Chapter Twenty-two
The sun hung high in the sky when Lillian awoke the next day. Rays of light streamed through the small window in the bedroom down on her face until she finally opened her eyes.
She blinked several times before a smile stretched across her lips. She moved slowly under the heavy blanket that Erik had placed on her, enjoying the way her naked body ached slightly as she did so, that ache that only good sex could cause.
Never in her life had things in bed been that fantastic. Hell, she wasn't even certain she could call what she’d had before good. All men before Erik were just… mediocre. He’d brought her over the edge over and over, making sure each time she found her release before seeking his own.
Heat spread over her face as she buried it back under the covers, embarrassed slightly by how brazen she'd been the night before. It wasn't exactly like she had a wealth of experience, but there was something about Erik that brought out a sort of animal need.
Her hand slipped out of the covers and patted the bed next to her. She frowned when she found a cold, empty bed. Erik had obviously gotten up some time ago and left her to sleep. Still, it was nice he allowed her the time to sleep in. She been exhausted from everything that had happened even before their fun activities.
Lillian dreaded getting out of bed. The first few minutes the cold air hit her body were the worst few minutes of her day, especially when naked.
She sighed. Like a Band-Aid, sometimes you just had to rip it off. She flipped back the covers and was surprised to find the room pleasantly warm. She smiled brightly. She climbed out of the bed and made her way into the bathroom. Inside she found a towel already laid out.
Erik was far more thoughtful than she would have ever thought. Lillian grinned. He’d certainly been generous the night before.
Desperate to relieve some aches after last night's activities, she turned on the water and waited for it to heat before stepping under the six glorious sprays. She was certain that she'd found the way into heaven, and it was through Erik’s bathroom.
Six streams of water massaged her body in every direction. She wasn't even certain that a masseuse could do as good as a job. There was something almost orgasmic about it. Not quite Erik-level, but it’d have to do for the moment.
Her muscles fully loosened up, and by the end, she was feeling much more herself. Lillian scrubbed down her body as she thought.
It was Sunday. If she had to guess, her cat was likely very angry with her. She could only hope that Corso had been able to stop by and feed him like he said. She put extra food in his bowl so he wasn’t going to starve, but according to Mr. Fuzzy Pants, if there weren’t fresh food, the world was coming to an end.
It had been a long time since she'd woken up in a bed that wasn't her own. She’d a few boyfriends when she was in community college, but nothing that lasted. It wasn't exactly like there was anything wrong with them. They had all been decent enough guys.
But their intent had all been very clear. To get married, have some babies, and grow old. It wasn't like she didn't want all those things, but it always seemed like there was more to life.
She thought about Erik and the secret double life that he lived. He said before that he wasn't used to other people in his space. She wondered if that meant girlfriends.
Lillian wasn't being naïve. It was clear from his skills the night before that he'd had plenty of practice on other women, but it seemed like a very solitary sort of life. The werewolves had their pack, but she hadn’t noticed pictures of anyone who looked like a wife or girlfriend.
When he’d mentioned his men the night before, she found herself wondering what the women were like. It was strange how they had led a very different sort of life but still ended up down the same path.
She finished shampooing her hair and rinsed it out before adding some conditioner. She smiled, glad that nothing he had was too masculine. Not that she minded smelling like him all day. After all, she'd smelled like him all night.
Lillian snorted. He'd even made her mind slightly dirtier than it was before. Her sister Eve would be happy. Growing up she always called her a prude.
She sadly turned off the six jets and grabbed the towel to dry her body.
Unfortunately, there wasn't going to be a lot of choices for her. With no makeup there, she was just going to have to live with her makeup-free face. Not exactly the top of her list. Most girls woke up early just to make sure they had makeup on before their boyfriend got out. Here they were, not even an item, and she was already going without makeup.
Lillian toweled off the rest of her body and slipped on her panties and bra from the day before. She wrapped the towel around her hair and twisted it up while she looked around for a bit of lotion.
She froze as she reached down to check under the counter. Her eyes fixed on the mirror.
"What the fuck?"
There, in the mirror, glittering lines ran along the sides of her shoulders. Lillian pulled up the towel and nearly passed out as she noticed silver lines on her other shoulder.
It took positioning the three mirror cabinets in just the right way for her to see the full length of the tattoo now on her back. Silvery wings stretched across the expanse of her back from shoulder to shoulder. No matter how much she rubbed, the silver lines didn't move.
There was no way someone could have tattooed her after she passed out after the club, especially since the lines didn’t look fresh. Nobody was that good and fast.
Plus, it made no sense for anyone to even do that. The color was also different, almost glittering like actual metal atop her skin. She’d never seen a tattoo in her life that looked like it.
Not sure what else to do, Lillian slipped on the flannel shirt she'd worn the night before and made her way into the living room. Maybe Erik had some sort of explanation.
The house was still and quiet. It was clear he wasn't there, and all she could really do was wait to find out just what the hell was going on.
***
Three fucking hours. It had been three hours and still nothing from him. No word. No call. Nothing.
Lillian glanced at the clock on the wall. Three o'clock. Nothing from him all morning, and it was already three o'clock. Was she supposed to wait there all day?
After rummaging through his clothing, she found a pair of gray long johns that fit once she rolled up the legs several times over. That, coupled with the flannel shirt she'd taken as hers, made Lillian certain she looked like some sort of old-time prospector.
She fumed as she paced around the place. Maybe it was the tattoo on her back. Maybe it was the fact that her new werewolf boyfriend had vanished the day after they'd had sex and she found out his true nature. Maybe it was the whole goddamn thing, but Lillian had taken about all she could. It was time for some damn answers.
Lillian pulled out Erik’s tennis shoes she found stuffed in the back of the closet. After she put a pair of socks into the tip, she slid them on her feet. Not the best fit for her, but they would work.
There had to be someone around there that knew where he was. Or at least who could help her get back to her apartment. She couldn’t just stay in an empty house all day. It couldn’t be that dangerous at her house. After all, the people involved in the alley incident on the other side were already gone, and with Corso helping and her spending time with Erik, she’d have an alibi for this mysterious Council.
She pulled on the black sweater she'd worn the night before and stepped over to the front door. Sunlight reflected off the newly fallen snow and blinded her as she opened it. She was surprised to see he'd taken the time to shovel a path.
Lillian glanced around as she made her way along the path that led her directly to his Nan's house.
In the daylight, the place was exceptionally cute. She thought as they were driving that she loved the way the place looked, but in the daylight, it reminded her of the small little town she had grown up in.
She stopped outside of the cute country cottage and glanced around once again. There was no one in sight, and she really was running out of options.
Lillian held up her hand to knock on the door but jumped as it swung open.
"Wondered how long you were going to stand out here before you finally decided to knock on the door," the old woman standing on the other side said.
She was an incredibly short woman, with curled gray hair and soft hazel eyes.
Lillian stood there, mouth open for a moment before she brought her head back down to her side. "I'm so sorry," she started to say. "I just wasn't really certain—"
The old woman waved her hand. "Oh, come on in," she said. "You look like you could use a good meal. I'm sure that grandson of mine didn't think you might need something to eat."
Lillian timidly stepped inside the old woman’s house. The smell of warm home-cooked food filled her nose, making her stomach rumble. The old woman made her way further into the house and waited for her to follow.
The inside reminded Lillian of when her grandparents had been alive. Black-and-white photos lined the walls and sat on bookshelves. Sweet little doilies lined the coffee table. It was as if time had stood still.
"Come have a seat at the table, and I’ll serve up a bowl of stew for you," the older woman said.
Lillian followed her around the corner and sat down at an old oval table. She could see into the kitchen just a bit from the small doorway. It was the same pastel yellow as her own grandmother’s.
The old woman came back into the room and placed a steaming bowl in front of her. Lillian’s stomach growled loudly, and she blushed at the sound.
"That damn boy," the old woman grumbled. "Making you starve like this."
It was hard not to smile at her irritation. It seemed like Erik couldn't get away with much when it came to his grandmother.
"I'm Anna," the old woman said as she sat down at the table. "I suppose he didn't tell you that either."
Lillian shook her head as she took a bite of the stew and groaned loudly. "This is so good," she said. "It reminds me of home."
Anna watched as she scarfed down the rest of the food in the bowl before pushing it away.
"Thank you so much,” Lillian said.
Anna nodded and smiled warmly at her. "So, let me get a good look at you now.” She took out a pair of glasses and placed them on her face. Lillian blushed as she stared at her. Her current choice was clearly not the best outfit to wear when meeting family.
"You’re lovely," Anna said. "It's clear you have been blessed by the gods."
Lillian had never heard anything like that. Most people where she was from didn't talk about multiple gods. "I'm sorry to bother you," she said. "I was just looking to see if Erik was here."
Anna shook her head as she picked up the bowl and carried it into the kitchen.
"He left early this morning," she called out from the kitchen. "Took a few of the pack with him to start searching the hills again in hopes of finding Hall. His poor brother, aunt, and uncle are beside themselves with worry."
Lillian had never thought about the fact that Hall might have family. After seeing all the pictures in Erik’s house, she didn’t even know if they had much in the way of regular families. She didn’t see any pictures even of anyone who might be Erik’s father. She could only imagine how she would feel if her sister was in a similar situation.
"But it's good luck that Erik has found his fated one. Odin is smiling on us once again."
Anna stepped back into the room and placed a piece of chocolate cake in front of her. Her mind was a jumbled mess after what she’d just heard.
Odin? That was a new one. Lillian could honestly say she’d never run into anyone who still believed in the old Norse gods. That wasn’t even the strangest part.
"Fated one?"
Anna sighed as she sat down in her chair. The old woman shook her head and stared at her with her light hazel eyes. "It seems he told you nothing," she said. "These young ones have no clue how to do it these days. If only his father were here to help guide him. You eat your cake, and I will tell you the story of how the berserkers came to be," the old woman said, her voice already sweeping over her like one would expect from a good storyteller.
"The story is told, that ages ago, there was a group of brave Vikings known throughout the land. A group of men so bold and so brave that many an enemy fled from them before even reaching the battlefield.
“Their leader, Hardbeen, was much pleased with their glory for the gods but knew there was more for them. He set his men to higher sights. A town across the seas was littered with gold and an unjust ruler. But unfortunately for Hardbeen, the battle was not as simple as he first perceived it would be.
“The king of the other army was cunning and studied the great Hardbeen on the field. He knew of his conquests and made his men ready for the fight against the northern men.
“As the battle began, it was clear that Hardbeen was not only outnumbered but outwitted. Something he wasn’t used to. With many of his men lying dead around him, he called out to Odin. In the glory of the All-Father's name, he would fight and win the war with his help."
Lillian finished the cake she had been eating and set her fork quietly on the table, drawn in by the story.
Anna continued. "Odin had been watching the men and came down to them on the field. He brought with him the mighty cup of the Valkyries.” Anna made a fist as if she were holding the cup. “Twelve of the men remained, and each took a sip from the great Valkyrie cup, granting them strength and bravery on the battlefield in the shape of the mighty wolf. Hardbeen and his men charged into the battle, now fighting as a hundred men each. No fear in their hearts and only a common goal of winning.
“At the end of the battle, they stood at the castle, a wake of blood and destruction from whence they had come.
“When the Valkyries found out what had been done, they went to their leader Freya to set balance back in the world. Freya created fated ones in order to temper the violent nature of the berserker wolf. Their lives became intertwined from the moment of their existence and the two destined for the other."
Lillian’s heart thundered. Her throat was dry. She wanted answers, but these answers were far heavier than she expected.
She wasn't certain exactly what she was expecting, but it wasn't to learn that she and Erik had been fated from the beginning.
Maybe she shouldn’t believe it, but everything about it felt right, as if she already knew the truth before Anna even started talking.
"You look like you could use another slice of that cake," Anna said quietly.
Lillian nodded slowly. Sometimes chocolate cake was the best answer.