Forest Pack: Tristan Ch. 05

Tristan stood so still that Rhea thought he resembled a stone statue. She would have been more puzzled by his reaction if she weren't freaking out over the fact that her worst nightmare had just walked into the café and addressed Tristan as "brother". She should have known that she could never escape his horrific clutches. It was too much to hope that she would be able to live a normal productive supernatural-free life.

"What, no warm embrace? I'm hurt brother," the stranger laughed.

"What do you want Logan? You aren't welcome in this territory and you are no brother of mine," Tristan said coldly.

"Ooh, that one hurt... Can't a guy just stop by to check how his little brother is doing?"

"No. Now leave before I'm forced to remove you."

Logan's cold black eyes flitted to Rhea and a slow smirk spread across his face.

"Just hand over the hot brunette you have over there Tristan and I'll be on my way... It's not nice to keep a man's property from him," Logan said jovially.

Tristan saw red with those words and had to reign in every instinct he possessed to not rip off Logan's head where he stood.

"It would serve you well to never so much as glance in her direction again Logan. I won't be as lenient with you as I was the last time..." Tristan bit out.

Logan's eyes hardened at the reminder of what had transpired between them the last time they saw each other.

"I would have thought you'd avoid interfering with mates Tristan. You know the sacred law. And Rhea over there is most definitely my mate..." Logan said cheerfully.

Tristan heard Rhea whimper almost inaudibly and his deadly claws slid out slowly, a clear warning to his brother. There was no way in Hell he would be letting him take Rhea. She was HIS mate. Nobody else would be touching her.

"I believe you are sorely mistaken Logan. Rhea belongs to no other wolf but me. You should know better than to quote sacred law to me. Now leave," Tristan said, surprised by how calm he sounded.

"In that case I challenge you to the right to mate with her, brother dearest," Logan growled, clearly displeased with Tristan's claim on Rhea.

"I gladly accept. Now get your scruffy horde the Hell off my land before my betas are forced to teach your pack a lesson about the meaning of territory," Tristan growled.

"We will meet again soon Tristan," Logan promised.

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Tristan watched his brother's pack file out of the café and he fought the urge to roar at their traitorous impudence. Tristan was the Alpha by right and by strength and he itched to get the fight with his brother done right then and there. Suddenly aware once more of the scent of fear surrounding his mate, Tristan turned sharply, just in time to see Rhea sliding quietly out of the booth.

"Oh no you don't..." Tristan bit out, lifting her up and placing her over his shoulder. "I want answers, mate, and I want them now."

Tristan's overwhelming instinct at that moment was to take Rhea somewhere private and claim her in the primitive way of the wolves but his Alpha responsibilities dictated that he find out exactly why his brother believed Rhea was his mate and why he had dared to resurface in Tristan's territory after all these years. Tristan was pissed beyond belief but he reigned in his wolf and walked out to his car.

"Put me down Tristan, please... I promise I won't say a thing. I'll leave the area and be gone for good. Please, I'm begging you, just let me go..."

Tristan registered the note of hysteria in her voice and put her down gently as he reached his car, despite the rage simmering in him. Ignoring the look of relief on Rhea's face, he opened the passenger side door and waited for her to get in.

Rhea thought for a brief second that he was letting her go but then she saw the steely look in his eyes as he waited for her to get into the car and felt her hopes get crushed with that one look. She got in quietly and shuffled as close to the door as possible after he walked to the driver's side. She didn't dare try to run at that moment because she knew he would catch her before she even got out of the car. Rhea registered Tristan's clenched fists and rigid jaw before he got into the driver's seat. She shut her eyes and prayed fervently that this was just a bad dream and that she was sleeping safely in her home. She refused to acknowledge the fact that Logan had just marched back into her life, that he was Tristan's brother and that they were apparently going to fight over the right to claim her. Rhea felt herself being dragged into memories she swore to forget a long time ago and shivered unconsciously as she kept her eyes shut, trying her hardest to think of how she could escape from Tristan.

Rhea's train of thought was interrupted by the feeling of the car coming to a stop. She blinked her eyes open and watched warily as Tristan opened the passenger side door for her.

"Come on Little one. You're safe here, this is my home."

Rhea scoffed at his promise that she was safe but exited the car quietly and walked up the steps leading to the front door. The cabin was huge and she could tell that although it looked rustic, there was plenty of high tech security surrounding the house.

Tristan opened the front door and watched Rhea carefully for her reaction to her future home. Despite his anger and the drama of the last half an hour, he was still anxious about her seeing their home for the first time.

Rhea kept her expression carefully blank as she surveyed her surroundings. The house was clean and neat but still very homely. She could easily envisage sitting in front of the fireplace wrapped tightly in Tristan's strong arms, watching their children play a few feet away.

'Whoa woman! Get a grip. Your life is in danger. Again. Don't be fooled by a bloody werewolf,' Rhea mentally chastised herself.

Tristan hated the fact that Rhea could so easily hide her feelings from him. He couldn't tell if she was pleased by his home or not but he knew that there were more pressing matters at hand.

"Rhea," he began, "I'm not going to hurt you sweetheart. I need to know why Logan thinks you are his mate,"

Rhea cringed at the mention of that monster's name but she analysed the events that occurred in the café and came to the conclusion that either Tristan and Logan truly despised each other, or they were both amazing actors. Her throat ached at the idea that Tristan was as evil as his brother but she decided that she would not volunteer any information until she knew for sure what Tristan's motives were. Her paranoia had served her well in the past and even though her instinct told her that Tristan could be trusted, logic prevailed and forced her to say nothing.

Tristan could see the wheels turning in Rhea's head and after a few minutes of silence he realized she planned on ignoring his question. He ran his hands through his hair in frustration and thought about how he could persuade her to talk. His wolf was extremely agitated that his brother had interacted with his mate before Tristan had found her and her terror at seeing Logan had Tristan's imagination running through the worst possible scenarios. He felt his eyes shift into the inky black of his wolf and his claws cut through the air slowly. Tristan had to fight every urge in his body as his wolf wrestled him for dominance. He felt cold fury as he recalled Rhea's expression at seeing Logan. Beads of sweat gathered on Tristan's forehead as he fought his beast for control.

**********************

Rhea watched in fascination as Tristan's eyes changed colour, the piercing black making him look dark and deadly. She was shaken out of her funk when his claws slid out and she realized that he was fighting his beast. For some reason, Rhea wasn't afraid of this side of Tristan. She knew to be careful but every instinct in her was urging her to try and calm him down. Rhea approached him slowly and lifted her hand up to his jaw. Her skin tingled at the contact and her breath hitched but she was determined to bring him back.

"Tristan... Come back to me," she urged quietly.

Tristan was losing himself. He could feel the wolf gaining dominance and pushed harder to regain control. Distantly he realized Rhea had approached him and at her timid touch on his jaw he felt the wolf recede abruptly. He shook his head as if to clear it and realized the wolf had lost its rabid fury as soon as he realized they were possibly endangering their mate.

"Oh Luna! Rhea, forgive me Little One. I can't stand the thought of you being hurt and my wolf wants to find Logan and shred him to pieces. I'm so sorry I lost control like that," Tristan said, unable to meet her eyes.

Rhea cupped his jaw more fully and lifted his head so that his eyes met hers. She could see the self-loathing in his eyes but also the anger boiling beneath the surface. Rhea couldn't tell if Tristan was just acting or not but she realized that she truly believed he was being sincere. His reactions were just too primal and spontaneous to be deceptive.

"It's ok. I'm ok. Look, I still don't know whether this is the wisest move but I'll tell you whatever you need to know. For whatever bizarre reason, I trust you Tristan," Rhea said softly.

Tristan felt immense relief as Rhea spoke and then felt his wolf howl happily at her indication that she trusted them. His eyes flared and he stared at her intensely without uttering a word.

Rhea felt more self-conscious the longer Tristan stared at her. The forceful penetrating expression in his gaze made her feel hot and cold all at once and she pulled her hands away from his face abruptly, letting out a nervous breath as she did so. She couldn't believe how bold she was around him and how he so easily made her forget herself. Just five minutes ago she had doubted everything about him and wanted to run as far away as possible and now she wanted nothing more than to have him touch her and never let go. She would consider herself bipolar if she stopped to really think about her behaviour.

Tristan saw the uncertainty in his mate's eyes as she pulled away from him and caught her wrist before she could move further away.

"Oh no you don't," he breathed out. "You don't get to just say that and then walk away Rhea."

Tristan used his grip on her wrist to drag her against his body and captured her mouth forcefully before she could protest. He groaned as he once again experienced her sweet taste and felt Rhea place her hands against his chest as he gently but determinedly coaxed her mouth open. All at once the kiss changed from forceful to frenzied. Tristan felt her respond to his aggression and he couldn't hold back anymore. He had his stunning mate in his arms and he could scent her arousal, turning him mindless with need.

Tristan grabbed the back of Rhea's thighs and hoisted her up so that she was pressed firmly against his aching cock. She whimpered at the sensation of him pressing against her core and shifted her hips to feel more friction even as his tongue wickedly dominated her mouth. Tristan growled and tightened his grip on her thighs as he carried her to his bedroom. He broke the kiss to place her on the centre of his bed and paused to relish the view of his mate lying in his domain where she belonged.

Tristan's nostrils flared as he inhaled Rhea's scent and he kicked off his shoes before climbing onto the bed to join his mate. She gazed at him with a sleepy sexy expression and whimpered as Tristan's body covered hers, effectively pinning her to the mattress. Tristan took her mouth again, this time slow and gentle. Rhea responded to his kiss by growing even wetter and she grabbed onto his shoulders to steady herself. She had never felt this all consuming need before and if she had the ability to think clearly her mind would have been screaming at her to stop before things got out of hand.

Tristan ran his right hand down Rhea's body as he kissed her, from her back down to her left thigh and held her firmly as he devoured her mouth. He felt Rhea move her hands down his chest timidly and growled as she reached the edge of his jeans. He removed his hand from her thigh and grabbed her hand that was against his lower abs, placing it firmly on his skin under his t-shirt and groaning at the feel of her skin on his. Rhea inched her hands slowly upwards, feeling his warm skin under her palms and his firm abdominal muscles. She scraped her nails lightly against his skin and felt as well as heard him growl his approval.

***********************

Suddenly Rhea became aware of Tristan's hand lifting her t-shirt and she froze, memories she had buried coming to the surface in a great catastrophic rush. She whimpered again, this time in fear and pulled her hands away from him as if she had been scorched.

Tristan registered the sudden change in his mate and pulled away from her slowly, his heart breaking at the fearful expression in her eyes. He spoke softly to her, trying to get her to come back to the present.

"Rhea, Little One, its ok. You're safe. It's me, Tristan. Nobody is going to hurt you sweetheart," he cajoled gently.

Rhea heard Tristan's calm tender tone and was pulled back to where she was. She buried her face in his neck and sobbed as she recalled the images that had flown through her mind. She knew that she was safe with Tristan and felt so ashamed at her reaction, knowing that it would have hurt him badly as well.

Tristan was once again fuming as he realized that Rhea was terrified of intimacy. His wolf was nearly rabid with fury once again but his instinct to soothe and comfort his mate conquered his urge to rip apart the person who had caused her fear. He chastised himself for moving too fast and pushing her when she wasn't ready.

"I'm so sorry Tristan," she said, pulling backwards and startling him out of his chain of thought. "It wasn't you. I'm just so sorry."

Tristan kissed her cheek gently and brought her back into his arms.

"No my sweet, I'm sorry... I shouldn't have pushed you so fast," he breathed out.

"I guess I owe you some explanation for my weird behaviour," Rhea sighed. "Its just not easy to talk about so, er, bear with me Tristan," she pleaded.

Tristan felt his heart clench at the uncertainty and fear in her voice. He knew that what she was about to tell him was extremely painful for her and would most likely drive him crazy so he breathed deeply to calm himself and prepared himself for what he was about to hear.

Tristan protectively gathered Rhea in his arms and moved up on the bed so that he could seat her in his lap. Rhea was aware of how closely her body moulded to his but instead of feeling scared she felt safe and comforted. She let out a shaky breath and began her tale.

"The day I turned eighteen my parents were involved in a really bad accident. They died instantly. I was legally an adult so I had to take care of myself from there on out. My parents left me a substantial education policy and other investments but it wasn't enough to fund my studies long enough to become a doctor, so I opted for nursing instead," Rhea said shakily. The memory of her parents and their death still shook her up but she breathed deeply and continued with her story.

"I sort of functioned like a robot for the next few years, immersing myself in my studies until I qualified and started working at the local hospital. It was extremely south of here in a very poor area but I loved working there with the children. They brought me so much joy and hope. Some of them were terminally ill and yet they had so much optimism and love for life. It was probably the best thing that happened to me because it helped me move on from grieving my parents.

I worked in paediatrics for 2 years until we ended up being short staffed in the maternity ward and I was moved there. The biggest problem there was that there was only one obstetrician so the nurses were forced to do procedures and emergency deliveries very often. I was terrified because I hardly knew anything about delivering babies but I learnt pretty fast.

One day we were severely understaffed because a bad bout of flu had hit most of the nurses at once. There was just one obstetrician and two nurses on duty but three emergency deliveries. I know it was irresponsible and nurses shouldn't have been doing half the stuff we had to do but we felt as if we had no option. Leaving the patients for prolonged periods of time to wait for an available doctor was too risky and put the mothers and babies in danger."

At this point Rhea looked back at Tristan to see his reaction and relaxed a bit more as he smiled encouragingly.

"There was a big commotion later that evening and I was the only one available in the ward so I went to check out what was happening. There was this man, huge hulking guy, carrying his pregnant wife into the ward. She was tiny and beautiful but unconscious and almost ready to deliver. I got her settled and measured her contractions. They were coming really fast and I was terrified of having to deliver this baby by surgery but miraculously the woman woke up and just smiled at me. I was stunned.

It was a difficult birth. I could tell she was in extreme pain but she didn't utter a single cry. She just held onto the man's hand and stared at him the entire time. I was afraid for her life because her pressure was escalating and she was in labour for hours but eventually the baby decided to make an appearance. Or rather the pup," Rhea smiled.

Tristan stiffened but squeezed Rhea reassuringly to let her know that he was still with her and that she could continue.

"He was so beautiful Tristan. Just a little fur ball, whining non-stop. He opened his eyes and stared right at me and I felt as if he could read my very thoughts. I was beyond surprised and just stood there for a few moments until he cried out and my training kicked in. Obviously I didn't know the first thing about delivering pups but I cleaned him up and wrapped him in a warm blanket before handing him to his mum. I was in total shock. I mean it's not every day that a woman gives birth to a wolf pup. But then fear set in. I had no idea how this was even possible and what would happen to me but one look at the couple smiling at their baby and I knew I had to protect them.

The guy seemed to realize that I was still in the room and he stood up suddenly and walked towards me. I thought he was going to kill me but he just took my hands in his and thanked me about ten times for delivering their baby safely. I was going to respond but he suddenly ran towards the door with a panicked look in his eyes and I heard a lot of feet in the distance stomping through the ward. I just knew that this family was in danger and my instincts were screaming to help them.

I ran to get a wheelchair for the woman and her husband placed her in it carefully. She was extremely weak and I just prayed that he could get her immediate care once they were out of here but of course nothing about this couple was normal. I was stunned when he bit into his wrist and fed her some of his blood but I was even more shocked when she seemed to heal right before my eyes. It was amazing. One minute she was weak and fragile and the next she looked healthy and strong.

By this time I should have been running and screaming but I was just calm and logical. I knew I had just been a part of something extraordinary but I still had to help these people. So I got them to the emergency elevator and told them how to get out of the hospital without being seen. The woman smiled at me before the doors closed and it was such a serene beautiful smile that I calmed down immediately and I knew what I had to do. I walked towards the noise and realized that it was a small army moving through the ward, checking every room methodically. I should have run but I wanted to buy them some time so I confronted the man leading the troops.