“Can we come in?” Tanya, the small, beautiful woman who wasn’t having a psychotic break, asked.
“I’ve been waiting on you,” Lilly said, as she stood back and motioned for them to enter. She glanced down at her clothes and was happy to see she was at least wearing pants—old jeans with holes in the knees. She also wore a shirt, not exactly clean, but at least vomit free.
“You have?” Peri asked.
“Yep,” Lilly nodded. “I know I have to pay for what I’ve done. I’ve already lost Cypher. So, this is the next step, facing the woman I scorned, facing the man I fornicated with. Dealing with—”
“It’s worse than I thought,” Peri said, cutting her off. She held out her hand, and the phone that had been in Lilly’s palm flew toward the high fae, who deftly plucked it out of the air.
“Hey! I was going to call Jacque,” she snapped.
“Not in this state you’re not. You’d give her a complex.”
“I may be having my own complex, but it’s not like they’re contagious,” Lilly grumbled as she slammed the door closed.
“Actually,” Peri said coolly, “when your daughter is already in quite a state of alarm herself, hearing her mother say she had to pay penance for fornicating with her father might actually make her crazy, too. Let’s not find out.”
Lilly stared blankly at Peri who simply stared back. When Lilly could no longer take the cool glare of the fae, she turned to face Dillon and Tanya. She felt relief as she saw no jealousy in the female alpha’s eyes. Despite the dreams and memories she’d been having of Dillon, the emotions that had once been there were long gone.
Lilly looked at Tanya and only saw pain in her eyes. “You’re not here to accuse me or yell at me, are you?”
Tanya’s brow furrowed. “No, Lilly. I have never felt any ill will toward you.”
“But he was yours. Even before you were born, the Great Luna destined him for you.” Why was she building a case for the woman who currently didn’t seem to want to rip her head off? Did Lilly subconsciously want the woman to attack her? Probably. Hell, she had invented an afterlife lover for her dead mate. At this point she didn’t think she could surprise herself by anything she said or did.
“Yes. But he met you at a time in his life when he needed you. And for that, I will be forever grateful to you.” Tanya was being genuine. There was no deception in her voice or eyes. Neither could Lilly detect any condescension.
The warlock queen tilted her head as she looked at Dillon. He must have recognized the confusion on her face. His lips turned up in a small smile. “My mate is a conundrum, Lilly. There’s no doubt about that.”
“And what about Jacque?” Lilly challenged as she looked back at Tanya. Surely, this woman couldn’t be as kosher about her true mate having a child with another woman, even if it was before they had met.
“I’m thankful you could give him a daughter. I can’t have children, Lilly. You blessed him, us really, with something I will never be able to,” Tanya told her. “The Great Luna doesn’t make mistakes. Jacque was meant to be yours and Dillon’s. And I would not be so cruel as to wish that away from either of you. Not when I have wished for a child of my own so badly.”
Lilly felt the breath whoosh out of her as she stared at the blonde she-wolf. As far as having an ex’s significant other to deal with when you share a child, Tanya was a gift. So, if they weren’t here to make her pay for her sins, then were they still a delusion? Had her mind somehow turned this into some warm and fuzzy thing so she didn’t feel so guilty?
“Bloody hell, woman,” Peri yelled. “This isn’t a damn delusion.”
Lilly frowned. Had she said that out loud?
“Yes. You’re talking out loud without even knowing it. I hadn’t realized your crazy had jumped into complete lunacy. We are really here. Tanya is really as selfless as a damn saint, and Dillon is checking on you because your daughter is worried sick about you. But she knows that if she and Fane come here, it could look as if they’re using their position to get access to the new warlock queen.”
Lilly blinked several times as she let the high fae’s words sink in. “You’re really here?”
Peri walked over to Lilly and slapped her, hard, across the face. Lilly heard a gasp that wasn’t her own. It must have come from St. Tanya, and then a curse followed from Dillon. “Does that feel like a hallucination?”
Lilly felt the energy building inside of her, energy that she’d heretofore been able to keep under tight control. The electricity that seemed to like to dance across her skin flickered between her fingertips.
Peri glanced down at Lilly’s hands and smiled. “Queenie has some new tricks. Don’t try them on me, or I’ll fry your cute ass. But it’s good to see you haven’t completely lost your backbone. You’re going to need it.”
“Lilly,” Dillon said, nudging Peri out of the way. Tanya stood beside him, his hand wrapped tightly around her smaller one. “No one can put themselves in your shoes. You’ve not only lost your mate but you’ve taken on the role of leader of an entire supernatural race. That’s a lot. And it would be a lot for any one of us. It’s okay to freak out.”
“Freaking out, yes,” Peri said from over his shoulder, “but walking around like she’s high on mushrooms? That’s a solid not okay.”
“Peri,” Tanya said. “Maybe less pointing out that she’s having some mental issues and more encouraging her that we’re here to help?”
Peri sighed. “If I’m going to have to be around you more, Tanya, you’re going to have to be much less sweet. We already
