Mates with Benefits

By the time Arsen and Ada walked back into the room, Damien was standing by the window contemplating if leaving all this behind, going away to live in the woods with his father wasn't such a bad idea.

Ada sat as far away from him as possible and took an analyzing look at his eyes.

“The concoction dosage was appropriate, I hope,” she said.

“Sufficient enough,” his voice was business-like. “What is the deal you would like to discuss?”

“As I said I cannot indulge in the relationship traditionally created by the mate bond, instead I would like us to reject each other at the time and place of my indication, and in exchange, I offer financial compensation, a trading agreement between our clans or real estate.”

Ada kept looking between Damien and Arsen as she would in a business meeting with almost equal stakeholders. In this case, looking at Arsen was an escape from looking at Damien’s cold eyes peering into her. The silence that followed lasted only a few seconds while Damien's eyebrows furrowed slightly showing he was focused on her words rather than her. Good, the witch didn't disappoint. She should initiate a friendlier relationship in the near future.

“First, access to Arca University on King territory for all Black clan members. Their attendance should not be prevented or monitored as long as they are a registered university student. Second, seafood import from your territory to ours. I will allow no taxation for this import, as long as we receive fixed prices, we agree upon for the next ten years. Logistic routes of the import will be set up and monitored by the Black clan. Third, a strip of land of two square kilometers will be officially transferred to the Black clan which will grant our wolves access to the North Forest. Transfer of this territory will be held as a banquet with other Alphas in attendance,” Damien finished and leaned back in his seat watching Ada’s face.

There was something regal about her features. King family tree was known for its long line of powerful Alphas and all those ancestors showed in Ada's eyes, calm but stern lips, and relaxed muscles. No witch's brew could make her seem less enticing. His anger was raising its ugly head and he wanted to do immoral things to her. He wasn't proud of his thought process but in that moment, he wanted to make her body submit and whimper. He wanted her to be mortified of all the loveless ways he would take her.

Arsen was impressed by the witch’s concoction. Damien should have been howling in pain knowing his mate didn’t want him, he almost expected him to shift and run into the woods to kill something. But here was his friend and Alpha sitting dictating bullet points to a business agreement. Damien pushed his chair back a little and Arsen noticed that he wasn’t as unaffected as he seemed by how strained his pants were. Damn, this guy had impressive self-control.

Ada couldn't rid herself of the feeling that something was wrong. No way famous Damien Sevach would request something so achievable. He fought his way to this Alpha position and had been fighting harder to prove himself and keep the said position his newfound influence. Those spoilt brats that inherited their Alpha titles from their daddies, couldn't even look him in the eye when he was irritated.

“King clan guards will be notified regarding Black clan members attending Arca University by next week. Your clan will also be provided with all the brochures and emails regular potential students would be. I am happy to hear about the seafood import, routes can be arranged by your clan, however, import times and quantities will be dictated by our fishermen. I cannot agree to transfer clan land, for now, however, I can offer trespassing access through a piece of land that will grant you access to the North Forest. This is a private property, so your wolves will need to respect the property itself but will not be hindered otherwise.”

Damien was calmly watching the perfect princess. Was it the drug they took that allowed her to sell her mate bond so easily? Not only they would have been a force to be reckoned with in the political games of their world, but they could have built some form of happiness.

“Does the private property belong to you?” he asked and received a quick nod of affirmation from her. “Why should breaking of the bond be at a certain time and place?”

“I am afraid this information doesn’t need to be disclosed; however, I can tell you that it will be done on King territory, with my father’s presence. My assistant will contact you regarding the date and time, it might be short notice.”

Arsen mind linked - Why should her father be a witness?

I am not sure. I am not surprised though. He used to control every aspect of their lives when we were in school. - Damien

Ada politely waited while the two men were obviously mind-linking. She allowed herself one more glance at her moon-chosen mate, wondering how much longer the concoction would work. The witch was a half-insane woman with no straight facts in her speech.

Damien focused on her and said almost smirking, “I agree to the terms. One more thing though. Let’s call it, Mates with benefits.”

Even Arsen looked at him like he was losing it.

Ada’s eyebrows went very slightly up before resuming their natural place.

“Elaborate…” came her voice in a lower octave.

The curve of her raised eyebrow, the murderous glint in her green eyes, and the tension in her plump lips made Damien throb. He had to admit that was a new low for him.

“After we break the bond, we will wait a period of a week to make sure there is no attachment leftover, then we will start a… relationship of… a sexual nature.”

Ada’s eyebrow didn’t go back down this time. The audacity of this man was starting to get her angry, and it was difficult to make Ada King angry.

He continued, “It will last six months. We will meet most evenings unless one of us has a valid prior engagement. I will let you choose the place of the visits. By next Wednesday we will both present recent medical test results for diseases. And if you are not on birth control, please arrange that.”

This witch's concoction was good, Damien’s Alpha brain was fully functioning. Conjuring details of a plan was a result of years of making decisions on others' behalf. But the trigger of this plan came from the depths of his soul. A soul that he knew would be broken very soon, and not knowing why was making it worse.

She was supposed to be the other half of him. And here she was negotiating a fucking seafood import deal. He did consider not accepting her rejection and trying to change her mind. There were two issues with this. First, it was Ada King he was facing; that family never did anything without very careful consideration, there would be no changing her mind. Second, he was done trying to prove people wrong when they thought he was undeserving. He was done going above and beyond to show that he was better than the other option.

By then Ada was furious and embarrassed because Arsen was there to witness the negotiations of her sale like a whore. She didn’t bother masking the expression in her eyes. Openly glaring at Damien, she simply said, “No.”

Damien simply raised an eyebrow hinting that she had not much choice in this situation. He wasn’t losing anything by not breaking the bond, meanwhile, she obviously had been pursuing it. Months of searching for her mate was a strong suggestion that she needed this desperately.

“How about I add unlimited access to Arca Hospital on King territory instead?” she asked not expecting this Alpha to change his mind.

Just as expected he shook his head very slowly while making sure she saw him gliding his eyes over her face, shoulders, and chest. He wondered if her breast would fit in his palm or spill and let him kiss and hold at the same time.

She was tempted to ask for time to think hoping to find an alternative solution, but what was the point? She knew she would have to fall deep into the pits of self-loathing if she was to accomplish what she set out to do. Title of a whore, a whole new level of disgrace. What would she think of this if she reached the old years of her life? Would this all be worth it? Arthur's face swam into her mind.

“We will meet on the go basis," she said. "No need to have certain days blocked. If either of us is truly unavailable some meetings will have to be canceled, although I do not go back on my word as you might know. We will meet at my house close to North Forest. If you require some meetings to take place on your territory, I must demand privacy and secrecy. If our meetings or any aspect of us having any kind of relationship becomes public, the deal is off. None of this information can leave this room.”

She took a long hard look at Arsen and let her Alpha aura roll out of her. Arsen was surprised being pressed by it, but Damien had a bitter smirk on his face.

“Let me know when and where we are to meet for the rejection. This meeting is over, Miss King. Julie will see you out.”

And with that, he stood up and left. Arsen left without any words. Ada’s first thought was to go home and stress eat, but self-pity would need to wait. She took out her phone and messaged Emma to start tracking her father’s whereabouts. When she exited the Sevach corporate building into the noisy street Emma was waiting in her deep red convertible in front of the doors.

As soon as Ada got into the passenger’s seat Emma roared the engine and said, “I am sorry, babe. I knew you didn't want it to be him.”

Ada didn’t have to respond. She quietly listened to city sirens and traffic noise as Emma drove her away to the outskirts of the city, to Ada’s beautiful house by the North Forest.

"Is he as handsome as he was in school?" Emma shouted over the engine and the wind but refused to close the roof of the car.

"Better..." Ada responded looking straight ahead.

"I heard he was a beast during the battle with his Alpha. People say he is the strongest wolf in the city."

Emma did think Mood Goddess was good at her job pairing those two together. They would be unstoppable after Ada got rid of a few obstacles in her way. A specific obstacle to be precise. Too bad wolves had free will.