exiled

Digging his thumbs into the sides of her body, the beta inhaled one last time before breaking the kiss. Panic settled shorly after, as his wide eyed look and rushed speech would suggest. "Okay..that wasn't..I don't know what got into me, Elizabeth. You gotta believe me," Jax looked up, catching a glimpse of the mistletoe and put some distance between them. Could there have been some magic involved? Something was off..so off. He could not even remember the last thing they said, for christ's sake, and she..well, she was awfully quiet. "E-elizabeth?"

As they pulled apart, whatever urge she had to kiss him was gone. She had been angry, how had that changed so quickly? Her eyes were just as wide as the ones looking back at her. Jaxon had kissed her but she had kissed him back and she didn't know why. Putting a hand on her chest, she pushed him back a few steps, needing the space between them. "We can't. I wasn't..." she trailed off, taking another step back. A thousand miles of distance between them would feel too short. She still owed him a conversation but she would not be doing it tonight.

Glancing over her shoulder, she saw her husband standing there with a look of hurt and confusion and Elizabeth's expression fell. Whatever hope she had for one last family Christmas was quickly fading. "I - I believe you but I have to go. Good night, Jaxon." She was filled with a surge of guilt because, once again, she was chosing someone else's feelings over his. Her eyes drifted to her husband with a sad expression before she left, leaving Jaxon behind.

"I am sure they appreciate how they grew up." She hummed in a soft tone. She didn't know what else to say, not wanting to pry, or make anything about herself. She liked learning about others, finding connection was always a really wonderful thing, however surface or deep that was.

"That's funny, I'd give anything to go back in time and be playing pretend with my siblings. Adult life can be really hard." Her nose scrunched up as she spoke. Her eyes cast down to her note book and her cheeks flushed a little feeling exposed. "Oh I mean kind of, not really," she waved her hand. "I write songs...or poems from time to time. They are just mostly for me so I don't know that I would call myself an artist really. I think you should probably be bold enough to share your work with the world to be taken seriously, you know?"

"That I can agree with. Sorry, I'm sure you're hoping someone older will tell you it gets easier," she said, giving her an apologetic smile. Life never seemed to get easier, even now when she was getting to her later years as a wolf.

She’d talked her way out of worse, but for some reason, this stranger saw right through her. Oh well. Under different circumstances, she might have taken a moment to figure out who or what this woman was, but she was pressed for time. Dropping all pretense, Elena straightened, determination flaring anew. “A meeting,” she repeated distractedly, her gaze shifting back to the café. "But that's perfect. Only a lunatic would walk in there." Or someone who was human. The latter part of her reasoning lost, Elena moved to step past the woman, intent on greatly expediting her plan.

"Yes, a lunatic," Elizabeth agreed. The wolf was less worried about the deity's well being than she was the human's. Deity's might have been indestructible but human's weren't and she did not want to be linked to a break of the golden rule. There seemed to be no dissuading her from the way she was glancing over her shoulder. Elizabeth stepped with her, stepping into the deity's space. "If you're going to do something stupid, with a complete disregard to your own well being, I'm coming with you," the alpha responded.

Clenching his jaw, the beta stared back at Elizabeth in the same manner he had for the past half hour and watch her as she closed in on him, with a threat to rip his throat, no less. Something he could tell she very much meant. "Do it." he challenged her, "Maybe that way I'll stop being such an inconvenience to you.." It hurt to say but it was how this whole situation had made him feel; like some object one could dispose of after it'd served its purpose..like..after all these years, his worth was synonymous with his contribution to the pack and not who he was as a person.

Not shying away, Jaxon braced himself for a fight...but that wasn't what happened. Suddenly, it was as if their resolve melted away and was replaced by something else, electricity...coming off from some spell. "..shit." Jaxon whispered, knowning well that he was no match to those eyes or her begging so softly. "I just..I don't know if I can do this.." his eyes fluttered, invaded by the alpha's scent and yes..feeling her lips so damn near to his that.. well, he caved. Gripping the side of her face, the beta captured her lips in a bruising kiss, pulling her body to his with an anger he hadn't felt in years.

She had the urge to comfort his pain with her touch. Elizabeth had been the one to cause that look in his eyes but she didn't know how to fix it. It was already done and she was a hundred years late to an apology. Her hands came up slowly, resting against his chest, leaning against him. There was no pack for her to lead anymore so she didn't care if she had to plead with him.

As the music continued, there was much to be said on both sides and yet, Elizabeth seemed to be doing all of it, leaving Jax with no means and no chance to respond. Only to take it all in, his fingertips failing to grasp her hand as the alpha pushed him away and made her way to an exit. How dare she do this again? Deny him this..after everything he had done for the Lycaons? Oh, fuck no. Jaxon was getting his explanation, and he was getting it tonight.

Pushing his way through the crowd, Reed chased after the brunette until they were alone, lost in one of the many hallways and raised his voice. "So I don't get to be a dad to her because it messes with your perfect family? Because it upsets people!? Well, let me tell ya..some family you have, Elizabeth- " he spat, not realizing where he was standing..or rather, what he was standing under. "You don't get to decide this for us..and neither does Caleb. The fact that you kept that secret for so long tells me you had no intentions of giving me any explanation..after all I've done for you..this is how you do me!?"

Jaxon was determined to prove her right but following her. As fast as she moved, the beta was able to keep up with her. "Will you shut your mouth?" she hissed, turning to face him now. Maybe she would have told him, she had wanted to so many times over the years but she couldn't get the words out. Jax had been in their lives still, he still saw Gwen grow up. "Don't you dare," she warned, stepping into his space now. "Don't you dare say a bad word about my family or I'll tear your throat out myself," the alpha warned, letting her eyes flash under the dim lights.

Something changed as she took another step closer. Her anger became sadnessm and longing. The whole party would soon know their secret and Elizabeth wasn't ready for that. Her expression fell, dark eyes looking up at him, almost pleading with him to just keep this secret for another day. "Please, Jax. I'm not ready," she said, almost whispering as she stepped closer again.

The beta's eyes looked into hers, filled with anger and hurt, so much hurt..and he let it all speak for him. "Well, it just so happens I got nothin' to hide, Lizzie." he scoffed, not sure how he was managing to dance and talk at the same time. "You do. And I'm tired of fucking waiting for you lot.. don't you think a hundred years is enough? Hell, I've kept my mouth shut for your son for over a year with no results. So I don't care where it is but..you better say somethin' now or I will." He deserved as much, right? Maybe he was stepping on some toes now and risking his own well-being, but she had known this side of him. And she knew it well.

Pulling her in as the dance required, Jax caught a glimpse of Gwen again..and other pack members looking at him and made his intention clear.

"It hasn't been a hundred years for you, it's been like a year so cool your accusatory tone," she growled, letting her calm demeanour slip. Elizabeth was the one who held this secret for a hundred years, not him, not her children. She had protected them from this and they let some vampire come in and stir everything up. "My son was doing the right thing. Something you and Gwendonline seem incapable of doing because your too self absorbed to see the bigger picture."

As he pulled her back, in Elizabeth put a hand to his chest and put some space between them. "I'm not having this conversation here," she repeated, unwilling to back down on this. She refused to let him ruin the last possible christmas she could have with her family as a whole. This conversation could wait a week, whether he liked it or not.

As they joined their hands, getting up to speed with the moves, the beta sucked in a soft breath and braved some talk. "..so," he said, "..what's it like being back home? Must be interesting, given the circumstances. Speaking of which, got anythin' to say to me?"

It had been a while since she had done these dances but the steps came back to her. Her eyes were still on her feet, watching each step to make sure she didn't stomp on his toes. The questions came quick and fast, showing her that Jaxon didn't really want her to answer them. The last question was the one he wanted an answer for and he barreled straight through it, even stepping on her toes in his eagerness.

"Not in particular," she answered bluntly. He hadn't even let her answer his questions before it turned accusatory. "We're in a public forum, surrounded by all manner of supernatural creatures with excellent hearing. And my husband and children are here," she reminded, forcing her features to remain soft. Yes, she might owe Jaxon a conversation but she wasn't going to do it here. He couldn't stamp his feet and threaten to quit on her, she wasn't the alpha anymore and he wasn't part of the pack either.

Truth be told, Jax didn't think it would hurt that much to see her again. A year ago, he would have been happy to, but..knowing what he did and given the way things had unfolded, it was a miracle he was standing so calm. So it was true, then, he thought to himself, Elizabeth was back. Tugging at the lapels of his jacket, the rogue wolf questioned his wish to confront her. After all, it would have been far easier to pretend like he was not interested. Seeing Gwen there too, however, brought back his purpose. Their kid..at least to his thinking.

Exhaling once and allowing his instincts to take hold of him, Jaxon walked up to the alpha and finally..finally broke his silence. "Elizabeth." he rasped in greeting, holding a hand out and keeping a cool exterior despite the war brewing inside. "..may I have this dance, please?"

When she was by herself, she caught sight of Jaxon across the room and froze for a moment before swiftly ignoring the beta. It would do no good for this conversation to be public and she had hoped that he would be here with his girlfriend. She had heard about Esme and Jaxon and was happy for them, given the friendly relationship the two alpha's had.

It turned out she wasn't that lucky, she smelled the beta before he even got close and turned to face him. The look in Jax's eye made it clear what he wanted to say to her and she steadied her gaze back at him. She wasn't going to look sheepish or weak because of this. She still stood by her decision. "A dance?" she answered, eyes widening in surprise. Somehow, that was the last thing Elizabeth had expected.

She paused as she saw someone, standing a few paces in front of her. Frankie closed her notebook, pushing it back into the bag that was slung over her shoulder. Carefully she steeped closer, her boots hitting the pavement as she watched her expression.

The woman spoke, and a smile slipped past Frankie's own lips. "Sounds dreamy," she stated. "I'm well aware this is none of my business so feel free to tell me to fuck off. But is it the fond kind of reminiscing, or the achy kind?"

"You're fine," she assured. It wasn't an easy question but Elizabeth did her best to put her thoughts together. "A bit of both I suppose. I raised all my children here," she answered. There were good and bad memories but the bad ones were what sat at the front of her mind now. There was going to be consequences for her to face, a husband she would likely lose and a family to lose as well.

"I find memories are always happy and sad but they're all part of the story. I do wish my children were still small enough that they curled up and slept beside me. They would all avoid that like the plague now," she added. "So, are you an artist?" she asked, having seen the notebook that she'd tucked away.

"So, I'm guessing you'll end up on her side. She does always cry the loudest," Elizabeth answered. It might have been cruel to say but her daughter's attitude had always been an issue. The first to anger and the first to cry about how she had been wrong because of that anger. Maybe if she looked at things calmly, she wouldn't end up in tears so frequently. "And Caleb is getting shit on because he is the quiet one," she concluded, knowing all those loud personalities had probably kept Caleb shut down. She had been able to see the strain in her son and know it was clear where it was coming from.

He led them down the street in silence, keeping one step ahead of her until they reached the Lycaon home just as a pack leader should. Would his mother be proud of how he was carrying himself now? Caleb did not even want to think on that now, not when he had been plagued with all this family drama in recent months. The same family drama that made this current meeting between him and his mother possible.

They entered the Lycaon home where there were a few pack members on guard, their eyes watching Elizabeth as she walked through her old home behind her son and they eventually entered Caleb's private office and the door closed behind them.

"I'm going to skip the pleasantries," he said as he finally turned around to face Elizabeth, his eyes still not quite landing on his mother's face. This was going to be an awkward conversation or potentially an explosive one and Caleb was not looking forward to it. "I don't know how much you've heard. I'm sure you still have people whispering to you about the goings-on within the pack... I wouldn't begrudge you your old friends, but you have some explaining to do, mother. About Gwen."

There was a slight sag in her son's shoulders. He was always like the greek titan Atlas in that way, he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders and never let anyone take the burden. It was a trait he had picked up from her unfortunately. As they entered her old home, she was filled with nostalgia. This was where she grew up and where she had raised a family. It had been hard to leave and it was even harder to be back.

Knowing she was likely about to lose her family and husband as well made it harder for Elizabeth to be there. She sighed softly, glancing to the staircase, knowing her husband might be up there and she sent a silent apology up those stairs before following Caleb in to her office. Into his office, she amended in her thoughts. "I happen to like the pleasantries," she replied.

Elizabeth was patient enough to listen to him but she frowned. "If you're going to start like this, at least have the courage to look me in the eyes, Caleb," she said. It was easy to slip into her stern mother voice around him. Technically she didn't have to do any of this, she wasn't a pack member anymore but this burden wasn't Caleb's to carry. "It's complicated but since you already seem to know, why don't you tell me why you know? Or perhaps, why you took the word of a vampire, of all people, over coming to speak to your mother?"

He takes the papers from her with a grateful nod, shoving the last few sheets away. "I'm sorry for inconveniencing you. Perhaps I can grab you a coffee? As a thank you, for saving the rest of my files from blowing away with the wind." He says with a genuine smile, tilting his head back towards the coffee shop he'd just exited. "They do a great blueberry scone, if you're interested, Ms...?" He holds out his spare hand to shake.

Elizabeth felt a little guilty for being so snippy at him but her own thoughts had been far away. "I mean I won't say no to coffee," she agreed, knowing it was easier to accept than leave the man feeling guilty. Plus any reason to procrastinate at the moment was a good one. "Or blueberry scones," she added. "Lycaon, but Elizabeth works just as well." She took the out stretched hand to give him a firm handshake. "So, who am I thanking for the coffee?"

"It's been a while, how are you?" How much did she know about what was going on with the pack? He couldn't imagine she was happy with them, but every time he'd tried to encourage Caleb to get her advice on pack issues, he had shut the idea down, so Elijah didn't know how much a semi secret drama would have reached her yet.

"Elijah," she greeted with a nod. "I'm doing okay, I am missing retirement," she answered before looking back to the street before her. "And how are you doing? How's the coven?" she asked. During her time as leader, they had always been allied in some sense. There was no reason for them not to be when there were other, larger dangers at hand for them to worry about.

"Well I wasn't reminicing about your bad attitude and lack of respect, Gwendolyn," she answered, crossing her arms over her chest. The girl was over a century old and still acted like a bratty pup and she wondered why Elizabeth didn't see a leader in her, she was too self obsessed and narcissitic to put others first. "I'm not even back for you, how self absorbed are you to think everything is about you?"

But this most recent debacle their family had come under was something Caleb decided not to go to Elizabeth how. How was he going to confront her about having an affair decades ago? How was he supposed to confront her about the fact that his sister was now his half-sister and the man who worked as second-in-command for both Elizabeth and himself was her father? Caleb had been stressed for months by now, especially when everyone seemed hellbent on blaming him for Jax's decision to leave the pack. It made no sense to the alpha and the increasing animosity he was feeling between himself and Gwen felt like it was coming to a head... That was when he decided that he needed to put on his big-boy-pants to finally talk to his mother.

He found her a few streets away from the Lycaon family home, the place she had not returned to ever since Caleb took over the pack, and came up to stand next to her. "You can come and reminisce inside if you'd like..." the younger Lycaon said, sparing his mother a glance for a brief moment before he tore his eyes away from her. Despite being his mother, Elizabeth was still intimidating to him even after all this time.

"Do you want to have this conversation inside?" she asked, glancing up at him. It had been a long time since she had to look down at him but he still seemed like that young boy who rested his chin against her stomach and told her about his day. With a small sigh, she looked away. She didn't know when her children became scared of her but, in her retirement she found herself wishing she had seen it sooner.

"There's a look of wolves who have good hearing. We might be overheard," she said after a moment. It depended on the kind of conversation Caleb wanted to have. Did he want pack member's to overhear their family probelms? "We can go wherever you feel most comfortable," she offered, trying to show she wouldn't be difficult. He was the alpha and this was his territory now so she would follow his lead.

The old wolf sighed, crossing his arms. "You should have told him sooner." Not even Will knew which him he was referring to. Caleb knew the truth now. Did her husband? What about Caleb's siblings? Hell it took Jax longer than needed to know the truth. She'd robbed him of a few of the years of raising Gwen.

If Caleb was letting the members of the pack talk to him like that, she could understand why things were slipping. Elizabeth's arms crossed over her chest in return as she turned to face the beta. "And what should I have been telling 'him'?" she asked with an arched brow. Her tolerance was wearing thin but if he wanted to have this talk and wanted an answer, he could spell it out plainly.