Grant was trying to accept Alanor's decision, even though he knew Alanor had tried to make life better for him in Acrod. Despite being the head warrior, his life was running a little too smoothly, and Grant knew he couldn't be happy without Alanor intervening from a distance.
The werewolf warrior already knew that Alanor was the one who had been taking care of the rogues around Acrod even before the warriors knew about it. However, Grant knew, because when he always went to do the inspection, he always found Alanor's scent.
It had comforted him for all those months they were apart anyway. Maybe that was why it was so easy for Grant to come to Alanor's aid. Because this man was always showing up for him even when Alanor didn't have to.
"Oh yeah? You wanna meet others huh?" Grant teased with a frown on his face.
"I'm sorry," the young Wynter let out, his voice coming out softly.
"For being stupid and picking a fight with the damn prince of the lycans? You should not be apologizing to me, go apologize to him you big oaf—" Grant said and Alanor pulled him into a hug.
The young Wynter didn't care that their scents would mix and that the people here would think they were mates. Alanor needed the hug and he couldn't exactly ask Zelina or Ulrike for one, because that would be even more suspicious of him and the warlocks of Greroth.
"What are you—"
"Please, just for now. Even for this tiny moment, let me stay here, a little longer," Alanor asked faintly and Grant's heart broke for him. He didn't know what it was that was truly holding Alanor back from giving into their mate bond.
Grant had been asking himself that question for months, but from what he had learned about the young Wynter, he knew the man would open up only when he needed to, and not a second before.
"Okay, don't be too hard on yourself," Grant said before continuing.
"We can both change this, but I assume you have a good reason for whatever it is you are doing to us. We are strong and can make things right, but for some reason you are keeping me away from you. I was honestly angry in the first few weeks, but I'm not, not anymore.
"I just hope you don't hurt yourself in the process, and don't go picking fights. I won't always be there to stop your punches, you know," Grant scolded and Alanor let out a smile.
Even though their situation was complicated because of Alanor, Grant was willing to overlook that and stay with him. It was probably risky, but Alanor needed the comfort and Grant was going to give it to him.
Grant wasn't going to abandon the first person who looked out for him just because of what he was after. And so for the next few minutes, the two of them stayed in each other's arms, holding onto each other and wishing each other well.
There were so many emotions between them, from the sparks that were literally still lighting up their bodies, to the fact that this was without a doubt their final goodbye. But they didn't want to think of that.
They didn't want to talk about anything outside of their hug, because that would ruin this beautiful moment. But then as with everything else, all good things did come to an end. Their hug came to an end when the king called for everyone's attention.
"Be good to yourself, okay?" Grant said when they pulled apart.
"I will, and you will be happy, with whatever mate you get today alright," Alanor said as he kissed Grant's forehead before walking back to the party. The young Wynter had already cast a spell to remove his scent from Grant and to get Grant's scent off of him.
This would be hard on them, but they had to adapt, for their own good.
Besides, despite being a final goodbye, they both knew that Alanor would break all the existing rules if ever Grant was in danger.
****
Grant was bored, so he kept his eyes on Alanor.
It was the only way for him to stay sane.
It had been months since Alanor had rejected him and frankly, he had never gotten over that. It broke his heart that this had happened, but what else could he do? It wasn't like he could go to Alanor and tell the man that they were supposed to stay with each other forever, right?
However, as the night progressed, Grant witnessed the one thing that he had been scared of. The mate he wanted, had gotten a mate, and once again, Alanor Gideon Wynter was running away. It was something that Grant couldn't understand really.
However, he knew that even though Alanor was running, the young Wynter would most likely give in to the bond with the new mate he had gotten. Alanor had been mated to the lycan prince of Udrad, the same kingdom whose king, Edison Stitt, Alanor had sworn to kill.
"You–" Alanor began, when he bumped into Grant who had been watching him. However, Alanor noticed the change and defeat in Grant's eyes, and it was then that he knew that his rejected mate knew.
"Grant, I–" Alanor began, but he was at a loss for words. Everything that he had done to this point was to never get a mate and yet the goddess had granted him Unar when he had rejected another, who also happened to be at the same damning party.
Alanor's heart broke for Grant, and he wanted to explain that he wouldn't be able to accept Unar, that he wouldn't bond with Unar, but the idea seemed ludicrous in Alanor's head. Even Grant knew that too.
Unar was the perfect mate for the young Wynter. He had everything that Grant didn't have and that made Grant feel like he was always born to lose, again.
The whole night Grant had been trying to find a way to get Alanor back, but then as he saw the man standing before him, Grant knew that this was nothing more than just a pipe dream.
It was a genesis of chaos after chaos, madness that the moon goddess herself had steered and for that he would forever blame himself for not being enough for the man with the greatest power in the midlands.
But what else could he do now?
The choice had already been made, the dice had been cast and everyone could either be left to their fates, or change them.
Grant could tell that Alanor was never going to reject the crown prince, Unar Stitt.
Unar was kind and loving and powerful and more than all that, Unar was the perfect link that Alanor would ever have to Edison. And what better way to get to Edison if not through the dear son that he had lived all his years for?
Standing there and seeing his mate and his former mate, Grant knew he had to make a choice that made him appear to be sane despite everything.
And so he made his choice too.
Grant had been planning and rejecting Nour, he had been planning on casting the omega aside and even engineering his banishment, but standing here before Alanor, Grant knew he had to show his former mate that he was strong.
He had to show Alanor that he had moved on and wished the best for the young Wynter.
He was desperate to prove to the young Wynter that life was all rosy, and that the goddess had been kind to him, and that in itself was the first of the endless mistakes that Grant Hindley would ever make in his life.
So he smiled at Alanor, in the most unbothered smile he could muster, and spoke the words that burnt his heart more than he would ever be able to admit to anyone, and certainly not the young Wynter himself.
"I would like for you to meet someone," Grant said to Alanor, who had been on the run. And for a moment, Alanor considered just running again, because he didn't have the courage to face Grant or even Unar.
'Oh Goddess,' Alanor said to himself, unsure whether he was happy or sad that his mate had gotten someone who would take care of him better than Alanor ever tried to. Maybe this was for the best, who was he kidding, of course, this was for the best.
It was the only way that Grant could be truly happy. Maybe he hadn't thought the goddess would help Grant and their bond like that, but damn, it was too true and too real to be an illusion.
"Hello," Alanor greeted awkwardly. He wasn't sure what he needed to say, so he added, "I'm Gideon of Greroth, Grant's friend."