So it hadn’t been the most eloquent rationale but it was support and Caia would take it no matter the source. In the end Lucien had come to a fair but disheartening agreement with the pack. If Caia was wrong and the Council didn’t find the proof against Marita, Lucien would make sure it was clear those pack members who didn’t support her were not punished simply because of them. He told them they could walk away now, but that had only served to anger the pack more. What they really wanted was for him to disown Caia - it was easy to read on their faces as they glared resentfully at her. And no matter how selfish she knew it was, she was thankful that he loved her too much to walk away for them.

That night, exhausted and wanting nothing more than to sink into bed with Lucien and close her eyes to their problems (their household for one, which was now straining with the tension of Ella’s anger at them and poor Magnus because of his refusal to agree with her) Caia had been struck with more unnerving news. As they said goodnight to Ryder and Jaeden, the last to leave, they were stopped at the foot of the stairs by an unexpected visitor.

“Saffron!” Caia yelped in surprise as the faerie appeared inches before her. The faerie, though somber, managed a wave of hello.

“Good evening, Caia. Lucien.” she twisted her mouth as she said his name. Caia wondered what that was about.

Lucien returned the look and nodded a welcome. “Saffron. What brings you here?”

Her beautiful face was pinched with anxiety as she glided past them and into the living room. Feeling a little apprehensive at her appearance Caia followed numbly, waiting for the axe to fall.

“I’m here because I found out that Caia has asked the Council to give her the right to run for Head of the Coven.”

“Marion told you?”

Saffron gave her a somewhat patronizing look. “No. That’s why I’m here. Marion doesn’t know.”

Caia blinked, sure she hadn’t heard correctly. “How can she not know if you know?”

“Because Marita hasn’t told her. Or Vanne.”

“How does Marita know? I take it the Council found the proof?”

Saffron shook her head, her face pinched with anger. “Derren has been imprisoned by Marita.”

Lucien stopped pacing up and down at the window. “What? What the hell is going on?”

“Marita is crafty, Caia. I’ve never really... well, liked her. She’s a different kettle of fish from Marion. I came here tonight to warn you that she won’t play fair in this. With Derren in prison, the Council are going to be suspicious of his whereabouts and they will probably demand a search of the Center. She won’t let that happen. I hope you are ready for a bloody and relentless battle with this woman?”

Caia gulped just thinking about it. “I kind of have to be.”

Saffron sighed. “Well I’m afraid Marion will not take to this news at all when she finds out. She is very fond of you, Caia, but Marita has a way of manipulating the people close to her.”

“I won’t hold anything against Marion. Marita is her sister. She loves her. She’ll believe her.”

The faerie nodded thoughtfully. “I on the other hand have been around a lot longer. I’ve felt this change coming. I will try and keep my eyes and ears open at the Center for you, but Marita has tightened her security since the Council sent in Derren.”

Caia didn’t know what to say. She didn’t understand such a generous offer.

Saffron laughed at her expression. “You might not have my mistress’ support but you will have mine.”

“That is extremely generous of you.” Caia tried not to gape at her.

Again the faerie chuckled but the laughter didn’t reach her eyes. Her eyes were hard with determination. “There is nothing generous about my offer, Caia. I have survived this long in this war because I’ve always chosen the right people to fight for... the winning side. Quite simply you are the winning side.”

Lucien grunted. “Well, thanks for the support no matter the lack of feeling behind it.”

Saffron rolled her eyes at him. “Lykans, you’re so sentimental.”

“Seriously, Saffron, thank you; for the heads up, as well.”

“Hmm sure. I will be in touch.”

And then she was gone.

Caia whirled around to gawk at Lucien. “Can you believe that?”

He wrapped an arm around her waist drawing her close. “At least we know you have some powerful support. You might actually win this thing.”

“Did you ever doubt it?” she teased.

“Yes.”

She smacked him and tried to pull out of his embrace but he held tight, laughing at her efforts. “Just for that, no sex tonight.”

“Oh come, querida, you know I’m your biggest supporter.”

“No, it’s too late. Damage done.” She sauntered away from him, heading up the staircase. Teasing him kept the pain of reality at bay for a while. She tried not to smile at the sound of him jogging to keep up, at the same time trying to be as quiet as possible.

As he followed her down the hallway to their bedroom she heard him whisper, “You were joking about the no sex thing, right?”

She rolled her eyes at him as they entered the room, shutting the door behind them. “We’re balanced on a precipice of potential disaster here and that’s what you’re worried about?”

He looked at her blankly. “Well... yeah.”

For Jaeden and Ryder she imagined their big day arrived just as slowly, at least that was the impression Jaeden gave her every time she complained about Ryder’s excessive ‘gentlemanliness’.

“I’m telling you I’m losing my mind,” she grumbled to Caia as she practiced her telekinesis with her. Laila and Vil sat on the back porch, glad to be free of Ryder’s apartment and taking in the fresh air. Caia liked them nearby, still afraid that Marita would suddenly grab a hold of Vil’s trace and appear out of nowhere to take them away from her.

Caia chuckled. “You have one more night and then he’s yours.”

“Yeah, he’s going to pay big time for this,” she grunted throwing all her energy into spinning Lucien’s weights into the forest. Caia had been impressed by Jaeden’s accuracy, but remembering how she’d had to telekinetically throw a car once, she wanted to build Jaeden’s strength. Lucien had pretended to be more than happy to donate his training weights for their purposes.

“Nicely done.” Caia nodded encouragingly.

“It’s rather therapeutic,” Jae decided, her hair sticking to her forehead with the exertion. “I can’t wait to move into Ryder’s. My parents are driving me insane.”

Caia winced. “I’m sorry about that.”

“Don’t be. I’m a grown woman with the right to make my own decisions. If I choose to support you that is none of their business. Personally I’m a little disappointed in them.”

“They’re entitled to their opinion.”

“Come on!” Jaeden hissed, throwing a meaningful glance towards Laila. “They’ve met her, they’ve know you. You both have Midnight blood in you. That isn’t telling them something!”

“You can’t just wipe out centuries of hate, Jae.”

She snorted. “Yeah well, better you than me running this show because I would just lose my rag with the whole lot of them. How are you so calm, so patient?”

Caia laughed humorlessly. “I’m not. I’m just good at pretending otherwise.”

And it was the truth. As she sat with Lucien in his backyard, watching happily as Magnus asked Artemis to bless the mating between Jae and Ryder, she was uncomfortably aware of the discontent among the pack. Loyally, they had shown up for the mating, but many of them were avoiding Caia. She felt a little teary when the moon colored glow lit up between her friends bound hands. They kissed each other passionately and she felt herself leaning into Lucien. The pack cheered and everyone stood to congratulate them. Caia quickly got out of their way, edging closer and closer to the woods. As they dispersed, walking in little groups into the house where the festivities awaited (weird, strained ones she was guessing) Caia looked longingly into the dark velvet of the forest.

“You want to run,” a hot breath whispered in her ear.

She grinned. “You have no idea how much.”

Lucien took her hand and began pulling her into the trees. “Come on then.”

A little while later they lay tangled in one another’s arms, their clothes abandoned around them. Caia shivered as he stroked her hair, loving the sound of his heartbeat beneath her ear.

Why couldn’t this be her life? Why couldn’t it be this simple?

“You wish we had a proper ceremony?” Lucien asked her softly.

“No.”

He chuckled. “That was certainly adamant.”

“Can you imagine all that attention?” She shuddered. “No thank you.”

He shook with amusement. “You do realize that running a campaign for Head of the Daylights and actually being the Head of Daylights requires quite a bit of limelight?”

“That’s different, that’s necessary. I don’t need a ceremony with lots of people watching on to know that I belong with you.”

He squeezed her closer and pressed a loving kiss on her forehead. “Ah, querida. I feel the same.”

“Why do you call me that?” she whispered lazily, knowing this moment was a little slice of sunshine in their murky little underworld. She swore she could feel him smiling into her forehead.

“My dad. He called my mom it and I remember how happy it made her.”

“I’m such an idiot,” she groaned and he laughed at what she knew sounded like a change in subject.

“Explain.”

“You called me that after the daemon attacked me. If I had opened my eyes a little I would have known how you felt way back then.”

“You know now, that’s what matters.”

They lay for a little longer, snuggled together in the darkness.