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instinct in Tristan told him she was the one. The beast in him roared to life, demanding he take Sa Rah as
his own, in the way of his kind. He had ruthlessly squashed that reaction. The human side of him knew he
could never take her in his other form. He would wait. She would be his, it was only a matter of time.
The irony of a Diharan male finding his mate, only to discover he had to wait years for her to be ready
for him wasn t lost on him. His people used instincts to guide their whole life. If they found a mate, one
they truly connected with, they acted upon it immediately. His primitive side was constantly at war with
his human one. Not only when dealing with Sa Rah, but also when he had gone to Earth to meet his
father for the first time.
That experience had taught him a lot about what the rest of the universe thought of Diharans. His father
had wanted to meet him, but not for the reasons he thought. The man had wanted to use Tristan. To
make him into some sort of weapon for his planet. Initially he didn t see it. His father hadn t been warm
when they first met. He had shaken his hand firmly, and with a nod welcomed him to Earth. That had
been their last physical contact. After that, his father never touched him.
Tristan held out hope the first few years on Earth. His father insisted he go to school, get an extended
education in both the scholarly and military ways of his planet.
"I want you to get to know my planet, and my people, son," his father had explained shortly after he
arrived on Earth.
Tristan had agreed. He also wanted to learn more about the other side of his culture. So he followed his
father s direction and went to the military academy his father enrolled him in. Every week, he and his
father would sit down and discuss his studies and his progress. He looked forward to those times. His
sire never was overly warm or caring during their meetings, but he did show a real interest in Tristan s
education. And he seemed pleased with each positive report he received from the instructors. That was
enough for Tristan. Almost.
Although he enjoyed his education, his years at the academy taught him that the people of Earth were
not as open minded as many believed. When his fellow students found out about his mixed background,
many feared and were repulsed by Tristan. His friends had been few and far between. Arin McClintock
had been one of the few who didn t seem to care about his mixed blood. They had met and remained
good friends to this day.
Their friendship had many benefits. Smiling, Tristan remembered the ladies they had always attracted
when they were out together. Earth women didn t seem to mind his Diharan blood as much as the men.
The two of them had been known as Darkness and Light. He was Light, because of his golden looks,
and easygoing manner, and Arin had been Darkness because of his dark looks and brooding personality.
The ladies had been fascinated by their contrast, and Tristan and Arin took full advantage of that
fascination.
That friendship had made his time on Earth bearable, despite his father s hidden agenda. He went back
to Dihara on breaks to visit with his mother and family. They always greeted him with hugs or pats on the
back. He came from a very physical people. His mother s family hugged and touched one another often,
making their love for one another known in this fashion. Tristan often thought about how, other than that
first time he met his father, the man hadn t touched him again. Not a hug, pat on the back, or even a
handshake.
During one of his last visits home before graduation, his mother had sensed Tristan s disappointment and
confusion over his father s behavior.
"Your father has changed much since we first met, Tristan," his mother had explained. "Time and
experience have hardened his heart. When we met, he was a disciplined soldier, ever aware of his duty
to Earth. I think he truly loved me, but that was never enough for him. After you were born, I thought that
would change. I thought he would take us back to Earth with him. That never happened. In the end his
duty meant more to him then you or I. I know it wasn t an easy choice for him, but he made it
nevertheless. That kind of decision as well as his single minded pursuit of his military career over the
years changes a man. I don t hold any grudges against your father for leaving. After all, he gave me you,
my son. But just remember that after a man makes such a decision, he has to find a way to live with
himself."
After graduating top of his class, with his mother and her family proudly watching him take part in the
ceremony, Tristan had learned the true reason for his father asking him to come to earth. His academy
training had been in inter-space relations, with a strong background in foreign diplomacy. He had learned
much about the planets Earth regularly dealt with, as well as some lesser known ones, such as Dihara.
The day of his graduation, his father had invited him out to a private dinner, just the two of them. Tristan
imagined his father would finally tell him how proud he was of him for all his hard work and studying over
the last few years. He had let hope into his heart, only to have his father crush it like an insect. His father
wanted him to become a spy and assassin for Earth. He wanted him to join the special agent corps and
work undercover for his planet.
"That s why I brought you to Earth, son. Your planet needs you. I knew once I got you away from your
mother and her savage people, and properly trained you on Earth, you d have the skills to be a real asset
to my department, and our cause. Now you not only have the ability to spy, hunt and kill like a true
assassin, you can do so in the civilized manner of our planet."
Tristan s rage built as his father spoke one poisoned word after another, stabbing him in the heart with
each insult that left his lips.
Before he realized what he was doing, Tristan had stood up and loomed menacingly over his father. He
had wanted to hit something or someone. He wanted to yell his anger to the whole restaurant. Instead he
uttered each word in a low voice with deadly calm. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]