Crystal(One year later)
I learnt to speak in silence.
At least around Tristan.
When he got too quiet, I knew it was time to get him to a place of isolation where he could sit in his grief without the whole world watching him.
I could tell the pack wasn't the same and though our losses had been minimal, it was still heavy.
Tristan wanted Bridget's grave near his parents.
He wanted Raphael's close by too but Raphael's parents got the final say on that one which he could respect.
Everyone else got a dignified burial and Tristan made sure they were all honoured.
But I could see it in his eyes that that wasn't enough.
He would always want to do more, anything short of bringing them back would never be enough for him.
The pack had gone back to normal. Or at least as normal as things could get. A year hadn't been enough for recovery.
My family loomed on me 24/7, always watching, always careful, always holding on tightly incase I disappeared again.
Chris would randomly stare at me like I was some ghost sometimes.
And maybe that's because I felt like one from time to time.
I thought about my mother constantly. She had never been found. Neither has Ornyx, which may have been a source of nightmares for me from time to time but I knew it plagued Tristan.
The first two months, he didn't sleep much.
I had to move into the manor.
He wasn't the same Tristan and only those of us close to him could truly see it.
The rest of the world saw a stronger and more vigilant alpha.
I saw a broken man who woke up in cold sweats and occasionally reached for a body part which wasn't there anymore.
He would spend hours just staring at walls.
Some nights I would even catch him talking to himself.
I think the secret therapy helped a little.
Joshua, Mikey and I were the only ones who knew about it.
Tristan had to be strong for everyone after all.
Ornyx wasn't dead. He was still out there somewhere and we all had to be ready incase he struck again.
Which I couldn't shake the feeling that he would.
Joshua was right, Ornyx didn't give up easily. He was somewhere still plotting, I could feel it.
Luckily Joshua, Mikey and I weren't relenting on doing as much as we could to keep the search for him going.
We couldn't fall into a false sense of comfort.
The Shadow pack hostages had been set free at Tristan's command.
And given the option to either go far away and build a pack somewhere distant from Woodfell and the rest of the Union territories or stay and be thoroughly vetted before being incorporated into Silvercrest.
Of course that had been met with a lot of resistance.
But as I said, Tristan was tougher now. He wasn't asking. Or tolerating nonsense.
Both Silvercrest wolves and Shadow pack were subject to the same punishments if they stepped out of line.
I didn't know how to feel about this but I knew that he believed this was the only way to ensure change and I guess to some extent, I did agree.
It helped that Meggy was playing ambassador to the Shadow pack. It wasn't an easy transition.
The Shadow pack didn't trust her. And they definitely didn't trust us.
I hadn't seen Roman since that night in the woods when he went out to throw off our scents.
It had been almost a year and no one had heard anything about him.
He could have run away, hidden.
That's what I told myself even though Tristan and everyone else simply looked at me like I was being delusional.
But it made sense to me at least. It's not like he could come back to Woodfell. He was still 'the traitor'. Still the man who tried to kill Tristan.
He had run away. I repeated to myself. For his own safety.
Falling into the role of Luna had surprised even me.
I hadn't realised how fully I had embraced the title and the pack had embraced me until one day when I was moving around town with May and Peter and a lady had walked up to me to thank me.
I hadn't realised then that that's how everyone saw me now. As the girl who brought back their alpha.
That was enough for them to decide I was worth something.
Maybe I should have been elated. But I just felt numb.
Being Luna had never been something I aspired to.
But Aunt Sarah told me not to take it for granted. To use it for good.
And according to Kat - for the perks too.
Well, I did both.
When Tristan was having his... episodes which the pack couldn't find out about, I stepped up.
I learnt as much as I could about leading the pack.
I still didn't know how Tristan did it.
I had barely just graduated high school and all these people looked at me waiting for guidance and protection.
It was daunting and nerve racking but I tried my best. The AAP training helped too. I was getting more skilful, more confident.
Joshua and Mikey were always by my side which made it easier.
An unspoken agreement had passed through all three of us which tied us more than a mind link ever could. We needed to protect Tristan while he protected everyone else.
And that agreement created a bond that put us together for life.
Tristan didn't like us seeing him 'weak'.
So of course the first few months had involved him pushing us away a lot.
But none of us would go.
Describing my relationship with Tristan felt like something I would need a new language to do.
When he moved, I wanted to move. When he spoke, I fought to listen and find a way to understand.
He reached out his hand and I was glad I was there to hold it.
We selfishly wanted each other like time didn't have the chance to ever rob us of that ever again.
I guess that was why I was surprised when he asked me the question from the woods again.
"Where do you think you belong after all this?"
We were taking a hike up one of the mountains.
Tristan used a walking stick and a prosthetic foot which caused him some discomfort sometimes but it made him feel normal so I tried to ignore his winces from time to time.
I turned around. I was carrying a picnic basket.
I watched Tristan curiously. His hair was shorter, his face seemed to have aged significantly since last year but he was still so beautiful in my eyes.
Still the man I looked at and couldn't help but admire how brave and kind he always was.
"Is that a trick question?"
I asked playfully as I took his hand, interlocking it with mine.
He didn't like it when he had to lean on me for support. So I had found ways to coax him into it.
He leaned his face into mine slightly just to be closer.
We had a council meeting in a couple of hours but I had told Peter to stall for us.
I could feel Tristan getting a little restless being in town so I knew I had to get him away even for a few minutes.
"I just want to know." He spoke, giving me a small smile.
Another thing he didn't do too often was smile.
Which was sad, he really had the most beautiful smile.
I looked around the Woodfell territory.
Safe wasn't a word I liked to use anymore. Not after what had happened but it was close enough.
"Here. Of course." I spoke. "Right next to you."
I couldn't tell or make sense of whether Tristan was asking it to get some sort of validation.
It was him and me now. There was no doubt anymore. I thought he knew that.
"I like this spot." He spoke suddenly as he pulled away from me. "We should sit."
I nodded and took a blanket out of the basket, spreading it and then helping Tristan down.
I began to take out the sandwiches Anita had packed for us.
I could feel Tristan's eyes on me.
When I looked up I saw sadness in them and I begun to panic.
I thought he had been making progress. Sure he fell into depression from time to time but lately there had been more of a lightness in his step. The nightmares weren't nearly as common.
He would never be him again not with all he had lost but he was getting better or at least I thought he had been.
"I got you a diamond ring." He spoke suddenly.
I looked at him in confusion. "What?"
Psychosis was a side effect of trauma according to Tristan's therapist. But he said it was mostly unlikely with the progress Tristan had made. Now I wasn't so sure.
"Oh yeah," he nodded readjusting his legs. "It's a crystal and diamond crescent styled ring. Got it made just for you. Nana Francesca wanted us to get the most expensive one in the store but I wanted something special. Just for you. And what's more special than crystal?" He said the last part with a playful grin.
I furrowed my brows and couldn't help but laugh.
"What on earth are you talking about?"
Tristan still smiled. He shifted and moved closer to me, taking my hands in his and looking into my eyes.
"I was going to propose, Crystal."
I was taken aback.
For a few seconds I was speechless.
I opened my mouth expecting no sound to come out but I was wrong.
"Was?" I was offended and it clearly showed.
Tristan chuckled.
"What's so funny?" I whined. "Why did you change your mind?"
After the year Tristan and I had spent building our relationship, it came without a doubt to me that in the end it would always be us.
Getting married seemed like nothing but a formality at this point.
His hand moved to cup my cheek.
"I once told you I would always fight to make sure you had your options."
"There are no options." I told him. "Not when it comes to us."
He smiled. "We've been through a lot. You've been through a lot and... Crystal I didn't propose because something didn't feel right. Love, love is a lot of things but there's one thing it's not, it's selfish. And I have to admit, I've been selfish with you."
I wanted to speak up to immediately dispute that but Tristan kept talking.
"Let me finish." He spoke. "I know I love you, without a doubt. And that love will only grow stronger. But with all we've been though, I have realised one other thing, because I love you, I can't hold on to you."
My face dropped.
"What?"
"I'm so glad you've come to see Woodfell as your home and I hope you'll choose it as your home again one day but - I also know there's a bright future waiting for you. I know you've always wanted to go to college and do something with your life. And if I was the reason you never did any of that. Never found yourself, I could never live with myself. And I know you want to see your father again. Take back some of that lost time."
I thought about the calls I had wanted to make to my father. All the times I hesitated thinking of how I would even explain any of it.
The werewolves, my mum...
In a way, it all felt so unfair.
We had both been so absent from his life for so long. Wondering whether he had finally moved on just to plunge him into the craziness of the truth felt selfish.
And to make it worse I thought of calling and saying 'hey dad, by the way I'm alive and now Luna of a pack of werewolves'.
How could I drop that on him over the phone.
It felt like a face to face conversation and I couldn't leave Woodfell. Not just yet. Not while we were still dealing with the aftermath and Tristan.
But what Tristan was saying. Was there a chance I could actually go back to him. Truly gain back some of that lost time.
I looked at him. "Are you trying to get rid of me?" I teased.
His features softened. "Never." He promised.
I thought about it. Truly. Once upon a time that was the plan. To not spend another second in Woodfell after I graduated.
But things had changed.
"I can't leave you." I told Tristan earnestly. For the first time he had grown to lean on me. I was his crutch. The only person who could understand the wars that still played in his mind.
"I know you won't be gone forever. I'll visit and you'll visit but I know your mind, my beautiful Luna and this isn't it for you. There's so much more waiting out there."
I opened my mouth but closed it again.
He was right. I had always had dreams and aspirations and while Tristan would always be more than enough, I couldn't stomach the thought of never following them.
"I didn't even apply anywhere." I spoke.
A mischievous glint twinkled in Tristan's eyes. He shrugged. "You underestimate how far an alpha's influence goes."
I rose my brows. "Is that so?"
He grinned. "Name a place. Anywhere. I'll make it happen."
I looked at Tristan again wondering if he was serious.
He looked proud but also a little sad.
"You found me once. You'll find me again."
He spoke. "Fate's not done with us yet."
I let out a breath. I scooted closer to Tristan and planted my lips on his. He slowly begin to lie down, I climbed on top of him, straddling him.
I looked into his green eyes thinking of how they were the only thing I needed in this moment.
"Are you sure about this?" I asked him.
He smiled. A genuine smile. He reached over and swept some hair away from my face.
"I'll be okay. You'll probably have to find a way to break the news to Mikey and Joshua though."
I laughed. Even though I had severed my mind link with the twins, we only got that much closer.
Go figure. We actually got something done off Tristan's list.
"Thanks Tristan." I whispered. "For everything."
He stared at me with nothing but adoration in his eyes. "Thank you, Crystal. For even more."
I leaned on his chest listening to his heart beat in synch with mine.
(Five months later.)
"Potatoes are vegetables, aren't they? That counts."
"Dad." I rolled my eyes but giggled as we stared at the menu in front of us.
The McDonald's we sat at wasn't too packed and it was only a ten minute walk from NYU where I went and my dad taught.
"We had pizza yesterday." I pointed out. "We really should make healthier food decisions." I mused.
"There's lettuce in burgers." He spoke.
I turned to look at him and he simply grinned. "Fine." I relented with a chuckle as we walked in.
My dad had his arm around my shoulder.
It was almost funny how much he insisted of always wanting to hold me.
When I had shown up at home, Tristan by my side, he looked so close to fainting like he had seen a ghost.
The explaining part didn't seem to matter as much as his relief.
But of course the explaining did come in and let's just say Tristan helped a lot with that.
My dad seemed to take the truth in way more easily than I had been expecting. I guess at the point he had reached, any explanation, even werewolves existing seemed logical enough.
The part about my mum though... that definitely destroyed him.
He grieved her being gone, accepted the deception eventually and thankfully, accepted me.
It didn't matter to him, I was and always would be his daughter.
"Why don't you get a seat in the back, I'll order." He offered.
I nodded and turned around scanning the place for the perfect booth.
I spotted one by a window away from the door.
Perfect.
I was about to find my way there when I spotted a figure in a hoodie and a cap pulled low.
He was wearing sunglasses standing outside the restaurant.
I turned and saw my dad still ordering.
Quickly I made my way out the door following the person.
But he wasn't there.
He had disappeared into the moving people on the sidewalk.
I deflated so sure I was seeing ghosts now.
When I turned around, I gasped.
He stood in front of me. His face still mostly covered but I would recognise him anywhere.
I reached out tentatively and took off his shades.
Stormy grey eyes stared back at me.
I let out a breath.
"Ro."
THE END
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. ~1 Corinthians 13