Lily's Trust

by Lilli Carlisle

  “General Jensgar, you’re hurt.” Marie gasped in shock as if she’d never seen the sight of blood before. They were wolves. As if she didn’t know blood was a part of their daily life.

  Jensgar looked down at his bicep that was already healing. He’d hardly noticed it after the initial strike. The way Marie was acting he’d have thought part of his arm was about to fall off. She hurried forward, grabbing a towel from the table as she neared and slapped it over his wound, causing him more pain then the trainee’s claws ever had.

  “I’ll take care of this for you, General.” Marie cooed while casually brushing the side of her body against his.

  Drune barked out a laugh that held little mirth before walking into the weapons shed and leaving Jensgar on his own. Give him ogres, crazed witches, rabid animals every day—anything to avoid a woman whose sole purpose was to make him her mate. The fact that Jensgar wasn’t reciprocating her attentions didn’t seem to deter her in the least.

  Carefully, Jensgar extracted his arm from her vise-like grip. Her nails dug into his hand, but he was able to take a few steps back. “I’m fine, Marie. It’s already well on the road to healing. Thank you for your consideration, but I’m leaving for a shower.”

  “Are you hungry? I could come along and fix you supper. You’re all alone and need someone to take care of you.” Marie was persistent if anything.

  “No. I’m happy on my own. Have a good evening, Marie.” Quickly, he turned and walked to the path that snaked through the surrounding forest and into the village proper of the Newton pack. He’d come here over a year and a half ago when Alpha Dedric left Black Ridge to rebuild his pack after vicious ogre attacks.

  Samson, Newton pack’s beta, waved at Jensgar as he walked by the post office on the way home. Dedric had given him a small house near the main pack house to stay in when they’d first arrived. It had survived the attacks with only minor damage, but, unfortunately, the family had not fared as well. Jensgar had repaired what was needed and decided to remain even after the new, much larger houses were completed. He didn’t know what it was about the cozy cottage that kept him there, but he was in no hurry to replace it.

  He stepped onto his front porch and couldn’t help but stop to look at the display of color in front of him. Another gift from Lily. The blooms she’d coaxed to weave up the posts and across the railings stretched outward to reach the late afternoon sun.

  Jensgar could picture the sunny day she’d given him this gift as if it were yesterday. She’d been working in the fields helping the pack farmers with planting their new crops. Lily had the gift of fertility, among others, and shared it with anyone who needed it. He had watched over her while she remained in the fields, not a hard task in the least. He felt a certain contentment when he was with her that he’d not felt in well over one hundred years.

  Lily had spent most of the day out in the hot fields. He’d gone to her to escort her back to the pack house. She’d finished the second bottle of water he’d made her drink, not wanting her to become dehydrated, as they’d passed his cottage. She stopped midstride and stared at his humble home. He had been a bit self-conscious when she walked up to the gardens and sunk her hands into the earth.

  Vines had sprouted almost instantly and wrapped themselves around the front railing before climbing up the timber walls. When she’d finished the front of his house, Lily stood back and viewed her creation with a satisfied smile. At the time, Jensgar hadn’t realized how poignant and appropriate her next words would be.

  “Something to remember me by.” She’d smiled at him but nothing could hide her sadness.

  Now, Jensgar buried his face in the soft blooms and breathed deeply. For a brief second he felt her presence, but all too soon it was gone. In time, Lily would understand that he’d done what was best for her future. She was a powerful omega destined to lead a pack, not to settle down with a has-been. Sure, he’d been the general of armies, chosen by the king himself, but now as he approached his four hundredth year it was only a matter of time before he’d be retired for someone younger.

  He’d had his glory days, a beautiful wife and two children. Even though his wife had passed long ago, Jensgar didn’t need a replacement. The moment the thought entered his mind he felt the lie of it down to his soul. Lily had never wished to replace anyone. She’d only wanted to love him. But he couldn’t let that happen.

  With a growl of frustration, he pushed the front door open and walked inside. The interior wasn’t large, but it served him well. The open area held the kitchen, a small dining table and a comfortable living room with one large recliner and television. Through the door on the far wall was his bedroom and bathroom. Everything he needed, not necessarily what he wanted.

  He walked passed the open area determined to get to his shower, wishing to wash away the sweat, blood, and scent of Marie from his body. His hand stung where she’d “accidentally” clawed him. He didn’t want to embarrass the woman, but he’d been giving off “leave me alone” vibes for months. Would he have to resort to bluntly telling her that he wasn’t interested? He hoped not. While she wasn’t someone in whom he had any interest, he didn’t want to hurt her.

  His wolf stood and clawed at his mind, reminding him of the pain he’d caused the woman he did care for. Jensgar growled, tore his remaining clothing from his body, and jammed the shower handle to the left. Once the stream of water poured out he stood in its flow whether it was freezing or not. The bite only served to invigorate him when all he wished for was blessed sleep.

  Quickly, but efficiently, he scrubbed the day away before exiting the shower and grabbing the single bath towel from the rack. He didn’t need more. Jensgar ran the palm of his hand across the foggy mirror and took a hard look at himself. For a middle-aged shifter his body was still strong, his muscles defined. Scars stood proof of a life well served in his duty to the king. The only indication of his age were the small wrinkles around his eyes and the lines at the corners of his mouth.

  “What the hell are you going to do?” he asked his reflection.

  He ran his hands through his short hair and stormed out of the bathroom at the same time someone began pounding on his front door. Jensgar wrapped the towel around his waist and changed directions. He swore that if Marie had followed him home again, he was going with the blunt approach, whether it upset her or not. This had to stop.

  He grabbed the door handle with a bit more force then he’d intended, pulling the knob straight out of the wooden door and leaving a hole in its place. He looked down at the crushed metal in his hand as the door inched open from the force of his pull, revealing Dedric, alpha of the Newton pack.

  The shocked expression on Dedric’s face only served to embarrass Jensgar further before throwing what was left of the handle onto his chair.

  “Problem?” Dedric asked.

  “No, no, simply rushing,” Jensgar was quick to answer, not wanting to worry his friend with such a small concern.

  Although he got the feeling Dedric wasn’t buying the excuse, thankfully he let it go. “I need you to get dressed and meet me in my office.”

  “Is something wrong?” Jensgar asked, wondering if another band of ogres or dark witches were heading their way again.

  “Yes, my friend, there is. I’ll expect you in a few moments.” Dedric turned and walked back toward the pack house without any further explanation.

  Something was seriously off. Jensgar could sense Dedric’s concern.

  This day keeps getting better and better.

  Chapter Two

  Lily took her time stretching her body out on a thick bed of twigs and leaves. The sun was shining as the forest came to life around her. She closed her eyes and opened her senses. Forty feet away she scented a chipmunk digging in the ground hiding his stash of nuts. Overhead, birds sang welcoming the dawn, while her visitors remained a respectable distance away, having learned the penalty for coming too close.

  Momentarily distracted by the moth hovering overhead, she swatt
ed at it with her front paws before standing up on her four legs. Perhaps she’d take a swim in the lake today or venture over to the Northern Ridge to do a bit of hunting. Whatever she chose made no difference as one day blurred into the next in a never-ending cycle. Life was simpler this way. She and her wolf liked her newfound freedom, and had no interest in the affairs of the world around her.

  With a quick shake, she dislodged any remaining leaves from her fur and plodded to the opening of her cave. It wasn’t so bad, living like this. If given the choice, this was where she would stay. Looking off into the distance, she noted Marcus and Aldric at their post on the ridge overlooking her valley.

  Lily had only been gone a few hours before the Black Ridge pack began looking for her. After their initial attempts to convince her to return to the pack house, they’d decided on a wait-and-see kind of approach. Little did they know, Lily did not intend to ever return to her human life.

  Her paws swiftly carried her over the uneven ground, as she dodged trees, fallen logs and rocks in her way. The wind ran its warm fingers through her fur as the sun guided her. Her trailing party made noise to alert her that they were a couple yards back pacing her, but never coming any closer. Of course, it wasn’t exactly as if Lily had welcomed their visits, growling whenever someone came too close, but they kept coming back. She wondered when they would finally understand there was no life for her to return to.

  Increasing her speed, she tried to lengthen the distance between them, but to no avail. Why would the alpha bother? Sure, send out a warrior or two. But to come himself and bring Marcus, Jensgar’s son, along was disconcerting. Why wouldn’t the pack leave her alone? It wasn’t as if she were a viable omega anymore. True, she still had her gifts, but she wouldn’t be sharing them with anyone.

  The lake gleamed and sparkled in the distance calling her forward and leaving her thoughts where they belonged, behind her.

  ***

  Jensgar sat in shock as the word raged through his mind: feral. It stabbed at his heart and took his ability to speak as he stared at the occupants of the office. Dedric, Laura, Helena and his daughter, Amalia, all sat waiting for him to respond to the news that the woman he’d lost his heart to had turned feral and retreated into the forest.

  “General,” Helena called him back to the room. “We need your help.”

  Before he could answer, Ceva stormed through the door and declared, “If you don’t help us save Lily, I swear to all that is holy that I’ll turn you into the fungus that feeds on the cow dung in the pastures.”

  Jensgar stood to face off with the white witch, but Laura placed herself between the two of them. He and Ceva had known each other for hundreds of years, since he took his position as the General of King Leonidas’s army. But, apparently all that history of camaraderie and saving each other’s hides now counted for squat. He didn’t want to fight Ceva or anyone else. He needed information so he could understand, and then solve the problem. General, think.

  “Is she hurt? Is she safe? Is she eating? Does she even have shelter?” Jensgar asked, unable to hide his concern and need from everyone in the room. He didn’t care. His only concern was that he had to get to Lily. “Take me to her.”

  Ceva took a few steps back. The scent of her anger began to fade, leaving only confusion. “You rejected her.”

  Jensgar didn’t miss the venom in her tone, but it had dropped a couple of notches down from a few moments earlier. “I had to. It’s my duty to protect Lily even from herself. I am no mate to an omega. She deserves better.”

  Amalia rounded Dedric’s large, ornately decorated desk. “Father, you wanted Lily as your mate?”

  Jensgar couldn’t lie to his daughter, and only hoped she’d understood. “Yes.”

  Amalia stood silent, staring at him for a few moments. He wasn’t sure what his daughter was looking for in his eyes, but he waited for her condemnation. He figured she would see his desire to take a new mate as a betrayal to the memory of her mother.

  What he got certainly wasn’t anywhere near what he’d expected. Amalia shoved Jensgar in the chest without moving him before asking, “Then why the hell did you send her away?”

  “Because it was the best option for her and her future. Can’t you see that?” How was everyone but him blind to this?

  “All I see,” Amalia shouted, “is my father behaving as if he were the god Fenrir himself.” That came out of nowhere, leaving Jensgar a bit shocked. She had always been calm and respectful. Now her hands were slicing through the air like knives as she yelled, making Jensgar thankful she didn’t have real blades. “You believe you know what is best for another person? You have the ability to see the future? You know of the gods’ plans?”

  “Don’t you see there are no ‘plans’ for me? I’m a middle-aged wolf shifter that has lived a good life. I count myself lucky for the blessings I received the first time. I have no right to ask for more. I am neither an alpha nor a landowner. All I have to offer is a life filled with work and responsibilities. A life I would never subject Lily to. As an omega, Lily deserves to care for her own pack where she could help so many more shifters than she could if she was shackled to me. And given the wonderful person she truly is, Lily deserves much finer things than I can provide for her.”

  Jensgar hadn’t realized how loud his voice had gotten until he too was pretty much yelling. He felt sure his voice has carried and that the pack heard him outside the walls of this office. His frustration and concern was getting the best of him. How could they not see that everything he’d said was the absolute truth? “Now will someone teleport me to that damn forest? Lily needs me.”

  No one moved. All of them staring at him as if he’d grown a second head. This certainly wasn’t fast enough for his liking. “Let’s move.” He used his well-honed general’s bite. If that’s what they needed to get moving, he was more than happy to put that helmet back on.

  Ceva stepped forward and grabbed him by one arm and Amalia by the other. “Hold on tight, lover boy.”

  The room swirled, causing his stomach to do the same but Ceva was giving him what he’d asked for, even if it seemed to be taking longer than usual. When the winds finally receded, he could see the Black Ridge pack house directly in front of him. He tore his shirt over his head in preparation for his shift when his former charge, Helena, stopped him. Jensgar had been the head of the princess’s royal guard since she was a young child.

  “My general.” She touched his arm. “My friend. You’ve spent your entire life in the service of others. It’s time you did something for you. And for her. You deserve the love Lily is offering.”

  Amalia jumped into his arms, giving him a strong hug before saying, “Mom would have been happy for you. It’s been over one hundred years. It’s time. Marcus and I don’t want you to be alone for the next six hundred. Your heart is big enough to love us all.”

  Jensgar held her tight, letting her words sink in. Did he deserve the right to have more? Is this part of the gods’ plans? He’d never have the answers until he took the first step.

  “That is if Lily even accepts him back,” Ceva stated. “She’s been in the forest for over two months living as a wolf. There’s a good chance she might not shift back to human.” Ceva looked up into the sky before continuing. “Don’t go near her if you are still undecided about what it is you want, Jensgar. It will only drive her deeper into her wolf.”

  True to her nature, Ceva wasn’t pulling any punches, and he respected her for it. The powerful white witch was watching out for Lily’s best interests, as he thought he’d been doing when he sent her away. He still had nothing to offer her, but, it seemed, it no longer mattered. The only thing of importance was convincing Lily to shift back to human.

  He’d deal with the rest as it came.

  “I will bring her back.”

  “And after that?” Ceva growled.

  “After that, it’s up to Lily. Obviously, I’ve been making decisions for her long enough. If she’ll still have me, w
e will return to the Newton pack together.” Jensgar wasn’t going to bare his heart to anyone other than Lily. Therefore, that was as good as they were going to get. If they wanted heartfelt reassurances, they were looking to the wrong man.

  Jensgar didn’t wait for anyone’s response, he simply walked into the forest and shifted, tearing his remaining clothing to shreds. His wolf was larger than average but that still didn’t make him an alpha. And he no longer cared. If Lily gave him a second chance, he’d never question the wisdom of accepting her love again.

  His wolf cheered at the declaration, happy his human half had finally caught up with the rest of him. Jensgar had known his wolf had claimed Lily, but his human side, his rational side, hadn’t been ready to accept a claim he thought he had no right to. Honestly, he wasn’t sure he would ever have a right to Lily, but there was no doubt, she was his, if he wasn’t too late.

  The trail leading away from the pack house was marked with multiple scents, including Lily’s delicate floral one. He increased his pace until he was flat-out running in his mate’s direction. Yes, as stupid as he had been, he knew in his heart she was his mate. He’d no longer fight it. The further he travelled, the more concerned he became. Lily had taken herself a fair distance from the safety of the pack, signifying she’d intended not to return to Black Ridge.

  Another slice to his already bruised and bleeding heart. He’d caused her immeasurable pain in his effort to protect her. He’d been a fool for not listening to his heart, and he hoped the damage was reversible.

  Eventually, he broke through the trees and ran into a small valley he recognized from prior security checks when he belonged to the Black Ridge pack. Movement on a parallel ridge immediately caught his attention and he zeroed in on it. He recognized Alpha Aldric’s wolf as well as Jensgar’s son, Marcus. It made him proud to know that his son had been part of keeping Lily safe.