The Prophecy Of The Wolves I - The Beginning
~ Chapter Twenty-Seven ~

Liliana woke up the next morning wrapped in Cayden’s arms. She let out a small moan of pain as the wounds on her back throbbed slightly in pain as she turned around to face Cayden.

Cayden shot up and looked down at her. “Are you okay, little dove?” He asked in a panic.

Liliana nodded with a small smile. “It’s just my back, love,” she whispered as she sat up.

Cayden carefully lifted her nightgown and sighed heavily. “Your back is still not fully healed, dove,” he whispered.

Liliana rubbed her face as heavy exhaustion practically weighed her down. “It’s okay. It’ll heal eventually,” she slowly got out of bed and moved her hair out of her face. “I need to start my light workouts today and practice my new magic some more.”

Cayden moved to stand in front of her and gently took her hands in his. He helped her to her feet and pressed a light kiss to her nose. “Please make sure that you eat today. It’s not good for you or the babies if you don’t eat,” he said softly.

Liliana smiled in adoration. “I promise that I will eat. I’ll eat after our light workout, and I’ll make sure to take a break later and eat.”

Cayden gave her a nod. “Let’s get our day started then, little dove,” he said as he playfully tugged her toward the bathroom.

Liliana giggled as he closed the door behind them.

They took a quick bath because of the wounds on Liliana’s back before rewrapping them and getting dressed for the day. Once they had finished with their morning routines, they went to the gym and started with their light workout. It consisted of practicing with daggers and her bow and then yoga at the end. Cayden didn’t want her to do anything that may put stress on the twins.

When they were done, they went to the kitchen so they could eat.

Cayden made Liliana sit down and was quick as he made them a light breakfast. As they started eating, Cayden kept his eyes glued on Liliana, which caused her to laugh as she finished swallowing the bite of food in her mouth. “Are you going to watch me the entire time I eat?” She asked playfully.

Cayden nodded. “Yes,” he said. “I want to ensure that you eat everything on your plate.”

Liliana rolled her eyes. “You know I will. You don’t have to watch me.”

“You didn’t eat yesterday,” he said with narrowed eyes.

Liliana laughed. “That wasn’t me not eating everything on my plate. That was me getting so into training that I forgot to eat.”

Cayden scoffed. “You still didn’t eat, and that’s the point.”

Liliana rolled her eyes but went quiet as they finished eating their breakfast.

As they finished the dishes, Kaine and Axel walked into the room. “Ready to do some more training on your new magic?” Kaine asked.

“Yes,” she said, turning to him with a bright smile.

Cayden pulled her into his arms and pressed a loving kiss to her lips. “Please be careful, dove,” he whispered. “Don’t overwork yourself, and make sure you come back for lunch.”

Liliana smiled lovingly. “I promise we will be back for lunch. I won’t overwork myself either.”

Cayden nodded with relief and gratitude in his eyes. “I love you,” he whispered against her lips.

Liliana didn’t know if it was possible, but she felt her smile would split her cheeks. “I love you too, my beloved.”

Cayden kissed her lips once more before nudging her toward Kaine and Axel. “Off you go then, dove. I’ll see you for lunch.”

Liliana blew him one last kiss as she took Kaine’s hand. “See you in a bit, love.”

Kaine teleported the three to the dimension they had used the day before to practice her new magic.

Cayden sighed as he watched Liliana disappear with Kaine and Axel. He knew that they would keep her safe no matter what, but he still worried. Especially now that she was pregnant with their twins. It was nerve-wracking, but he loved it. He couldn’t wait for them to be born.

Cayden went to his office and called Sebastian in. After Sebastian sat across from him, Cayden didn’t waste any time getting to business. “Where are we with the protective measures on the territories?”

Sebastian ran a hand through his hair a couple of times. “Well, with Daedalus on our side, we’ve managed to secure all three of our territories. Dwarves inhabit the fourth territory on our other side. And a lot of them. We tried to negotiate, but they will only talk to Liliana.”

Cayden groaned. “Great,” he sighed as he scrubbed a hand over his face. “Okay. We’ll cut her training short today. When she comes back for lunch, I’ll tell her,” he shook his head as he leaned back in his chair. “She’s not going to be happy about it.”

Sebastian chuckled. “Good luck with that.”

Cayden rolled his eyes. “How are we doing with the houses we’ve been building?” He questioned.

Sebastian nodded. “Houses are coming along just fine, but we’re having some issues with the bigger houses. We’re strong, but those are some big ass houses.”

Cayden cleared his throat as he leaned forward in his chair. “Have we heard anything from the vampires yet?” He demanded.

“Yeah,” Sebastian clicked his throat. “They arrived about two days ago. As you were busy with Liliana, Ryan volunteered to host the vampires until she felt up to talking to other people,” he explained.

Cayden exhaled as he picked up his office phone. He dialed Ryan’s number and sat back while he waited for an answer.

“Hello, this is Alpha Ryan.”

“Hey, Ryan,” Cayden said. “I’m calling for a couple of reasons.”

“Is she back?” Ryan demanded hopefully.

“Yes, she’s back,” Cayden said with a small smile. “She’s healthy and safe now.”

Ryan let out a sigh of relief. “Oh, thank the gods. We have been so worried. Evelyn has been so bad she’s barely let go of Mason.”

Cayden chuckled. “I want you guys to come down here with the vampires. Unfortunately, Liliana has to go and talk with the dwarves inhabiting the territory on our other side, but we should be back by the time you guys get here.”

“Alright. We’ll get ready and be there as soon as we can.”

Cayden cleared his throat. “There’s one more thing you guys should know,” he said with a slight smile.

“What is it?” Ryan questioned. “Please tell me it’s not a bad thing.”

Cayden chuckled. “It’s a good thing,” he laughed in pure joy. “Liliana’s pregnant with twins.”

There was nothing but stunned silence on the other end of the phone. “Are you serious?” Ryan asked softly.

Cayden laughed again. “Yes. She found out right before Atlas took her.”

Ryan couldn’t stop the laugh that escaped. “Oh, this is amazing news. She’s going to be such a wonderful mother. Evelyn is going to be so excited.”

Cayden grinned. “Liliana would love to have you guys here for support.”

Ryan nodded even though Cayden couldn’t see him. “Yes. We’ll be leaving soon. The vampires shouldn’t take too long to get ready. We’ll see you guys soon.”

“See you soon.”

Cayden hung up the phone and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I fucking hate wars,” he muttered as he stood up and started pacing back and forth.

“What do you want to do?” Sebastian asked as he moved to stand by the window.

Cayden groaned. “We can’t do anything without Lily. Everyone only wants to speak with her. As you’ve said, the dwarves will only talk to her. The vampires are only here because of Jacques.”

Sebastian chuckled. “He only went to get them because of Lily.”

Cayden nodded as he turned to face Sebastian. “Yeah. She’s the big boss on this one.”

“And you hate it, don’t you?” Sebastian asked. “You hate that she has to be on the front lines for everyone to see.”

Cayden let out a dry laugh. “I only want her to be safe. I know she won’t take no for an answer, and there is no way to keep her from fighting. But the only thing I want to do is lock her away somewhere far away from the fighting. Somewhere where she’ll be safe from everything.”

Sebastian clapped him on the back. “I know exactly how you feel.”

Cayden scrubbed his face. “I just hope this battle with Atlas doesn’t happen until after she gives birth to the twins,” he whispered with fear evident in his voice.

Sebastian put his hand on Cayden’s shoulder in a comforting manner. “The last war Atlas started lasted for several years. The gods didn’t even fight against Atlas until the final battle. So I’m sure we have time.”

Cayden took a deep breath. “I just hope it’s enough time,” he said as he clapped Sebastian on the shoulder before looking out the window.

They got quiet for a few minutes before taking care of everyday pack business.

They worked for a couple of hours before they felt the shift in the air. Someone was teleporting into the office. Cayden looked up with a smile, knowing who it was.

Liliana, Kaine, and Axel appeared just behind Sebastian. Liliana walked over to Cayden and wrapped her arms around his waist as he hugged her. “I missed you,” she whispered into his chest.

Cayden frowned as he looked down at her and saw the tears in her eyes. Then, he looked at Kaine and Axel. “What happened?” He demanded.

Axel shook his head. “We don’t know. We were training, and she was doing very well. We decided it was time for a break and to eat lunch, mainly for her benefit, and she just froze for a couple of minutes. We couldn’t break the trance she seemed to be in. Then it was like she woke up and started crying.”

Cayden looked down at Liliana and gently tipped her head up to look into her eyes. “What happened, little dove?” He asked in a whisper.

Liliana sniffled as she took a step back. “I don’t know what happened,” she said quietly. “We stopped training, and I was catching my breath when the images started flashing behind my eyelids. It all happened so fast, but I saw every one of them.”

“Images of what dove?” He asked as he caressed her cheek.

Liliana let out a trembling breath before responding. “First, they were images of the past. Then, there were images of what happened to my parents. Then it was images of what happened to Jacques and me in Tartarus. Then of the future,” she looked up at him with so much pain in her eyes it made his heart contract in pain. “Of you and everyone else dying. Ryan and Evelyn. And Mason,” she hiccupped. “Little Mason. A-and,” she stuttered as she wrapped her arms protectively over her stomach. “Our twins,” she sobbed out. “They had just been born, and they were so small. So precious. And just like that, everything I loved and cared for was ripped away,” she sobbed into his chest as he held her close.

Cayden looked at Kaine, Axel, and Sebastian with concern etched on his face. “What’s happening to Liliana?” He asked with fear evident in his voice.

Kaine sighed heavily. “I think I might know what it is, but I’m going to have to look into her mind to ensure I’m right.”

Cayden nodded and carefully picked up Liliana with one arm under her legs and one behind her back. He carried her through the house to their room with the others following behind them. Cayden laid her on the bed and pulled her shoes off before covering her with a blanket. He sat next to her and gently gripped her hand in his. Cayden looked up at Kaine and gave him a single nod. “Do whatever you have to,” he said firmly.

Kaine sat on her other side and took a deep breath. He pressed his fingers to her temples and closed his eyes. He focused on her, blocking out everything and everyone as he did so.

Kaine fought through the barriers he knew was always up in her mind before looking through her mind to try and replace the problem. It took him several minutes, but when he saw the problem, he felt dread and horror course through his veins. Finally, he pulled out of her mind and sat back with horror painted so clearly on his face. “What is it?” Cayden demanded.

Kaine looked at Cayden and took a deep breath before responding. “She has a demon of fear attached to her soul,” he said quietly.

Cayden’s eyes widened in fear. “How is that possible?” He questioned.

Kaine shook his head. “She must have picked it up as soon as she got into Tartarus. This demon is fully attached to her soul. For that to happen, the demon needs time. Unfortunately, she didn’t realize she had the demon, so instead of the demon leaving her be, it’s attacking her mind. Making her worst fears come to life in her mind.”

“How do we get this demon to leave her alone?” Cayden demanded as he gently moved Liliana’s hair out of her face.

Kaine took several deep breaths as he ran a hand through his hair. “Well, she’ll have to make peace with the demon. They’re going to have to have a connection at all times. That way, she’ll know when the demon needs to let its fear loose. It won’t be easy for her, but I’m afraid it’s something she’ll have to get used to.”

“Is there any way we can send the demon back to hell?” Cayden asked.

Kaine shook his head. “No. The demon is already attached to her soul. So if we try to send the demon back to hell now, it could take a piece of her soul with it,” he explained.

“She’ll never be the same if that happens,” Axel said from where he leaned against the wall across the room.

Cayden sighed as he studied Liliana. “How is she supposed to connect with this fear demon?” He asked as Liliana watched him with concerned eyes.

“Well, first, she’ll have to accept the demon as a part of her. Because that’s what it is now. Once she accepts the demon, it should be easier for her to communicate with the demon and come to some agreement,” Axel explained solemnly.

Cayden looked into Liliana’s eyes. “Are you okay with this, dove?” He asked quietly. “Because we can replace a way to get rid of the demon if you want.”

Liliana sighed as she looked at the ceiling. “Let me see if Artemis knows anything about it. If she says there’s a way, then we can try it, but if not, then I’ll have no choice but to accept the demon.”

Cayden nodded and leaned forward to kiss her forehead. “I’ll be right here, dove. I won’t leave your side.”

Liliana smiled in adoration before closing her eyes and praying to Artemis. “Please, Artemis. I need help.”

It took a few minutes, but she finally felt her world spin around before she appeared in Artemis’s meadow. Liliana slowly turned in a small circle before she spotted the goddess. “Hello, Lina,” Artemis said softly. “I’m glad to see that you’re looking well.”

Liliana gave her a small smile. She placed a hand on her flat stomach. “All three of us are well.”

Artemis smiled brightly. “That’s wonderful news. We were so worried about you.”

Liliana smiled when she saw her parents appear next to Artemis. Her parents rushed to her and pulled her in for a group hug. “You had us so worried, butterfly,” Jake said as he pressed a kiss to her temple.

Liliana let out a small sob as she leaned into him. “We’re all okay,” she whispered as she looked up at him.

Jake raised an eyebrow. “All?” He questioned.

Liliana put a hand to her stomach again and then held two fingers. “Twins,” she said proudly.

Jake grinned as he picked her up and spun her around. “Oh, this is amazing news,” he said joyfully.

Liliana giggled before feeling nauseous. She patted Jake’s shoulder. “Down, Daddy.”

“Oh,” Jake quickly set her on her feet and gently gripped her arms to support her. “Are you okay, butterfly?” He asked in concern.

Liliana nodded. “Just a little nauseous.”

Jake chuckled as he looked at Isabella. “I remember those days.”

Isabella groaned as she walked up to them. “So do I,” she shook her head. “They were not fun.”

Liliana giggled as she turned back to Artemis. “I need your help,” she said quietly.

Artemis frowned. “Is everything okay?” She asked softly.

Liliana exhaled as she shoved her hair out of her face. “I picked up a demon of fear while I was in Tartarus. I must’ve gotten it as soon as I got into Tartarus because it has had time to attach itself to my soul.”

“That’s not good,” Artemis said with a frown.

Liliana shook her head. “Is there a way to send the demon back to Tartarus without losing a piece of my soul or endangering my twins?” She questioned.

Artemis bit her lip as she thought for a minute. “Um, I’m not too sure about that. Let me get Apollo here. He can see the future, so he should be able to tell you that much, at least.”

Liliana sat in the grass with her parents while they waited for Apollo to arrive. When he did, he appeared to be out of breath. “What the hell happened to you?” Artemis demanded as she looked him over.

Apollo took a second to catch his breath before he said. “Damn, the ex was chasing me down.”

Artemis threw her head back and laughed loudly. Apollo glared at her with his arms folded over his chest. “It’s not funny, Artemis.”

Artemis laughed a bit more before wiping her eyes and shaking her head. “It is funny, but we’ll come back to that at another time,” she took a deep breath before gesturing to Liliana. “Little Lily here has a problem.”

Apollo raised an eyebrow. “You mean besides the titan that has lost his mind and started another war with us?” He questioned sarcastically.

Artemis rolled her eyes and slapped Apollo on the back of his head. “Not the time, adelfós (brother),” she muttered.

Apollo grumbled a bit before focusing on Liliana. “What seems to be the problem, nearós (young one)?” He asked.

Liliana cleared her throat. “I seem to have picked up a demon of fear attached to my soul while I was in Tartarus. I need to know if there is a way for me to send it back to Tartarus without losing a piece of my soul or endangering my twins.”

Apollo nodded and moved to sit in front of her. He held his hands out to her. “Take my hands and focus on wanting the demon separated from you,” he said softly.

Liliana took his hands and did as he said. They sat utterly silent for a few minutes before his eyes snapped open. “There is only one way for you to get rid of the demon, and it’s not going to be easy,” he said with a creased forehead.

Liliana clicked her tongue. “Nothing is easy these days,” she exhaled roughly. “Let’s hear it. What do I have to do?” She questioned as her body sagged in defeat and exhaustion.

Apollo cleared his throat and said. “To get rid of that demon, you must first drink a potion to get the demon out of your soul. Then it would be best if you got a powerful warlock to banish it back to Tartarus. But, of course, any powerful warlock should already know how to do so. But, unfortunately, with that nasty demon attached to your soul, you may need two warlocks to banish it.”

Liliana was tired of all the trials and pain she had to endure. She wanted everything to be over, but she knew they still had a long way to go. “Alright, and this won’t cause any harm to the twins?” She questioned.

Apollo shook his head. “Nope. All three of you will be fine, but,” he said with a frown.

It was Liliana’s turn to shake her head. “There’s always a but,” she muttered.

“I’m sorry, Lily, but it will hurt you. It’ll feel like a part of you is being ripped out as the potion does its job. It’s not going to be pretty,” Apollo explained.

Liliana sighed in resignation. “Nothing ever is,” she mumbled as she stood up and shoved her hair out of her face. “Thank you for your help. I need to get back.”

Liliana hugged her parents once more before Artemis sent her back to her body.