Yours Forever

6. Chapter six

Tristan returned from his study to find Dianne standing in the same place where he had left her in the living room.

"You can sit."

He couldn't help but stare at the timid girl sitting on the couch, who was a direct contrast to the bold girl who had kissed him. Thinking about that day made him recall her fragrant scent, soft lips that had met his in a tentative kiss before turning into an all-consuming one.

The memory made his eyes dart to her lips, at the exact same time she flicked out her tongue to lick them nervously, the action making him have to fight down a strong desire to kiss her again...do more than kiss.

He forcefully cleared his mind. "What would you like to drink?"

"I'm good, thanks." Dianne, who had been thinking about how Tristan's eyes had narrowed in on Gabe's and her connected hands earlier, raised her lowered head to look at Tristan.

Just maybe he wasn't as indifferent to her as she thought.

"Why did you bring me here?" She asked.

She could sense he was angry and with good reason. After what she did, marking him without his permission, anyone in his shoes would also be angry.

"Privacy," he took a seat. "And I couldn't have you running away again."

Dianne accepted his explanation. "I guess it's too late to say whatever you saw that night was just a figment of your imagination."

Tristan gave her the pictures he had taken that night, "A little too late for that."

Dianne took a look at the pictures. They were of her before and after her shift, she had to admit they looked pretty good. Even though he had probably taken the pictures in a hurry, they still managed to look beautiful.

"These are really good."

He looked at her, as if to say 'stop trying to change the topic'.

Dianne sighed, knowing she couldn't evade this, "What do you know about werewolves?"

"Half human, half wolf. Turn into wolves every full moon whilst still retaining human intelligence-

Dianne interrupted, "That's where you're wrong, we can shift into our wolves any time we desire. But we are stronger during a full moon." She gestured for him to continue.

"Live in packs with the Alpha as the leader. Extraordinary healing ability. Advanced senses. Immortality. Inhumane speed and strength."

"We live in packs with the Alpha as the leader and the most powerful individual in the pack, and then the Beta as the second in command. There's also The Council which presides over matters that might threaten our existence. It consists of all Alphas."

Dianne furtively took a glance at the man sitting opposite her, his face remained unchanged. "We aren't immortal, just age slower than humans. There are only a few things that can harm us. Silver affects our nervous system and affects our healing and other abilities, basically we become like normal humans. And wolfsbane is lethal to werewolves."

She looked for any sign of change in his expression. There was none.

Tristan removed the top buttons of his shirt pulling the collar to reveal the mark at the base of his neck, "What is this Dianne?"

She felt a shiver run down her spine. There was no change in his tone of voice, so why did Dianne feel like a different Tristan was sitting in front of her? And not the gentle and amiable professor she knew.

"It is The Mark," She explained.

Once a werewolf finds their mate, they mark them to let others know he or she is taken. This is done by biting the base of the neck with one's canines, which leaves a mark there forever. It strengthens the bond between them, allowing them to feel each other's emotions and it also activates the mind-link; they can communicate telepathically.

"Each werewolf has a mate. They are our destined soulmates, our other half. We can only find our mates after our first shift which usually happens at the age of sixteen. Some find their mates soon after their first shift, while others have to wait a long time. No matter how far apart, fate has a way of bringing two mates together."

"And how do you know when you find your mate?"

Forest green eyes left the spot on the floor, which they had been concentrating on, to meet Tristan's inquisitive ones, "You just know. The moment you see them, you'll know. Just like I knew you were my mate, the moment I saw you." A small smile played on Dianne's lips.

"So you're absolutely sure I'm your mate?"

The smile left her lips.

Yes, she was absolutely sure!

Dianne had always wanted to find her mate, to her having a mate meant she wouldn't feel so alone, she would have someone to call family.

You can imagine the happiness she had felt when she found her mate. Unfortunately he turned out to be human, her professor, and engaged.

Tristan somehow felt the shift in her emotions, was this what she had meant when she had said they would feel each other's emotions?

"Why did you kiss me?"

Dianne's heart shook. That statement managed to bring her out of her reverie. Why did he bring it up? She had been trying to avoid talking about it.

"I didn't kiss you, you kissed me." Dianne said, fully knowing it wasn't the truth.

Was it true?

Tristan wasn't really sure who had made the first move. "It doesn't matter. The question is why?"

Simple. She had lost control and had kissed him, despite knowing it was wrong.

It had felt right.

Dianne pushed the thought out of her mind, he was engaged. "I was in heat."

They spoke for hours until she started to feel sleepy. Noticing her weariness, Tristan suggested she sleep over and she agreed.

It would be nice to fall asleep knowing her mate was just a few feet away from her.

~*~

Late at night, in the outskirts of the city, a group of men assembled all with rigid postures as they watched a black car slow to a stop before them. They all trembled when they caught sight of the figure in the back seat, face hidden in the shadows, features indiscernible.

The passenger door opened.

The men focused their eyes on the emerging figure. Long legs, slender torso, cold but handsome face, sharp and piercing eyes hidden behind spectacles. The men did not dare let down their guards even though he was the one who emerged.

His eyes glanced at the men before landing on the figure closest to him. "Report."

"W-we found out about her college. We took some girls which we thought might've been her, but they weren't her. We recently infiltrated the school and have placed our people there, we have already locked down on a few targets. It'll be easier to find her now." The man who had been called out reported cautiously with his head down.

"How long have you known where she schools?"

"About a few months s-sir."

"And you still haven't found her." The man in glasses said.

"The cops have been paying attention to this case, so we have been cautious in carrying out our operations," the man reporting shivered as he felt a sharp glare being thrown his way. "An accident occured and one of the girls was k-killed."

The air dropped a few degrees once those words were said.

"Very good."

Those two words sent a chill down everyone's spines.

They did not see how it occured, the man in glasses moved very swiftly, it was all a blur. They only saw the body of the man who had been reporting drop to the ground.

The man in glasses opened his mouth, "You have a month to find her."

The men each let out a breath as they watched the car drive away, already dreading the fate awaiting them if they failed to accomplish their task.

The atmosphere in the car on the other hand was quite relaxed. The figure in the backseat of the car slowly opened their eyes as they spoke languidly, "Patience Clark. I've waited for years. A few more weeks is nothing."

Clark turned to look at his boss, whose eyes were once again closed. He adjusted his glasses and turned away, knowing this was the end of the conversation.