Loving can hurt, loving can hurt sometimes
But it's the only thing that I know
When it gets hard, you know it can get hard sometimes
It is the only thing makes us feel alive

She had been asleep, she may have been a Queen but she was not always required. Lately, the only thing on her mind was her son. She could recount every memory that they had shared together and it warmed her often dead heart. There was no need to feel nor was there a need to build connections only to rule and to dominate. That was her purpose, to keep in check those below her and those who sought to take over had to be eliminated quickly and without mercy.

Eighteen years ago, she had been summoned by a Nephilim, a child of both angels and men. He was a charming young man with a grand idea, he proposed it to her with the hopes of procuring her blood many times she had refused because she did not see the point until he mentioned that he would give her a child. A child. That's all she ever wanted, whilst she could create monsters, she could not create her own blood and it saddened her, that she would not be allowed to cradle a babe because she had been cursed with barrenness. She gave this strange Nephilim a single vial of her blood, enough to corrupt any unborn child, enough to make them her own. When she was sent back to her realm, she found herself waiting in anticipation for the day her child would be born into the world. So, she sent creatures of the dark to keep an eye on the man, to make sure her blood was being used for its only purpose. She watched through the eyes of her followers as he experimented, as he injected her blood directly into the womb of a woman she could only guess was the man's wife. His name was imprinted into hers. Valentine Morgenstern was going to be the reason why she could finally call herself a mother and she was grateful for it.

The day that her son came into the world, she felt light come into her ordinarily dark realm, as a portal from the Nephilim realm opened up. No doubt with the help of a warlock or perhaps he had knowledge of opening doors. The man came down, his white hair was a stark contrast to his surroundings, she approached in her human form as to not scare the babe in his arms. This baby, a head of white hair. His eyes as black as night. Valentine placed the baby in her arms, and she felt the newborn relax as if he knew instinctively that the woman who held him now was his true mother. She smiled, her heart taking its first beats, she had a love for this infant and she did not want to let him go.

"His name is Jonathan."

"Jonathan, my son." She near purred

"The first of his kind." He commented

"Yes, what a special child, my child. What of the other woman." Her voice becoming bitter

"She hates him. Hates how unnatural his eyes are." Valentine kept his eyes on their son

"I see." She stroked his hair and cooed at him

Jonathan reached up with his hand and wrapped his hand in a tendril of her hair, his mouth opening in a small smile. Her focus was consumed by him, she didn't mind his grip in her hair. she had a son and that was all that mattered to her, she would do whatever it took to protect him, to nurture him. She would not allow any harm to come to this her son.

"We must return, Jocelyn does not know we're here." Valentine took back her son

Too quickly his warmth left her body, and her heart roared wanting contact back. Jonathan's hand refused to let go of her hair, and his eyes welled up in tears. He did not want to leave either it appeared. Lilith placed her lips against his forehead. She whispered into his ear.

"My dear boy, we will see each other soon, I will be here waiting. Mother loves you."

Once they stepped back to the portal to which they used to visit. She watched as it closed. Her eyes closing, with a quick snap of her fingers she summoned her underlings. They greeted her with respect.

"You will go above, and you will protect my son. He is not to be harmed by anyone, report back to me on anything and everything. He is my child and I will not let that imposter hurt him. Am I understood."

They disappeared as quickly as they were summoned. She returned to her natural form. Lifting herself off the ground of the cave she flew to her den, resting she picked up one of many glass orbs that she kept with her, and willed it to show her what her followers could see of her son. Whilst the view was not the best it was enough for Lilith to know what her son was doing. He was asleep, his hand gripping a wooden sword. He would be a fine warrior she smiled. She was alerted by noise in the background though.

"HE IS UNNATURAL. GET RID OF HIM."

The woman's voice was one of terror, one of disgust and it appeared that her son could hear her speak so, for his eyes opened and his mouth opened before a single loud wail echoed in the room, no one came. Lilith was maddened that her son was not being comforted. Willing the follower closest to Jonathan, Lilith transported herself to the realm of the mortals. Whilst this was what one could consider an exhausting process because she hadn't been summoned, she couldn't let him cry any longer. Picking him up she rocked him, he stopped crying as he snuggled up against her chest. She approached the window and watched as Valentine bickered with his wife. She growled because they were outside arguing, Jonathan was being neglected. Taking a seat, she continued to rock him, humming lullabies that she had heard through her time being alive.

Placing him back in his cradle, she found scissors, tying a knot in her hair she cut a small lock off, she tied it with a knot and wrapped this lock around the wooden sword. Before placing the small replica in his infant's hands. She kissed his forehead again and disappeared back to her realm.

The next time she felt him call out to her, was when he was eight. He had been through a particularly difficult training session, and he didn't understand why he was always so angry and why it felt like he could never please his father, no matter how hard he tried. He was used to the lack of comfort that was given to him, but that didn't make it any easier for him. Jonathan had kept the small wooden sword with the lock of black hair close, he found comfort in holding it. The rain outside was loud and he felt so alone, his father had gone off again. Lilith made her presence known again, he looked up from where he sat outside and was taken aback by her, she smiled. Whilst they had not seen or spoken in years, Jonathan knew who she was and what she meant to him, he stood up and approached unsure if it was ok to hug her. Lilith offered him her arms to which he took, grateful that he had at least one person who cared for him.

"Valentine leaves you alone I see."

"Father does it often." His head nestled into her neck

My he had grown, he was going to be as tall as his father at this point she laughed at the thought. He let go too soon, he was nervous.

"What's wrong sweetling?"

"Why must you always go?"

"This is not my realm my dear, and your father did promise that once you were ready that you can stay with me."

"But I want to go with you now, it seems that I don't belong here. Least where you are, I'll be ok."

"Quite right."

She placed her lips to his forehead, before revealing a gift to Jonathan.

"This is for you, my boy."

It seemed as though, no matter how hard Valentine had tried to dehumanise him, it wasn't working. Not when he had a demon for a mother who always remembered his birthday, she had given him gifts every year, though this was the first time since his first birthday that he had wanted her company and so she would give it to him. The smile that erupted from his lips reminded Lilith that she was doing the right thing, and that this was what love meant. He opened the gift his eyes shining with awe at the new sword. She stepped back as he demonstrated. It was getting darker, and she knew he would be hungry, summoning another underling from around the world, the arrived promptly with food and a cake too, he was still a child and he deserved cake. Lilith could also sense that tomorrow Valentine would return and only then would the man be bothered to even attempt to make up for another missed birthday. They sat in the rarely used dining room, although they sat closer instead of opposite sides of the table. He was starving and she could tell, for he ate and ate until his stomach was completely full though because of his demonic appetite he still had place for cake, she lit the candles one by one and with the help of some demons they sang to him. With the candles extinguished and the cake consumed, Lilith waited for Jonathan to wash up before tucking him into bed. She stayed till he fell into a deep slumber before casting a spell of good and sweet dreams, he deserved that much. She returned to Edom soon after and allowed herself to sleep dreaming of the day Valentine would send him to her because he couldn't control him anymore.