Peninta [ 50 ]

Five weeks.

That was how long it took for Tristan and me to finally go to his home city. We had submerged ourselves into our roles as Alpha and Luna until the pack themselves decided that we deserved a honeymoon of sorts.

Brielle had proposed the idea first at the pack hunt since Tristan had never returned to his home city, not even after his parents' deaths. At first, he shook it off because he didn't like leaving our pack unless he absolutely had to but when I found him going through his family photo album, I convinced him to change our flight dates.

The moment we landed in Chania, he was immediately at peace. I knew he could somehow feel his parents because it was where they fell in love and had him. Our first day saw us immediately going to the restaurant where they first met. Tristan had recommended the best dishes on the menu and he couldn't stop smiling.

The darkness that always lingered in his eyes completely disappeared and the happiness bloomed so strongly in his chest that I felt just as happy as him. I was seeing a new side to him, one that I wanted to see for the rest of my life.

I thought he was beautiful in Greenland but seeing him in his birthplace, he was absolutely breathtaking. It didn't take long for Tristan's uncle to find out he was back and their reunion had been heartwarming.

Tristan had hugged him, Leonidas, tightly and the two men held each other for a long while. He looked ecstatic to finally meet me and I instantly recognised his voice as he said my name with his thick accent. The next person I had taken an instant liking to was his mate, Calliope.

She had greeted me with a warm hug and I could tell that Tristan meant a lot to her too. Her eyes were teary when he hugged her and she murmured something in Greek that Tristan had translated for me later.

"You look so much like your father. You even look at her how he looked at your mother."

Tristan had reached out for me and his eyes were so full of love. He tucked me underneath his arm and Calliope clapped in glee before she and Leonidas took us for a tour of the pack grounds.

I found out that Leonidas had taken care of Tristan in more ways than one. Not only did he help him get a hold of things as a new alpha, but he also fulfilled his role as a trustee of the family. The reason why Tristan had so much money was that when he was eighteen, Leonidas had given him some money. Tristan had decided to invest in his uncle's business, a very successful business at that.

Tristan then used the money he gained from it to rebuild his pack after the war.

His first priority had been his pack and I soon found out that he got more than just his looks from his father. Tristan got his compassion and empathy from him too.

"How long have you been awake?" Tristan's deep, resonant voice brought me back inside the bedroom and I turned my head to glance at him. He was half asleep and his hair was mussed as he lifted his head from his arm. Deep blue eyes settled on mine and he tugged me back against his body.

I settled my hands on his bare chest and threaded my fingers through his silky hair. "Not long." I exhaled a laugh through my nose. "I had to use the bathroom again."

His eyes fluttered closed as I caressed his head. I couldn't get enough of his sleepy voice. It was rich and low-toned. "It's all that ice Calliope put in your drink yesterday. You're not going to be dehydrated once while we're here—or hungry."

I leaned closer towards him with a smile. "She reminds me of my mother…always making sure there's enough food on my plate."

He opened his eyes the second he sensed that I was closer. "You've got your appetite back. We need to keep it that way." His fingers curled around my wrist and he tilted his head to press a kiss to my palm. "How are you liking Chania?"

The tip of my nose pressed against his softly. "To latrevo." (I love it)

A grin spread across his face and he tilted his head to peck my lips. "Your Greek is getting better, αγάπη μου." His hand slid down to the small of my back. "Hearing you speak my language is so sexy."

I dipped my head to kiss along his angular jaw and lightly licked beneath his ear. "Se agapó" I murmured quietly, hearing him hum in satisfaction. He pushed his leg in between mine and flipped us over.

His azure eyes gleamed. "Say my name the Greek way."

I cupped his face in my hands and said his name, rolling the r. He groaned under his breath and closed his eyes for a moment. "I'm going to make you fluent in Greek." He was about to kiss me when a knock sounded through the room. He leaned up onto his knees and stepped off the bed to pull on a shirt.

"Καλημέρα—good morning!" Leonidas' accented voice filtered through the door. Tristan grinned and went to open it.

I sat up and smiled as they hugged. Leonidas was a respectful man and didn't look past Tristan's shoulder at me. Instead, he took a step back so he didn't shadow the doorway.

"Breakfast is ready." He clapped a hand down on Tristan's shoulder. He addressed only Tristan next and spoke in Greek. I didn't understand much of what he said but what I did get was Tristan had to go somewhere with him.

When Tristan closed the door, he turned to me. "He wants to show me something after breakfast. Calliope wants to show you something too."

My curiosity was piqued and I climbed off the bed. He walked towards me and opened his suitcase to retrieve some fresh clothes. Figuring we were going to freshen up before breakfast, I chose a red floral summer dress. I didn't realise how much I missed hot weather especially because Greenland was so cold.

Once we were showered, Tristan and I made our way downstairs to the kitchen hand in hand. The house was massive and elegant. I had fallen in love with the decor the moment I stepped into the house.

Calliope and Leonidas were seated at the kitchen table where there was a whole breakfast spread. There was hummus, feta, fresh fruits and yoghurt among other things. Calliope stood excitedly when she saw me and pulled me into a gentle hug.

"Good morning, Kara!" Her dark brown eyes shone when her gaze met mine. She went in for two cheek-kisses and I grinned.

"Kaliméra, Calliope."

She grinned brighter when I replied to her in Greek and glanced at Tristan. "Tristan, I love her!"

Tristan chuckled and pulled out a chair for me. "I love her too, θεία." He leaned down and softly kissed me for a short moment before taking a seat next to me.

Calliope sat down and began piling food onto a plate. I knew it was mine before she even handed it to me. She gave me a generous helping of Greek yoghurt as a side dip. "The yoghurt is good for the body."

I took everything gratefully and popped a slice of cucumber dipped in hummus into my mouth. I savoured the freshness of the cucumber and began eating as Leonidas spoke up.

"I still can't believe you're here, Tristan." A soft smile graced his face. "It's been almost seven years since I last saw you."

Tristan's ocean blues settled on Leonidas and his perfect lips lifted into a content smile. I couldn't take my eyes off him. He was wearing a white linen shirt and the first few buttons were undone, exposing a sliver of his sculpted chest.

"It's been twenty-two years since I was last in this city." He tossed a chunk of feta into his mouth. Under the table, I slid my hand into his. He squeezed it as he continued. "I didn't realise how much I missed it."

Calliope took a sip of her chilled orange juice. "This will always be your home. You are always welcome here." She looked at me. "You too, Kara. You are part of the family now."

I smiled softly and gratefully. There was no hierarchy between us but Calliope already had my utmost respect. The rest of breakfast was a beautiful experience and before Tristan could leave with Leonidas, he stepped towards me and lowered his lips to mine.

He kissed me deeply and my fingers spread across his exposed skin to feel his warmth. He pulled back before it could get too heated and pressed a delicate kiss to my forehead. "Have fun, αγάπη μου."

I smiled and caressed his cheek softly in parting. As soon as I sensed them leave and they were out of earshot, Calliope broke the silence.

"Does Tristan know you're pregnant with his child?"

My gaze snapped up to hers as she cleared the plates away. "What?"

She smiled and I helped her cover the leftover food. "Do you know that you're pregnant with his child?" she placed the plates into the dishwasher and gripped my hand gently. Pulling me towards a mirror that was secured onto the wall, she cupped my chin with her fingers. "That glow isn't because of the sun, Kara. I've had two children—I know a pregnant woman when I see one."

I stared at myself and considered it. There was a very high possibility I was pregnant because Tristan and I rarely used protection and my period was a week and a half late. I pressed a hand to my stomach and glanced at Calliope through the mirror.

"I need to be sure…before I get my hopes up."

Calliope looked like she had anticipated my response. "I had a feeling you didn't know when you tried to eat so little at dinner." She led me upstairs to her bedroom and went straight for the bathroom. "I had my maid get this before breakfast."

She pulled out a pregnancy test and my chest tightened. It was serious and I was suddenly nervous. She passed it to me and stepped out of the bathroom. "I'll be outside, agapiménos."

My hands shook as I opened the packaging and held the pregnancy stick for a long moment. I stared at it until I decided to just get it over and done with. Once I was done, I washed my hands and opened the door for Calliope.

It was a waiting game and it seemed like the longest three minutes of my life. I held my breath until the three minutes were up, picking up the stick and looking at the lines.

I was carrying Tristan's baby—our baby.

I couldn't control the scream of excitement that fell from my lips and I tugged Calliope into a hug. "I'm pregnant. Tristan and I are having a baby." The happiness exploded in my chest when I said it out loud and I was sure Tristan felt it. It was unlike anything I had ever felt in my entire life.

"You are!" she hugged me back and when I pulled back, I held a hand to my mouth. I was unable to stop the grin from spreading across my face and I was still shaking.

I didn't think it hit me that my being pregnant was inevitable. I knew how much Tristan wanted to have a family with me and we had a very active sex life. It was crazy to know that we were going to be starting a family soon. In six months to be exact since werewolf pregnancies were a lot shorter than the average human one.

"Let's get some fresh air, Kara."

I tucked the stick into my pocket and followed Calliope absentmindedly since I couldn't get Tristan out of my mind. I already wanted him back so I could tell him. Calliope took me to her vast garden and I was instantly in my element as I pinpointed all the different types of plants. The bright red geraniums caught my eye first and I closed my eyes to take it all in.

Wherever nature thrived, I felt at home. Spring and summer were my favourite seasons of the year and it was therapeutic to see flowers growing. Crete was a beautiful island.

"You two came at the right time of year," Calliope commented, taking a seat on her swing sofa. I took a seat next to her and took in her garden gleefully.

I had really missed nature like this.

When an hour and a half had passed, and Calliope and I had killed time by tending to the plants, I sensed Tristan was near again. My heart lurched in my chest and I placed the gardening equipment down to quickly wash my hands.

I breezed through the foyer and the front door to see him getting out of the car. His eyes instantly found mine and I ran towards him, catching him off guard as I hooked my arms around his neck. I silenced his shocked grunt with my lips and kissed him as he wrapped his arms around my waist, lifting me off the ground slightly.

He sighed into my mouth and kissed me back passionately. He chuckled deeply when I couldn't keep my lips off him, kissing every inch of his face.

"Baby," he gripped my chin and brought my gaze to his, grinning. "What is it? What happened?"

He placed me back on my feet and I slid my hand down his arm to link our fingers. "I have something to show you." I bit my lip and we passed a grinning Calliope. I sprung up the stairs and when we reached our bedroom, I closed the door behind us. "Close your eyes, Tristan."

I pushed him down to sit on the bed as I pulled the pregnancy test from my dress pocket. I stared at him for a moment, eager to see his reaction. Holding it out in front of him, I told him to open his eyes.

It took him a few seconds to realise what I was holding and he stilled. His gaze lifted to mine and his lips parted in shock. "You're pregnant?" he asked, not even waiting for me to nod before his hands settled on my waist and he lifted me into his arms. He spun us around and dug his face into my neck.

I could feel the happiness that flourished in his chest and curved a hand around the nape of his neck. He pulled back and the grin that spread across his face radiated the light of a thousand stars.

"Kara, I'm going to be a dad." He seemed amazed and he laughed in excitement before lifting me up and laying me down on the bed. His hands pushed my dress up until my abdomen was exposed. He kissed my stomach reverentially and glanced up at me with intensely blue eyes. "My baby…" he choked out, overcome by emotion as he dropped his gaze back to my stomach. "I love them already—Daddy loves you, χαρα μου." (Chara mu)

I dug my fingers into his hair and caressed his head as he suddenly went quiet before a shaky breath fell from his lips. It was a tell-tale sign that he was about to cry and I felt his shoulders shake as he did.

I sat up and cupped his face in my hands. His eyes were teary and I could barely notice anything else before he moulded his lips to mine.

"I love you, Kara." He choked out. "You've given me a family again. I never thought I'd have one after my parents died." I kissed him back and he settled his hands delicately on my stomach.

"We're going to be a family, Tristan. You, me and the baby." I stared into his eyes and I could see just how much he needed to be a father.

He was robbed of time with both his parents and I knew already that he would love our baby with everything in him. When Tristan loved, he loved fiercely and even if people believed his heart was as cold as ice, and as hard as stone, I knew the truth.

His heart had always yearned for love, and with me and our baby, he found it.