"You can't keep sneaking around to see her." I heard my mother speak in hushed voices.
I sat down on the carpet in front of the coffee table colouring.
Eight year old me was pretty much in my own world, not really paying attention to anything other than my drawing.
Not the water that was running out of the faucet that my mother had left open in the kitchen.
Not the ticking of the vintage clock that had belonged to my great grandfather. And I was definitely not paying attention to my mother's pacing in the kitchen as she spoke on the phone.
I wasn't paying attention but my subconscious still picked up some of the words she whispered to whoever was on the other end.
"I'm serious... she's just a kid... she doesn't even know you... no... it's too soon... what if she gets scared... she might... she's going to tell her father... that's what she believes-"
The front door to our apartment swung open.
I immediately perked up and beamed when I saw my father walk in with his briefcase in hand.
"Daddy!" I cheered.
"Hey, sweetie!"
He set down his briefcase just in time for me to run up to him so that he could lift me and carry me.
"Did you get bigger?" He asked in a teasing voice.
I giggled. "Daddy! You saw me this morning!"
"That was four hours ago, darling. It's a really long time in 'daddy time'."
"Hey honey, you're back early." I hadn't even heard my mother approach us. Her cell phone no where in sight.
"My lectures got cancelled for the day, the school was having their sport's thing. Remember? I told you about that." He responded as he set me down and walked over to place a kiss on my mother's cheek.
"Oh right. I must have forgotten." My mother responded.
He looked at her. "You okay? You look kind of pale."
"Oh I'm fine." She responded quickly. "Um, since you're back early, we could have an early lunch, just the three of us."
"Oh that sounds great, we could go out to -"
"No." My mother responded quickly. "Uhm - let's just stay in, we could order in. I don't really feel like getting dressed and leaving the house."
She gave him a charming smile. "We could watch one of your stupid Harry Potter movies."
"Harry Potter is not stupid!" I yelped.
"Yes mum, Harry Potter is not stupid." My father spoke, placing his hand on his chest feigning offence.
My mother rolled her eyes. "Yeah whatever. I'm going to order lunch. Something organic for you and your daughter-" she placed a kiss on my father's cheek. "And pizza for me."
"Hey!" Dad and I both yelled at the same time. Albeit for different reasons.
My father, because he believed junk food shouldn't enter our bodies because they are 'temples'. And me because I really, really wanted pizza as well.
"Just go set up while I order the food." My mother told us dismissively.
"Aye, aye, Captain." My dad responded before picking me up and carrying me to the living room where my crayons were scattered all over.
"You're one busy lady." He whistled before picking up my drawing.
I saw his face furrow in confusion as he studied it.
"Uhm, kiddo? What is this?"
I suddenly froze when I remembered the promise I made to my mother about not telling my father certain things.
What I had been drawing had in fact been the wolf I kept seeing in my dreams. The big black one with the bright red eyes.
"What is it, Crystal? It looks kind of like a wolf." He spoke turning the paper around.
"I-it is." I stuttered.
He looked at me in concern. "That's an interesting choice... um... why did you choose to draw this, love?"
"What are we talking about?" My mother suddenly appeared from the kitchen forcing a smile.
My father set down the paper and smiled at me. "Why don't you finish up here, hun?"
I nodded silently, giving my mother an apologetic look. I felt incredibly guilty for breaking our 'Van Cliffe girls' pact.
I didn't hear their entire conversations but I heard things like... child therapist... weird. creepy... from my father. And my mother's voice rising as she said things like; my daughter... nothing wrong... perfectly normal...
Needless to say, we didn't watch that movie that night.
"...I'm here to take back what's rightfully mine. Starting with the territory the Werewolf Union stole from me. And of course, my darling granddaughter who alpha Tristan has graciously been keeping safe for me. You may know her as Crystal Swan but from now on you have the honour of knowing her real name; Valencia Van Cliffe..."
Uncle Victor looked away from the phone that the video was playing from.
He furrowed his brows and I could tell how disturbed he looked.
"He really is back." Uncle Victor spoke.
"And more demented than ever." Peter commented from where he stood in the Benson kitchen.
"I'm sure you understand why I need to move you out of this house as soon as possible." Tristan told them.
Aunt Sarah looked at Uncle Victor with a frown.
"They've already infiltrated the house once." May reminded them.
I shuddered at the memory.
"Where are we going to go?" Uncle Victor asked.
"The manor." Tristan responded easily. "You'll be safe there."
"But we'll be putting you and your family in danger." I spoke up.
Tristan looked up at me.
"No one will get through." He assured me.
I wanted to remind him that his own father had been murdered in the manor. It was clear that Ornyx was looking for me. And from the last failed mission, it showed that they wanted Aunt Sarah and Uncle Victor as well as the other Bensons as well.
We would only be putting Tristan and his brothers in more danger. Not to mention, everyone else who lived with him.
An image of the bloody corpses of his soldiers flashed through my mind.
"What about Crystal?" Uncle Victor asked. "The whole town knows that she's Ornyx's granddaughter now. They won't take lightly to the news."
I looked at Tristan, Peter and May, they obviously knew that it was true.
"Let me handle my people." Tristan spoke as he stood up.
Uncle Victor stood up as well looking at Tristan seriously. "I know you think that you have everything under control, alpha but Ornyx isn't a fool. He knows his game. Take it from me."
"Trust me, I know." Tristan replied.
"No. You don't." Uncle Victor insisted. He sighed. "We're trained to be soldiers in the Shadow pack. From childhood, we're brain washed to be committed to our alpha, to die for him if need be. That's why I'm not surprised that Roman was able to become a spy so young. All Shadow pack members have blind allegiance to the Van Cliffe family."
"The Silvercrest pack has allegiance to the Melrose family too" Raphael spoke.
He was standing in the back of the room and he had been quiet so far.
"Not like the Shadow pack. Trust me." Uncle Victor spoke. "Ornyx could tell a pack member to cut off his tongue and he would do it without question. If there had been a mole in the Shadow pack, he would have had his or her head on a spike right now."
Tristan was silent for a while. He clenched his fist.
"What do you suggest?" He asked slowly.
Uncle Victor looked back at Tristan.
"Listen, son, I'm not here to teach you how to run your pack. But if you're going to go head on against Ornyx. You're going to need some inside information. My suggestion? Use the rogues you captured and Roman's ex."
Wait. Hold on a minute.
"What?" I asked.
They were all quiet and it was evident that there was something I didn't know.
"Roman's ex?" I asked knowing that there was no way Uncle Victor was referring to me.
"I thought we were all past the secret keeping." I told them.
Tristan was the one to speak. "Her name is Meggy Carter. We told you about her and you met her. Well, kind of."
My mind took me back to that dreadful night.
"Meggy?"
She's the wolf who had fought Roman that night. The spy turned enemy of the Van Cliffes.
I hadn't known what to make of her at the time and honestly, she hadn't really been my concern either.
All I had known is that she had provided the necessary distraction for me to escape. And according to Tristan, she had given them some information on the Van Cliffes.
"She's Roman's ex?" I asked in shock.
"How?" Kat asked in confusion.
The same question played through my mind.
I had been Roman's first real girlfriend.
"She's from the Shadow pack, and she's a part of the rogues that infiltrated the pack. That's as far as we have established." Peter explained.
I knew this already though.
"But she's still in lock up?" I asked.
"Yes." Tristan responded.
"So she's an enemy of the Van Cliffe's." I spoke looking around the room. "Doesn't that make them friends?"
"They claim to be deserters of the Shadow pack but I wouldn't exactly call them 'friends'." Tristan spoke.
"This girl, she fought Roman. I saw it." I spoke.
"That doesn't mean a thing. We still don't know what her agenda is." Tristan argued.
"Well right now her and the other rogues are your only connection to Ornyx and the Van Cliffes, don't you think you should enlist their help?" I asked.
"I'm an alpha, I'm not going to ask for help from my prisoners." Tristan scoffed at the very suggestion.
I folded my arms across my chest and fixed him with a serious look.
"You saw the video, Tristan. Ornyx has promised to kill you. Swallow your pride." I snapped.
The room was silent again.
Tristan stared at me quietly.
"Could I have a minute alone with Crystal please." He ordered in a low voice.
His apprentices and Raphael immediately complied, turning to walk out the kitchen. Kat followed as well. I saw Aunt Sarah tugging on Uncle Victor's arm.
He's the only one who seemed reluctant to follow the alpha's order.
I nodded at him telling him it was okay.
He reluctantly got up and left with Aunt Sarah.
The minute everyone was gone, I turned on Tristan.
"Why are you being so stubborn?" I snapped.
Tristan stood up and walked around the island towards me.
"I'm not being stubborn, I'm being alpha. And alphas are not weak. They don't act impulsively out of fear."
"Well I think you should be afraid." I countered. "Ornyx is alive and he is coming for you."
"You underestimate me." Tristan spoke.
"No." I told him breathlessly. "I just don't want you to die."
My voice cracked when I said the last part.
Tristan's face softened.
He sucked in a deep breath. "I know people look down on me for being a 'boy alpha'. But what everyone needs to understand is that I've been training for this my entire life. I can take Ornyx." He spoke the last part with a desperate determination.
Like he wasn't just trying to convince me but himself as well.
"What if you can't?" I spoke in a small voice. "Then you die and the pack loses their alpha, Michael and Joshua lose their brother."
Tristan clenched his jaw. "I'm not going to fail." He spoke.
I sighed. "I know you want everyone to see you and respect you like they did your mother. And I know you want to defeat Ornyx but Tristan, you're not being smart about this."
Tristan looked amused. "How would you know that I'm not being smart when you don't even know what my plan is?"
"Because I know you." I told him.
He was right, I didn't know what his plan was but I could see where this was going judging by his behaviour.
"So far Ornyx has had the upper hand, he has been playing mind tricks on you, sending Roman in to infiltrate the pack. Even if he couldn't plan for us to become mates, he was obviously behind having my mother bring me here."
"You are so desperate to prove something to your pack and to Ornyx that you're letting him provoke you into getting into a fight that you won't win. Not like this anyway."
Tristan let out a humourless laugh.
"Oh, you wanna talk about people being desperate to prove something?" He took a step closer to me and nodded down at me.
"Why do you still have that necklace on, Crystal?"
My hand unconsciously flew up to finger the chain.
Even after finding out the necklace was poisoning me, I still hadn't taken it off.
"I'll tell you why, because you're scared. Scared of having everyone finally see the real you. The one that's more powerful than anyone could have thought." He spoke.
I scoffed. "Please -"
"No, don't deny it. We shared an empathy link, remember? I learnt that you feel most afraid in situations where have the chance to show the world your potential. You avoid the spotlight at all costs because that's what your mother programmed you to do."
I felt mad at Tristan for assuming things.
"You didn't know anything about my mum Tristan and just because we were mates for a hot minute, it doesn't mean you know me like that."
Tristan's face grew serious. "We were mates for barely a month but as far as caring about you? Being aware of you? I've done that since I found you. That's the difference between us. I never rejected the mating bond."
"Yes you did." I spoke my mind going back to the night of the ball.
It still stung to think about it.
"That's because I had to." He spoke, his voice suddenly lower. "I wasn't going to make you be with me any longer. It wasn't fair to either of us. Besides, you already made your choice and I respected it."
"Saying I didn't want you to kill Roman wasn't be choosing him." I spoke defensively.
"What about now? After what he did to you and your family. Would you let me kill him?" Tristan asked.
I hesitated and that seemed enough for Tristan.
"I thought so." He spat at me. He turned away but I marched after him.
I grabbed his shoulder.
He spun on me catching me off guard for a second.
"Me not wanting you to kill someone has nothing to do with love. If anything, it's based on morality."
"And according to 'morality', Roman doesn't deserve to pay for killing my soldiers? For hurting Bridget?" Tristan asked. I saw the anger in his eyes.
"You kill him and you become like him." I spoke softly. "I - you were right. I didn't recognise that Roman. There were bits and pieces of him but I saw something else in him that night. Something dark and scary. It frightened me. And I'm afraid that if you play into Ornyx's hands, you're going to come back in bits and pieces too. And there are so many people who still need the kind and compassionate Tristan."
"You're a good man. Don't let Ornyx turn you into one of his monsters."
Tristan had calmed down now but I still saw his chest heaving slightly.
He looked down into my eyes.
"My mother used to tell me that above all, I should treasure peace and harmony in my pack. My people have had that since the war ended. I need to make sure it stays that way. Whatever it takes."
"What are you going to do then? What's your plan?" I asked.
I saw Tristan hesitate and I wondered if he was trying to decide if he could trust me or not.
"Ornyx is a man of tradition. He's trigger happy but he respects the laws of old. I'm going to challenge him. One on one combat."
My eyes widened. My Werewolf history was a lot rusty but I knew what duels between alphas meant.
"He takes over the pack when you die." I told him.
Tristan rolled his eyes. "There you go again with underestimating me. I'm not going to lose or die."
"Tristan, he's more experienced!" I yelled.
How was he not seeing how stupid he was.
"And I'm not weak." He responded.
I clenched my fists. "Tristan, don't do this. There has to be another way."
"This is the only way that prevents unnecessary blood shed." He replied.
"You can't do this." I spoke again. "Think of the pack, o-of your brothers. They lose you if you die."
"Then I guess I just won't die." Tristan responded in an exhausted tone.
He was tired of this conversation but I wasn't.
"Bridget would agree with me if she were here and you know it!"
I saw Tristan tense up and I immediately regretted bringing his beta up.
"Yeah, I bet she would." He spoke quietly. "But she can't say anything to this because of what they did to her. I'm going to make sure Ornyx pays with his life."
He turned to leave and I was getting desperate.
I wanted to cry. Every step he took getting closer to the door felt alarmingly loud.
Like if he walked out and left, I wouldn't see him ever again.
"Tristan wait -"
He stopped in his tracks and turned around.
"Don't do this." I begged.
He let out a sigh. "I know what I'm doing, Crystal. I know you don't believe me but I do."
"It's not that I don't believe you." I whispered. "I just don't want to lose you."
For a moment he just stared at me.
"I decided a long time ago that I wasn't going to let fear dictate my life. You shouldn't either. You can start by getting rid of that necklace."
With that, he left, walking out and leaving me hopeless.