Behind the Veil (private)

Lily sat beside one of the many little brooks that traversed the Kadzait grounds, her skirt spread around her as she let the peace of the forest calm her. She had just had dinner with her son and his mate, and their news was heart-lifting. A baby! She would finally be a grandmother.

Aidan and Nikhila's road had been long and full of misunderstanding. Lily had worried for them; too much hurt would ruin it forever and they had so plainly been in love. Time had worked its magic, though, and they seemed happy. Settled. Nikhila, especially, had had a sort of presence to her. Not the same shifting need she had had when she was younger, to always be moving, moving, moving.

But Aidan - Lily didn't know what to do about him. He was happy now, deliriously so. What would he say if he knew the truth about his life?

Lily and Liam had tried and tried to have a baby. For ten long years. All throughout that time she had watched him grow increasingly paranoid, possessive, territorial. He'd all but locked her away with the man he trusted the most to see to her safety.

Lily stared into the shallow, swirling waters. What a lonely life it had been. She had been so young then, still full of dreams. Still certain that she and Liam would change the world. But her dreams had been stifled with Liam's anxieties. Lily was not the partner she wanted to be, the equal. She was his mate, yes, but with that came the notion that she was his alone. She wasn't meant to serve their Pack, to be a leader to them or a mother to them. Her purpose was to serve Liam and only Liam.

What a harsh reality for a young woman.

He had thrown her in with Iov at every opportunity. The trusted Beta with his precious wife. At first it had been difficult; Iov was not an easy man to get along with, to understand. But ten years broke down a lot of barriers. It didn't take two eyes to see how lonely, how desperate for company Lily was - and Iov's one was sufficient.

Liam trusted Iov. Liam trusted Lily. And he'd gone away, as Alphas must on occasion, leaving them alone together. One week, with a cozy room, a crackling fire, and a man who had become so much more than just a guardian.

What would Aidan do? Would the revelation solve anything, or would it hurt him? And Iov? He was equally in the dark. The secret was Lily's alone, the burden borne upon her shoulders from the time she knew.

Lily sat beside the brook while the sun set and the moon rose. She monitored the progress of its trail across the sky in the back of her head as she mulled over things that brought back memories. They were poignant, but they were real. Her skin warmed as she remembered that week, those nights and mornings, the feeling of finally, finally being loved and listened to. And then it was over, and it was as if it had never happened. Until now. Now, it was time to confront those memories and their actions.

She had to. They deserved to know, to be a part of everything if they wanted.

Lily stood, brushing off her skirt. Squaring her slender shoulders she gave a little 'hmm' of resolution. Slowly, picking up speed as she went along, she began to make her way back to the Den.

The ground disappeared beneath her small feet and it wasn't lng before the massive building came into sight, dark and warm and welcoming in the moonlight. She knew the way by now; her feet guided her surely down the halls and to the door of Iov's room. Lily knocked until she heard him stirring within. When the door finally opened, she met his face with a serene expression.

"We need to talk."

((ooc: Lily out))