Escape

8

‘Thank you for this,’ Seven said as soon as Gio was gone.

“For?”

‘For accepting this. I know you did it for me, despite what you want.’

“You let me take you away from your mates when I was struggling with the man.” I sighed, “I know it was hard for you. Now it’s my turn to suck it up and let you get what you need as well.”

‘Who knows, you may fall for him again.’

I could hear the hope in her voice. But that just wouldn’t happen. Could not. I would be disgracing my parents memory.

I let the day pass by uneventfully, until I shower and get ready for my date with Tristan. Get ready to say goodbye to Tristan.

Not long later, I found myself outside Tristans condo. Seven makes a comment about how nice it is and how expensive it must be. I shoot him a text before he informs the doorman where to direct me to… penthouse. Now that’s expensive. I exit his private entrance from the elevator, large windows looking over the city greet me before the man of the hour makes his presence known. I never realized that D.C. had buildings that could look across the city like this. They don’t have anything like New York City does… but it is still quite amazing.

“Hi, beautiful,” Tristan sneaks in behind me wrapping his arms around my waist and resting his chin on my head. “ You smell good.”

I push my hair behind my ears “Thank you, that’s one of the best compliments.” I turn around to an eyeful of shirtless man. Yum. Tristan is fit and anyone can appreciate the effort he puts into his body, well anyone except Seven who is completely unimpressed and instead sends images of Gio into my mind.

“I see you staring, Vinny,” he laughs.

“Sorry not sorry. You knew what you were doing when you skipped out on the shirt.” My eyes traced him once again before he walked towards the kitchen, his hand slightly pulling me behind him. My eyes trace his back and shoulders, all women should appreciate a nice back and broad shoulders. But my eyes stop on one particular tattoo that covers his shoulder.

“I- Is that a wolf?”

“Yeah, I kind of have a thing about wolves…” I trace my fingers over each line while my mind wanders. It is the symbol of a pack… my pack. Where could he have seen it?

Tristan steps away from me and starts cooking. Chicken, I think. Why would he get something so specific tattooed on his body without knowing the meaning?

“Strangely, it reminds me of home.” My head jerks up questioning what he is saying. “The tattoo.” My eyebrow quirks. He couldn’t be a wolf. I would have been able to scent him the first day we crossed paths. I have a silent conversation with Seven, she agrees that she can’t scent him. ‘Blockers?’ She asks me. “I don’t block my scent. He would still be able to scent me and know I was a wolf. He would come clean, right?”

‘I don’t know. That is your friend, not mine.’

My eyes watch Tristan more intently than I ever have. “Tell me about your home.”

“I’m just from a small town outside of Seattle. Nothing special,” he starts. “I haven’t been home in years… there’s nothing for me there anymore.”

Seven tries to convince me to just ask him if he’s a wolf but I have a better plan.

I walk over to him, turning off the stove then sliding my hands up the front of his chest then slightly scraping my nails down his back, not once breaking eye contact.

“Vinny, what are you doing?” He says from the back of his throat.

“Do you want me to stop?”

“I-“ he turns around to face me, slamming his lips on to mine. I gasp and he takes the chance to slide his tongue into my mouth. I’m enjoying his lips on me more than I ever had. It’s not because Gio got me all hot and bothered earlier. Really, it’s not.

I pull away to trail kisses down his jaw, down his neck before landing on that sweet spot that no wolf can resist, the spot one is to be marked. A little nibble, some tongue action and a lot of sucking. He growls. Tristan growls! A very wolf-like growl.

He picks me up placing me on the counter behind us, bringing my lips back to his while his hands grip my thighs.

I have to say, I was quite enjoying myself but now that I have confirmed my own suspicions, I’m peeved.

“I know what you are, Tristan.” I pull away as he pants, his eyes full of confusion. “Don’t even try to lie to me. You didn’t hide your reaction to touch at the nape of your neck.”

He curses and then adjusts his pants.

“So, you just weren’t going to tell me?” I ask.

“Well, you didn’t tell me either.”

“You could smell me!” The audacity of this man. “I can’t smell you! Wait- Why can’t I smell you?”

“I forgot about the blockers… I had been taking them so long. I guess they just became a part of my routine.”

What pack are you from?”

“River Mountain.”

I growled. “Lie again. I am from River Mountain and I don’t know you.”

“Well Ia m six years older than you, and like I said, I haven’t been back in eight years. Not since I shifted.”

“I haven’t been back since I shifted either.” Something like sorrow washed over both of our expressions. “Actually I am going back.”

“When?”

“Tonight.”

“Why?”

“The Alpha- It’s complicated.”

“I will tell him to leave you alone, he will listen to me.”

“He’s stubborn, that man doesn’t listen to anyone.” Tristan rubs circles on the back of my hand.

“We have history. If he will listen to anyone, it would be me.” He looks at me like he’s ready to stand between me and all my problems.

“Tristan,” I sigh. “Once upon a time, he was my fated mate.”

“Once upon a time? What does that even mean?” He drops my hand as if I have just burned him.

“It means that events occurred that were detrimental to our relationship, so I left.”

“But now you’re going back? To what? Mate with him?” His jaw might as well have been on the floor.

“I am going back for the pack.” I explain to him what Gio and I have agreed upon. We will be a couple all for show, for the pack but not in private.

Tristan decides he wants to come back to the pack with me… as ‘protection’ of course.