26 Musing

♔Eustacia (P.O.V)

We reached the front door of his house, or at least I'm assuming it's only for high ranking members. It appears to be a two-story home, and I can almost guarantee there are multiple bedrooms in the house. The front of the house almost looks like something out of a movie.

Beautiful perfectly laid stones lead to marble white stairs that are lit up by small yellow lights on every few steps. The stairs were... difficult to get up with my wolf paws. My nails made a very noticeable patting noise and were hard to get a grip on the smooth surface.

Dark wood railings keep the safety of the stairs, the end of the ledge is connected to black columns that are formed into an archway. Railing extends to another column to the right of the arch, encasing the porch. Behind the encased banister is the front door, a plain white door with a small oval window at the top. Which compliments the gray stone siding of the house.

"This is my home," Tristen looks at me and smiles widely, "Eustacia, it's yours too if you decide it to be."

My chest swells with warmth, he's perfect.

Tristen quickly opens the door and motions for me to step inside, " only a few of us live in this house. So you don't need to fear it."

I nod my head gently, butterflies in my stomach as I step over the threshold. It almost felt as if a weight had been lifted off my shoulders, but I knew he still nipped at the back of my mind.

The inside of the house is as beautiful as the outside, vibrant white walls circled the center room. Marble floors reflect the bright light from the chandelier in the center of the room. Encased around the elegant chandelier are two sets of white carpeted stairs that meet at the very top. A vibrate dark wood railing, like the one outside, runs up the side providing safety from a potential fall.

Under the grand archway of the stairs is a small oval room, small circle lights decorate the ceiling above it. A large room with what appears to be a small lounge area is decorated with white couches around a central open fireplace.

Two other corridors branch off on the bottom floor, but I can't see exactly what they contain or where they lead.

"Follow me," Tristen states as he begins to walk up the right side of the stairs.

"Okay!" I bark and quickly follow suit.

Without thinking I step eagerly forward onto the smooth marble flooring, something I'm not used to walking on with four paws. My paws bow out on me, frantically I try to catch myself as a loud patter sounds off the solid floor.

With a loud thud, I drop to the ground kissing it with my jaw. A small whimper leaves my throat as I try to gain my balance, much like a newborn deer. Once again my unaccustomed paws shake and slip out from under me, almost as if I was on ice.

"Asshole," I growl at him softly. I can't believe he's laughing at me!

A loud wheeze sounds through the vacant room, echoing on the walls. "I'm- I'm sorry," he pretends to wipe a tear away from his eyes as he continues, "you haven't walked on this type of floor have you?"

"No shit," I bark, shaking my head no so that he understands me.

"Ah, well in that case," he stares at me intensely, "I got this." A wild smile spreads across his lips as he approaches me, his footsteps echoing on the ground below him.

Still, on the floor, I stayed with my feet sprawled out from under me. Tristen bends down and effortlessly picks me up with a loud huff. I struggle for a moment as he situates my big dog-like body. Within seconds I was on his left shoulder, my head looking behind him.

I can't help but bounce my head off his shoulder as he walks up the stairs and down the long corridor to the right. Various doors litter the walls. One. Two. Three. Four. Finally, the fifth door he enters, with me still held proudly on his shoulder.

Sitting me down on the carpeted floor, he walks over to the rectangular wooden desk propped closely to the wall.

The room was rectangular and seemed like a very average looking office. Wooden walls, a small ceiling fan, and small bookcases and filing cabinets along the walls. It seemed as if a picture frame was on the desk, but laid face down beside a slew of papers.

Numerous smells assault my nose as the ceiling fan above spins at a delicate speed. The smell of treated wood floats through the air from the wooden walls. Mixing with the treated wood aroma two prominent smells rest in the room. One of them was fresh and not as heavy as the other. I recognize it as Tristen's smell, the aroma of sweet honey mixed with an earthy tone. The second was a more prominent but quickly fading smell of evergreen trees.

Who was it?

He said he'd been waiting for me for years, but that doesn't mean he couldn't have lovers.

Jealousy bites at my chest. What if he had someone else like Flynn did?

I quickly shake the thought out of my head. Tristen isn't Flynn. I know that, but for some reason... I'm worried and scared.

Regardless, his smell isn't as prominent as the other. So, is this room not his? I mean, that could explain the other smell in the room. It could also explain his stutter earlier when he instructed Felix to meet us here, he almost referred to this as someone else's room.

I secretly stare at Tristen, who's sitting in his chair with his hands covering his face. For some reason, a feeling of dread and pain whispers through the room. I tilt my head in confusion, my ears flat against my head with concern. I'm not sure if it's his or mine that I'm feeling.

♔Tristen (P.O.V)

I sit with my hands flat against my face, the overwhelming feelings, and reminders of dad. His smell still swirls around in the room, and it knocks at my heartstrings.

I rushed back with her, no plan really in my mind, I just wanted to get her out of there at all costs. It might have been rash, or perhaps not rash enough. I wanted to slam that bastards face into the dirt he made her fight and no doubt sleep on, but I didn't.

Rage still rushes through my veins. How could he make her fight in a pit against other wolves, and force her to stay in that form? With just a few moments spent with her, even if it's her as a wolf, I've felt the happiest I have in a while.

She's skittish sure, but it's to be expected, I'm sure she's been through hell. After all, I can only imagine the pain she's been through.

That has me slightly worried though. I'm not sure what Eustacia knows about my family, that is, if anything at all. So I fear her reaction to the news of my father's death, and how I was the one that did him in, will make her afraid of me.

Either way, I want to tell her everything myself. I would prefer to talk to her face to face, instead of her wolf form. I can understand certain things she communicates with me, but it's difficult to know exactly. So, I could only imagine certain things being miscommunicated, and that's not something I want to risk with her right now.

I just hope this isn't permanent. I won't leave her and I would keep her by my side even if it is. It's just... She's gorgeous even as a wolf, and I yearn to see and hold her human form in my arms. I want to hold her and know for sure that she feels the same because right now I'm in the dark.

I don't know what Flynn did to her to make her stay this way, but he mentioned a serum. Something she would need to turn her back. Of course, he could be lying, but then there's the possibility of him actually telling the truth. That's why I asked Felix to bring his mate, she would know.

An uncomfortable itch creeps across my spine, snapping me out of my thoughts. I can feel her staring at me from the spot I put her down. I slowly open a hole between my pointer and middle finger on my right hand, small enough to see her. Her ears are flattened to the back of her head and tilted to the left, almost as if she was curious.

A smile creeps at the corner of my lips as I remove my hands from my face. Quickly, like she had been caught in the cookie jar, she looks down at the floor, her ears still flattened against her head.

"I saw that," I joke, tapping my fingers on the desk.

Eustacia's ears perk up and she begins twitching them. A small bark escapes her furry lips and gives me a death stare as she sticks her tongue out at me.

"Thank you for that," I smile widely at her, "come here." I motion for her by tapping my right thigh.

Her front paws stammer against the carpet, almost as if she doubted for a split second. "It's fine, I promise I won't hurt you, but if you don't want to come near me then that's okay too. I don't want you to be uncomfortable around me," I say softly.

For a split second, it almost seemed like her wolfy eyes got watery. Almost as if she was crying, but I couldn't feel sadness from her. I could feel certain things from her when I first met her. It was so overwhelming, but here recently it hasn't been as strong. Perhaps its where we first met, so everything just came out at once.

I just want to complete our mate bond, that is if she agrees.

I want to make her happy, and protect her with everything.

Even if she rejects me. I will protect her.

A cold wet nose breaks me out of my thoughts, Eustacia's furry black petite wolf head was plopped on my right hand that rested on my thigh. Softly, she lifts her paw and pats my leg, propping her front paws on it.

Her fuzzy black tail catches my eye as it swings back and forth in happiness. I laugh softly and scoot myself backward, making room for her, "come on."

Effortlessly she jumps on my lap and curls into a large ball, barley fitting on my lap. Her face rested carefully on my knees, her butt against my chest as her tail swayed off the chair.

Softly I rub my finger through her fur, her tail wags softly beating against the side of the chair. "You're perfect," I whisper, gently her tail wags harder.

Thud! Thud!

A knock hits against the closed office door twice, causing Eustacia's frail figure to jump in fright. A low growl carefully escapes her body, almost sounding like a scared whimper. Instantly, she snuggles closer to my body and trembles.

I softly hold her closer, rubbing my hands through her fur. Slowly she begins to settle down.

"Come in," I shout.

Slowly the door opens and a familiar face pops his head through the door, Felix. "The great duke and my duchess have arrived!" He shouts in a cocky tone.

"Oh come off it and get in here dumbass," I growl jokingly.

He struts his blond boyband pain in the ass through my door, his mate towed behind him. Evelyn Collins, a new member of the pack, but one we let pass our restrictions since shes family to current members.

Evelyn is not at all what I expected her to look like. I expected her to resemble her relatives with bright red her, but instead, she sports a vibrant purple ombre hair color. Her hair is styled in beach wave curls that bring her hair slightly to the mid of her sides. Her eyes are two separate colors, one a classic Collins family yellow and the other a vibrant green. She stands a few feet shorter than Felix.

That vibrant green was all I needed to confirm my suspicions. "You're half witch aren't you?"

"Yes, I am, King Tristen," she bows softly, her voice a very light cotton candy sweet sound.

"I thought so, your smell was off when we first met. That's why I asked you here, I don't-" my voice catches as I look down at my mate," I don't know what to do. Can you help us?"

Evelyn's eyes gaze over me and my mate, "I can't promise I can help. I don't know much about the situation."

Fear grope at my heart. "I don't know much either. He said she would need a serum to turn her back."

"Well, I can talk to her, possibly. I've never done it myself, but it's been done," a soft smile crosses her small lips.

A wet liquid rolls down my face, as I stare at my beautiful mate. Eustacia meets my eyes and whines softly, gently she turns herself around on my lap and licks away the tears on my face.

I squeeze my mate tightly. "Thank you, Evelyn," I squeak. "I'll take anything if it will possibly help her. What do you need?"

"I don't need anything. I should be able to communicate with her the same way werewolves do in the pack link," she states.

I nod at her softly, and look at Eustacia, "Are you okay with doing this?"

She softly licks my cheek and nods her head yes.

"She agrees, but um... Will it hurt her?" I ask. If it hurts her I don't know if I want her to go through with it.

Her safety is more important.

"No, it shouldn't hurt her at all," she says reassuringly.

"Then let's do this." I hold Eustacia close to my body, not letting go.