Neveah Box Series (Neveah Box Set Book 5)

by Angie Merriam

  Once inside, he turned to Fionna. “Can you go find my mom and dad, Mrs. Levannah, Mr. Androni, Renny, and Diallo? Lilly and I will fetch Vivianna, Denali, and James. Meet us in the great room in twenty minutes.”

  “Sure, Shep, no problem,” she replied and sped past us. No one could say she wasn’t eager to help. Shep turned to me with an expression I had never seen. “You need to come with me,” he demanded and pulled me aggressively behind him. I was shocked when he led me to our room.

  “What are we doing here? We have things to do,” I protested, but was silenced when his mouth covered mine. His normal soft and loving kiss had no place in this moment. He snaked his hand around the back of my neck while his firm tongue darted inside of my mouth. His lips were hard, and his body was rigid against mine. I kissed him back with the same urgency and after a few moments felt his mouth soften, his hand fall slightly from my neck, and his body relax. I also felt the dampness on his face and tasted the salt of his tears in my mouth.

  Shep had apologized a million times over when he returned to me, and I did my best to forgive him. We spent as much time together as the circumstances would allow and made love more than imaginable in such a short amount of time. He loved me with passion every moment we were together, but he had not shown this level of emotion.

  I pulled my mouth away just far enough to whisper the words, “What’s wrong?” He pulled back just a tiny bit further and moved his hands to my face. He looked devastated, and I was beginning to worry. He must have read the worry on my face because he finally opened his mouth to explain himself.

  “I am so sorry, Lilly. I knew you were hurt. I knew I would have to prove my love for you. I was ready. I was prepared to prove that to you every day for the rest of our lives. I wasn’t prepared for the look of hurt, anger, jealousy, and confusion you tried so hard to hide when you saw me with Fionna,” he said, and I tried to reply but his finger found my lips before my mouth could open. “Please, Lilly, let me say this. Fionna is a special woman, and I care for her very deeply but she is not you. She could never be you and I don’t think she wants to try. She and I had to say our goodbyes to the illusion of our marriage and though I always hope to call her a friend I do not love her. I know you said you would need some time to really trust me again and to get over the things I have done, but please know, Lilly, no one in this world or the next will ever have possession of my heart like you do. Even when I had no memory of you, I saw you in my dreams. I felt you in my soul. I was drawn to you and I didn’t even know you. You see, Lilly, we are one. We are meant to be,” he finished without letting go of my face.

  I reached up and cupped his face in my hands, mimicking the hold he had on me. There was silence hanging between us yet I could almost hear is heart pounding. I was sensitive to his trembling body and felt my own body quiver in return. His cheeks were damp under my hands, and his dark eyes begged me for forgiveness. My mind warned me to slow down, but my heart ached for him. In the few seconds before I replied, I silently argued with myself. Yes, he had walked away from me, but he had done it for me. Yes, he made love to another woman, but he was told she was his wife. Yes, he kidnapped our child and handed him over to an evil woman, but his memory had been wiped clean and replaced with a make believe life. I reminded myself that although all memories of me had been erased, he still dreamt of me. He still felt me even in the arms of another woman. He fought through his imaginary life to find his way back to me. He was my Shep again. Even though seeing him show any level of affection to Fionna was difficult to digest, I knew that was Shep. He was loving, forgiving, passionate, and most of all he was loyal. He would remain a loyal companion to Fionna because it was in his nature. I knew he didn’t love her. I knew he belonged to me. I had to let go of the fear that was coming between us. I couldn’t continue fearing that he would leave me again, not if I truly wanted to forgive him and love him again.

  “Ok, Shep, you win,” I began. “You’re right. My forgiving you has not come easy. Lying in your arms, making love, that is easy because we fit, physically. I have had a difficult time allowing my heart and soul to merge with yours because of my fear of you leaving again. Shep, I think you leaving me again would break me. Seeing you with Fionna feeds into that fear but I know that’s not fair. It’s not fair to you, to Fionna, or to me. I can’t be with you unless I can let go of that fear. I have to let go of my anger and jealousy. I have to feel your soul mesh with mine,” I said and paused to catch my breath. My own tears were coming fast, and I was beginning to sob as I spoke.

  “Lilly, please, you are my heart and soul, please you have to feel that,” he begged.

  “I know, Shep. As much as I fear the future with you, I fear a future without you even more. I don’t want to feel this separation of my love for you. I don’t want to be content with fitting only physically, not when I know we are so much more.” His mouth curved up, anticipating what I was going to say next. His hands held my face just a tiny bit tighter.

  “I want to be one with you, heart, body, and soul. You are part of me and as much as my mind wants to keep you out, wants to protect itself, I can’t deny that you and I are one. I will take the chance with you, Shep. I will give myself to you. Please do not let me down.”

  “Thank you, Lilly. I promise to always be here for you. I love you, Strawberry Shortcake.”

  “I love you too, Chocolate Muffin. Now let’s go figure out this battle so we can have our future.”

  He kissed me softly this time, and we wiped away each other’s tears before we went to find the rest of our family and friends.

  We found Fionna in the great room. She had gathered everyone as she said she would. Everyone was scattered throughout the room in small clusters. Everyone appeared to be in deep conversation. I approached Vivianna first and held out my arms for James. I kissed my aunt on the cheek before finding a spot to sit. The seating had been arranged in a semi-circle and was placed close together. Before we began Denali shut the large wooden doors which I thought was strange. All of the house’s inhabitants were in the great room with us, yet he seemed to be trying to shut someone out or keep our meeting a secret. We all were seated in our place, with Denali seated so he was facing all of us.

  “Why are we shut in here, Denali? Are you worried someone is going to hear?” I asked.

  “We can’t be too safe, Lilly. We don’t know what Kelsha has planned or what kind of Special’s she may have sent. I just want to be sure whatever is said in this room stays in this room. The room is soundproof. If anyone is trying to eavesdrop, they will hear nothing as long as those doors are closed.”

  “Okay, good thinking, Denali.”

  “We have many things to discuss today. We have important plans to make and not much time to make them. We all have a role to play and our success or failure will depend heavily upon all of our ability to play out our roles and willingness to finish this once and for all,” Denali began.

  “I think we need to hide James,” I stated. I had to know my boy would be safe before I could strategize a battle.

  “I have an idea,” Shep said. He looked at his mother who was sitting securely beside her Ordinary husband. It was strange seeing Michael Wagner in Neveah. In the Ordinary World, he looked no different than anyone else. He was rather handsome actually, but here he looked muted among the Special’s that positively glowed. Leah didn’t seem to notice his lack of aura, it was just the opposite, she was more consumed by him than ever before. She had at least one hand on him at all times and watched him when she thought no one was looking. It was endearing actually, and I figured she was afraid of what might happen to him in her world and was trying to savor every last moment with her husband. We all knew, too well, that each moment could be our last and this battle in which we were embarking upon may be the last thing many of us do. Michael had an unfair disadvantage, being Ordinary and all, leaving Leah good reason to worry. I liked seeing them together though and was selfishly happy he was here. Leah turned her attention from Michael
to Shep, giving him a look that told him to continue. She was listening.

  “Well, from what I understand, Mom, you have a home in The Dark Forest right?” He asked and Leah nodded in agreement.

  “I think we should take James there. Kelsha thinks you’re dead and would have no reason to look there. Nothing ties James to The Dark Forest.” Shep suggested.

  “Who would stay and take care of him?” Vivianna asked, and I thought she hoped it would be her. My raven haired aunt was crazy about James, and the gentlest being I had ever met. She was not a fighter and staying to care for James would make her feel as though she was contributing to the fight.

  “You should stay with him, Aunt Viv,” I suggested and was pleased when she smiled shyly in return.

  “Taking James to my house and leaving him in Vivanna’s capable hands is a great idea you two,” Leah replied, smiling at Shep and me. “Shea and Alana are there now but they are weak and stay to themselves in their room. I have some friends in The Dark Forest that are rather frightening in appearance but gentle, they would be more than happy to stay and guard them.”

  Everyone shook their heads in agreement. “We need to move quickly. I feel a shift in the atmosphere and the evil is growing stronger. I fear we don’t have much time,” Denali stated, worry clear in his voice.

  “Who is going to stay here with Meme?” I asked. “The house needs to be guarded and she needs to be kept safe.”

  “Renny and Diallo will be here guarding the house and I will stay as well to help keep her safe.” It was Mr. Androni who spoke, and I was instantly thankful to him for volunteering. My poor grandmother was looking tired and worn. The death of my papa was taking a heavy toll on her, but having her old friend by her side seemed to perk her up a tiny bit. We all had a part to play in this, whether it was in the actual fight or protecting homes, we all had a part.

  “Leah, why don’t you, Michael and Vivianna come with Shep and me to your home in the forest, we can make sure they are safe and settled before we meet up with Denali. We will plan our strategy more at that time. We need to get the baby out of here,” I suggested and everyone agreed.

  “Diallo and Renny are more than capable of protecting the house, but I think a little extra help would be good. I am going to request Brontes and Hannah to stay here as well. I also know a Special that can throw a protective barrier over things, people and places. The barrier is not fool proof but it will help. It will at least deter someone, hopefully. I will meet you in the forest after this place is safe. We will plan our next move there,” Denali stated surely. It seemed he found some comfort in knowing we had a plan.

  We all stood and those of us that were leaving said our goodbyes.

  ~Chapter Five~

  Kelsha was happier than she had been in her entire life. Her followers all seemed content in their way of life, and her soldiers were primed and ready for battle. She found herself surprised daily when she realized she was truly in love and loved in return. She had to pinch herself at times to remind herself that her newfound love was a mixture of Heren and Jax and was absolute perfection. Even in her blissful happiness she had that small ache in her heart. She wanted her baby to return home.

  When this Jax/Heren Hybrid came to her, she was unsure if she could trust them. She knew Heren could be trusted, but not Jax. She had treaded carefully with Jax. In the days and weeks since they had been together, her heart slowly grew to believe in him, and her brain was no longer screaming at her to run. She found a pleasant comfort with her Hybrid. He was the exact balance of man whom she needed.

  All of Kelsha’s followers believed he was Heren. Jax was careful to keep himself tucked away when they socialized with the Special’s and Creatures. They had been worried one of Jax’s minions might sense him, but thankfully, they had not. He was impressed every day with Kelsha’s ability to lead so many and to convince them to fight for her. Of course, they all believed they were fighting with her, but he knew the truth. Kelsha was power hungry, but she also had a grudge to settle.

  She was jaded by the Levannah family. According to Kelsha, the precious Annika Levannah stole all of Kelsha’s loves from her. James Mender was in love with Annika. Jax was obsessed with her. Akayleah, her own sister, had even fallen in love with the wretched woman, leaving behind her own family, including a young and wounded Kelsha. As far as Kelsha was concerned, Annika’s crimes against Kelsha extended to the entire Levannah family. Now that Annika was nicely out of the picture Kelsha had to deal with her insipid daughter who was a thorn in Kelsha’s side. The girl was so much like her mother that she made Kelsha’s belly cringe with hatred. She would come for her boy, after all, and Kelsha wouldn’t blame her for it. She would also make no apologies for killing the girl when she came looking. She considered the entire family worthless and self-righteous and anxiously awaited the day she would knock them from their pedestal.

  On a particularly bright and chilly morning, while watching her Hybrid assist in the training drills, Kelsha decided it was time. She saw commitment to her and her people. As she reveled in his magnificence from a distance, she knew it was time, she would bring her boy home. James would be ‘their’ boy now. He had been gone long enough and truth be told she worried about Fionna. Should Shep find her with the baby, Kelsha worried the girl would give into her love for the silly man. The time was now. She wanted her child.

  She waited for the drill to be completed before casually pulling her man away. “I must speak to you, Heren,” she said calmly. She was careful to use the name Heren, in front of her people, although she found it strange to call the man by that name when he was clearly so much more. He smiled at the Special he had been working with and politely bowed his head to excuse himself, just has Heren would of done. He was nothing like Jax.

  “What is it, love?” He asked. She continued to walk and he followed.

  “I need to speak to you privately,” she said over her shoulder and he didn’t question her.

  Once they reached the safety of their bed chamber, she turned to him. Her dark eyes danced with excitement. Just the thought of getting her boy made her happily antsy.

  “I think it’s time,” she began. “I trust you now. I want to bring my boy, our boy, home. It will take a few days for me to go retrieve him. Will you stay and watch the Special’s?” She asked excitedly. She was dancing inside at the thought of holding her boy again. Kelsha felt perfection on the horizon. She imagined her future, and it was all she could dream of.

  “Of course, my love,” he replied. Her Hybrid had returned to the closest resemblance of Jax. Kelsha was always most pleased when he walked as Jax, though she would never say that out loud. She knew it would crush Heren if he knew how deeply she craved Jax’s physical presence, almost as deeply as she craved the admiration she felt from Heren. Although there was always that hint of Heren in Jax’s face, he still possessed that stunningly seductive face that Kelsha was always weak against.

  “When will you be leaving?” He asked.

  “The sooner the better,” she replied.

  “Will you be gone long?” He asked in a near pleading voice. She could hear Heren coming through. He was always needy when it came to Kelsha. He hated being away from her, even for a short time. She was surprised when Jax’s face didn’t twist in disgust at Heren’s near whining, as he normally did. Jax had proven loyalty and love for Kelsha, but he still detested Heren’s blatant declarations of love. Heren was always so mushy and soft that he made Jax cringe at least once a day.

  “Jax, are you whining just a little bit?” She asked teasingly. He moved closer to her and wrapped his long arms around her waist.

  “Maybe Heren is rubbing off on me,” he whispered.

  “Maybe you’re just getting soft with me,” she replied before kissing him softly on his lips.

  “I really will miss you, Kelsha. I don’t like the idea of you going alone.”

  “I can take care of myself, you both know that,” she replied, unsure if it was Jax or Heren that
was talking to her.

  “I know you can. I want to give you something before you go,” he said in a low voice.

  “What’s that?” She asked before he swooped her up in his arms, carrying her to their bed. His mouth covered hers as she snaked her arms tightly around his neck. She could feel his need for her radiating from his body. She felt her own body heat up with need of its own. Within seconds, they were both nude and entangled with each other. He had to have her one more time, give her something to remember while she was away, and she wanted him to remember her the same way.

  He put forth all his desire and passion when he mounted her, pinning her beneath him, and entered her core, causing her to scream out in ecstasy. He made love furiously while she was helpless under his hands. When he reached his own pleasure point, he let out a low, deep growl, and she felt his body shudder over hers. His excitement brought her to completion before he collapsed on top of her. They stayed that way for a long time. Naked, wet, exhausted, and loved.

  “I love you, Kelsha,” he said before kissing her softly and rolling off. He got up from the bed to dress while she laid there admiring his magnificent body.

  “I love you too,” she said before getting herself dressed.

  A few hours later she would be bound for Antiope and her son.

  ~Chapter Six~

  The plans for our immediate future were set. Shep, Leah, Michael, Vivianna, James and I would go to The Dark Forest where we would leave my baby for safe keeping. Denali would go to the Giants, Brontes and Hannah, to request their help to guard the Levannah Manor. Fionna chose to stay with Diallo, which in all honesty, made me happy. It was a selfish feeling, but one I felt nonetheless.