Chapter 55


    Lily


    She opened her eyes when her body started falling. She hit the floor and her ankle twisted painfully.


    Shey there for a moment trying to blink back tears, before peering over the edge of the bed for


    Lukas. She was startled when she didn’t see him. She looked at the tangled sheets and nkets.


    She must have done that scooting across the bed looking for him. She got up and headed towards


    the bathroom. She entered and drew up short when she found herself looking at a door to another


    room. His room didn’t have an adjoining rooms, so where was she?


    She opened the other door and was shocked to find herself looking at Sasha and Aiden’s room.


    Where was Lukas? She quickly left the room, heading down to the office she knew she would find


    Sasha in. She walked in after being told to enter to have her heart break all over again when he


    wasn’t in there with Aiden and Sasha. Sasha immediately climbed off of hisp to walk around the


    desk to take her hands.


    “Lily, how are you feeling?”


    How was she feeling? She hadn’t thought about it. She pulled her hands away and looked at the


    wall over Sasha’s shoulder.


    “I’m fine,” she lied.


    Sasha eyed her. “Are you?”


    Lily sighed. The trio always saw through


    saw through her lies. She didn’t even know why she tried.


    “Not really. Do you know where Lukas is?”


    She nced at Alden. “I do, yes.”


    Her heart sped up. “Where is he?”


    Aiden came up behind Sasha to put his hands on her shoulders. “Lily, he left


    v.be left after he brought you to our rooms.”


    Her legs wobbled and she sat in the chair in front of his desk. He had left her. He hadn’t said


    goodbye and had left while she slept. She buried her face in her hands. Goddess, she knew he was


    upset over what she had asked him for, but she didn’t think he would end up hating her. Sasha


    touched her


    “Lily, he ”


    She jumped up and ran out of the room while they called her name. She was blinded by her tears,


    but she kept running until she was deep in the forest by herself. She sat under a tree with her arms


    around her knees, sobbing hysterically. She had wanted to see him off and promise him again that


    this wasn’t going to be forever. She just wanted to be the best her she could be for him. She


    thought he understood, but apparently he didn’t. Warmth surrounded her and she could feel it trying


    to ease her hurt. Someone touched her shoulder and she stiffened.


    *My daughter, why are you so sad?,” asked the softest voice she had ever heard.


    She slowly raised her head to stare at a blonde hair, green eyed slim woman. Her eyes widened


    and she reached out to her.


    “Mom?,” Lily whimpered.


    The woman pressed her hand against Lily’s on her cheek, closing her eyes. “No, Lilianna. I am the


    Goddess. This is the form that I thought would make you feel the safest after everything you have


    been through.”


    “You look like my mom,” Lily whispered, moving her fingers over her face. “I only have one picture.”


    She swallowed, “I wonder if she would have loved


    1. me.


    The Goddess smiled at her. “Your parents love you very much. There has not been a single day that


    they have not watched over you.”


    A tear trickled down her face and the Goddess wiped it away. She sat beside Lily and took her


    hand.


    *Tell me, my daughter, why are you crying?”


    She put her cheek on her knee and her arms went back around her knees. “Lukas left me. I never


    wanted him to hate me.”


    The Goddess took her hand. “You think he hates you.


    you. Seems reasonable.”


    She waved her hand and the scene around them changed. Lily found herself looking around the


    room that she had fallen asleep in. On the couch, Fukas held her tight as she trembled in his arms.


    He breathed out and his fire wrapped around her, before entering her body. She rxed against


    him and he kissed her forehead, before Atting her up. He carried her out of the room to Sasha’s


    room, He lightly kicked the door with his foot and when it opened, Alden bared his


    teeth at him.


    “What the


    e fuck did you do?”


    Lidas rolled his eyes as he walked past him and stood in front of the bathroom door, waiting for


    Alden to open it. He red at him as he opened the doors to the adjoining room. Lukas shifted her


    in his arms and quickly pulled the nkets back. He set her in the bed and tucked her in. He


    brushed her hair back, before leaning down to kiss her lips softly. He sank to his knees beside the


    bed and took her hand. He put her hand over his heart as he bowed his head.


    “I wish I could stay and say goodbye, Lils, but if I did, I know I wouldn’t be strong enough to let your


    go. I don’t want goodbye. Lily. I don’t want see youter. I want you by my side forever.” He leaned


    forward to kiss her cheek. “I love you and I will be waiting for your journey to be over, so you can


    come home to me.”


    He sat back on his heels, tucking her hand under her pillow. He stood up and without a look


    backwards, left her in the room alone. He walked past Alden while Sasha hurried behind him. He all


    but jogged down the stairs.


    “Aja, please, watch over her. Don’t let anything happen to her.”


    “Twon’t, brother.”


    He entered the living room and ignited a fire in the firece. “If she can’t sleep or if she needs to be


    comforted…“He dragged his hand down his face. “Ifie goes out or she uses it all, I wille back


    when she is not here to light it.”


    “Brother”


    “No, Aja. This is for the best. This is how wee back together. Let it go. Be happy with your mate


    and protect mine until I can.”


    She didn’t say anything. She just hugged him. He clung to her for a moment, before their father


    stepping into the room made them pull apart. He leaned against the doorframe, watching them.


    “Are you about to leave, Lukas?”


    He nodded “I have to.”


    His father sighed. “She loves you, you know?”


    He nodded again. “I know,”


    He walked over to their father and handed him a note sealed in an envelope. “Give this to my Lily


    when you see her.”


    Their father took the envelope and nodded. “I will.” |


    He put his hand on Ludas’s shoulder and squeezed. “Be safe.”


    “As long as the is, too


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    The vision faded and tears poured down her face again. Her heart ached for the pain she was


    causing them both. The Goddess moved closer,


    “Llunna, do you love Lukas? Lily nodded. “Do you trust him?” Again, she nodded. “Tell me


    something. Do you want to be his mate?”


    “Y–yes,” she stulleted.


    The Goddess beamed at her. “Let me tell you a story. Every few hundred years since the start of


    time, I have chosen a child. That child became my focus as i am not allowed to have children of my


    own. I can create them and give them to other creatures, but as I have no mate, I will never have


    any. Thest one I chose was around a century ago. He turned out to be a grave mistake. He


    ughtered people and became cruel when I kept him safe from everything. I gave him a mate. A


    beautiful, soft spoken woman who did everything he could ever ask for, without him asking. She


    loved him very much


    When he killed her, because she didn’t want to sleep with his friends, I decided then that his life


    was over. He had be too cruel and a horrible monster. One that this world could not defeat.


    My heart ached for many years after I ended his life. I wanted nothing more than to bring him back. I


    spent so much time devoted to him, visiting him, talking to him.” She stopped to pull away from Lily


    a little. “I vowed that he would be thest one that I would protect like that. The next child I chose


    would not be interfered with. They had to grow and develop into whoever their life determined


    them to be.”


    Lily, who had been sitting quietly this whole time, opened her mouth to speak, but closed it when


    confusion filled her. The Goddess brushed her hair back.


    “You are my chosen child Lily. It has always been a future trio or their mates. Sasha had Kni.


    Their mates had each other. Lukas had his father, but you, you had nobody, I can take this all away


    from you. I can make all the pain go away. I can heal your fear and your worry. I can make it to


    where you can go home.” Her fingers traced Lily’s cheekbone. “I tested your mate. I asked him to


    give you up. He refused. I’ve never been so sure a fated mate pair was perfect for each other, other


    than you and him.”


    Lily closed her eyes. “He didn’t want to leave me?”


    “No. He threatened to give up his role in the trio to keep you.”


    Lily trembled. He loved her. He wanted her. The joy she felt upon hearing that made everything else


    matter less. She leaned against the tree behind her. “What would you have done if he said to


    rece me?”


    “I would have ended his life and Sterling would have been King of Kings again until he produced


    another son.”


    Lily stared at her in shock for a moment, before shaking her head. “Lukas is a good person.”


    The Goddess smiled softly at her. “I know he is, I don’t make mistakes when I create p


    people. The free will I give is what messes them


    Lily sighed. “I appreciate your offer, but if he passed your test, then he is worth me passing my own


    test.” She sighed, wanting to give in to the Goddess’s offer. She desperately wanted to go home to


    him. “You did not interfere then, I don’t want you interfering now. I want to do this by myself. I want


    to be worthy of him and this is how I do that.”


    The Goddess smiled. “I knew you were going to say that. If you ever change your mind, you know


    how to reach me.”


    “Wait,” Lily cried out when she started to fade. The Goddess’s image wavered back into solidity. “If I


    am not ready in a year, I will take your offer. My 16th birthday.”


    “Alright.” She leaned down to touch Lily’s cheek. “Just a word of advice, Gemma, Lukas can dream


    walk,” she said and then was gone.


    Lily climbed to her feet slowly and started making her way towards the castle. As she neared it, she


    could smell her father waiting for her. She hurried towards him and as soon as he saw her, he


    opened his arms. She flew into them and hugged him tight. He rubbed her back.


    “Hey, my little flower. How are you doing?”


    She smiled widely at him. “I’m good. Do you have something for me?”


    He chuckled and reached into his pocket for the envelope. She eagerly opened it.


    To my beautiful mate,


    “I could write all about how much I love you and why I didn’t stick around to say goodbye, but quite


    frankly I don’t want to waste my time or yours. Instead, I want to tell you how proud of you I am. I


    am proud of the way you verbalize your needs. I am proud of the person you are bing. I am


    proud of how mature and trusting you are, even after everything you have been through. I am proud


    of your desire to work through this.


    Facing this will not be easy and I know that everyone will be here for you if you need to lean on


    someone. If you want me to be that person all you have to do is reach out to me via our link. Keep


    your head up and know that I am proud to call you my mate, my future wife and queen. I love you,


    Lils, and I already miss you.”


    Ps. It’s okay to break, I know you will pick the pieces back up and every crack will heal to make you


    stronger.”


    She bit her lip and closed her eyes. She reached for their link and after the third time, she


    managed to get it open.


    ‘Lukas, I don’t want you to respond, but I wanted to make sure you knew that I loved you, too.”