The Abandoned Path

The Longest Night

A light snow fell, the sky white and the evergreens around the lake dusted with frost. Lilith watched the small crystals drift lazily in the still air, her hands turning her phone front to back, and front again. Leviathan had informed her that she would be attending a Winter Solstice celebration in two days. Normally, that would not be something she would spend much energy on, but this was an intimate engagement, only for the Kings and Queens of the realms. The thought of it made her hands stall, her stomach dropping and twisting. In addition to this information, Leviathan informed her that she had a plus one, since she was without a King.

"Copia will be your plus one Lilith, I'm sorry." Leviathan had told her, his eyes full of compassion for her plight. She was trying to work through the stages of grief but was stuck somewhere between anger and bargaining. Lilith groaned, putting her head on the dining table in front of her. She had decided she would have a relationship like Belial seemed to have. She had actually never met any of the other Queens, this fact certainly not helping her reluctance to attend. Sitting back up, she unlocked her phone and called Alpha.

"Hello my Queen." He answered, a smile spreading across her face. She loved his voice and was even getting use to him calling her Queen.

"Hello Aamon." She chuckled, then paused. Would he be mad? Or maybe he wouldn't care? "Hey, uh, are you free?" she asked, twisting her hair around her finger.

"For you? Always." He replied then hung up, stepping into the living room a moment later. Once their eyes met, his face fell. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Do I look that bad?" she sighed, standing up and walking to him. He wrapped an arm around her waist, his other hand brushing her cheek. He was stunning as always, his ocean blue eyes shining, his blonde hair messy and grown out a bit, his beard thicker. She melted into his embrace, feeling weightless in it.

"You never look bad. But you do look troubled." He gave her a sympathetic smile, the corners of his eyes winkling a bit. She let out a tense exhale, laying her head on his chest. "Tell me what's wrong." He said softly, running his fingers through her hair.

"I have to go to the Winter Solstice thing." She lamented. His fingers rubbed her scalp, moving to the back of her neck. Her fingers ran over the black cotton shirt, exploring the hard muscle below. "I have to go with Copia." She finished the news, Alpha's hand stalling.

"I see." He took in a deep breath, trying to calm his anger. "It's one night Lilith, just remember that." He pulled her from his chest, looking down at her.

"It's the beginning of the rest of my existence." She lamented, her lips turning down. He frowned as well, at a loss for what to say. Cupping her cheek in his hand, he instead kissed her. It was a deep, passionate kiss, Lilith raising to her tippy toes to meet him. It was a kiss that he hoped expressed to her not only her safety but his affections. Behind Alpha, someone cleared their throat, pulling the two apart.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I was hoping to take Lilith shopping. For Friday." Leviathan stood at the entrance to the kitchen, his arms folded across his chest. Lilith looked around Alpha, her cheeks hot.

"Right, okay." She smiled and stepped away from Alpha, her laced fingers in front of her lap. Leviathan smiled at her, putting his arms down and walking to them.

"Hello Aamon. It's an honor to have you in my home, as always. Never did I think we would encounter each other as much as we have these past few months."

"Yeah, same." Alpha grimaced, sliding his hands in his pockets. "Well I'll head out. I'll talk to you later Lilith." Alpha smiled down at her and took his leave. Lilith looked up at Leviathan with pouting lips and sorrowful eyes.