Had I known that Tristan would fly me via private jet to a location thousands of miles away from the Caedmon Village, I probably would've hesitated. I'd never been so far away from home. The entire experience left me speechless and for once in my life, I was glad I made the decision to come with him.

"This is beautiful." I twirled around slowly on the deck, breathing in the fresh unpolluted air.

I removed my shoulder bag and dropped it on the deck of the yacht. I stepped out onto the dock taking in the naturalistic beauty of the island. Nothing but lush trees in every variety covered the landscape.

"Nova Scotia, right?" I asked. The details of the destination had been kept a secret up until the moment we landed at the private airport in Canada. We were then taken by car to a port where we boarded a yacht.

Tristan joined me on the dock. "Yes. We're not too far from Molega Lake."

"You own this island."

"All forty acres. I bought it three years ago.”

"Do you use it for vacations all the time?"

"Not yet. I'm still working with Devin on a floor plan and layout suitable for this region."

"He did tell me that you've been trying to get him to build you a house," I noted.

Tristan chuckled. "I've been trying to get him to build me more than just one house actually. I pay with interest, but as you know, Devin's not interested in money."

I smiled. "That sounds like him."

"There's a small hut in the middle of the island. It's not up to par. We'll be staying on the yacht for the time being. The guys that sailed us here will stay too, but they won't bother us all that much. We'll have most of the yacht to ourselves."

"I know, but I'd like to explore the island before we leave," I said, glancing again at the generous private island.

"Of course. I thought you'd want to."

I turned around and met his gaze. "I'm glad I'm here. You're right. I needed to get away."

"So did I…" He took my hand. "This was perfect for both of us."

He leaned down to kiss me. I couldn't resist his touch. I leaned in, my body pliant in his arms, and returned the kiss. I grabbed the collar of his white designer shirt and pulled his mouth firmly to mine. Our bodies together and mouths joined sent sparks of desire and electricity through my body.

"Elisa…" he whispered against my lips. He couldn't seem to stop kissing me long enough to speak.

I leaned back. "I just want this," I said. "I want you."

"I know and the feeling's mutual." He tilted my chin upward. "Just know that this isn't me rushing things. I just want you to understand that I mean to do exactly what I said. There's another side of me. I'm not just the ruthless businessman you thought I was and I mean to make you the happiest woman alive. As my future Queen, this is what I owe you. You don't have to do anything you don't want to do."

I smiled. "Spoken like a true charmer."

"It's the truth. I want you happy. You told me once that you wished people in your Pack would look beyond your gifts, your abilities and what you could do for them. I want you to know that with me, you can be whoever you want. I'll never ask you to use your gifts if you don't want to. You can be normal. We can be normal. I'll be normal for you if that's what you want. If you want me to dedicate my entire life to Pack, I'll do that. Might take me a while to get used to it as my family business is all I know."

"I've been thinking." I played with the buttons on his shirt. "I don't want you to be normal. Why be normal when you can be extraordinary? Would you believe it if I said that I want you just the way you are? You're Tristan Vasilije Arnou. You wouldn't be happy as anyone else."

"And here I thought you were running because you rejected my lifestyle."

"No, I ran because I thought you had rejected me. When your mentor died…Vinny was his name."

He nodded. "After we brought down the witch Shanhah, I promised Devin that I would focus on my Pack to make them stronger and more informed about threats of this kind. We were only used to threats coming for us because of our jobs. We weren't used to witches coming for us. I agreed and I asked Vinny to become the boss in my stead. Of course, Vinny had no choice but to accept. He would've done anything for me. Plus, he respected my grandfather and kept him as Advisor. That gave me some time to focus on strengthening the Arnou Pack. And then bodies started turning up again with links to COBRA and with the Feds threatening to get involved. And in the wake of it all, Goran Zovic murdered Vinny in cold blood because he chose to be loyal to me. He wanted me to know he did it."

Tristan grimaced.

I placed my hand on his shoulder. "When Vinny was murdered, your attitude changed. After that, whenever you visited me, it was like you weren't present. You sought revenge all the time. I sensed the fear and the loathing every time we met for lunch or dinner. Because we're true mates, I felt everything. Your emotions were physically draining."

"I'm sorry. Vinny was like a father to me," Tristan said.

"I know. But you were scared and you wouldn't admit it. You'd look over your shoulder and tell me that it wasn't safe for me. But in truth, it wasn't safe for you with a target on your back. I wanted to help you then, but you didn't want me to be a part of your revenge. I started to believe that you were the mate I was never truly meant to have. I thought I had lost you. So, instead of being strung along like a puppet, I distanced myself from you."

"Elisa, I'm sorry…"

"Don't be. We needed that time away from each other. You found yourself and your purpose again and I learned who I was, what I truly was," I told him.

"Me too. I was scared. I was scared for both of us.”

"I'm glad you've opened up. We weren't meant to live normal lives. That's why we're fated to be together. And you know what? I don't want you to be normal. I want you to be just the way you are. You weren't normal when I fell in love with you."

The words already escaped my mouth and I couldn't take them back.

Tristan sighed. "You don't know how relieved I am to hear you say that. When…?"

"When what?"

"When did it happen? When did you realize that you had come to love a man like me?"

"When you fell to your knees and called me your Queen. In the cave where you helped my brother rescue me. When I took your hand and got a glimpse of our future…"

"That was the moment for me too. My wolf knew you were the one. God, I wanted to take you away and claim you. Nothing else mattered. It took everything in me not to do that. Steal you and claim you right away. Your brothers would have murdered me. They didn't understand me back then either."

I nodded. "Right. We all needed time. Even if they didn't come to understand you, I do. So, that's all that matters. You and I both know this mating urge won't rest between us. It's been like torture for me these past couple of years. I just want…you." I chuckled nervously and then pressed my face against his chest to hide my blushing.

"I want you too, Elisa. And when you're ready, I'm here for you. All you have to do is say the words." He kissed the top of my head. "While we're out here, you want to take a walk or maybe a run to escape the yacht for a little while."

I took the first step, taking his head and leading him out onto the island. He followed like I knew he would.