Jaguar Moon ; Redemption

Briley's Story

After three hours of sleeping, Layla’s mother finally opened her eyes. Layla, who had been sleeping in a chair, awakened with a start. She rubbed her tired eyes ,and repositioned herself in the comfy chair that Aeobheann had brought in for her to relax in while her mother slept.

“Layla,” she said with a raspy voice, “You’re still here.”

Layla grabbed her mother’s hand and smiled ,”Of course I am.”

“I promised you a story, didn’t I?”

“Not right now, mother,” Layla said, “They brought you a tray of food just a few moments ago, so why don’t you try and eat. There’s hot soup ,and delicious bread, “ she said, as her mother winced.

“I’m not sure I’m ready for food yet,” Briley said, giving the tray the side eye. ”My last meals were nothing more than gruel.”

“I can assure you, this is not gruel,” Aeobheann’s 5’11” frame crossed through the door, her eyes blazing with determination. ”This food was made by one of my best chefs ,just for you. Not too rich, but still tasty to fill your belly and give you some nourishment.”

“I am sorry,” Briley shook her head, lowering her eyes to the floor, “I didn’t mean to offend you, Queen Aeobheann.”

“You know my name.” Aeobheann said with a smile, “Then you know I do not rest on pomp and circumstance. All I want is for you to regain your strength, and you can’t do that if you don’t eat.”

“Yes, Queen, I mean ma’am.”

“Layla looked on, standing now, beside her mother’s bed. It was hard to watch her bone-thin mother try and reject food, when she knew it was the one thing in the world Briley really needed.

Her long ,pale blonde hair had been washed and brushed, but was still thin and broken off from years of malnourishment and mistreatment.

A small smile crossed her lips when her mother took her first bite of food .It didn’t take long for the famished woman to pick up the bowl of soup and drink it down . Five more minutes, and the rest of it was gone.

Layla’s mother looked up at Aeobheann and smiled, her green eyes just a little brighter.

“I think I am ready,” Briley said with a sigh, and Layla took in a deep breath.

Layla pulled the chair she had been sitting in closer to her mother ,sat down, and grabbed her hand. Aeobheann did the same thing on the other side of the bed ,and they were ready.

“Lots of my memories are hazy,” Briley started, “But I deftly remember your father taking you away from me.” Briley’s eyes brimmed with tears as she looked over at her daughter.

“I had just given birth to you ,and he swept you up and out of my arms. I begged him to give you back, but he just shook his head, saying that it was too dangerous, that he had led the wrong people to us, and he had to get you to safety. Before I could do anything, he had taken you away from me ,but at least he gave you the name I begged him to.”

“It’s ok,” Layla squeezed her mother’s hand, trying not to cry as she held it together by a bare thread. “It wasn’t your fault.”

“I know,” he mother said, shaking her head, “But I missed your whole life ,and then they came for me.”

“It’s ok, mother,” Layla said again, trying to comfort her mother, “He left Roan all by himself as well.”

“Roan,” the word fell from Briley’s mouth like a teardrop. ”My other son. He may not be mine by flesh and blood, but I raised him for a time. Is he here?”

“Yes, mother, he is, and he wants to see you, in fact he was with Madden when they brought you back. He had to go with Madden and my mate to a meeting. ”Oh, you have a mate? That is so wonderful!!” her mother looked up at her , shaking her head, her green eyes sharp, “He better be good to you.”

“He treats me like a princess,” Layla chuckled at the double meaning.

“Anyway,” Briley cleared her throat, “Back to my story. After a month of looking for you, I had given up. I was on my way back to our little house, to be by myself once more. Roan had disappeared with his dad, and I was all alone.”

Layla didn’t fight it this time, she let the tears fall, just like her mother, but she didn’t interrupt her.

“As soon as I came through the door, everything went dark.”

Briley started shaking, her voice trembling, and Layla and Aeobheann gripped her hands tighter.

“We are here with you, Briley,” Aeobheann’s soothing voice rang through the air. “You can stop if you want to.”, 

“No,” Briley shook her head, “If I don’t tell you now, I’ll lose my nerve.”

Taking in a deep breath, she continued ,”I awoke in a damp cell, with a hooded figure standing over me. Her face was covered by a cloak, but she was tall, like you,” she gestured to Aeobheann, “She said they needed me, needed my fae blood. I never knew until I ended up with Nix at the end how they had gotten their claws into him .I didn’t know, until it was almost too late! If you hadn’t listened to his pleas, we would be dead.”

Layla crawled into the bed with her mother, holding her while she cried. This was enough for one day, she thought.

Layla’s mother grabbed her by the shirt, her eyes wild, “They kept me hostage, using me for scrying spells,” she went on, her voice shaky, “I was in a void. I lost all track of space in time, like an aimless zombie, all the while, they used my blood to spy on Nix. He had sabotaged his own flesh and blood, stealing the alpha’s mate.”

“Axel,” Layla whispered.

“They seemed hell-bent on destroying your mate, Layla, and hunting down anyone with magical abilities, even you and your husband,” Briley pointed to the queen, who gave her a weak smile.

“But try as they might, they could never get to you and Madden, your magic is too powerful.”

“Aye, it is,” Aeobheann nodded her head," So what happened then?”

“They were happy controlling Nix like a puppet on a string, while I watched helplessly. They seemed to revel in my sadness. When they weren’t bleeding me dry, they forced me to work in the kitchens, then sent me back to my cell at night, starving me to keep me weak.”

Layla hugged her mother tighter, feeling her protruding bones. Anger and sadness pierced her heart, and she stifled a sniffle, she had to be strong for her mother.

“They kept me like that for years, until one day Nix ended up in the cell with me. He told me you were alive, Layla, and all the things he had done to you. They had beaten him nearly to death, for failing to capture you, and threw him in a cell with the mother he thought had died during giving birth to you, Layla.”

Layla shuddered, still keeping a grip on her mother. Why was her life so complicated? She never asked for any of this, especially to be at the center of a plot so devious, that it shook her to her core, but there would be no running away this time.

No ,Layla would see this through, like the warrior she truly was.

“You know the rest,” Briley sighed. “You saved your brother and me, and here we are.”

“Yes, you are safe now,” Aeobheann said, still holding her hand. “Whoever these people are, they cannot reach you here. Madden and I are ancient wolves with old magic enough to protect the pack, as well as many others, not to mention your daughter’s magic, as well as you and Nix, and now Axel.”,

“What will happen to Nix?” Briley asked, “What will happen to my son.”

“ Nix will go before the pack alphas,” a male voice boomed, and Madden walked into the room.

“He will be given a fair trial, and we will take it from there.”

“It is more than he deserves, but thank you for your kindness,” said Briley, who was now openly crying.

Layla let out an exasperated sigh. This had taken an emotional toll on her mother, and everyone needed a break. She looked down to see that her mother had fallen asleep, her cue to leave.

She quietly climbed out of the bed, nodding her head at the doctor as he came in to examine his patient.

“Ok, everyone, time to leave,” He announced.

Layla, Aeobheann and Madden exited the room, walking out into the main lobby of the hospital .Layla plopped down in the first chair she found bending over with her elbows on her knees. She took in a deep breath, sitting up and running her fingers through her hair.

“I need to see Nix,” she said, as she stood suddenly.

“You can’t right now, lass,” madden said,” he’s gone in front of Axel and Aiden for questioning.”

“Without me?”

“For your own safety,” Madden nodded.

“Well, he cannot lie in the Jaguar Princess,” Layla growled, “Now take me to him, or I’ll have Chalci find him,”

“Aye, princess,” Madden smirked, “As you wish.”