The Almost One Night Stand

Chapter 90

Victor's POV

I paced back and forth as Gabe and Jax held the twins. Delilah's forces had dwindled, but a few stragglers still remained. As much as I hated to admit it, both Jerron and Corey had made a huge difference in the fight. When Corey had shifted and faced down the Ossory pack it was obvious that he wasn't an ordinary werewolf. In seconds he had not only subdued them, but established himself as an Alpha, and had them fighting for us instead of against us. Then Jerron arrived and killed the Oilliphéist that was aiding Delilah. Until that happened, I had assumed he was still working with her. The dragon's rage had been uncontrollable. He ripped through creatures of all kinds offering no chance of surrender until he had managed to secure the temple and the twins within.

It was he that had warned all of us about Nimue in the first place. When we made it inside the temple and found the twins asleep, but Melody was missing, Gabriel had lost his mind - admittedly, so did Jax and I. Luke had let loose a wave of magic that sent rocks flying and the walls shook. Then all of a sudden his face lit up, "I can hear her." He grabbed a few of the others, kissed Gabe, and vanished.

"Fucking drama queen," Gabe muttered as he left.

Jax let out a snort of laughter, "Seriously? He's the drama queen between the two of you?" I had to cover my mouth to keep from laughing as well. Gabe just glared at us as he held Aisling who had woken up when Luke shook the walls. She looked at him with ancient eyes. For a child less than forty-eight hours old, she seemed to have an older soul than my own.

He pressed his lips to her forehead and smiled, "I think so too my little dream." He looked up at us, "I never realized until now that her name is prophetic - she has visions and her name literally means dream or visions. Not to mention, she kinda named herself when she came to me in the ash tree."

Jax cackled, "Ha! Just like River Song in Doctor Who!" Gabe rolled his eyes and grumbled something I couldn't quite make out. Before I could ask, Luke and the others reappeared with Nimue in his arms.

Her eyes fell on Gabe and her daughter and she ran towards them, wrapping herself in his arms. Luke walked over and picked up Declan as they sat together, not speaking for a few moments. Melody lifted her head and peered out the window. Jerron's body shifted and his head came to peer inside, his emerald eyes slowly blinking. "Will you come inside, please?" she asked him. His head bobbed and his form vanished from view. A few moments later, he came walking down the steps of the temple wearing his usual black suit, his ebony hair slicked back. He looked like he'd just walked out of a boardroom meeting, not off of a battlefield.

"Dove, are you injured?" he asked, stepping toward her, but not too close.

She stood and walked toward him. When she was about arm's length from him she asked, "Why did you come, and why call Balor? Why not one of the others?"

He sighed, "I couldn't sense you, and I did call out to the others but none of them could reach the temple. He was the only other person I thought might be able to sense your location." She looked at us for confirmation.

"He's right, Flower," Axel said quietly. "By the time we could reach the temple, you were already gone and none of us could sense your location, not even Victor." I let out a breath I didn't know I'd been holding and hung my head in shame.

Her voice was soft, "Anamchara, you have nothing to regret. Mara and Delilah had me in the bánánach underground." I gave her a weak smile and nodded.

"Did he help?" Jerron asked, hesitantly.

"We think so," Luke answered, "He claims he had no knowledge of Mara or Delilah's plan today."

"Wait, you said Mara used her venom?" Jerron seemed to become agitated. "That bastard," he muttered. Several of us asked what he meant and he explained, "After the cabin, Balor and I took the women to Zolros. In exchange for letting us hide there, we basically gave him Mara. He said he was going to strip her dearg due nature, and he also had taken Delilah." He rubbed the back of her neck and blew out his cheeks, "We had realized Nimue was our mate but didn't really know what to do since she and all of you hated us - with good reason."

"Does that mean Zolros betrayed you?" Melody asked, an odd expression on her face.

"I don't know, dove. It's possible his spell simply didn't work and he didn't realize. Mara's been a dearg due for thousands of years. As for Delilah, the last I saw her, she was um, entertaining some pookas in the underground."

"Thousands of years?" she sputtered, "But that would mean..."

"She is the same woman from your past life and just took on a new name," Jax finished her sentence. "That would go a long way in explaining her obsession."

"Doe, that day you told us, you stopped her when she mentioned how you lost each other. Can you tell us what happened?" Marc asked gently.

"I can tell you what I thought happened, but now I'm not entirely sure," she grimaced. "Mara, well back then it was Kitri, we were in the dark grove when we shouldn't have been and got separated. I was attacked by a vampire and didn't survive. Now I wonder if it wasn't Kitri trying to turn me back then and she messed up somehow. Based on timing, I assume she would have been a newly turned dearg due then."

"The combination of her love and her guilt must have warped her mind over the centuries," Jerron added. "She was adamant that you belonged with her. It was her only demand in exchange for helping us." He turned and faced Corey and Raven. "I want to apologize to you as well, Ossory. While I didn't know the extent of her manipulation, I knew she was using one of Nimue's men to betray her to us. For my part in your pain, I am truly sorry and I hope one day you will forgive me." He bowed his head and even exposed his neck to Corey as a show of submission.

Corey growled and lunged, his teeth coming mere centimeters from Jerron's neck, "You dare ask my forgiveness, serpent?" His voice was raspy and much lower than normal as his wolf came to the surface. Jerron did not move, yet continued to stand offering his neck to him.

"Mo mhac tíre," Melody called to him. His amber eyes met hers and he let out a low growl. He held his hand out to her and she took it, burrowing into his chest.

Corey turned his gaze back to Jerron, "This is who you should beg for forgiveness. You and Balor, along with her aunt, have stolen so much from her."

The Oilliphéist fell to his knees before them both, head hung low, "I am aware of my sins, wolf, and I have asked for forgiveness from her as well. I cannot change what I've done, but I can try to make amends."

Melody knelt before him, taking his hands in hers. "I don't know if I can ever get past this, Jerron, but I do accept your apology. Your actions today show your desire to protect me and my children and for that I thank you." His eyes met hers and I swear I recognized that look - it was the same look I had when I saw her in my true form. The same look I have now when I see her or Jax. It was the look of a man hopelessly in love and terrified of losing it. She placed a hand on his cheek as a tear fell from his eye, and her other hand she placed over his mate mark. "I know this is real. I feel it, just as you said I would, but I can also still feel the anger and betrayal. I cannot move past that so easily, do you understand?"

He nodded and reached up to cup her face, "I understand, Nimue. I will accept any role you allow for me in your life. As I told you, I will spend the next million years proving myself to you if I must. I can't walk away from you."

"Well fuck, add dragon to the menagerie," Gabe sassed.  

Author's Notes: So Jerron is part of the mix, but at a distance for now.  Only a handful of chapters left...still have to deal with the aunt and Mara...oh I have plans for Mara (insert evil laughter here).  Don't forget to comment, vote, and follow, please!