7: Lily

As she watched the grass fall from the sky, her heart felt slightly lighter than the past week she had

been here. Opening up about her experience wasn't easy for her, but it felt good to get it off of her

chest. Dr. Marshall had the degrees to work with her, but Jayce was an ear she can speak to with no

medical background, as far as she knew, anyway. To her surprise, speaking to him about it actually

put her at ease, and it made her want to talk to him more.

"A distraction.” She said, but she didn't know what she meant by that. Her writing was always her

escape after Jasper dealt his beatings. Even if her body was trapped, she found a way for her mind

to enjoy the little things. Until he took that away from her next. Her mind clouded and her heart

sped up. She felt another attack creeping its way toward her. She looked around for a place to run

when he grabbed her hand and helped her to her feet. Without telling her where he was going, he

lead her inside the house. Her breathing quickened, but his iron grip wouldn't release her. She

pulled, but he refused to let her go.

"Please." she whimpered as he took her up the stairs and down the hall. Her mind went to the

darkest of places until he opened the familiar white door and gazed at the beautiful grand piano

inside. He let her go and stepped away to let her breathe. Was this his way of helping her cope?

"I heard you playing a few nights ago." He said to her as he leaned against the wall, his arms

crossed against his chest. She felt her cheeks flare up in embarrassment.

"I should've asked you if I could play it. I'm so..."

"I want you to play for me now." He told her, and she stared at him. She looked back at the piano.

"It's okay?" She asked him, and he nodded. Her heart squeezed in her chest as she moved to sit on

the bench, her fingers grazed along the keys, and she let out a satisfied sigh. What should she play?

Before she could really think it over, she just let her fingers loose and a gentle melody filled her ears.

She shut her eyes, creating a scene in her mind of the forest behind the mansion. She thought of

the leaves swaying in the summer breeze, the sunlight poking through the canopy. A black Wolf

sprinting. Her fingers stopped suddenly and her eyes shot open. Why would she think of him?

"Is everything okay?" He asked her, and she peered over at him. He was still leaning up against the

wall, his piercing eyes standing out against his black hair. Her cheeks flushed, and she turned her

face away.

Why am I blushing now?

"Yeah, I just...” She swallowed. "I was putting a scenery together to go with the song and something

showed up unexpectedly.” She admitted. He cocked a brow as he stepped toward her. Her eyes

dropped to his broad chest, his tattoos kissing his lightly tanned biceps and forearms. She wanted

to trace them with her tongue.

With my tongue?!

"Well, was it working?" He asked her, drawing her attention back to his face. Her heart skipped at

the sight of his handsome features. She nodded as he took a seat beside her on the bench. "Then

go back to the scenery." He whispered into her ear. She shivered at his low, sexy tone and bit her lip.

Her fingers went back to the keys, and she shut her eyes. She was more aware of his presence now,

and the powerful smell of rain coming from him. So, she focused on that.

Her fingers moved, the melody soft and deep compared to before. She played with the keys like

they were rain droplets. Delicate, yet strong. The image of his black Wolf came back to mind again,

but she maintained it. She pictured him running through the forest alone; the rain drenching his fur.

The rain enhanced his already set aroma. It filled her senses to the brim. Though he was alone, he

felt free in this form. His paws left massive prints on the wet soil. The Wolf came to a stop and

shifted back. His muscular back glistened with rain, his tattoos standing out more across his upper

back. His damp black hair pressed against the curve of his neck. The clouds broke away as the rain

died down and a full moon shined down on him. The droplets that covered his gorgeous form made

it seem like he was sparkling under the moonlight. He tilted his head back and howled.

Lily's eyes fluttered open as her fingers pressed on the last key. The soft, high-pitched tone echoed

through the room. Her heart and mind were steady for once. She smiled, turning to look at him, his

face just inches from hers.

"Thank you." She whispered, doing her best to hold his gaze. She felt his breath tickle her nose.

Heat rose into her cheeks again. He was dangerously close, but she didn't want to flee this time.

"It was beautiful.” He whispered, "What was your inspiration?” He asked curiously. She bit her lip,

her eyes outlining his jawline until they reached his lips.

"You." she whispered ever so softly, but his Wolf hearing caught it. He inhaled sharply. His fingers

brushed against her neck as he filled in the space between them and kissed her. She felt bursts of

energy across her lips when she returned the kiss. His hand snaked behind her neck, making her tilt

her head up toward him as he deepened it. There was an eagerness behind this kiss that she wanted

to explore, but tenderness to show that he respected her boundaries. His other hand slowly

unzipped her hoodie, brushing it off of her shoulders. Once his fingers caressed one of her scars, a

switch flipped on inside of her and she pulled away hurriedly. She grabbed her hoodie, folding it

over one another to cover up her body. He pulled his hands away, his pupils dilated. He stared at

her, a look of annoyance crossing his face. Oh fuck, did she let things go too far?

She got off the bench and made a dash from the room, but his agility surpassed her own. He pinned

her to the wall just outside the door. She gasped, staring up at him as one of his hands opened her

hoodie again and his eyes took in all the scars across her chest that her tank top couldn't cover. His

nose flared, the muscles in his biceps and shoulders tensing up.

"Did that fucker do this to you?" He asked angrily. She tried to look away, but his hand gripped her

chin, forcing her face back toward his. "Did Jasper do this to you?" He asked again.

"Yes!" she nearly screamed, tears running down her face. Her knees wobbled and caved out from

beneath her as she dropped to the floor. Jayce knelt down in front of her, pulling her into his arms.

She tried to push off of him, but he restrained her.

"Lily, no man should ever touch you that way.” He talked. She was shaking so hard in his arms, she

could feel him shaking with her. He tightened his hold on her. "I will do everything in my power to

help you get over that monster. I promise.” He completed. She can feel it in her heart that he meant

it. "Do you remember when you asked me what it was like to be the Werewolf King?"

"Yes." she replied weakly.

"It's lonely.” He told her. She finally looked up at him, seeing the sadness in his eyes. His fingers

brushed away her tears. She leaned into his hand, gasping at the electrifying experience.

"But you have everything you could ever want." She said to him, but he only grunted in response.

"I have the money. The house. The rule.” He started listing with his fingers, "I've bed more women

than I can count.” His eyes settled on hers, his fingers tipping her chin upward. "Is that what

happiness is?" He asked her. She looked into his eyes, searching them.

"You're asking me what happiness is?" She asked him. Somewhere deep within her, a fire was lit, and

it burned. She wiped her eyes. "I spent the last six months being abused by someone I thought

loved me. Changed the way I dressed, how I ate. I lost communication with my family, my friends.

They warned me of his behavior and I ignored it." The fire in her chest grew brighter and stronger.

She got to her feet, shoving away from him.

"Lily, calm down.”

"He blinded me with the illusion that I was happy while he abused me. Every fucking day until he

broke me.” She pulled off her hoodie and tossed it to the ground. She exposed all the lacerations

that she hid from him. Most were small and thin on her forearms and neck, while there were darker

and thicker scars on her chest. She watched Jayce's lips curl back in a snarl as he eyed her body. She

reached down and started pulling down her jeans in front of him.

"Lily, what the fuck are you doing?"

She kicked off her pants, showing him more variety of scars that decorated her body. His eyes

widened at the sight of them.

"When he finished cutting me, he raped me.” His head snapped up to her, a deep growl emanating

from his chest. She can see him struggling not to shift, but his hands sharpened into claws. "Every

day until he was satisfied.” The tears of sadness that had once soaked her face were replaced with

tears of rage. The fire in her chest was roaring wildly. She never felt this way before. It felt good.

"To answer your question, my happiness resulted in this.” She gestured her body again to him. He

stepped toward her, her back pressed up against the wall as both of his claws came down on the

wall beside her head and slashed at it. She glared up at him, watching one of his eyes partially shift

over. His fangs protruded from his lips. To other Humans he looked like a horrifying monster. To Lily,

the monster that had done this enraged this man.

Lily slowly smothered the fire in her chest, placing her hands over where her heart was racing. She

hadn't even gotten this far in her therapy session yet, but he triggered the fury in her with that

simple question. She let out a breath, holding his bestial gaze, and slowly reached out to his face.

He flinched, but he didn't move away as her hands caressed his face.

"Happiness has a different meaning to everyone." She said. Jayce's face slowly shifted back to

normal, his hands still on the wall beside her half naked body. "Your happiness may not come from

what the benefits of being a King is. It could be small. It could be silly." She brushed his hair from his

face. He turned his face toward her hand, his lips brushing against her skin. She felt heat settle

between her thighs. "Happiness should be the most important thing to you.” She let out a breath,

reaching down and picked up her pants and hoodie. She dipped from his enclosure and went to her

room, leaving him to his thoughts.