Winter Wolf

Chapter 31

Tristan watched from afar as his aunt, uncle, cousins, Alec and his parents stood out in the graveyard. The sun was setting, illuminating the mountains in the background. He could see dark clouds rolling over the peaks. It looked like they would be getting some rain tonight. By how cold it felt, maybe even snow. It was early in the season for it, but somehow it felt fitting.

"He seems like a good male." Ada said sadly as she walked up behind him. Tristan said nothing. He'd sent one of the enforcers ahead to give his family fair warning, and then introduced them the moment they got back on territory.

Then left them to have some privacy.

"This will be good for Edith..." Ada said. Tristan wasn't so sure. He could smell the salt in the air, the emotion. He knew this would be tough on them. And what closure could it really give? His cousin was still gone.

They stood in silence for a while.

"...is it true? She's agreed to come?" Ada asked next. He should have expected it.

"Yes, a week after the mating moon. I'll go back and get her." Tristan said. He hated how giddy that made his inner beast. He felt like a damn pup again.

Even with the disappointment she didn't want him with her. He couldn't help it, he was still male... and the night he spent with her was still fresh on his mind. It had been more than just the sex though. He realized how much he actually longed for true connection.

She had given him that ten fold.

"I can prepare a room for her with us." Ada suggested. Tristan finally looked over at her. He immediately disliked the idea, both his selves would prefer her with him... but he knew she probably wasn't ready for that. He hadn't put much thought into it yet where she would stay. He was just overly happy she agreed to come to their territory.

Her staying with his mother would be more appropriate. Even though he now had the large empty Alpha house to himself. Occasionally Willa would stay with him, but he still wasn't home or stable enough for her to have a permanent place there. She was still mostly with his mother.

He glanced back out when he heard unexpected laughter. He guessed they were exchanging stories. Kit and Will were with them, but Jake wasn't.

"I worry for him, I had hoped he'd learn from your mistake. Pairing with a fated is just... asking for problems. Susan seems to think Emma is a bit controlling, and Jake is letting this relationship get to his head." Ada sighed. Susan was Jake's caretaker.

Tristan said nothing to that. He hadn't once asked about it. He was trying to distance himself from that female, for his wolf's sake. And maybe a bit for hers. He truly wanted her blood at some point, that at least had calmed now that she had another male's pup growing inside her.

"He's a grown male. He is free to make his own decisions." Tristan said. He felt strange, torn, as he stared out at Alex. He thought it was cut and dry after his own mistake, that marked wolves shouldn't take a chosen... but Alec now had no choice but to take a chosen.

He couldn't stop thinking of how many females the Vargas had kidnapped and killed over the years, how many of their males were out there, not knowing their other half was long gone.

There was no sign... nothing that would indicate it.

How many of them would search throughout their lives and never give up, only to die alone anyway?

It was putting things into perspective for him he'd never considered before. How lucky he was... to have a gift many would never get, alive and well right in front of him.