Mated to More Than a Myth

30 years ago: On the outskirts of the Tri-Kingdom deep in a cold dark underground cave, Lilith sat quietly chained to the damp floor. She hated it here. There was no warmth, no light, no food, no water, but most of all no life. True, she’d mostly lived a solitary nomadic life over several millennia, and most of it under the cover of darkness, but that didn’t mean she didn’t cherish her pleasant encounters with those that dwelled in the light. She loved the sounds of children playing, birds chirping, bees buzzing and countless other things one could only find during daylight hours. She longed to breathe fresh air and smell spring flowers as she ran wild and free. She readjusted to curl up on her side trying to find a comfortable spot around her chains, in the rags that were once her clothes. She grimaced at the sting of the shackles that absorbed and canceled her power. She concentrated on dampening her dark power and shifting it to a reservoir within herself to use for later. To gain her freedom. Through the centuries mankind has given her many names. The main one being Night Hag. The thought of that particular name almost made her full lips twitch in sardonic amusement. She looked to be anything but a wretched aged hag. With full curves, smooth skin that has a natural golden tan and a dusting of freckles. She looked to be no older than a maid just reaching womanhood. True, she basked and flourished under the cover of night. She played in the shadows, frolicking with all manner of creatures that were ruled by the moon. She thrived in darkness but even more so in the light of the moon. This time she did smile, remembering the fateful night she came to love the moon. Few knew she had met the beautiful Moon Goddess Luna. Several millennia ago, while roaming the edge of a small village, Lilith knelt on the forest floor to cradle an injured tigress that had gone into labor. Lilith shed tears of sorrow as each of the little cubs came into the world still born. She sobbed as the tigress moaned her pain and heartbreak at losing her babies, and was now giving up the battle for her life. All Lilith could think to do was rock the dying mother while singing praises of how beautiful and strong her babies were. As she rocked and sang, the moonlight grew bright enough to outshine the sun. Then a stunning young woman stepped forward and knelt before Lilith and the dead and dying tiger family. Lilith hissed at what she assumed to be one of her father’s angels. “Leave me messenger! I’ll never return and father knows this! Leave me in peace to my roaming! I am harming no one here!” She unfurled her obsidean wings and rattled them loudly for good measure. The small pale-skinned being with silvery white hair, platinum eyes and sleek form-fitting robes, that appeared to be made of the stars, smiled kindly. Then softly said, "I know of whom you speak, but I am not his messenger. I am Luna, the goddess of the moon and all creatures ruled by it.” Lilith, forgetting her anger, dropped her wings back behind her, gave the strange woman a concerned look before asking lowly, “Does father know about this!? He’ll be furious when he finds out, if he doesn’t already know!” At this, Luna blinked twice, paused then threw her head back and gave a peal of laughter. The sound was so beautiful it warmed Lilith's heart and put a small smile on her tear-streaked face. Once Lunas’ laughter died down she gave Lilith a caring smile and said,” Of course he knows of me. He, I and others of like powers are all linked in what could be called a cosmic tapestry. But I’m not here to speak of him nor me. I’m here to speak of you and what you’re doing here.” Luna looked down at the tigress in Liliths’ arms that was laboring with its breath, but never stopped staring imploringly at the woman comforting her. Lilith stared back lovingly into the tigress’ eyes, trying to convey peace and strength. “She was injured by a farmer protecting his livestock. She went into labor too soon. I couldn't save the cubs, but I just wanted to give her comfort and let her know she’s not alone. Nobody should have to live, suffer, or die alone.” Lilith gave the beast a watery smile and rested her forehead against the tiger's and softly nuzzled her as they both shut their eyes. At her answer, Luna nodded sagely at the two with a knowing look. “You are absolutely right, dear Lilith. For your selflessness and the dignity and grace of this beautiful tigress, I deem to give you both the gifts of unity, love, beauty, power, and life. The both of you shall be as one from this night on. There is no man, creature, beast, or being that can best you in strength or power as long as your father or I can smile upon you. You will bring many together with your knowledge and pure heart. In times of uncertainty, rely on your feral side to guide you Lilith. In times of fear and sadness Tigress you will look to Lilith, for she is now your strength. She will always strive to keep you safe and happy.” While the goddess spoke she placed a hand on the feline and woman. She began infusing them with massive amounts of power and the large cat began to fade away like mist. Once her solid form was no more, the mist seemed to quickly be absorbed by Lilith. Unsure when she closed her eyes, Lilith reopened them and was met with what seemed to be a new world. Though it appeared to be just another moonlit night, everything was vibrant and wonderful in a way Lilith couldn’t explain. Her excitement immediately waned when she noticed Luna had risen and was walking away. “Wait, kind Luna! Won’t you stay a while longer please? It’s been so long since another has spoken to me in kindness and acceptance.” Lilith immediately dropped her head in embarrassment and shame at the weakness she had just shown such a powerful being. But Luna simply turned and walked daintily back to Lilith, leaned down and cupped her face with cool elegant hands to tilt Liliths’ face up towards her. Lilith gazed longingly into the kind platinum eyes that smiled lovingly down at her. “Sweet Lilith, you shall always have my ear and forever be in my favor. But I have much to do and many children to guide on their path.” Luna placed a gentle kiss on her forehead that radiated a comforting heat. “What I have placed on your brow is the mark of my chosen guardian. It will lead you to your destiny, be the light where your father and I can’t, and be recognized, feared and respected by all under my dominion.” With that she righted herself and began walking away. With every step she took she began disappearing into a glittering mist that gravitated towards the dark sky. Just as she was almost gone Lilith heard on the wind, “Oh your tiger will be waking up any moment now, so don’t let that startle you too badly. She’s also a bit more talkative than most ferals, but at least you won’t be bored with her. Get to know her well. She’ll teach you everything you need to know about shifting as well as everything you need to know about dealing with your mate… Oops! See you soon, dearest Lilith!” Lilith stood with her mouth agape in stunned silence for only a moment before bellowing at the moon, “Mate?! What mate Luna?! I don’t have or want a mate!” The moon only seemed brighter and fuller as if laughing at her ire. Lilith was on the verge of screeching at the happy ball of silver in the sky when she almost jumped out of her skin at the foreign growling laugh in her head. Then Tigress spoke for the first time, “Our Mate silly Queen! What other mate would we care about? Hmmm… Do you think he has a big…” Lilith was pulled from her memories by the excited voice of Tigress. “Queen listen! Something is coming and it smells amazing!” “Tigress calm down. We’ve been here for at least two centuries and the only things that come in here are far from amazing. Now go back to…. What’s that smell?” Lilith now smelled something that reminded her of freshly cut strawberries and sweet cream. Her favorite. Though she didn’t necessarily need to eat regularly to survive, it had been over two centuries since she’d had any sustenance and her mouth watered at the thought. Tigress immediately began to bounce around her mind, practically shaking with excitement. “See! I told you! I think it’s getting closer! ListenListenlListen!” Though Lilith wanted to laugh off Tigress’ frantic yammering, she couldn’t help but hear the scampering and halting footsteps, and an occasional whimper. The sound tore at their heart. They both sat up straight, pulling futilely at their chains. Neither noticed nor cared about the sting of the shackles, or the power being leeched from them. They gave a frustrated growl as they couldn’t free themselves. The scampering stopped and they heard muffled sniffles and another soft whimper. Tigress softly said, “Call out Queen. I think they’re scared.” Lilith nodded and called out, “Hello? Is somebody there?” Suddenly, the scampers turned into the sound of little feet frantically speeding towards her. She felt the mark on her forehead begin to heat up and give off a soft glow of light over the cavern she was held in. A small figure came in at full speed and launched itself at Lilith. Surprisingly, Lilith just opened her arms and caught the small bundle of trembling nerves and clutched it to her chest in a tight hug. The smell of strawberries and sweet cream engulfed her as tingles erupted on her skin everywhere contact was made. Little arms clung tightly around her as a child sobbed in the crook of her neck. She cooed and rocked, trying to comfort the distraught child. Once the little one quieted down, after a few minutes, Lilith leaned back, resting against the cave wall and softly asked, “What’s wrong, precious? Why do you cry so?” She looked down, seeing the top of a small head full of bright golden curls. Then she was met with the most striking pair of blue eyes she had ever beheld. They were framed by thick dark lashes that sparkled with tears. Her breath caught at how perfectly adorable the small boy's face was. Rosy cheeks, pouty rosebud lips, set below an aquiline upturned nose. In her musings she almost missed that he was studying her with just as much wonder in his sky-blue eyes. His small voice came out stronger than expected as he began to ramble at a rapid pace. “I snuck out of the castle because Momma and Papa had a meeting with the Faye Royals and the Vampire Royals that I’m too young to attend. Which is dumb because I’m a royal too! The other royal heirs got to go so why can’t I?! When I told them that, they said it was not proper princely etiquette to question your parents in front of your piers, so they sent me to my room as punishment! So I snuck out and shifted into my Wolfie so I could get away faster. Then I got lost in the woods, so I shifted back so I could put the clothes I carried back on, just in case there was a hunter that found me. It got dark and I tripped and fell through the ground and bumped my head. I guess it made me go to sleep because I woke up in this big cave, so I started walking in the dark trying to find a way out. Then I smelled cinnamon buns and followed your voice to you. The End!” Lilith was almost overwhelmed at the amount of information and the speed at which it was delivered by this little pup. She knew Tigress felt the same as she let out her familiar growling laugh in Liliths’ mind and gasped out, “Do you think the pup took a breath?!” Lilith internally giggled and shook her head no. During her and Tigress’ inner discussion, the boy reached up with one hand and began to trace her lowered lashes, while the other brought a handful of her curls to his nose to deeply inhale her scent. She immediately purred and leaned into the hand, and basked in the tingles it brought her. “Wow! You’re really pretty, and you smell like my favorite treat! But what are you? Your eyes look like kitty cat eyes, but they change colors like this neat mood ring my Momma has. Also, you have Goddess Lunas’ symbol on your forehead! Why does it glow? Does it hurt? It feels pretty hot but it doesn’t burn! Can you…. OH! ”The boy finally stopped talking as his eyes clouded over, with a look of intense concentration on his small face. Lilith breathed a quiet sigh of relief while Tigress rolled around in her mind wheezing with laughter. The boy was obviously having an important private conversation with his wolf. The boy’s eyes cleared after a few minutes and he gave Lilith a sheepish smile, as his cheeks glowed a deep crimson. He looked down bashfully as he twisted a lock of her hair around his tiny fingers in concentration. “Wolfie… Um, I mean Ambrose said that I was talking too fast again. I’m sorry, I kind of do that a lot when I’m excited.” He bowed his head in shame, bringing another handful of her curls to his face to hide in and sniffled. Lilith stroked his hair in comfort and gave a reassuring smile, softly saying, “It’s perfectly fine little prince. I’ve enjoyed listening to everything you said and I love how happy you are just to talk to me.” His head shot up with a relived and radiant smile painted on his face. Lilith grinned and giggled at his obvious excitement at her enjoying a trait he thought was bothersome. She playfully tapped his nose and he yipped at her like the happy pup he was. She got more comfortable while he sat with his legs crisscrossed against her stomach and used her thighs as a backrest. “How about I answer some of those questions so we can get to know each other a little better?” He nodded excitedly, all the while expertly twirling her hair around his fingers absentmindedly. “My name is Lilith and I’m the first woman. My father gifted me with strength, cunning, life, and natural beauty; among other things. I am also one with nature and all creatures of the moon. I have cat eyes because I am both Lilith and Tigress. Their color constantly changes to match my power and feelings. Since I’m currently happy, I’m guessing they’re swirling bright gold and yellow?” The little prince gave an excited, “Uh-huh!” while nodding his head vigorously. She ruffled his hair and continued. “Now the Goddess Lunas’ symbol on my forehead was bestowed on me a very long time ago when she fused Tigress and I together. She blessed me with her power to be a guardian to all those under her dominion. It provides me with strength, warmth, light, guidance and acts as a beacon….” “To me!” The pup said proudly, with all the confidence in the world. Lilith was on the verge of correcting him when she noticed that Tigress was suspiciously quiet. The only noise she made were the content purrs whenever the boy gathered more of her hair to sniff and play with. Then a thought struck her. But she had to make sure her suspicion was true. So she fixed a confused expression on her face, ignoring Tigress’ growl of warning, and softly asked, “What do you mean little prince?” He looked at her with confusion, then tremendous pain as he leaned forward and placed his tiny hands on her cheeks. He pulled her face closer to his to lock eyes with her. It took everything in her to ignore the roaring Tigress and her own heartache as his beautiful blue eyes began to drown in tears, and his little rosebud lips wobbled in sorrow and fear. “Momma and Papa said I can find my mate early because I’m the next Alpha King. I know I’m small, but I swear I’ll get bigger so I can protect you and our kingdom. I’ll be the best mate and king that ever was! Please don’t reject me! I already love you and if you reject me I think me and Wolfie might die! I’ll do anything you want! I’ll eat my vegetables! I’ll share my toys! I’ll go to bed on time and not argue with Momma about it! I won’t ever run away again! Just please don’t reject me! Please!” By the last strangled please he was a sobbing, choking mess, with a death grip on her hair. His little body shook violently as he seemed to be hyperventilating. He let out whimpers and loud yelps of pain while pressing his forehead into hers. She began to panic and inwardly looked to Tigress for information about what they were seeing. Tigress painfully groaned out a hurried but thorough answer. “He is our mate, my Queen, which means he is not the average werewolf. Normally, the thought of a true mate rejection would just make a wolf very uncomfortable, depressed, or even nauseous if the bond is strong enough. But with him being a royal, it’s about ten times worse. Now add on the fact that you come directly from an original source of power and are basically a living breathing Goddess on earth. With all that power, and the power in both of your bloodlines, the mere thought of you rejecting him could kill him. If you did actually reject him or die (which I will never let either happen), there would be no second chance or chosen mate for him. He would just die an excruciating death.” With that knowledge, Lilith choked on a sob and squeezed his trembling body to her chest in a tight but gentle hug. She rocked and consoled both of them, knowing she’d sacrifice anything for her little mate. So once his breathing had calmed to small hiccups and his yelps regressed to quiet whimpers, she sat back and held his tear-streaked face gently in her hands, and held steady eye contact with his sad blue eyes. She made a vow for both of them. “ I Lilith first woman, first joy and sorrow of God, keeper of life and nature, harbinger of death and terror, Chosen Guardian to the children of Moon Goddess Luna, Queen of Light Truth and Knowledge, Empress of Shadow, vow to never reject you, Prince Alaric, Future Alpha King of the Tri Kingdom.” Once she finished her declaration, the air felt charged with the power of her words. She confidently took the stunned pup's hand, pulling his index finger out, and gently nicked it on one of her distended fangs. The pup didn’t even flinch and watched Lilith, with a mesmerized expression, as she placed three drops of his blood on her tongue. She licked the tiny wound closed, and waited unsurely for his reaction as the power ebbed in the room. She didn’t have to wait for long as a huge grin broke out on his face. His eyes glowed eerie and powerful blue right before he and his wolf let out a joyful and mighty howl. She laughed hysterically when he began jumping all over her and attacking her with innocent kisses, hugs and what seemed like an endless number of “Thank you Princess Tiger Lilly!” Lilith giggled as Alaric settled down back in her lap to talk while placing a few neat little braids at her temple, which went all the way past her waist. Tigress could only purr like a giant kitten at all the affection they were being shown. When she asked Alaric to tell her more about himself, he was practically vibrating with excitement. He told her just about everything he could think of, and at a break-neck speed. Though it was a mountain of information and there were a few phrases she’d never heard of, she held on to his every word, and cherished everything about the moment. She learned he was five and a half years old (the half seemed most important for some unknown reason). His favorite color was blue, his favorite game was red light green light (she had no idea what that was or where you could safely let a child play it). He thought all girls were “gross” except for her, his mother, and grandmother, of course. He wasn’t afraid of anything but also felt the need to tell her that bugs and snakes were “icky” in the same sentence. Of course, Tigress found that hilarious, but Lilith mentally scolded that she would block her out for a month if she made her laugh at their little mate and hurt his feelings. He was dozing off after a while, so she readjusted him to rest comfortably, sitting him across her lap, side saddle. She watched as he fell asleep with a small content smile on his face, still clutching a hand full of her hair. She reached up and used an extended claw to cut off one of the neat braids he painstakingly made. She wrapped it neatly around his wrist, forming an elegant bracelet. She purred contentedly at the thought of him carrying her scent and a piece of her with him always. She was about to curl up and nap with him when she heard and felt something that meant her harm coming through the caves towards her. Her first instinct was to send a warning growl out to stay away from her and her mate, but she knew that would only bring attention to her little prince. She had a decision to make. Fight and hope to break free to stay with her prince while putting him at risk, or use a good portion of her power to send him safely home, out of the enemy’s sites, and wait until she’s strong enough to break her chains and rejoin him indefinitely in the world above her. Tears flowed freely down Tigress and Lilith's face as she made the easiest decision of her life. She kissed his brow, covering him with her power. She watched as he was engulfed in shadow and slid peacefully away to where she knew the entrance to the kingdom would still stand. She whispered a prayer to Luna and her father. “Please keep him safe and healthy for me. When I am free you may ask of me what you will, but until then keep him under your protection.” She felt the warmth on her forehead and gave a watery smile, knowing that at least Luna was listening. She sighed and quickly cleaned her face. She knew her next act was going to be even harder, and she felt sick with the unease of it. But it had to be done for the survival of her and her mate. “Tigress.” Lilith mentally called to her sobbing tiger. “Yes Queen?” Though her voice was gravelly and she knew Tigress was in as much pain as she was, her voice rang out with strength ready to support whatever Lilith decided. “In order to survive this and to get out of this prison as quickly as possible, we need to conserve the most energy over the shortest amount of time. Without our mate, you will grow weaker much faster than I would and the pain would consume us. I need you to sleep until the time is right.” “But, Queen, I can’t leave you by yourself! We do everything together, we NEED each other!” Lilith almost wept at the overwhelming love and devotion Tigress was sending her. But it had to be done. For their mate. Lilith waited patiently even though she could feel the enemy closing in. She had faith that Tigress would make the right choice. With a long-suffering sigh and an infuriated growl, Tigress hung her head in acceptance. “As you wish. But you wake me as soon as we are out. The moment you don’t let me back in, I’m calling reinforcements, and I don’t care how pissed you get…. I love you, and good night my Queen.” Lilith saw the glow of light approaching the entrance to her cave as she felt Tigress fading away into a deep sleep. She whispered softly to her, “I love you too, and good night my sister.” She felt the last bit of warmth leave her heart as the feline fully slept. She was once again the Lilith of old as the color of her eyes turned blood red and while the whites were taken over by black. Her fangs extended at the site of four burly-looking rogues of different species. She could smell their fear pouring off them in waves as they tried to present a united front of “fearless masculinity”. She grinned maniacally and gave a hissing laugh at the terror growing on their speechless faces. “Gentlemen, please come in and make yourselves comfortable. I’m so pleased my generous captors decided to finally feed me such a hearty meal……”