Kym Grosso - Tristan's Lyceum Wolves

Tristan heard a resigned acceptance in her voice. It was better this way. Guilty or not, she had stepped into his world, and one simply didn’t walk away after becoming a person of interest in a territorial war. He looked down into her sky blue eyes, realizing she’d disconnected from him. She needed time before he’d be able to get all the answers he needed.

Logan got out of the car, fully prepared to break open a window. Looking to get lucky, he tried the car handle but both doors were locked. Circling the car, he noticed a pair of shoes thrown against the concrete wall. He squatted to inspect them, and guessed that they belonged to their girl. As he stood, he noticed metal glinting underneath the front rear tire. A silver keychain, shaped as a dove. He picked it up and looked at the writing, ‘Libre Volonté’. Free will? From what or whom was she fleeing? Clicking the key, the car locks clicked open.

“Look at that,” he commented, smiling over at Tristan who was watching him. “I’m good.”

Tristan rolled down the window. “Yes you are. Now move your ass, Logan. There’s something not right with this girl. Did you find her pills?”

Logan held up a brown tube and shook it. “Got it.” He rummaged through the car a few minutes more, before he got out and shut the door.

“Took you long enough,” Tristan commented as Logan handed him the bottle of pills. “Water?” he asked, hoping for the impossible.

“Sorry, man. I’ve got nothin’. Can’t she just chew it?”

“Guess that’s how it’s going to have to be. Come on, ma chère. We’ve got your pills.” Tristan opened the unmarked bottle, and he wondered what kind of medication it was. Even though he wasn’t human and didn’t use their pharmacies, he knew for certain that most pharmaceuticals were labeled. It seemed strange, but she obviously needed the pills.

“Please, just one,” she whispered, her eyes locking on his.

Tristan took out a white chalky tablet and placed it on her tongue. She closed her eyes in relief while her lips sealed around his finger. The sweet bitterness burned her throat. Thank you, God. Her wolf whined in grief as she was pushed to the back of Kalli’s psyche, jailed yet again.

A small sigh escaped as he pulled his wet digit out of her mouth. Goddammit. The woman was scratched and sick, possibly his enemy, and he was thinking of a damn blow job. Shit, he needed to get back to the condo, and fuck something, even if it was his own hand. The pressure of helping Kade, then the fire, his sister; it was getting to be too much. Something had to give.

“What’s happening, Tris?” Logan asked, wondering if it had worked.

Tristan didn’t want to tell him what was happening, because what he was feeling was inappropriate, to say the least. “She’s falling asleep. Whatever was in those pills seemed to calm her. Let’s get back to the condo. Call Julie. Tell her to meet us up in my condo. She can heal and watch over this woman. Then call Mira and have her meet us at your place.”

Thirty minutes later they pulled up in front of Livingston One. The brand new skyscraper, home to Noir, offices and several luxury condominiums set aside for pack members only, gleamed with reflective black glass. Tristan had already owned the property prior to the fire; call it serendipity, but construction had just finished. With Noir taking the top five floors of the building, Tristan’s penthouse rested safely underneath it, with Logan’s under his.

As the car pulled up to the entrance, Logan handed the keys to the valet. “Hey Ryan, take care of my girl, here.” He patted his car.

“Will do, sir,” Ryan, a young wolf, assured him.

“Tristan’s in the back. Hold it a second while I get Toby,” Logan instructed. He whistled over to Toby, who jogged over, giving him a smile.

Both Toby and Ryan had been adopted into the pack by Tristan after they’d been abandoned as teens. He’d been putting them through college, and both kids worked for him, valeting cars.

“Toby, hold the door for me. Tristan’s in the back with a guest,” Logan said casually, wondering what else he should call her. Guest hardly seemed appropriate, but prisoner didn’t suit the situation either. He shrugged; either way she was going upstairs. They’d have her name soon enough.

“Yes sir,” Toby obediently responded.

Toby opened the car door, and held it wide open, and Logan leaned in to help Tristan. But Tristan held up his hand, gesturing for him to step back. It’s starting already , Logan thought to himself.

“I’ve got her,” Tristan told him as he effortlessly exited the car cradling Kalli against his chest as if he were holding a baby. “Thanks. Hey, how’s school going? Keeping your grades up?” he asked in a parental tone.

“School's going well. My chem class is tough but I’m studying hard,” Toby beamed.

“Good to hear. Just make sure you keep your mind on your grades and keep the distractions to a minimum. I’ve heard you two are turning into quite the ladies’ men,” Tristan teased, looking over at Ryan through the glass, who’d been playing with the radio, but glanced up in time to catch what his Alpha’d been telling Toby. He smiled and gave Tristan a thumbs-up through the glass.

Tristan nodded toward and smiled at him, acknowledging his response.

“Yes sir,” Toby laughed, shutting the car door. He and Ryan had had a great summer, parking cars and meeting the sexy women who frequented the club. They weren’t hurting for dates.

“Ready to go, Alpha?” Logan asked, rescuing Tristan from further conversation. “I’ll run interference.”

Tristan looked down at the tranquil woman who slept in his arms. “Yes, let’s go.”

They took the private elevator up to Tristan’s penthouse, avoiding prying eyes. As the doors opened, Tristan immediately started toward the guest room.

“Did you get ahold of Julie?” he asked Logan, without looking at him.

“Yeah, she’s on her way up. I’ll wait for her here and let her in,” Logan told him, knowing she’d have to be let in. Even though the private elevator opened directly into the foyer, only he and Tristan had the code to take it. All other guests arrived separately.

Julie was a nurse practitioner and all-round pack healer. While wolves healed fairly quickly on their own, given a full shift, it wasn’t always possible to engage in a transformation. Younger wolves didn’t transform until after puberty, and often got into scraps. Julie was also a midwife and attended most, if not all births, depending on what the mother wanted. She practiced both traditional and alternative medicine, catering to supernaturals. On occasion, she’d treat a witch or vampire, if it was a friend, but they generally didn’t need aid.

Tristan nudged the guest room door open with an elbow, careful not to hit Kalli’s head. She’d need to be cleaned up and fed before they settled her under the covers, so he decided to lay her atop of the comforter. Gently placing her down, he slid his hands out from underneath her warm body.

He sat on the edge of the queen-sized bed and sighed, watching her chest rise and fall under Logan’s tux. His wolf had been gnawing at him the entire car ride home; he begged to smell her, nuzzle her, lick her. And shit if Tristan didn’t want the same thing. He couldn’t understand why he was having these feelings toward a mortal woman he’d just met, one who could be involved in the fire. Still, staring down at her sweet face, he wanted to touch her.

Julie and Logan watched as the Alpha ran his fingers through the woman’s hair. Shit, here we go , Logan thought. He coughed, drawing Tristan out of his trance.

“Hi, Alpha. Sorry to interrupt,” Julie apologized. She walked over and looked at the girl in his bed, shaking her head. “Now, I know you missed me, big guy, but there are easier ways to get me in your bedroom.” She winked at him, trying to lighten up the atmosphere.