Page 2 of Mismatched Mates (Special Bear Protectors)

GRANT

I f your alpha ever requested a private sit-down, it usually spelled trouble. And if that alpha also happened to be your father, well, brace yourself for impact.

In public, Vince Elston mastered the role of the stern yet approachable businessman, crafting an image of integrity and reliability. He effortlessly presented himself as a strong leader and a devoted father, grooming his sons to carry on his legacy.

He established Sentinel after an accident turned him into a shifter while serving in the army. He and the other shifter soldiers, operated within covert division known as MASK.

After his time in the military, he utilized his shapeshifting abilities to gain an advantage in lucrative mercenary work, ultimately amassing a fortune.

He led a life that seemed noble on the outside. In private, however, he dropped the good-guy act. Especially to me, his eldest son and biggest failure. After the crime of being born to a woman who wasn’t his mate, my future was set.

Even if I found a way to carry the weight of Sentinel all on my own, he would always manage to paint me as a letdown.

I rapped my knuckles against the door.

"Enter," came the sharp bark from within.

"Ah, Grant," my father said, his voice clipped and judgmental. "Sit."

I complied, sinking into the stiff chair across from his desk. My wolf stirred restlessly in my chest, muscles coiling tight with tension. I wanted nothing more than to turn tail and run, but I forced myself to meet my father's steely gaze.

"You wanted to see me?" I asked, keeping my tone neutral.

If there’d ever been a time he’d welcomed me with a smile, I couldn’t remember it. And that should’ve bothered me less by now, but it still landed like a punch every time.

“Do you know why I’ve called you in this time?” he asked.

I shifted in the uncomfortable chair, refusing to let him get to me. Or at least, refusing to let it show.

“I’m confident you’re about to tell me.”

His lips pressed together tightly, his posture rigid. He needed a reminder he’d left the military behind; there was no need to be so uptight.

"Your recent behavior has been... disappointing," he began, the last word carefully chosen to cut deep.

I bit back a sarcastic retort, my wolf snarling inside. "I wasn't aware my behavior required your approval, considering I'm a grown man."

"Everything you do reflects on this family," he snapped. "On our pack. On Sentinel. You can't afford to be so reckless."

I leaned back, feigning nonchalance. "Reckless? I'd say I'm living life to the fullest. Isn't that what you always preach about seizing opportunities?"

His eyes flashed gold, a warning. "Don't twist my words, boy. Your idea of 'seizing opportunities' seems to involve more debauchery than business acumen."

I felt my jaw clench, the urge to bare my teeth almost overwhelming. "Well, we can't all be perfect sons, can we? Some of us have to have a little fun."

"Fun?" he scoffed. "Is that what you call jeopardizing everything we've built?"

He wordlessly slid a tablet across the table. The harsh glow of the screen illuminated his stern features."Take a look," he commanded, his nails tapping an impatient rhythm on the desk.

I leaned forward, my eyes narrowing as I focused on the image displayed. It was grainy, clearly taken from a distance, but unmistakably depicted me locked in a passionate embrace.

“That’s Tatiana,” I explained, pushing the tablet back. “We had an arrangement when I was working in New York. I moved back and things ended. End of story.”

"How do you think your philandering is going to reflect on the company?" Vince asked, his voice sharp.

I suppressed a growl. "Due diligence doesn't mean they're going to deny us an IPO because I hooked up with a model. This could've been an email." Sentinel was considered the premiere security solution for shifters—and humans alike. The next logical step was to take the company public, further cementing our fortune and social standing.

"An email?" Vince's voice rose, heavy with disapproval. "You think this is a trivial matter?"

I crossed my arms, trying to maintain a facade of indifference. "It was ages ago. Ancient history."

"Ancient history has a way of resurfacing at the most inopportune moments," he snapped. "Your carelessness is a liability, Grant. One we can no longer afford." He rubbed his eyebrows in a gesture that spoke of exasperation and disappointment.

My lip curled. “It’s not as though I did it on the job, and we’re two consenting adults.”

“Konrad never gets involved in these scandals.”

I was the eldest Elston, yet in his eyes, I would always be second best. A twinge of envy towards Konrad flared, followed by a rush of guilt. He was my brother, not my rival. Despite the endless measuring against each other—the comparisons only strengthened our bond instead of tearing us apart.

“There’s no scandal .”

His nails tapped impatiently against the table. “How many times do I need to tell you—it doesn’t matter what the truth is.”

“Funnily enough, it matters to me.”

“I need you to stop flitting around like a damn butterfly.”

There were many reasons I didn’t date for keeps, none of which I could ever tell my father. Or anyone.

I felt the walls of the office closing in, my gaze drifting to the window where the trees swayed tantalizingly in the distance. My wolf whined, desperate for the freedom just beyond our reach. But here I was, trapped by duty and expectation, about to be handed yet another leash.

"So what's your grand solution, then? Lock me in a tower until the IPO goes through?"

Vince's lips thinned into a hard line. "Not quite. But I do have a proposition that might salvage this mess you've created. We need to rebuild the public’s perception of you. Right now, they think you’re an entitled, womanizing playboy with too much free time on your hands.”

I shrugged. Womanizing was an inaccurate characterization; I viewed it as a string of mutually beneficial situations.

“Okay,” I said. “So what’s your proposition?”

“A matchmaking service.”

The cogs of my brain caught on the words, coming to a halt.

“A what?”

His bushy eyebrows lowered. “You heard me.”

“You want to set me up with a matchmaking service?!”

My father's frown deepened, his eyes flashing gold for a brief moment. "This is no joke, Grant. It's time you settled down, found a mate worthy of your position in this family."

And what position is that , I wanted to ask but held back.

“There’s the company gala in two weeks,” he said. “A chance to show off what we have to offer, improve public perception, and cement the solidity of our company before moving forward with the IPO.”

"Right, because nothing says 'true love' like an arranged marriage." The sarcasm dripped from my words.

"This isn't about love," Vince growled. "It's about responsibility. You may not be the future alpha but you still have a role to play. Your future and your inheritance depends on it. Things you'd best keep in mind.”

The words stung more than I cared to admit. I turned back to the window, watching a bird take flight.

Lucky bastard.

"And what if she's human?" The question slipped out before I could stop it, a quiet rebellion.

My father's jaw tightened visibly. "We'll cross that bridge when we get there but it’s not unheard of for shifters to marry humans.”

Things would be different if I were the future alpha. But that wasn’t the case, and different rules applied.

“I want you to come to the gala with a date, and be seen dating her for more than a couple of weeks. Prove to me—and the people who will shortly be investing in us—that you’re a responsible, loyal man.”

He handed me an application, already filled out with my information—name, address, occupation, hobbies, education— all the acceptable details of my life carefully listed in columns.

I felt the fight drain out of me, replaced by a weary resignation. What choice did I really have? I was still part of this pack, still bound by its rules – and its Alpha.

The air felt stuffy, the room too tight. A craving rose in my chest to let loose, run wild, and forget this whole charade. The pull of the wolf was always there, a constant reminder that there was more to life than sitting in boardrooms and pretending to care about things that never felt real.

I'd play along for now, but I had no intention of actually finding love. Love was for people who didn’t know better. No, I’d go through the motions, smile for the cameras, and then get back to my real life—no strings attached.