Chapter 164: Lilia's Worry

Lilia POV

In the doorway, Lilia stared at Kodi, Bentley, and Tau sound asleep in their little beds in the suite she shared with Dane in Faolan Castle. Her pups had fallen asleep long before the ball was over and had to be carried upstairs to bed by Uncle Kyon and Auntie Azandra. Thankfully, her pups slept blissfully unaware of the unbelievable events over the past few hours. And they didn't know that Lilia wouldn't get any sleep tonight.

She closed the door and crossed the soft silver-and-gold carpet to the bedroom, where Dane had sprawled out on the king-size bed. Staring up at the canopy around the bed, he seemed lost in thought.

Lilia lay beside him and let her body succumb to the overwhelming need for rest. "Moon Goddess, what a night."

Dane's arm slipped around her. "You're holding up well."

"That's just a front," she scoffed, staring at the canopy along with him. 

"I was going to say that you're holding up well in the eyes of everyone who isn't bonded to you," he said, kissing her blonde head. 

Tears spilled from her eyes. "Dane. What do we do?"

He sighed. "I don't know, but this is Jude's and Ravyn's decision, and you can't argue with the logic of it."

"Logic!" Lilia thought she'd be sick. "Why does Hades have to pick the man my mother is mated to? Where's the logic in that? To h*ll with logic."

Dane exhaled in frustration. "No argument here, my love."

"But you just said it was logical!"

He sounded patient, the way he did when the children were being fussy. "I said it had a certain logic--"

"No, you said I couldn't argue with it because it was logical."

He pressed a hand to his face. "Lilia, I'm not going to get in a silly argument with you over my exact words."

"You said this was out of our hands, too!"

"I said it was Jude and Ravyn's decision," he countered, moving restlessly in the bed.

Lilia felt restless, too. She might as well have bedded down on straw. The comfortable, soft bed didn't soothe her at all.

Now, her mother had stayed out with Jude/Hades. Even though Cyran remained with them to watch over and protect them, Ravyn could find herself at the mercy of Hades ... he could have fooled everyone, even Tulaska. A far-fetched thought, perhaps. But Lilia's anxious mind wouldn't let her relax for a second. She doubted everything.

"And I know that we couldn't dissuade Mother. We couldn't talk her out of it. Likewise, Jude. Mother ... she felt sorry for Hades ..."

Dane kissed her forehead. "Among the many reasons I adore Ravyn. She's not afraid to stand up for what she believes in."

Lilia's angst was a crushing weight on her while she lay in bed nestled against Dane. "What do you do with a mother that knows her own mind? I know I'm asking the wrong person, because your parents were taken far too soon."

Dane stroked her hair, and she felt his resignation. "I'd probably feel just the way you do, if they had lived and one of them died later on, or one of them had survived the tragedy and made choices I considered crazy. I'd be pulling my fur out."

Lilia shivered in his arms, feeling the warmth of them around her.

Dane's warm embrace had changed over the years. In the beginning, it felt powerful and tough when he shielded her from the rogues hired by Cyran under the influence of Hades/the Dark Goddess. His embrace also excited her and sparked desire. Later, it felt protective and affectionate and cuddly. After the birth of their children, his embrace was constant. And every time he held one of their pups, she felt his touch and love vicariously. 

Now, his embrace was a shelter from the storms of life. 

"How do I protect her?" Lilia whispered. "I know that sounds strange--and she'd shake her head at me if she heard me talk this way."

"Doubtless."

"She's a ferociously, astronomically powerful witch--really just in the prime of her power."

He kissed her forehead. "I'd wager that we haven't even begun to see her full power. Like older shifters, elder witches are figures of power and majesty."

"I try to remind myself of that. She wouldn't want me to try and be the parent ..."

Dane rubbed her thigh gently. "As I recall, she practically pushed you out of the house to go to the shifter lands."

"With a whole tirade about not trusting men and keeping my guard up," Lilia complained, good-naturedly.

"It's her job, and Daxius freely takes all the blame for her previous antipathy towards men." Dane smiled, his eyes deepening to the color of a midnight sea. "He and I have talked about it before, and tonight with this whole Hades situation. All he would say is, 'It's classic Ravyn-of course she'd accept Hades.' He trusts her judgment."

Lilia sank further down into the bed and his embrace. "So do I--I just don't trust Hades. But if I trust her judgment, then shouldn't I give him the benefit of the doubt?"

"You don't want to."

"NO! Do you?"

He huffed. "My parents didn't raise foolish children. We can respect Ravyn's wisdom, but still have our own opinions. Such as my sense that having Hades partly in control of the Silverpaws is a recipe for disaster--unless Jude brings him to heel."

"Lovely. We're right back where we started."

A wail from the other end of the suite, a pup's wail, had Lilia fighting to move her limbs. Dane rolled out of bed. "I'll go. You need rest."

Fat chance. She felt too exhausted to sleep, and her mind kept racing. She got out of bed, willing her complaining body to cooperate, then padded across the carpet after Dane into the pups' room.

What a sight met her eyes!

Bentley shivered, huddling against his brothers for warmth. Leaning over his bed, Lilia pressed her fingers to Bentley's forehead. He was so cold and clammy to the touch. Right away, she swept him up in her arms and swaddled him in a blanket, holding him close.

"Mama's here, Bentley," she said sweetly. "Mama will keep you warm."

Dane frowned. "He shouldn't be getting chills--the fire is blazing, and he has his brothers to warm him."

Lilia held Bentley, rocking him. "He's drenched in sweat--is this normal?"

Dane whistled. "Ahhh. Night sweats. Our little wolf is part human on the witch side, so he would definitely have night sweats. Half the Cresta brothers used to get terrible night sweats. It's because of body temperature changes as pups grow. Our three are getting older and much more active--they're not babies anymore."

"That would have been helpful to know! I thought he was ill, but he's immune to human sickness." She cuddled her pup and felt the comforting weight of him in her arms. "But he has it, why don't his brothers?"

Dane checked the other two, running his hand over their sleeping forms with such tenderness that she cried. "They're alright. Jiro, Patch, and I got terrible night sweats. Kyon and Dirge were dry and warm as the desert."

"But they're triplets ..."

Dane smiled at her holding Bentley. "They have slight personality differences, why wouldn't they have other differences? Do you want to take him to bed with us just to be safe?"

Her eyes lit up. "Could we?"

"Neither of us will get any sleep otherwise, and we need it. Come on, bring that pup with you to bed."

She kissed him gently, feeling the velvet of his lips. "Is it any wonder I love you?"

Returning the kiss, he sighed. "Is it any wonder I never get tired of hearing you say that?"

Soon, they all nestled together, with Bentley curled up in between them. Lilia closed her eyes, rubbing Bentley's soft, smooth back. She'd taken the blanket off so he didn't overheat. 

Focusing on Bentley helped her stop worrying about Ravyn, Jude, and Hades for the moment so she could go to sleep. Tomorrow, she'd deal with her new (improved?) stepfather and mother. She only wished she didn't have such a sense of dread ...

As she was falling asleep, she felt an ominous dark presence hovering, but when she opened her eyes and raised her head, it had vanished.