Dekaefta [ 17 ]

author's note [10.06.24]: part of this chapter has been rewritten to add more dimension to their relationship so if it's different to what you remember if you're rereading, that's why! as i republish alpha tristan, a few chapters will have added dialogue or different scenes but don't worry most, if not all the iconic scenes you all loved first time around will remain the same :).

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My heart dropped and I quickly stood up. "What?" I reached for the mobile in Tristan's hand and brought it to my ear. "What's wrong with my mother, Alpha?"

He sighed a sigh that was weighted with sympathy and foreboding. "It's like the grief is killing her, Kara. She can't survive without you."

Upon hearing of my mother's pain, grief seized me by the throat and I had trouble breathing as I choked out a response. "L-Let me speak to her."

"I finally managed to get her to sleep. She hasn't even been sleeping, Kara. She doesn't tend to the flowers anymore and I really didn't realise how alive she kept this place. She needs you. I realise that now."

I couldn't stop the sense of resentment that took me at a stronghold. "I told you." My voice lowered and I shook my head. "I told you that I'm all she has and you didn't listen to me. If anything happens to her, it will be your fault." The bitterness was clear in my voice and I could feel myself beginning to shake.

It all came back to me and before I knew it, I was seething with anger.

"Wake her up and let me speak to her."

His annoyance was clear with the way he exhaled harshly into the call, but I couldn't bring myself to care at all. There was rummaging on his end before my mother's voice filtered through, frail and small.

"Kara?"

My heart broke and the tears instantly filled my eyes. "Mum. I'm coming home, okay?" I didn't miss the way Tristan tensed, but I continued anyway. "Rest up and hang in there for me. I'll be with you within the week."

A sigh of relief sounded through the call and I smiled at the excitement in my mother's voice. "I've been missing you terribly, my flower. I just want you home again." She paused and cleared her throat to rid herself of the telltale sign that she had been sleeping. "Is...is he coming with you?"

I looked up at Tristan and noticed he was fighting a frown before he reluctantly shook his head. "No, Mum. Just me." I paused as I rubbed my face with my hand. "Promise me you'll take care of yourself."

She yawned and I could tell she was nodding her head. "I promise, Kara. I'll pass you back to Alpha Ramiel."

A few beats of silence passed as Tristan stepped all the way into the room, standing next to me. His hand lightly rested on my waist and I had to step away from his touch. The only person on my mind was my mother and it was hard to forget that because of Tristan, I couldn't stay with her.

"Send me your flight details when you book it and I'll make sure you're picked up from the airport." His tone was brisk and I knew that my demeanour towards him ticked him off, and a few seconds later, he hung up.

Turning back to face Tristan, I handed him his phone back with a deep frown on my face. I could tell that he wanted to say something to stop me from leaving. His shoulders were tense and he had that look in his eye that told me he was thinking a million and one things.

When it seemed like he wasn't going to say anything, I retrieved my phone from the bedside table and began looking for the first possible flights. Taking a seat on the foot of the bed, I rested my head against the wood that made up the canopy.

It was only when I found a flight for the next evening that Tristan moved from where he was standing to hand me his card. I went to shake my head when he placed it in my hand and spoke quietly.

"Let me pay for it, Kara. It's the least I can do." The deep frown was still evident on his face and I quietly entered his card details before purchasing the ticket.

"Are you okay?" I uttered, placing my phone down to glance up at him.

He mustered up a smile that looked more painful than anything. "It doesn't matter if I'm okay right now. It's selfish of me to want you to stay here in Greenland."

"She's my mother, Tristan," I whispered, directing my gaze downwards. "I didn't even get to say goodbye to her—I left without an explanation and she had to find out that my mate is probably the most dangerous alpha we've ever known." The stress took me at a stronghold and I lowered my head to my hands. "If she dies because of me, I'll never forgive myself...or you."

He winced and nodded sombrely with a genuinely apologetic look on his face. He slowly knelt down in front of me and rested his arms on my legs. "I'm sorry." He blew out a low breath. "When I met you, the only thing on my mind was giving my pack a Luna and making sure you would actually come with me. I didn't think of how all of this has affected you, and that's on me."

I kept my eyes on my hands and bit my lip to stop the shaky breath that desperately wanted to fall. All I could think of was my mother in pain and that alone was enough to break my heart. With a gentle hand on my chin, Tristan lifted my head up to level his gaze with mine.

"I'm just really going to miss you. I don't even want to think of you being in a whole other country." Leaning up, he brushed his lips over mine. "I understand, Kara. Helping your mother is what is important here."

Lifting my hands to cup his face, I pressed my mouth to his in a slow kiss, taking advantage of my position over him as I deepened the kiss. When he pulled back, he closed his eyes and stood up from the floor.

"I don't have as much self-control as you think I do, αγάπη μου." Taking a deep breath, he walked over to his side of the bed.

I managed to catch my breath in time. "Saying things like that doesn't help me with my self-control either." I crawled onto the bed and propped my pillows up in a position I deemed comfortable.

His lips pulled upwards into a small, knowing smirk as his thumb rested on my bottom lip. "Kara...if we open those floodgates—I won't be the one to shut them."

I stared up at him, somewhat dazed as my arm came around his midriff. His thumb lightly traced my lip and I hooked my fingers around his wrist to bring his palm to my mouth. I pressed a kiss to his skin and brushed my lips against his racing pulse.

From the look on his face alone, I knew he got the reaction he wanted and realised that it was amusing to him. He thrived off the fact that every fibre of my being wanted him, and that alone spurred me to play him at his own game and flip the script on him.

"Tristan. This isn't a game you want to start with me." I looked up into his azure eyes and laughed when amusement flashed in them.

He raised his eyebrows and took hold of my wrist instead. The light pressure of his fingers quickly told me that he was taking my words as a challenge. "Kara..." he leaned forward and the tip of his nose brushed against mine as he lowered his voice to a murmur. "I think you're forgetting who you're talking to."

I kept my gaze level with his and smiled as I pressed my forehead against his, pushing his head back slightly. I knew Tristan was humouring me when he let me do it because he was an alpha through and through, which meant he could make me submit easily. "I'm talking to you."

His perfect lips mirrored my smile and I almost thought he was letting me win until his fingers threaded through my curls and closed at the nape of my neck. With enough pressure to make my heart race, he tugged my hair and tilted my head back. "How about now, Kara?" his question was a silent challenge—one he knew that I wouldn't take up.

The power he was exuding was enough to reel me in. The feel of his fingers in my hair set my body alight with recognition. I was acutely aware that it didn't take Tristan much to assert his dominance over others. That was how powerful he was.

My mouth snapped shut and I quickly shook my head. When I bared my neck to him, it had nothing to do with his grip on my hair. He chuckled deeply as he dipped his head and buried his face into the crook of my neck. He inhaled my scent deeply and brought his arm underneath my body to hug me to him. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders as I tried to control my heartbeat.

His words vibrated against my skin as he spoke. "That was cute, αγάπη μου." He pulled back to look me in the eye. "But next time you challenge me like that, I'm following through."

I gulped and nodded. I knew exactly what he meant. I would find out that when it came to him, there were some battles I could not win. Losing wasn't in his nature.

He scanned my face and leaned down to press his lips to mine for a second. Something about the moment reminded me of the exchange we had in Alpha Ramiel's office the day we met. His hand had been in my hair as a quiet reminder of who I was speaking to. That was the first time I had ever challenged him but of course, it had lacked all the playfulness and intimacy that the moment we just shared had.

It made me wonder what would have happened if things had gone differently. Tristan was watching me silently and he lightly brushed my cheek with gentle fingers. "What's on your mind, Kara?"

I focused my gaze on his and the way he looked so handsome just about knocked the air from my lungs. I took a steadying breath and reached up to slide my fingers across his angular jaw. "What would you have done if I never left my old pack with you?"

His fingers stilled on my face and I didn't miss the way the sadness flickered in his eyes. He stayed silent for a few long moments as he studied me and I knew he was learning how to read me. He was so good at it despite not having marked me. I knew he saw how much the phone call with my mother affected me, and our little game had only managed to distract me for a short while.

He sighed as he pressed his forehead against mine gently and cupped my face with his warm hand. There was barely any space between us and he was making sure it stayed that way. "I would've waited for you." His gaze held mine and honesty was blazing in his eyes. "I would've asked Christian to hold the fort for a bit longer and if you still didn't want to come with me after spending a few days together, I would've made an agreement with Ramiel to let a few of my men stay."

"Stay for what?" I whispered.

He brushed his lips against mine and his eyebrows drew close as if it was physically painful for him to think about. "To watch over you. Just until you felt like you could come to me."

I pondered over his answer for a long time. I didn't know what I would've preferred because I knew how I felt when I saw Tristan. I was kidding myself when I thought I could be okay with walking away from him. He would have invaded every waking thought until the mate pull made it difficult to sleep. I focused on his heartbeat which was quicker than normal. Mine was the same like my heart didn't know a steady rhythm when it came to him.

"And what if Alpha Ramiel exiled me?" my voice was quieter than I liked.

He pulled back and leaned up on his elbow as he gently turned me on my back. He cupped my face with both hands and levelled his gaze with mine. "You will never know what it's like to be alone in this world. I wouldn't have let him." His eyes bore into mine with an intensity I felt myself weakening under. "I wouldn't have let it happen—I will never let it happen. Your place is with me, Kara. My place is with you."

I leaned up to close the distance between us and he met me halfway. I felt the honesty of his words in the way he kissed me. He had told me that day that he would split my world in two and drag me under with him if he had to but his kiss also told me that he would flip his own world over too to make sure I was in it. I knew then that the day we met would've ended in the same way no matter what happened.

Tristan sunk into my embrace and I found myself completely consumed by his kiss until he reluctantly pulled back. My eyes remained closed and I leaned back in, stopping short of kissing him again. "I'm. I..." I couldn't find the words to express what I was feeling. The thought that I had to leave him to go back was gripping at my chest.

He tilted his head back and pressed a comforting kiss to my forehead. "Let's go to sleep now—for real this time."

I nodded and let him lay back down before I settled my head on his chest. "Good night, Tristan."

His hand gently smoothed out my hair as he lowered his head to press his cool lips to my forehead. "Good night, Kara."