The Last Wolf Prince

6 - Mine

~~Raya’s PoV~~

The electricity that goes through my body when Tristan’s hand touches mine is completely unexpected. It feels like fire and ice at the same time, sending a rush of excitement and power running through me.

I’m thoroughly confused by it, until I hear a small, quiet voice in the back of my mind.

Mate.

That is Avelin, there’s no doubt, and suddenly it all makes sense. That’s why she’s been trying to talk to me, that’s why Tristan smells so good, and that’s why his touch lights me up even more than the electrified fence that surrounded our camp. I tried to scale that fence once when I had just got my wolf. So did everyone else, but I thought with my extra speed and agility, I might actually get over it.

I didn’t.

What I did get was a week’s recuperation in the small, makeshift hospital where we could give birth and be treated for life-threatening injuries only. Anything else, we were expected to deal with ourselves.

I blink over at Tristan in surprise and there’s no doubt he felt it too. He’s staring down at our joined hands with a look of wonder on his face, but he doesn’t say anything.

That’s when I realize that he must have known the whole time. There’s nothing wrong with his wolf. He even told me his wolf had been talking to him, and now I have to wonder if it was about me. If he knew, why wouldn’t he say something?

“Are you my mate?” I demand, even though I already know the answer. The evidence is pretty conclusive.

Tristan swallows, his Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat beneath his strong jaw with its trimmed beard. “It seems that way.”

It seems that way? He could hardly sound less enthusiastic about the idea, and now along with being confused and overwhelmed, I’m offended too.

His hand slips from mine, and the whole room instantly feels colder, but he has only pulled away so he can put his hands to his head as he squeezes his eyes tightly shut.

When he opens them again a moment later, the vibrant blue of his eyes is gone. In its place is a set of yellow-orange eyes that look over at me like they want to completely devour me, in one way or another.

“You are beautiful.” The voice that comes from Tristan’s mouth is different too, deep and guttural. “You are special, and perfect. You are mine.”

The words, their tone, and the way he stares at me send a rush of heat through me that is unlike anything I’ve ever felt before. I have felt flashes of desire in the past, of course. My body works the same as anyone else's, I just always pushed it down because I knew nothing could come of it.

And speaking of pushing, I can almost feel Avelin trying to push her way to the surface of my thoughts.

Mine, she whimpers back. Though her voice is still quiet, I can make out the word clearly.

Tristan’s eyes squeeze back, and this time when he opens them, they’re back to their usual unworldly blue, and looking far less certain.

He clears his throat a little awkwardly. “I’m sorry. That was my wolf, Griffin. Apparently he didn’t like my answer and he wanted to give you his own.”

I have never spoken directly with a wolf before. In my time, no one’s wolf is strong enough to take over that way, not even if we wanted them to, and certainly not by force. And in this case, it’s clear that Tristan didn’t give him control voluntarily, since he’s looking a little embarrassed by what his wolf just said.

“I can’t say I liked your answer very much either,” I tell him bluntly. He should be embarrassed, but not because of his wolf. Finding out we're mates is a shock, but it doesn't explain why he looks so unsure about it. “Why didn’t you say something when you saw me? You must have known right away.”

“I did know,” he admits sheepishly. “But you didn’t say anything either, and… well, I thought you were a boy.”

I had almost forgotten that already, and now that I stop to think about it, I can’t help but find it a little funny. The idea of this strong, powerful man believing that he had been mated to a boy is amusing, and suddenly his relief when I told him I was actually a woman makes a lot more sense.

And although he didn’t tell me we were mates, he didn’t immediately reject me either. That shows a level of consideration I wouldn’t have necessarily expected from a man of this time. He shows every sign of being a thoughtful, reasonable person, not someone who is ruled by his passions, no matter how much his wolf would like him to be.

He is a surprise all around.

“I didn’t say anything because I didn’t know,” I explain. “My wolf is not well. In the future, the Faceless have us imprisoned, and they use silver dust in the air to limit our wolves’ power. She has not been able to speak to me for a long time, but I can hear her now, just a little. She says you are mine.”

A few different emotions travel across Tristan’s face as I speak, moving from concern to confusion, and finally, a look that might almost be pride. "I... uh, I have been waiting for my mate a long time. I'm sorry if I haven't responded the way you would have liked, Raya."

It's the first time he's said my name, and it sends another strange feeling rushing through my body.

He will help us do what we came here to do. This was all meant to be.

Avelin seems to be growing stronger by the second, as though the connection with our mate is helping her to heal.

"I don't know what I would have liked," I tell him quite honestly. "I didn't expect this, Tristan."

There is a flash of longing in his eyes as I say his name too, as though it affects him the same way it affected me to hear my name said by my mate.

"Of course it changes things, but so much depends on what I came here to do and I can't lose sight of that."

He quickly nods in agreement. "The world does not stop for the affairs of one man."

That sounds oddly poetic, like he's quoting someone. "Who said that?"

A soft smile pulls at his lips. "My father. He was a very wise man, and he taught me a great deal."

A pang of empathy hits me as I notice his use of the past tense. I know what it is like to lose a parent, after all. "Has he been gone for long?"

"Five years," Tristan answers, acknowledging my sympathy with another small nod of his head. "I miss his counsel most days, and now more than ever. He would have plenty of ideas of how we should deal with these Faceless creatures."

I am curious to know more about his family and his connection to Bertie and the king, and a million other things about him. Of course the Faceless must remain our priority, but the thought really sinks in for the first time that if we are successful, there is a chance of a life here for me, a real future, free from danger, and with a mate and a family.

It is far more than I ever dared to imagine, and it all threatens to overwhelm me. The adrenaline that has sustained me ever since the siren went off this morning is starting to fade, and the energy that has been used by Avelin drains me further.

Suddenly, I am completely exhausted.

Tristan is on his feet in a moment, as if he feels it too. "You need to rest. I will arrange a room for you."

A room. It has been so long since I have slept in a room, in a real bed. It sounds incredible, but there is still so much I need to share. "I haven't told you everything yet."

That makes him smile. "I'm sure you haven't. We will speak again later, once you have recovered. Don't worry, Raya. We have a lot more to talk about."