Tristan Northam was the most intimidating man—no, wolf, in Howls Grove. Of course, not everyone knew that he was in fact, a werewolf, and not just any werewolf… Alpha of the wolves. At twenty-five years old, he had lost all his beloved family members when they were abducted from their home one night by wolf hunters. They were transported and taken to an underground laboratory where a series of horrific experiments were conducted until they inevitably died. Tristan was the only survivor because he had escaped, being only eighteen at the time.

The most part tragic of this tale was that Tristan had fallen in love with a woman who he believed loved him with an honest heart, but she deceived him. She was part of the family of werewolf hunters. The same family that abducted and killed his loved ones. Her vendetta to gain his trust and get him to reveal all his secrets aided her agenda into capturing his family and destroying their lives.

Tristan eventually carried out his retribution when he killed Julia Silver after tracking her scent all the way to London. It took him years to find her, and even though he felt a little better knowing that she was no longer breathing, it still did not take the pain away he felt from losing his parents and siblings. When his father died, this automatically made him Alpha.

An Alpha determines social rank within the hierarchy of a traditional wolf pack. Alphas have the highest rank, and both genders are qualified to attain this position. A Beta is second in command, and Omegas are lowest on the totem pole of power. They are often used as scapegoats, lowest in priority to be fed and cared for. In some instances, if an Alpha dies, a Beta will assume the new responsibilities and rule the pack as Alpha. And if an Alpha is challenged by a Beta and killed, then the Beta will automatically assume power and become the new Alpha.

When Tristan became an Alpha at twenty-two, he realized that he needed his own pack. So, throughout the years, he returned to his hometown in Howls Grove and selected seven other humans to turn through a wolf bite. Once bitten, transformation was not guaranteed. Some individuals did not have a strong enough immune system to survive the fever and infection that would ensue. But those who did, immediately pledged allegiance to Tristan, their leader, and were soon taught how to use their gifts and control the times when they would shift on a full moon, without enduring the excruciating pain of the transformation.

An Alpha was able to shift at will, during the day, but a Beta and Omega could not, until sundown.

Tristan was a level minded man who fought fiercely for the people he loved. Ever since he had his heart broken by Julia, he swore off relationships and became twice as guarded. He was a respected leader in his pack and community. His parents had been extremely wealthy. When they died, Tristan inherited the billion dollar fortune.

His pack lived inside the monstrous family mansion. By day, he ran his father’s business, North-Intel Inc. It was a computer software company. He was always knowledgeable with computers, but his job only consisted of going to work in expensive Italian suits once every so often, and fulfilling his duties as CEO.

By night, he made sure the town of Howls Grove was safe from vampires and wolf hunters who were targeting his pack. The very first human that Tristan had turned was a sixteen year old boy that went to his old high school. His name was Landon Carter. Despite his initial struggles to adjust to his new life, he eventually became Tristan’s most trusted friend, and he just so happened to be mutual friends with Tristan’s old neighbor, Cassius Corinthos.

Their friendship was very limited when they were children, and Tristan was seven years older than Cassius. They differed in looks, and most of all, personality. Tristan had jet black hair that was cut short and usually spiked. He was 210 pounds of muscle, 6’1, with emerald green eyes that transformed to glowing gold while he was in wolf form. He was confident, charismatic when he wanted to be, mentally and physically strong, intelligent, driven, but fatally dangerous at the same time.

Cassius was a lean and athletic teenager that had short brown hair, hazel eyes, an olive complexion, and he was only an inch shorter than Tristan. Contrary to Tristan’s charisma and magnetism, Cassius came off geeky, socially awkward at times, eternally sarcastic, and at seventeen… still a virgin.

Tristan never had problems selecting mates during heat cycles. A heat cycle happened once a year in the spring, and lasted for ten days. During this time, every Alpha would be at his or her sexual peak and must select a Beta or Omega to mate with. Gender and rank would not be discriminated against. If an Alpha male chose to mate with the same sex, it would not cement the Alpha’s sexuality as homosexual. (Although, wolf hunters begged to differ.) The Beta and Omega were expected to submit, or the Alpha would kill them effective immediately.

When Cassius’s best friend, Landon, got sucked into the world of the supernatural, he got involved by default just by association. Despite the rocky beginning between Cassius and Tristan, a genuine friendship slowly grew between the two. Some of their friends went as far as to label their relationship a budding bromance.

Two years had passed since Tristan came back to Howls Grove, and both Cassius and Landon were in their senior year of high school. The crime rate in the town had significantly dropped due to Tristan’s outstanding leadership of the pack. They were the first pack in all werewolf history to be trained to such great obedience, balancing between man and beast. There were four Beta males in the group and three Beta females; Ella, Carrey, Scarlet; Xander, Drew, Max, and Landon. Each pack member varied between ages seventeen to twenty-three. Landon and Ella were the youngest.

Cassius had saved Tristan’s life on three occasions, and Tristan had saved Cassius’s life more times than he could count, since the stubborn teen always got himself in the crossfire. He cared about his friends, regardless of the fact that they were werewolves, and that was something Tristan admired about Cassius. On his seventeenth birthday, he offered to turn him and make him part of the pack, but Cassius refused. He saw the difficulties that his friend Landon faced, and he did not want to endure the same ordeals. Mentally, he was not ready for it, but there was something about the supernatural that always pulled him in. It had an alluringly dark mysticism that Cassius found so fascinating.

Ever since his mother ran out on him when he was five years old, it had only been him and his dad trying to find happiness among the chaos that occurred in their lives. Regardless of Paul Corinthos’s efforts to provide for his son, he always knew that there was an empty void inside of Cassius. He only hoped that one day he would find true love and find a good woman to fill that giant crater in his chest.

There was one particular girl that Cassius was very fond of. But she hardly even gave him the time of day. Chrissie was the most popular girl at school, a blonde bombshell who was dating the captain of the football team, Jeremy Fields (Cassius’s arch enemy).

Despite his attempts to court her, every effort only proved to be fruitless. His best friend, Landon, had already found love with one of his pack members, Ella. They had been dating for two years and often tried to hook Cassius up with other girls, but due to his quirky personality, his lack of filter, and sarcastic tendencies, he never really qualified as boyfriend material. He was a cute face, but he didn’t have a body like the jocks at their high school, or the wolves in Tristan’s pack. Landon constantly gave him hope, saying that college would be way different and that there were plenty more fish in the sea. Somehow, Cassius believed that he would never be desirable to any woman, even though he was a good looking guy.

Aside from Cassius’s nonexistent love life, Howls Grove had finally found a sense of harmony, but all of that changed when Tristan Northam decided to step down as Alpha and abandon his pack without any rational explanations. One night he just packed his things, got in his black Mustang, and floored it out of town. The only thing he left behind, was a note:

Leaving Town. Not coming back. 
Passing the position of power to Landon. He is Alpha. 
Follow him or die . Don’t look for me. 
-T 
Every pack member was upset, Landon included. He never wanted to be leader of Tristan’s pack, and all of a sudden this power was thrust upon him. He was starting college next fall, he didn’t want to have to worry about leading the other Betas. Xander was the oldest out of all of them. If anything, he should’ve been anointed as Alpha. Cassius justified Tristan’s decision, explaining to Landon that because Tristan trusted him the most, he believed he had what it took to be a true Alpha.

And he was right. Almost twelve months had passed and Landon proved to be a natural. He still resided at the Northam family mansion, and each pack member’s family were aware that their children had transformed into werewolves. Supernatural beings were not hiding in the shadows in Howls Grove.

When Cassius found out that Tristan was not coming back, he took it much harder than expected. And he couldn’t help but feel that it was because of him that Tristan skipped town. He still remembered their last heated argument. Cassius had been out partying at a nightclub, got himself into some trouble, and fortunately, Tristan was there. He drove him home and they fought in the car over Cassius’s destructive behaviour. But that fight also led to something else that Cassius thought would never happen, never in his wildest dreams.

Ever since that incident in the Mustang, he was not able to stop thinking about Tristan. He urged the pack members to look for their former leader, but none of them were able to sniff him out, because Tristan had used magical tribal tattoos to hide his scent, leaving him untraceable.

The months passed. Autumn turned to winter; winter turned to spring, and soon came the warm winds of summer. Cassius, Landon, and Ella had graduated, and still there was no sign of Tristan. None of them received any phone calls, no letters, emails, visits, nothing.

All throughout that year, Cassius occupied his time learning mixed martial arts so that he could defend himself instead of being the weakest link during fight of flight moments. He became a master at archery and the Samurai sword. The teenager was finally growing into a man, and if you compared Cassius Corinthos to the person he was ten months ago, to the person he was now, there was a night and day difference. Chrissie had finally taken an interest in him, but Landon warned his friend to steer clear from her because she only wanted to use him. Chrissie McAlister was a man eater.

Even though Landon was managing the pack really well, there were new bad guys in town; an army of werewolf hunters called, The Silver Knights of the Order of Luna. And they had their sights set on Landon’s pack, plotting to kill them and eradicate the werewolf race from the world altogether.

Cassius knew he had to find Tristan somehow, if not for his own selfish reasons, for the pack at least. He did not want his friends to die. Not on his watch.

In early July, he located a warlock in Atlanta, and he was able to help Cassius locate Tristan’s whereabouts. After learning his exact address through blood magic, Cassius paid the warlock two thousand dollars, got in his Dodge pickup truck, and drove to his new destination. Alone.

|||||||||| 
Tristan Northam was living in an abandoned warehouse (turned loft), in New York City. After months of redecorating, he managed to make the space liveable, furnishing it with modern furniture, yet maintaining a minimalistic sort of lifestyle that didn’t depict a flashy “hey look at me, I’m loaded” sort of vibe. The former Alpha had tattooed a black symbol on his back so that his pack members wouldn't track him. The symbol was a triangle with a sword going vertically through it.

Universe , by Kids of 88 was playing from his docked iPod, as he finished doing a set of pull-ups. After completing his last pull-up, there was suddenly a knock at his door.

Tristan wiped the sweat off his forehead and muscled chest with a towel, and walked through the spacious loft. He quickly caught his breath and paused in shock, because he recognized that scent. He could always smell him.

"Come on, Tristan. Open the door."

He stepped back, feeling nervous all of a sudden.

"Look, I know you're in there."

Tristan sighed, composed himself, and unlocked the barricade. His eyes immediately widened in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"Hi, Cassius. Nice to see you. Please, come in. I insist. I mean, it’s only been like a year." The teen couldn't have sounded more sarcastic.

Tristan tried to hide a smile, as he crossed his arms against his chest. "Since when did you get so buff?”

"Since I decided that I no longer want to look like a scrawny teen who weighs a hundred and forty pounds," Cassius replied with a sardonic smile.

“Have you been shooting steroids?” He teased.

“No, I’ve been fucking a werewolf and contracted a rare STD that made me this way—and then I did roids on the side just to get extra jacked.”

Tristan cocked an attractive eyebrow at him.

“Please, you know I hate needles,” said Cass.

Tristan's eyes wandered down his body, visibly impressed by the transformation. He was wearing a white tank top, faded blue jeans, and combat boots.

"So, are you going to let me in, or are you just going to ogle at my exceptional physique for the next five minutes?"

"Hah, funny. You should consider stand-up." Tristan moved away from the door, secretly stealing a glance at Cassius's firm bottom.

Cassius looked around the Alpha's loft. He liked the fans that hung from the ceilings and the patterned stain glass windows. It was just one ginormous space with a king size bed in the center of the furthest wall, a black leather sofa set and entertainment system, stainless steel appliances in the kitchen, and a long desk that had a PC tower and four monitors on it. He liked the dim lighting and new age-bachelor theme.

"Nice crib," said Cassius, shoving his hands in his pockets. He hoped that Tristan couldn't sense his nervousness. "Now I know why you ditched all your friends."

Tristan ignored his callous comment and appeared right behind him. Almost too close. "What do you want, Cass?"

It took every ounce of control to hide his hurt, as he turned around and stared into Tristan's intense green eyes. "What do I want? Are you really asking me that question?"

"I just did." Tristan sounded cold and aloof.

"Hmm, how about we start with… why the fuck did you bail on us?" he shouted.

"The pack doesn't need me."

"That's a lie and you know it."

"Landon’s taken over. They're no longer my responsibility."

"Yeah, and he's done an amazing job cleaning up your mess, but that's still no excuse."

Cassius was more upset that Tristan left him without even saying anything. He thought their bond was stronger than that and meaningful enough to at least receive a proper goodbye.

The air between the wolf and human shifted, as a tangible tension began to grow between them, a tension that was sexual. Tristan always recognized it from the moment he was alone with Cassius, and that feeling did not go away, it only intensified.

"I'm not coming back. You know where the door is." His heart sank in his chest. In truth, Tristan had been in turmoil for months because he had wanted to reach out to Cassius and tell him where he was. He wanted so badly to just visit him in secret, even just once… but he couldn't. These feelings he had for him were completely new. It made Tristan question his sexuality, and it wasn't something he was ready for. The reason why he left Howls Grove was because of that witty, sarcastically humored, teenager. He couldn't understand it. Tristan had always identified himself as heterosexual, but ever since he came back to town and started being around Cassius, his entire identity became so blurry.

"How can you just treat me like a piece of trash? Even after all this time… haven’t we been through enough together?"

Tristan closed the distance between them, his eyes penetrating right through enriched hazel. "Again, what—do—you—want—from—me—Cassius?" He articulated each word with dramatic emphasis, sounding equally sexy.

"I'm pissed at you." Cassius frowned, trying not to feel so physically affected by the Alpha's alluring presence.

"Anything else?" Tristan didn't blink. Not once.

Cassius clenched his jaw, as his eyes brimmed with tears. "You hurt me."

"I hurt people. I kill people. That's who I am. That's no secret."

"You hurt me, Tristan. Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

"Why should it?"

"Oh, so you're going to play that card now? All right, act oblivious all you want. I know the facts."

"Do you?" Tristan furrowed his brows, not knowing if he should throw Cassius against the wall and beat him up, or kiss the fuck out of him.

"You kissed me, remember? Or have you conveniently given yourself amnesia in regards to that monumental recollection?"

He remembered it. All of it. That night when they were lip-locked in Tristan’s Mustang.

The Alpha wrapped his hand around Cassius’s throat and pushed him against a concrete pillar. "I didn't kiss you. You kissed me."

Cassius was certain that Tristan had initiated that kiss. "You didn't pull back."

"I'm not gay!"

"Ever since that kiss, you started avoiding me. Am I that ugly that you can't even fathom being with somebody like me?"

"Stop it." Tristan released his chokehold and dropped his hand. The guilt trip was working. "We're not having this discussion. And you need to leave. Now."

He had to get him out of there before he surrendered to his body's impulses and unleashed his raging passion.

"I'm not leaving without you."

"Fine. I'm going—and when I return, this place better be empty." Tristan took a step, but Cassius immediately blocked him.

"You're Tristan fucking Northam. Alpha of all the fucking wolves. How could you just give that all up and come live out here like a loner? You're not an Omega, you never will be!"

It moved him to know that Cassius cared so much about him. How the kid even found him, he had no clue.

"Get out of my way, Cassius."

"No—go ahead and intimidate me all you want. It's not going to work this time."

Tristan intruded on his personal space, forcing Cassius to take a step back, and then another step… and then another.

"I can smell the fear on you."

Cassius was only a foot away from Tristan's bed, and that's when Tristan froze and stopped moving.

"I'm only going to say it one last time. Leave."

"Or what?" Cassius challenged. "You're going to claw me up? Slash my throat? Butcher me in half? What could you possibly do that is worse than abandoning me for no fucking reason!"

Tristan's expression remained serious, as he stood in an aggressive stance. All that pent up sexual frustration had made every muscle in his body tight and tense.

"You really shouldn't piss me off tonight."

"Why?"

"It's a full moon."

"It doesn't matter for you. You can control it," said Cassius, being the typical smartass.

"Maybe I don't want to control it. Not around you."

Tristan was so aroused, and Cassius immediately noticed his evident erection when he lowered his gaze.

"Maybe…" Tristan leaned in close to his ear, "all I want to do," he whispered, "is devour you." He listened to Cassius’s heartbeat and slowly pulled back, staring into his eyes.

No words were exchanged for the longest five seconds, before Cassius swallowed hard and uttered, "Maybe you should."

He kept switching glances from Tristan's eyes to his attractive mouth. His lips were burning for contact.

Tristan's body was on fire. The heat was just radiating off him, so much that it was making Cassius burn up. He tried to stop himself from fidgeting, making a desperate attempt to eradicate the mind numbing panic that was spreading in his brain like a virus.

A new song faded in on Tristan's playlist; Closer by Kings of Leon (Presets Remix)

Cassius moistened his lips and reached for Tristan's belt buckle. Confident with his intent, he unfastened it and zipped down the Alpha's trousers. Tristan drew in a sharp breath when Cassius wrapped his fingers around his hardened length.

Hearts were pounding violently; lud-dub, lud-dub, lud-dub.

And that's when Cassius felt his body push back on the bed, with Tristan's masculine build hovering over him. Their lips collided in long awaited lust. Tristan finally loosened his restraints, slipping his tongue into Cassius' mouth, as their raging hard-ons rubbed against each other in a pleasurable friction. A low groan escaped his lips when Cassius bit his bottom lip, sucking it slow before release.

"Is this what you came back for, Cassius?" Tristan breathed between greedy kisses.

"To get fucked by an Alpha?" He pulled Cassius’s shirt off and flipped him on his stomach so that he was vulnerably exposed. He yanked his pants and boxers down, grabbing his cock at the base and shoving himself inside without warning.

Cassius felt his entire body shudder from the intrusion, as Tristan began to thrust into him, slow, but hard with impact. His penetration was powerful, just like the dominance he commanded around subordinates.

"Oh, fuck—God…" Cassius groaned in delirium, his eyes rolling back from ecstasy.

He couldn't understand what it was about Tristan that made him desire him so much. It wasn't like he was attracted to other men, it was only Tristan.

He clutched the bed sheets and felt his body pound into the mattress, as Tristan sped up and grew more aggressive with his thrusts. Lost in a trancelike state, he couldn't stop, even if he wanted to. Cassius' body felt too good.

Sweat dripped down his forehead and landed on Cassius' back.

"You're about to come, aren't you? I can feel you tightening around me."

The sensation felt foreign to him when Tristan pulled out and rolled him over on his back in what seemed like a flash. Quickly enough, he was deep inside him again, penetrating and knotting him.

Cassius shut his eyes and groaned in pleasure, his body convulsing, as he shot the biggest load of his life onto his chest… and then it was light outs. He had blacked out.

|||||||||| 
It was almost three in the morning when Cassius rose from bed, half disoriented and unable to distinguish his whereabouts. The sound of Tristan's shallow breaths, echoed into his ears, as he turned and found the God-like being lying next to him.

I am the worst lay ever. Tristan Northam had sex with me, and I freakin' passed out on him. Nice, Cassius! Great piece of ass you were I'm sure, he psychologically tormented himself with sly sarcasm. Ironically, it was his coping mechanism, which was a curse and a blessing at the same time.

Stop staring at him.

But he couldn't. It was the first time he saw Tristan sleeping so peacefully. The werewolf was reclined on his back, black sheets tangled right below his waist, and his steel hard shaft had caused a tent to form underneath the silk fabric. That earthy scent of him was so strong, Cassius could've jerked off and came, stimulated solely by that smell, because it was everything Tristan.

Feeling braver, he shifted over him and left a trail of kisses down his chest, past his chiselled abs, to the dipping grooves of muscle that led towards his throbbing cock. Music was still playing softly in the background, increasing Cassius’s arousal, as he lowered the sheet and cast his hungry eyes on Tristan's generous size. He was thick. All thick. Throbbing veins encircled his shaft like vines, pulsing and twitching. Cassius lowered his mouth, his heart rate picking up. He carefully watched Tristan's face, hoping not to wake him.

Tristan was a werewolf, of course all his senses were heightened. As soon as Cassius woke up, he felt it. He was fully aware of what was transpiring, yet he kept his eyes shut and let Cassius take advantage of his body.

Cassius wrapped his fingers around Tristan's cock and gave his swollen head a lick, and then another, before he fully engulfed half of his length in his mouth. He gave him slow, teasing sucks, never taking his eyes off his face while he pleasured him.

The stimulating sensation was like nothing Tristan had ever felt before, as he fought to control his constricted grunts and groans. He hardened like a rock in Cassius's mouth, as he impressively sucked his entire length without showing any signs of a triggered gag reflex.

Tristan's breathing grew jagged and harsh, his chest heaving up and down. Cassius had never been so greedy for cock before, as he licked and sucked on Tristan's big balls.

This caused the Alpha to open his eyes, staring down at Cassius who was dominating his dick with his mouth and surprising oral skills. He gave better head than any female that had sucked him off.

Tristan didn't stop him or show any aggression. Instead, he reached out and ran his fingers through Cassius' brown hair, gripping his thick mane and forcing his head down harder, as his balls clenched up, ready for release.

"Fuck… fuck…" Tristan thrust into his throat, pulling out when he was close to the edge of orgasm.

This was the first times Cassius had ever engaged in any homo-erotic activity, and it oddly felt so right.

Maybe Chrissie was only a distraction. Maybe all I've ever wanted was —

"Come closer," said Tristan, breaking his train of thought.

"But… don't you want me to, uh, finish you o—"

"Drop my cock, and come closer," he demanded.

Holy, fuck. Cassius forced himself to stray from the hardest muscle on Tristan's body, helicoptering over him in anticipation and curiosity. Expecting him to bash his ego with a snide remark, Cassius was completely caught off guard when he felt a gentle hand on his cheek, and then softer lips, chastely pressing against his. Tristan's kiss was sensual, as he took his sweet time with his lips.

Gaining control, he grabbed Cassius's waist and yanked him forward so that his cock was pressing against his. With an expert hand, he wrapped his fingers around their shafts and started jerking them both off while he kissed him harder and deeper. His hand was getting wet with pre-cum, as they both groaned from the pleasurable sensation, grinding together.

"Shit—Tristan… I'm… I'm gonna…"

A long rope of sticky, wet cum shot all over Tristan's chest and stomach, as he muted Cassius’s moans in his mouth and found his own release seconds after. They both came together. And they came hard. Really hard.

Cassius was so exasperated that he collapsed on Tristan's chest. He listened to the pounding drum of his heartbeat, while the Alpha tried to come down from their almost tantric sex. Tristan had fucked other male Omegas before during his weeks of heat, but that's all he ever chalked it up to; animal instinct; the need to dominate, possess and demonstrate his power, regardless of gender or rank. He never felt emotional attachments. But there was something about Cassius that made him want more. No one would have guessed that either of them were attracted to men, unless they flat out showed some extreme PDA. It’s not like Tristan or Cassius spoke with a lisp, or dressed in feminine attire, or even walked and talked with “queen-like, diva mannerisms.” Not that there was anything wrong with that, but it didn’t define the pair; not as individuals or potential partners. Sexuality didn’t need stereotypes. All it was, was an attraction and preference towards a certain gender. A person’s personality was what defined the quality of the individual. This was what Cassius had concluded on the long drive over.

"So, um, this might be a bad time to ask this question but, have you, uh, done this before?" asked Cass, keeping his ear pressed against Tristan's heart.

He shut his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath and contemplating his response. "Yes."

"I guess that explains how you're so experienced."

Life's not a constant comedy, Corinthos. Anymore stupid questions to ruin the moment? I'm sure you're just full of them, Cassius thought. He really had no filter.

"Funny, I could say the same thing about you after that blowjob."

"I'm going to take that as a rare compliment that is most likely never said from Tristan Northam."

Tristan let out a short little snort that was supposed to pass for a chuckle.

There were many instances in Cassius's life where he felt so vulnerable, and he often combatted those feelings with sarcasm and his energetic awkwardness, but being around Tristan somehow brought those defenses down. He had no time to even focus on his fears and insecurities, because all he could think about was the undeniable pull and attraction that made him naturally gravitate towards the sexed up Alpha.

"Your body feels so different," said Tristan, tracing the curve of Cassius's spine.

"Different good, or different bad?" he questioned, nervous to learn the truth.

"Different—different."

"Well, great. Thanks for being straight to the point there, Tristan."

Tristan simpered to himself and smoothed his palm down Cassius's muscled back, then up again. He could feel the goose bumps that were forming on the surface, and he kind of liked that effect he had on him.

"I know you'll probably laugh at me, but the reason why I put on weight and got fit is because I thought that if I looked like someone who was more your type, you'd come back. I had it all planned out. Pump iron, get big, hunt you down—and somewhere in between, kick Jeremy’s ass for being the world's biggest asshole to me."

Tristan was always attracted to Cassius, even before he transformed into a chick magnet. But he kept that tidbit of truth to himself. "So, did you successfully kick his ass?"

"Twice, actually. God, did it feel good."

There was a moment of silence between them, as Tristan struggled to make conversation. A part of him just wanted to seek solace in their spontaneous intimacy, but the other half of him wanted to reject Cassius's affections and push him away. Tristan Northam did not do relationships. He didn't get close.

"I should get cleaned up."

"Right." Cass rolled off him, watching Tristan disappear into the bathroom.

He grabbed a few tissues and cleaned off his chest and stomach. Waiting for the sexy Alpha to return.

|||||||||| 
Tristan faced his reflection in the mirror, brushing a hand over his neck and chest. There were areas where Cassius had bruised his skin with needy kisses. The faintest smile touched his lips, but quickly disappeared.

What the fuck is wrong with me? I can't be doing this with him. I'm not good for Cassius. I'm not good for anybody. Tristan was harboring a dark secret. A secret he had been keeping for the past six months to himself. The werewolf had developed a debilitating addiction. He was addicted to a chemical cocktail of wolfsbane and human blood. If the two were mixed together, orally consumed, or injected into the bloodstream, then the most powerful, psychedelic high would be experienced, especially for Alphas.

When Tristan left his pack, he sank into depression. Being far from Cassius and dealing with these unspoken feelings had only worsened his emotional state. He went to an underground nightclub six months ago, and that's when he was introduced to the drug. It was like acid for werewolves; heroin. The street name for it was Bane, and the drug was developed by a six hundred year old vampire scientist named, Viktor Vancroff. The drug became popular and was widely being sold in every supernatural nightclub by an organized crime unit that was part of the supernatural side of New York's mob; a vampire coven from Romania.

Tristan opened his medicine cabinet and reached for the vial of Bane. It looked like a blood vial, but there were high doses of liquefied wolfsbane in it. Shooting it straight to the vein induced an instant high, but drinking it took longer for the effects to kick in, thirty minutes to be precise.

His hand started to shake, as he contemplated consuming the drug.

Come on, just a sip. You know you want to, his inner demon encouraged. What he wanted to do was kick Cassius out and send him on his way. If he took the drug, that wasn't going to happen. It only heightened his sex drive. Tristan Northam was the physical representation of Viagra. Almost anyone would get instantly aroused just by looking at him. He was sex on legs.

In desperation, he quickly tied an elastic band around his arm, prepped the drug in a new needle, and injected the Bane straight into a vein.

Sweet, sick, relief. His eyes fluttered in euphoria, as he breathed out and felt the most amazing sense of tranquility. All the pain immediately disappeared. No longer did he feel the guilt of his family’s untimely death, or the people he had to kill. Nothing could bring him down from this incredible high.

"Tristan? You okay in there?"

Cassius's voice faintly faded into his consciousness, as he pulled himself out of a quiet cavern in his mind. "Yeah, I'll be right out."

As quick as he could, he disposed of the needle and empty vial, cleaned up, and splashed some water on his face. Tristan was feeling good now. Happy and horny.

He stepped out of the bathroom and stalked over to his bed, where an unsuspecting Cassius sat, half dressed.

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked.

"I need to move my truck before I get fined."

"Fuck the ticket." Tristan was now standing in front of Cass, his cock standing at attention in his face.

"Uh, well," Cassius gulped, "not all of us are rich like you. Unfortunately, every dollar counts for me."

Tristan tilted his head to the side, never taking his eyes off of Cassius. "I said, fuck the ticket. I'll pay for it." His voice was deep and controlling, but hot, nonetheless.

"It's only going to take two minutes to move my car, Tristan. Come on." He immediately gasped when the Alpha’s eyes glowed yellow, and his trousers were suddenly yanked off him, ripping due to Tristan's claws.

"Aaannd… there go my three hundred dollar designer jeans. Thanks, I—"

Tristan immediately shut him up when he pushed him back and crushed his lips against his. Lips, teeth, and tongue all collided at once, as he felt every sensation, twice amplified from the effects of the drug. Tristan could feel nothing but euphoria, and Cassius had no idea.

"I'm going to fuck you to Heaven and back." He spread Cassius's legs, gripped his cock, and slid right in. "You're mine." He growled, fucking him hard and deep, making him come at least five times before he unleashed his own violent release.

Tristan whispered the hottest, dirtiest things to him while he fucked Cassius all through the early hours of the night. He pumped him with so much cum, that he was convinced he would start shooting blanks if he continued.

|||||||||| 
By the time Tristan was finally satisfied and completely fatigued, it was getting close to seven in the morning. The sun was hiding behind gloomy, grey clouds, as a thunderstorm hovered over the city. Cassius found the sound of the rainfall relaxing, as he moulded into Tristan's arms.

The drugs had not completely worn off, but at least his sexual appetite was sated.

"That was… wow—just… wow," Cassius expressed, relieved to not be a virgin anymore. "You do realize that I—"

"I know. I could smell the virgin on you."

"Okay, no need to rub it in my face."

Tristan smiled. Like, actually smiled. All his guards were down, and he was lost in a haze of bliss that was induced from a mixture of shooting Bane and being with Cassius.

"I need to tell you something," said Tristan, sounding calm and relaxed; almost content.

Cassius waited… and waited, before he cleared his throat. "I'm all ears."

"You know how every wolf has a mate?"

"Yeah, like the one that they rarely ever find."

"It's like this insane pull that you feel in your chest. It's an extremely amplified desire to protect, possess, and fuck your mate twenty-four hours a day."

"I know all this. How is it relevant to me?"

Tristan brushed a lazy hand down Cassius's back, while he stared at the ceiling.

"I felt that protectiveness over you when you were only five and I was twelve. That feeling didn't go away as I grew up. I left town at sixteen and didn't return until you were sixteen. And when I came back, that's when the other feelings just took me by storm. Attraction, desire, possessiveness. I'd go to sleep every night and dream about fucking you. It didn't make sense to me, and still doesn't because you're not a wolf. There's no other explanation for it, other than the fact that you are without a shadow of a doubt," he paused, "my mate."

"Whoa—back track, please." Cassius could not believe this confession came from Tristan Northam.

"Tristan… Tristan?"

There was nothing but silence. The Alpha had fallen asleep, leaving Cassius feeling slightly disappointed, but mostly happy because it was the closest thing to a confession of love. No one had ever told him they loved him, aside from his father and best friend.

He took advantage of Tristan's sleepy state and cuddled up close, eventually surrendering to sleep.

|||||||||| 
Six hours later, Cassius woke up to the sound of pressurized water hitting shower tiles. He glanced at his phone, and it was a little past noon. Teetering between dream and reality, he stretched his arms in Tristan Northam's bed, and breathed in his earthy scent of wood and Aramis.

Cassius threw back the tangled sheets and stood up, dressing himself. Just as he was about to throw on his shirt, Tristan emerged from the bathroom, clad in a white towel around his flawless waist. Droplets of water dripped down every toned muscle on his body, as a light cloud of steam evaporated off his shoulders. He looked comic-book bionic.

"Morning." Cassius smiled, expecting to be greeted in good spirits.

Tristan's punitive nod was supposed to pass for a pleasant smile, which ultimately failed. He walked past the teen and headed towards his closet to dress himself.

Cassius couldn't help but admire Tristan's calendar-model body, reminiscing about last night's sex Olympics. He was sore all over, but it was a good kind of sore. It was a soreness that reminded him that Tristan Northam had completely consumed him inside out.

"So, I was thinking we do breakfast at your favorite diner—I call Landon and tell him that you're returning to the pack, and—"

"I'm not coming back."

Cassius frowned, looking confused, as he watched Tristan pull on some dark Diesel jeans.

"I'm sorry, did I hear that correctly? You're not coming back?"

"I'm not going to repeat myself." Tristan's voice was void of any emotion, and his gaze was glacial.

Way to flip the script on me, Northam, Cassius thought, seething on the inside.

"But I thought—you said—I just—"

"You thought wrong." Tristan remained deliberately distant. Creating a tension that made Cassius feel incredibly uncomfortable.

"We had sex last night."

"You don't need to remind me."

"Lots and lots of sex."

"I fucked you. That's it." He put on a black V-neck shirt and headed into the kitchen to fix a cup of coffee. The after effects of that drug always gave him a hangover in the morning, similar to the over consumption of alcohol.

Cassius didn't know if he should feel legitimately hurt, or ultimately confused. Maybe a combination of both were permissible in this situation.

"You said I was your mate."

"Uh, no, I didn't."

"Really? So, I made up all that ‘wolfie’ crap on my own, huh?"

"That sounds about accurate." Tristan never looked up to meet his eyes, as he busied himself with the coffee machine. That amplifying pull increased when Cassius walked towards him, as he tried his best to ignore it and resist that intoxicating scent.

"You're a fucking asshole, you know that?"

Now he finally faced him, flashing a condescending smile. "Tell me something I don't know.” Tristan gave him a three second time slot to fire back, but Cass missed the opportunity. “Are we finished now?” he continued, “or do you want me to feed you strawberries and cream, cuddle you in my arms like a corny queer, and recite you a lame-ass sonnet?”

Cass was too stunned to even respond.

“FYI, I don't do the fluffy stuff." Tristan was being a douchebag on purpose, and he didn't particularly like to see the light fade from Cassius's eyes. "We fucked. It was nothing more than a heat session. I'm a wolf, Cassius. What do you think a dog does in heat? It humps just about anything. You were just conveniently here."

It wasn't even his heat cycle, but he lied, thinking he was doing the teen a favor.

Cassius wanted nothing more than to pick his wounded ego off the floor and haul ass out of there, but he chose to believe that Tristan was only wearing the mean-guy mask because he couldn't accept his feelings for him.

Edging closer to the glaring Alpha, the hairs on the back of his neck stood at attention, as he stood inches away from him.

"Really, Cass? Do I need to beast out and throw you out?"

"I refuse to believe that last night meant nothing to you." He suddenly reached for Tristan's face, and pulled him into a long desired kiss.

Tristan's body tensed up, wanting to pull away, but quickly caving. He pulled Cassius closer and kissed him with fierce passion. Those lips were infectious, and as much as he wanted to escalate things to another memorable fuck, he found the strength to rip his mouth away from Cassius’s

"I said, get the fuck out!" Tristan's eyes were inflamed once again, his canines protruding, as he clutched Cass by the throat, almost lifting him off the ground with brute strength.

Cassius was struggling to breathe, fear and adrenaline immediately surging through his veins. He had clearly angered Tristan and was pushing his limits.

Regaining control, he let go of Cassius's throat and watched him bolt out of there in a flash.

All Tristan could feel in that moment was emptiness, self-loathing, guilt, and despair, as he smashed every breakable object in sight. Enslaved by the lunar phases, he surrendered to his animalistic nature and annihilated his loft like a raving lunatic.