Triantaduo [ 32 ]

"I've never shown anyone this, but I think it's time you see it." Tristan's hand was secure in mine and he stopped us in front of a wooden door. We hadn't even left the house, but he had taken me to the very back to a room I was sure I had never seen before.

The door frame was a ceiling-to-floor length and he reached his hand to the top, even stepping onto his tiptoes to swipe his fingers against the wood. My eyebrows raised when he retrieved a slim, golden key. He glanced at me over his shoulder and smiled softly before unlocking the door and pulling me in.

At first glance, the room seemed to be a dining room with the long mahogany table but in the corner, there was a large leather chest that was locked. Tristan let go of my hand and kneeled down in front of it, using the same key to unlock it. I watched curiously as he lifted a few papers up before pulling a thick black book out.

He set it down on the table and I walked around to look at the inscription on the cover. It seemed old and had signs of wear and tear, but Tristan handled it delicately as he blew the dust off it.

'Oqaluttuarisaaneq soorlu kungii.'

Tristan caught my confused expression and chuckled. "It's Kalaallisut, a Greenlandic dialect. It translates to History of the Kings and has the entire line of alphas for hundreds of years." He opened the book and I coughed because of the dust that flew out. He murmured out an apology before flicking to the page he wanted me to see. "The names of the Lunas were only put in one hundred years ago."

I looked down towards the bottom of the page and saw the most recent alpha. In cursive, it read Alpha Tristan Vasilakis. I glanced at him when I saw the empty space next to 'Luna.'"You want me to put my name in there?"

He cracked a small smile. "Well, you are my Luna." Walking back to the chest, he took out a small jar of black ink and a quill. I watched in interest, slightly fascinated at how official it felt. He placed both in front of me and I smiled before taking the quill between my fingers and dipping it in the ink.

Leaning down, I slowly wrote my name and gasped when the ink dried almost instantly. 

Before I could say anything, he stroked my cheek softly. "The ink dries as soon as it comes into contact with air." He closed the jar of ink before pulling me closer. "You're officially in the history book." He glanced down at my name and grinned softly.

The permanency of it all elicited deep satisfaction from me. Stepping up onto my tiptoes, I kissed him slowly as I lifted a hand to his hair. His arm came around my waist and he leaned against the edge of the table, pulling me between his legs. His lips moved with mine and he deepened the kiss with a tilt of his head.

I pressed myself tighter against his body, taking in his warmth until my lungs burned for air. He sighed into the air as my lips dragged against his angular jaw and down his neck. I kissed his skin softly and my mouth watered at his scent. There was a carnal urge that rose to the surface.

My canines elongated and his hands slid to my waist when I inhaled deeply against his neck. "Kara..." his voice was deep and rough. "Mark me."

Without wasting any more time, I sunk my canines into his neck and a wave of power flashed before my eyes as he groaned loudly. His hands tightened around my waist and he leaned heavily against the table. A shudder passed over him and I felt my essence pour into him like it was the final piece of my soul reaching for his and tying us together forever.

I relished in the feel of him for a few more moments before I pulled back and sealed his wound. He dropped his head on my shoulder and held me to him. His breaths were shaky and he lifted his hand to my curls, pulling me back and moulding his lips to mine passionately.

His hands were cool against my hot skin as he lifted my top slightly and pulled me onto his lap. He laid back on the table and I flattened my palms against the wood, smiling into the kiss. I slowly pulled away and sat up to admire my mark on his neck.

"It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen." I felt closer than ever to him. We had completed the mating process. A deep sense of pride washed over me when I realised that marking him meant everyone would know he was mine. I lifted a hand to his neck and lightly brushed my fingers over the slightly raised skin.

While I felt the happiness he had given me when he would touch my mark, he felt an emotion so strong it almost knocked the wind from me. Glancing up at him, I noticed the way he stared at me. As if I was his universe and everything in it. I had never had anyone look at me like Tristan did, but I quickly found that I didn't want anyone but him to look at me that way.

"Tristan..." His name fell from my lips and he caught it with a kiss, sitting up.

"Let me say it first." He whispered against my lips so quietly that I could tell that, for the first time ever, he was nervous. There was little to no space between us and I felt the intensity of his gaze. Deep and unwavering. "I love you."

My throat closed up and I wrapped my arms around his shoulders, pulling him into a tight hug. My cheek rested against his and I could feel both our hearts racing. "I love you too, Tristan," I spoke quietly into his ear and I felt the relief bloom in his chest.

It was silent until he stood up with me in his arms.

"Let me clear this away quickly." He stepped back and I felt cold without his body pressed against mine.

He took seconds and when he stood in front of me, there was a soft smile on his face. Tipping my chin upwards with his hand, he lowered his lips to mine and kissed me slowly. I felt like I was on cloud nine. I could barely concentrate on anything but the feel of his mouth moving against mine.

"Tristan—"

"I know what you want, αγάπη." He lifted me up and wrapped my legs around his waist. "But I want you to know just how much I love you."

I cradled his face in my hands and he silenced my moan with a deep kiss. "I want that—I want you."

Tristan kissed along my jaw and I felt him nod. "Not in this room." I held onto him tightly when he swiped the key off the table and walked us to the door. He locked it, and all with me in his arms, he effortlessly placed the key back on the top of the doorframe before walking us back to our room.

When my back hit the soft silk sheets, my curls splayed around my head and shoulders and Tristan gently stroked my cheek.

The next few moments passed quickly and deep blue eyes stared into mine as he pulled the cover over us.

"I love you." He whispered in the silence.

Being with him felt different at that moment like the truth finally dawned on me. Pushing into his mind, I spoke the words I wanted him to hear.

'I'm in love with you.'

—————

After we had sated our desire and longing for each other, we had to leave for training. We both knew that leaving our bed was the last thing either of us wanted to do, but people were counting on Tristan's presence.

When we reached the training ground, everyone was already there and my eyes immediately found Brielle's, who grinned at me. I knew that Tristan and I practically reeked of each other, and they could all tell.

Tristan squeezed my hand before he addressed the thirty people on the field. He ran training sessions in small groups and I knew that around ninety people trained a day. Thirty in the morning, then thirty after lunch and then thirty after the evening.

"We're going to do something a little different today." He looked around the field. "Choose a partner and spar with them. If you win, face another winner. The last person standing gets to take me on."

I could tell that the idea excited everyone because it was an opportunity for them to really prove themselves to their alpha. When he gave the order for them to go, they all paired up and began strategically fighting. I watched a few people carefully and noted what I could learn.

Mindy was especially a good fighter and she seemed seamless in her movements. She was dedicated and won her fight within minutes. It was like that across the whole field, people were winning left right and centre until it whittled down to her and a man that looked twice her size.

I couldn't ignore the spark of jealousy inside me as I realised that if she won, she would have to touch him. I was pretty sure she had some sort of feelings for Tristan.

Everyone watched curiously as Mindy dodged his swings and countered it with one of her own. She kept her elbows towards her body to protect her ribs and abdomen, moving quickly and light on her feet. I noticed she was tiring him out and it seemed he noticed because he smiled at her and put some distance between them.

"You're dedicated, Mindy."

That was the end to their one-sided conversation because he managed to land a blow to the side of her head. She stumbled slightly but used her size to her advantage when he tried to swing again. Sending her palm straight up against his chin with full power, he stumbled backwards and with the door of opportunity open, she swiped at his legs and he fell back onto the snow.

She won.

I couldn't deny that I was highly impressed by her skill, and it seemed like everyone else was because they started clapping. Mindy grinned and reached down for her opponent's hand. His cheeks were red with embarrassment but he took her hand and stood up, shaking his head softly.

"I underestimated you."

Tristan was pulling his jacket off as he chuckled. "Never underestimate your opponent, Asa. You would've won if you watched her properly."

Mindy's gaze settled on Tristan and she grinned. I watched her with a sense of discomfort when I recognised the look in her eyes. She was visibly thrilled at the idea of being close to him and I had to control myself as the jealousy almost reared its ugly head.

Tristan laid his jacket at my feet and in front of everyone, he cupped my face with his large hands and slanted his lips over mine. He kissed me deeply and the warmth bloomed in my chest like the daffodils I so dearly treasured. Every part of my heart sprung to life and the love I felt appeared behind my closed eyes as a mellow yellow. It was pure and energetic.

When he pulled back, his thumb brushed gently against my cheek and he smiled softly. He spoke in my mind as his gaze never wavered from mine. 'I love you.' He punctuated it with another soft kiss and I grinned when he approached Mindy.

She had a blank expression as if the exchange between Tristan and I had soured her mood.

Brielle bumped her shoulder with mine gently as she came to stand beside me. "I see it too." She murmured in my ear so only I could hear and I exhaled a laugh, glancing at her.

Tristan and Mindy squared up to each other and he was watching her closely as if to predict her next move. I looked at Brielle for a brief moment. "Has it always been like that?"

His gaze dropped to her fist seconds before she swung at him. He effortlessly dodged it and stayed light on his feet just like her, easily sidestepping her.

"Pretty much. It's always been this obvious too." Brielle kept her eyes on the fight but I spotted the sly smirk on her face. "Not that it matters though. You've both marked each other and we all know why you were a little late." She glanced at me and her smirk transformed into a satisfied smile.

My face heated up and I nudged her with my elbow as Tristan practically circled around Mindy like she was his prey. I could tell he was entertaining her instead of ending the fight quickly. He visibly predicted all of her next moves and dodged them all without hitting her back.

"I'm happy for you, Luna. For both of you." She was a little more serious now and her smile was genuinely pure.

I turned to her and pulled her into a warm hug. "Kara." I corrected, smiling. "And thank you. None of this would've happened if I didn't listen to you in the beginning."

She pulled back and grinned, her green eyes shining. "I'm glad you did."

Mindy took another swing at Tristan and he moved his head to the side. She seemingly put all her weight behind the punch because she stumbled into him. Setting his hand on her shoulder, he locked his leg with hers and swept her off her feet. She tried to grip onto his shirt but he put some force into it and she fell into the snow.

It was a given that he was going to win, but she still looked somewhat disappointed. Standing up, she dusted herself off as Tristan fixed his shirt.

"You had to catch me off guard. You were too predictable this time around." He smiled to soften the blow and then turned to address everyone else. "We'll call it here. You were all good today—I'm proud of all of you."

Brielle laid a hand on my shoulder. "I'm going to clean up and then surprise Christian at work. Can we go grab breakfast together tomorrow?"

I slowly smiled and looked at her pointedly. "We can, but I'm not so sure it's going to be just us." As if to emphasise my point, Tristan stood in front of me and wrapped his arm around my waist, pressing his lips to my cheek.

"You got that right." He smiled at Brielle. "We'll see you tomorrow."

She chuckled but waved goodbye. Within a couple of minutes, Tristan and I were alone on the field and he lowered his lips to mine. My fingers combed through his hair and I pulled back after a few moments.

"Do I get to take you on too?"

He laughed and tugged me closer to him by my waist. "I'm ready when you are, αγάπη μου." His gaze settled on mine and a glint of seductiveness sparked in his eyes. "I've got to warn you though, I'm quite handsy when it comes to you."

I grinned and pulled him down to my height. Before I kissed him again, I glanced up at him through my eyelashes. "Don't worry—I'm counting on it."