Chapter 3: The Answer

Harper's POV

"Will you marry me?"

Am I an idiot? Why would I just yell that out to an Alpha? I'm not thinking straight, my thoughts are cloudy. I overhead the conversation from my bedroom and my curiosity got the better of me.

Asher looks like his jaw just came unhinged.

A small laugh escapes my lips, now embarrassed by my actions, "Oh, sorry to be so rude. I should introduce myself. I'm Harper Cole, the eldest child of Alpha Lawrence."

Asher looks at me with confusion on his face. His features are soft, yet his jaw line looks harsh under the dim lighting. His smile is soft and welcoming.

"It's nice to put a name to the face, Harper." Asher is so polite, "Was that a marriage proposal?"

I point a finger over my shoulder, gesturing for him to follow me. "Let's talk in private."

I lead Asher down the hallway to my bedroom. I shut the door behind us as Asher walks further into my room, stopping by the bay window in the center of the room.

"I'm sorry about that." I blurt out, breaking the awkward silence.

Asher turns around to face me, "This is a different side to you, not so fiery."

I almost laugh, "I'm not always like that. My Father pissed me off, so I wasn't in a great mood."

He nods his head, turning his attention to the view outside, "I'm sure it couldn't have been that bad."

"I'm the eldest child, but he wants to pass down the Alpha title to my younger brother," I'm still so pissed about it, He's only doing it because I'm a woman and he's always liked my brother more."

Asher turns around, shocked, "Really? I didn't pick Lawrence to have that type of mentality."

"Well, he does." I huff and slump on my bed. "Which is why I have a proposition for you."

Asher's eyes narrow at me. I'm sure he's wondering if he should be listening to a single word I say. He probably thinks I'm crazy. Hell, I must be if this is what I'm offering.

"I heard the conversation between you and your uncles. You need a wife, correct?" I raise my eyebrows; he nods in return. "I'm willing to marry you to get your uncles off your back."

Asher shoves his hands into his pockets, "What do you get out of this?"

"I'll use the time away to plot how I'll secure the Alpha title from my Father." It isn't going to be easy to convince my Father to give me the title instead of Artemis. I'm willing to do anything, even marrying a stranger I met a couple of hours ago.

Asher nods his head, slow, "That's an interesting proposal. I'll have to take time to consider it."

"Of course," I smile, "Trust me when I say you won't want to pass on this opportunity. We both need each other's help."

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The sun casts soft hues of yellow and orange across the pathway ahead of me. Having to run five miles every day is exhausting, but when the sunrise is this pretty, I don't mind. My feet slap hard against the ground propelling me towards the halfway point, my favorite spot in the world.

My feet come to a stop when I see the clearing. I walk, attempting to catch my breath before I need to run again. The pathway opens to reveal a hidden gem. The rows of trees form a circle, apples hanging high, creating the effect of a disco ball when the light bounces off them. The field is empty, serene, and undisturbed. It is the perfect place to come and relax when I'm feeling stressed.

I lie down in the middle of the lush green grass, staring up at the beautiful sunrise. The clouds mix to form a marble pattern. It changes every few minutes to create a new picture. My eyes close without my control, and I breathe in the fresh air and allow my body to sink into the softness around me.

"Good morning."

I jolt into a sitting position; my heart starts racing. I have never seen a single soul here before, so I'm confused as to why Asher is standing in front of me. His wavy hair is dripping with sweat, covering his eyes so only specks of blue show.

"What are you doing here?" The question comes out harsher than I intended.

He laughs, taking a seat beside me on the grass, "Not quite the response I was looking for." He lies back, "I saw you running here so I followed to see where we would end up. This place is beautiful."

I let myself lie down next to him, "It's my comfort place. I never bring anyone here." I look over at Asher, his eyes are closed, and his hair has fallen to the side. "You followed me here, so don't think I bought you here intentionally."

He laughs again. He must be in a better mood than last night.

"I'm not a creepy stalker," he looks over at me, "I actually wanted to talk to you, that's why I followed you."

I sit up, nervous. I forgot I had proposed marriage to him last night. "What do you want to talk about?"

He sits up, "How you're so in love with me that you want marriage," He smiles, teasing me.

I push against his shoulder, embarrassed, "Asher, stop it. What do you really want to talk about?"

"I want to talk about your proposal," he looks down at the ground, his fingers twisting together, "The fake marriage."

I smile, relieved that he has given it a good think over. "Are you in?"

Asher waits a beat before nodding his head, "We need to set some ground rules, though. I'm not going into this without something in place between us."

I breathe a sigh of relief. I'm happy he's accepting my proposal. I need his help to stop whatever scheming plan Artemis and Ansel have cooking.

"Of course. What are your conditions?" I smile.

Asher pulls out blades of grass, tossing them in front of him, "I'm happy to be intimate in front of others, but I don't think we should mark each other."

I nod, "I agree. I'm willing to come live with you for a year while we are married and hopefully by the end, I will be given my rightful title as Alpha, and you will have full control over your pack."

I stick my hand out towards Asher, gesturing for him to shake it. He locks his large hand with mine and we shake on the agreement. I'm now pretend engaged. It feels odd but I know this won't last forever. It won't be long until I find my true mate and we'll live a long and happy life together. Asher is just a partner in a mutually beneficial scheme helping each other out.

"So, that's it then?" Asher questions.

I nod, returning my gaze to the sun almost set high in the sky, "We're engaged."