It had only been a couple of days since the letter should have arrived back home. To say that he was disappointed in not receiving a return letter was an understatement. Ash would wake up, get ready and bathe, and then ask at breakfast if the mail had been yet. His pursuit of a replacement was halted for the time being. He knew he needed another angle to figure out the solution to this particular problem.

And the solution to his main problem could afford to take a backseat right now. He still had time until it was too late to find a replacement. Ash knew he'd find someone as marriage wasn't an option for him.

This was day five of waiting for a reply. He arrived at breakfast and while there was no mail yet today, Ash held out hope. The food was presented to him on the same blue, fine china plate, and Ash was about to dig in when there was a sudden burst of noise from outside. It sounded as though someone was shouting or screaming from the raised pitch. A servant came rushing in, panting as he looked over to Tristan, ignoring Ash altogether.

"My lord, there is an alpha outside. He demands to see you. He is too strong and is only getting angrier." the servant puffed out in between intakes of air.

Tristan furrowed his brows but pushed his chair out from the table, taking long strides over to the door and heading outside. Ash should have stayed in the dining room. He should have kept quiet and finished his meal. But whoever was at the door held far more interest for the omega.

So he got up and rushed to the door to head down the hall. The closer he got, the louder the shouting became. It was a shock to hear his name though. Who would know he was here?

"I have the letter right here! I am here on behalf of Ash's mother. If you just let me in, I can prove it to you buffoons." the alpha was getting annoyed and frustrated as a deep-set scowl etched across his lips. As Ash approached, he saw the alpha who'd been shouting and his face lip up in confused joy. Joy to see a familiar face but confusion as to why he was there.

"Beau?" he voiced his question as he pushed past the servants trying to bar the other alpha's entry as well as Tristan who was the biggest deterrent denying entry.

"Ash! You're here!" he exclaimed and tried to move past the servants to hug the omega. They didn't let him and Tristan let out a warning rumble from his chest.

"I said I was here in my letter. Why wouldn't I be?" Ash asked while crossing his arms over his chest. 

"It wouldn't be farfetched to assume you'd been traded away or sold to some slaver." Beau said with a mumble. He looked sheepish which wasn't a look Ash had seen before from his best friend. Beau was tall, although an inch shorter than Tristan. He had shaggy brown hair and caramel-brown eyes. He was built, but not nearly as much as Tristan. His sun-tanned skin was a contrast to Tristan's alabaster complexion. Beau had been Ash's friend for the past five years. Beau was older than him by four years, but they became fast friends when Ash was being bullied at school. All Beau had to do was scare off the bullies and they were friends ever since that day. Beau was the only alpha who he'd let into his personal life. Ash knew he'd marry an alpha one day, but none had gotten him fired up yet. Tristan was the only alpha whose pheromones he'd picked up though… was that a sign?

Shaking his head, Ash pushed such silly thoughts aside before he gave Beau a once-over.

"So now you see I'm okay. You didn't need to make the journey just to see me," Ash frowned. He didn't think that Beau would be so adamant about coming all this way. The alpha may be his best friend, but he never considered him foolhardy. What about his job? Ash doubted Beau would just quit his welding gig to make sure he was safe. It was stupid if he had.

"You mentioned marriage! How could I not come here to take you home?" He sounded angrily frustrated. Ash chewed on his bottom lip when Tristan stepped in front of him.

"I don't know what Ashley has said in his letter, but he is bound to me. A deal with a fae is binding and only I can release him. The only way I would release him is if he is successful in his plans to find a replacement. Either way, he is here to fulfill a debt in return for his mother's medicine… She is healthy, yes?" Tristan spoke elegantly and left no room for arguing as he eyed Beau up and down.

"She is, but that's not—"

"Then I assume your job is done here. You came to make sure Ashley wasn't sold to a trader and that he is safe. As you can see, none of your horrible circumstances have passed so you may leave." Tristan finalized, about to head back inside when Beau growled.

"Ugh! I'm not leaving! I will find a room at the inn if I have to. But I am not leaving unless Ash asks me to." Beau had a fierce look in his eyes which cast their gaze over to the omega in question. Ash looked surprised and shied away by taking a step back. He chewed on his bottom lip now, not sure what to do. It would be beneficial to have Beau help him find a replacement. But he wasn't sure it was a good idea for the alpha to stay when he clearly butt heads with Tristan.

"I could use your help executing my plan, but I don't want to put you out, Tristan," he said with tender hesitancy. Beau scoffed and shook his head. Typical Ash, not wanting to be an inconvenience. But Tristan considered this as he looked pensive.

"He can stay here, in the staff quarters outside of the main estate. If that is to your liking," he said this with a small sneer at Beau which made him scowl again.

"It will be as I'm not leaving without Ash." 

Ash could feel the tension between them. Beau had hatred oozing from his body language whereas Tristan was an absolute wall, unwilling to change his decision. Trying to lighten the mood, Ash moved between the glaring alphas and motioned with his hands to calm down.

"Now that's settled. We should go inside and continue our meal, yes? Is it alright for Beau to join us?" Ash asked Tristan with an awkward sound to his voice. His voice cracked toward the end and it was clear that the tension from both alphas made the younger male feel weird. It was too much as he could place the anger in Tristan's scent.

"Very well." Tristan said with a flourished turn on his heel before heading back inside.

Ash sighed in relief and started to follow. While he may not be thrilled to have lost his freedom, forced to marry out of stupid mistaken debt; at least he could recognize Tristan's attempt to keep him happy. If Beau's presence was a peacemaking tool, Tristan would grin and bear it.

Beau followed the pair inside while walking past the alphas who'd tried to stop him with an aggressive pace. He didn't look around in amazement as Ash had that first night. His speed was quick as he caught up to Ash and Tristan.

A place was already being set at the other end of the table, far enough away that they wouldn't be great conversational partners at the table. As Tristan took his seat and Ash slowly took his, looking between alphas with a nervous expression, Beau would pick up the plate of food and walked over to a closer chair. He would pull out the chair next to Ash and plop down with his plate, picking up one of Ash's forks and begin to eat. Ash side-eyed Tristan to see his eye twitch before the alpha visibly tried to calm down.

"How is my mother doing? Did Gregory give her the medicine?" he asked while trying to ease the air in the room.

"She's good. Doing much better now that she has the remedy. She says the pain is gone now."

Ash felt extreme relief wash over his body and expression. He was thrilled to know that she was healing. He fiddled with the proper fork in his hand before he set it down. Even if she was no longer dying, that didn't mean he could celebrate completely. She wasn't here with him. And that stung. He had no intentions of getting married, especially not to be forced into it. But if he had to be married off, he wanted his mother there with him. Ash thought that should he fail, he would request a ticket for his mother to be at the wedding.

"Are you okay, Ash?"

He was brought out of his thoughts by Tristan's voice. Looking over at the alpha, he nodded his head with a nonchalant shrug. There was something about Tristan's voice that made him calm down.

"Yes, just thinking." he attempted to smile but turned his attention to his food instead. Beau regarded Ash before glaring at Tristan again. This would need to change. Ash was meant to be his, he just didn't know it yet.