"My father was a wretched beast, always at war with one creature or another. Long before we encountered the first wolf shifters, he was a warlord conquering much of the northern forests of other species. From those he defeated, he took their youngest, most beautiful women, and forced them to join his harem on pain of death. Many chose death after being with him just once."
Lily's throat closed. She wondered if stories of the goblins' sexual violence had originated from this vicious goblin king. If it had been a plague created and spread by one monstrous man, but there would never be a time to ask a question like that, and truthfully, she wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer.
"She was a prisoner of war, then," Lily said.
"From the first wolf pack we decimated in Canada," Theo confirmed. "Many, many years before we first encountered the Kaldron pack and began our feud with you. He had many similar concubines and slaves, and despite how normal it was amongst our kind, it was my mother who made me see how horrible and disgusting the practice was. Eventually ..." He scoffed bitterly. "Eventually, my own father took her from me because he believed she made me too soft. She knew it was coming, though. Just weeks before, she told me she wanted to be buried on a hill overlooking the entire Underland. Can you believe it? Kept here as a prisoner for almost forty years, and she still wanted to be buried here. Because ... because ..." Theo's voice cracked with emotion, and he let out a gasping breath before continuing. "She could have asked me to bury her anywhere she wanted. I would have taken her back to Canada where she belonged. I would have thrown her ashes to the wind in Alaska. I would have gone to Iceland if that's what it took to put her spirit to rest. Anywhere, and I would have seen it done! But I buried her here, just like she asked, because she wanted to be close enough to me whenever I needed her."
Lily felt her heart ache for Theo, and she reached out to gently squeeze his hand. She understood the pain of losing one's mother, as she and Daniel had lost their parents when they were younger. The grief never truly left either of them, but at least they had each other, in a world where losing loved ones was unfortunately a normal occurrence, even amongst shifters. But Theo ... he had grown up in an entirely different world, alone and yet surrounded by beasts who would devour him and spit out his bones if he showed any weakness.
"She taught me to be kind and compassionate," Theo continued after a long moment, his voice thick with emotion. "To be dignified and strong, even in the face of so much hatred and violence that was normal among goblins. To ignore the darkness inside myself and focus on what was good and pure. And I've tried my best to follow her lessons ever since, even if I, at times, had to make shows out of being cruel just like the rest of them. I always believed those moments were a sacrifice I had to make for the sake of the long-term dream of destroying the darkness entirely."
Lily looked at him then, really looked at him, and for the first time since they'd met, she felt as if she saw him. Not the goblin prince who had taken her prisoner, but simply Theo through and through. He had endured so much suffering throughout his life, but through it all he remained noble, kindhearted, and compassionate: a true testament to the power of love to overcome even the most insurmountable obstacles. Lily often complained about how her life hadn't gone the way she wanted it to, what with her parents' deaths orphaning herself and Daniel to the Kaldron pack, who were, more or less, indifferent to them over the years. And of course, she'd complained frequently and loudly about the impossibility of finding her mate.
But compared to all that Theo had gone through, what was happening right now with the goblins in his home ... Lily felt like her problems were childish in comparison. Worse, she was ashamed for coming here to his home as yet another interloper who'd planned to harm him and his plans. Because she had thought he was evil, yes, but she never gave him a chance to truly prove himself and his intentions to her. And when he tried to open up to her, she hurled accusations at him to match the threats he'd given her.
"And now, rebellion threatens to destroy everything you have built in her honor," Lily concluded for him.
Theo let out a shaky breath. "That's right."
"What are you going to do about it?"
Theo was silent for a long time, his expression thoughtful. "I'm not sure," he finally said. "I've been thinking about it since they first came to me with their grievances, and I still don't know what the right answer is. My mother's dream was for a world where all creatures could live in peace and harmony. She believed it was possible, even in the face of all the violence and hatred that exists in our world. And I ... I want to believe that too. But sometimes it feels like an impossible task."
"If you give them what they want and get rid of me, they will only come back for more," Lily said. "If you try to negotiate with them, they will see it as a sign of weakness and move to destroy you even quicker. And if you fight them ... you will be going to war against your own people, rebels and traitors or not."
Theo laughed bitterly. "You've outlined the problems of my situation, yes. It's not pretty. I'm sorry for bringing you into this. Somehow I thought ... the idea that the wolves would come together with us under the banner of peace, they would see that ruin is not necessary. I believe our marriage has had the opposite effect."
"No," Lily said firmly. "I believe you made the right call. Regardless of what you did to me, you had the best intentions in mind for the goblins under your protection. You have to show them that there is another way."
"I'm trying, and now I find that they believe I am wrong for merely existing as a flawed specimen. How can I, a single goblin wolf shifter hybrid, show them that they are short-sighted? How can I fight against a prejudice ingrained so deeply?"
"By becoming a king they will remember through the ages. By making a difference even if they are too blind and wicked to see your goodness. With incremental change, you will make them see your way."
Theo nodded slowly. "Yes ... you're right. It's too soon to give up hope of change. Thank you, Lily."
"And I will be here to help you."
His eyes widened. "But you ... I don't deserve your help after all I've put you through. It would be too much to ask."
"Not everything is about you," she said with a smile and a hint of playfulness. "My fate is now entwined with yours, isn't it? If this goblin rebellion takes you down, I go with it. Or worse, I end up as a plaything in your cousin's harem."
Theo let out a low, rumbling growl. Protective and possessive. "That won't happen."
It made Lily's heart flutter, and her wolf responded in tune with a pleased spark.
"Because working together, we won't let it," Lily said once she'd pulled herself together. "My pack is at risk, too. I won't stand for anything less than keeping us all safe, and your head intact."
Something light and hopeful glimmered in Theo's eyes, and right then, he had never been more handsome. His angular jaw flexed, and he closed the space between them. His powerful arms wrapped around her waist, and those luxuriously soft lips of his pressed to hers, gentle and reassuring despite all the fierce passion simmering beneath the surface.
He was holding back. She could feel it.
And somehow, there was a twinge of regret in her heart that she'd made him feel like he had to.
"Then we better go plan our counter-rebellion," Theo sighed. "Let's go to the palace."
Chapter 8 - Theo
Several months had passed since Theo last visited the Underland and the palace that had belonged to his father and the goblin kings before him. Built upon the worn hands of goblins generations ago, the palace was as elegant as it was militant, with sprawling halls and soaring pillars that stretched up to the sky-high cavern ceiling.