Page 7 of Mismatched Mates (Special Bear Protectors)
GRANT
I adjusted my dress coat, the closest thing to a suit, feeling the smooth silk inner lining the elevator climbed. The morning's headline flashed through my mind: "Billionaire Playboy's Secret Affair: Unveiling the Mystery Behind His Latest Flame." For someone new to the spotlight, Jane Rider had played her hand to perfection.
“You serious?” Konrad asked me, adjusting his tie in the reflection of the elevator doors. “The agency set you up with a bear?”
I shrugged, aiming for casual indifference. "Why not? Father set it up, after all. She had no idea either. That’s what you get for hiring a human matchmaker.”
The elevator hummed softly, filling the silence between us.
“But you’re still seeing her?”
“You weren’t there, Konrad. Father was extremely clear. I needed to go on the date, charm whatever woman was unlucky enough to be paired with me, and stick with her at least until the gala.”
“Yeah, there’s stick with her and then there’s making out with her in front of everyone in Pine River. There are pictures.”
I rolled my eyes. “There are always pictures.”
"Relax, Konrad. I'm just following orders, remember? Father wanted this match. I'm simply... embracing the opportunity."
Konrad folded his arms, giving me a glare that could’ve sat perfectly on our father’s face. "Just be careful. You're playing with fire, and I won't always be there to put out the flames."
The elevator dinged, doors sliding open to reveal the executive floor.
"Who says I want the flames put out?"
The satisfaction of leaving Konrad speechless was short-lived. As I rounded the corner to the reception area, I saw Mara waiting, her posture rigid and eyes blazing.
“You,” she said, hopping down from the desk and stalking toward us. Her petite frame was always elevated by a pair of sky-high stilettos, which she not only used to add height but also as a secret weapon. She could throw one like a ninja star if the situation called for it. Mara proved looks could kill and she reveled in it. “Father’s livid.”
“He doesn’t have a leg to stand on. And that’s what’s going to make him mad, because he’s shot himself in the foot. Plus, now that everyone knows we’re dating, I can’t break up with her, which means I’m going to be bringing a bear to the gala, and he won’t be able to say a word.”
Konrad was unbuttoned enough to grin. Some people who didn’t know him thought my brother didn’t have a sense of humor, but that was because he kept everything close to his vest. Father’s training was thorough enough that the humor had to live deep down—but that didn’t mean it wasn’t there.
For a moment, I faltered. Mara's intensity always had a way of catching me off guard. Unlike Konrad's calculated concerns, her worry came from a place of fierce protectiveness.
"It's just a date, Mara," I said, keeping my tone light. "Not exactly grounds for an inquisition."
“She’s not some girl from a couple states over who we can all forget about. This is going to be messy.”
“You're missing a key detail here," I said, relishing the moment. "Father set this whole thing up himself."
Mara's brow furrowed. "What?"
"Oh yes, dear sister. Our esteemed father forced me to use a matchmaker. I had no intention of dating a bear, but here we are." I spread my arms wide. "I'm just playing the hand I've been dealt."
“Actually,” Konrad cut in, “it’s true. The date was set up by Victory Matchmaking. The fact that she’s a bear was entirely coincidental.” He fired me a glare. “The kiss, on the other hand, was?—”
“Genius,” I said. “Now he can’t tell me to break up with her.”
“What about her?” Mara looked about three seconds away from puncturing a hole through my foot. “Is she happy to be used as a pawn in some kind of power play because you’re just pissed you’re not going to be alpha?”
“Ah, Mara.” I tapped her chin as I walked past her to our father’s office, from where there was the tinny sound of voices. “The feminist in you does you credit. But as it happens, she’s in on it. And she’s using me just as much as I’m using her.”
The combination of confusion and surprise that crossed Mara’s face was exquisite, and I took a second to appreciate it fully before opening the door and entering our father’s study for the second time this week, Konrad hot on my heels.
He waved us towards seats, and I sprawled in the chair, looking at the framed photo he had of my stepmom, Catherine, on the desk. She was laughing in it, head tilted back, and if I thought my father was capable of sentiment, I’d probably have thought it sweet. But seeing as he couldn’t have founded Sentinel without her help, it was probably more out of expectation than affection.
“I suppose you think you’re funny,” he growled after slamming the phone down.
“I'm following your orders to the letter.”
"Don't play games with me, boy."
"I'm not playing anything," I countered, meeting his gaze. "You wanted me to date. I'm dating." I thought of Jane – her warmth, her strength and the way she razed me. And I realized, I wanted to fight for her.
“Konrad, have you been in contact with the bear clan?”
"Of course," Konrad nodded, his tone smooth and reassuring. "I've already reached out to their elders. “They were just as surprised as I was. I explained the situation and by all accounts it’s something that’s frowned upon but falls under the terms of the treaty.”
“Which,” our father said, his tone like acid, “naturally you knew, Grant.”
“The date wasn’t in either of our jurisdictions,” I reminded him, remembering the three idiots who had converged on Jane by the side of the road. She was more than capable of handling herself, though I was glad I’d stepped in before the situation had gotten out of hand, but that was enough to prove that we needed a new system. “But I did come across Perry and his cronies harassing her.”
The lines on my Father’s face deepened as he frowned. “Harassing?”
“She crashed off the road and they were posing. I don’t think they would’ve seriously harmed her, but we need to crack down on this kind of stuff before it becomes a serious problem and undermines the truce.” Which was, for the most part, pretty stable. Konrad did a decent job of maintaining good connections between our pack and the bear clan. But that didn’t mean that the new generation of kids, who thought that we should be top dog, didn’t think that the truce had passed its usefulness.
Konrad's jaw clenched as he turned to face our father. "I'll handle it," he said firmly, his fingers twitching at his sides. Growing up, I’d been warned to stay away from the bear clan. Our species had been at odds for centuries, but a treaty had formed the foundation for a fragile peace. We tried to keep shifters hidden from humans, so staying within our own kind was crucial.
Grudgingly satisfied, our father moved on to his next point in the agenda. “Next time you want to engage in a public display of affection with the bear, try not to do so next to one of the company cars.”
“Calling Winslow was a last-minute thing,” I said. “And that’s where she wanted me to drop her off.” An absolute stroke of genius from her part. “I’ll save our next kiss for the gala.”
My father grunted, but he knew he couldn’t order me not to bring her to the gala, not now we’d been seen together. Everyone knew about my ‘latest fling’, and the best way to put the rumors to rest was make it seem serious.
As I turned to leave, a spark of satisfaction flickered in my chest. The chaos I'd introduced to our carefully ordered world felt like a breath of fresh air.
"Grant." My father's voice halted me at the door. "Remember who you are. What you represent."
I didn't turn back. "How could I forget?"
“Just keep your nose clean. And when this thing inevitably ends between you, don’t make it messy. The investigative period is almost over—if we don’t do anything that compromises the integrity of the company or trustworthiness of this family, we stand a chance of getting that IPO and moving the business up to the next level. Understand?”
I wanted to mess with him, to let this thing with Jane be an act of defiance within the guise of submission, but at the end of the day, he was still my father and my alpha, and this company wouldn’t always be his. Eventually, it’d be Konrad’s, and he was the one person who’d always accepted me. The one person I’d never mess with.
Jane's face flashed in my mind – her warm brown eyes, the strength in her presence that both challenged and intrigued me. A pang of guilt twisted in my gut. I'd dragged her into this mess of family politics and corporate maneuvering.
"Shit," I muttered, running a hand through my hair. Was this just about getting under my father's skin? Or was there something more to it?