"Look who's back." I opened my eyes and almost screamed when I saw Joshua Melrose leaning against a wall, looking at me.
I shot up and looked around myself at the unfamiliar room.
It didn't take long to identify the place as my guest room at the Melrose manor.
"Josh."
I turned to see Michael walking in as well, marching towards his brother. "I told you not to -"
"Good morning Crystal." Joshua spoke cutting off whatever Michael was about to say.
I lifted the covers up to my chest.
"Er, what are you two doing here?" I asked nervously.
Flashes of Tristan telling me we should get some rest at the manor played through my mind.
I had been more exhausted than I had thought, in agreeing to this. I had probably fallen asleep in the car.
So much for staying with Roman.
"It's our house." Joshua responded snarkily.
"Josh, come on." Mikey hissed, tugging on his brother's arm.
He gave me a forced smile "We just came by to uhm... say good morning Crystal and welcome -"
"What are you doing in our house?" Joshua detached himself from Micheal and stepped closer to the bed.
I looked at Joshua immediately noticing how not happy he looked to see me.
Well I did refuse to see him the last time we were in the same vicinity.
That was also the time he came by begging me to talk to Tristan. Something I had refused to do.
And now I was here. In his house.
"Well uhm, Tristan -"
"It's honestly none of our business." Micheal spoke moving forward and grabbing his brother's arm again.
"Yeah it is." Joshua argued, pulling away from Mikey again.
"What's going on in here?"
I had never been so relieved to see Tristan.
He appeared at the door, walking in and looking at his brothers in confusion.
"Nothing." Mikey responded quickly. "We we're just leaving, T."
"No we weren't." Joshua spun on his older brother, he walked right up to him, looking him directly in the eye.
"Why's she here?" Joshua asked, his tone bitter and angry.
Tristan folded his arms across his chest.
If he was mad, he didn't show it.
"I brought her here." He asked in a level tone.
"Why?" Joshua asked.
Okay... so Joshua clearly didn't want me in his house.
"Because she's my mate." Tristan answered easily. "And because I'm the alpha and your older brother. I can bring in whoever I want."
Joshua let out a hollow laugh.
"Your mate." He spoke the word like it was a joke. "Where was your 'mate' when you were falling apart and needed her? She wouldn't even leave her house and now you just bring her into ours?"
Tristan clenched his jaw. "Watch your mouth, Josh."
"Or what?" Joshua yelled. "I mean clearly there are no such things as consequences anymore. Especially if Crystal's here."
With that he stormed out of the room.
Michael opened his mouth then closed it. He pointed in the direction Josh had just gone.
"I'm gonna go talk to him."
He then rushed after his brother.
Tristan sighed then lighted his hands to rub his temple.
I saw the frustration clear on his face.
He turned to look at me and I saw him force a smile.
"Hey, how'd you sleep?" He asked as he stepped closer, coming to sit beside me on the bed.
I wasn't uncomfortable by his proximity, more like incredibly aware of it.
The hypersensitivity that came with the bond was back.
"Surprisingly well." I responded, sitting up straighter. I reached out to take Tristan's hand.
Some part of me, ingrained in my fibre just wanted to be close to him.
"That's good." Tristan muttered.
He reached forward tentatively as if asking for permission.
I leaned forward letting my face rest in his hand.
"I was worried you'd be up all night."
"Mmm." I was enjoying the contact an unreasonable amount. I even shut my eyes. "Me too... I'm starting to suspect you drugged me so that I'd fall asleep and leave HQ."
"No. I just asked nicely." Tristan spoke in a low voice that made my stomach tighten.
I opened my eyes and found him just staring at me.
It's then that I noticed his bloodshot eyes and the dark circles underneath them.
"Did you get any rest?" I asked.
Tristan gave me a weak smile and dropped his hand. I immediately felt the absence.
"I just came over to drop you off. I had to head back to HQ."
I frowned.
My eyes darted to my hands as I asked the next question. "I-is he... uhm, is he talking?"
"Not yet." Tristan replied bluntly.
I risked it and looked up at him but he didn't look mad. He didn't have any emotion on his face actually.
"Do you think he will?" I asked again, trying to be very careful. I knew that I was treading on a sensitive subject.
"Doubt it." Tristan responded monotonously.
I was getting frustrated by his short answers and I knew that he could tell.
"What's gonna happen with him?"
"I can't discuss that with you, Crystal." Tristan spoke.
I gripped the comforter.
"Anita insisted I bring you down for breakfast. You should eat something before I take you back to the safe house." Tristan spoke as he stood up.
"Wait, what? I'm coming with you." I spoke.
"No you're not." Tristan responded without missing a beat. "You shouldn't have even be there in the first place."
"Tristan, I just want to -"
"See him? That's not gonna happen."
There was a mini stare down as we looked at each other silently waiting for the other to break.
"I'm not about to have a fight about Roman this early in the morning." He turned and started heading out.
I sighed.
"Hey, don't go." I begged.
"I gotta get back to HQ." Tristan spoke. He was wearing the army uniform. Looking official and serious.
"Okay, just five more minutes." I pleaded.
"I'm not going to talk to you about Roman." Tristan spoke impatiently.
I shrugged. "Then I won't ask."
I tried to appear indifferent but it was hard and I knew he could tell.
Roman was back in Woodfell. I had wanted that for the longest time.
But now he was in captivity and I had no idea what was happening to him. And it was driving me crazy and making me anxious.
But on the other hand, I had just started this thing with Tristan. Finally accepted the bond. And without the necklace, it just felt more intense than I could imagine. And I didn't want to ruin the good and steady state we were in.
"We can talk about something else." I tried. "Uhm.... about Josh -"
"He gets angry." Tristan spoke. "But... he'll come around eventually. So don't worry about that. And I think a lot of it has to do with him not feeling in control. He wants to help - they all do - the kids in the AAP, but I won't let them."
The AAP seemed like a lifetime ago yet it had only been a few weeks.
In a lot of ways, that's what had started all this.
"He's probably just worried about you." I told Tristan. "Like I am."
I said the last part in a small voice.
Tristan huffed.
He finally came back to sit beside me.
"I'll be fine. I have one of Ornyx's spies in my hold. That's a good thing. It could change the game."
"Does that mean you're not planning on challenging Ornyx anymore?" I asked.
Because that was the only way I would believe that he would be fine.
"Crystal... believe it or not but I don't always have all the answers." He spoke.
"I believe it."
He smiled, his dimples prominent.
"I need to do what I have to do to win this."
But why did he have to go out there and get himself killed for it?
"I don't want you to." I spoke. If I had better words to ask Tristan to stay and not do this, I would.
Tristan took one of my hands in his. "My beautiful, beautiful mate. You're perfect, you know that?"
I pulled my hands from his.
"Why aren't you taking me seriously?" I asked angrily.
Couldn't he tell that I was upset?
"I could ask you the same thing." He muttered. He got this faraway look on his face.
"I just wish my mum was here, I could really use her guidance with everything that's going on."
My eyes widened in interest. Tristan didn't talk about her much. Much less bring her up willingly.
A sad smile came over his face. "When I was younger, I resented all the extra training she would make me do. All the other kids got to go out and play and I had to learn a bunch of constitutional laws and accompany her and pack diplomats to various meetings. I didn't get it then but it was all to prepare me for my role as alpha. Problem is, she forgot to give me her mind."
"Hey, I think you're an awesome alpha." I spoke as I touched his face, feeling the stubble of a growing beard.
I wondered if this was okay. Tristan and I had just begun and I didn't know whether getting handsy so soon was okay with him.
He leaned into my hold and shut his eyes for a second like I had earlier.
"I'm also the youngest. It's hard to gain respect and I need more help than I care to admit from those around me who are older. They see me as a kid they watched grow up. It makes it hard to make them see me as an alpha. I mean it's hard enough to get you to respect my decisions." He chuckled lightly.
I didn't smile.
I just scooted closer to him.
"Have you ever considered not being the alpha?"
If Tristan stepped down right now it would help ease a lot of my worries.
Tristan stared at nothing. "I did. Once. Right after my father was murdered. We hadn't even buried him and everyone was talking about how I had to step up. It was the middle of a war and a pack can't go without a leader but... I guess I had known that the day would come. My mother had been preparing me since I could walk. But I just didn't dream it would be so early. I mean I had just lost my parents. I was lost. I had hardly figured out who I was and everyone expected me to lead them." Tristan shook his head.
"I almost abdicated. I didn't want the title that had claimed my parents lives... but then I remembered all I had been taught. I thought about everyone who had looked up to my mother. All the people who had followed her. I couldn't just abandon them. We were all afraid. But we couldn't give up... I couldn't give up because then it would have been all for nothing and Ornyx would have won."
I looked up at Tristan, feeling a whole new wave of admiration. I felt selfish for even asking him what I had asked him.
But a part of me wanted to be selfish because all I wanted was for him to be okay after all this.
"The pack's lucky to have you." I told him.
Tristan picked up my hands and placed light kisses on my knuckles.
"And I'm ever so blessed to have you Crystal Swan."
I didn't want to point out that that wasn't actually my name. It was as fake as everything my mother had told me.
"If it makes you feel any better, I don't plan on dying." He spoke, his tone light.
I just frowned.
"When this is all over, I'll come back to you... and we'll focus on us." He spoke. "Make up for all that lost time."
"Promise?" I asked.
He hesitated.
He didn't respond but simply gave me a smile. "You should get something to eat, my Luna."
I swallowed hard.
I had begged so many people not to leave me in this life. I was tired of it.
Why couldn't he just stay. Be here with me.
Please.
Tristan stood up. "I better go. My team won't be amused about me being with you when there's a war looming."
I watched as he started for the door. "I'm just gonna take a quick shower. I'll see you downstairs."
I watched Tristan leave.
My heard seemed to be beating with the same words.
Don't let him die.