Chapter 27

Tristan

"What are you talking about?"

"F*ck yeah, I'm going to!"

"I told you so!"

"No!"

Everyone was talking at once, but I didn't care about what they said or even what they thought. My only concern was her. It will always only ever be her.

So, there is no way that I heard her right. How could she even consider going back there when I just got her out.

Kesh was frantic and was demanding that we lock her up or get her as far away from here as we can, but I felt like I couldn't do anything except stand here staring at her.

Dylan was still shaking, I not only saw it in her hands, but I had felt it, and still she was standing here with a look of sheer determination on her face and in her posture.

While I have not known this magnificent girl long, it only took me a moment to look at her right now and see that she meant every single word that she just said.

The moment I had seen the images of Dylan I knew immediately who she was, even though the facts of how she could even exist had thrown me into utter shock and confusion.

Micah had been the one who had helped me to not only calm down, but to get to a point where I could think rationally and begin to look into how something like this could have happened.

It took days of searching and not just here or in Silver Moon, but in the remnants of Black Sol. There was little that I hadn't already dug up on my parent's murder, so my last resort was with Micah and thankfully with his help I ended up finding Vincent.

Apparently, Rogan has been working with people with dark magic and had used this to not only obtain his power and control over his pack and a few others, but to become stronger.

No one knew who he has been working with, or to what ends, but no dark magic is free. To use or wield it always comes with a cost, and it didn't explain how my dead sister was alive and in Blood Mist.

It wasn't until Micah had gone to see some of the fae from his childhood that no longer dwell in the mortal lands that he had been able to confirm some information on how he had been able to obtain Dylan.

Dylan. I hated and loved that name because while it belonged to her, it wasn't what my parents would have called her, but what he did. I still hadn't had it in me to tell her how she had come to be, or what her true name should have been.

There has just been so much going on from the moment that she arrived here up until this point that I hadn't found the time or the courage to do it.

We had spent a few hours talking and sharing things with each other, but the words that I have for her that may end up breaking her instead of building her up have been shut up inside of me.

Even now, standing here and looking at this precious girl, no this woman, who has the power to call down and control lightning and thunder for god's sake, is too fragile that I can feel her holding her pieces together with all that she has.

So, it didn't make sense to me that she would insist on doing this. I felt like my brain and body were both battling with Kesh and the rational part of myself to make sure I didn't say something wrong.

"Dylan, you can't really mean that? Why would you want to go back to Blood Mist? I think it would be best if," but that was all I got out before she turned to Lecia and Nico who were talking very animatedly with Roane.

It seemed like the two siblings were arguing with Roane about not only what Dylan had just said, but about what they had said as well.

Lecia had told me that this is what Dylan would want to do, but a small part of me had wanted to believe that she would wish to stay safely aware from there.

Nico on the other hand seemed ready to rush in and follow Dylan anywhere that she would go regardless of the consequences. 

In truth, I felt the same way as him, probably even more so. I've always been the one to leap before looking and threw caution to the wind, but with her I needed to be different.

I needed to be reasonable, responsible, and more than anything I wanted to keep her safe and give her everything that she missed out on and more.

Walking forward towards the bar, she slid her mug carefully along the countertop and placed it in front of Lecia.

"Want some," she asked softly, and the entire room seemed to watch their interaction. Lecia had come for her last night when she needed her, but it felt like Dylan was now extending an olive branch to her.

Lecia reached out and grabbed the mug, smiled at her, and said, "Thanks," before taking a large sip of the coffee.

Why the entire room seemed to watch with bated breath was beyond me, but we did. It wasn't until Lecia grimaced and said, "this isn't coffee, it's cream and sugar with a hint of coffee," and Dylan smiled that I felt like I could breathe again.

Lecia smiled back brightly and then went ahead and took another sip of the coffee before Nico swiped it from her hands and took a sip. 

Smacking his lips together, he beamed at Dylan, "it's actually pretty good. I can see why you like it like this."

Too bad this little moment couldn't last. I wasn't familiar with girl language, so I guess this is how they say they are sorry to each other, but still I hated to interrupt them.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but do you think that I can have a few minutes alone to talk to Dylan?" Four sets of eyes looked at me, but I knew that this was not going to be easy.

Roane didn't look like he was about to go anywhere, and Kesh, who was already annoyed after our conversation seemed to be losing patience with him.

Lecia and Nico though seemed to be waiting to see what Dylan was going to say or do before anything, and honestly so was I.

Dylan seemed as though she was seriously considering my request and when she turned to face me, I thought she was about to get upset or get angry, but again, she surprised me.

"If they leave now, can they come back once we are done talking?" Even though there was no waiver in her voice, it was there in the question itself that nearly broke my heart.

How many times has she had to ask for things as simple as this and been denied? How many things has she never gotten to say out of fear of what, I still didn't even know?

"Yes, they can come back here the moment that we are done, and they can stay here with you, with us if you'd prefer."

I watched her watch me and it felt as if she was searching my face, or words, or even my thoughts to see if I was telling her the truth.

"Okay," she finally said to me as she turned back to, I assume grab her mug from Nico who was still sipping from it.

Regardless, I was in no mood to deal with whatever he was wanting to so obviously start with me.

I was about to finally have some alone time with Dylan when she was fully awake and aware of herself, and I was not about to waste it.

"Why don't you take these two to go and find something to eat and I will let you all know once we are done, huh."

Turning towards him, I finally saw the look he was currently wearing on his face and Kesh seemed to find it just as odd as I did.

It was obvious that Dylan was uncomfortable as she turned and faced me fully. I was about to ask them to just go on ahead to their rooms, but Roane spoke up suddenly.

"Will the three of them now be sharing your bedroom together, or will you be finding a different suite to stay in?"

Kesh was growling in my head at the sarcasm that was so blatantly dripping from his words, and it was taking all of my self-control from snapping at it as well.

Apparently, Nico had no problem responding to him, "what is to you if we all stay in the same room, or same bed? Is it really any of your business what any of us does? If you do not like it, I'm sure we can all find somewhere else to stay."

Lecia smirked as she looked over at Roane and cocked her eyebrow as if to say, "yeah, what he said," but Dylan seemed bothered by where this conversation was going.

If I was being honest, I had already contemplated finding another place for me to take Dylan, but the only one who knew about it was Micah.

The only reason that I hadn't taken her there already was probably because of what happened on the first day that she arrived, and it was becoming more and more obvious that we might just have to go soon.

Now though, it seemed that no matter when we head there, I will have to take Lecia and Nico with me. At first, I had been hesitant about their company, but it has become glaringly obvious how much they adore my sister.

To the point that I am letting Nico say the things to Roane that I am trying so hard from saying myself.

Roane was staring at Nico as if he wanted to rip his tongue out, but even without ever seeing this boy shift, it is obvious that while he is a young wolf, he is a strong one.

Dylan jumped in then, "please don't be rude to Mr. Winters, he has been kind enough to let us all stay here and he and his family did help us to get away from Blood Mist."

Her words hurt because while this was Roane's company, my blood, sweat, tears, and money had also gone into building it into what it is today, and also into the construction and purchase of this damn building.

I did not need to rely on Roane for any type of physical or financial support. It seems that was yet another of the many things that I needed to share with her.

"Why don't you all just go down and get some food, and I will let you all know once we are done. If we take too long you are welcome to come back and check up on us," I offered to the three of them.

Roane, Lecia, and Nico were still in their clothes from last night, so they could go down to the cafe and get some food and no one would blink an eye at them. 

I linked with Reg quickly and asked him to come and escort the siblings to go and get some food just in case Roane was still pissed and didn't wish to go with them.

"No worries," Lecia said jumping off the tall bar stool and reaching out to grab Nico by the sleeve of his shirt. "Whoever it was that you just called can take us to go and find some food and then we'll be back," she said winking at me.

Dylan turned to her, and then back to me and thankfully by the time that she had dragged Nico to the door and opened it, Reg was standing there.

I didn't miss Reg's gaze immediately look for my sister and linger on her the moment he had found her, but as soon as the siblings walked out the door, Reg nodded to me, and then closed it behind them.

We heard their voices out in the hall for only a second and then the ding of the elevator was all that was left to hear.

Now it was just the three of us left here and I was not about to share my time with Dylan. Turning to Roane, who did not seem like he had any intention of leaving, I practically growled, "you can leave anytime now."

Roane looked at me for a moment before he finally stood up, and headed for the door without saying another word, but I saw the look in his eyes, and I knew that this wasn't over.

Kesh couldn't wait for the door to finally close behind him, but once it did, he did a complete one eighty and began begging me to let him come forward and talk with Dylan with me.

"Whoa, that was a, well, a lot, right." she said as she turned and jumped up onto the counter. She was still wearing her leggings and her now wrinkled band t-shirt, but she had taken off her fuzzy socks and I could see her flexing her toes.

It was honestly hard to keep looking at her switch from being an adult to a child right in front of me, and right now she looked like a young teenager.

For a second I just wanted to watch her and let her be just a kid, but I knew that we had little time for that, at least right now.

Rogan wants to come to Aspen tomorrow, so I needed time to not only speak to her alone, but we needed to talk about our meeting with Blane and Ezra this afternoon.

I felt like while we may have rescued her from Blood Mist, I failed in actually bringing her somewhere where she can actually be safe.

Not sure how I should go about starting the conversation or even where I should begin, I decided to jump up on the counter with her.

Funny, I actually felt a little nervous once I had jumped up here. I had only just finished my shower and while I had some workout shorts and a tank top, I felt a bit under dressed. She smiled when she saw me hop up here so that helped ease my nerves.

"So, how are you this morning? I know this might be a lot to deal with as soon as you wake up, but I promise, I had no idea that Roane was going to show up like that."

Dylan just looked at me and nodded so I figured that I should continue and see where this led organically, but just when I was about to bring up our parents, I heard the loud rumble from her stomach.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she said, and the little pink flush filled her cheeks so quickly, I couldn't help but smile. 

"What would you like to eat, I can order us some food, anything you'd like, and they'll bring it here, or I can cook for you," I said hoping down from the counter.

"No, please, I'd rather sit and talk a while. Can we order something, anything really, I'm not picky."

"Let's get some chocolate chip pancakes, eggs, and bacon, lots of bacon. "The smile that spread across her face at my idea was truly breathtaking and I felt my heart stutter for a moment.

Once I placed the order, I jumped back up on the counter, dropped my phone beside me, and swung my legs up underneath me while returning the smile she still wore.

In the short time that I was making the call to order our food, I had decided that I would share with her my plan to leave from here after I get back from Blood Mist and where we will be traveling to, but when she reached out and grabbed my arm it stopped all trains of thoughts I had.

"Tristan, I know what you're gonna say, and I promise I will listen to everything you think and feel, and I promise that I will hear you out completely. but I will not let you go without me. Please, please don't leave me behind!"