Chapter ~ Chapter Nine ~
Cayden was in a panic. He had been speaking with Liliana about starting a family when she fainted on top of him. Cayden didn’t understand what was happening. He tried to wake her up, but nothing he tried seemed to work.
Cayden picked Liliana up and carried her upstairs to their room. He laid her down on the bed and sat down next to her. Cayden couldn’t find anything wrong with her. He pulled out his phone and quickly called his pack doctor. “Nathan, I need you in my room at my house. Right now.”
Cayden didn’t wait for an answer. Instead, he hung up and took Liliana’s hand in his. “Please, little dove. Come back to me,” he whispered.
Nathan, the pack doctor, walked into his room a couple of minutes later with his medical bag. “What’s the problem, Alpha?” He asked as he stood by the bed.
“My beloved mate fainted, and I need you to check on her,” he said as he stayed in his seat.
Nathan nodded and quickly got to work. “What was she doing when she fainted?” He questioned as he did his job.
Cayden shook his head. “We were in my office just talking. Then, just before she fainted, she said the room was spinning, and then she was out.”
Nathan nodded and continued doing his check-up on Liliana. Finally, after about fifteen minutes, he stood up straight. “There doesn’t seem to be anything wrong with her Alpha. Everything looks normal.”
Cayden let out a rough exhale. “Alright. Thank you, Nathan,” he said dismissively.
Nathan left him alone with his beloved. The doctor had said that he couldn’t find anything wrong with her. For about thirty minutes, Cayden sat there, simply caressing her face gently and lightly, running his fingers through her hair. The longer he was waiting, the more concerned he got. Finally, after another five minutes, she shot straight up with a small gasp.
Liliana looked around the room until she found him and smiled brightly. “My love,” she whispered.
Cayden quickly pulled her onto his lap and held her tightly. “Oh, my little dove. I was so worried,” he pulled away slightly to look into her eyes. “What happened?”
Liliana ran a hand through her hair. “The moon goddess summoned me,” she said softly. “She called me to her meadow because she needed to speak with me about something vital,” she smiled brightly. “I got to see my parents, though. I have missed them so much. Oh, and Artemis gave me my wolf,” she leaned into Cayden as she softly said. “She won’t get any bigger than a husky puppy, but I have a wolf now.”
Cayden stared down at her in shock. “When do you shift, little dove?” He asked once he cleared his mind.
“On the next full moon,” Liliana said as she laid her head on his shoulder.
“What else did Artemis tell you?” Cayden asked as he ran his fingers through her hair.
Liliana sighed heavily. “There’s a war coming,” she whispered without lifting her head. Then, before Cayden could say anything, she started explaining everything Artemis had told her. Once she had told him everything, she shook her head. “I’ve already started thinking about a plan, but we’re going to need a lot of help,” she mumbled.
Cayden groaned. It was just his luck. Just when he wanted to start a family, a war loomed over their heads. “What do you want to start with?” Cayden asked her in a low voice.
Liliana clicked her tongue. “First, I need to call Jacques. He’s been around since the gods first came around. If anyone can tell me where to start looking for Adrestia, it’ll be him,” she sat up on his lap and gently took Cayden’s face in her hands. “I know this isn’t what either of us wants. I know that with a war coming, it changes quite a bit,” she bit her lip as she closed her eyes for a minute before opening them again and looking into his eyes. “I know we just talked about starting a family,” she said softly. “Of course, I’ll still need just a bit of time, but I would still love to start a family with you.”
Cayden opened his mouth to respond when Liliana pressed a feather-light kiss to his lips. “I know that trying to start a family during a war isn’t the best of ideas, and believe me, I am scared. Just thinking about something happening to our child brings pain to my soul, and we aren’t even trying yet, but I know that we will do everything to protect them,” she let out a small laugh. “I know deep in my soul that neither of us would let anything happen to any children we may have. So even though it scares me as much as it does, I still want to start a family with you,” she whispered.
Cayden let a small smile slip onto his lips as he lightly caressed her face. “You are amazing, little dove,” he whispered as he pressed his forehead to hers. Cayden pressed a light kiss to her lips before saying. “I will wait for you to be ready, but you have no idea how happy you just made me,” he chuckled. “For the second time today.”
Liliana giggled and pressed her lips to his. “As much as I would love to just sit here with you forever, we need to get started as soon as possible. Anna only has six days.”
Cayden nodded as he let out a heavy sigh. “Alright. Let’s get started then,” he stood up with her in his arms.
Liliana giggled as he started carrying her to his office. “I can walk, you know, love.”
Cayden shrugged. “I don’t care,” he mumbled.
Liliana laughed as he walked them into his office and sat in his seat behind his desk. She shook her head as he wrapped his arms around her and refused to let her go.
Liliana leaned into Cayden as she picked up his office phone and dialed Jacques’ number. She held the phone to her ear as Cayden pressed feather-light kisses to her face, neck, and shoulders. “Hey there, little Liliana,” Jacques answered happily.
“Hi, Jacques,” Liliana said as she let her head fall to the side as Cayden continued trailing kisses over the skin that he could reach.
“Liliana,” Jacques said in that fatherly tone of voice. “Why does it sound like there’s something bad going on?” he demanded.
Liliana bit her lip as she laid her head back against Cayden’s shoulder. “Something bad is happening, Jacques. The moon goddess summoned me for an important meeting,” she said quietly. “Some good came out of it, but most of what she told me was bad.”
“What’s going on, little Liliana?” Jacques questioned.
Liliana blew out a rough breath before explaining everything to him. Once she got everything out, Jacques swore in every language he knew. “Alright. Where are you?” He demanded.
Liliana frowned. “I’m at home with Cayden,” she said in confusion.
“I’ll be right there,” Jacques said before hanging up.
Liliana stared at the phone with a frown. “He’s pissed,” she mumbled as she set the phone down and closed her eyes. Cayden was still pressing feather-light kisses to her skin, feeling relaxed and flushed simultaneously.
“How could you tell?” Cayden asked in a soft voice.
Liliana scoffed. “Well, first of all, he was swearing in every language that he knew, which is a lot of different languages,” she laughed as she pressed her body firmly into his. “And second, he hung up without saying goodbye. He never does that.”
“Is he coming here then?” Cayden asked as he gently moved all of her hair to one side of her neck again.
Liliana let out a giggle as he nuzzled her neck. “Yes. He said he’d be right here,” she let out a breathy sigh as she enjoyed the kisses he had placed on her neck and shoulder. “I’ll call Ryan and let him know what’s going on. Then, he can start calling allies and whatnot,” she mumbled as she picked up the office phone again.
Liliana went through the same phone call with Ryan that she did with Jacques. He agreed that they needed to start preparing immediately. He decided to start bringing in their allies and gaining more allies while she focused on finding Adrestia to save Anna’s life.
“When Jacques gets here, we’ll discuss finding Adrestia. Then I’m going to have him go to the vampires and bring them to our side,” Liliana said as she closed her eyes. “There is so much to do,” she muttered as she looked at the ceiling.
Cayden gently shushed her as he continued trailing kisses over her neck. He had switched to the other side, giving both sides equal attention. “I’ll be right here with you the entire time. You’re strong, independent, beautiful, brilliant, and very clever,” he pressed a firm kiss to her neck with each word he said. “You can do anything that you set your mind to, dove. I believe in you, and I’m sure there are a lot of other people who believe in you as well,” he gently turned her face so that she was looking at him. “You’re loving and caring, and others would be idiotic to refuse to follow you,” he whispered against her lips.
Liliana felt her breathing grow a bit heavier at his words. She knew that they were meant to make her feel better, but his tone, comments, and kisses were doing something to her body. She carefully turned around in his lap to face him fully. “What did I do to deserve you?” She whispered against his lips as she gently, yet firmly, held his face in her hands.
Cayden chuckled as he wrapped his arms around her waist with his hands on her butt. “I think I should be asking that question, my little dove.”
Liliana shook her head with a smile before leaning in and pressing her lips firmly to his. Over the two months they had been together, they hadn’t fully completed the mating process, but there had been a lot of touching and quite a bit of hot and heavy make-out sessions.
They made out with each other, letting their hands travel over each other’s bodies until the office door was shoved open and hit the opposite wall. Jacques shook his head and muttered. “Damn wolves and their hormones.”
Liliana giggled as a blush spread from her neck to her face. “Hey, Jacques,” she said as she turned on Cayden’s lap to face Jacques.
Jacques rolled his eyes as he sat in a seat across from them. “Don’t ‘Hey Jacques’ me, little lady. We’re supposed to be preparing for war,” he said as he sank into his seat.
Liliana playfully glared at him. “We were waiting for you,” she mumbled.
Jacques chuckled. “Have you gotten started on the allies yet?” He questioned.
Liliana scoffed as she glared at him. “Of course. I’ve called Ryan, and he’s bringing in his allies. Once we’re done here, Cayden will do the same. Ryan is also going to start trying to gain more allies through the allies that he already has.”
Jacques nodded. “You know you’ll need more than wolves on your side, right?”
Liliana rolled her eyes. “Yes, I know this, Jacques. I want you to go to the vampires when we’ve finished here. I was hoping you could get as many of the clans on our side as possible. Then, once we have enough warriors, we’ll send them out and have them recruit the other creatures that we need. Right now, wolves and vampires are the closest. They’re the closest and, therefore, the easiest to travel to and back. Artemis gave me all the information that we need to find the other creatures that we’re going to need to beat Atlas,” she explained. “And you come barging in here thinking I’m making out with my beloved without already having a plan.”
Jacques chuckled as he looked at her. “I’m sorry for doubting you, my queen,” he said playfully.
Liliana scoffed. “Don’t even start Jacques,” she said as she leaned into Cayden.
Jacques laughed as he leaned forward. “So, what do we need before I leave for the vampires?”
Liliana sighed as she leaned forward. Cayden wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, and she knew he wouldn’t let her fall as she placed her hands on the desk. “I know you’ve been around for quite some time,” she stuck her tongue out at him as he sent her a playful glare. “I’m hoping that you can help me. Anna only has six days from tomorrow before Uranus becomes too much for her to hold up. I know that you have a lot of connections. I was wondering if you knew anyone who could help us find Adrestia.”
Jacques sat back in his chair as he thought for a few minutes. “You know what? If I remember correctly, Prometheus should know where she is.”
Liliana’s eyes lit up brightly. “Well, where can I find him?” She demanded.
Jacques shrugged. “I don’t know where he is, little Liliana,” he said sadly.
Liliana pouted as she folded her arms across her chest and leaned back into Cayden. “Then how am I supposed to help Anna?” She questioned quietly.
They all sat there in silence for a few minutes before Jacques chuckled. “Of course. Daedalus,” he said as he shook his head. “Daedalus keeps track of everything that’s going on. He’s older than I am. I don’t know where he is, but I do know a son of Hermes that knows.”
Liliana’s grin stretched from one ear to the other. “Perfect. Where can I find this son of Hermes?” She demanded as she started bouncing in Cayden’s lap in excitement.
Cayden groaned and squeezed her thighs. Liliana looked at him over her shoulder and saw the look he only ever had for her. She blushed as she went still. “Sorry,” she mumbled before turning back to Jacques. “Where is he?” She questioned as she leaned into Cayden again.
Jacques looked around. “Do you guys have a map anywhere in this office?” He questioned.
Cayden gestured to the world map that was on the shelf. “Right there,” he mumbled as he held Liliana close.
Jacques grabbed it and laid it out on the desk in front of them. He quickly looked it over and nodded as he pointed. “The demigod is here. I have his latest address somewhere in here,” he muttered as he pulled out his phone and started looking through it. “Aha. You have a pen?” He questioned Cayden.
Liliana leaned forward and handed him a pen and a pad of paper. Jacques quickly wrote the address down. “He’s a demigod, so he knows all about the prophecy. He should be more than willing to help you,” he shrugged. “You’re charismatic and a sweetheart, so you should have no issues getting his help if he refuses.”
Liliana nodded. “Thank you, Jacques.”
Jacques stood up with a grin. “Anything for you, little Liliana. You know that.”
Liliana blew him a kiss as he walked out of the office. “Alright. Now we need to grab a couple of warriors to join us,” she bit her lip as she looked at him over her shoulder. “Do you think Sebastian can take care of the pack for a few days while we’re gone?” She questioned him.
Cayden chuckled. “Of course. He’s been my beta since I became alpha. Before that, he was my closest friend. He knows how I operate and how to handle the pack.”
Liliana nodded. “Alright. Let’s get him in here and get him caught up with everything. He can call allies while we’re gone. Once we have him up to speed, we can get a couple of things packed, grab the warriors and then head out. The sooner, the better. We don’t know how long it’ll take to get to Daedalus once we get this son of Hermes on our side.”
Cayden nodded as he stared at her in awe. “You truly are amazing, little dove,” he whispered into her ear in a husky voice.
Liliana shivered as she felt butterflies swarm through her stomach. “What are you doing to me, beloved?” She whispered as she leaned her head back against his shoulder.
Cayden chuckled as he lightly nibbled on her earlobe. “Just because we are preparing for a war does not mean we can’t enjoy ourselves and have some fun.”
Liliana giggled as he pressed firm kisses to her neck. “Call Sebastian here. Let’s get this out of the way.”
Cayden nipped at her neck in retaliation for her bossiness. “Last time I checked, I was the alpha,” he whispered into her ear as he trailed his fingers lightly over her exposed abdomen.
Liliana let out a joyful laugh. “You may be the alpha, but that doesn’t make you the boss of me,” she teased as she went to stand up.
Cayden let out a low growl as he held her firmly in his lap and slowly ground his hips into her. “This is what you do to me, you little minx. Every day in those little outfits you wear and the things you say,” he grunted as he used one hand to wrap her hair and pull her face close to his. “Believe me when I say. I will wait for you, but the moment you say you’re ready and that you’re all mine, I will take everything that you’re willing to give,” he said in a low, dominating voice against her lips. “And you better believe that while we will always be equal no matter what, you will be obeying me in the bedroom.”
Liliana smirked as she ground her hips against him and tangled one of her hands into his hair. “There’s one thing that you better believe, my beloved,” she whispered huskily against his lips. “While I will eventually obey you in the bedroom, I will not make it easy for you,” she leaned forward and nipped at his lips. “Now call our beta. We have work to do,” she whispered with a knowing smirk.
Cayden shook his head with a stern glare. “You will stay on my lap throughout this whole meeting,” he ordered as he ground his hardened erection against her.
Liliana let out a loud laugh as she reluctantly agreed. “Alright. Fine.”
Cayden took a deep breath before calling Sebastian into his office through their shared mind link.
Cayden nipped at her ear and neck playfully while they waited for Sebastian to come into the office.
Liliana giggled and tried sitting up straight when Sebastian knocked on the door. He held her firmly in place, including the hand twisted in her hair. “Come on in, Seb,” Cayden raised his voice slightly so Sebastian could hear him.
Liliana sent him a glare as she tried to adjust so that she wasn’t in the compromising position Cayden had her in. He nipped her neck one last time before letting her sit up. He may have been a dominant man in the bedroom, but he would never embarrass his beloved.
Sebastian walked into the room and sat down across from them. “You wanted to see me, Cayden?” He asked as he relaxed.
Cayden nodded and cleared his throat as he held Liliana in his arms. “There’s something that we must discuss with you. Since I am sure Liliana is tired of explaining it, I will explain everything to you.”
Sebastian nodded and leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees and his chin in his hands as he listened to what Cayden had to say.
It didn’t take him long to explain everything that was happening. “So I’ll need you to look after the pack while we’re gone. It should only be a few days. While we’re gone, I’ll also need you to call all of our allies and see if you can get them to call their allies to help. We’ll need all the warriors we can get on our side.”
“How are we supposed to fight Atlas with just wolves, though?” Sebastian questioned.
Cayden shook his head. “Liliana has all the information on the creatures we need on our side. Her friend Jacques is already on his way to bring the vampires onto our side. Ryan is already working on his allies as well. Once we get back and we have the wolves and vampires here with us, we’re going to set up teams to go and bring the other creatures to our side. Everyone knows about the prophecy, so bringing others to our side shouldn’t be difficult. Especially if Liliana talks to them herself.”
“What are we doing about security and traps to warn us if Atlas’ army comes around?” Sebastian questioned in concern.
Cayden looked to Liliana, who was biting her lip in thought. “Oh,” she said as she sat up a bit more. “We’re going to find Daedalus anyway. I’ll talk him into coming back with us, and he can do our security and traps.”
Sebastian raised an eyebrow. “Daedalus?” He questioned. “As in the famous Greek inventor? The creator of the labyrinth?”
Liliana nodded. “That’d be the one.”
Sebastian chuckled. “I heard he hates helping people and that he’s so far off the grid that no one knows where he is.”
Liliana smirked. “Well, lucky for us, a son of Hermes knows exactly where to find him. And Jacques just so happened to have his address,” she said as she held up a piece of paper.
Sebastian chuckled again as he stood up. “You have yourself quite the Luna there, Cayden.”
Cayden smirked as he hugged Liliana close. “I know I do.”
Sebastian nodded. “I’ll take care of the pack while you guys are gone. I assume you two want to leave as soon as possible since this young demigod, Anna, only has six days.”
Cayden nodded. “Get two of our best warriors prepared as well. It’ll be better if we don’t go alone, just in case.”
Sebastian nodded. “I will have them meet you at the front door in about thirty minutes?” He asked for confirmation.
Cayden gave him a single nod. “Thirty minutes should be fine.”
Sebastian smiled at them before leaving the office.
“Well, we better go get ready,” Liliana said as she stood up.
Cayden sighed but nodded. He stood up with her in his arms and carried her to their bedroom.