Eikositessera [ 24 ]

I knew Tristan could tell something was wrong. 

It was obvious by the hesitancy in his kisses and the frequent glances he would give me, more so than usual. It was only eight o'clock in the morning, but as I stood in the kitchen, I could feel his gaze before I could see him. 

Lifting my head up, my breath halted at the back of my throat when I saw the fitted black suit he was wearing. I had never seen him look so formal and I couldn't stop myself from admiring him. At this point, I knew it was more than just an attraction towards him. He occupied my thoughts all the time and my heart practically yearned for him.

He adjusted his cuff links as he mustered up a hesitant smile, and I suddenly found myself hoping that he didn't think he had done anything wrong. I knew I hadn't done anything wrong, but my secret would be a lot to deal with and he had already gone through so much. 

I didn't want to add to his pain, but I knew he deserved to know. 

Overcome with emotion, I quickly placed his parmesan and herbed scrambled eggs on a plate before wrapping my arms around his waist. I brought him into a hug as my head rested on his chest. I heard his heartbeat skyrocket and I couldn't help but laugh. His hand curved around the back of my head and he simply just held me against him, breathing slowly as his other arm came around my back. 

There was nothing that I enjoyed more than immersing myself in his scent. He smelled manly and powerful and that was just his natural scent that came with being an alpha. His cologne was subtle and complimented his scent in a way that could make me putty in his hands.

"I made you breakfast." I wanted to treat him to a cooked meal after the thoughtful surprise he had given me the night before. We couldn't stay in the cabin since I didn't want my mother to be alone in this big house, but I still appreciated the dinner. 

"It smells really good." He lightly tugged on my hair to tilt my head upwards. Lowering his lips to mine, he kissed me slowly and pulled back before I could deepen it. "Thank you." There was a smile on his face when I unconsciously sought for another kiss. "You'll crease my suit, Kara."

I pulled back with a sheepish smile and flattened my hands against his suit jacket. He was handsome all the time but there was something about the sharpness of his attire that accentuated his chiselled facial features. It was like I couldn't take my eyes off him. He had to be the most beautiful person I had ever seen. "Where are you going?"

"The Council. I have to officially register you and your mother and sort out the legal side of things." He tightened his tie around his collar before I led him by the hand to sit behind the island. I slid the plate over to him with a bright smile as I felt the sudden urge to kiss his cheek. I decided to act upon it as I leaned over the counter and pressed my lips softly to his face.

Ever since he had marked me, the urge to show him affection had increased tenfold and with the looming fear of rejection hanging over my head, I wanted to give him everything I had. As I placed my hands against the counter, he stared at me silently before a tender smile graced his features. His gaze was soft and he picked up the fork before speaking. "Come eat with me, αγάπη μου."

I watched him for a few short moments before I quickly plated my mother's breakfast and set it on the counter. Then, taking my own, I went to take a seat beside him before he curled a hand around my forearm. 

Silently, he pushed himself out a little further and adjusted his position so that he could pull me into his lap. His arm came around my waist as he held me in place and with his other hand, he began eating his breakfast. My heart rate went through the roof as I adjusted myself on his thigh and fought the smile on my face as I dug into my own food. 

"Won't this crease your suit too?" I asked with a tilt of my head to level my gaze with his. 

He cracked a small smile. "It'll be fine." His thumb gently caressed the slit of bare skin that my shirt revealed and I couldn't stop the shiver that coursed through me. "Do I make you nervous, Kara?"

I forked some Parmesan into my mouth and tightened my grip on my fork. "We're so not doing this again, Tristan." I focused on my food as he chuckled quietly and cleared his plate in five minutes flat. Shaking my head at how fast he could finish a meal, I took my time with mine and perked up a little when I could hear my mum leaving her room. 

She had chosen the room farthest from ours and I could admit that it was slightly comforting. I didn't want to be walking on eggshells in the hopes of not making her uncomfortable. Her descent towards the kitchen seemed slow and Tristan kissed my shoulder and squeezed the curve of my waist to capture my attention again. 

"Finish your food. I have a surprise for you." I felt him smile against my shoulder and I turned my head with a curious expression on my face. 

"Another one? What have I done?" I grinned lightly as I finished up the last of my breakfast, turning around to sit on his lap more comfortably. He rested his hands on my hips as he pulled me closer. 

"It's an apology of sorts—you'll understand later." He murmured quietly, knocking his forehead on mine gently as he smiled slowly. "I really adore you, Kara."

I almost closed the distance between us when my mother cleared her throat. Opening my eyes, I pulled back slightly and stood up to face her. "I made your favourite." I tried to muster up a smile but it fell when I saw her hostile demeanour towards Tristan when he stood up. 

"Thank you, sweetheart." Her gaze flitted from the pair of us as Tristan kept his hands on my waist. 

The tension in the kitchen skyrocketed and I turned back to him with a stiff smile on my face, smoothing out the light creases on his legs. He curled a hand around the side of my neck and pressed a soft kiss to my cheek, standing up to pour a glass of apple juice.

'I want to visit his grave.' My mother's voice sounded in my head and I froze, unable to stop the quiet gasp that fell from my lips at the shock. 

My eyes darted to her and I frowned. 'Mum, this is not the place.'

'I can feel him here, Kara. I need to visit his grave. I want you to come with me.'

A kernel of irritation popped deep within me and I could feel Tristan's gaze on me as I stared at my mother in disbelief. 'Do you not hear how ridiculous you sound? That man almost killed Tristan—my mate, Mum. He almost killed my mate.'

"And your mate killed him!" she screamed out loud, her face twisting in sudden anguish. 

I was taken aback by her sudden outburst and my eyes flew to Tristan who slowly placed his glass down on the counter as his features remained impassive. He seemed to examine the situation, perhaps not taking it seriously until he felt the terror that struck me deep in my heart. 

I felt that he would leave me, it was like I knew it already. 

My mother seemed unaware of the Pandora's  box she had opened and she glanced at Tristan with a bitter expression on her face.

His jaw tensed and he stared at me for a few tense moments before he spoke. "Who have I killed, Kara?"

The anxiety gripped me by the throat and I choked up, unable to answer him properly. "Tristan, drop it…please."

"Αγάπη, I'm not going to ask again. Don't keep things from me." He placed a hand on the counter and slightly leaned back, taking in the entire room as my mother waited in silence for me to respond. 

I went to shake my head when she spoke, her voice cold and full of a pain that I had never experienced. "Her father. You killed her father."

Tristan flinched and it was the first time I had ever seen him caught off guard. He glanced at my mother and his eyebrows lowered in shocked confusion. "Her father? I've never—"

"Samuel Carew." 

The colour quickly drained from his face and I could practically feel his heart plummet in his chest. Bounding towards him, I grabbed his face to keep his attention on me. "Tristan, I—"

His hands pulled mine from his face and he lightly gripped onto my wrists. "H-he's your father?" the haunted look in his eyes was back as I shook my head vehemently. 

"I only found out a couple of days ago." He interrupted my response once again as he released my wrists like I was on fire. He looked like he was in deep disbelief and he shook his head before stepping away from me. 

It looked like there were a million questions running through his mind and all of it was becoming overwhelming. I could differentiate what he felt and what I felt and my chest felt heavy, weighted by all the possibilities that I dreaded. 

"How?" Tristan's voice was icy and against the silence of the room, I heard him crystal clear. I couldn't bring myself to answer as I saw the pure hatred he had on his face. He loathed my biological father. I had never seen him so angry. He seemed dissatisfied with the silence in the room and he gripped my shoulders almost painfully. "How is he your father, Kara?" he growled and my heart dropped at the way his furious eyes stared into mine. 

I yelped when his fingers tightened around my shoulders as if he didn't know his own strength. "Tristan, you're hurting me!"

His eyes focused on me for real and his hands flew off me as he backed himself up against the refrigerator door. I reached over to touch the tender skin, wincing when it felt painful. Tristan gripped the strands of his silky hair between his fingers as he blew out a sigh of so many emotions that I couldn't exactly pinpoint one.

"He's her father. We met almost twenty-five years ago when he was studying abroad in London. We fell in love, had Kara and he returned to Greenland after he found his mate and left me pregnant with her." My mother explained it all in a nutshell, stepping towards me to perhaps comfort me before I recoiled away from her. 

My throat closed up and I wrapped my arms around myself as Tristan stared at me. I had no clue whether or not the disgust in his eyes was directed to me, but I felt my eyes water as if he did. He looked to be studying me, trying to see any similarities between me and my biological father. 

At that moment, I was glad that I looked extremely similar to my mother. I hoped that I looked nothing like him. 

Tristan pushed himself off the fridge and kept miles away from me as he strode towards the front door. "I need to be alone." I caught the distressed whisper fall from his lips and I whimpered at the thought of him being away from me. 

I missed him already and he had only just pulled the door open. "Tristan, please don't—" the words died on my lips as the door slammed shut behind him. I couldn't describe the way my heart twisted at that moment, almost as if it was fighting to rip out of my chest and find its home in his hands.

He had my heart yet I witnessed the one event that I knew would fill me with fear. Tristan walking away from me.