Strong arms pulled Francesca back away from certain death and she heard the song again, this time emanating so strongly from the one who held her. Her back was flushed into his front, so tight Francesca could feel the sinews of his muscles and the harsh pounding of his heart against her.
"Did you really think I would just let you do this? I don't even know your name." His voice sounded behind her, rich and deep. It brought a chill to her spine. Francesca closed her eyes, feeling all tension drain from her body. She tilted her head up towards his and he held her waist tighter, bringing his forehead down between the crook of her neck and shoulder. Francesca felt something wet touch her skin and she realized that he was crying, too.
"What's your name?" Her mate whispered softly and she felt that slight movement of his mouth against her skin.
Her wolf sighed in pleasure, and she murmured, "Francesca."
"Francesca." He repeated so reverently, the word sounded like a prayer from his lips. "I'm Tristan. It's nice to finally meet you."
Francesca grasped his arms and turned to face him. She gasped. Unlike others of her kind, Francesca never thought about how her mate would look like. Married to Alpha Stefano at the young age of twenty-one, it killed her of all hope of finding her mate in the first place. But if she ever did imagine her mate, he would look exactly like Tristan.
Warm ivory skin and straight raven curls, dark eyes that promised humor and wisdom, and full lips that you rarely see in a man. He was beautiful. And as much as Francesca and her wolf should rejoice at finding him, there remained the unshakeable sadness in her heart.
Francesca reached up to wipe a tear from his eyes as he does the same. They stared into each other's eyes in silence, their wolves taking the time to get to know each other. Francesca immediately knew, his wolf was just as beautiful as him. Frosted blue eyes and fur that was both white as Alpine snow and black as the night. One rarely saw that combination in their kind, and Francesca wondered how special he must be to have that coat.
Taking Francesca's hand from his cheek gently, a line appeared between Tristan's brows as he studied her bloodied finger. He met her eyes again and without saying anything, Francesca knew what he was asking. Why? Why were you trying to end your life? I felt your presence in the ballroom earlier. Weren't you happy to see me?
"No, of course I am. I'm overjoyed to find you. I just---" Francesca hesitated, not knowing where to begin. How could she tell her mate that she was broken? Shattered to the point beyond saving? They only just met but Francesca could feel how good Tristan was. It radiated from him. She couldn't bear to tarnish that with her defiled existence.
"What's wrong?" Tristan asked, confused. Francesca had taken a step back from him despite her wolf's protests. She had her arms wrapped around herself.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have--"
"Tristan?" A young woman dressed elegantly in a white gown appeared by the balcony's door, frowing at the scene before her. She had a stern look on her face. "I have been looking for you everywhere. The other Alphas are waiting for you at the table."
Alpha? Francesca cast a bewildered glance at Tristan's direction.
"Yes." Tristan confirmed, silently gauging Francesca's reaction. "I'm Alpha Tristan of the Crescent Moon Pack, qin ai de."
The woman gasped, "By the moon, Tristan. Is she--"
Tristan did not answer, his gaze still fixed on Francesca.
"This is good news!" the woman exclaimed, practically jumping up and down in excitement. Her earlier look of implacability was gone. "Oh, Tristan. This would solidify your claim to both the Pack and the company. I'm so happy for you."
"Lynn, get ahold of yourself," Tristan warned the woman as Francesca stood there, even more out of place than before. What company are they talking about? Right then, she realized that despite the depth of the connection she felt with Tristan, there was still so much that she didn't know about him.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, my lady." Lynn said, curtsying in front of Francesca, "I am Beta Lynn Johansson, Alpha Tristan's trusted advisor. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Oh no, you don't have to bow to me like that," Francesca said, quickly approaching Lynn and helping her straighten her form. "I'm only an Epsilon."
"Not for long, if you were really Tristan's mate." Lynn replied in amusement, "An Alpha's mate usually assimilates their partner's powers and characteristics, you know, if the bond is strong enough. Hell, even some of those couples end up looking like each other."
It was true. The Alpha werewolves were elite, and the only way for lower-ranked werewolves to achieve Alphan status was if their mate was one. Or if they were somehow able to survive the getting the Alphas' mark themselves, without the help from an Alphan mate. Francesca looked at Tristan and found him still staring at her with a smile on his face.
"Oh drat!" Lynn blurted out loudly, "Now, you made me forget what I came here to do. Tristan, we really need you back at the table. The other Alphas are getting impatient.
She frowned at him again, arms crossed in front of her.
"I know, I know." Tristan sighed, "Just let me talk a bit more with Francesca, will you? I'll be right behind you in a second."
There was an awkward pause before Lynn realized that she was being dismissed, "Oh, of course. Just hurry up," she grumbled as she stalked off from the balcony. Then, with a cheerful look back, she yelled at Francesca, "Really nice to meet you. See you around!"
"That girl changes expressions every five seconds I can barely keep up," Francesca couldn't help but comment as soon as Lynn was out of sight.
Tristan chuckled. He took a step towards Francesca, holding both of her hands with his. "Listen, we have so much to talk about but duty's calling for me. Find me later, okay? Promise me."
Francesca peered up at him. Tristan looked scared, and she knew he was concerned about leaving her alone considering the state that he found her in earlier. Francesca wanted to ease his mind, but she didn't want to get his hopes up either. She had already decided. As much as Francesca wanted to be with him, she wasn't hers to give in the first place. Stefano's face flashed in her mind, taunting and threatening her.
Francesca squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. "Okay," she finally whispered but leaving out any mention of a promise. She couldn't do it this time, couldn't rely on her state of mind to keep a simple oath.
Placing a quick kiss on her forehead, her mate left her on the balcony. Francesca hugged her arms to herself, contemplating what to do next. Right now, finding Tristan had energized her enough to not go through with her original plan, but she didn't know how long it would last. Francesca could no longer deny it, she had lost control of her own mind. She knew that deep down, sooner or later, she would go looking for death again.
"There you are," Gianna voice made Francesca jump out of her skin, "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you."
"It's okay," Francesca replied. "Can I help you with something?"
"Yes," Gianna said, hands on her hips, "What were you thinking? You didn't show up during the ritual. Stefano is furious."
"Sorry, I'm just--"
"Never mind that. He asked me to find you and tell you to meet him at Alphas' table instead."
Francesca's brow furrowed, "What? Nobody's allowed to join them."
"You are. You've been specially invited to eat with them." Gianna said casually, "Now, hurry up before you end up aggravating the monster by making him wait again, will you?
Francesca seated herself beside Stefano, unable to look at where Tristan was seated at the other end of the table. She couldn't bring herself to know what his expression might be. Francesca particularly skirted mentioning her relationship with Stefano when they earlier. She did not want to see the disappointment on Tristan's face.Stefano grasped Francesca's waist, lips touching her ear as he hissed into it, "I'll have to punish you later for disappearing on me, you know that right?""I'm sorry," she muttered, offering no explanation.Her husband frowned at her, but then his expression smoothened as he regarded his fellow Alphas. "Everyone, I would like to introduce you to my wife, Francesca Lopez." He then turned towards Francesca with a smile that he never showed to her in private, "Darling, I assume you already know everyone at this table? Well, except for Manhattan's new Alpha, Tristan Williams."Catching on to her husband's act, Fra
Francesca usually did not like to socialize, but after meeting Tristan earlier, she needed to immediately wash off his scent from her skin. It was exhausting, trying to keep up with superficial conversations that drop as soon as you utter the first word. She didn't know how Betas, the Packs' advisers, go about doing it every day. Still, Francesca trudged on, also hoping that the activity would help her forget Tristan's plan in the meantime. She'll worry about it when it's time to. "So, how long have you been married to Alpha Stefano?" one of the guests in front of her asked. From her accent, Francesca could guess she was from the Brooklyn pack. She forgot the girl's name seconds ago though. "Three years." "How is it?" Francesca hesitated. She didn't know whether to laugh or cry at the ignorance. As if summoned by the topic of the conversation, Francesca sensed Stefano creep behind her, whispering in her ear, "Are
Francesca did not answer. Gianna was a friend and she could trust her. But she decided to not tell her friends about Tristan."So, that's it. You're not going to answer me?" Gia looked angry and hurt. "You know what. It's fine, Cheska. We may have been through hell together, but at the end of the day, we save our own hide, right?""That's not--""It is. From your silence, I know that's exactly what's happening right now." "So what did he tell you? I bet he made the exact same promises that Stefano did the first time.""No, Gia, listen to me--""I'm letting you do whatever you want. But Mira knows about this too.""Mira?"Francesca began to worry even more. Amongst them, Mira was the one who badly wanted to get out. She often ended up confined in bed for days, having Epsilon healers fuss over her from wounds that she sustained trying to escape Stefano countless times."That's right, Cheska. Yo
She's beautiful, and not in the drop-dead gorgeous kind of way, which Tristan had always found to be unsettling. She's beautiful in the quietest way, if that made any sense. Like how the full moon just sits there in the sky, every night, calm and serene, yet you can't help but notice it. Even her name was beautiful. Francesca. Tristan shook his head. That was so...cheesy. When did he start thinking like this? Apparently, she made him all gooey too, aside from being absolutely angry. "Fuck." Tristan muttered to himself, remembering how furious he was when he learned that Francesca was Stefano's wife. His father used to say that an Alpha generally lives his life not knowing when he will find his mate, but when he does, it would be the most glorious thing to happen in his life. Francesca did not only bring Tristan that joy. She also brought him devastation. But their connection was a promise that could never be broken, and Tristan was hell-bent on wi
A strained silence covered their table. Kaya smirked while Langdon gaped at Tristan and Stefano. Lionel, on the other hand, let out a low whistle as he tried to contain his excitement, "Damn, man." "True. This is definitely getting interesting. Unfortunately, I have to go to a meeting." Kaya replied, standing up and giving Langdon a pat on the shoulder, "Make sure to tell me what happens, okay?" Kaya resigned herself from the table and out the room, Tristan and Stefano barely glancing in her direction. They were still glaring at each other, neither of them wanting to back down. "Show me your cards, Stefano. What's taking so long?" Tristan challenged, tapping his own cards, which he had placed face-down on the table. Stefano growled at Tristan, "This whole time, you were trying to take her from me." "Technically speaking, you had no right to claim her in the first place," Tristan commented calmly, but his eyes were not
"It needed to be done," Francesca said as she stared in the mirror. She was still in her wedding dress, even an hour after her Christian wedding with Stefano because her husband had asked her to. Though raised a Christian herself, Francesca could not help but feel relieved that it was the only tie she had with the Alpha. They were not mates so they could not be married at the altar of the moon goddess. And for a werewolf, that was what mattered the most. She could get out of the arrangement easier. "It didn't have to be you, Cheska." Julio Lopez frowned behind her. Julio was her Dad's friend and became her guardian since his death. He was a balding man in his fifties, with permanent worry lines on his forehead, brought about by being in charge of a ward as reckless and as brave as Francesca, he always said. "You know none of the others wanted to do it, Uncle. I had no choice." Francesca told Julio, "It's the only chance we have of fr
Francesca's wolf shot out from the shock, within a second, her sharp nails clawed at Stefano's face. But Stefano did not fight back. He held her, soothingly trying to cradle her head. "Shh...shh...it's okay." he whispered in her ear, "Qin ai de, it's me." Francesca stopped at that voice. That was her mate's voice, not Stefano's. She realized she had her eyes closed the whole time she was attacking him. A relieved sob rose from her chest, and she fell into Tristan's arms gratefully. He caught her as if she weighed nothing, showering her face with kisses. He untied her hands quickly and Francesca touched his bleeding face, wounded by her blind assault. She was about to apologize when the cuts faded away. Alpha's healing. "I'm okay, my love," Tristan said, smiling at her like she was the moon. Francesca's sobs could not be controlled now that she remembered that she has her mate. She couldn't believe she almost killed hersel
Tristan rolled on the ground as the wolf launched itself on top of him, narrowly avoiding getting pinned down by the animal. Francesca screamed in fright, seeing the wolf reached out to Tristan's arms with its teeth. But her mate was quick to shift, protecting himself with the tough arms of his wolf. Fully shifted, Tristan pulled his arm back, prepared to attack. But Francesca's own wolf, deeply troubled within her, throbbed in recognition at the white wolf. "No, Tristan. It's Mira. Don't hurt her!" Francesca shouted, but it was too late.Tristan struck and the white wolf flew to the other side of the ground. "Mira!" Francesca called out her friend in concern. She was about to approach Mira when Tristan stepped in front of her, keeping her at bay. "Tristan, please." Francesca grabbed at his silky black and white fur, begging him to stop again. But the brown eyes that reflected back at her were unforgiving, and Francesca knew she could do noth