Chapter 21

“Okay people, so we’ve reached the part in the story that is considered the calm before the storm. Everyone is getting in their “I love yous” and “goodbyes” and blah, blah, blahs because they know that all hell is about to break loose. It’s all very touching, but honestly, it’s time to put on our big girl panties, and I do mean that literally, and batten down the hatches because hurricane Mona is heading our way people. So get your butts out of your mate’s beds, yours truly included, and bring the rain.” ~Jen


Lilly, Cypher, Thalion, and his warriors gathered around the fire. The night was chilly and the knowledge of what was to come only made the cold harder to endure. Cypher and the elf warriors had been able to kill some rabbits for dinner. Though it wasn’t the most filling meal, it was enough. When they were done eating, Cypher pulled Lilly over into his lap where he sat leaning against a tree. She snuggled into his chest and tried not to worry about her daughter, or Mona, or Cypher, or anything else she had no control over.
“What’s she like?” Cypher asked.
Lilly tilted her head up to look at him. She smiled warmly. “She’s the best person I know.”
Lilly knew he was asking about Jacque and it warmed her heart that he wanted to know about the most important person in her life.
“She is full of life. She’s got a smart mouth on her; she’s stubborn, beautiful, and loves with her whole heart.”
“Sounds like someone I know,” Cypher told her, as he kissed her forehead.
“We’re alike in a lot of ways,” Lilly agreed. “But, she’s better than I am and I’m glad for that. No parent wants their child to inherit their faults or make their mistakes.”
“What mistakes have you made Lilly? What deep secrets does your heart hold?”
Lilly considered whether she should tell him about Dillon, about how Jacque came to be a part of this world.
“Haven’t you wondered how it is that Jacque is mated to a werewolf?” She asked him.
He nodded. “Yes, I’ve wondered, but I figured you would tell me when you were ready.” He paused. “Are you ready?”
She shrugged. “It’s not like we have anything better to do.”
Cypher tightened his hold on her and kissed her neck, “I love hearing your voice, but I’m sure I can find something to do that I would love just as equally as listening to you.”
Lilly laughed. “I’m sure you could.”
“Sooo,” he prompted.
“I fell in love when I was young. He was handsome, fun, and not human. Within days of meeting him, my heart was his. For as long as I can remember, I’ve always possessed what I considered to be some sort of sixth sense. It doesn’t always happen, but sometimes I just feel like I know something about a person and that was how I felt about Dillon. I knew something was very different about him. When I confronted him about it, he told me what he was. At first, I was a little freaked, but then I saw that he was still the man I loved. What I was not prepared for was when he told me that I was not his true mate.”
“How were you together if you weren’t his mate?” Cypher asked, gruffly.
“He loved me. He told me that there was a possibility that one day he would meet his true mate and if he did, he would have no choice but to go, that his soul would cry out for her. At the time, I didn’t care; I just wanted to be with him. Time went on, things were good, and then the impossible happened. I got pregnant. Canis lupus have a very hard time conceiving with each other, to conceive with a human was unheard of. As soon as I found out, I rushed home to tell him. I walked in, ready to share the good news, only to find a note with my name on it and all traces of Dillon were gone.”
Cypher stroked her hair as he felt the heart that, though mended now, remembered a time when it had broken.
“I never tried to find him. He didn’t know he had a daughter until this year. Jacque didn’t know anything about her father or what he was until Fane came to Coldspring and claimed her as his mate.”
“So, you have seen Dillon recently?” Cypher asked, and Lilly could tell he wasn’t happy about it.
“Yes.”
“Do you still love him?”
“Not the way that you think. I love him because he gave me Jacque.”
Cypher tried not to be jealous, but the idea of his mate with another man was not sitting well with him, even if it had happened so many years ago.
Lilly felt Cypher’s arms tense up. She looked up into his face and saw anger and possessiveness in his eyes.
“Talk to me Cypher,” she said to him, gently.
“I don’t want to share your heart,” he told her, honestly.
“You will always have to share my heart. Jacque holds a big chunk of it.”
Cypher shook his head. “That’s not what I meant. I expect to share with her and I’m happy to do so, but I hate that he held it at one time.” Cypher closed his eyes and tried to sort through his emotions before he continued. “I don’t want to sound like a petulant child, but I want you to be all mine.”
“I am all yours, Cypher, or at least that’s the direction we are headed, but you have a past as well. If I remember correctly on a certain night when you held me in bed I asked you if you had been with a woman and you said yes.”
“None that I have loved, none that have ever had any hold on me,” Cypher argued.
“They had to have held something sweetie, for you to be in their bed.” Lilly snorted at her own joke but noticed that Cypher didn’t find the humor in it.
“That was a good one; you have to at least give me a little credit.”
He growled. “It was crude.”
“Yes, well so was the act of you sleeping with women solely for gratification, but then it happened right?” She shot back.
“Are you jealous little one?” He asked with a gleam in his eyes.
“No,” she answered, in a clipped tone.
Cypher pulled her against his chest and put his mouth directly next to her ear. “Since the moment I laid eyes on you I have forgotten any other woman who has crossed my path.”
“And your bed?” Lilly asked.
“In my mind, there is only you, Lilly. All I see is your face all I want is you. You are right we both have a past. I will try not to let your past make me into a jealous fool.”
“So, when you meet Dillon, you will be nice?” She asked, cautiously.
“Why would I meet Dillon?” He asked.
“Because he is Jacque’s father and if you are my…” She stumbled for words because she still wasn’t sure what to call him.
“Your mate, Lilly, I’m your mate.”
“Okay chill out. Geeze, if you are my mate, then you are bound, at some point, to meet him,” she paused before she added, “and if they called the packs, he is probably going to be at the Romanian mansion.”
Cypher’s breath froze in his lungs. He hadn’t expected to have to meet his mate’s former lover in a matter of hours.
“Cypher?” Lilly turned to look at him. “You okay?”
He took her face in his hands and kissed her gently at first, but then his lips pressed harder and he pulled her tighter. After several minutes, they were both breathing heavily. Lilly blushed as she thought about the others sitting nearby. It felt like any time Cypher’s lips met hers she forgot about everything else.
“You are mine,” he told her firmly.
“Cypher, Dillon has a mate. He isn’t going to try to take me.”
“I need to know that I am not competing with a memory Lilly. I need to know that your heart is yours to give and not in the hands of a man who gave you up.”
Lilly smiled up at him as she ran a finger across his lips.
“You have nothing to worry about, Warlock King. I got my heart back a long time ago and for the first time I’m ready to give it to someone who wants to keep it.”
Cypher pressed his forehead to hers. “Forever?”
“That’s all I’m asking for,” Lilly smiled. “But, I swear if we do this, and then some time down the line some chick comes out of the woodwork claiming to be your woman, I will castrate you. I just need you to know that upfront.”
Cypher cringed. “Then lucky for me there is no woman lurking in my past, or waiting in my future.”
“Good answer,” Lilly kissed him quickly on the lips and then snuggled into him.
“Sleep little one,” Cypher’s chest rumbled with his words. “Tomorrow is going to be interesting.”

Cyn crept up slowly on the sleeping group. The warlock warriors at her back moved just as silently as she, which surprised her because of their size. She paused when she felt a hand on her arm. She looked over to see Gerick, Cypher’s head warrior, put his finger to his lips. He motioned for the others to surround the sleeping group and Cyn smiled when she saw the mischief in the warrior’s eyes.
“How is it that I have come across so fair a maiden in the woods all alone?” Cyn closed her eyes as she admonished herself. She hadn’t bothered to check if the forms that appeared to be sleeping were really all people.
Thalion wrapped an arm around her and pulled her against his chest.
“I’m glad you made it back safely,” he whispered against her neck.
For just a moment, Cyn relaxed into his hold. For just a moment, she let herself think of what it would be like to be his, but just as quickly, she let it go. She pulled away from him and turned to face him.
“I should have known that someone would be keeping watch.” She had made a rookie mistake and it irked her that Thalion had witnessed it.
“You were just eager to get back to me,” he teased.
“It’s not long until daylight,” she told him, ignoring his jesting. “Have you all come up with a plan?”
“We’re going to the Romanian mansion,” he said, nonchalantly.
Cyn rolled her eyes. “They are on the verge of war with a witch, have twelve packs gathered under one roof and you think you can just march up and ask to break bread with them?”
Thalion thought about it for several minutes. He hadn’t dealt with the wolves much, and the few occasions that he had were a long time ago.
“What should we do?” He asked.
“I’ll go first.”
“No,” Thalion shook his head.
Cyn shrugged. “Too late.” Then she was gone.
Thalion growled in frustration. “Females,” he muttered.

Cypher had heard the sound of his warriors approach, though he kept the pretense of being asleep. His arms were wrapped securely around Lilly, who, to his amusement, was snoring loudly. He waited until finally, Gerick stepped in close enough. He moved swiftly grabbing the warrior’s ankle and tossing him back. Gerick landed on the ground with a loud thud and a gasp as the wind was knocked out of him.
Cypher smiled at his general. “Gerick,” he nodded.
“My King,” Gerick coughed as he climbed to his feet. Gerick made a motion with his hand. Silently, Cypher’s warriors stepped forward from the trees.
“Nice work,” Thalion said, as he walked back into the circle. He made a series of clicking noises and suddenly the sky was raining elves as they fell from the treetops.
Cypher looked up at the Elf Prince, who shrugged. “You never know who might be lurking in the woods.”
Cypher laughed. “True enough.”
The morning light began to break through the heavy covering of the trees and Lilly finally began to stir. She yawned and blinked a few times. Her eyes widened as she saw eyes, lots of them, staring at her.
“Cypher?” She sat up and pushed away from his chest.
“Lilly, these are my warriors,” he motioned to the large men staring at her.
“Why are they staring at me?” She asked, as she tried to smile and look friendly.
“They’re curious about you. I’ve just told them that you are my mate and human.”
“Hi,” Lilly said, weakly as she waved.
A few gave her smiles. Others continued to stare at her as if she were a bug they were trying to visually dissect.
“You ready to stand up?” Cypher asked her, drawing her attention away from the others. She looked up at him and nodded.
“Definitely, I seriously need to p...” She stopped in mid-sentence as she considered her company. Cypher laughed. “Do you need some privacy?”
“That would be good,” she told him. She walked off into the trees, promising not to go too far and making Cypher promise not to follow, though she could tell that he didn’t like her going off alone.

When Lilly returned she saw that Thalion and Cypher were deep in conversation. She wasn’t really sure what to do with herself so she leaned against a tree and tried not to stare at the warlock warriors, while at the same time trying to take in as much as she could by nonchalantly casting glances in their direction.
“You’re a good fit.”
Lilly jumped at the deep voice that had come from right beside her. She turned and had to look up to see a tall, wide man, with short dark hair, big green eyes, and a sweet smile.
“I’m Gerick,” he told her. “I’m Cypher’s general.”
Lilly nodded. “It’s nice to meet you Gerick. Um, what did you mean, I’m a good fit?”
“For him,” he nodded towards Cypher. “You bring him balance.”
“How can you tell,” Lilly asked, as her forehead wrinkled in question.
“There is a peace about him that I have not seen since he was very, very young.”
Lilly watched Cypher talk to Thalion and she thought about how he had looked when she first met him. He was still incredibly handsome, but she had to agree that some of the stress that had been on his face then, was no longer present. Even with everything they had been through and would undoubtedly be going through soon, Cypher did seem oddly relaxed. His eyes came up and met hers and he smiled at her. She smiled back and she agreed with Gerick, she and Cypher, for whatever messed up reason, were a good fit.

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