A convenient arrangement

Jake was busy working on a file when the knock and a familiar scent invaded his senses.

He stood up immediately and walked over to open his office door. The ancient, older man smiled at him.  Richard was a tall, well-built man with short, dark brown hair that had grey around the temple and deep-set brown eyes. His skin had an olive tone, declaring his Mediterranean heritage.

“Richard! You should have called me. Why did you travel all the way here?” Jake said while gently leading the older man inside. “Not that you are not welcome, but you must not exert yourself.” 

“Bah! I am not that old.” Richard said with a twinkle in his eyes.

Jake gave a guilty smile. He wondered what was the visit about? Eliza had shown up at his office late that week. She was excited and waited all afternoon for Jake to manage enough time to meet with her. For his part, he had been finding as many extra things to do as he could come up with. The woman was driving him crazy. Ever since he had agreed to the mating, she had been calling non-stop and making a fuss. As far as he was concerned, this was supposed to be an arrangement of convenience and nothing more. But Richard wasn't aware of it. That's what Jake hoped, otherwise he would have a lot to answer.

“So, tell me what can I do for you?” Jake smiled pleasantly at the older Alpha.

“You are already doing enough, you are mating with Eliza. You are saving my bloodline.” 

Jake's smile faltered. “Well, that's nothing. I am alive because of you.”

“Hmm, sometimes I feel bad for pushing you into this relationship. You are still young. You might find your true mate.” Richard mumbled.

“Richard, don't say that. Mating with Eliza in my decision.” Jake insisted. He preferred not to worry the older man unnecessarily. 

“Right, coming to Eliza, how are things between you two? My daughter might come off as a spoiled brat, but she has a good heart. And a very sharp brain. Had she been a man, she would have made an excellent Alpha.”

Jake agreed with that. Eliza was smart and more politically minded than any woman he had ever known. She was also more than intelligent enough to know that Jake didn't want to be mated to her. He sighed ruefully.

“Things are fine. I am meeting her for dinner tonight.” He replied.

“Great,” Richard's face lit up.” I wondered if you could move the ceremony to the next full moon. I feel like I don't have much time.”

Jake felt as though he had just been punched in the chest. The next full moon was in 15 days.

 

 “Fine. I'll have the arrangements changed.”

**************

Jake had been into 'Sicily' several times. It was his favourite Italian restaurant. His eyes shifted, and his wolf growled at the fact that the woman sitting opposite to him wasn't the woman it wanted as a mate.

Eliza looked up at Jake. He was attractive, powerful, and would help her achieve what her father wanted. If he didn't keep her satisfied, she'd find someone else. She had long ago learned that it was easy to manipulate men. Especially powerful men who thought too much of themselves and their skills.

She smiled and batted her eyes at him. “I've heard the news. We are going to mate early, it's good as I would be going into heat soon. Aren't you excited?”

“Yeah, very excited,” Jake replied, staring at her.

'Good,' she thought, 'he may not like me but at least he had the right answer, and maybe he's not as immune to my charms as I thought.'

 Then she lifted one foot out of her spiked heel and ran a toe up his calf, along his thigh, and stroked the bulge in his pants, before letting it come to rest on the seat between his legs. She smiled through her disappointment when he didn't reach out and touch her, considering the obvious invitation. 

“Just get me the usual," he said to the waitress who had just arrived. His tone was curt, and he was rewarded with a pouty, angry look on Eliza's face. Then he reached down and moved her foot out of his lap.

“Would you like to order, mam?” The pretty waitress asked, turning to Eliza.

“Yes,” she answered. The sexy vixen tone dropped from her voice. 

“ Bistecca Alla Fiorentina and some more wine please,” She said curtly.

She waited for the waitress to leave, then turned to look at Jake.

“Jake, so this how it's going to be for the rest of our lives ?” She tilted her head haughtily and raised her eyebrows in a resting bitch face, which looked entirely unattractive on her pretty face.

He sighed heavily and leaned back in his chair, meeting her gaze with an equally cold stare. “How's what going to be?”

“Us. Are you going to hate me forever for getting stuck with me?”

He stared at her cautiously. Her tone said that she didn't care if he was disinterested, just curious. 

“Hate is too strong a word. Last I checked, you didn't want to be doing this either.”

“Maybe not, but I'm at least trying my best to make this relationship work. You, on the other hand, are being a total asshole. If you think that I'm going to spend my whole life attached to a guy who won't even look at me. And look elsewhere for the company, then you're sorely mistaken.” Her eyes held a strong warning as she spoke.

“Eliza, you are being dramatic. Let me be frank with you. We are in this situation because I owe your dad too much to say no. This is how it is. It's just a convenient arrangement. You either live with it or drop this entire charade.” He scowled in annoyance.

Eliza realized all too suddenly that she was about to get stuck in a forced monogamous relationship with an Alpha who wasn't the least bit interested in her. He was just repaying her father.

“Fine, what about heirs? We'll have to get legitimate heirs eventually.” She raised a perfectly arched eyebrow.

“We'll deal with that when the time comes.” He mumbled. A few bottles of whiskey would be enough to get him to do the act when she would be in heat. He presumed. She wasn't unattractive, and he was a man, after all. It only served to remind him of why his mating was necessary. It would strengthen his numbers and keep his borders friendly.