So I had already written this out and it's going to be a long one. And probably include some things you already know. Lots of dialogue. But I wanted to write this out anyway. It didn't feel right skipping over the explanation.

Hope you enjoy this. Cliffy at the end. ;] A major one.

Oh yeah, sex scene ahead! ;)

~

Chapter Sixteen

~

Tristan was waiting for me inside my apartment two days later. I was a little startled until I remembered that I had given him a key to my place about eight months ago. He was staring at a photo of him, Michael and me that I had hung up, one of the only pictures I had up on my wall. We looked like a family even though Michael looked nothing like us with his brown hair and our black locks.

"Hey, Cade," Tristan greeted, turning to smile at me nervously.

I shut the door behind me and leaned against it, gazing at him, not believing that he was actually here, in my apartment, talking to me. Finally. Maybe his conversation with Alexis had knocked some sense into him. "Hello," I said back, softly.

Tristan looked down, shifting on his feet uncomfortably. "Um...," he stammered, not meeting my eyes. "I'm sorry, Cade."

"What for?"

"For avoiding you for the last two months." He finally looked at me, his eyes running over my face, my body, as if memorizing me again. "But you have to understand...Finding out that my girlfriend is a...wolf...It's hard to come to terms with."

"I know," I said gently. "I'm sorry for telling you so abruptly. I should've eased you into it," I sighed, finally realizing that maybe it was my fault that he had avoided me for two months. I should've been more gentle with him.

He fidgeted, playing with his fingers. "I...um...I've been thinking a lot these past days. I decided that I don't mind that you're...that you're a..."

"Werewolf," I helped.

"Yeah, that. I don't mind..." He looked utterly serious. "As long as you don't eat me or anything."

I had to laugh at that. If that was really what I had been intending, I would've 'eaten him' a long time before instead of waiting for two years. "Don't worry," I chuckled. "Most modern wolves don't enjoy the taste of human flesh," I assured him.

Tristan gulped. "Most? Modern?"

"Rogues. Our ancestors," I explained.

He just looked lost.

I smiled and took his hand. "Come on. I'll explain everything to you."

Tristan nodded. "Okay," he agreed. Then his other hand came on top of our linked fingers. "But wait, I have to do something first." I looked up at him, confusion flickering through my pale eyes when suddenly he cupped my chin and slammed his lips down on mine.

I groaned at his rough kiss, my core throbbing in need at the contact. I'd missed kissing him so much. Two months, eight weeks, sixty days was such a long time.

My lips moved with his and I wrapped my arms around his neck, pressing against his body so that not a inch was between us. I could feel Tristan's prominent erection pressing against my stomach, restrained against his jeans. His tongue probed my mouth and I easily opened up to him, granting him dominance.

"Tristan," I moaned. He didn't reply; his hands cupped my jean clad ass cheeks and he pushed me up his body. I wound my legs around his waist, my core rubbing directly over his bulge. We both made a sound of pleasure.

"I missed you," he groaned, walking to my room and dropping me on the bed. His lips trailed over my jaw and down my neck where he latched and began to suck. I threw my head back, my hands exploring his head, chest, shoulders, stomach, back, everything. I pulled away enough so he could take off my shirt, but I just gripped his and tore through it.

Tristan paused and gave me a sexy smile that made me weak in the knees and caused my underwear to get soaked. I probably would've collapsed if I wasn't lying down at the moment. "That was expensive, you know."

"I don't care," I snapped, my fingers curving into long, sharp claws and ripping through his jeans.

He watched in fascination as my claws transformed back into a normal human hand. "Damn," he whispered, awed.

I didn't reply, only kissed him back, tracing his lower lip with my tongue before bringing it into my mouth, sucking erotically. He groaned, palming my breast and squeezing. I arched my back, pushing myself into him more. He unclasped my bra and tossed it aside, the pad of his thumb rubbing over my nipple. It puckered in attention and Tristan dipped his head to bring it into his mouth.

I moaned and leaned back, breathing heavily as he unbuttoned my jeans and pulled it down. His hand rubbed me through my panties, his mouth turning to my neglected breast and giving it the same attention as the first one.

"Tristan, don't tease me, please," I begged, my voice breathy with liust, lips jerking as his fingers slipped under the lacy cloth that covered my most intimate place and pinched my clit.

He put his hand on my stomach, pushing me down. "I haven't had you for two months. I'll fuck you when I want to," he snarled, eyes darkening with uncontrollable desire.

"Tristan," I started, reading to plead again when he suddenly leaned down and licked me throug my underwear. I gasped and he pulled my panties down to run his tongue over my slit. "Oh fuck." My eyes closed and I grabbed his head, pushing him into my wetness.

"You taste so good," he groaned and his tongue probed inside of my, licking, sucking, nipping, overall doing unbelievably pleasurable things to me. I writhed under his skilled mouth, my world disappearing around me . All I could feel was him, his hands carressing my body and his lips, wrapping around the little bundle of nerves, tugging sharply.

I came undone, my juices flowing into his mouth as sounds of pleasure escaped my mouth. He drank it all in, his fingers pushing into my opening. I grabbed his shoulders and pulled him back up, kissing him hard on the lips, tasting myself on his tongue. He began to pump his fingers in and out, his large erection on my thigh as he messaged my lips with his sensually.

"Tristan, fuck me please." I grabbed his dick and began to stroke it up and down. His eyes closed as he put his head on my shoulder, breathing heavily. He pulled his fingers out of me and led his erection into my opening. We moaned simultaneously.

As soon as he was up to the hilt, he pulled back out and slammed back into me, making me gasp out, my eyes rolling back in my head. He rocked his hips against mine, thrusting in and out, our breathing labored and erratic. I pressed my lips to his and let him take us to a world of bliss.

~

I woke up and it was light outside. I checked the time on my phone: eight in the morning. The sparring lessons I have started at nine. I wrote a quick note for Tristan, so he wouldn't wonder about my disappearance.

Taking a quick shower, I dressed and made some breakfast, eating my fill and leaving a plate for Tristan. I made my way outside, looking up at the building Tristan was still sleeping in right now. A smile tilted up my lips. Even though he hadn't said it last night, I know he still loved me. He couldn't have faked those emotions I had seen running through his eyes under the lust as we made love.

~

Tristan was these waiting for me when I got home like I expected. He had made dinner which I was glad for even though I knew he didn't know how to cook. It looked pretty damn good to me and my stomach growled with hunger.

"I've been practicing," he explained when he saw my raised eyebrow at the roast beef, mashed potatoes and gravy on the two plates on the table.

I sat down and tasted the roast beef. "You didn't cook this," I accused as the flavors burst in my mouth. "It was Rosie, wasn't it?" I asked, referring to my sixty-year-old neighbor.

Tristan blushed. "She helped me a little," he admitted grudgingly. "How did you know?" He watched me as I dug into my dinner.

"I can smell her."

"How-," he paused as realization hit him. Tristan sat down across from me. "Oh."

I finished my plate and helped myself to more. "Tristan, I will tell you everything about my life and what I am, but you have to listen, okay?" I looked across the table at him seriously. "No interruptions."

Tristan nodded solemnly. "I understand."

"And before I start, I want to tell you that my life wasn't sunshine and butterflies. Itwas like a horror book come to life." I looked down at my food on my plate and tears filled my eyes as the harsh memories assaulted me. Tristan gasped, taking my hand. In the years we'd been together, he hadn't seen me cry once. Tristan frowned, looking troubled. "Do you think you're ready for that?" I asked.

He smiled, though it didn't reach his eyes. "Yeah, I'm ready."

"Okay." I sighed deeply. "Let's eat first."

~

Dinner was over in thirty minutes. We moved to the couch after I lit some candles, not wanting to raise my bill by keeping the lights on. Tristan and I sat on either ends of the couch, my legs tucked under me. I was looking down at my folded hands, wondering how I was going to start with my explanation.

"I'll tell you about the werewolves first. Werewolves or lycanthropes are half-man, half-wolf. This body," I started, motioning my hands up and down myself, "it's kind of like a host, I guess, because my wolf is my true form. We're faster, stronger and more intelligent. Our eye-sight, hearing and sense of smell is much better than an average human. Basically, like the wolves they describe now a days in books and movies.

"We were created originally to kill off the vampires that had invaded the earth milleniums ago." At his startled expression, I smiled grimly and nodded. "Yes, vampires exist. We're not enemies, though, if that's what you're wondering. We're actually allies against hunters."

Tristan was staring at me, silently urging me to go on. "Hunters are humans that know about us. Their whole existence is about killing off certain wolves and vampires. There are rogues, that travel alone instead of living in packs and a lot of them lose their humanity. Those are the weres that the hunters are assigned to kill. We were at a war with them a couple of years ago." A war that cost me my mate.

"Anyway, werewolves live in a pack. There's an Alpha and a Beta. Then there are the Offenders, who are like the fighters of the pack and Defenders, who protect the pack."

"What were you?" Tristan asked before he could help himself. I shot him a dark look. He smiled apologetically.

"The people you met, my family, they are a pack. The mansion is the pack house. The Alpha usually lives there along with his Beta and if other members choose to, they could. Jebadiah is the Alpha of the Shadow Pack. That's why you could sense that power around him.

"There are three packs in this state. The Shadow, Moon which Dylan is the Alpha of and Midnight Pack. Hayden runs that one and Parker, my brother is the Beta." This was news to him. He didn't know I had a brother.

I sighed. Here it goes. "My life...My life sucked to be honest. I had two older siblings, Parker who is twenty-eight now and Holly who's twenty-six. My parents, Sebastian and Andrea Forrest were honestly the only people who actually loved me. See, my father was the Beta, but I was still treated like shit. I was a weak girl and a weak wolf. I was the weakest link in the pack. Everyone bullied me. My siblings hated me because it was my parents loved me the most. Then my pack hated me more because it was my fault my mother and father were killed."

Tears began to slide down my cheeks. Tristan scooted closer, taking a hold of my hand, rubbing the back of it with the pad of his thumb comfortingly.

"It was my twelfth birthday. My sister Holly said some hurtful things about how my parents didn't love me and only gave me this," I lifted the diamond, heart necklace that was resting between the valley of my breasts under my shirt, "out of pity. It crushed me so I ran off into the forest.

"Three hunters found me. They would've killed me, but my parents showed me and saved me. Only, they ended up dying in return. After that, the whole pack hated me for being the cause of their Beta's death."

"But you were just a kid," he stammered.

I shrugged. "After a few months, I....met my mate."

"Mate?" Tristan echoed. I was annoyed he kept interrupting, but I couldn't blame his curiosity.

"Soulmate. The person you're meant to be with for the rest of your life. Your other half. I found him."

"Who was it?" Tristan asked softly and I could see the pain in his eyes.

"Xavier. The Alpha's son."

"The guy whose grave I saw you in?" he asked shocked. I nodded. "Shit..."

"He rejected me, though. He denied out bond," I said bitterly. "Xavier played me. He would kiss me, lead me oon, then shatter my hopes." I breathed in shakily. "He physically abused me. They all did."

Tristan's hand tightened on mine and I saw the barely contained anger on his face.

"When I was sixteen, Xavier's father, Alpha Archer died. He had become like a father-figure to me, so I was crushed. He was the only one who was kind and loved me."

"Why didn't he do anything to stop them from hurting you, then? Wasn't he the Alpha?" Tristan demanded.

"Yes, but it was the whole pack. He couldn't stop over fifty people." I sighed deeply. "Anyway, when I was sixteen, I was exhiled my Xavier, who had stepped up as Alpha when Archer died. I was kicked out of my pack only a few days later. I lived in a homeless shelter for three months. I couldn't get a job. Nobody wanted to hire me because I was uneducated and only sixteen. On my last day, I was out late trying to find a job, when it happened."

I gulped and could feel myself getting thrown back to the dreadful day. "I couldn't defend myself. I wasn't strong enough. Besides, there were six of them...."

Tristan stared at me. There were sparkling tears in his eyes. "No...please, don't tell me..."

"I was raped by six men. I didn't get pregnant, luckily." I swallowed. "Then like a week later, I was shot in the stomach with silver. Silver kills wolves, you know?" I laughed sarcastically. "I managed to drag myself into the forest, hopinh to die, but I ended up waking up in the Jebadiah's prison.

"Jeb accepted me into his pack after a few months and I trained with him and my best friend, Darren. When the Beta was killed by a rogue, I was promoted by the pack. Unfortunately, that's when the hunter problem began to get out of control.

"The three packs moved in. I saw Xavier again. He wanted me back because I was changed, strong, beautiful. But I had given up on him when I got raped. Being mates meant that you could feel each other's strong emotions. I was devastated he hadn't shown up and saved me because I know he could feel me losing my innocence to those disgusting men..."

I shook my head, glaring at the floor. "Then Jeb and I broke up because he met Lily, his mate and the battle out in Springfield. I killed over a dozen hunters that night." I frowned. "There were so many details. So much blood."

The tears made my voice thick. "Darren died that night. Then Xavier, to save me. Shot right in the heart with silver. I held him in my arms and he apologized...for everything.

"Then a year later, a treaty was signed. The was ended. And I left because I couldn't take the pain. So technically, I'm a rogue, but not the bad ones." I tried to smile, but I failed. The rush of emotions going through me was overwhelming. It was making me so emotional, finally letting all this out.

I looked up at Tristan and reached over to cup his cheek. "You made me love again, Tristan. After Xavier and Jebadiah, I didn't think I'd feel this way." His face softened and he gave me a tender look.

"You're so strong, Cade," he whispered, leaning over to kiss my forehead.

I crawled into his lap and rested my head on his shoulder. "I love you, Tristan. I love you so much."

He hugged me tightly for a moment, before releasing his hold. "Not as much as I love you." He kissed me again, then gently pushing me off of him, standing up. He paced in front of me a few times, running his hand through his hair, which he had cut short again. "Remember the day you told me you were a wolf?" he asked, finally stopping to look at me. "And I said something about having already bought something?"

I nodded slowly. "Yeah..."

"It was this." He reached into his pocket and slowly pulled out a beautiful ring. I lost my breath as I stared at the white gold band with the medium sized diamond resting on top of it. "I guess it's luck that the ring is gold and not silver, right?" Tristan smiled softly and gazed at it. "I've been carrying this around for three months, way before you told me what you were, waiting for the right moment to ask you."

"Tristan..."

His eyes flickered back to meet mine. "Now is the right moment to ask you," he decided. Then he knelt down slowly on one knee. My eyes grew moist as my heart clenched. "So, Cadrian Forrest, will you marry me?"