"Thisbe," a voice called from down the darkened hallway. The light haired girl froze in the doorway, peering over her shoulder; fear clouded her onyx eyes and in the dark, she hoped her companion would be unable to tell. "Thisbe? What are you doing?"

"Liliana," Thisbe said, taking a step further into the hall. Liliana was a friend, she was safe territory. As far as Thisbe knew, Liliana would never turn on her or reveal her secrets. "I could ask the same of you." She paused, then infused steel into her voice. "Is that the way you were taught to speak to your higher ups?"

Liliana froze in the midst of coming closer to Thisbe. Even in the dark, Thisbe could see the hesitation flicker across the younger girl's face. Thisbe almost felt bad for pulling rank in the moment, but guilt was something she had long forgotten in the months since her forbidden tryst had began. At first, her stomach had permanently been weighed down with guilt and anxiety, but somewhere along the line in the past few months, she'd forgotten how to feel either emotion.

"Are you okay?" Liliana asked tentatively, coming to the decision not to move any closer. "I thought you had gone to bed after your argument with Jessica and the Chancellor."

"I got restless." The lie rolled off of Thisbe's lips like honey. "I'm sorry, Liliana. I would like to continue speaking, but you should be in bed. The baby will suffer if you don't get rest."

Liliana's face collapsed and she took a step back, horror forming in her crystal eyes. Thisbe should have felt bad, but she would have done anything to escape in the moment. She shouldn't have been aware that Liliana was pregnant, but she heard things while sneaking around and once she heard those things, it was rather hard to forget them.

"Ma'am-" Liliana began, obviously looking for an excuse as to why she hadn't reported her pregnancy yet, not that Thisbe was one to judge in this particular area. Thisbe raised a hand, silencing her, nonetheless.

"Back to bed, Liliana," Thisbe's voice rang with finality and authority, leaving no room for Liliana to argue. Liliana ducked into a bow, whispering a goodnight before fleeing back down the hallway. Thisbe released a relieved sigh then ducked through the door way, and after that, through the garden door.

The moon was high in the sky, and she took a certain amount of joy out of the fact that it was a full moon. She froze for a moment on the pathway towards the fountain, listening closely, wondering if she could hear the howls of any packs that might have ventured out for the night. After a few moments of silence, she hurried down the stone path towards the fountain with the angel in the center, raising it's sword high up to the sky. The shadow of the angel fell over a smaller shadow, but the smaller shadow sent a jolt of joy through Thisbe and caused her heart to begin racing.

"Cain!" She called out, momentarily forgetting the fact their meeting was to be incognito. He turned and his lips quirked into a smile, his arms raising just quick enough to catch his lover as she threw herself at him. He held her tight against him, pressing a kiss to the crown of her head.

"My love," he muttered, running a hand over her back. "It hasn't been that long. Are you okay?"

Thisbe pulled away, frowning as she looked him over. His obsidian hair seemed in place; his eyes that matched his hair slid over her, as if searching for injury. Her heart rate increased, afraid he might find something else.

"I should be asking you that," she finally said in a hushed tone, lowering herself onto the ledge of the fountain. "Is Lucifer aware you're here? Did he catch you?"

Cain's face twisted into a scowl at the mention of Lucifer, someone he hated very much. He shook his head, taking a seat beside Thisbe. He subconsciously leaned into her, their shoulders pressing together. "No," he replied, winding an arm around her waist. "He has no idea. But, I told you. We won't have to worry about him much longer."

"Cain." Thisbe felt full of anxiety for the first time in awhile. "I think you might need to move up his assassination."

Cain's dark eyes fell on Thisbe, concern flickering in them like hell fire. "Thisbe? Darling? What's wrong?"

"I'm pregnant."

The implications of these words and what might happen for their future child rang in their ears and the silence of the night, but in the moment all Cain could do was hold his lover and accept that he had far more responsibilities than future King of Hell from that moment on.

***

"She's my daughter! Give her back! You can't do this!"

"Thisbe, you can't keep her. She needs to be sent away."

"She's my daughter! And-and- and she's all I have left of him! Bring her back! My baby girl!"

"Thisbe, you're going to need to calm down or else we will need to sedate her."

"Jessica, please! Tell them! Tell them they can't take her!"

"At least let her hold her daughter one last time?"

"We can't do that."

"Please!"

"Sedate her now."

"Onyx! Baby girl! I will always love you!"

***

"Jess."

The sound of her husband's voice drew Jessica away from the window; for the last three hours she had been watching the snowfall, wondering if it was snowing where her best friend's grave was. Ben stood in the doorway, reluctant to come in any further. It'd been almost two months since Thisbe's passing, but still Jessica had yet to come to terms with it. Out of everyone, she was grieving the most. No one had seen it coming, and somehow, that made it even worse.

"What is it?" Jessica's voice was merely a whisper and her entire body trembled. She was a shell of what she used to be, and who could blame her? She had been apart of the destruction of her best friend; she would never be able to move on from that guilt.

"Villa is here with a young boy. His family was murdered by hunters. He needs somewhere to stay. You were the first person they thought of," Ben explained carefully. He was worried Jessica would turn away the boy, that she would be reluctant to help him. Yet, Jessica stood straighter, worry forming in her eyes; she'd lost her family at a young age too and was aware of how much it could hurt to be aware of the fact that you were alone in the world. She wouldn't let the boy suffer like she had.

"How old is he and what is he?" Jessica asked in a soft voice, crossing the room in strides. She was anxious to meet the boy, to wrap him in a hug as soon as possible.

"Seven year old werewolf," Ben replied, his voice just as soft. Jessica swore under her breath and nodded, then brushed past her husband to greet her friend and the young boy. Villa and the boy sat in the kitchen together, the boy sitting on the counter and Villa standing beside him, speaking to him a hushed voice. She lost his attention the moment Jessica walked in the room, though.

His grey eyes peered at her and her heart ached at the amount of pain she found there. He was only seven, how could he experience such hurt at such a young age? His black hair was ruffled and in his hands, he fisted a crumpled photo. She approached slowly, carefully, as if she was about to meet a wounded animal.

"Villa," Jessica said, barely regarded her old friend, keeping her attention directed on the boy. "Could you leave us alone for a moment?" Villa nodded and swept out of the room, leaving Jessica and the boy to their own devices. "Hello, sweetheart. I'm Jessica. Could you possibly tell me your name?"

The little boy seemed to tremble beneath the weight of her gaze as he answered her in a small voice. "Cassius."

"Well, Cassius," she whispered, slowly pulling him into a hug. "I know you're frightened and you're terribly sad, but I'm going to do everything I can to keep you safe and give you a new home. It's going to be okay, Cassius. I'm hurting a lot too right now, and I think maybe, if we try hard, we can heal each other."

Cassius clung to Jessica and allowed himself to cry, unaware of the fact that he had found a new mom in her.

***

The boys, Morgan, and Paisley huddled close together on the couch together, watching Jessica and Liliana pace in the kitchen. Their voices were low, but it was clear to the children that they were both in distress. Kaleia played on the floor in front of the couch, and while they were supposed to be watching her, they didn't pay much mind to what she did.

Snippets of the conversation drifted to the group.

"Is Ben aware that you've made contact?"

"This is what Thisbe would want."

"I want her here with me, Liliana."

"Are you insane? Jess, it's not safe for the kids. She's part demon! She was sent away for a reason!"

"The same reason that killed Thisbe."

"Why can't you support me?"

"Why can't you put the kids first?"

"ONYX IS JUST A KID TOO."

"A KID THAT BELONGS IN HELL WITH HER FATHER."

"Get out of my house."

"She's destined to ruin us, Jessica."

"GET OUT OF MY FUCKING HOUSE. I WON'T HAVE YOU SPEAK OF THISBE'S DAUGHTER IN SUCH A MANNER."

Liliana left the house in a flurry of slamming doors, but she did so without her children. She couldn't bring her girls with her when she was so furious, and besides, she knew they would be disappointed if they didn't get to sleep over like they were promised. Landon, always having been relatively close with Jessica, slid off the couch and tip toed into the kitchen where Jessica stood over the sink, practically dry heaving.

"Mommy?" He called out to her in a quivering voice.

Jessica looked up and smiled at him through her tears. "Baby boy. Is something wrong?"

Landon hesitantly approached then reached up, wrapping her in the best hug he could give when he was so much smaller than her. She crouched down, making it easier to hug him back. She gave him a kiss on the head, revelling in the comfort he brought.

"Mommy," he murmured as he pulled away, eyebrows pulled together. "Who's Onyx?"

Jessica's face crumpled again but she quickly smoothed it over with a smile. "She's a very special girl I hope you get to meet someday."

"How is she special?" Landon demanded to know, still frowning.

Jessica ran a hand over his head, her smile turning pained as she said, "She's a queen, baby boy. And if you ever get the chance to meet her, you should treat her as such. Okay?"

Landon nodded his agreement, content now that his mommy seemed less upset. He was prepared to ask more questions about this Onyx girl, wanting to know if she was a nice queen, but before he could, whining drifted from the living room.

"Mommy! Jase is making fun of me because I haven't shifted yet! Tell him it's not my fault that my wolf is stub-born."

And after that, Onyx was forgotten for several years, or at least that was what Jessica had thought.

***

"My biological mom is dead," Nyx's voice stabbed at the boys' hearts, the way it was drenched in pain. "They took me away from her. And my dad... he's... and that makes me a queen? Of Hell? And I'm also...? And Pais and Morgan are too...? And you all are...?"

"Yes. You're a Queen of Hell, as well as the daughter of the last leader of the witch Coven. Morgan is next in line. And yes, we're werewolves," Isaiah said bluntly, as if it stating it like that made it an easier pill to swallow.

"You couldn't have waited for me to tell her?" Jessica's voice was heavy with anger and hurt and many other emotions. She stood in the doorway, staring at her God daughter, the hurt in her soul showing in her eyes. "Nyx, I'm so sorry, sweetie, but now that you know we're going to be forced to tell the government."

A crazed grin came over Nyx's face. "Maybe I'm not crazy. Maybe I'm not psycho and I didn't kill my family. Maybe my fears aren't true, but now they've been replaced with new fears." Her eyes flickered over to Cassius. "A queen, you say?"

His lips quirked into a smirk and he lowered himself on to one knee, as rumbled out, "All hail the queen."

For one asinine moment, Nyx almost let what they had told her consume her. But then she jerked her chin up and pinned a steely glare on Isaiah, the one who had always been the most straight forward with her.

"Prove it," she demanded.

"No." Jessica interrupted causing Nyx to scoff. "Get some sleep. Tomorrow we leave for Portum. If you want proof, you'll get it there."

"A queen needs her beauty rest," Mik joked in an attempt to get Nyx to relax slightly.

Nyx let out an abrupt laugh and sunk backwards into the couch, staring into what felt like a void. "A queen. Of Hell. I guess I can work with that."

a/n: this is unedited but merrily because I was so excited to share this chapter with you!! Here is the truth about Nyx, her past, and the boys! I don't like the ending much but it was my best attempt at wrapping it up nicely with a little boy. What do you guys think?

Also, I totally ship Thisbe and Cain, fight me. Idc if he's the King of Hell, they're cute.

Comment if after this chapter you would like to do a Q and A to to clarify anything.

xoxo,

ry.