Eight.

Henry was standing in the kitchen of the Blue Valley Pack House, all while watching outside through the window above the sink. It annoyed him to admit that this pack more than rivaled his own. More so, because they were all settled and content; like the image his father used to project of their own pack, even if the truth were completely the opposite.

Even the warmth in the empty kitchen mocked him. It was an inviting room, the heart of the house; or in this case, home. He could swear he could smell freshly baked bread and cookies still, despite everything having long been washed down.

Henry ignored his own pathetic jealousy though, he was too busy focusingon the couple he waswatching outside. He had deliberately brought Carson in the hope of swaying Eloise's loyalties to his own pack. But, seeing her reaction to her brother had done nothing but trigger his own instinct to comfort her, and it did so in a way he hated. Mostly because he couldn't control it. Even now, after a lunch where he had given Daniel a harder time than necessary - purely out of spite - he couldn't help but watch his mate in the back yard as she reconnected with her brother. Wishing for things that could have been, even if he himself would never have admitted to wanting them.

Sammy was his official reason for being here, and she had already left. Even he could admit that his behaviour was the reason there; no matter what was said about the bear at the time. Funny how easy it was to admit he was being an asshole to his sister and her mate, when it came to his preoccupation with Eloise instead. It was like no other slight on his pride mattered when she was in his crosshairs. It was only their interactions that mattered.

It was a beautiful day outside, and the sun filtered down and around his mate as she sat, laughing and smiling with Carson in such a way that she looked like she was glowing; even her braids were radiant to him in this moment. Or maybe, Henry was just so completely whipped by her already, he couldn't find a fault with her, his wolf wouldn't let him.

The whole situation made him frown, as annoyance bristled in his chest. Eloise was his mate, yet she didn't want him, and he had never wanted a mate anyway. He never ever had.

How could he, knowing how his father had cheated on his Mom. The maye bond was a farce in his mind.

But, then he was just as bad as his Dad. He had hurt Eloise it seemed, back when he allowed his Dad to unwittingly make a mockery of her; parading that doe eyed she wolf in front of his pack. That female hand hung off of him for a month before he got the message through everyone's heads. Henry Gray would not be taking a mate.

Even now as he stood watching her, he still liked to tell himself that he didn't want a mate, but he knew he did definitely want Eloise.

She was his afterall. She bore his mark, carried his child and the Alpha in him would not allow her to walk away from their union. But, Henry found himself questioning how much of that was the mate bond's doing. Would he have looked twice at her, without it?

He knew the answer. Even if he were too stubborn to admit it.

Henry didn't want a mate. But, he did want his mate, his Eloise.

He just wasn't entirely sure if that was a compliment or an insult to the beautiful woman he was all but stalking from the kitchen window.

"Well, my boy. I think it's time we had a chat," Came Alice's voice suddenly from behind him.

"Grams, now isn't the time." Henry spoke softly, hoping to be left alone to his brooding tumultuous thoughts.

Alice walked into the room anyway, and leaned against her grandson.

"I didn't think I was really giving you an option. I must watch my tone more closely, I think I'm losing my touch." She pondered out loud.

Henry smirked, he loved his grandmother, and had often chosen to stay with her whenever he could growing up. "I doubt you could ever lose your touch, Grams."

"Well answered, my boy." Alice laughed lightly. "Now, let's go have that chat. I will not take no for an answer, and besides, I'm saving the pack money. You should be pleased."

"Oh?" Henry asked, wondering what his Grams had done to aid their finances.

"Oh, yes. On a glazing bill, Sweetheart. Because, if you stare any harder at that girl through the window it will shatter. Now come on, you can take me to the conservatory again, and then you can pretend your listening to me while staring at the other side of her head. Maybe, it will give you the answers you're looking for." She stated with finality.

"Alright," Henry caved, offering his Grams his arm as he led her through the large house. He knew well enough there was no deterring her when she was like this.

Alice stayed quiet as they made their way through the wooden panelled walls of the hallways, until they reached the open airy conservatory. It was more like a glass lean to that ran almost the full length of the house, but, the warmth inside did soothe her old bones, and she mildly entertained the idea of moving herself to this pack. If only to spend her later years in comfort surrounded by happy great grand babies. However, it was a fleeting thought, her own pack still needed her, and right now none so much as her eldest grandson.

Finding herself a seat, where Henry would have to have his back to Eloise, was easy enough in the room full of chairs. Not that she missed the frown on his face at her actions.

"What? Did you expect me to sit in a manner that would allow you to completely ignore me?" She smirked.

Henry sighed, knowing he was out gunned by his grandmother's wit and sat down silently.

Leaning back further into the chair he looked at his Grams, and and crossed his ankle over his knee before asking, "So, what do we need to talk about?"

"Well, my boy. First off I want you to confirm if your ridiculous notions about mates has anything whatsoever to do with your father?" Alice asked bluntly.

"With how he treated Mom, is it really so ridiculous?" He retorted confidently.

"Yes, I admit mistakes were made. But, the initial ones were not your father's, but mine." Alice surprised Henry.

"What?" He asked confused, and for the first time in weeks his mind was shifted from Eloise.

"As you know my father was the Alpha, before me, then Martin and now you. But, what you don't know is my father refused to give up the reins entirely. He went so far as to arrange a mating for my son to an allied Alpha's daughter from a neighbouring pack." His grandmother explained.

"You mean Mom?" Henry asked, just to be sure.

"Yes, I do." Alice nodded.

"But they're mates. How was that possible? The chances are so slim." He spoke in awe.

"They are slim, so slim that I now have to tell you that though they mated, Henry, they were never true mates. Martin's true mate was Sammy's human mother. But he walked away from her in the end because of his own pride. He didn't want the world to see the lie he had perpetrated as truth for so long." Alice responded. "Your father did betray his true mate, but that mate was never Michelle."

Alice nodded in the direction of Eloise, and Henry turned to see she was now on her own, basking in the sunlight with a slight smile upon her face as the warmth of an early summer heated her skin.

"I was so proud of you when you turned down that she wolf your mother and father tried to arrange for you. Don't follow in your father's mistakes, my boy. Both you and that girl there, deserve better."

*Author's Note: Sorry about the delay, thos was supposed to be out last week, but the kids went down with hand, foot and mouth! Not fun for them at all. Anyway, they are much better now, and I hope you enjoyed it.*