Here Kitty, Kitty - 80. Epilogue part six - Tristan, Carl and Gideon

Tristan rolled his eyes at his mate's antics. Carl was chasing Kitryn round the training cave trying to get his trousers back. They had just finished their work out and Kitryn had snuck in and stolen the trousers off the bench.

Tristan leant back against the wall and watched Carl’s long legs eating up the distance. The tight workout shorts left very little to the imagination and Tristan was enjoying the view.

Kitryn’s cat was fast but not fast enough. He dodged and ducked but Carl was faster and grabbed one end of the trousers.

Kitryn hissed but kept hold and the audience was left watching a vampire swearing and playing tug of war with an over grown mountain cat.

An unfamiliar laugh coming from the doorway caught Tristan’s attention. Curious he turned and the froze.

Carl was by his side instantly—minus his trouser still. “What is wrong, my mate?” He slipped an arm around Tristan’s shoulders and pulled him close.

“That man at the door. Who is he? He seems familiar but I will swear I have never met him.”

Carl followed Tristan’s gaze and stilled.

The man was now watching them and seemed to Tristan to be hesitating about what to do.

To Tristan it was like looking in a mirror. The man was taller than him but otherwise they had the same hair, colouring, and Tristan was sure if they were closer he would see the man had the same eyes as him too.

Finally, the man made a decision and moved to approach them. The others in the room must have sensed something Tristan didn’t and started heading for the door. Kitryn dropped Carl’s trousers at their feet and trotted out the door after his mate. Tristan kept his eyes on the man but nudged Carl to put on his trousers. Tristan had a feeling that something wonderful was going to happen and that his life would be changing yet again.

“ I take it you are Tristan. Adelaide’s son?”

Tristan nodded and was flooded with the hope that his suspicions about who this man was were right.

The man grinned and held out a hand. “I’m Gideon. I was recently released from the council dungeons with a full pardon and a full top up of magical energy. I then got a call from a person named Kitryn giving me instructions to go to Desteral pack and pick up a shifter named Charlie before heading here. I was told I would find family here.”

Tristan accepted the offered hand in a daze. The man—Gideon—was obviously his father. The similarities were too many to ignore.

“It is good to meet you, Sir. I’m afraid I only heard about you a couple of days ago. But from what the man who raised me said before he died, he hated you. So you must be wonderful.”

Gideon laughed. “Yes, your mother's bonded always was overdramatic and didn’t like anyone to show him up power wise. I was more powerful than him and I was his bonded’s true mate. He would have lost your mother’s family's money and her title if she left him. What he didn’t realise was we mated before he had me locked up. I gave her a spelled necklace to wear in case something happened to me—which of course it did since I was thrown in the dungeons—that would protect her from harm due to distance between us. It also enhanced our mind link and we were able to speak on a few occasions when I was awake.” Tristan frowned and Gideon continued as though he’d read the question on Tristan’s face. “I was kept drugged most of the time to keep my power levels at a manageable level for the guards.”

Tristan smiled. “I remember the necklace you're speaking of. She never took it off. He tried to take it from her once and I heard a loud scream. He had bandaged hands for a while after that and he never tried again to my knowledge.”

Gideon chuckled. “He should’ve known I wouldn’t leave her with no protection.”

Carl broke into the conversation. “Why don’t we take this to our suite? You both have a lot of catching up to do and we will be able to be more comfortable.”

Tristan and Gideon quickly agreed and they headed off together.