Tristan
"I know you're there Tristan."
I remained as still as a statue. As if that would dim my father's senses.
I was hoping that he wouldn't notice me at first. That I would have enough time to gather my thoughts before I had to face him.
"Come in Tristan." He spoke again.
I sucked in a deep breath before stepping foot into the room.
It was exactly the same but completely unrecognisable at the same time.
The bed unmade, clothes strewn all over, files and paper all over the floor... and her absence, it was heavier than ever.
I closed the door behind me.
My father sat on the floor, he wore an unbuttoned shirt and boxer shorts.
His hand gripped an alcohol bottle and his head hang down with his overgrown hair forming a curtain around his face.
I didn't know how to look at him anymore. Was I supposed to be sad or disgusted?
"Yes my son?"
He looked nothing like the man who had the right to call me that.
I tucked my hands behind my back.
I didn't know why I was wearing my uniform in my own house.
Maybe I just wanted him to look at me and be reminded that life was happening out there.
That the war was going on. That I was way to young to even be wearing this.
"Status report." I cleared my voice. "Our troops are advancing on Layton, Brax has gotten a few hits, some soldiers are -"
"Stop it." He slurred his words.
I sucked in another breath. "Our soldiers are badly -"
"Stop it!" He snapped. The bottle slipped out of his hands onto the floor.
I watched as the liquid spilt out staining the carpet.
"Damn it." He muttered as he pushed himself onto his feet, stumbling slightly.
"I don't want to hear that." He murmured as he stumbled over to the bed, collapsing short of the mattress.
I sighed.
I walked over and took his arm, using it to support him as I lifted him onto the bed.
"Umpf." He let out a breath when he landed.
I watched as he shut his eyes and placed his hand on his stomach.
He looked... empty.
I knelt down before the bed and took his hand in mine.
"Dad..." I watched him open his eyes and just stare at the ceiling. "Enough of this. We need you to snap out of it. I need you."
He looked at me, his eyes empty. I couldn't even tell if he could recognise me.
"Joshua and Mikey are scared, dad. They haven't seen you in three days because Anita is scared to send them up here. The pack is scared. We're all mourning mum and we're fighting a war and - dad, everyone is wondering where you are. Captain Park and I can't keep covering for you."
His head rolled to look back at the ceiling.
"Cut off the head." He murmured.
I shut my eyes and opened them again.
I let go of his hand and stood to my feet.
"Dad," I spoke in a firmer and harshertone, making sure all my words were clear and loud. "You have to get up, you're the alpha. We need you."
"I was never the alpha." He spoke softly. "She was." He turned over to the side. A portrait of my mother stared back at us.
I tore my eyes away from it.
"Dad -"
"I pray you never find love. Not like this. Not the kind that will cripple you if it ever leaves you." He spoke. "Go Tristan. I don't want you to see me this way."
***
"You're not dead yet." Meggy spoke when the guards who brought me here had left.
She stared at me suspiciously. "But they definitely roughed you up."
I was glad I couldn't see myself but from the look Meggy gave me I could tell I wasn't exactly a sight for sore eyes.
She looked out at the entrance of the cave. "How many were they?" She whispered.
I shut my eyes tightly before opening them again.
"Tristan." She snapped. "How many guards?"
I tried to think. "Too many." I responded.
There was no way either of us could take them on even if we tried.
I turned to her. "Now you wanna escape?" My voice dripped with sarcasm.
She was quiet for a second.
"You formed a mind link with someone earlier. If they're coming to rescue you, I want in."
I had almost forgotten about that. The conversation I had with Crystal.
"No one's coming to save me." I muttered.
Her jaw fell slack. "Some alpha you are." She huffed before leaning her head back on the hard wall.
I did the same.
I didn't regret what I had told Crystal.
But I also didn't forget what I had seen in Roman's eyes.
He didn't want to kill me.
And I could use that to my advantage.
I looked at Meggy.
I didn't see how I could get out of here.
But I decided that the least I could do was try to go out having done one could thing.
Take out Ornyx Van Cliffe.
***
Crystal
"Well that went well." I spoke sarcastically as I slumped down into Tristan's couch. The one in his office.
I had never felt so tired and defeated in my life.
I just wanted to curl up and close my eyes forever to make it all go away.
But of course the ache in my chest would never allow it.
The haunting of Tristan would leave me floundering in an eternity of night mares and pain.
This was supposed to be our chance to send the Calvary out to Tristan and it didn't work. They just refused to listen to me. They just shut me down like everyone in this town always did.
"The union has always been ruthless." Raphael spoke quietly. "They need to be. Especially in our situation."
I looked at him still standing at the door.
Yeah, I bet he had no oppositions whatever to a room full of alphas telling me exactly why I don't deserve to be here.
"Yeah, but their views don't exactly help us get Tristan back, do they?"
"This is bigger than Tristan."
Not to me. I thought to myself but then quickly pushed away the thoughts.
"Our goal is to figure out how to save the packs from Ornyx."
I got up. "Well clearly the pack doesn't want or need my help so maybe I should just go."
Raphael stared at me with a straight face clearly unopposed.
Bridget and Jasmine returned to the room, Captain Nakamura behind them.
I was surprised to see Jasmine pushing Bridget's chair this time.
I don't know... it's just that the sight of her actually being helped made her look all the more frail.
"Where are you going?" Bridget asked.
Before I could answer she snapped. "Sit down."
I sighed.
Captain Nakamura closed the door behind them.
I walked back to the couch and slumped down.
"What are they going to do?" Raphael was the first to speak.
Jasmine took Bridget behind the desk.
She leaned forward and pulled out a sheet of paper.
"What do you think? Randall wants all our troops rallied and ready by sundown. I need you to contact the defence wing, our troops were already rallied. It's just a matter of giving them the go ahead now." Bridget sucked in a deep breath when she said that.
I frowned. All Tristan's attempts on keeping his people from going to war again were about to go down the drain.
"So that's it?" I asked, my voice small. "There goes our Tristan window?"
I didn't want to think of never seeing him again. I didn't want to think of never getting to know him better.
I didn't want to ever fathom the idea of my life continuing without the person who fought to keep it safe.
"Everyone leave, except Crystal." Bridget spoke.
No one argued.
I don't know if I had been expecting them to.
The air was somber and bitter.
I wasn't the only one thinking about it. The idea of him being gone was heavy on everyone.
When Jasmine walked out the door and closed it, Bridget looked at me.
"That council is the only thing standing in between this pack's extinction and survival." Bridget spoke. "So I know you might not agree with them... but... but they've seen things way more horrific than any of us ever have."
I was silent. I didn't need this.
I didn't need to hear her explain why we needed to let him go.
Even if she made sense, my emotions would never let me see logic in her words.
"And as acting Alpha, I need to do what's best for this pack." She spoke.
I looked at my shoes willing my mind away.
I just didn't want to be here right now in this moment.
"And you," her words had emphasis behind them, "no one really regards you, you're a human dweller, the daughter of the enemy..."
Was she really going to dig the knife in deeper?
"...and that's why... that's why no one will think twice about our plan."
I looked up at her in confusion.
"What?"
She nodded firmly, follow me.