Lily's Trust

by Lilli Carlisle

  Lily knew it was a death sentence for Jensgar and began clawing her way across the ground to get to him. If they were to die, they would die together. With every bit of her remaining strength, she pushed her power into the earth, calling on the forest for help. Her head fell to the ground and no matter how hard she dug her claws in, she could move no further. Her vision dimmed as the fighting raged on without hope of her love surviving. Lily did the one last thing she could think of to save his life while condemning herself to a death she’d already accepted.

  She partially shifted so her paw turned into a hand, and she used her sharp nails to dig her omega jewel out of her forehead. The pain was unlike anything she had ever felt before but she didn’t stop until the jewel sat in the palm of her hand covered in blood. Without a second thought, she drove the glowing stone into the earth and offered her powers and life to the god Fenrir to save the man she loved.

  The sky lit up in an array of colors, and with her last breath, Lily watched as the crazed alpha and Jensgar were enveloped in the light.

  She’d been heard, and her brave general would live on.

  Chapter Four

  Muffled voices seemed to float around her, not clear enough for her to make out actual words but enough for her to know she wasn’t alone. Either that or Lily was in some strange kind of afterlife. The harder she tried to make out what was being said the further the voices drifted away. At least the worst was over and she could rest easy knowing Jensgar was still among the living.

  That thought provided her with unparalleled happiness and heartbreaking pain. She would never see him again. And even though he hadn’t wanted her as his mate, she still held a soul-deep love for him. Maybe it would be different in her next life, if she were fortunate enough to be gifted with one. The next time though, she hoped to not be returned as an omega. After everything she’d lived through, it had been more of a curse to her then a gift. Sure, she loved her ability to help the farmers and be one with the earth, but it also had set her apart from others, including the man she loved. She’d miss her friends, but hoped to be reunited with her family once again. It had been years since their deaths at the hands of a dark witch and her band of psychotic ogres.

  The voices were getting louder, almost as if they were arguing. It didn’t seem right to have people argue in the afterlife. Lily had imagined it being peaceful, serene even, not filled with angry voices. Words started to make it through her haze: gods, alpha and death, interrupted what should have been her time to reflect on her life. Pissed off, she struggled to get her voice back and make her mouth work, so she could tell everyone to, “Shut the hell up.”

  She shocked herself. Obviously timid, reserved, polite Lily got an upgrade. She had to admit she liked her new attitude. Maybe she would be reborn as a warrior, which would be amazing.

  “Lily. Lily, open your eyes.”

  Why are they still calling me Lily? That isn’t a warrior’s name.

  “Come on. Open those beautiful eyes of yours.” That had been Jensgar’s voice. She’d never mistake it for anyone else’s. Was he in the afterlife with her? Had the gods not accepted her offering?

  She struggled to get to him when intense pain shot through her body rocking her and making her scream. The world came into sharp focus with the subtlety of a punch to the jaw. At first, she didn’t believe what she was seeing. Dr. Cosmas stood over her holding a stethoscope to her chest while others milled around in the background. Hell, her body was back in her human form. When did that happen? She had only shifted her hand to remove her omega jewel before she had…died.

  The doctor was quickly replaced by Jensgar’s handsome face. “There you are. I knew you wouldn’t leave me.”

  She wasn’t dead. Lily glanced around at the happy faces of Helena, Aldric, Ceva, Lothar and Godric. Then she turned her head and saw Laura and Dedric before a rush of pain seared through her right leg. Before she’d had a chance to cry out Jensgar wrapped her in his embrace, filling her senses with his scent and dulling the pain. That only worked between mates, confusing her even further.

  “I’m not dead?” She had to be sure.

  “No love, you’re alive,” Jensgar confirmed. “You’ve been hurt, but you will heal.”

  Love? Since when? Had she imagined offering her jewel and life to Fenrir? Lily raised her hand, needing to feel her forehead but was stopped by Jensgar’s gentle grip.

  “Careful, the doctor was able to stop the bleeding only a short time ago.” He confirmed her suspicions. She had been successful and had torn her omega jewel from her forehead.

  “I don’t understand. How am I still alive?” Her voice was rough and fading, and she knew she’d be asleep at any moment. “Why am I still in pain when we have people here that could heal me?” She didn’t mean to sound snarky, but she was in a great deal of pain.

  Ceva stepped forward and lowered herself onto the side of Lily’s bed and took hold of her other hand. “We don’t have all the answers yet. You are alive and healing, albeit slowly, and without the aid of outside help. Helena, Laura and I have all tried to heal you but the gods won’t allow our powers to work on you.”

  Lily finally noticed the IV line in her arm and the bags hanging from the poll above her bed. Shifters seldom needed such medical attention due to the speed at which they healed, but they kept a fully stocked medical center just in case. She could feel her eyelids getting heavier. She was losing her battle to stay awake but had to know one final thing.

  Lily turned to face Jensgar. “Were you hurt?” Something about him seemed different.

  He looked away but not before Lily saw the guilt and pain in his eyes. “I had been close to death when the light came. When I woke my injuries were gone and the alpha was dead but you were still severely injured.”

  The gods had accepted her offering but stopped short of taking her life. She could live with that. Pun intended. “Good,” she mumbled before allowing her eyes to close as she slipped back into sweet oblivion.

  ***

  Jensgar growled as Lily faded back into unconsciousness. She’d been in that state for days already.

  “She is improving, General, day by day. Lily will come back to us,” Laura assured as she reached for Lily’s hand once again. Laura had been doing that every hour attempting to heal his mate’s injuries. Dedric, Laura’s mate, pulled her close when yet again her healing magic would not work.

  He’d been here throughout the day, and the sun had set hours ago. He didn’t feel up to any further conversations. He wanted to lie beside his mate. To that end, Jensgar pulled the second clinic bed up to the side of Lily’s. Without another word, he shoved off his boots and climbed into the bed, positioning himself so that he’d be able to hold her hand as she slept.

  Couple by couple, everyone left except for Dr. Cosmas, who retreated to his office giving them privacy and peace. The lights were dim, but he was able to watch the rise and fall of her chest ensuring himself that she was still breathing. He’d almost lost her. The thought of it alone shook him to his soul.

  His mind wandered back to a few nights before, when he’d been in a deep sleep by the hot spring when Lily howled for help. He’d never been so panicked in his entire life. Even though he’d led shifters into battles where they had no hope of surviving, the mournful sound of her cry had chilled him to the bone. He’d charged out of the cave and raced through the woods to get to her. He hadn’t even broken stride when he landed on the back of the beast that used to be an alpha wolf shifter.

  The sight of Lily’s white fur covered in blood had sent Jensgar into a blind rage, and all that mattered was getting her attacker further away. The alpha was crazed and set on killing the both of them. Jensgar fought with all the skill and power he had but knew he was in a losing battle. He’d hoped to hold the creature off long enough for backup to come from Black Ridge. There was no way the town hadn’t heard Lily’s call.

  He’d been weakening, his body covered in torn flesh, when a brilliant light pierced the da
rk forest. It sent the crazed beast across the clearing, breaking its neck against a tree. Jensgar had turned to Lily and discovered what she’d done to save him as he watched the life drain from her body.

  When he next opened his eyes, he was lying on a bed in the clinic, and Lily was nowhere in sight. He’d sprung from the mattress and rushed out of his room to find everyone huddled around his mate’s unmoving body. Jensgar had been so desperate to reach her that at first he hadn’t noticed his unmarred skin and that he bore no pain anywhere in his body. Nor did he know of the new “gift” he was sporting.

  Jensgar lifted the edge of the long sleeve on his right arm, having hidden his new markings from Lily. He wasn’t sure how she’d react. He wasn’t even positive what they meant. They’d typically proclaimed was that the bearer was an alpha. Why would the gods accept the offer of Lily’s gifts, only to provide him with this blessing?

  So many questions went unanswered, but the only thing that mattered was the precious woman beside him. He’d do anything to take her place and even offered it to the gods but they did not listen to his plea. Nothing was more important than having Lily healed and safe. He’d spend the rest of his life making sure that happened.

  Since waking Jensgar had noticed small changes in his body, and others that were less subtle—for example, his physical growth. He’d always been a big man, a large wolf, but now, he towered over everyone. One day, Aldric had come to visit, and when Jensgar stood to greet him he realized he was looking down at Aldric, though the alpha should’ve been the largest wolf in the room. Jensgar had grown substantially taller and gained a hell of a lot more muscle mass along with the thin black lines that encircled his arm.

  The tattoo wasn’t complete, only having the initial outline, but since waking it had slowly begun filling in. He couldn’t quite make out what the design would end up looking like. It was more of a wait-and-see situation. As for clothing, none of his fit, but new ones were already on order. In the meantime he did his best with Aldric’s clothing, even if he had to cut the legs off a pair track pants to turn them into shorts because they came to an inch below his knees.

  Again, no one had any answers, and the gods were silent when Ceva, probably the most powerful white witch, attempted to commune with them. With no answers in sight, they’d take each day as it came, and they’d deal with whatever changes occurred.

  The king was on his way and both the Newton and Black Ridge packs were abuzz with speculation. If the royal court knew what had happened, word of this wouldn’t take long to spread throughout the kingdom.

  His wolf whined for their mate as Jensgar’s guilt festered. There wasn’t one part of what had happened that was Lily’s fault, but she was the one paying the price. He’d caused this. She wouldn’t have been at Black Ridge, wouldn’t have felt the need to shift into a wolf and take to the forest, wouldn’t have been in the path of that fuckin’ feral bastard if Jensgar had listened to his heart and his wolf. He’d come here to help save his mate, and, somehow, she had saved him.

  Jensgar swore he would make this right. He loved Lily and she loved him. The rest would have to work itself out because they were a team, a family.

  ***

  Lily tried yet again to reach out to the earth and all things living from it, receiving nothing but static as a reply. Once she started feeling a bit stronger and able to remain awake for more than a half an hour, she’d tested out her former omega gifts, each time feeling a disconnect in return. She was no longer an omega wolf shifter. She was as normal as everyone else, and she was ecstatic about it.

  No more rules that omegas had to live by. No more pressure to mate an alpha, and no reason for Jensgar to deny her further. She was convinced he truly loved her. He’d always thought she deserved better as an omega, but now she was as normal a shifter as he was. Problem solved.

  When Lily opened her eyes, she was shocked to find Laura sitting in a chair beside her bed instead of Jensgar. He’d been at her side for days and every time she woke, he was there to care for her. For the first time in a long time, Lily was excited about her future with the general.

  “You’re awake. Good afternoon, sleepyhead,” Laura joked while helping to raise the head of Lily’s hospital bed. “I didn’t think I’d get a chance to speak with you privately before we returned to the Newton pack.”

  “Thank you for coming to help me. I know you’re busy with the pack and your baby son. I didn’t intend for any of this to happen.” Lily had been feeling guilty and selfish for pulling all these people away from their normal lives. If she’d been able to keep herself together and remained in human form, none of this would’ve happened. She was lucky to be alive.

  Laura quickly took her hand and said, “This isn’t your fault. They’d been searching for that alpha ever since he vanished from his pack over six months ago. No one knew what had become of him after a particularly brutal ogre attack claimed the life of his mate and daughter.”

  Now at least Lily understood why the alpha had lost himself to the beast. In fact, she’d been driven to the forest as well in search of solace. Obviously, the alpha hadn’t found it in life. “I hope he’s at peace now and with his family.”

  “Same old Lily, compassion for the man who tried to kill you,” Laura teased as she handed Lily a glass of water.

  She gratefully took a long cool drink before responding, “Nope, this is the new Lily. Free to live my own life without worrying that having an alpha was mandatory for my happiness. Now, there’s no reason for Jensgar to reject me. He’d thought I deserved an alpha when I was an omega. But not anymore,” Lily cheered. “Don’t you see how wonderful this is? We can return to Newton pack once I heal fully and build a life together in his little cottage. It’s everything I’ve ever wanted.”

  When Laura didn’t immediately respond, Lily found it odd. When she wouldn’t look her in the eye Lily knew something was up. “What is it?”

  “Nothing. Nothing’s wrong.” Laura was quick to reply.

  For the first time since meeting Laura at the Omega Celebration, Lily felt as if her close friend was lying to her. She stared at Laura, waiting for her to come out with it because she didn’t believe her for a second. Her friend’s eyes darted around the room as if looking for escape before letting out a deep sigh and deflating in front of her.

  “It’s not my place to say anything. Please, don’t ask me to.”

  Lily found herself a little taken aback by that response. She’d thought the two of them could discuss anything. Had she been so wrong about their friendship? “If it’s not your place to tell me what the hell is going on, whose is it?”

  “Mine.” Jensgar’s deep voice floated over her like a caress. She loved the man beyond all reason.

  Laura stood and leaned over Lily’s bed to give her a hug. “We’ll talk soon.”

  “Thank you again for coming here when I was in trouble, you are like a sister to me,” Lily said and Laura’s returning smile confirmed that all was good between them.

  After her friend left, Jensgar brought the chair Laura had vacated even closer to the side of the bed. Lily noticed that he was finally wearing clothing that fit him. She wasn’t so injured that she hadn’t noticed Jensgar’s growth spurt, but he’d explained that he’d awoken that way. The change in his appearance didn’t matter. She loved him completely.

  “It’s nice to see you in new clothing, but you’ll always be handsome in whatever you wear,” Lily commented, trying to get the general to smile. When he didn’t, she grew concerned. “What’s wrong? What don’t I know?”

  Jensgar sat down and took Lily’s hand, kissing her palm. “You know that I love you, right?”

  She went on alert. Nothing good ever started when those words ended with a question. “Yes, and I love you.” They’d discussed many things while Lily lay recuperating in bed. She understood his reasoning, and learned that he’d wanted her all along.

  Jensgar held Lily’s hand a bit tighter before saying, “A few things have changed w
ithin me other than my size.”

  “Are you okay? Are you hurt in any way? Don’t worry; whatever it is we will work through it together.” She didn’t care if there was something physically wrong with him as long as it wasn’t somehow hurting him. She loved the whole Jensgar package.

  The growing concern in his dark brown eyes wasn’t helping her to stay calm.

  “I hope that is true,” he said, his voice rough with emotion. He released Lily’s hand and reached for the sleeve on his right arm. In one brisk tug Lily’s hopes and dreams for the future disintegrated into dust.

  Chapter Five

  Lily was being released from the clinic today and what should have been a happy occasion was filled with confusion and uncertainty. She had no idea where she was going to live. She wasn’t an omega anymore and didn’t require the protection of the pack house. She had no specialized skills to benefit the pack, so she was at a loose end. She’d spent her entire life using her gifts to help others instead of building skills in a career.

  Maybe one of the stores would hire her on once she was able to work again. Dr. Cosmas had advised she remain on bedrest for at least another week, which she was okay with considering her body had been working so hard trying to heal itself that most of the time she felt exhausted.

  Jensgar’s adult children, Marcus and Amalia, had been by on numerous visits. Bringing her food, flowers and conversation, their warmth and concern confirmed that they didn’t have any issues with their father taking another mate. The problem was that wasn’t going to happen now.