5: Jayce

  He tossed back the shot glass; the liquid burned his throat.

 "I know I agreed to go along with hearing them out, but what they claim is still ridiculous." He grumbled to himself. He stood beside the large tree that played as a centerpiece to his garden. One of Lily's favorite places to go when she desired serenity. Now she retreated to the piano room and locked the door to refrain him from entering. The declaration where she is this Angel, Werewolf and Witch hybrid creature overwhelmed her and she instantly shut down. He couldn't blame her, though, and he had grown to give her the space necessary to process such news. But this. This sort of thing he wanted to be with her on. To know what was going inside her head. Yet, only one figure in her life can and he's barely spoken up since this whole ordeal started.

 "You've been awfully quiet, Nox." He leaned his back against the tree. "If you don't speak up, I'm coming in."

 Still rather impatient, aren't you?

"Only because it's about Lily." Jayce retorted. "What have you been doing?"

 Digging through my memories. Unlike the other Spirits, I have access to all memories from previous bearers.

"Please tell me you found something." Jayce sat down on the swing and clasped his hands around the glass. "Is there something that can prove Lily is not what they claim her to be?"

 I can vaguely recall a time where a blonde hair Beta had been disappearing frequently. Made claims that his Mate was pregnant with his child and she was not fairing well.

"Ariel." Jayce said. He sighed and pushed his hair from his face. "I'm going to need more whiskey." He swirled the ice in the glass when he caught a scent. One that made him grimace instantly. Aiden stepped out from the maze of hedges, an equivalent grimace on his face as well.

 "Your Mate needs you and you're out here drinking?" Aiden asked.

 "My Mate wants her space, so she has it. I will go to her when she needs me." Jayce told him. "Did you come out here to low blow me or do you actually have something brilliant to say?"

 "I came out here mostly because my Mate told me to." Aiden admitted. "Said if we are to work together, we might as well get along." He rolled his eyes.

 "Easier said than done." Jayce quipped. "She didn't, by chance, say how that was going to be possible?"

 "Heart to heart." Aiden told him. Jayce looked at him as if he was waiting for him to finish his punch line. When he didn't, Jayce got to his feet and made his way to leave the garden.

 "She's obviously joking." Jayce told him. "It won't work, most likely never will." He scoffed.

 Aiden lashed out and grabbed his arm. "What makes you think that just because you're King that you get to treat us this way?"

 "Us?" Jayce questioned. "You mean Rogues? I thought it was blatantly obvious." He reached down and pried Aiden's hand off his arm and shoved it against his chest. "Rogues can't be trusted." He growled deeply.

 Hear him out.

Jayce stopped and growled as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Don't, Nox."

 "Who the Hell is Nox?" Aiden asked.

 "None of your business." Jayce snapped. A deep, powerful growl rumbled in his mind. Jayce nearly stumbled, but quickly collected himself.

 "Still none of my business?" Aiden asked him. He grabbed Jayce's shirt and forced him to face him. "Listen asshole, I never asked to be a Rogue. I never asked for this shit storm." He pointed at the house. "None of us did. However, you and whatever power you hold got us in this mess to begin with."

 "Me?" Jayce snarled as he ripped Aiden's hand from his shirt. "Explain to me how it's my doing when I hardly know a damn thing."

 "Your power caused Karmina to lose her goddamn mind." Aiden proclaimed. "What are you that caused a Dark Witch to go bat shit crazy?"

 "How the fuck should I know?!" Jayce shouted at him. "You all bombarded into my home with claims that my wife, my fucking Mate, is this powerful being that is supposed to end this so-called darkness that damned Witch is bringing with her? Do you have any idea how insane that sounds?" His voice only grew louder. Deep within, Nox stirred, and he pulled at this power that claimed him years ago. He felt himself shifting. His canines sharpened and lengthened. His claws extended out. He felt his shirt tearing in places. Jayce watched as Aiden's eyes widened slightly.

 The sweet scent of lilies filled his senses and calmed him instantly when he heard a rush of footsteps and arms wrap around his waist. He felt her warmth seep into his clothes and into his skin. Even now, he felt Nox calming down.

 "Jayce please." Her trembling voice reached his ears. "Calm down." It wasn't fear he sensed in her, but concern.

 "Lily." His guttural tone made him realized how close he was to his true form.

 "That's right." Her soft voice soothed the beast inside of him. Her hands cupped his face and directed his eyes at her. "It's me." She smiled through the welled up tears in her eyes. "Nox, bring him home."

 Nox growled softly. His Wolf could never fight her. She was his weakness, and it showed.

 "Aiden." Lily said. "I don't know what you said to him, but..." She peered over at Aiden and Jayce caught the Rogue Alpha flinching. "Don't you ever provoke my husband again." Aiden gritted his teeth as if he was again fighting against her command. Jayce did not know how she was doing it. Just as she did the first time they had met Aiden. Slowly and surely, Aiden backed down and retreated to the house, presumably to tell his Mate what had happened.

 Jayce let out a slow and steady breath as his Wolf relaxed entirely. Lily stepped back from him and gave his torn shirt a frown. "It's just a shirt."

 "I know, but you only ever use that form as a last resort in most cases." She told him. "What did he say to you that caused it to almost happen now?"

 Jayce unbuttoned his shirt. "He claims that I... Well, the power I hold as the Werewolf King caused Karmina's wrath." Lily took the shirt from him. "He makes it sound like I know the reason, but I don't. Nox has been looking into his memories and he barely grasped any information as well."

 "So that's why he has been quiet." Lily sighed with relief. "He worried me." She held his shirt to her chest. "What should we do?" She peered up at him with her bright green eyes. "I'm honestly getting scared about this whole thing, Jayce."

 He frowned and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. "You don't need to be scared, love. You have me and Nox with you. There's Erica and Damion. My parents." He cupped her cheek with his large hand. "I know your father would be at your side through all of this."

 "I miss him." She sniffled softly.

 "I know you do." His thumb brushed against her cheek. "He was taken from us too soon." He couldn't deny the invisible pain of loss when Nathan passed away six years ago. Enjoyed the man's company whenever he could visit. Nathan adored his granddaughter, and would have loved the twins just the same. The news of his cancer hit Lily hard, and with her being pregnant with the boys, it strained on her health overall. Along with the passing of Janice, suddenly, her magical influence on his Mate had dissipated and her health was at high risk for a long time.

 "Look at me, Lily." He lifted her chin and held her gaze. "Whatever you decide, I am here with you." He grabbed her hand and placed it on his chest. "Take as much time as you need. Don't do anything that you're uncomfortable with." He brushed her hair from her face and tucked a few strands behind her ear. "I am always here when you need me. No matter where I am, or how far apart we are. I will always come to you."

 "What would I do without you?" She asked as she leaned into his hand.

 "Lost, just as I would be without you." He leaned down and kissed her forehead softly. Lily smiled at the gesture when their eyes met. When their gazes locked, the world around them faded away. Peace. Serenity. Pure love.

 How did we get so lucky?

  "Am I interrupting a moment?" A voice he was still adjusting to intervened. Lily blinked a few times and looked over, confused to find Zalakai standing at the entrance of the hedge maze.

 Jayce growled in annoyance. "Yes, you were." He tucked Lily behind him. "What do you want?"

 Zalakai put up his hands. "Hey now. I may be a Demon, but I do come in peace." He pressed his hand to his chest and bowed. He stood upright with a slight bit of confusion on his face. "Wait, you do something different, do you not?" He shook his head. "Creatures and their strange traditions."

 "What. Is. It?" Jayce said through gritted teeth. He felt Lily's hand on his arm to steady him. Zalakai peered past Jayce to his Mate for a moment, but a moment too long.

 "Dropping in unannounced was very unkind of us." He started. "We, well, myself and Dante have decided to have a sit down with you. Alpha Aiden will join us, whether or not he likes it." Zalakai put up his hands when Jayce snarled angrily. "Yes, yes, but wouldn't it just be simpler to sit down and discuss the matters at hand?" He gestured to Lily. "The women would also like to have a sit down with your Queen. Not to pressure her into this role, but to have the chance to know her." He smiled, but Jayce felt it was off. Perhaps with his Demonic nature that made him uncomfortable. "Willow is particularly excited."

 "He makes a good point, Jayce." Lily agreed as she stepped out from behind him. "This will give us an excellent opportunity to see what has happened these past ten years behind the scenes." She looked over at Zalakai. "What could be the harm?"

 "Oh, in all honesty, Rayleigh forbade me from saying anything to you in order to avoid any miscommunication." Zalakai said honestly. He winked. "I'm not a very good listener, though." He rested his hands on his hips. "So, will you join us, your Majesty?"

 Jayce still hesitated, but with the earnest gaze from his wife and the grinning Demon before him, he felt he had little to no room to decline.

 Why do I have a God awful feeling about this?