Mated To An Enemy

Over the next several days, it was hard to have even a moment alone with Caleb. He had meeting after meeting and then physical therapies and councils.

Ashleigh spent her time exploring the central hub of Summer. She spent the first couple of days at the school.

Renee had been one of the teachers for the youngest pups in the North. Ashleigh had spent many hours helping her with games and crafts. So, she thought she might be able to bring something small to these Summer pups.

She was surprised by how well it went. The teacher was hesitant when they met. Ashleigh assumed she had heard the rumors. But once they started playing together with the children and Ashleigh taught them to make a few simple crafts, the mood changed.

For three days, Ashleigh came and played with the children, made crafts with them, and told them stories from Winter or answered their questions about snow and ice. They loved her.

On the third day, while the kids took their nap. The teacher finally asked Ashleigh about the rumors. She wasn’t rude or aggressive. She was just honest, and Ashleigh replied in kind.

Ashleigh told her the entire story of how she met Granger and how she had been with him for two years when she met Caleb. She told her about feeling connected to both and struggling with what she thought she was supposed to do.

She explained her self-doubt and her fear. She held back the details about other people or concerns with her family. Trying to focus only on telling the truth about how she felt and why she made her mistakes.

Ashleigh openly admitted that she was wrong.

She told this teacher she had only known for three days, details she hadn’t even fully expressed to Bell about how she felt over the past several months. About Caleb, herself, and even Granger.

She told her about meeting the Priestess and about the revelation of her twin. How relieved she had been when she found out that Caleb was her true mate. Feeling like she had finally been given permission to follow her heart.

The teacher listened to every detail with a mixture of emotions. Irritation, excitement, hope, anger, resentment, happiness.

Ashleigh took a deep breath.

She told her about the threat of war from Granger. The teacher gritted her teeth as an angry tear fell from her eye. And then Ashleigh broke her heart by telling her about the moment she told Caleb that he was not her true mate.

The teacher had excused herself to the restroom. They paused their conversation at that point. It was almost time for the children to wake from their nap, and Ashleigh could tell that this kind woman needed a little time to not stab her with the safety scissors that sat in the bucket between them.

At the end of the day, when the children were all picked up by their parents, the teacher asked Ashleigh if she wouldn’t mind continuing.

They sat together for several hours, talking about everything that came after she rejected Caleb. Renee, the fae, Granger.

Ashleigh sat patiently as the teacher asked her questions and let out her frustrations at some of Ashleigh’s choices.

But in the end, they left on a good note.

Ashleigh said goodnight to the new friend she had made and left the school to head back to her room.

“School was a good first choice,” came a cheery voice.

Ashleigh looked back to see a short young woman with her dark hair pulled back into a ponytail and a cheerful smile.

“Hello,” Ashleigh said.

“Hi,” the woman replied.

“Hi,” Ashleigh laughed, “I’m Ashleigh.”

“I know,” the woman nodded.

“Ok,” Ashleigh continued. “And you are….”

“Oh! Sorry!” the young woman replied, hitting her head gently. “I’m Clara. Alpha Caleb asked me to check in with you and see if there was anything that I could do to help you get acquainted with Summer.”

“Ah, I see,” Ashleigh smiled, “it’s nice to meet you, Clara.”

Ashleigh reached out her hand, and Clara took it, shaking it vigorously.

“So…” Ashleigh said, pulling her hand back. “Why do you think the school was a good first choice.”

“Oh!” Clara smiled, looking back at the school and then back to Ashleigh. “Well, the children are easier to win over. They have no opinions on the ins and outs of romantic entanglements. So first, they see a lovely lady who comes and does crafts with them, and then later, when they hear that she is the new Luna, they will be overjoyed because they know her.

“Parents that are particularly nurturing will automatically feel closer to you because their child is happy, even if they don’t entirely like you themselves. Not to mention, kids have a better sense for people whether they realize it or not.”

Ashleigh couldn’t help but smile as she listened to Clara’s overly excited explanation.

“But also, that teacher. She is a delightful lady with a firm moral conviction. Telling her your entire story, the good, the bad, the ugly. It was a perfect choice. She wouldn't have believed you if you had only told her the good things.

“If you had only admitted the mistakes you made and tried to apologize, she wouldn’t understand what you went through and wouldn’t have been able to forgive you. But giving her everything, especially after showing her who you are through your actions with the kids… wow. That was a smart move.”

Ashleigh stood with her arms crossed over her chest. She listened to Clara and tried to understand if she was complimenting her or calling her fake.

“I came to the children because they are the foundation of any people,” Ashleigh said. “I wanted to see how they are taught, what they are like, before the wolf.”

Ashleigh motioned to the bench that sat not far from them. Clara nodded, and they sat down together.

“In Winter, only the youngest groups of pups, the four to six-year-old children, are given time to play and make crafts or listen to silly stories. After that, they must prepare for the shift and what life will mean for them.”

“We learn about the shift early, but even after, there is still time for some art and creative learning,” Clara replied.

“I see that,” Ashleigh said. “Some of the children I played with today were beginning to go through the early stages. Their teacher told me they will be changed to another class in the coming days.”

“Yea, but only because there is the risk that they could hurt another child on accident just from the natural process.”

Ashleigh nodded.

“It was important for me to see, to understand the foundation of how Summer wolves learn,” Ashleigh said. “That is why I chose to come to the school. Not because I hoped to trick the children into liking me so their parents would too.”

Clara’s eyes widened.

“I didn’t mean to imply that you were tricking the children!” she shouted.

Ashleigh quickly shushed her, looking around for anyone nearby.

“Sorry,” Clara whispered. “I wasn’t trying to say you were tricking anyone. I just meant that it was a good choice to start with the children in general. I meant it as a compliment.”

Ashleigh nodded.

“I understand, thank you,” she said. Then, watching Clara relax her shoulders. “Though I will admit, the teacher was a bit of a calculated risk.”

Clara looked up at Ashleigh with a curious smile.

“I noticed on the first day that she didn’t seem particularly fond of me, and I assumed she had already heard the rumors. So, I made up my mind that I would tell her everything if she asked me about it herself.”

Clara nodded in understanding.

“I felt pretty good until I had to tell her about lying to Caleb about Granger being my true mate,” Ashleigh sighed. “I was sure she wouldn’t want to hear any more of the story, but she did. So, I told her everything.”

“Again, I say, that was a smart choice,” Clara smiled. “I don’t just mean because it’s morally the correct choice and shows a level of personal growth in your character necessary for anyone listening to your story to continue to care about you.”

Clara paused to take a breath before continuing.

“I mean, sweet as she is, that teacher is also a huge gossip.”

“Oh,” Ashleigh laughed, “I figured she probably would share with a few people.”

“No,” Clara shook her head, “I mean huge, like contacts in all divisions of Summer. Military, Science, Medical, Leadership. She is an information superhighway. Expect to start catching the interest of the wolves of Summer.”

“It can’t really be that serious,” Ashleigh laughed.

Clara smiled.

“Each division will want to verify you for themselves. None of us is really the trusting sort. So, we all need to check and recheck each other.

“Expect to start ‘running into’ members of each division. They will send their representatives whether you are ready for them or not.”