by Jade Royal
“Alright fine, I’ll give her space,” Tristan grunted.
“You have a headache. Would you like me to take care of that?” Tristan was surprised at her accuracy. His head was indeed pounding.
“Um.” Seeing he was stuck on an answer, Selena just reached up and touched a glowing finger to his temple. His headache reduced and gradually released its clutches on Tristan’s brain. She smiled at him before she skipped away joyfully. Tristan watched her go with his head tilted to the side. She was a keeper in the pack.
Gemma wanted to get as far away from Tristan as she could, but there was hardly anywhere she could go in the cave where he wouldn’t find her. With Kellan’s ban on going out of the cave, Gemma was stuck. The only place she could think of going was the natural springs. Technically she wasn’t leaving the cave. Only when she ran to the springs, she wasn’t alone. Dell’s pack was sitting at the edge of one of the pools, but Dell wasn’t with them. When Gemma entered, she halted as they all turned and looked at her. Without Mira, the whole pack was males. She knew Niles wouldn’t hurt her, but she smelled arousal from all the wolves, and that made her weary.
“Cut it out guys,” Niles snapped at them. They mumbled some things that Gemma didn’t even pay attention to.
“Get outta here,” he told them. One by one they got up and headed out of the hot springs. Gemma calmed her racing heart.
“We’re all just a bunch of horny animals,” Niles said to her.
“It’s fine,” she sighed. “I just needed space away from everyone.”
“Or is it just Tristan?”
“How can you tell?”
“You were crying. And since no one in your pack is hurt, it’s hard to imagine you’re crying about anything else that doesn’t have to deal with Tristan.”
“Yeah well he thinks I should be with you,” she sighed.
“I doubt that he even means it. And if I attempt to even touch you, he’s gonna kill me. I know it.” Gemma crossed her arms.
“And so what if he thinks you should be with me? What about what you think?” Niles stated.
“It’s like it doesn’t matter.”
“Well make it matter Gemma. When I first met you and saw what you did to Maverick, that didn’t look like a woman who liked to be told what to do and pushed around.” Niles looked at her, complete confidence in his features. He stood and walked toward her but didn’t get to close. If Kellan smelled his scent on her, he’d have hell to pay. The alpha did rule that none of them get close to the Phoenix pack females.
“What do you think should be happening? What is it that you want?” Niles asked.
“I want my mate but-”
“But what?” he questioned.
“He doesn’t think I’m a woman.”
“Do you think you’re a woman?”
“Yes. I know I’m young, but I’m not a child either.”
“So then make him believe it, Gemma.”
“It’s not that easy you know,” she mumbled.
“Who said anything about mating was supposed to be easy?” He got a little closer to her.
“What if he was right though? What if the universe got it wrong and it was you that I was supposed to be mated with?” Knowing he was taking a big risk that might get him killed, Niles wanted to prove a point with his friend. He stepped closer to her leaning into her body. She drew in a sharp breath as he kissed her softly. For Niles, he was over the damn moon at the fact that he could kiss her. Her lips were so soft and supple he could probably get lost in them. But Gemma didn’t kiss him back. Not in the way she should have, and that was the point he was trying to prove.
Gemma didn’t mind kissing Niles. But it was a very stark reminder that no matter what she thought of Tristan, he was her mate. No other’s man’s lips lit her on fire like Tristan’s did. That’s what made Gemma pull away from him.
“I don’t want you to get beat up,” she mumbled knowing that if Kellan or Tristan scented him on her, it was going to be a big deal.
“Beat up?” Niles laughed. “They’ll fucking kill me. I just did that so I can prove something to you.”
“That what? No matter what Tristan is my mate and there’s nothing I can do about it?”
“Yup. Plus you say it like you don’t like him. You’re not stuck with someone that you don’t like Gemma. So just face up to the fact that he’s yours.”
“I’m ready to face it! He’s not! What should I do in that case huh?”
“Like I said before…show him that you’re the woman he doesn’t perceive you to be. You’re so sweet Gemma, but honestly, you need to start letting people know you’re not the one to fuck with. Everyone knows you got it in you. If you keep being a pushover, in the end, it won’t matter that you could be strong. It’ll only matter that you never chose to be strong.” Gemma heard his words and carefully stored them into her brain. There wasn’t a thing he said that she didn’t agree with. She was being a pushover, especially when it came to Tristan. She’d lashed out on him before, and perhaps maybe a part of him liked that. It got him riled up. She knew he also like her when she was sweet, but what if completely letting go of her feistiness was keeping him from seeing her as a woman too? For a man like him; he probably needed to see both sides of her. And she was determined to show him. She just had to make sure she knew how.
Chapter Twelve
Tristan let Gemma be for the rest of the day and night, but that was hard as fuck. He’d locked himself in his room so he wouldn’t be tempted to approach her if he saw her around the cave. The next morning he had decided he needed to do something to show his mate that he cared. It would be easy of course to fuck her like she said she wanted, but something inside Tristan told him that wasn’t going to fix anything. And he knew she wasn’t ready to straight out fuck. That wasn’t his Gemma. It was her anger talking. If he did do something, and it hurt her it would make things worse than they already were.
“Hey Kellan,” Tristan said knocking on his bedroom door. Kellan came to the door promptly, already dressed.
“Don’t ignore me Kellan I said-”
“No Bliss. What I said was to keep out of his business from now on. If Gemma talks to you about it, fine but leave it at that.”
“I just want him to know I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for it to blow up like that.”
“I know you didn’t Bliss, but it did. That’s it. Leave it alone.” Kellan left the room and closed the door.
“What’s up?” he asked Tristan.
“I need to leave again,” he said not even addressing the situation with Bliss. It didn’t need to be addressed knowing that Kellan had already spoken with her about it.
“To go where?” Kellan asked as he began walking towards his office.
“I want to see Gemma’s parents.” Kellan stopped and looked at him. He nodded before he continued to walk again.
“And I figured since I would be out I’d go check out that warehouse Owen told me about.”
“When you return I’ll be having a meeting with the alphas from other packs in the area. I won’t bring them into the caves to protect the she wolves so I’ll be down by the new cabin I’m building up.”
“New cabin?” Tristan asked.
“Yes. I took your idea about the sanctuary for injured wolves. I want to talk to other alphas about it but I started laying the foundation for it already. I’ll be waiting for you to get back before I can take off so someone is watching over Bliss.”
“Okay sounds like a plan.”
“Sounds like a good idea. Bring Jayce with you and Zander. Let me know how the kid handles things.”
“Wait-wait,” Jaxson said poking his head out of his room as they passed by it in the tunnels.
“Fuck Jayce, bring me with you,” he said.
“I thought you were looking out for Mira,” Kellan replied.
“I am, but I need a break before I go insane.” Kyra walked out of her room just a few feet away from Jaxson’s. She bowed at Kellan but proceeded to
walk in the other direction. Both Tristan and Kellan noticed the way Jaxson’s eyes followed her.
“Tell me,” Jaxson started. “What does her scent smell like to the both of you?”
“Sweet toffee,” Kellan shrugged.
“Same,” Tristan added.
“And that doesn’t drive you completely crazy?!” Jaxson exclaimed holding his temples.
“No,” Kellan laughed. “You okay brotha?”
“I’m fine,” he gritted out. “So can I go with Tristan or not?”
“Yeah, you can. Still, bring the kid. I’ll tell Jayce and Rita to look after Mira while you’re gone.”
Kyra returned to the tunnel walking towards her bedroom with a cup of coffee. All three male wolves looked at each her. She made a face and jerked her head back.
“What the hell ya’ll looking at?” she exclaimed. An image of her naked flashed into Jaxson’s mind, and he couldn’t seem to rub it out. Next thing he knew, he was thinking about drizzling chocolate syrup on her skin and licking it off before sucking the life out of her pussy lips.
“Whoa!” Kellan gasped looking at Jaxson. “Control your fucking thoughts man. You projected that to me!” Jaxson looked at Kellan immediately feeling embarrassed.
“Shit! Forget you heard that! It’s this damn cave. I’ve been cooped up in here. I need to let my wolf out, and I need to get fucked before I do something irrational with someone I should not be doing it with! Come on Tristan; I’ll go get the kid.”
“Go on then,” Kellan waved them off.
When Zander, Tristan, and Jaxson left the caves. Tristan didn’t feel like shifting, so he carried a bag of clothes for Jaxson while Jaxson shifted immediately into his wolf. He ran ahead of them to let his wolf enjoy a small run before slowing down and allowing Tristan and Zander to catch up with him. Even as they walked slowly, Jaxson stayed in his wolf form. Tristan was aware of his surroundings, and from his years of training he knew how to look around without having to make it obvious he was looking around. Zander, however, kept his head on a swivel, looking at everything that moved.
“We’re in the woods man,” Tristan said.
“Huh?” Zander asked.
“In the woods, everything moves, even the leaves. You’re gonna get a kink in your neck by the end of the day.”
“I nearly got killed out here because I wasn’t paying attention. That’s not gonna happen to me again.”
“I understand your caution, but you’re not out here alone. Even if someone manages to sneak up on us, I don’t plan on any of us getting killed. You want to be aware of your surroundings, use your senses. Decipher the difference between a squirrel and a bird. The breeze carries scents. Use it. If a predator sees you looking over your shoulder every chance you get he knows you’re inexperienced. And then he knows his chances of killing you increase.”
“It’s hard not to do it,” Zander replied.
“How bout I punch you in the face every time you do it? Bet you’ll learn quick to stop doing it.” A squirrel moved behind them, and Tristan cocked his fist ready to punch Zander. His eyes went big, and he kept his head straight not wanting to get punched.
“See?” Tristan asked. “You’re learning already.”
Stop bullying the kid, Jaxson laughed in his head.
“I’m just teaching him a lesson,” Tristan spoke aloud.
“You think Kellan would make me an enforcer if trained with you two?” Zander asked.
“He could. But just so you know, to become an enforcer you’re probably going to have to defeat one of us in a fight.” Zander was visibly shook, but that was good. Tristan and Jaxson were both afraid of the odds when they realized they had to defeat an enforcer of their old pack before they became enforcers. It was a good sign Zander was afraid. It showed that he wasn’t stupid and cocky.
“But if you’re trained I don’t see why you can’t kick our asses,” Tristan added. Zander smiled at him and nodded. They walked in silence the rest of the way to where Gemma’s parents now resided. Tristan was quite surprised there was no attacks or scents of humans lingering around. The woods were filled with everything that belonged.
The trek was about an hour long, but for Tristan, it was a breeze. His mind was filled with thoughts about Gemma and what he would say to her parents. He almost felt stupid for going to them, but he also knew that he didn’t know his woman like he should and that was his fault. This was an angle he hadn’t thought to take but knew it was the one that was different from everything else.
The alpha of the pack greeted them with open arms the moment they entered their territory. Jaxson shifted and threw on his pair of jeans before going to talk with the alpha. While they were there, they were going to check on the pack as a whole to make sure they didn’t need anything. Zander and Jaxson were quick to learn about things happening in the pack, while Tristan went off to find Gemma’s parents.
“Hey, where’s Gemma?” Maya asked running up to him.
“Back home,” he replied. She looked him up and down. “She said you’re being a dick to her and she’s pissed at you.”
“Yeah well, I am. But do me a favor and don’t tell her I came out here. Where are her parents?” Maya pointed to the small cabin not too far off.
“Thanks. And please, do not tell her okay?” If Maya didn’t sense sincerity in his voice, she would have called Gemma immediately, but she nodded and agreed not to say a word.
Tristan walked briskly to the small cabin, but, before he could knock Gabe, opened the door and looked at him.
“Look Gina. It’s the wolf that won’t claim our daughter.” Tristan deserved that. So he just nodded in agreement.
“Why are you here?” Gabe asked.
“To talk to you about Gemma.”
“What about her?”
“Gabe let the man in and stop being so rude,” Gina called out. She came to the door and pushed Gabe out of the way so Tristan could come inside. Tristan realized then that this was not going to be the easiest conversation, especially with her father around. Gina pulled out a chair around their dining table and told him to sit. She gave him a cup of orange juice.
“So what about my Gemma do you want to talk about?” she asked.
“Well we’re not doing so well right now, but I want to be her mate. I’ve come to realize that she’s mine and nothing is going to change that.”
“Look, we know how this mating thing works. But I don’t like the idea that you’re mating her because you have to.”
“It’s not cause I have to. I want her. I just…don’t think she’s ready.”
“If it’s sex you’re talking about son, then isn’t this a conversation you need to have with her?” Gabe questioned.
“It’s not just the sex Gabe. How do you feel about me being her mate huh? You were changing my diapers before you even had your pup and now that little pup of yours is supposed to be with me.”
“The age difference makes us weary of course, but Gemma is a big girl! She can handle it,” Gina said.
“I was acting a fool instead of getting to know her, and now I’m stuck in a place where I don’t know her enough to make her happy, or to get her to understand that I want her. I made the mistake of using the word pedophile, and she found out about it.” Both Gina and Gabe were silent and stood stoically.
“Do you still feel that way?” Gabe asked.
“No. But I still feel like I don’t need to rush her into anything….especially sex. I just want to get to know the woman she is now. But knowing I said that about her, she’s not gonna allow me to get close to her.”
“So you want us to tell you how to get through to her huh?” Gina asked. Tristan nodded.
“First thing,” Gabe started. “If you want to get to know her as a woman, then stop babying her.”
“Babying her?”
“Yes. Have you apologized for what you said about her?”
“Yes, and pleaded desperately for her to talk to me.”
“If you’ve sai
d you’re sorry and she hasn’t accepted it then leave it at that. She gives you attitude, then you need to give her attitude. Be firm, be strong with her. Still, confess you want her but do it in a way that tells her you’re not shitting around. When Gemma is sweet, then you treat her as such, but when she’s being feisty, then you need to meet her at that level. You’ll see how differently she can react in that situation.”
“So you’re saying I should be mean to her?” Tristan asked.
“No. I’m saying be firm with her. For some reason, her wolf likes that. She can’t find her balance between being her sweet self and being harsh like her wolf needs. If you give her something her wolf needs then she’s going to realize that. My daughter is such an amazing woman, but that wolf of hers is mean as shit.” Gina hit Gabe playfully.
“It’s the truth!” He exclaimed. “That’s why she can’t control her wolf. She’s trying to make her wolf be nice, but she needs that tenacity. The universe put you two together for a reason you know.”
“Well yeah I know, but I’m not sure why.”
“It’s because you’re kind of a jackass yourself son,” Gabe said.
“I am not!”
“Yes, you are. You’re stubborn and mean but also fiercely loyal and protective. Gemma’s wolf needs that shit. Why do you think she hasn’t completely run away from you? We’ve asked her to come live with us, but she claims her wolf needs to be near yours or else she’ll never have peace. She doesn’t realize her wolf likes that tough shit.” Tristan nodded his head. He had a whole new outlook on his mate, and to him it all made sense.
“Let me say something,” Gina said. She looked at Gabe.
“You may want to leave for this one,” she told him. Gabe grunted realizing it was about sex. He didn’t want to hear that kinda shit about his pup whether or not she was grown. He promptly left the room before leaving the cabin altogether.