The car pulled up to the safe house.
It was way more silent than I had thought it would be.
One of Jasmine's guards had been driving.
She sat in between Tristan and I. And in a funny way, I felt like she was shielding me from the full extent of his anger.
I didn't wait when the car pulled up and jumped out immediately.
Tristan followed not a second later.
I heard Jasmine say something but he shut her down.
The beginning of the ride had begun with Jasmine trying to tell Tristan that it had all been her idea.
That she was completely within her rights by interviewing Meggy.
Tristan didn't say anything. And that was the scariest part. He burned with betrayal. I didn't need an empathy link to be able to figure out that much.
But I had known he wouldn't like this the minute I had agreed to it. I had done it for him even though I knew he wouldn't see it that way.
"Don't run away from me, Crystal." I heard his voice in a growl as it stopped me in my tracks to seek refuge in the house.
I spun around and saw him standing there, looking furious.
I let out a breath.
Jasmine had gotten out of the car now as well.
" I don't know what you want me to say." I spoke in a quiet voice. "I was just trying to help."
"Van Cliffe's are trained to lie and deceive, there's a reason I didn't want you talking to Meggy. You should have listened to me. Why don't you ever listen to me?" He raised his voice slightly.
"Tristan," Jasmine spoke calmly. "We did what we thought was -"
"I really don't want to hear it, Jazz." He growled at her.
I froze. I didn't recognise this Tristan.
I had never seen him this mad.
I heard the front door open, Uncle Victor stepped out. He looked around curiously and I could tell he was concerned about the raised voice.
"Crystal, get in, now." He told me.
I looked back at Tristan.
He was clearly still fuming.
I opened my mouth to say something.
"Now, Crystal." Uncle Victor ordered.
I looked at him then back at Tristan again.
There were words in his eyes that I felt I needed to decipher.
"I'm beefing up security. You need to stay here where you're safe and not go wandering around." Tristan spoke.
He spun around.
I don't know why I had been expecting screaming. When was I gonna learn that that wasn't the type of man Tristan was.
"Tristan." I spoke in a small voice.
He stopped.
He didn't want to talk to me. He didn't even want to look at me. That was clear.
He was losing his patience and the smart thing would have been to let him leave with Jasmine. But I just couldn't. Not like this.
He continued walking towards the car.
"Tristan!" I spoke in a louder voice, this time my voice cracked.
He stopped.
"Don't - don't go." I spoke.
He stood still for a few seconds. He then turned around and this time I saw something else entirely.
I saw exhaustion.
"Let's talk." I begged.
"Crystal, it's late." I heard uncle Victor speak. "You can do this tomorrow. The full moon festival is about to begin and Tristan needs to be there to lead the shift."
I didn't pay my uncle any mind. I just stared at Tristan.
I felt like a child begging their parent not to leave them. And maybe it was my abandonment issues speaking but I was so fed up with watching people walk away from me. Especially since now I knew that I may never see them again.
"Five minutes." Tristan spoke gruffly.
My heart, which felt clenched before felt free now.
I felt like I could breathe a little better.
I turned to Uncle Victor. "I just need a few minutes of privacy."
I could tell that he didn't want to leave me alone with Tristan at the moment. But I also hoped he could hear how desperate I was.
Uncle Victor sighed.
"Fine. Five minutes."
I turned back to Tristan and nodded towards the back. I led the way hoping he would follow. His footsteps were heard a few seconds late and it brought me relief.
"What is it, Crystal?" He asked once we were in the back yard.
The sun was just going down, exuding pretty pink-orange lighting in the sky.
I thought about my words carefully before I spoke them.
I sucked in a deep breath.
"Ever since I got here, you've done all you can to try and protect me. Is it so hard to believe that Jasmine and I did what we did because we were trying to do the same for you?"
Tristan didn't say anything. For a second I thought he would just turn around and leave.
"Do you want me to be honest, Crystal?" He asked and I was relieved when he finally spoke.
"There's nothing I want more." I told him.
He took a step towards me. I swallowed hard.
There was some distance between us but his action felt invasive.
"I believe Jasmine had a lot of things in mind when she supposedly came up with this plan. I think she had her pack in mind... I think she had my pack in mind... I think she had me in mind. Jazz - she hates Ornyx as much as I do. Sometimes that clouds her judgement and I understand that but you -"
I felt like he was about to stab me with words.
Tristan sighed and ran a hand down his face. "I don't know what to expect from you anymore, Crystal."
"There is so much that I still wonder about you. I'm not saying you did this with bad intentions. I'm just saying you didn't do this for me."
"But I did." I spoke up as I stepped closer. I was desperate for him to see me. To hear me.
"Jasmine and I wanted to find another way for you to beat Ornyx. And we figured, going to Meggy was our best shot. She was a soldier in his army. One of his personal spies! She's bound to know something. And you would have gotten those answers too already if you just swallowed your pride and -"
"My pack doesn't trust a word that comes out of Van Cliffes mouths. We never have." He snapped.
His voice was filled with hate and bitterness.
I shrunk back.
"Wow." I spoke.
Tristan's expression softened when he seemed to realise what he had just said.
"Tha-that's not what I meant, Crystal." He spoke.
"We're being honest, right?" I spoke. I didn't know why the anger started rising in me so suddenly but it did.
Tristan nodded.
"I'm a Van Cliffe." I spoke. "You imprinted on a Van Cliffe, Tristan. And that alone makes me tainted. It's yet another reason we would never work. I don't know how this mating thing works but it's been a joke from the beginning. They're so many reasons we shouldn't be together. The odds have always been stacked against us. But that has never stopped me from caring about you. All I need you to do now is believe it." I told him. "Please."
"The odds aren't stacked against us, Crystal. You are." He spoke.
"What?"
"I've always wanted you. Regardless of who you are, I've always wanted you. But you... I'm not mad. You get to make your own choices and that's something I'll never take away from you. Something I'll always fight for you to have... I just... I wish I hadn't spent so much time fighting for something I would never have."
Tristan looked at the ground. "I'm not mad at you for having opinions. You're always going to be entitled to those. I'm mad at you for going behind my back. This relationship... for both our sanity has to be kept as it should have been in the beginning. I'm the alpha of this pack. And you're part of my pack. And I will care for you and protect you as I do anyone else in this pack. But I need you to fall in line. I need you to respect me and my decisions, Crystal." He spoke firmly, giving me a glimpse of alpha Tristan.
I swallowed and took a step forward.
"No."
Tristan looked irritated.
"Crystal, if this is going to work-"
I don't know what pushed me to do what I did next. All I knew is that one minute I was standing still, the next, my lips were pressed to his.
I kissed Tristan.
I kissed Tristan.
And for a second, I thought he was kissing back.
That's until I felt him pull me away.
He stared at me, stunned.
I was breathing heavily. I hugged myself, not able to believe that I had just done that.
"Crystal-"
"I- I can't watch you die. I just can't." I blurted out.
Tristan looked at the ground.
He shook his head.
"I don't - I don't want this if it's going to be like this." He spoke.
I frowned. "I - it isn't - "
"I don't want you to sell your love to me to get me to do what you want me to do. I - I... it freaking hurts, Crystal."
I felt tears roll down my cheeks.
"I don't want to hurt you -"
"Then what was that kiss about?" He demanded.
"I-I..."
What was the kiss about?
"I - I..."
"Exactly." He spoke with an exhausted sigh. He turned around.
"Tristan." I whispered.
"Enough, Crystal." He spoke. "Enough."
With that, he turned and left.