Winter Wolf

Chapter 35

A loud noise startled her awake, but she couldn't move. She was held tightly against a warm hard body.

Lily drowsily looked back as Tristan abruptly sat up. She frowned at the window behind him with confusion when she saw it was still dark. Distant arguing slowly registered. Tristan shoved out of bed and headed for the door.

"Stay here." He said firmly as he fumbled into a pair of pants. Lily felt confused for a moment, before she pushed out of bed and found her discarded nightgown. She pulled it over her head as she followed after him into the hall to glance back at Willa's door. To her relief, she could hear the little pup's breathing still slow in sleep.

Lily turned toward the noise. She cautiously walked to the top of the staircase to peer down at the foyer.

"Sorry Alpha... I tried to stop him." A male voice spoke.

"She said she'd speak to me." Ivan growled. Lily blinked in confusion. She looked at the window again. It was still fully dark outside. She felt exhausted... Tristan and she had, er... spent more time with each other, the slight soreness between her thighs was a reminder of that, but she knew they hadn't been asleep long. It had to be around four in the morning if the sun hadn't risen yet.

"I said no." Tristan growled.

"Step aside." Ivan growled back. Lily immediately noticed there was no slurring in his words. He sounded sober.

... did she truly get through to him?

"Tristan it's okay..." Lily said from the stairs. Tristan shot a glare back at her.

"Go back to the room." He growled, and she could tell his wolf was riled protectively. She studied his face.

"Tristan-" Lily began.

"No." He said firmly before he looked back at his father.

"If I'd ever even consider letting you talk to her, it certainly won't be here, and it certainly won't be now. Go home." Tristan growled harshly. Lily stared at his back. She could see how tense he was. Agitated.

She had an initial inkling to argue, but she decided against it at seeing him so wound up. She looked at Ivan again and met his gaze.

"I'll honor what I said to you, but let us meet later." Lily spoke up, hoping to alleviate some of the tension. Tristan looked back at her. He looked frustrated, but more worried than anything. It was clear he didn't want her around him.

The fact that Ivan had once tried to kill her was not lost on her. She understood Tristan's reasoning.

Ivan's gaze lingered a moment on her, before he turned and left without arguing. Tristan stood there for a moment in tense silence before he shut the door and turned back to her. Lily observed his face, he had a possessive glaze in his eyes.

... it gave her a strange chill, especially as he stalked toward her and stopped on the steps just below her, one foot on the step closest to her as he staggered his stance. It just emphasized to her how truly immense her mate was. Even then, she wasn't fully eye level with him as they stared at each other.

"When did you talk to him?" Tristan asked her, he seemed perturbed. Lily brought her hands up to brush his mussed up hair back and lightly ran her fingers over his bare shoulders out of instinct to calm him. It was hard for her to keep her eyes from wandering down, the feel of his skin beneath her fingers was making her thoughts drift back...

Lily looked at his mating mark, the one they shared between them, unique to only them, near his shoulder. She had to force herself to keep from touching it.