Chapter 117

Lukas
He watched Lily as she chatted happily with Casey. What did Aiden mean by making her promise that? Lily knew that she could tell him anything and everything. The last few nights, granted, she had cuddled closer and had been a lot more clingy, but that was only because she was going home today. Wasn’t it?
‘I don’t know, Luke. I don’t like that he’s worried about it. We’re going to have to talk to her,’ Gideon told him.
Sasha sat down next to him and began to spoon some scrambled eggs onto her plate.
“Good morning, brother,” she said quietly. “How was your night?”
He sighed. “I thought it was good, but now I’m not so sure.”
“Why? What happened?”
“Lily was very close.”
She looked at him. “And why would that make you think it wasn’t a good night?”
“She’s usually not that close. I mean she lays close to me normally, but the last few nights she was almost on top of me and if she woke up without me there, she started screaming for me and crying.” He paused. “Do you and Aiden know something I don’t?”
She hesitated. “I don’t know. I hope I’m wrong, but Irina is telling me that there’s something more in her desire not to go home.”
They both turned to look at Lily again. She tucked her hair behind her ear and glanced at them. She smiled at them and Sasha sighed beside him.
“It’s the smile isn’t it? The one she had at the party after you announced betas. It wasn’t real.” She nodded. “I asked her about it. She said she was just tired.”
“Do you believe her?,” Sasha asked.
“Yes. She knows I will protect her. What do you think she’s hiding?”
“I’m not sure, but I want to go with you to take her home. I want to see how she responds to him,” his sister told him, making it clear she was going.
He nodded. “Alright. So, when do we go?”
“In a little bit. I want to talk to her privately. Do you mind if I carry her? On Galina's back on the way?”
“I do, actually. It’s my last chance to hold her for a while.”
She rolled her eyes. “And what if she’s not honest with me, because you’re near. If something is going on, she might be more likely to tell me.”
He bared his teeth at her. He hated that she was right. He had gotten nowhere with her, but if she was hiding something they needed to know so they could protect her.
“I will agree, but only because her safety means more to me than my desire to hold her close. Barely, but it wins. Just don't frighten her.”
She nodded. “I won’t.”
They watched her finish eating, each lost in their own thoughts. She hugged Casey and stood up to stretch, before coming over. She shifted shyly in front of them.
“Good morning, Sasha.”
“Morning, Lily. How are you today?,” she asked.
“I’m okay. How are you?”
Sasha leaned forward towards her. “You know, Lily, when I was growing up, I never got to eat mac and cheese for breakfast,” she whispered like it was a big secret.
Lily giggled. “What did you eat?”
She leaned back in her seat next to her brother. “I didn’t really eat anything I didn’t kill myself, Lily. My mother was very mean to me.” She stood up, stretching. “Are you about ready to go?”
She nodded, looking away. Lukas leaned forward.
“Lily, do you want to go home? You know you can stay here with us. We can put you in school and you can grow up here.”
Lily sighed and he could see the inner war inside of her. What the hell was going on that she didn’t know if she wanted to go home?
“I want to go home. I- I miss my parents.”
He looked at Sasha who was studying her face. “Lily-”
Sasha draped her arm over Lily’s shoulder and began to lead her away.
“So, I was wondering if you wanted to ride on Galina’s back with me. She can take us and Lukas will fly in our group.”
Lily nodded excitedly, making every last negative emotion disappear off her face. “I have never ridden on a dragon before.”
Sasha looked at him. “Lukas never took you?”
“No. I mean yes, but I was asleep.”
Lukas followed them out and got irritated when Galina was waiting for them outside, already shifted. Sasha walked Lily onto Galina’s wing and she gently lifted them so they could get onto her back. He watched them get settled, before trying to shift. Gideon kicked back angrily and only let their wings out.
‘That’s all you get.’
‘Stop being jealous. We need to find out if she’s hiding something.’
‘SHE’S OUR MATE! SHE SHOULD BE FLYING WITH US!,’ Gideon roared.
Lukas shook his head. Galina turned her head to look at him. He took a running leap into the sky, heading towards Lotus. He felt Sasha push on their link and he let it open. He fell back, choosing to float a thousand feet above the girls. He watched Lily press into Sasha’s side, shivering. Before he could go down to warm her up, smoke came out of Sasha’s nostrils. Gideon grew even angrier. Lukas sighed. He was going to have to get over it. This was important. He saw Sasha start talking to Lily and quickly focused on their link.
“So, Lily, how are you feeling about going home?”
“I’m nervous. I haven’t been home in a long time.”
“Why are you nervous?”
“Because Daddy said that they miss me.”
She looked away from Sasha and he could almost feel her anxiety rise. Sasha tilted her chin up so she was forced to look at her.
“Lily, I am going to ask you something and I need you to be honest with me okay?” She nodded. “Is it just kids that are mean to you? Or are there adults that are mean to you, too?”
Lily searched her face for a moment, before glancing up at him. “Just kids,” she whispered.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
Sasha was silent for a moment. “My mom used to beat me and Kalani. So, did our sister. Papa Slonsky tried to protect us. He tried to save us from everything. Do you have someone like Papa Slonsky in your clan?”
Lily nuzzled into her side. “Yes. His name is Preston and his wife, Lonna. They are very nice to me.”
“If you ever need to reach us and for some reason you can’t, send a message through him, okay?”
“Okay.”
Sasha pushed a scrap of paper into her hand. “Do me a favor, Lily. Put this somewhere only you know where it is.” Lily looked down at it, before throwing her arms around Sasha who patted her back. “Call us if you need us. That’s all of our phone numbers. Any of us will come get you.”
“Thank you.” Lily glanced up at him again. “Is Lukas mad at me? Is that why he doesn’t want to fly with me?”
Gideon growled and let out an angry burst of fire. Sasha laughed. “No, Lily. Do you want to go fly with him?” She nodded. Sasha pointed to Galina’s tail. “Well, go jump.”
Lily’s eyes widened fearfully. Sasha smiled.
“I promise he will catch you.”
Lily looked up at him again, before walking towards Galina’s tail. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes and stepped off as Lukas angled his body down to catch her. He breathed out and let his fire slow her descent so that he could grab her. The moment she landed in his arms, she wrapped hers around his neck. He smiled down at her.
“I will always catch you.”
She played with his shirt. “I know. I will always trust you to.”