Waiting
1470 Words
Tristan
Her delicious scent lingers in my mind as I hurry from the break room. I run into the elevator and lean heavily against the back wall. “Avery,” I mutter repeatedly until the door opens and others get on. I straighten myself up and put on a dignified face despite the turmoil in my mind.
The door opens on my floor, and I step off. Anna is standing behind her desk as I approach.
“Sir,” she says. “I tried to stop them.”
“Stop who?” I ask and then hear Wendy’s shrill voice coming from my office. “s**t,” I mutter.
“Sorry,” Anna frowns.
I shake my head and enter my office. My mother is sitting with Wendy, Annette, and Wendy’s mother.
“Tristan,” Mother stands and walks over to me. “It’s about time you got back. Your secretary said you ran out but didn’t tell her where you were going.”
“I’m working, Mother,” I mutter. “I don’t always sit behind the desk.”
“Pish posh,” she snorts. “Come sit,” She pulls me to the couch.
“What are you all doing here?” I ask.
“We are here to plan your wedding,” Mother grins and lets me go.
Wendy bounds over to me with a huge grin on her gaunt face. “Oh, Tristan,” She drapes herself on me, and I try to resist, but she is strong and hangs on. “I was thinking about the theme of our wedding.”
“What theme?” I mumble.
“I can’t decide between a 1920s gangster theme or an ancient Rome theme,” She sits on the couch beside my sister. “Sit,” She pulls me down beside her.
I try to scoot away, but Wendy clings to me.
‘I hate this,’ Dragos mutters with a growl.
‘You and me both,’ I counter.
“Tristan?” Wendy nudges me.
“What?”
“The theme,” Wendy says. “What theme should we do?”
“I don’t care,” I say.
“Tristan,” Mother hisses. “This is important.”
“Is it?” I ask.
“I am leaning to do the 1920s gangster theme,” Wendy says. “I saw this dress that was so divine,” She says, picking up her phone. She swipes through it and shows me a thin crème, colored, flapper-style dress with gaudy sequins. “I would look so cute.”
“Sure,” I shrug.
“Are you sure?” Wendy squeals. “But then there is this.” She swipes through her phone to show me an ancient Roman-style dress. “But then there is this.”
“Get whatever you want,” I say.
“Tristan,” Mother hisses again.
“Look, I am not really into the whole design thing,” I say. “I’m a man. That’s a woman’s thing.”
“We are progressive and figured a man should have a say in their wedding,” Wendy’s mother Helen speaks up.
“It’s fine,” I say. “Go with the one you like best.”
“I think I want to go with the gangster theme,” Wendy grins.
“Good,” I say.
“I have a suit picked out for you and everything,” Wendy smiles.
I glance at Annette, who is stifling a laugh. I can only wonder how bad the suit will look. Wendy shows me a picture of a smoking man in a crème-colored suit that doesn’t look bad. “That’s actually kind of cool,” I admit.
“Good,” Wendy grins. “So, where should we have the wedding?”
“We usually do them in the field behind the mansion,” I say.
“I want to do it indoors, though,” Wendy mutters.
“There are plenty of indoor places in town, I suppose,” I suggest.
“The Rock Palace is lovely,” Mother suggests. “It overlooks the ocean and would match your theme perfectly,” she says.
I zone out as the women begin to all talk at once. ‘Randy, Casey, can one of you call the office and make it sound urgent,’ I mind link my beta and gamma.
‘What’s wrong?’ Randy responds.
‘Just do it,’ I say.
‘Who are you trying to get rid of?’ Casey asks with a laugh.
‘Don’t make me use the tone,’ I growl.
“Why are you growling?” Mother turns to me.
“I just got an urgent mind link from Randy,” I reply. A second later, the phone rings, and I pop off the couch and rush over to answer it. “Hello?”
“This is Randy pretending there is a crisis,” My beta snort laughs. I hear Casey also laughing in the background.
“There are rogues?” I say.
“Rogues?” Mother looks at me.
“Yes, Mother, there are rogues in the territory. I must go take care of them,” I say. “You ladies should probably leave.”
“We are safe here,” Wendy says.
“No, you should get back to the mansion,” I say. “It will make me feel better.”
‘You are such a liar,’ Annette gives me a look.
“Fine, come on ladies,” Mother rises from the couch, looking at me.
“I pray you get the rogues under control,” Helen nods.
“Oh, Tristan, please be careful,” Wendy cries. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“I will be fine,” I say, ushering them out of the office.
“Bye,” Wendy tries to kiss me, but I turn my head so she gets my ear.
“Buh bye,” I wave and watch them all get onto the elevator. I sigh with relief when the door closes, and the elevator starts to descend. I go back into the office and sit in my chair. ‘Thanks, Randy,’ I say to my beta with an edge of sarcasm.
‘So, it worked?’ He asks.
‘Yes,’ I respond. I pinch the bridge of my nose. ‘What am I going to do about Avery?’ I say to myself. ‘I can’t marry Wendy. But Father and Grandfather would take my titles away if I don’t.’
‘We don’t need them,’ Dragos says. ‘Avery is our mate.’
‘But she is human,’ I say. ‘I’m not allowed to have a human mate.’
‘Screw them. Selene is the one that makes the pairings. She has her reasons for pairing wolves with humans. It's up to her, not wolves,’ He continues.
I sigh, “It’s not fair.” I looked at the clock; it was about two hours until lunchtime. “It’s going to be two long hours,” I say as I look at the computer. I find some work to do, but it only takes half an hour to review and sign. I then pick up my cell phone and play a game. But I quickly get bored of that and set it down. I walk over to the huge windows overlooking the City of Pearlmoore. It sparkles even in the daylight with the ocean nearby. I will the time to go faster so I can see Avery again.
I lay down on the couch and stared at the ceiling. Images of Avery ran through my mind as I imagined her as my rightful Luna at my side. I imagined her belly swollen with my heir. “She is mine,” I declared.
‘She is ours,’ Dragos speaks up.
I go back to the desk and play on my phone until it’s time. I smile at the clock, which says it's lunchtime, and soon I will see Avery. I press the intercom button to call my secretary. “A woman named Avery shall be up in moments. Let her right in,” I say.
“Yes, sir,” Anna responds.
I sit back and fold my hand across my chest to wait. I grow impatient when five minutes turn into ten. Then I hear her voice through the doors.
“I’m here to see Tristan Emerson,” Avery tells Anna.
“Are you Avery?” Anna asks.
“Yes,” my mate answers.
“Go right in,” Anna says, and the doors open.
Avery walks into the office, looking unsure of herself. She looks around, and then her eyes lock on mine. “Hello,” she smiles warmly, making my lower body twitch.
“Hello, Avery,” I say and rise from my seat. “Are you ready for lunch?”
- Writer
