Well everyone, it's monday! And you know what that means! New chapter! Hope everyone enjoys. Thanks for all the reviews on the last chapter, most ones yet I believe. Thanks all!
Lilly woke up with a pounding headache. She looked over at the clock, Kane would be here soon. She always helped him get ready and went to breakfast with him. There was no way she could today.
She picked up her phone to text Ace. Kane had seemed to tolerate him now, and her mother was helping with rebuilding today, so she wouldn't be available to take care of him.
Ace replied that he would help Kane today. And soon, he was there.
She smiled at him from under the blankets, "thank you."
He gave her a soft kiss. "It's no problem."
She propped herself up with a slight cough. "He's going to need a bath this morning. You can handle that right?"
He bit his lip, but nodded. He hoped Kane would be ok with that.
"His brush and the elastics are in the cabinet behind the mirror. If you need help with that I should be able to pull his hair up."
"No, no. You just rest. I'll take care of it."
At that moment, the door clicked open. Kane slipped in the room. He was cautious since he'd heard their voices.
"Kane," Lilly said quietly, "come here sweetie."
He padded across the room to her side, glancing up at Ace warily.
She took his hand, "I'm sick today. But Ace will be with you. He'll help you get ready and with anything else you might need."
He swallowed, but he nodded. Ace had promised to protect him before, and he knew Lilly wouldn't put him in danger.
"You can use the bathroom here." She yawned, "I'm going to try and go to sleep."
Ace nodded, "you get some rest love." Then he pulled the blankets over her and tucked her in.
Kane looked up at him nervously. But he would be brave. For Lilly. He obediently followed Ace to the bathroom.
Ace could tell by his body language he was nervous. The one eyed pup had his tail curled around himself as he watched Ace start the water. He made himself seem very small.
The black jackal looked over his shoulder, "are you ready to get in?"
The pup nodded, but he didn't look at all ready. He swallowed hard, then walked over to the tub. He cowered slightly as Ace stood up. He'd frozen in place.
"You're ok. I'm not going to hurt you."
Kane nodded, and climbed into the tub. He slowly sat down in the warm clear water. He frowned, Lilly usually put bubbles in his bath. It made feel better when they were there. He felt a measure of privacy. But he felt completely exposed in front of Ace, and he didn't like it one bit.
"What's wrong?"
He slunk down in the water, wishing there was something to hide behind. "Nothing."
"Tell me the truth." Ace tried to sound comforting, "What do you need?"
"Lilly usually makes bubbles for me," he whimpered.
Ace smiled gently, "is that all? I can get some for you." He picked up the bottle of soap and squirted some in the water.
Kane's ears perked up once the bubbles surrounded him. He sighed happily.
Ace sat on the toilet seat and pulled out his phone while Kane soaked in the water. He could still feel the pup's eye on him, but he didn't acknowledge it. Kane had every right to be cautious, he'd never been able to trust another male before, and Ace didn't expect him to start now.
Several minutes passed, and Kane was still staring at him. He looked up and the pup jerked his gaze away to look down at his lap. "Do you need help with washing?" Ace finally asked.
He shook his head, "no. Lilly lets me do it by myself." He was very adamant.
"Well get to it."
He picked up the soap and a cloth sitting on the side of the tub. "C-Can you turn around?" He asked nervously.
Ace tried not to let the annoyance show on his face, but he did as asked. His ear twitched as Kane whimpered lightly. "What is it now?"
A sniffle, "nothing."
He turned back around, "what is it Kane?"
The pup yelped and threw the bottle of soap at Ace, "no! Leave me alone!" He scrambled into the corner and screamed. "Lilly!"
Ace quickly covered the boy's mouth, "be quiet," he hissed. "Lilly is sleeping. She's sick and you're being very inconsiderate of her. Nothing is happening to you, I'm trying to help."
Kane hiccuped sobs into the older jackal's palm. This was it. He was going to be hurt again. And it was going to hurt more this time. His pupil constricted to a slit as his breathing sped up.
Ace swore, this was going downhill very fast. He pulled his hand back. Surprisingly, Kane stayed quiet. Ace picked up the soap bottle and handed it to him, "here." Then he folded his arms across his chest and waited.
Kane swallowed, but he didn't dare ask Ace to turn around again. He'd already made Ace upset, and he didn't want to make it worse. So instead, he put soap on the cloth and washed himself, not making eye contact.
"Now," Ace said. "Let me wash your mane." He sat beside the tub and motioned for Kane to come closer.
Once again, Kane complied. He sat with his back against the side of the tub while Ace scrubbed his hair for him.
Once the soap was rinsed out, Ace unplugged the tub. As the water drained, he grabbed a towel. "Stand up."
Kane swallowed hard. But he took hold of Ace's arm to steady himself. He curled his tail around his waist so he couldn't see.
Ace draped the towel around the boy and helped him step out. He dried him off and led him over to the sink. "I'll pull your hair up for you. I know that's what Lilly always does."
Kane nodded. He shrugged out from under the towel since his fur was dry and fluffed again. Then he stood in front of Ace and waited.
He watched his reflection as Ace brushed the tangles out and pulled his white mane into a high ponytail. "Sure is long," Ace remarked.
Kane nodded. The ends of his hair rested on his upper back. "I like it," he said quietly.
He patted his shoulders, "that's all that matters. Now," he added, "I don't know about you, but I'm hungry. What do you say we go get breakfast?"
Kane nodded and he took Ace's hand.
Kane trotted along beside Ace as they made their way to the cafeteria. He was looking forward to another good breakfast. Hopefully eggs, they were his favorite. And bacon, his other favorite. His mouth watered just thinking about it.
Ace smiled, "you seem excited. Looking forward to eating?"
He nodded vigorously. "There was never much to eat back home." His voice grew sad.
Ace knelt down beside him, "Hey. That's not home anymore. Here is. With us. With Lilly."
Kane sniffled, "yeah." His good eye met Ace's gaze, "I'm sorry about earlier. I was scared."
"It's ok. I know you've been hurt a lot. I'm not like him you know," he added after a moment. "You are worth so much more than anything he told you."
The gray jackal bit his lip, thinking. "He always said no one would love me," his eyes watered and lower lip trembled, "Because I was damaged goods."
Ace took his hands, "Hey, that isn't true. You are valuable, and you have people who love you."
He rubbed his face, "like who?" He sounded bitter.
"Lilly does, and so does Spade. And whether you believe me or not, I care about you too."
"But why?" He sniffled, "why would anyone love me?"
Ace smiled sadly, "the real question is, why wouldn't anyone love you? You've done nothing wrong, you're a good boy, and we like having you here."
"Thank you," he finally said. "I like being here." Then he reached up and took Ace's hand.
Gaia woke up first. She slowly blinked her gold eyes open. She felt the male's body weight holding her down.
She smiled softly. He was laying on her chest, arms resting around her waist. She held her breath as he shifted, mumbling something. Her body was still flush against his. She didn't want him to wake up just yet.
His leg was pressed against her thigh, and she had her hands resting on the small of his back. She wanted to stay like this forever.
Gently, she placed a kiss on his forehead. His ear twitched. Her hands traveled up to his shoulder blades, gently rubbing circles in his fur.
Last night, she had felt every one of his lean muscles, and she loved it. He was firm and strong, even a little rough in the way he loved her. He'd dominated her, and she sighed softly at the memory.
She was pulled from her thoughts as he hummed happily from the way she was moving her fingers. A soft smile rested on her muzzle.
He slowly blinked his eyes open, moving his heterochromic gaze from her bare chest to her face.
"Good morning," she whispered.
He blinked again, but gave her a shy smile, "morning."
"Not so tough now are you big guy?" She grinned.
He huffed, but he wasn't upset. He pushed back, but stayed sitting on her lap. His hands gently caressed her face.
She laughed gently as she put her palms over his hands. "I love you Finn." She wanted him to say it back. Maybe it was a lot to ask, but after last night, she felt he could. He'd certainly showed her.
Infinite froze. How could he say it? He cared about Gaia, a lot. He thought he'd made that clear. But how could he give those words to her when he had already given them to Bella.
"Finn?" She asked.
He looked at her, she was still waiting. Her eyes were vulnerable.
Embarrassed, he looked away. He couldn't say it.
"Get off me."
He'd never heard her sound so hurt before. He did as she asked and she got out of the bed and went to the bathroom, not bothering to pick her clothes up from the floor. The door slammed behind her.
His ears pinned back with guilt. He wished he could tell her he loved her, because he did, but if he did it felt like he was letting go of Bella. And he didn't want to.
Gaia stared in the mirror with tears running down her cheeks. She was hurt that he wouldn't tell her he loved her. Surely he did though.
Her gaze trailed to the purple welt on her neck. He'd marked her, and she knew for jackals that was like a marriage. Maybe she should have told him no. But she loved him so much, and she would take him however he would give himself to her.
She decided to shower, her body felt sore, and somewhat sticky. Maybe that would help her feel better. She turned on the water and stepped in, pulling the curtain closed. She left the door unlocked, in case he wanted to come in.
As she was washing her hair, she heard the door open. Her ear swiveled in the direction and she waited for him to speak.
"Gaia?" He asked quietly.
"Yes?" She could tell he felt bad.
"I'm sorry I didn't say it back."
A heavy sigh. "I know that was asking a lot from you." After the last of the soap ran down the drain she turned the water off and stepped out. Then she grabbed the towel to dry her fur.
He closed the distance between them and set his hand on her shoulder, "no it wasn't. Not after last night."
The wolf smiled. Her hands rested on his shoulders, rubbing them gently. She bit her lip with a smile, "I enjoyed last night." Her voice was a heavy, but shy whisper.
"I did too." His tongue softly licked the side of her mouth. "And I really am sorry." He swallowed, "I... I... I really do care about you a lot Gaia," he finally said. "I would never have asked you to be mine if I didn't." He swallowed, unable to finish his thought.
"This is about Bella isn't it?" She wasn't accusatory, but a certain sadness was there.
"I said those words to her, and saying them to you," he choked on the words. "It felt like I was stealing them from her." His eyes met hers again, "does that make me a horrible person?"
"No," she breathed. "But there's room in your heart for loving more than one person." A soft kiss was placed on his face. "I love you so much Finn, and I know deep in your heart, you love me too. You showed me," her voice grew thick with tears, "I just wish you would tell me."
He grabbed her in a kiss. "I do Gaia," he whispered when they parted, "I love you too."
She smiled, knowing how hard it was for him to do that. She went for another kiss, and he pushed her against the wall. The towel between them fell to the floor.
He buried his nose in her neck, mumbling softly. His teeth grazed her skin.
She smiled, "wanna pick up where we left off?"
Keelie's gold eyes searched the desert sand. Wind was blowing, causing dust and sand to obscure her vision. She turned frantically, searching for Gadget, her boys, or even her brothers. She called their names, but her words were lost in the whirling sands.
The female stumbled across the dunes, trying to find shelter. Already something was wrong with her pup, and she didn't want to make it worse.
Finally, she found a small cave. She darted inside and sat on a rock, pulling her knees to her chest. She rested her chin on them and stared out at the sandstorm.
She was so deep in her thoughts that she didn't hear the footsteps behind her until she was tackled to the ground.
A scream caught in her throat and she clawed at the attacker. She smirked when she felt the flesh under her nails.
As she made eye contact though, the blood drained from her face. It was their father. The boy's father. "You stay away from me!" She scooted away as fear filled her voice.
He grinned, "that won't be doable."
Tears rolled down her cheeks as he held her down. "You should've known better than to be with another male," his smile was sadistic.
Before anything could happen, he was knocked off of her with a sickening crack. He tumbled a short ways and did not get up.
Keelie looked up to see her savior. "Papa," she whispered as fresh tears welled up. This time for an entirely different reason.
Butch knelt to help her up.
She studied him. He still had the same three scars on his cheek, and now he had a huge one across his neck. Her fingers reached up to touch it. "Is that..." she trailed off. Then she steeled herself, "is that from Finn?"
He flinched, "Yes. It is."
She hugged him, "I missed you papa."
He smiled and lightly returned it. He was never the touchy-feely type.
She pulled back, searching him. "How are you here? You were dead, I saw him kill you."
"You don't need to worry about that," a strong yet feminine voice cut through the air.
Keelie turned abruptly. "Mama?" She asked, voice barely audible.
There stood Nia in all her glory. Ace, Finn and Jay's father, stood behind her. She looked exactly the same as before, only younger. A welcoming smile rested on her lips.
Hurriedly, Keelie grabbed her in a hug. "Mama, I missed you so much!" Sobs escaped her as she clung to her mother for dear life.
"I missed you too my sweet girl." They pulled back and Nia brushed Keelie's hair back. "Are you happy?"
She hiccuped, "I try to be. It's just so hard. I've suffered so much, I just want to forget."
"It can be overwhelming," said Nia gently, "but these experiences can help you. You just have to learn from them. I'm not proud to say that I didn't until it was too late." She gestured to her daughter's stomach, "you will soon be welcoming a little one?" She asked.
"I'm worried not for much longer," Keelie sniffled.
Nia guided her to sit, listening as she filled her in on her life. The two males stood by the entrance to the cave, watching the storm.
"Let me help," Nia said when she was finished. She gently felt for the pup. She sighed, "There is not much that can be done I'm afraid." Her voice was filled with sadness. "It seems your body is rejecting the pup."
Tears filled Keelie's eyes, "but why?"
"Sometimes that happens when jackals take mates that are different from us."
"But Gadget is a wolf, a fellow canine." She protested.
"I told you wolves were dangerous, and now you know why."
"Aurora was fine when she was born. Sure she was a lot bigger, and it hurt a lot more, but she was healthy." The tears slipped down her cheeks.
"Keelie." She set her hand firmly on her daughter's shoulder, "that is the problem. Wolves are bigger than us. Their pups are bigger. This one must be taking after its father. And your body knows you won't be able to birth this one. It is simply protecting you."
"So I'm killing my baby?!" She screeched.
Butch's ear twitched at her outburst.
"You aren't, but your body is." Her voice was full of hurt. "I'm sorry."
"Can't I do something?" Her body heaved with suppressed sobs.
"You must rest," she said after a moment. "Bedrest. If you can hold onto this child long enough for a c-section, then there is a chance. Of course you'll have to find someone willing to do it," she added.
"Taja said she would see about finding a healer," she said hopefully.
Nia nodded, "that's a start. The only healer I know of who can perform one is the one who helped Bella. Anahi is her name. Ace?" She asked, "I need some paper."
He stepped over with a small legal pad and pen. She smiled at him as she took it from his hand. Then she scribbled on the first page, tore it off, and handed it to her daughter. "Here's where she lives."
Butch and came and stood at her other side. She took each of their hands. "You probably only have about three weeks," Nia told her.
Keelie nodded, clutching the paper to her chest. "Thank you. I just..." she wiped her face with the back of her hand, "if things do happen badly, I won't be able to live anymore. I refuse to."
Nia dipped her head, she understood what she meant. She hated that her daughter was planning her own death as well, but even though she could see her fate, she couldn't change it. That was up to Keelie. "Keelie," she started. "I do not wish harm for you, but I do know that you will be joining us soon. I look forward to being with you again."
Keelie's gold eyes gazed over the three jackals. "Mama, you asked if I was happy. Are you?"
Nia's grip on the males tightened, "Yes. I am with them, and that alone makes me happy."
"You are mates with both of them," she murmured.
"Yes." She stood and took her daughter's hand, "I hope you don't think less of me because of it."
Jackals only took one mate at a time, that's just how it was. But Nia had two. Keelie thought for a minute, all three of them seemed happy. Which surprised her. Her father was never one for sharing. But she smiled, "as long as you're happy, I'm happy. I could never think any less of you."
Nia smiled, "it's time for you to go now. But don't worry, we'll see each other again soon."
Keelie gave her one last hug.
Butch escorted Keelie to do the entrance to the cave. She looked up at him as they stood there. "I wish you were still with us papa."
"I know you do."
"What about you? Are you happy?"
He sighed, "Keelie, I am at peace with myself now. I know what I did was wrong, but I wouldn't say I regret it. I did what I had to do."
"I know papa." She hugged her arms, "you know Finn did what he had to too."
"Keelie, if you're worried about my being bitter over what he did to me, I'm not."
Surprise was evident on her face.
He continued, "he was stronger than me. He was the new alpha, and as such he couldn't let me live. It was best for the pack at the time. And best for you."
She sniffled, "when did you get to be so reasonable? Why weren't you like that when I was a pup?"
He rested his hand on her shoulder, "sometimes you get stuck in something, and only until you see the big picture do you realize that what you were stuck in wasn't all that important."
She nodded and he wiped her face. "It's time for you to go."
"I'm going to miss you papa." She hiccuped back a sob.
"Don't worry," he smiled softly. "You'll join us soon."
She gazed at him, then to the other jackals. "You didn't answer earlier." Her eyes met his again, "are you happy here? With them?"
"I am," he said softly. "I love your mother, even though I made that hard for you to understand before. And I will share her with him, because that makes her happy."
Keelie hugged him, "I'm proud of you."
He hugged back, a real hug.
She pulled back, "goodbye papa." He nodded and she stepped out into the storm once again.
Keelie woke with a gasp. Tears were rolling down her face. The dream felt so real. Looking down, she saw the yellow scrap of paper in her hand. She opened it.
On it, Anahi's name was scribbled and a map to where she was living at now. Keelie smiled, it was real. She would give it to Taja so she could find the healer. She had high hopes things would be ok.
