* * * * *
Chapter Eighteen
Izzy awoke in a strange room. The antique furnishings were ornate and exquisitely chosen. She was in a comfy bed with plush linens. A vase full of flowers sat on the bedside table, along with a glass of water.
She tried to recall how she’d gotten there, but came up blank. The door opened, and Tristan stepped inside. Everything came crashing back to Izzy in an instant.
“How are you feeling?” he asked, but didn’t meet her gaze. Instead, he leaned against the doorway.
Izzy sat up. “Okay, I guess,” she said. “How are you?”
Tristan shrugged. “My head hurts, but I’ll live.”
“Everly is gone. Isn’t she?”
His jaw clenched, and all warmth left his expression. “Yes.”
“Can we get her back?” Izzy asked.
Tristan shook his head and winced, then touched the side of his temple. “No.”
“Stone told me what he had planned for me on the other side,” she said. “It was horrifying. The thought of Everly...” Izzy voice cracked.
“I’m sorry,” Tristan said. “I tried to save her. I just wasn’t fast enough. I thought if I could get to her, I could toss her back through the opening before it sealed shut.”
Izzy frowned. “You told me you couldn’t survive in the Darkling world,” she said. “Was that true?”
“Yes,” he bit out.
“So you would’ve died had you leapt into their world.” The truth punched Izzy in the chest, leaving her winded.
“I might have been able to save her for you,” Tristan said, avoiding the truth.
And if he had, it would’ve cost him his life.
Izzy played with the ends of the comforter. “Everly pushed me out of the way,” she said quietly.
“I saw her,” he said. “She did it to save you.”
She closed her eyes. “Why would she do that? She had to have known what would happen.”
“You were her friend,” he said.
Her eyes flew open, and she glared at him. “I still am,” Izzy snapped.
Tristan nodded. “I think she knew all along what was going to occur. We just didn’t listen.”
“What happens now?” she asked.
He stared at a spot on the wall. Izzy got the distinct impression that he did it so he wouldn’t have to look at her. The thought hurt.
“You’ll return to your life with your sister,” he said. “And I’ll return to mine.”
Pain blossomed inside her, but she refused to show it. She wasn’t sure why she was surprised. After all, they’d been forced to work together. No sense drawing the situation out. It was already uncomfortable enough.
“I’m...” She cleared her throat. “I’m going to need a ride.”
Tristan glanced at her. “It’s already been arranged.”
“Are you going to take me back?” she asked, knowing the answer before he replied.
“No,” Tristan said. “I have... I have things I need to do.”
“Of course,” she said, unable to keep the bitterness from her voice. “Well, thanks for stopping by. I’m glad you’re okay.”
Tristan opened his mouth to say something more, then closed it and left the room.
Izzy stayed strong until the door clicked then she let herself fall apart. When she was done wallowing in the pity pool, she threw the covers off and jumped into the shower. Izzy was surprised to find fresh clothes waiting for her when she got out.
They must really want to get rid of her. Or maybe Tristan did.
Well she’d never been one to overstay her welcome. She looked around the room one last time. Nothing of hers was there, so she left.
Pierre La Fontaine waited for her at the bottom of the stairs. Tristan was nowhere in sight. She guessed they’d said their goodbyes earlier. Izzy painted a smile on her face as she approached the Alpha.
“Glad to see you’re feeling better,” he said.
Izzy rubbed her arms. “Thanks for putting me up. I—uh, guess I’d better be going. Thank you again for—everything.”
“Take care of yourself, Ms. MacDougal,” he said. Pierre’s expression remained pleasant, but he didn’t bother to hide the concern in his amber eyes.
Izzy nodded and walked out of the house. A car idled near the curb to take her to the airport. She glanced back one last time at the house, hoping to spot Tristan, but he was nowhere in sight. Her heart broke as she slipped into the car and it drove away.
* * * * *
Tristan pulled the curtains back and watched the black sedan take Isabel away. He had to let her go. It was the right thing to do. She hadn’t asked for his bite. Hadn’t wanted it. He wouldn’t force himself upon her. He’d already done enough damage.
“Are you going to stand there all night?” Pierre asked, coming up beside him.
“Perhaps,” Tristan said.
“She’s your mate,” Pierre said gently.
Tristan’s lip curled. “No,” he said. “She isn’t. I bit her to protect her.”
Pierre had the audacity to laugh in his face. “Is that what you think happened? I was wondering what load of bull you were telling yourself.”
He scowled. “I know that’s what happened. I was there. You weren’t.”
Pierre shook his head and walked over to an antique cabinet. He pulled out a bottle of port. “Want a glass?”
Tristan shrugged. “Sure.”
Pierre poured two glasses and handed him one. Tristan started to take a sip but stopped short when the Alpha raised his glass.
“Here’s to beautiful women,” he said. “The ones in our lives and the ones we let get away.”
Tristan glared at him.
Pierre clinked his glass then took a sip. “Funny thing about wolves,” he said, “they don’t do anything they don’t want to do.”
“She’s not my bondmate,” Tristan said then tossed the contents of the glass back. The port burned his throat but did little to ease his tension.
“That bite tells a different story,” Pierre said, taking another dainty sip. “You really should savor rare things.” He glanced at his glass, but Tristan wasn’t sure he discussed the port.
Tristan set his glass down on the side table. “The bite didn’t happen during sex, so she’s not going to become Kin.”
Pierre nodded. “Perhaps not,” he said. “You’re probably in the clear. You can go back to doing what you do without having to worry about your...Isabel.” He finished his port and set his glass down beside Tristan’s.
Tristan turned back to the window as Pierre wandered toward the door. The Alpha’s footsteps halted. Tristan knew his leaving was too good to be true.
“I do wonder though,” Pierre said.
He sighed and turned to face the Alpha once more. “About what?”
“About what did happen during sex,” he said.
“That is none of your business,” Tristan snarled. He opened his mouth to deliver another scathing response, but Pierre held up his hand to stop him.
“I don’t want details,” Pierre said in exasperation. “I’m just giving you something to think about.”
“Pierre,” Tristan ground his name out between clenched teeth.
“Fine,” Pierre said. “I’ll leave you with one final thought. Isabel may not be your bondmate and she probably won’t shift during the next full moon, but if you locked inside of her during sex, then there’s a very good chance she’s carrying your pup.”
Blood drained from Tristan’s face, and he grabbed hold of the windowsill to keep from falling over. Was that possible? Had he impregnated Isabel? Just the thought left him light-headed.
Pierre laughed. “You look like you need another drink.” He walked over and grabbed the port, then refilled their glasses. “You’ll only know for sure if you go after her.”
Tristan grabbed the glass and drank the port like it was a shot, then rushed past Pierre. He heard the Alpha laughing as he took the stairs two at a time.
“Thought that might change things,” Pierre shouted. “Have a nice flight.”
* * * * *
Izzy had been back in Oregon for over three weeks. Tristan had showed up shortly after she arrived, but she had refused to speak with him. Seeing him hurt too much. Everywhere she turned Izzy got a constant reminder of what she’d lost.
Her sister Mindy was so blissfully in love that it was sickening. She was happy for her. Truly happy, but nothing made someone hurting more miserable than hanging around a happy couple.
She continued to mourn Everly but had accepted that there was nothing she could’ve done to save her. That didn’t make her feel any less guilty, but it had brought a modicum of peace.
Mindy had been badgering her for the past two days to come over to the estate where she lived with Nic, her new husband. Izzy tried to digest the fact that her little sister was married. So much had changed in such a short period of time.
And it wasn’t just her sister’s life. Izzy had changed, too. Now when she saw the monsters, she didn’t go the other direction. Not all of them were bad. Most were just trying to get by. Her stomach gurgled. Izzy hadn’t been feeling very well lately, but Mindy’s cheerful persistence eventually wore her down.
She’d agreed to go to Aidan’s place with one stipulation. Tristan wasn’t allowed to be there. Her sister readily agreed, which was why Izzy found herself in a car heading toward the estate.
She sat in silence as they drove past the big gates guarding the entrance. Through the trees, Izzy thought she caught glimpses of movement, but she wasn’t sure.
The car stopped in front of a magnificent mansion. Mindy turned to her. “What do you think?”
Izzy looked at the house. “It’s very pretty.”
“Come on.” Mindy tugged her hand. “You’ll like it more once you see the inside.”
She didn’t need to like the house. It wasn’t like she’d be living here, but she humored Mindy all the same. Izzy felt eyes upon her as she exited the car.
She didn’t see anyone, but they were there. A few times during the week, Izzy swore she’d sensed Tristan in her mind, but that was impossible. They didn’t have that kind of connection.
Just the thought of Frosty brought a wave of sadness. Izzy pushed it aside and smiled, but it didn’t fool Mindy.
“I’m fine,” she said. “I swear.”
“I’m not buying it,” Mindy said, “but I appreciate the effort.”
Okay, she wasn’t fine. Far from it. But Izzy would be eventually. It would just take time. A few years should do it, she thought.
If only Mindy would wait. Her sister had already talked about setting Izzy up. Just the thought of a strange man touching her made Izzy’s skin crawl. She couldn’t imagine anyone holding her, but Tristan. She didn’t tell her sister because frankly her behavior embarrassed her. Izzy had never been the type of girl to moon over any man.
A handsome man with shoulder-length black hair met them at the door. Next to him stood a willowy strawberry blonde with her arm wrapped around his back.
“Isabel,” he said. “It’s great to finally meet you. Mindy has told me so much about you. I’m Aidan.” He held out his hand.
Izzy shook it. “Nice to meet you, too.”
“This is my bondmate, Jenna,” he said.
The woman stepped forward and shook her hand. “It’s so nice to meet you,” she said.
Aidan’s nose twitched. He gave Izzy a funny look then glanced at Mindy and Nic.
“Something wrong?” Izzy asked.
“No,” Aidan said, recovering quickly. “Please come inside. We have lunch prepared.”
“You didn’t need to go to any trouble,” Izzy said, feeling uncomfortable by the attention. Though truth be told, she was hungry. More than hungry, ravenous.
“No trouble at all,” Jenna said.
After a long leisurely lunch, Mindy gave Izzy a tour around the estate. Unlike Pierre’s house, this one was super modern inside and high tech. She tried to picture Pierre going high tech and nearly laughed aloud. He liked his antiques too much to ever do that.
Thoughts about Pierre and New Orleans opened the floodgates on the emotions she’d been trying to suppress. Memories of her and Tristan strolling through Jackson Square filled her mind.
Izzy could almost feel him holding her hand and kissing her. He’d been pretending they were a couple at the time, but the kisses had felt real enough for her to forget for a while.
Her throat thickened. She shouldn’t be thinking about Tristan or New Orleans. He wasn’t there any longer. Izzy wasn’t even sure if he was still in Oregon. Tristan had told her that he lived in the Southwest. Maybe he’d gone home.
Did he think about her and their time in the Big Easy? Did it matter?
Izzy swallowed past the lump in her throat. “Mindy, I’d like to go home now.”
Concern filled her sister’s brown eyes. “Sure,” she said. “Let’s just say goodbye to Aidan and Jenna before we leave.”
As they drew near Aidan’s office, they heard shouting coming from the other side of the door.
“I don’t think we should interrupt him,” Izzy said, turning to leave.
“I’m not going anywhere until I get to speak with her,” a familiar male voice said.
“She doesn’t want to see you,” Aidan shouted.
Izzy froze. She knew that voice. Knew who it had come from. Tristan. Izzy glanced back at the closed door.
Words were quickly replaced by loud growls.
Izzy moved long before reason raised its ugly head to stop her. She pushed the door open and stepped inside the room. Two sets of glowing eyes turned on her at once.
“Knock it off, Frosty,” she snapped.
The growling ceased. Aidan’s dark brow shot to his hairline.
“What are you doing here?” Izzy asked, ignoring him and focusing on Tristan.
He inhaled, then his mercury-colored eyes narrowed. “We need to talk,” Tristan said.
“There’s nothing more to say,” she said.
“You may have nothing to say, but I have plenty,” he said.
Izzy told herself that she only agreed because she wanted to defuse the situation, but it was a lie. She’d missed him. Missed him so much that it hurt. Being near him made her heart lighter.
Tristan glared at Aidan then walked out the door. He didn’t touch Izzy as they stepped off the back patio onto the grass, but he stayed close by her side.
A couple times Izzy caught him scowling at the other wolves they passed as they wandered down a trail in the woods. But she didn’t say anything. Izzy simply waited.
She should have heard him out long ago, but she’d been afraid to. Too afraid of what he might say. Izzy couldn’t go on like this, though. It was too painful.
When they reached a small clearing, Tristan stopped. He shifted his feet and glanced around, but nothing held his interest for long.
What had him so nervous? she wondered.
“You said you wanted to talk,” Izzy said. “So talk.”
Tristan rubbed the back of his neck. She saw his gaze dart to the spot where he’d bitten her. It had healed, but the mark didn’t look like it was ever going to go away.
Izzy had noticed a similar spot on Mindy’s neck. When she’d asked her about it, her sister had been evasive. At the time she’d assumed it was sexual in nature, but now that she’d seen one on Jenna’s throat, Izzy wasn’t so sure.
He took a deep breath. “I missed you,” Tristan said, surprising them both.
She’d missed him, too, but Izzy wasn’t about to admit it. “Tristan, what are you really doing here? Does it have something to do with this bite?” She motioned toward her neck.
Tristan’s lips thinned. “Yes, and no,” he said.
“I think if you try you can be a little more vague,” she said.
He laughed, breaking some of the tension between them. “I have missed that mouth of yours.”
She gave him a wr
y glance. “You don’t like humans, remember?”
“I remember,” he said. “I also recall you don’t care for monsters. Has that changed?”
Izzy laughed, but the sound held no warmth. “Yeah, it has.” She caught the flare of hope in his eyes. “I didn’t know what real monsters were until I met Stone, Slade, or whatever his name is.”
Tristan brushed a lock of hair away from her face. “It doesn’t matter what his name was, he’s dead now.”
Izzy blanched. “What do you mean he’s dead?”
“The sword I struck him with wasn’t a normal weapon,” he said. “It was made specifically to kill his kind.”
“What does that mean for Everly?” she asked, knowing her friend was now alone in the dark world.
Tristan chose his words carefully. “At least she won’t have him to contend with.”
Being this close to Isabel and not being able to touch her was sheer torture for Tristan. The proximity was bad enough, but couple that with the aroma coming from her skin and it was enough to make a wolf beg.
He had to tell her the truth about the bite, though it was minor compared to the other news he must share with her.
“You asked what the bite meant,” he said.
“Yes,” she said.
Tristan pulled her into his arms and kissed her. She pulled back to argue or protest. He wasn’t sure which and didn’t care. He continued kissing Isabel until she melted against his body. Tristan hardened instantly, wanting her more than he desired his next breath.
Reluctantly, he ended the kiss. Her eyes were glazed when she looked at him. Tristan waited until she focused. “That’s what the bite means,” he said. “It’s what it will always mean, if you’ll have me.”
He kissed her again before she answered. Tristan was too afraid to hear her response. Couldn’t bear the thought of her rejection.
Isabel tore her mouth away. “I can’t think when you’re kissing me,” she said.
“That’s the point,” he murmured.
She laughed. “You know this probably isn’t going to work, right?”
Moonlight Kin 4: Tristan Page 19
