Tristan
"Tristan?"
I shot up quickly getting ready to jump into action.
But as soon as my eyes adjusted to the light I realised there was no threat. It was just Courtney.
The blonde girl furrowed her brows at me.
"Um, okay... chill." She spoke, holding her hands up. "I just came to tell you that my mum wants to know if you're going to be having lunch with us."
I felt my body begin to relax and it's only then that I realised how tense I was.
Or rather how tense I had been.
I couldn't sleep in my house for a month after my father was murdered.
And now I couldn't even feel at peace in my own pack.
Once again, Ornyx had stolen that from me. He had stolen it from my entire pack.
I looked at my watch and sighed.
"Tell her thanks but I should be going. I have a meeting I have to get to." I spoke as I got up and picked up my jacket from the back of my chair.
I turned around to look at Bridget who looked peaceful in her bed. You would even believe she was sleeping if it wasn't for the machines she was attached to keeping her alive.
Courtney leaned against the doorframe and looked at her older sister. "You know if you keep coming here everyday, you're going to give my mum the wrong idea. She already believes you and Bridge are 'soulmates'."
There was humour in Courtney's voice as she made quotation marks in the air when she said 'soulmates' but we both knew Bridget's mother had been trying to set us up since we hit puberty.
I used to find it funny until I realised that Bridget actually had feelings for me. Then it just became uncomfortable.
Bridget's mother had always put pressure on her to marry well and provide for the family.
Bridget was never the type who believed she needed a man in her life to make her happy. So she worked hard and got a good job instead.
You'd think her mother would be happy having her daughter be the second most powerful person in this pack but she still constantly bothered her about not getting a husband.
"Why aren't you in school anyway?" I asked Courtney, changing the topic.
Courtney rolled her eyes. "I got suspended, remember?"
I had almost forgotten. The school had actually called my office to inform me of Courtney's suspension seeing as to how she would have to be suspended from my apprenticeship program as well.
"You really shouldn't be starting fights at school, you know." I told her knowing Bridget would have lost her head if she heard Courtney had been suspended for fighting.
"So I've been told." Courtney muttered irritably. "You know there are bigger things to worry about than me starting a stupid fight at school. The Van Cliffes are back, I need to be training for war."
I looked at Courtney. "Never say that. There is no war." I told her sternly.
I worked too hard. We all did. We sacrificed so much so that no one else in Woodfell would ever have to experience war again.
"Tristan." Courtney spoke in a small voice, "Ornyx Van Cliffe is back."
I walked towards Courtney and placed a hand on her shoulder. "That's my problem, okay? Not yours or anyone else's."
Courtney looked away from me stubbornly. Something Bridget used to do when we were younger.
"My sister is dying right in front of me and you're telling me there's nothing I can do about it." She spoke bitterly.
"I'm telling you to trust me. I'll take care of everything." I told her.
I didn't know how I could look Bridget's little sister in the eye and promise I would take care of everything after I had already failed to protect Bridget. My own beta. My oldest and closest friend.
But that's what I had to do. That's what I had to say. I was the alpha and it was my job.
"Alpha Tristan." May showed up at the door holding my phone.
"Five more minutes." I told her gruffly knowing this hour I took from my schedule each day to see Bridget did more harm than good to my other priorities.
"Umm..."
"Tell whoever it is that I'm preoccupied."
May looked hesitant. Finally, she just blurted it out. "It's Ornyx. He just sent a message.
I froze.
"What?"
Crystal
"Soo... Ornyx Van Cliffe, one of the deadliest alphas in the history of werewolves is your grandpapi?" Christopher asked slowly looking at me then Kat then me again.
"Do not call that monster 'grandpapi'. It almost humanizes him." Kat spoke with a roll of her eyes as she continued rummaging Chris' closet for God knows what.
"Sorry but this is the most insane thing I've heard. So that makes you -" Chris pointed at me.
"His granddaughter?" I asked, trying the words out seeing if they fit.
A man who had caused havoc and distraction was my grandfather, nice.
Chris ran a hand down his face. "And Roman, his been working for the Van Cliffes? All this time?"
"Keep up Christopher!" Kat yelled impatiently as she fished more clothing out of his closet.
"And your mum?" Christopher frowned at me.
I gripped the necklace that still hang around my neck wondering why I was still wearing it. Maybe I was scared to take it off. That would make everything too real.
"Yep." I sighed.
Chris leaned back looking exhausted as if all this information was too overwhelming for him.
So imagine how I felt when all that had been poured on me.
"Damn Cryss." He spoke.
I just looked at the floor not knowing what to say or do anymore.
I had grown up on lies. My mum didn't tell me about my werewolf heritage, she didn't tell me about who my real father was.
Hell she probably didn't tell my dad who my real father was. He had lived his life believing that I was his. That we were some stupid big happy family.
"Wow." Chris let out, his eyes still wide. "So what now?"
That was a good question.
"I don't know." I muttered.
What did you do after finding out something like this that greatly affected your identity.
"I just know I need to see my dad ." I told him.
Chris hesitated. "Umm... which one?"
"Obviously not the evil one!" Kat spoke in a 'duh' tone as she finally re-emerged throwing on Chris' red hoodie.
"What?" She shrugged at him before joining us where we sat on the floor of his room. "I was cold."
"It looks good on you." Was all Chris said and I couldn't help but notice the shy smile on his face.
"Red always looks good on me." Was Kat's response. She turned to face me. "I can't believe my dad kept this from you." There was disgust in her words.
I sighed. "He was just trying to protect me."
I had spent a long time in bed last night just trying to figure out who to be mad at about this entire ordeal. But was being mad at my uncle or Tristan really justified.
A part of me believed it was. They knew my dad had been looking for me and they both knew how much I had wanted to find him yet they kept us away from each other.
And when they found out that Xavier Van Cliffe is my real father, they kept that from me too. They didn't trust me enough with the truth.
I could defend them all I wanted because I knew what they would both do to protect me but it didn't stop me from feeling hurt.
"And look how well that turned out." Kat muttered.
I didn't know what she meant. I was safe. I was still alive. Innocent people weren't.
Chris let out a sigh. "I - I still can't believe that Roman... I just thought maybe -"
"He would turn out not to be a spy? That this would be some huge misunderstanding? Well sorry to break it to you but you're a fool if you believe that." Kat spoke.
For some reason I still couldn't sit down and listen to anyone speak ill of Roman like that.
I knew how Chris felt because I felt the exact same way. I want it all to be a huge misunderstanding with Roman. I wanted everyone to be wrong about him. I wanted everyone to see the Roman I knew.
I wanted the Roman I knew back.
"He seemed... different." I spoke in a small voice.
"Different how?" Chris asked in concern.
I thought back to the night I had seen Roman. "He was still him but... I don't know... angrier."
I almost shivered when I thought about how he had spoken about how Tristan deserved to suffer.
If that was Roman... the real Roman... Does that mean I never really knew my mother either?
Ofcourse not. The woman I knew... or thought I knew, would never have left me or lied to me about my father.
"Roman was always angry before." Kat muttered in a low voice.
"He was always grumpy. Moody even. Not angry." Chris spoke defensively.
"No. He was angry. He hated Woodfell, if anything we should have seen it coming." Kat muttered.
Chris looked like he was about to say something but I interrupted him.
"I thought he loved me." I spoke. I felt tears prick at my eyes. "Or at least cared enough."
I looked Roman in the eyes that night. I hoped he would get into that car with me. Leave with me, have what we had always wanted. But I knew that whatever cause the Van Cliffes had was what he had chosen.
"We might never know why Roman did what he did but atleast now we know the truth." Kat spoke, placing her hand on my knee.
"Now all I want to know is what's going to happen to me." I spoke.
Kat and Chris looked at me in confusion.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Kat asked.
"I'm part of the Van Cliffe family. When people here find out, they're going to want my head on a spike."
"Tristan won't let that happen." Kat spoke immediately.
"I haven't had a proper conversation with Tristan since the incident." I spoke. "He just told me to stay put while they come up with a plan."
Even yesterday, he had given me comfort but that's it. I don't know if I was mistaken but I had seen it in his eyes, he wanted to hold me for longer.
But he didn't. He let go and just told me I could call him if I needed anything.
He let go.
That's what hurt the most. He let go.
It's not like the plan involved him holding on but I don't know... I wanted him too. That probably made me selfish but I wanted someone to hold on to me. Someone to still want me.
"Still, you're his mate." Kat continued.
"Was." I muttered.
Kat and Chris shared a look.
"Either way, Alpha Tristan is a good guy. He'll keep all of us safe." Chris spoke.
"Ornyx killed his parents, right?" I asked.
Kat swallowed. "Not directly, but yeah..."
"Ornyx hurt lots of people in this pack, right?" I continued.
Kat just nodded.
"I can't stay, guys. I need to leave Woodfell." I told them firmly.
"Crissy, you're our family and this is your home." Kat told me.
"No. It isn't. It never was."
Kat didn't say anything and I knew it was because she knew I was right.
"But... where are you going to go?" Chris asked.
"I don't know." I admitted. "To be with my father hopefully. But I - I just can't be here anymore."
I was surprised to see Kat suddenly wipe a tear from her eyes.
"Aww... Kat." I spoke, moving in to wrap an arm around her.
"This isn't fair!" She spoke. "You're my best friend and you're a freaking good person. None of this should be happening to you."
I just held Kat and wondered if I was a good person. I tried to be but I was just as flawed as everyone else.
Chris had been silent but I saw him getting emotional as well.
I didn't want to say goodbye to either of them. They were some of the best parts of Woodfell.
I only pulled away from Kat when I heard my phone begin to ring.
"I'm not a wimp or anything so if either of you mentioned I cried today, you're dead." Kat warned us.
I smiled weakly before picking up my phone. It was an unknown number so I just assumed it was someone from Tristan's office calling to give me feedback but the minute I heard the voice, I knew who it was immediately.
"Hey." The voice greeted.
"Roman?"
Kat and Chris immediately perked up, looking at me in concern.
"Crystal, give me the phone." Kat demanded.
I turned around, ignoring her.
"What do you want?" I spat, creating distance from Kat and Chris.
"Crystal, hang up now or so God help me -" Kat spoke.
"Eish. Okay, I see you're still mad." Roman spoke with a sigh.
I almost laughed. "You're kidding me, right?
"Crystal! I'm calling the guards." Kat spoke in a threatening tone.
I didn't say anything to her. I didn't know what to.
I wanted to be mad at Roman. How dare he call me so casually after what happened.
But another part of me was washed in relief.
"Is that Kat?" He asked sounding amused.
"Roman, we're getting the guards now." I told him trying not to let my mind take me to a Roman who didn't exist anymore.
"Go ahead." He spoke breezily.
He wasn't worried in the least and I understood why.
It would be easy to scream and have the guards who had escorted us to Chris' house rush in. But then again what good would it do? It was just a phone call.
"Why are you calling?" I asked ignoring the murderous and panicked looks Kat and Chris were giving me respectively.
"Just looking out for you as usual." Roman spoke, his tone gentle. Almost like my old Roman.
"Crystal, I'm calling dad." Kat spoke taking out her phone. But by the hesitant look on her face, I knew that she knew just as well as I did that that wouldn't do anything.
I raised a hand to stop her and took the phone away from my ear, putting it on speaker phone so that Kat and Chris could hear.
"What are you talking about, Roman?" I asked.
He was silent for a while and I couldn't help but look around Chris' room wondering if he could see us right now.
"Remember the first time we almost had sex?"
I immediately felt my face get warm and regretted putting my phone on speaker.
Kat's eyes widened and her jaw dropped at me. Chris looked at the phone then at me, then at the phone again.
I really regretted putting my phone on speaker phone.
"Why are you bringing that up?" I asked, my voice cracking slightly.
Roman chuckled lightly and I could just imagine him giving me one of those amused looks he would give me when I felt abashed.
As if it gave him an edge and made him more superior. As if my innocence made me 'cute'.
Of course I remembered that day. I remembered everything that happened with him, big and small.
I had initiated things that day in his apartment. I had bought the condoms and made sure we were alone. I had wanted to have sex with him because I thought that would make us feel closer. Because I thought that would close the gap of the distance I had been feeling with him lately. That if I gave him my body, he would never let me go.
"Remember what I told you that day?"Roman continued, his voice as gentle as it had been that same afternoon in his room.
I didn't answer immediately. Partly because I was embarrassed at even having to talk about this in front of my friends but also because it felt like a trick. Why would he bring up our most intimate moments.
"You told me that you didn't want to rush things. That all good things are worth waiting for." I spoke in a small voice.
For a second I wasn't in Chris' room. I was in Roman's just a few months ago, looking into his Hazel eyes and falling even more deeply in love.
"Exactly." I could practically hear the smile in his voice. "I've waited so long to see you again. And it might not have gone the way I planned the first time but I know we'll be together again, baby."
That's what I had wanted in the first place. He didn't even know how badly I had wanted that. But after everything that had happened, I just couldn't want that anymore.
"I'm glad we didn't sleep together that night." I spoke trying to remove all the emotion from my voice.
Trying to make the words hurt.
"What?" Roman asked in shock obviously not expecting those words.
"Then I would have had to deal with the fact that I had been intimate with someone who lied to me. Someone I thought I knew - a - a monster."
I didn't even mean to add the last part. All I knew is that I wanted him to hurt like I had been hurting.
"I'm not a monster, Crystal, you're living with the monsters and you can't even freaking see that I'm just trying to help you!" He yelled angrily.
I flinched back not expecting that tone from him. But then again, why was I surprised? The Roman I had known wasn't real and I needed to accept that.
" I freaking love you, Crystal! Me! Not Tristan. Me. He will never -"
There was suddenly a shuffling sound and then I heard a voice that I hadn't heard in four years.
"That's enough, David."
I froze as I heard more shuffling then the voice was directed at me and sent a chill down my spine.
"Hello, baby."
I gulped.
"Mum?"