the phone, smiling broadly at us, reassuring us that it is all settled. I forget everything, I jump up and lift Ayla and spin them around. I love being able to pick her up so easily. It is when I feel her body stiffen I realize what has happened about an hour before. So I awkwardly put her down on the ground again. I have no idea what to do next. If I am still welcat her sister’s mating ceremony? Or if she even wantsto be here tonight.

“I guess it is tfor a BBQ now, I will help you get the groceries from

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the car,” Ayla tellsher warm hand resting on my arm.

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Whatever she was going to tell me, whatever was going to happen after this. I had not lost her completely she toldshe was not going to reject me. But somehow her touch, her kind smile was more reassuring than her words. Or they were until we made our way to my car, the car doors were still open and I could only hope the meat had not gone bad from being out in the heat for so long. I will never know if the open car doors reminded her of what had just happened or if she had suggested helpingget the groceries out because she wanted to talk toin private. Whatever the reason was, as soon as we reached my car she crossed her arms and glared at me.

“Grif, I want to be able to enjoy getting to know you, I may not have taken the final steps. But you see how serious I am about this are you not?” She asksand I can hear the pain in her voice.

“I know that Darling, I do and I am so happy with how things are going. between us,” I tell her tugging a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

All to touch her to be a little closer to her. She seems to lean into my touch, my hand before pulling away.

“Are

you

Griffin? Because if you are, and you still want to make this work you’re going to start being honest with me. I was about ready to

complete the mating process. Move into the castle. And you know why?” I want to answer her question but I have no idea how.

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I want to ask her if it is because she loves me. After all, she cares aboutas much as I care about her. But I can’t handle her denying she loves me, or even tellingshe did but I made her fall out of love with me.

“Because David maderealize that I had known him for most of my life. I had hoped he would be my fated mate for at least five years.” Ayla continued when I didn’t answer

I knew she was over him, I knew she chose me. I heard her tell David I would never be single again. I knew what she meant by it but hearing her tellshe wanted someone else to be her mate for so long still stung me. I know I had to respond this tthough. I could not let her pour her heart out as I was idly standing by:

“I know Darling, I know how long you knew him, what your hopes were but I don’t see why that makes you love me?‘ I honestly asked her.

“Because, I did not know David, not the real David, because he was not honest with me. And I thought you were, to the point where we didn’t need to thank things slow because I knew more of the real you in these past weeks than I knew of David in all those years. To find out today you are not honest with me” Her words as true as they were cutdeep..

And all I could do was to promise her to be honest with her from here on out. To tell her every little thing, to let her be able to worry about it. Because if I was honest with her she would be able to be honest with me. about her fears and her dreams.

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“I know you will, Griff, I like to think I still know you” Ayla shota kind smile after reassuringshe believed me.

WING

Followed by a quick peck on the lips before she took sags from my trunk. We silently walked to her grandparent’s home. And I thanked the MoonGoddess it was once again a comfortable silence. All the awkwardness of the fight put behind us, all in all, we were growing as a couple. There was nothing wrong with disagreeing every now and then as long as we were able to talk them through as a couple. Just like we did just now.

**********

Of course, what happened between David andwas part of the conversation during the BBQ. But it soon changed to happier topics, I got it now. Why Ayla and her family loved to have these family BBQs. Mom, Dad, and I regularly ate together, meals we cooked ourselves but we didn’t have bbq’s together. Maybe I could introduce that tradition. into our family. It would also be a way to bring sof Ayla’s traditions to our pack. Even if the atmosphere between us now was still very fragile. Like we needed to recover from the cuts our fight left. I still envisioned a future with her, one where we would have pups running around. And I want nothing more than to give our pups traditions from both our families. Just

not because I wanted them to feel a tie with both the families they cfrom. In getting to know the Hemmings I realized I liked them all.

Her Cousin James, Alpha Cedric’s son was at the BBQ too. He was already mated and had a pup. The little fellow was just two years old.

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James got lucky he found his mate the moment she turned 18 only weeks. after his 18th birthday. Alpha Cedric told them to focus on their family first, giving them the tto raise pups before James would eventually take over as Alpha. I knew Ayla and I wouldn’t have that luxury but seeing her with her cousin’s pup I knew what an amazing mother she would be.

She had set down in the damp grass reading stories to him. He was enthralled, soaking up every word she read to him. She smiled with pride. I felt this pull to join them. To sit in the grass with them, just to listen to Ayla read us both stories from the silly little kid’s book. Now however since our fight, it felt awkward to do so. Mid–sentence Ayla looked up and it was then that I heard someone running up to the Hemming’s hand we all instantly felt something bad was about to happen. Ayla scrambled to get up, so she could carry Quinn Junior inside the house as the rest of us bare ourselves for what was to come.

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