《Mated to the Warrior Beast》


 Chapter 1

    Chapter 1: Sacred Ground


    ~ TARKYN (Pronounced TAR-kin) ~


    Tarkyn grunted, pain stabbing through his chest and arms as he swung the spear, but he pressed on. The dirt and gravel crunched under the dry soles of his feet, the dust and sharp stones cutting and splitting the skin. But he ignored the pain as he stood tall once again, brought the spear upright to the guard position and breathed deeply five times before widening his stance and beginning the forms again.


    The blindfold he wore stopped his sweat running into his eyes, but covering his ears as it did, not only made his entire body warmer, but muffled his hearing in a deeply disturbing way. But that was the point. The ritual traditions were clear. When Tarkyn had entered the Hallowed Grounds the day before, he¡¯d put himself in the Creator¡¯s hands. He brought his plea to the feet of God, and he sacrificed himself for the answer.


    Either the Creator would reveal his mate, or Tarkyn would fall prey to the ends of his physical limits. After over a full day of the forms in the beating sun, even his warrior body was exhausted. He wondered if that was to be his fate.


    There was a part of him that would be relieved.


    When he turned, his head spun and without his sight, without andmark or the horizon to focus upon, his bnce went with it. He stumbled sideways and had to catch his weight with a stutter-step to his right.


    The blindfold hadn¡¯t left his eyes since he found his ce in the Hallowed Grounds the previous morning. He had no idea how much he¡¯d traveled in the forms in the hours between. But his body was beginning to fail. He recognized the signs.


    He didn¡¯t know the hour, only that his skin burned after two afternoons in the sun without food or water.


    .....


    He didn¡¯t know the answer to his plea, only that if he didn¡¯t receive it soon, he likely would meet the Creator and be able to ask him face to face.


    ¡°Please... I beg you...¡± he breathed. Then returned to the forms, though he knew his movements were slowing.


    ¡°The blindfold because I am blind,¡± he panted as he stepped to the right and swung the spear as if clearing a path through enemies. ¡°My ears blocked because I am deaf,¡± he grunted, thrusting, then twisting it as if an enemy died under the de of it. ¡°Every ounce of breath and sweat because my efforts are for naught.¡±


    He turned, swinging the spear back up to the defensive position, then thrust again, ¡°I am nothing...¡± then turning his head as if to hear something behind him, and he yanked the butt of the spear sharply back as if to catch an ambusher.


    ¡°I am nothing. I bleed myself dry. Please... show your n. Show me the face of my mate.¡±


    Tarkyn was the greatest living warrior in a people of warriors. The Captain of the Queen¡¯s guard. Aplished, strong and fit even among the Anima people. But he was still mortal. And for the first time in his life, his body was... dying.


    ¡°Please...¡± he whispered as he drew himself upright again, but his foot dragged, the sharp gravel biting into the dry cracks in his skin. ¡°Please... I...¡±


    He ... what?


    For a moment, blinking under the blindfold, Tarkyn couldn¡¯t remember what he was doing.


    But his limbs began to move, as if programmed-step to the right and swing. Turn and thrust. Forward, then behind-and he was reminded.


    The Hallowed Grounds.


    The Creator.


    The Ritual.


    He hade to plead for his mate.


    For the first time, he wondered if perhaps he was not blind. Or deaf. Perhaps his solitude was the Creator¡¯s n? Perhaps the Creator had always intended for him to spend this life alone?


    Despair, thick and choking, crawled into his throat at the thought.


    He had fulfilled his duty for decades! Serving first the great King Reth when he was yet a cub! And now he had led the Anima soldiers in battle, overrun their enemies, the humans, and honored his Queen, Elreth, in clearing thend from threat.


    He¡¯d shared his soldiers with the Queen¡¯s brother, and embraced the Protectors. He had walked the people through invasion and loss and grief, and now they were safe.


    They were all safe. And happy.


    Except him.


    He had done everything asked of him. Everything! Why would the Creator deny him this? It was every Anima¡¯s deepest desire to find their True Mate-or any mate-and build a family.


    Why would Tarkyn be deprived of it when he had been so faithful?


    His head spun. His body shuddered. He was no longer sweating, he realized. His head ached.


    Instinctively he turned his eyes down to look at the skin on his arm, though he knew it was dry. But he was blindfolded. And it was as if the earth under his feet shifted. Turned. The Hallowed Grounds lurching to flip him onto his aching head.


    He tried to catch himself as his weight shifted and he toppled,nding with a grunt when his dry skin scraped on the gravel.


    He had fallen. An embarrassment. But it was no matter. Soldiers fell often. They just got back to their feet and pressed on...


    But he¡¯d lost his spear. And when he tried to hold the weight of his upper body on one braced arm, to search with the other, his strength gave out.


    He sprawled in the dust, dirt and heat in his nostrils, the sunbaked pebbles under his cheek searing his dry skin.


    He could not stop! The ritual demanded that he continue until his plea was answered, or he received his death. He had vowed to the Creator Himself...


    Was that the n, though?


    The niggling thought wouldn¡¯t leave him. Had he reached the moment of his death? The moment he would stand before the Creator and answer for his life? Had it trulye?


    Spiraling fear twisted his guts. It couldn¡¯t be...


    He tried one more time to feel for his spear, but his arm iled uselessly at his side. His body unable to follow his instructions.


    The pain in his head increased, and yet he seemed to swim away from it. Darkness much deeper than the blindfold sank over him to grasp him in its ws.


    The wind-usually so damp and full of life in the forest-rushed over him, shockingly dry, carrying with it what little sanity he had left. He tried to push up on his arms and failed. Tried to reach for the blindfold, but his fingers couldn¡¯t grip.


    And so, Tarkyn the Warrior, the Captain of the Queen¡¯s Guard, the Protector of the Royal Family, and the male who had sought his mate with everything within him, gave up.


    As the breath of wind rushed by leaving only the searing sun and barren earth of the Hallowed Ground beneath him, Tarkyn couldn¡¯t even identify the scents in its tendrils as it faded.


    Terrified as he felt his death prowl towards him, he tried to call for his mate, the yearning in his heart given voice for the first time. But his throat was too dry, and his tongue was beginning to swell.


    Sprawled in the dirt, unable to move more than his fingers, Tarkyn reached finally for his beast-the massive lion that lived within him. But even his beast had gone silent.


    He would have wept if he had tears.


    Tarkyn had remained faithful. He had tried. And he had failed. He was utterly alone-even without his Beast.


    He hadn¡¯t found his mate, and he was dying.


    The Creator was going to have a lot to answer for when Tarkyn stepped into the next realm. But perhaps it was for the best.


    What life could he truly have without ever hearing the match for his soul¡¯s song?


    *****


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 Chapter 2

    Chapter 2: Go.


    NAME PRONOUNCIATIONS:


    ¨C Chimera is Kai-MARE-uh


    ¨C Zev rhymes with the first half of heavy


    ¨C Sasha is SAH-shuh


    *****


    ~ HARTH ~


    .....


    Dawn was just creeping up over the distant mountains when Harth crept out of the encampment. Although the hunters and cooks would be up, thendscape of this strangend offered a great deal of cover. Once she got out of the tent town, it was never difficult to avoid the eyes of her brothers and sisters.


    It was, in part, why she¡¯d gotten away with her subterfuge for so long. Still, Kyelle wouldn¡¯t be pleased. Harth¡¯s stomach tingled with nerves at the thought of what might happen if she was caught traveling again. Kyelle had nearly shiftedst time-her talons were razor sharp, and that hooked beak!


    Harth knew she shouldn¡¯t be leaving. Had resolved the night before that she wouldn¡¯t! Then she¡¯d once again woken with that undeniable knot in her stomach.


    Something was wrong, but she couldn¡¯t know what.


    It was the most terrifying and frustrating feeling of her existence.


    She had endured the separation from her people. She¡¯d lived through experimentation, and the threat of being harvested like a crop for the good of a human poption that didn¡¯t even know she existed.


    Sasha-don and Zev-dan had found this perfect ce for them, and though it was strange, it was full of life-and more importantly, empty of humans.


    She should have been ecstatic. And yet, from the moment she¡¯d arrived, something within her was driven forward. Always forward. Always away.


    Mae had spoken up for her the first time they¡¯d discovered her running through the forest, far beyond the boundaries that only hunters were allowed to cross, and with great caution.


    She¡¯d heard Kyelle-don¡¯s concerns, and agreed.


    They still didn¡¯t know this world. Still hadn¡¯t found all the creatures who¡¯de through the Gateway first. Still didn¡¯t know if there were other inhabitants of thisnd. And Harth, having spent most of her adult life in the ¡°sanctuary¡± of the humans, was not the Chimera to find out.


    She was supposed to stay within the three-mile territory they had imed around the encampment. Never out of earshot of one of the guards, just in case.


    None of the others seemed to have struggled with that.


    But Harth felt as if a piece of her was missing. As if a chunk had been torn out of her heart, but was still connected by a steel thread that dragged her out of this ce.


    Go, it said. Go. Go. Go.


    So, go she did. She fled. First one mile past the boundary. Then three. Then five. Some days she resisted. Some days she could distract herself. But thest two days had been painfully, desperately hard.


    Go.


    She had to go. And she didn¡¯t know why. She didn¡¯t even know where. Only that it was far from here and her soul bled with the aching for it.


    And so, having slept fitfully for only a few hours, just as the light of the sun began to creep up and turn the mountains purple, she¡¯d donned the stretching bodysuit the humans had made them that would allow her to shift without tearing her clothes. She clipped two waterskins to her belt, and slipped out of her tent, darted between the trees and weaved her way through the forest on the path that she knew would avoid any eyes. She sloshed up a creek for thest mile out of the territory to hide her scent and avoid the patrols, then leaped back onto dry ground, shifting into her wolf mid-flight,nding on paws instead of feet, and then she began to run.


    Run like the wind.


    Guilt fluttered behind her like the fur on her tail. She shook her head so hard her ears snapped, but she did not slow. The urge within her ached so acutely, she worried it might make her sick.


    Something was wrong. Something was desperately wrong.


    But what?


    Harth didn¡¯t know. Couldn¡¯t know. Didn¡¯t even know where she was going.


    This world was unfathomable to her. Where Thana¡¯s winterscape turned green for a few weeks a year and thend exploded with bounty that would keep them for the nine months of winter, this ce was... abundance made flesh.


    Thick, green leaves everywhere. Damp earth springing seedlings and underbrush that prickled or bushed and seemed to grow almost so quickly it could be observed.


    There was clear, healthy water at every turn, and the rains came briefly, but regrly in mountains, sometimes all the way down to the foothills, but even when they stayed dry, the water ran from those heights to swell the streams and rivers.


    The ce seemed as fertile as the Chimeran females were barren. And perhaps that was what drove her? Perhaps something within her yearned to flee the destion of her body and be absorbed by this impossible flourishing?


    Something is wrong. Go. Go!


    Questions still unanswered, Harth went. Running as fast as her four paws could carry her, darting between trees and through meadows, reaching ever-farther. For a moment she pictured what would happen when Kyelle discovered that she¡¯d run again, and her stomach clenched in fear.


    But they¡¯d never found her out here. They never came this far themselves. When they¡¯d caught her, it was always that they learned about her disappearance, or stumbled on her return.


    Harth blinked, her tongue lolling, pping in the wind of her passage as she darted through the trees.


    She could hunt-certainly the smaller mammals here. She could drink the streams, and sleep under the leaves... she could keep herself alive. Perhaps... Perhaps this time she wouldn¡¯t return until she¡¯d found whatever it was that her heart sought?


    She blinked, huffing.


    Those thoughts were desperately near treason. Kyelle had been very clear. None of them were to explore on their own. As they settled and strengthened, the leaders among them would begin to reach out and discover thend. But while they were still finding their feet in this ce, they would take the blessing of the bounty and stick close to each other.


    But Harth ran on, and as she did, her resolve strengthened.


    Whatever drove her forward refused to be denied. And so... she would pursue it. She would follow this scent-trail until she found its source, or it died on the wind. But she would not spend another night in that tent, aching from her soul.


    *****


    She¡¯d been running for hours, stopping only for water and to quickly swallow a small rodent. The sun was high now, and despite that wing drive in her chest to keep going, something within her was more at peace now that she¡¯d decided she wouldn¡¯t return.


    The wind rose around her, a strange scent on it-dry, cracked earth, dust. Something much more barren than any of thisnd that she¡¯d seen before.


    Looking ahead between the trees, she saw the light growing as they thinned. Had she finally reached the end of the forest? She didn¡¯t think so. Lhars had seen thisnd from the air. He¡¯d told the tale countless times of viewing it before they all went through the gateway. The forest was days-travel across, he was certain of it. The mountains curling around a massive swathe ofnd peppered by meadows and canyons, but still forest.


    So what could she smell that seemed so... dead in this ce so full of life?


    And then, a bare breath... the smallest hint on the wind of a scent that had every hair on Harth¡¯s wolf standing tall. It was there, then gone, but it called to her. Sang in her bones.


    This was what she sought!


    Nose high to meet the wind, Harth pushed for greater speed, her heart pounding.


    Go.


    Go.


    Go!

 Chapter 3

    Chapter 3: Discovery


    ~ HARTH ~


    Harth stood on a pointed, shale rise, eyes wide, waiting to see if the figure would move.


    Nothing.


    Her throat closed convulsively. The wind had changed and ran at her back so she couldn¡¯t scent the male one hundred feet away, sprawled in the dry dust and stones of this strange ce.


    She¡¯d been running when the forest suddenly gave way, and all its lush, damp beauty stopped as if fire had drawn a line on it.


    Thend here was dry, barren, and overwhelmed by this huge amphitheater of rock and dirt. She¡¯d climbed the strange wave ofnd that shoved, pointed, towards the sky, to discover that it was a massive oval ringed on three sides and broken only in one spot-as if the Creator Himself had stomped a foot into thend and it rose, disced, piercing the air.


    And dead. The air itself was bone-dry


    .....


    Nothing lived in this circle.


    Not even the male?


    Go. Go. Go.


    Harth swallowed again and looked around. Could it be a trap? She didn¡¯t think so. Despite the beating sun, the male¡¯s skin was dry, caked in dust. He¡¯d fallen in the dirt with his head turned away from her so she couldn¡¯t see his face. But she¡¯d stood there a full minute, the wind at her back and taking her scent to him, yet he had not moved.


    Was he dead?


    Something about that thought froze her insides.


    Breath hissing between her teeth, Harth took her wolf and used its superior stealth to creep down the shifting shale and rock into the great bowl.


    She¡¯d been wrong, she discovered. The wind blew up the side of this ce then over her head.


    She took human form again just feet from his head, then hesitated.


    She¡¯d thought his hair was thick, but this close, even with his head twisted away from her, she could see that he¡¯d wrapped a thick, dark scarf around his eyes and ears.


    Under it, the sides of his dark hair were shaved, but the length long enough to be pulled back into a tail-the pieces that hadn¡¯t escaped to flutter around his face and catch on the stones under his cheek.


    His jaw was wide and square, peppered with two days growth, and a long scar emerged from beneath the cloth, marring his cheek.


    She took one step closer with her human feet, the stones and dirt giving only the slightest crunch under her. His body twitched, and his mouth worked, but he didn¡¯t move. Didn¡¯t use those massive arms to push himself up.


    She had a vague impression of tattoos covering one shoulder and that side of his chest, trailing down his ribs, but he sprawled in an awkward position so she couldn¡¯t see what they were.


    And then Harth realized... she¡¯d stopped feeling the urge to run. To move. To pursue.


    Her soul no longer called her to go.


    Harth couldn¡¯t breathe.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± she breathed.


    The male groaned and the fingers of one calloused hand-tendons standing proud-closed as if reaching for her, then went still.


    Harth took the final steps to close the space and, trembling, knelt at his side. She reached for the blindfold on his face, slipping it up and over his high forehead to reveal a face, rugged with that horrible scar and the growth on his jaw.


    Golden brown eyes fluttered open, bloodshot and clouded with pain. But they rolled slowly up to find hers and Harth was frozen again.


    ¡°... My...¡± His voice was a bare wheeze, dry and so quiet she almost missed it.


    ¡°I have water,¡± she said, reaching for the skin at her belt. ¡°Are you injured?¡±


    ¡°... My... mate...¡±


    The word prated her chest, piercing skin and the cage of her ribs to loop around her heart, which promptly stopped. ¡°What did you say?¡±


    He opened his cracked lips, his eyes locked on hers. Harth¡¯s entire body went rigid as his pupils dted. But when he tried to speak again, he only coughed-a terrible, dry sound that made Harth¡¯s heart leap back into action, hammering with fear.


    She reached for him to roll him onto his back, hissing when she felt his skin-burning and dry. ¡°You need water, and shade and...¡± but his eyes dragged closed. As Harth hurried to get the cork off her waterskin, she looked quickly around, cursing the dry, barren earth of this ce, when just beyond these tall sides she knew there was a thick forest with shade and rivers and...


    She had to get him back to the waterway she¡¯d passed just a few minutes before she broke out of the forest and into this desert-like area.


    Harth swore as she leaned down to trickle water into his mouth, but all he did was cough it back into her face. And he didn¡¯t open his eyes.


    ¡°What are you doing out there alone?¡± she hissed, adrenalin flooding her veins.


    Mate. He¡¯d called her mate. Was it just delirium caused by the heat stroke?


    But no. She¡¯d been drawn out here. Driven to it. And the moment she¡¯d gotten close, that drive had... eased. It must have been him all along, pulling at her from the moment she entered thisnd.


    With a frantic whine she tried again to trickle just a tiny amount of water into his mouth. He spluttered again, but seemed to actually swallow some this time.


    Yet, the sun beat down on them, and when she judged that he¡¯d had as much as his stomach could likely take without bringing it back up, she tied it back at her waist and shook his shoulder.


    ¡°Can you move at all? Sit up? I can help you. We need to get you out of here...¡±


    But even though he swallowed again, he didn¡¯t respond. And when she lifted his arm, it was a deadweight.


    Even his arm was heavy, though manageable. But how was she going to lift all of him when he couldn¡¯t even help her? She was strong, but the river she¡¯d crossed had to be at least a couple of miles away. And it was quickly bing clear...


    If she didn¡¯t get him out of the sun quickly, he wouldn¡¯t live much longer.

 Chapter 4

    Chapter 4: Mate


    NAME PRONOUNCIATION: Jayah is pronounced ¡°JAI-yah¡±


    *****


    ~ HARTH ~


    She couldn¡¯t drag him over the stones. He was utterly naked.


    Averting her eyes from his maleness-Harth had spent little time with males since she¡¯d been an adult, and certainly none that were naked, the humans had made sure of that. She looked around for any sign of his belongings. Surely he hadn¡¯t travelled out to this remote ce, naked and armed only with a spear?


    The dirt and pebbles were disrupted in strange swirling patterns for arge section of the ground around him, but there was no pile of clothing or supplies nearby.


    Following the trail of his scent-pale though it was after baking in the sun for what must have been days-Harth crept towards the open end of this strange ce, keeping her body low and shifting to a wolf when a long, broad meadow was revealed, sloping down from the level of the amphitheater-or whatever it was.


    .....


    She waited precious minutes, but could see no one and nothing nearby-except a small pile of clothing and a leather bag that had been left neatly where the ground began to slope away from the t bottom of this... bowl.


    Relieved, Harth snatched up his clothing and things, then hurried back into the strange ce, running as fast as she could back to him while digging through the bag to see if there was anything within it that would help him.


    A few dry, crumbling oat cakes, some dried beef, and two small bottles. She uncorked them and sniffed, but couldn¡¯t know what was within them-the scents were nothing she recognized. So she turned her attention to dressing him to protect his body from the sun.


    But even when she¡¯d struggled and gotten him dressed, it was clear that the linen shirt would never hold up to being dragged across this rocky ground.


    And he was no longer responding. When she tried to trickle more water into his mouth, it simply pooled there until she was afraid she might suffocate him. So she turned his head to let it dribble out, instead using some of the precious water to wet the blindfold, and his shirt, cing the one on his head, and leaving the other saturated as she draped his bag around her neck. Looping his bag over her neck, she tied his spear to his belt, then wrestling and grunting, pulled his upper body up and onto her back-almost spearing herself in the process-until, finally, she stood hunched over, with his arms over her shoulders, sped to her chest.


    At first she was able to bend forward and keep his feet from the ground, carrying him awkwardly. But he was so much taller than her, and so heavy, that by the time she¡¯d heaved him up the side of the bowl in the direction where she¡¯de from, he was beginning to drag.


    When she made it to the peak of that hill, where she¡¯d first stood and spied him and realized it had taken several minutes just to move those one hundred feet, she knew she needed to find a better way.


    Reluctantly, she let him down on the other side, holding his upper body and allowing them both to slide down the shale on the other side, praying his leather pants wouldn¡¯t be torn by a sharp rock.


    And when she got to the base of the hill and could see the beginnings of the green grass and the shade of the trees just a few hundred feet away, she clenched her jaw and snorted the air from her nose.


    ¡°If you truly are.... My mate... she huffed, grunting as she struggled to get his weight back up onto her shoulders, ¡°we will... discuss... the wisdom of... fighting the air... in the desert... alone...¡±


    His chin dug into her shoulder and he already felt even heavier. But she pushed on.


    If he truly was her mate, she would save him.


    She would protect him with her very life.


    *****


    ~ TARKYN ~


    Tarkyn woke in the dark, the scent of damp rock. He must have been taken to Jayah¡¯s cave, though he didn¡¯t remember it smelling quite so... wet.


    He tried to roll, but his body punished him with sharp lines of pain crackling down his back that stole his breath.


    He waited a moment, forcing himself to breathe slowly and deeply and tried to shake the fog from his mind. But his stiff, sore neck wouldn¡¯t allow it.


    He couldn¡¯t see anything. Was he still wearing the blindfold? He clearly wasn¡¯t in the Hallowed Grounds any longer. He tried to reach for his face, but his fingers refused to work properly. His hand fluttered uselessly, and his arm barely moved at all.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake!¡±


    Tarkyn¡¯s eyes flew open at the voice that called his heart to a painful thudding in his chest. But his eyes were stabbed by the light of bright yellow of mes and he was forced to close them again, sucking in a breath, breathing too fast, but forcing himself to calm until a shadow passed over him, blocking the heat of the mes as well, and he could slowly flutter his eyes open.


    Sight still ring with the retina burn of the mes, he couldn¡¯t make out anything but her shape, kneeling in front of him, hair falling past her shoulders as her hands worked quickly, shifting something soft under his head. Then she took his hand and checked his pulse in exactly the right way, the way he taught all his soldiers to measure for a heartbeat.


    ¡°Who...?¡± he tried to ask, but his mouth was so dry, his tongue was stuck to the roof of his mouth, and it came out only as a rush of breath.


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to move. Your body is very weak. I¡¯m going to give you some more water-please try to swallow. It will help.¡±


    He must have been on his side, because she leaned over him. Soft hands eased his shoulder back so hey t on his back, then turned his head.


    A small stream of water appeared suddenly and he spluttered, then began to gulp hungrily at the water as his parched body screamed at him to drink-drink!


    Swallowing noisily, coughing once when he got the timing wrong with her pouring, he tried to take the waterskin from her hands, but couldn¡¯t get his hands past his waist.


    ¡°Just rest, I¡¯ll do it,¡± she whispered, cool fingersbing gently into his hair as she poured.


    He was still gulping at the water when she stopped, but when he grunted, she shook her head. ¡°If you have too much, your stomach will just send it all back up.¡±


    He knew she was right, but his entire being yearned for more. He tried to grab her wrist, but was barely able to raise his hands from his stomach where she¡¯d ced them for him.


    His instincts screamed at him. He was in an unknown cave, with an unknown wolf, unable to move. Had she drugged him?


    But no... he thought back as his heart began to race... He¡¯d been praying. He¡¯d been... the ritual. The Hallowed grounds. His petition to the Creator-


    ¡°You¡¯re very weak. Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯ll help you and... and keep you safe, until you can get back on your feet.¡±


    His breath stopped.


    ¡°Who?¡± he rasped, his voice so hoarse it was barely more than a breath.


    She took a deep breath, then her soft fingers curled into his hand and she squeezed it with her own.


    ¡°I¡¯m Harth,¡± she said, and he could hear the smile in her voice. ¡°I¡¯m... what is your name?¡±


    ¡°Tar...¡± his voice cracked, disappeared. He tried to clear his throat, but only seeded in in a rough grunt. ¡°Tah-rk...¡±


    ¡°Tark?¡±


    He growled in his throat, then swallowed and concentrated. ¡°Tar-kyn.¡±


    ¡°Tar-kin?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    A tiny whimper broke from her throat. ¡°Tarkyn,¡± she whispered, her voice shaking. ¡°I¡¯m... I¡¯m so happy to... I¡¯ve been waiting my whole life for you.¡±


    Tarkyn blinked, then sucked in, inhaling her scent.


    When it hit the back of his throat, the mating call wanted to rise, almost choking him. But before he could ask, his eyes began to drag closed again.


    He tried to reach for her, but she had his hand sped in both of hers. She raised it, kissing his knuckles, and a jolt of lightening crackled from the point where her lips had touched his skin, to the deepest part of his chest.


    A rough, strangled call broke in his throat, but his heart hammered painfully, and everything went ck.

 Chapter 5

    Chapter 5: In the Dark with You


    ~ HARTH ~


    Tarkyn.


    Her mate¡¯s name was Tarkyn.


    She gave a smallugh of joy and pped her hand over her mouth, looking back over her shoulder towards the open air of the ravine, praying no one was out there to have heard.


    When she¡¯d finally managed to drag his heavy ass to the small river to cool him, she¡¯d been so exhausted herself that she¡¯d copsed into the flow with him.


    They were both dragged a few feet down the river before she got her feet under her and was able to prop his shoulders and keep his face out of the water.


    But as she¡¯did there in the wee chill of the water, she¡¯d had to n.


    .....


    This male was strong and fit. Despite his disheveled appearance, the goods in his bag and his clothing indicated he came from an established society. That meant there were more of them, and she didn¡¯t know how they would receive her-or her brothers and sisters. She couldn¡¯t risk being the reason the Chimera were thrust into a war with the native poption.


    By the same token... if she were to take Tarkyn back to her people, Kyelle would be furious, and the entire Chimera would likely panic.


    No. There was nowherefortable for them until he was returned to strength and could help her understand his people.


    But that meant that she couldn¡¯t risk being followed. Yet she was too weak to carry him any further.


    Taking inspiration from the river, she initially began to let the flow take them down the river because it was a way to travel without leaving a scent trail for anyone who came to find her-or Tarkyn.


    But as the river cut deeper into the forest floor, and thend-sometimes dirt, sometimes stone-began to rise to either side of them, Harth became concerned that she might have only seeded in plunging Tarkyn to his death-until the river took a fast corner and she struggled to keep his head up. But they were dumped down a short waterfall-just a few feet-into a deep, dark, and freezing pool.


    The sides of a ravine rose around them, twenty feet into the air, the forest and trees growing right up to the edge of the rocky cliffs on either side.


    Harth¡¯s heart despaired. But as she struggled to get herself under his shoulders and keep his head up and out of the water, she saw a dark cave at the water¡¯s edge-a cave that was little more than a deep, dark alcove under the rocks. Yet the overhang of the cliff and forest would hide them from any eyes that weren¡¯t in the water.


    Scrambling through the water to reach it before the current drew them past, she almost didn¡¯t make it, struggling to keep one arm over his chest, while the other grasped at the slick rock.


    But then she got one elbow up on the rock, then was able to pull Tarkyn closer.


    It had taken time, and she was exhausted and chilled at the end but eventually she¡¯d had them both up, and out of the water,ying on the t rock, sheltered by the cliff overhead.


    It was clear this space had been discovered before-there was a matted fur scrunched up in the corner, and a pile of dry wood. But the things had clearly beenying there undisturbed for some time.


    Harth, shaking with cold and exhaustion, had removed his clothing and dried him as best she could beforeying him on the fur, to keep it dry.


    She¡¯d waited until night fell to light the fire, when the light would be hidden by the rock overhead, and the smoke would drift into the dark.


    Doing her best to get water into him at every hour, she¡¯d finally fallen into the sleep of exhaustion herself. But then he¡¯d woken and... Harth¡¯s heart pounded with fear, and thrill, anticipation, and uncertainty.


    He¡¯d barely been able to speak. But he¡¯d given her his name.


    Tarkyn.


    When he sank back into the sleep of a body pushed to its limit, Harth sighed. She¡¯d seen females in the sanctuary reach that ce-though the strains on their body had always been from the medical procedures, or an inability to sleep out of fear.


    She wasn¡¯t sure if Tarkyn¡¯s physical exhaustion would be easier to heal, or require more time. The oat-cakes he¡¯d had in his bag were little more than sticky sludge after drifting down the river, though she¡¯d done her best to pull any chunks out and dry them on leavesid on the stone. She¡¯d rinsed his bag, relieved that the strips of dried meat seemed to have fared well and would provide some sustenance. But not for long.


    She had to figure out a way to get more food for him, to help him recover.


    No, she reminded herself. Not ¡°him.¡± Tarkyn.


    For a moment she held her breath, her mind spinning, wondering what that name would mean to her in years toe. What images it might conjure.


    She stared at him in the dark, his broad chest bare and shoulders rounded. She¡¯d rested his hands on his stomach, and he wasn¡¯t moving. Not really. But she¡¯d seen all of him during the course of stripping him to dry him. His body was marble-hard and incredibly strong. Stronger even than her Chimeran Alphas, she thought.


    This was a male who had been honed. That thought made her stomach flutter, and clench in the same breath.


    What was he?


    His scent reminded her of the tigers, but it wasn¡¯t the same. She guessed he was some kind of cat.


    His head slumped to the side, his jaw a hard line that shadowed his neck. She reached for his hair andbed it back, though it wasn¡¯t in his eyes. It was the only indulgence she had allowed herself, to touch his hair. She found it difficult to stop.


    Was it truly possible that this male was, indeed, her mate?


    That driving ache to move, to pursue, had stopped the moment she¡¯d been close to him. And he¡¯d... he¡¯d whispered that she was his mate.


    Hadn¡¯t he?


    ¡°Is it true?¡± she whispered. ¡°Are you my mate?¡±


    She looked at his face again, and something within her soul sang, it wanted voice, it pressed in her throat.


    The heartsong.


    She¡¯d heard talk of it in other wolf-Chimera with mates.


    A tiny, happy sob broke in her throat and she had to cover her face with her hands.


    He was her mate, she was certain of it. It was impossible. And he was... unique. But he was hers.


    He was hers, and he was not Chimera.


    Would that matter? Their true Alphas were Chimera and human. She¡¯d heard that Sasha and Zev had made vows to each other. And they were Ardent.


    Her mate was here, but desperately ill. What if he never made it?


    Or what if he did, but he didn¡¯t ept the bond? Or his people killed her? Or hers killed him?


    Harth bit her lip and swallowed hard.


    She couldn¡¯t know what wasing for them, or how long it would take. She might die that night-or he might.


    She did not want to die unmated.


    Swallowing back the tears and blowing out a breath, she put one hand to his hair, the other to his chest.


    ¡°Tarkyn,¡± she whispered, ¡°I vow myself to you. I will protect you with my life. I will do everything in my power to bring you to health and safety. But... if you should die, or if I should... know that my heart is yours. My body is yours. My soul yearns for you. You... you are my mate, and I have waited for you. I... I am yours. I will stand for you, even to the death.¡±


    Uncertain how to seal the vow, she leaned down, brushing his lips with her own, and felt the vow settle into her bones.


    Then she curled up on the fur next to him, leaning on his shoulder, her body curled into his side. And she prayed.

 Chapter 6

    Chapter 6: You


    ~ HARTH ~


    Harth was dragged from the deep sleep of exhaustion by a shadow passing over her.


    She opened her eyes, her heart thrilling for reasons she couldn¡¯t immediately remember, to find herselfying on a fur alone. The sound of the rushing river filled her ears, and the light of daylight filtered by a forest shone down, glittering on water just feet from where shey.


    But bright as the morning felt, shining beyond the rock ceiling over her, the shadow she¡¯d perceived was tall, male, and standing over her... with a spear?


    Harth blinked.


    Instinctively she took in the sight of him, measuring the warm brown of his skin marred by scars and tattoos, noting that though his grip on the spear seemed firm, and his stance was wide and defensive, braced for attack, he breathed too quickly and shallowly, and his face was pale and sheened in sweat.


    On one hand, sweat was good. It meant he was rehydrated.


    .....


    But taken with everything else, it also meant he was struggling, and using the little energy he had to level that spear at her.


    ¡°Tarkyn,¡± she said softly, her voice husky from sleep, ¡°you do not need to fear-¡±


    ¡°Who are you? Where did youe from? Are you part of Lerrin¡¯s tribe? Or-¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s Lerrin?¡±


    His jaw tightened, his brows pinching together over his nose. His golden-brown eyes glowed with aggression, but shed with fear as well.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you remember?¡± she asked quietly when he didn¡¯t respond. ¡°I¡¯m Harth. I found you yesterday. You were almost dead.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a wolf!¡±


    She nodded. ¡°And you¡¯re a... cat?¡±


    He growled. ¡°A lion.¡±


    Harth had to stifle a smile. The tigers were simrly prickly about their species. They weren¡¯t above throwing the word ¡°dog¡± at an annoying wolf, though. Apparently sensing her humor, Tarkyn¡¯s face hardened further.


    Her eyes widened as he took a step closer so the point of that spear was just inches from her throat.


    Her hackles stood up, but Harth reminded herself that he¡¯d just woken in a strange ce, feeling weak, and with an unknown wolf beside him.


    He was clearly some kind of warrior. While her contact with males had been limited, one thing she understood of them-they usually chose to fight when confused or afraid, to make themselves feel strong.


    He flinched when she began to sit up, but she moved slowly so he wouldn¡¯t feel threatened, getting her feet under her, then slowly standing straight, never letting her eyes leave his.


    When she was upright-and he had still had that spear pointed at her chest-she smiled.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need that, Tarkyn. I¡¯d never hurt you. I vowed to protect you.¡±


    His brows shot up and he huffed arrogantly, but the point of the spear wavered for the first time.


    Harth frowned. ¡°You¡¯re still weak. You need to rest and get out of the sun.¡±


    The rays shone in the front of the cave, falling golden and warm over his legs and back.


    But when she shifted her weight as if she might step towards him, he lifted the spear so it pointed at her throat again.


    When he spoke it was through gritted teeth. ¡°Who are you? Where is your tribe? I know all the Anima wolves who lived in the tree city. You have never been among them. Why... why do you stink of humans? We killed them all, yet here you are-do you work for them? Tell me!¡±


    Harth flinched at the harshmand in his tone, and for the first time, fear fluttered in her chest. But it was followed quickly by rage.


    *****


    ~ TARKYN ~


    The female¡¯s eyes widened-then narrowed in anger.


    ¡°No, I am not one of the humans!¡± she spat. ¡°I hate them! They forced me from my home and hurt my family-they took everything from us!¡±


    Suddenly gripped with the urge to throw the weapon aside and wrap her in his arms, Tarkyn had to blink and force himself to remain wary. ¡°Then why do you stink of them?¡±


    ¡°Because they imprisoned us!¡± she hissed. ¡°We just escaped them! The Creator led our Alphas here to save us from them! How dare you!¡±


    Her eyes shone with unshed tears, and the passion and hurt in her voice yed him.


    ¡°You believe the Creator led you here?¡±


    ¡°The Creator led our Alphas, and they led us here, at risk to their own family!¡±


    He stared hard at her, to see if she would waver, but his heart was already moved. She bristled like a cat with its fur rubbed the wrong way, though he supposed she probably wouldn¡¯t appreciate the metaphor.


    He considered and discarded a dozen different questions, because he couldn¡¯t know if she spoke the truth. So how was he supposed to-


    To his surprise, Harth dropped her chin, shaking her head and blowing out a breath like she was taking control of herself. Then, muttering something he didn¡¯t catch, she lifted her chin and met his eyes again, before pushing her shoulders back and stepping forward-right into the spear point.


    Tarkyn tensed, but she didn¡¯t raise a hand to close her fingers on it. It pressed in the divot between her corbones, her skin sinking under it, threatening to pierce.


    Tarkyn¡¯s heart pounded in his head. He swallowed. Hard. Every instinct in him at war-the warrior, the Captain, roaring at him to defend, to take control. But the male... the heart...


    Her eyes still shone as she raised her chin in pride. ¡°You are my mate,¡± she said fiercely. ¡°I don¡¯t know how that¡¯s possible, but I know you can feel it-¡±


    ¡°Stop! Or I¡¯ll be forced to hurt you!¡± Tarkyn shuffled back, taking a firmer grip on the spear, but she only set her jaw and took another step, so the point of the de threatened to puncture her throat again.


    ¡°You won¡¯t hurt me,¡± she said, breathless.


    ¡°I will! Stop!¡±


    ¡°No, Tarkyn. You can¡¯t. I¡¯m your heart just as much as you¡¯re mine.¡±


    She lifted a hand to her own chest, cupping it there as if she held something delicate.


    Tarkyn stared, every sense screaming, every piece of him at war.


    Then she tsked, and took another step.


    Tarkyn shuddered as the de began to slide into her skin.

 Chapter 7

    Chapter 7: Warrior vs. Weapon


    If you like music while you read, try ¡°Bring Me Back to Life¡± by Ht Bristol and Charlie Bannister. It¡¯s what I was listening to when I wrote these scenes!


    *****


    ~ TARKYN ~


    With a terrified grunt, Tarkyn threw the spear aside. He didn¡¯t miss the relief that shed in her eyes as it ttered to the stone floor a few feet away, bouncing. But he couldn¡¯t follow it with his eyes, because she wasing for him.


    Many times over the course of his life, Tarkyn had considered what the moment he met his mate would be like. He¡¯d imagined how it would feel to recognize each other. Wondered if they would both sense it, or whether he or she might be blinded for a time. On lonely nights he¡¯d even given in to fantasies of a faceless, proud female, prowling towards him, ready to pounce.


    He¡¯d never considered that she would be anything but a lion.


    He¡¯d never conceived that he might face her from a ce of weakness.


    .....


    He¡¯d never imagined that his senses would fight the draw.


    But fight they did.


    Tarkyn shuddered at the battle raging within him-instincts shing spears with his soul, the warrior within roaring against the lover.


    Harth didn¡¯t pick up her pace. She advanced slowly, step by small step, giving him time to see hering. But the sight of her only set his blood alight, while his head screamed at him that the enemy drew near!


    Then she closed the final inches, nting her feet between his, only a hairsbreadth of space between their bodies so that if he leaned ever so slightly forward, her breasts would brush his ribs.


    Their eyes locked, and hers-aqua-blue and shining bright-widened slightly. She raised a hand, reaching slowly for his chest, but his skin prickled where she passed, the pin-hairs rising, seeking her touch.


    She stopped breathing as she opened her palm, hesitantly, fingers trembling, as shey her hand at the center of his chest.


    Tarkyn¡¯s heart detonated.


    Her touch jolted through him, lighting fires in his blood that raced from that ce where she touched, an inferno roaring through his body, crackling in his veins to light his limbs.


    Her eyes widened further and she gasped. ¡°Can you feel th-?¡±


    Tarkyn groaned and descended on her, taking her precious face in his hands, delving the depths of her velvet mouth. The mating call broke in his throat, little more than a tortured huff, but she shivered and clung to his waist, his chest, pinned against him by the strength of his embrace.


    He knew he should be gentle.


    Creator¡¯s Mane, she didn¡¯t even know him! But he could feel her, there with him, deep in yearning, arching into him, seeking more.


    He kissed her with the passion and ardor of years alone, waiting.


    He kissed her with the fury and fear of an Alpha male brought to his knees.


    He wrapped his arms around her and swore to himself that he would never let her go-even as his mind screamed that he had no choice! That he could not betray his vows! That she was a tool of the enemy!


    Harth, breathless and whining, clung to him, buried in the onught of his kiss, her fingers wing at his back as if she could press herself into his skin, tattoo herself there.


    And he wanted her to.


    Creator¡¯s Light, he wanted her not simply because his body screamed for release. He wanted her to be a part of him. He needed her. It was impossible, but true.


    Tarkyn groaned again and Harth¡¯s kiss deepened, she stretched up on her toes, pressing herself into him, wing at him, desperate.


    He wanted tough with joy.


    He wanted to weep with relief.


    He wanted to plunge into her body and-


    He took a step to the side, intending to walk her to the furs without breaking the kiss, but his cursed knees, still weak from the ritual, gave and he stumbled.


    But Harth caught him, breaking the kiss to help him to the furs. But never losing touch, lips still brushing skin between soft words of encouragement, hands stroking and exploring, even as they supported, until he sat heavily down on the furs, and Harth dropped into hisp, straddling him and took his mouth again.


    He brought one hand up to cup the back of her head, the other ttened at her lower back.


    Kissing her felt likeing home after war-the sheer rightness of it, the heavy relief. Tongues teasing, lips full and soft, breath rushing, quick and shallow, Tarkyn made love to her mouth in a pitiable reflection of what he yearned to do to her body. But before he could roll her over andy her on the furs, she broke the kiss again and, leaning into his hand at her back, dropped her head, baring her throat.


    Tarkyn, stunned, instinctively dove for her, to open his mouth on her skin, to take the offering she gave, but then caught himself, groaning, closing his eyes and fighting for control.


    She had one hand buried in his hair, the other on his shoulder.


    Resting his forehead against her chin, he made himself ask. ¡°Harth... do you know what you do?¡± In the leonine tribe-in any predator group-to offer your throat was the most vulnerable and self-sacrificing thing a mate could do. It demonstrated trust on a level that couldn¡¯t be possible so quickly.


    Could it?


    Her fingers tightened in his hair, but she didn¡¯t lift her head. ¡°I¡¯m a wolf, Tarkyn. Of course I know.¡±


    He screwed his eyes tightly closed, but only allowed himself to trace the line of her neck with his nose, inhaling her scent. ¡°But you can¡¯t be ready... how can you offer yourself so freely?¡± he rasped, pleading.


    ¡°I can feel you,¡± she whispered, her voice rough with emotion. ¡°I can feel your heart. Your strength. Your... sense of right. Tarkyn, you¡¯re my mate. Your heart is for me. I know it. Just like mine is for you. I¡¯ve waited for you. So long.¡± Her voice cracked and Tarkyn groaned.


    He allowed himself only the dart of a tongue, the barest lick, to taste the salt of her skin and take it into himself.


    ¡°Tarkyn...¡± she breathed, bringing both hands to his head, holding him there. He was trembling, he realized, when she wrapped her arms around his head.


    Then, impossibly, her voice bloomed in his head.


    ¡®Don¡¯t be afraid. I will never hurt you. I vowed it before the Creator. I will protect you with my life.¡¯


    Tarkyn blew out a breath against her corbones, huffing a disbelievingugh. ¡°I don¡¯t need your protection,¡± he said, awed. ¡°It is I who will protect you!¡±


    He made himself lift his head and meet her eyes-her red-rimmed eyes, shining in the morning light as her emotions welled to match his.


    ¡°Harth,¡± he said hoarsely. ¡°Are you certain about... us? Utterly certain?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m certain,¡± she said without hesitation, and her beautiful face broke into a smile so wide and bright with joy he had to kiss her again.


    But after a moment, she pulled away and met his eyes again, searching them.


    ¡°Are you certain, Tarkyn?¡± she breathed. ¡°About us? Are you sure you¡¯re my mate?¡±


    Both their chests heaved, their shoulders rising and falling quickly, their bodies trembling. So it was very, very noticeable when Tarkyn went still.

 Chapter 8

    Chapter 8: Follow to the End


    ~ TARKYN ~


    Mate.


    My mate.


    The words echoed in the winding caves of his mind and his heart stretched to meet them, to turn them over, examine them.


    Mate.


    My mate.


    Words he¡¯d yearned to hear his entire adult life and yet had begun to believe he never would. It seemed... impossible. His rational mind, the warrior within, the strategist and warmaker, that Tarkyn that had stalked the WildWood and defeated every enemy for decades... that Tarkyn shook his head and said no. It couldn¡¯t be. He couldn¡¯t hold this female, warm and strong in hisp, and see her staring love at him when they¡¯d spoken for bare minutes.


    .....


    And yet... ¡®I can feel you,¡¯ she had said. ¡®I can feel your heart. Your strength. Your... sense of right. Tarkyn, you¡¯re my mate. Your heart is for me. I know it. Just like mine is for you. I¡¯ve waited for you. So long.¡¯


    It was as if she¡¯d taken the words from his mind. He¡¯d woken that morning, confused and befuddled, and even before he turned to see her curled at his back, there¡¯d been a ce in his heart-a hollow ce that had never been filled-that had felt... solid. He¡¯d been too shaken to register what had changed until they¡¯d spoken, but now... now he could think. Now he could examine himself. And now he knew.


    Something within him knew her to her bones. Knew she was the one-and demanded no other. There was something in her that called to him, and something within him that called back.


    She¡¯d vowed to protect him? Her-a female, near a foot shorter and likely close to a hundred pounds lighter? The idea wasughable. And yet, while the Alpha within him had smirked at the idea, he¡¯d been shaken, too.


    She was not a kitten-cub, yeowling into the storm and spitting her innocence. No, he could feel her. Sense her. Somehow... somehow he knew her.


    She shielded her wounds. She cradled her scars. But she fought with the ardent fearlessness of a mother in defense of cubs. She knew the pain of battle, and would not shy from it. She was...


    He¡¯d been about to say Warrior, but that wasn¡¯t right. She was not a warrior... she was a weapon. A de, honed and sheathed, ready for war.


    Ready to fight... for him? Tarkyn sucked in a breath, his eyes never straying from hers.


    She would die for him. He could feel it.


    And he for her. It was... undeniable. And humbling.


    Tarkyn blinked. Harth sat in hisp, gripping him, eyes wide, and waited patiently for him to answer. Because she already knew what he would say.


    She already knew, just as he already knew she knew.


    He shook his head in disbelief. ¡°I am...¡± his throat was pinched so tightly by emotion, he was forced to stop and clear it. And still when he spoke, his voice was deep and husky. ¡°I am certain, Harth. I have... I¡¯ve never been more certain of anything in my life.¡±


    Her smile grew and she nodded quickly. ¡°Me too,¡± she whispered. ¡°Me too.¡± She leaned in as if she could kiss him again, and Tarkyn knew if he let himself, he would be consumed, so he raised a hand quickly to her shoulder, holding her back.


    She raised an eyebrow in question, but her smile didn¡¯t falter.


    ¡°I need... I need you to stand up for a moment,¡± he rasped.


    ¡°Oh?¡± she whispered, then rocked her hips against him. She still wore leathers, but he remained naked and... dear Lord, he¡¯d never felt such a thing as the moment she rubbed herself on him and desire threaded into her scent.


    Cursing under his breath, he gave her a look that promised exactly what he¡¯d do to her when this was done. But it wasn¡¯t right that she had vowed herself to him before he¡¯d given her the same. So, as her brows rose and her smile turned to a beam, he urged her to her feet, and followed her, shakily, to his knees.


    She tsked again, remembering his weakness and started to put a hand under his arm, to help him up, but he shook his head, nudging her back to stand before him. And when she understood, she straightened, hands held before her, poised as if she might need to grab him and steady him.


    Tarkyn pressed his lips thin and made himself straighten. On one knee he was unlikely to copse, and yet he still trembled. He grumbled to himself in his mind that he wasn¡¯t cutting quite the dashing figure he¡¯d always imagined for this moment, but his heart thudded with certainty: She wouldn¡¯t care.


    When she¡¯d gone quiet, waiting, he raised one fist and thumped it to his chest in the salute saved for the highest in the hierarchy, though she wouldn¡¯t know it.


    ¡°Harth,¡± he said quietly, his voice deep and rumbling.


    ¡°Yes, Tarkyn?¡± she murmured, her eyes still locked on his.


    ¡°You are my mate. Chosen by the Creator. Made for me.¡±


    She gave a happy little sob. ¡°Me too. You for me, I mean.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°And so, I am here-we are here, as the Creator determined before time. And I must... honor you so you know my heart.¡± He cleared his throat and blew out a nervous breath. Creator¡¯s Mane, when had he ever been so timid? She¡¯d thrown her heart at his feet before he¡¯d even known her, and he became shaky like a newborn kitten to return her favor?


    If he hadn¡¯t been saluting, he might have smacked himself. But he pushed the thought away and focused.


    ¡°Harth, Ie empty-handed. I bring no weapon. Because I... I swear to you, I will never choose to harm you. Never draw your blood-in anger, or in fear.


    ¡°I bring no shield. Because I vow I will never defend myself from your eyes, your hands, your mind. I am... I am yours.¡±


    He gave a quiet, disbelievingugh as she sped her hands to her mouth and her eyes began to silver. But he had to clear his throat again before he continued.


    ¡°I have waited for you since I understood what a True Mate was. Finding you is the joy of my life. Ie to you with nothing except myself. But I swear to you... What is mine, is yours. I am yours. And I will put everything avable to me between you and harm-my life, my blood, my body. It is yours.¡±


    Tears spilled over her longshes, trickling down her cheeks. He yearned to reach up and rub them away, but he remained in the salute, because the instinct was within him, the conviction that she had to know his heart before he took her. He knew himself enough to know that once that leash was snapped, he wasn¡¯t retreating. He had to give her his heart before he took her body, make himself known in this moment, so she would trust him in the next.


    He swallowed the lump in his throat and held her swimming eyes.


    ¡°I am a male of my word, Harth. My heart is yours. My blood. My breath. My body,¡± his voice caught on thest one and her pupils dted, which brought the mating call into his throat, but he swallowed it back. ¡°Will you take me as I am-no weapon, no shield, but vowed to you?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± she breathed. ¡°Oh, Tarkyn, yes!¡±


    Then she took his face in her hands and beamed at him. They were both breathing too quickly. Tarkyn broke the salute and took her waist in his trembling hands.


    ¡°What now?¡± she asked breathlessly.


    Tarkyn finally let himself smile the smile of his predator, and Harthughed-until he pulled her down into a searing kiss.

 Chapter 9

    Chapter 9: Lost in You


    If you like music while you read, try ¡°Hallelujah¡± by FVR DRMS. It¡¯s what I was listening to while writing this scene!


    *****


    ~ TARKYN ~


    Tarkyn got lost in that kiss. Sucked down into it like a kitten into quicksand until the only world he was aware of was her.


    The furs under them faded first, then the stone walls and ceiling overhead... the wide opening that brought in air and light and the rush of the river... the cliffs around them and the forest on the other bank-it all faded to nothing as Tarkyn devoured her soft lips and his entire being was consumed by her warm embrace, the way her curves cradled him, the soft prickle of her skin under his hands as if everything within her stretched to meet him.


    He breathed her name and she whimpered as he rolled her onto her back and pinned her to the furs. Everything within him drove him forward, his beast roaring, demanding-to dominate, to possess. But he did not release the leash. He cautioned himself.


    This was so new. So new. He couldn¡¯t move too quickly-so he sipped at her mouth and rested only half his weight on her, watching for her reaction. But as he slowly reached for the buttons of her soft shirt, letting his hand crawl up her side, then over her breast outside of her clothes, she gasped. Her breath thundered against his cheek and she arched her body, then reached down with both hands for her own leathers, scrambling, wiggling to get out of them.


    .....


    Her undtions only heightened his rush, pressing them together, then pulling them apart. Tarkyn groaned and lifted himself up on elbows and toes, raising his hips to give her freedom-but his body was still so weak that he shook. Just secondster he was worried he would copse over her if she wasn¡¯t quick.


    But Harth seemed desperate, finally shucking off her leathers and throwing them aside, her kiss hungry as she wrapped her legs around him and pulled him against her. And as his hard slid against her soft, as her heat found the evidence of his desire, they both arched and moaned.


    For a moment, Tarkyn was forced to break the kiss, dropping his forehead to her shoulder, shuddering, desperate to catch his breath. He hadn¡¯t even taken her, yet his entire body came alive with a swirling, fizzing heat that traveled his veins and threatened to end this all far too quickly if he didn¡¯t get himself under control.


    ¡°Tarkyn... please...¡± she breathed.


    With shaking fingers, he popped thest of her buttons, letting the shirt fall aside and baring her to her nipples-hard and seeking, her breasts full and firm-rubbed against his chest.


    Unable to resist, urging her with whispers to be patient, Tarkyn slid back to rest his weight on his knees, cupping the back of her thigh to keep her legs around his waist, but kissing his way down her chest to one of those coffee-colored peaks, opening his mouth over it andving it with his tongue.


    Harth made a strangled noise, her hips bucking so that his beast growled with approval.


    ¡°I... oh shit, that¡¯s... that feels amazing,¡± she gasped. ¡°Please, do that ag-oh!¡±


    Opening wide, Tarkyn sucked hard, her nipple pressed to the roof of his mouth, and for a long moment, she didn¡¯t breathe at all.


    Goosebumps danced down her side, the skin of her thigh pebbling under his hand, and he groaned with the joy of the Creator¡¯s gift of a female who clearly enjoyed his attentions.


    It would be good between them. Very, very good.


    A thought that only threatened to steal his controlpletely.


    But even as his aching body yearned to tip him over the edge of pleasure, he forced himself to focus instead on her, kissing and licking, stroking, watching fascinated as her eyes fluttered closed, and her breath caught. He cataloged it all, learning what made her sigh, and what made her hips jerk, what made her eyes close, and when her breath stopped.


    Then, just as he¡¯d repeated his attentions on her other breast, Harth dropped her head back, sucking in a frantic breath, then gasped his name and arched, hips bumping, begging for him.


    ¡°Tarkyn, I...¡± she sucked in a breath as, with a growl, Tarkyn dropped his hips to pin her to the furs and kissed his way back up-her breasts, her corbones, then, with shaking breaths, he opened his mouth on her bared throat.


    He could not bite. He would not bite. Not yet, but oh, how he ached to im her.


    To his eternal delight, as his teeth threatened to break her skin, she rocked against him until the slide and press of their bodies became so urgent, she¡¯d begun pulling him against her.


    His body hummed, vibrating with the overwhelming sensation of yes, and right, and here!


    She shook in his arms, her scent drenched in desire, and yet he caught the tiniest thread of fear, as well.


    Bracing his elbows over her shoulders, cupping his hands over her hair, he lifted his head to find her eyes. His breath tore out of him in hoarse pants. Her eyes were hooded, but bright, her lips full and swollen with his kisses. She wed her fingers into his hair which hade loose and fallen down to create curtains for them.


    But as he rocked against her, sliding himself along her most sensitive skin, making promises he intended to keep, and her mouth opened, ckening in response, he locked eyes with her.


    ¡°I will make you mine, Harth,¡± he rasped.


    She nodded quickly. ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°You do not need to fear me.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t!¡±


    He dipped his head to kiss her neck again, unable to resist letting his teeth graze the tendon of her neck, before he responded. ¡°I can scent you, my mate. Your nerves. You don¡¯t have to hide it from me-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of you! Only... nervous about the first time-aren¡¯t you? Don¡¯t worry, Tarkyn... you can tell me if I get it wrong, and I will tell you-¡±


    Tarkyn¡¯s entire body went rigid and he froze.

 Chapter 10

    Chapter 10: Caution, Love


    ~ HARTH ~


    Harth¡¯s heart chilled a little when Tarkyn pulled out of the kiss, his eyes wide and fixed on hers. What was wrong?


    ¡°You¡¯ve... you¡¯ve never mated? At all?¡± he asked, sounding stunned.


    Harth frowned, shaking her head. ¡°Of course not. I never found you!¡±


    Tarkyn¡¯s brows rose high. ¡°You chose not to mate until you found your True Mate?¡± his voice was awed, but Harth was confused.


    ¡°There was no choice-except in the mate, I suppose. But if I¡¯d mated, I would have bonded with that male and that would¡¯ve killed you since we have the soul bond. I¡¯m so d... so d I never found a male who tempted me, Tarkyn.¡± She stroked his chest and smiled, but nerves fluttered in her stomach. Why did he look so shocked? ¡°Didn¡¯t you... know that?¡± she asked hesitantly. Then it dawned on her if that if he¡¯d taken someone else, she might have lost him and ended up wasting away like the females she¡¯d watched pine after her Alpha, Zev-the only Chimera who¡¯d been made by the humans able to mate with more than one partner without forming a mate bond. Though that hadn¡¯t stopped the females bonding to him when the humans put them together.


    Rage at the humans and everything they¡¯d stolen from Harth and her people wanted to burn in her chest, but she reminded herself that Zev had found his soul bond now. He and Sasha were Ardent. The humans hadn¡¯t been able to take that from them... she hoped.


    .....


    Zev and Sasha were still missing. It had been almost three months, but the Chimera¡¯s true Alphas still hadn¡¯t arrived in this new, safe world.


    Harth¡¯s heart clenched. She prayed that Zev-dan and Sasha-don made it safely to this ce with their child. But that wasn¡¯t what she needed to focus on right now. She pushed the thoughts of others away.


    The important thing was that she had made it here. And she¡¯d found her mate, and he was... staring at her as if he was afraid?


    ¡°Tarkyn?¡± she murmured. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    He pushed himself up on his elbows,bing her hair back from her face with gentle fingers, his face lined with worry.


    ¡°Harth,¡± he breathed, ¡°What did the humans do to you?¡±


    Harth swallowed the lump that appeared in her throat as her mind shed with too many images she never wanted to see again-Chimera harmed, tortured, imprisoned, used for testing in sciencebs...


    She flinched and looked away from him, but Tarkyn took her face in his hands and stroked her cheeks with his thumbs, his eyes locked on hers, waiting for her to answer.


    And that was when it dawned on her...


    He didn¡¯t understand the mate bond the way she did. What did that mean for them?


    She swallowed again. ¡°We were made this way. We mate for life. If our mates are taken from us, we¡¯ll die. Is that not... doesn¡¯t it work that way here? With you?¡±


    Tarkyn¡¯s jaw went ck. ¡°You only mate with one male... your whole life?¡±


    Suddenly aware of her nakedness in a way she¡¯d never been before-aware of the searing hurt at the shadows in his eyes-Harth fought the urge to pull out of his arms. He was her mate! She didn¡¯t need to feel ashamed with him.


    Did she?


    Insecurity fluttered in her chest.


    ¡°Of course-how else could I be certain...¡± she started defensively, but then she clicked. ¡°Wait...¡± Harth sucked in a breath of her own. ¡°Don¡¯t you mate for life?!¡±


    *****


    ~ TARKYN ~


    The sheer horror on her face made him want to weep. He held her face tightly when she looked like she might pull away, rushing to reassure her.


    ¡°Yes, yes, of course, Harth. Do not fear-I forgo all others for you. I swear it. I only meant... the act of mating, of making love, that¡¯s different from being True Mates.¡±


    Harth slumped with relief, her smile returning. ¡°Thank the Creator.¡± Then she smiled and put a hand to his face. ¡°So, we¡¯re fine then,¡± she grinned. ¡°We can finally take each other.¡±


    She leaned up to pull him into a kiss and though he yearned to give in, to surrender to the beast within, and the bond, and everything that was good and perfect about having her there with him, he knew he couldn¡¯t let her continue to think...


    He dropped his forehead to her chest, groaning.


    ¡°Tarkyn, what is it?¡± Her fingers tightened in his hair and he lifted his head. He let her do it, let her see the pain in his eyes, the regret. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? I want to do this with you. My fear is just nerves, don¡¯t worry-¡±


    ¡°Harth, the bond is different for me,¡± he said, his voice a dry husk. ¡°I have... I have mated with others before. But never taken... never vowed. It was only... only physical-¡±


    Her eyes flew wide and she scrambled, pushing back, out from under his weight, pulling herself up to sit, pulling her knees up and hugging them, staring at him, wide-eyed not with the anger he would have expected if she had expected him to wait, but with fear.


    Why fear?


    ¡°Harth-¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re like Zev?¡± she breathed.


    Tarkyn frowned. ¡°Who-¡±


    ¡°You can mate with... with more than one female and not form the bond? With any of them?¡±


    He sighed at the horror in her voice, but nodded slowly.


    Harth made a small cry, her hand flying to her mouth.


    ¡°But Harth, it was never-¡±


    ¡°Am I going to die?¡± she breathed, looking down at herself. ¡°Will I... why haven¡¯t I felt it? Why didn¡¯t it close you away from me? Why...¡± then she went still, her eyes flicking back and forth as if she was watching something in her own mind. ¡°No... no... it... when Zev found Sasha she wasn¡¯t... hadn¡¯t been affected by his other matings. But she¡¯s human.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s human?¡± Tarkyn growled, confused-who were these people? Were they here too? But before he could ask, her eyes snapped back up to meet his.


    When she pulled away from him he¡¯d pulled his knees under him to kneel. She sat in front of him, gloriously naked, knees hugged to her chest, but she was still only inches away, her eyestched on his, wide and pleading.


    ¡°Are there... other females here who... who have bonded to you even though you didn¡¯t form the bond?¡± she whispered. ¡°Are they pining for you? Have some... died?¡±


    Tarkyn jerked his head back. ¡°What? No! Of course not! I would never... Harth, listen, please. I would never deny a bond. You are my True Mate. The only bond the Creator chose for me. I begged him to reveal you. This is the best thing that could have happened to me. The others, they were only fun. Companionship. We enjoyed each other, then left each other alone. Most of them have their mates now-¡±


    ¡°Their mates allowed you to mate with them?!¡± she gasped.


    ¡°No!¡± Tarkyn dropped his head into his hands, shivering with the frustration of the moment, this moment that should have been so beautiful and special. That should havepleted the bond and brought them together as a true pair.


    Instead, he sat here, trembling with weakness instead of desire. He didn¡¯t want to frighten her, but every word he said seemed to mean things to her that he¡¯d never intended.


    ¡°Please, Harth, listen to me. Feel me.¡± He offered his hand for her to take and even though she was clearly confused and frightened, she gave it. He dropped his face to the back of her hand for a moment, inhaling her scent, reminding himself of her rightness. Then he sighed and pulled her hand to his chest, resting it there, t at the center, letting her feel his heartbeat under his ribs.


    ¡°Harth... No matter what¡¯s happened before, I¡¯ve never found the female that was my True Heart¡¯s Call. That¡¯s you, beautiful. I went to the Hallowed Grounds to seek the Creator¡¯s blessing, I pleaded with Him to bring you to me, and He has.


    ¡°It¡¯s clear there¡¯s many differences between our people, and we will need to... learn each other. But do not doubt this: No matter whates, no matter what we face, I will stand for you. Always. You are the one the Creator made for me. I will... I put my life in your hands, and I will give it defense of yours. Please... Harth. Please don¡¯t ever question that.¡±


    Her brows rose, pinching together over her nose, and when he finished speaking, her eyes shone. A little strangled noise broke in her throat and she threw herself at him, tumbling him back onto the furs as she devoured his mouth, whimpering her own promises of forever.


    Tarkyn¡¯s heart sang, but his soul roared.


    She was here. She was finally here. The Creator had heard his plea.


    He had found his mate.


    As he rolled her onto her back and whispered her beauty and the joy he found at touching her, preparing to finally make her his, he thanked the Creator above. Because no matter what had happened in their lives before now, they were finally together.


    Finally.


    And he¡¯d never let anyone take her from him.


    *****


    WELCOME TO ANIMA! I can¡¯t wait to share this ride with you!


    If you¡¯re excited to be here, please click ¡°vote¡± below and let Webnovel know you want to see more of this book. And don¡¯t forget to say hello in thements. I LOVE hearing from readers. I read every singlement, and reply to most!


    From now on a chapter will post EVERY day between 5 and 6pm Pacific (Los Angeles) time! And once the book is contracted, we¡¯ll have mass releases too!


    Thank you for being here with me. I couldn¡¯t do this without you!

 Chapter 11

    Chapter 11: Waited for You


    ~ HARTH ~


    All the questions and doubt fell away when he took her in his arms. His voice, deep and rough with weariness that made her want to cradle him, but she was too busy gasping and tingling.


    His touch felt like coldets on her skin, sparkling and arching, lighting her up, as if the nerves rose to the surface just to find him.


    And even though she was nervous, she was also thrilled. She¡¯d waited for this for so many years... and her heart thrummed with heat for him.


    She¡¯d kissed males when she was young, flirted, and even been touched. But she¡¯d never found a male that made her need. Yet, here he was-her mate. And his every touch made her tremble and arch.


    She didn¡¯t know what she was doing, but as he stroked her sides, ran his hands through her hair and rocked his hips against hers, she followed his lead-enjoying the marble ripple of this muscles on his back, and the thunder of his breath in her ear, fluttering her hair.


    He painted her with kisses, his lips soft and full, his tongue tasting and teasing, from her lips, to her jaw, down her neck and back to her breasts-a new sensation for Harth that was, she discovered, an entire world of pleasure in itself.


    .....


    She¡¯d never understood the male attraction to breasts, but when Tarkyn breathed her name against the skin of her chest, then sucked her nipple into his mouth, she stopped breathing with the crackle of pleasure that snapped through her belly to meet the ache between her thighs where he rested.


    And as the conversation and fear of their differences faded from her mind to be reced with sheer joy at the warm strength of him over her, the sweet taste of his lips, the shivering pleasure of hearing him moan when she stroked him... Harth had never felt more alive.


    Deep in her chest, something came to life. A small, fluttering light that sparkled and fizzed right in the middle of her heart and, as it beat, pulsed, sending spiraling stars into her bloodstream.


    Her hands were already shaking, but when Tarkyn kissed his way back up her body, and the velvet steel of his arousal found her head-he was right there-but at first he only rubbed himself against her in a slow, steady rhythm that made her breath stop at the peak of each roll.


    Dear Lord, Harth,¡± he gasped, pushing up on his fists to brace himself over her, his shoulder rigid, the muscles twitching and rolling as he arched his back to press himself against her harder.


    Her mouth was open like a fool, but she didn¡¯t care. She¡¯d pped both hands to his lower back, pulling him against her in a silent plea to keep going as her body began to thrum.


    The long part of his hair fell to either side of his face, ruffling against his shoulders as they moved together. His eyes were wide and bright, intense, locked on hers.


    ¡°So beautiful,¡± he gasped. ¡°So beautiful, my beautiful.¡±


    She kept bing overwhelmed with the sensations and closing her eyes, and each time he would call her back until she opened them again. But staring at him while their bodies moved together like that, knowing in a moment he would take her-aching for him to do it, whimpering with a need for him that she¡¯d never felt before-Harth felt stripped bare, but in the best way.


    As if he could see her very soul.


    Moved by a rush of emotion in the same moment that he tilted his hips and slid against her, almost taking her, Harth pped a hand to the back of his neck and braced herself against him.


    ¡®Please, Tarkyn,¡¯ she sent, begging in his mind instinctively.


    He groaned, heat and surprise shing in his eyes, but she was too far gone to slow.


    ¡®Please, I need you... my mate... my mate...¡¯


    Then he dropped to his elbows, whispering her name, curling his fingers into her hair and pulling her head back to bare her throat. And she gave it to him. Joyously, hopefully, willingly, she gave it to him.


    *****


    ~ TARKYN ~


    Harth was incredible. Impossible. Magnificent. Their talk of his past with other females had grieved his heart, but now, even as they only touched, he knew-and prayed she would believe-he had never felt this way about any other female.


    Something within her called to him, singing in his bones. And she had an abandon, a way she gave herself that somehow married innocence with courage, and set his body alight.


    As he rocked against her, a hair¡¯s breadth from taking her, she gasped and urged him on, begged him. Then her voice bloomed in his mind, and it was as if they were joined on every level except the one the bond demanded.


    A fizzing, sparkling heat began in his chest, spiraling out from his heart, spinning through his veins until he would have sworn his skin was alight. With every thundering pound of his heart, with every shuddering roll of his hips, the light inside him grew, filling his veins, until it pressed out of his skin and reached for her.


    ¡°Harth...¡± he breathed, as he lowered himself, covering her, bracing on his elbows, still pressing against her, preparing her, showing her the way it would be...


    He should have exined, but he was lost for words when she smiled with joy, gasping at his touch.


    Unable to resist, he closed his fingers in her hair and tugged her head back-and glory of glories, she didn¡¯t resist him. Chin high and eyes closed, she whispered his name as he kissed her chin, then the underside of her jaw, then tasted the soft, vulnerable skin of her throat.


    His body screamed, humming with sheer need.


    ¡°Mine,¡± he growled against her throat.


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Mine, forever, Harth. My mate.¡±


    Her fingers dug into the muscles of his shoulders, but he didn¡¯t care. He sucked at her throat and she whimpered as he drew his hips back, positioning himself, preparing to take her.


    ¡°This might hurt,¡± he rasped, then licked the skin with the tip of his tongue. ¡°But I vow to you, I¡¯ll-¡±


    There was the slightest tter-a tiny pebble sliding down the rock-cliff above and bouncing on the stone behind him, but Tarkyn¡¯s instincts screamed a split second before shadows fell over them, heavy stepsnded just feet from them, and a spear point appeared just inches from Harth¡¯s throat.


    ¡°Get back, Tarkyn, you¡¯ve been deceived!¡±


    The lion within him roared to shatter the peace of WildWood.

 Chapter 12

    Chapter 12: Faster than Sight


    ~ HARTH ~


    Her mate moved like liquid lightning. He took Harth¡¯s breath away.


    An ear-shattering roar vibrated the very stone beneath them as he whipped sideways and to his feet, snatching the spear and turning it against the intruders in a single, smooth movement that left him standing between her and the handful of males who¡¯d appeared from nowhere, bristling with weapons.


    One of them had screamed an instruction at him, but Tarkyn ignored it,nding on his feet half-crouched and roaring, as Harth rolled away from the males, scrambling away instinctively, only toe up against the back wall of the shallow cave and tten herself against it, heart pounding now from the adrenalin rush of abject terror, rather than the desire that had been heating her blood just seconds before.


    Four. There were four of them. Silhouetted by the morning sun outside the cave, they were massive and armed and-


    ¡°STAND DOWN!¡± Tarkyn roared, his back rippling towards the shift. The males in front of him stared, stunned, but all of them poised for attack-and none of them dropped their weapons.


    Tarkyn stood before them, spear sped in his hands in such a way he could stab with it, or use it as a block. His chest heaved, shoulders rising and falling, and she could feel the Alpha power wafting off him in waves that raised her hackles and urged her to submit. She had to fight to keep her head up and her body from curling forward.


    .....


    Holy shit.


    ¡°Tarkyn,¡± one of the males said, his voice stern, but she caught the question in it, too. ¡°She¡¯s an invader. The Queen-¡±


    ¡°She is my mate,¡± he snarled.


    All four males froze.


    ¡°Impossible,¡± one of them muttered, shaking his head.


    Tarkyn bristled. ¡°She. Is. My. Mate. You will lower your weapons and submit, or I swear on the Creator Himself I will take every one of your throats.¡±


    Harth had heard males threaten each other before-both Chimera and humans. She¡¯d seen powerful males fight. And she¡¯d lived in fear of others who brought a nameless, sinister threat. But she¡¯d never in her life heard the deadly menace of her mate¡¯s tonebined with such a reluctant, but rock-solid conviction of his own lethal nature.


    Every hair on her body stood tall and her breath shuddered out of her in a whimpering rush.


    Tarkyn twitched, wanting to check that she was unharmed, she knew. But he couldn¡¯t back down from the males in front of him.


    ¡°I am your Captain,¡± Tarkyn growled through his teeth, ¡°and I am issuing an order-¡±


    ¡°Tarkyn, the Queen,¡± one of the males said, his voice apologetic. ¡°She sent us. Gave us orders from her own lips. We can¡¯t... we can¡¯t just ignore it.¡±


    ¡°The Queen sent you to interrupt me with my mate?!¡±


    The soldiers looked at each other. Then their leader, the one who¡¯d called to him when they arrived, shook his head. ¡°She sent us to find you-find her. Because... because she¡¯s working for them. The humans, Tarkyn. She¡¯s one of them. And she¡¯s lying to you.¡±


    ¡®I¡¯m not!¡¯ she sent to Tarkyn instinctively. ¡®I¡¯m not lying!¡¯


    Tarkyn dropped his chin in a single nod, then shivered and backed up a step, then another one. His entire body was marble, tanned rippling marble-yet she could see the tiny quivers in his knees. He was weak, and getting weaker now that his adrenalin was fading. Harth¡¯s heart thudded painfully in her chest as her mind conjured what might happen if her mate copsed and she was left alone with these males.


    Their eyescked the predatory glint that she¡¯d seen in some of the humans, but that didn¡¯t mean anything. Some of the most outwardly calm and kind people she¡¯de in contact with at the human sanctuary where she¡¯d been imprisoned had ultimately proved to be the cruelest.


    But Tarkyn, unaware of her dark thoughts, continued to back up, slowly, step by step, until he stood, still facing his soldiers, still gripping that spear, with his back to the cave wall, and ced himself just in front of her, covering her from their eyes.


    ¡°She¡¯s my mate,¡± he growled. ¡°I can feel her. Sense her. She¡¯s not lying.¡±


    The soldier sighed, then lifted the point of his spear and ced it butt-end down on the stone floor of the cave, motioning for the others to put aside their weapons too, which they did, albeit reluctantly.


    Then the male locked eyes with Tarkyn and as he spoke, Harth felt her mate¡¯s tension slowly increase.


    ¡°Tarkyn,¡± the soldier said, his tone patient, but wary, ¡°She¡¯s not one of us. She¡¯s Chimera.¡±


    ¡°I know, we¡¯ve spoken of it. I can smell her.¡±


    ¡°The humans-¡±


    ¡°I know. I questioned her. Do you really believe I wouldn¡¯t question! Me? We already-¡±


    The soldier¡¯s gaze cut to Harth and his jaw set, his eyes flinty. ¡°Exin what you are to him,¡± he snapped. ¡°Tell him who made you.¡±


    Tarkyn growled. ¡°She already told me, what choice did she have that the Creator made her differently.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Tarkyn, but which creator?¡± the soldier said firmly.


    Tarkyn frowned and Harth¡¯s heart squeezed seeing how these males who had obviously learned about the Chimera¡¯s beginnings thought of her... wondering if her mate, her precious mate... would he feel the same way?


    She stared at the male who¡¯d been speaking, terrified, and didn¡¯t answer, pleading with Tarkyn in her mind to know that she was true, and that her heart was his.


    But the soldier only shook his head, cursing under his breath, then looked back to his Captain. ¡°When you didn¡¯te back on the third day, all of us were looking. Even the King and Queen,¡± he said, shoving the words out as if they were distasteful. ¡°We worried about you, about what might have happened. A scout found your trail out of the Hallowed Grounds-the wrong end of the Hallowed grounds-and followed it to the water, but from there we were clueless. We spread out from that point.


    ¡°The King and Queen were among the fist that found her trail-only hers, not yours-and followed it. Hours of travel, as quickly as they could safely run and track. Until they discovered many trails. Many scents. Our best scouts went forwardst evening and located an encampment. She isn¡¯t alone.¡±


    She heard a sharp intake of breath from Tarkyn. But they hadn¡¯t talked about this. She hadn¡¯t lied! He hadn¡¯t asked, and she was distracted... she would have exined!


    But the soldier pushed on, not letting Tarkyn have any chance to think. ¡°While the fists waited for news from the scouts, the King and Queen stumbled on another pair, walking back to the... the vige they¡¯d made.¡±


    The soldiers eyes snapped to Harth as if she were to me. ¡°They are not Anima, Tarkyn. The male we took... he almost killed the King and two of our soldiers before they pinned him down.¡±


    Harth gasped. ¡°Who? Which-¡±


    Tarkyn snapped his head to her, willing her to keep her mouth closed, and without thought, she obeyed, though she bristled. These were his people. He should lead. But... who had they taken?


    Harth stared at the soldier, but all his attention was on Tarkyn. ¡°We can¡¯t be certain yet, the trackers are still working, but we estimate there are almost three hundred of them. Are you hearing me, Tarkyn? This isn¡¯t an undiscovered servant of the humans. This is an invasion, hidden from us, and primed for attack.¡±

 Chapter 13

    Chapter 13: Mixed Messages


    PATRON SHOUT OUT: Thank you for the name suggestion Kristin_Peterson! I love ¡°Dar¡¯tanyon¡± and I hope you enjoy his Anima-ized version!


    If you¡¯d like to receive advance ess, unpublished material, and other extras¨Cincluding naming characters, jump over to; p a t r e o n/authoraimee and join a tier! Can¡¯t wait to see you there!


    *****


    ~ TARKYN ~


    ¡°That isn¡¯t TRUE!¡± Harth snarled, instinctively leaping to her feet and out from behind Tarkyn to face his soldiers directly. But while she jumped to defend the truth of her heart, soldiers saw nothing in her sudden movement except a threat.


    Everything happened too quickly.


    All four trained soldiers silently, lethally snapped their spears high and turned to follow her position, shifting to aim, instinctively poised to throw those shing des for her chest. To Tarkyn¡¯s eyes everything moved in slow motion-Harths hands rising to ask them to stop, their weapons leveled for mortal attacks, the soldiers sinking their weight and bncing themselves-she could be dead in a breath. Every glimmering nerve in Tarkyn¡¯s body screamed for her safety.


    .....


    He shifted without though, roaring and leaping between her and the bristling spears in his massive, snarling lion,nding to crouch in front of her, tailshing and teeth bared at the males.


    The soldiers, all Equine, froze.


    But he felt the immediate judgment in their eyes, too.


    To shift in aggression was an unspoken promise for violence-deadly violence. It wasn¡¯t what Tarkyn had intended, but he was so shaken, so off-bnce...


    Deep in his beast, separated from his body, he suddenly had an rming battle to wrestle back control and take his human form again. He was weak, too weak for this. His beast knew it and wished to protect him.


    But even in his lion form, the four trained equines could take him easily when he was this depleted. He knew that. And so did they.


    At least his shift stopped their advance.


    Tarkyn regained control secondster and shifted back, but the damage was done. Shifting to his beast was an act of aggression, and he was their Captain. His stomach sank knowing he would answer to the Queen herself for this, but he shoved the thoughts aside, his entire body quivering-weakening-as he desperately tried to make sense of what he was hearing, what his soldiers believed, and what the males intended.


    Then that impossible link between them resonated with her voice in his head-he¡¯d known wolves could use it with each other, but he¡¯d never heard of one speaking to another species.


    ¡®Tarkyn, you have to believe me. We came here to escape, not attack! You didn¡¯t ask me about the others-I was going to tell you. But I was so excited to find you-¡®


    He hissed to silence her, but unaware of her abilities, his soldiers took it as a caution to them and they tensed further.


    Tarkyn growled in frustration. ¡°I do not mean to harm you,¡± he muttered. ¡°But you must not touch her. She is under my protection until... until we sort this out.¡±


    He¡¯d meant the statement to reassure the males that he was listening, that they didn¡¯t need to fear he¡¯d been blinded or that his mind was weak.


    But his heart cracked at the immediate wave of fear that washed into Harth¡¯s scent the moment he said those words.


    His mate should never fear him.


    She didn¡¯t speak to him in his head again and Tarkyn burned to turn and look at her, measure her, hold her, chasten her... to make her see that he didn¡¯t waver, only worked to keep her safe. But his head spun with too many questions, too many urges. And he couldn¡¯t turn from his soldiers while they held weapons to threaten her.


    ¡°Tarkyn,¡± Dhartanyn said, his tone frustrated. ¡°Please... We move on the Queen¡¯s direct orders to protect any Anima from her-especially you!¡±


    ¡°I do not need protection from her!¡± he said through his teeth, but Dhartanyn, a thoughtful and reliable fist-leader only looked at him, pitying. Tarkyn wanted to snap his teeth, but knew if their roles were reversed, he too would be skeptical. Suspicious. He too would question the judgment of the male who was weak and had been dragged deep into the forest when he was unconscious by this strangely scented female who was somehow connected to their enemies.


    He blew out a breath and held Dhartanyn¡¯s eyes. ¡°Have you been informed about why I left the Tree City, what journey I embarked upon?¡±


    The soldier nodded slowly, but his jaw tightened. Tarkyn knew the male¡¯s faith in the Creator had always been a shallow thing. He was a dominant and capable male, sessful in his work, and one of the highest ranking of Tarkyn¡¯s men, and strongest warrior, despite being Equine. But that was part of the problem. It was easy for the strong to rely more on their own strength and knowledge than on the invisible power of a silent God. Tarkyn knew that truth well.


    With a sigh, he looked at each of his soldiers in turn. ¡°We cannot allow this to descend into violence. I beg your forgiveness for shifting and ask your grace. I know your hearts and that you are loyal and good. I know you wish to protect me, the Queen, and our people. But... she is not the threat you believe her to be. You have to see that I went to the Creator begging him to reveal my mate, and He has. She saved me from near death and we are... we were finding our way topleting the bond.¡±


    Dhartanyn¡¯s mouth thinned. He didn¡¯t like contradicting hismanding officer. ¡°And you have to see that we are not in the Creator¡¯s mind and do not know what bond does or doesn¡¯t exist. But our Queen has been very clear: You are at risk. These people are a direct threat. And we are to take any we find back to the Queen, under guard, for interrogation.¡±


    Tarkyn growled at the mental image of these males surrounding his unimed mate, but he cut it off, breathing heavily, thinking as fast as he could.


    He ached to turn and look at Harth, to pull her close and reassure her-and be reassured by her. She hadn¡¯t made a sound, hadn¡¯t moved. But he could scent her panic-and something that was her fluttered in his chest, a hint of her. He could feel her-and not just her fear, but her indignation as well. And the creeping nerves beneath both.


    There were still secrets to reveal.


    But in this moment he had a fist of soldiers to soothe, and apparently a Queen to answer to.


    ¡°Very well,¡± he said reluctantly. ¡°If you must take her, you¡¯ll take us both. Together.¡±

 Chapter 14

    Chapter 14: Humbled Alpha


    Shout out to my Patron Pam Bierle for suggesting the character name ¡°Ray.¡± I appreciate your support so much!


    If you¡¯d like to receive advance ess, unpublished material, and other extras¨Cincluding naming characters, jump over to; p a t r e o n/authoraimee and join a tier! Can¡¯t wait to see you there!


    *****


    ~ TARKYN ~


    The following day was the most humbling experience of Tarkyn¡¯s career. First because his body failed him.


    The soldiers had located he and Harth¡¯s position overnight while they slept, then crept to the cliff-top above and climbed down to ambush them. But that meant that Tarkyn and Harth were to climb back up.


    Yet, when the adrenalin of the confrontation passed, Tarkyn found he barely possessed the strength to keep himself upright.


    .....


    His soldiers were forced to feed him and allow him to rest while they fashioned a hammock of vines to lift him and Harth to the top of the cliff.


    Then, though thend sloped gently down, Tarkyn¡¯s strength would wane so quickly, a trip which would normally have taken a healthy Tarkyn half a day, stretched to two. He ordered one of the soldiers ahead to warn the Queen of their arrival and demand an audience but the soldiers refused.


    Tarkyn had never had his orders refused. Ever.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sir,¡± the young soldier, Rhay, said, ducking his dark brown head, though his jaw was set. Keeping his shoulders rolled in acknowledgement of Tarkyn¡¯s superior dominance, still he lifted his bright blue eyes to hold Tarkyn¡¯s gaze, his eyes full of regret coupled with resolution. ¡°The Queen was very firm, very... clear in her orders. If we found you or a prisoner, we were not to leave you alone or split our defenses. We watched one of the males almost overpower three of our guards when they were taken by surprise. The training these creatures have had-¡±


    ¡°I am not a creature!¡± Harth snapped, both anger and fear burning in her tone.


    Tarkyn put a hand to her arm-while she was strong, she clearly hadn¡¯t worked with trained warriors who lived by the structure of hierarchy even more than the tribes, and who were trained to set down aggression quickly and emphatically. While he adored her fierce, unflinching way of addressing the world, she would need to learn to deal with military males with greater caution.


    Their instincts were honed and molded. Some would put her down before they thought.


    But when he touched her, he felt her shaking under his hand and turned quickly to meet her eyes.


    ¡°You do not need to fear. I won¡¯t let them touch you,¡± he murmured. The guards would hear, but be discreet.


    But Harth didn¡¯t respond, just held his eyes, her brow furrowed.


    He walked more closely at her side, his heart swinging between joy that she was there, that she was his mate, and that they were together, and sick dread about how this might y out.


    While all of the WildWood had been at peace for over a year, those of them who¡¯d fought the humans, who¡¯d lost loved ones... the instincts to see an enemy behind every bush were still there. It had been part of Tarkyn¡¯s difficulty in the past year.


    He¡¯d remained so focused on keeping everyone safe, that the King had pulled him aside and gently requested he ¡°chill the fuck out.¡±


    His tense attention to every sound and leaping to every detail had, he understood, made it harder for others to rest in the new peace.


    But that had been half his battle. He was a warrior. What life did he have if there was no enemy to fight?


    He¡¯d spent the past three months rudderless, continuing guards and patrols of the Tree City, and even into the portal territories to ensure they hadn¡¯t made a mistake. That there was, indeed, no way for the humans to return.


    And so far, there had been nothing.


    Yet now...


    Three hundred like Harth? Here, already. They must have arrived before the portals closed, yet even if they were a day¡¯s travel away, how had their patrols caught no scent or sign?


    Tarkyn¡¯s thoughts were interrupted by their arrival on the edge of the Tree City.


    For a moment he sighed with relief. He was home. And he had found his mate! He could finally begin the life he¡¯d always wanted.


    But instead of taking the main trail that would lead them among the Great Trees, to the center of the Tree City where the Market, the covered, open-air dining for the City nestled, and security council buildings, the stalls for the traders, and the various homes of the people... instead of drawing Harth towards his home tree on the Northwestern edge of the Tree City, the soldiers kept them to the little-used trails that skirted the city wide, curling south.


    He supposed he should have been grateful that the soldiers that now walked before and behind, and alongside he and Harth, didn¡¯t turn west and take them to the Great Trees that had been used as prisons in the Wolf War. But Tarkyn had demanded an audience with the Queen-something his rank allowed, though he would have his balls removed by her if he used it frivolously.


    So, like amon criminal, he was marched along the outskirts of the city he¡¯d given his life in service to protect.


    His pride burned.


    Harth¡¯s eyes widened when she caught sight of more and more of the Great Trees.


    Fifty-feet across at the base of their trunks-sometimes more-their thick boughs rolled out parallel to the ground, though fifteen or twenty feet in the air, the thick, upward pointing leaves turning them into shade in the summer, and some retreat from the rain in the winter.


    Soon, as they circled below the city, then met the trail that would take them further south to the Royal Meadow and the Queen¡¯s cave, Tarkyn sighed with relief.


    His body ached both with pain, and with the desire for sleep. His steps were heavy, and his mind fogged with weariness.


    He needed several good meals, more water, and solid sleep for days to regain his strength. But he couldn¡¯t risk allowing any of the males to sense his exhaustion more than they already had. Though they knew and respected his dominance, if any were to challenge him directly in that moment, he would not win.


    And with his mate on his arm and under threat, he couldn¡¯t afford to suffer a blow to his power.


    Finally, they broke out of the line of the forest and into the meadow and even Tarkyn smiled.


    They were home. His home. And for the first time in his life, he returned to the WildWood with his mate at his side.


    Despite his weariness, hope fizzed in his chest and energized him.


    ¡®Thank you,¡¯ he prayed. ¡®Thank you for answering my call. Now help me keep her here safe.¡¯

 Chapter 15

    Chapter 15: War Chief


    NAME PRONOUNCIATION:


    ¨C Behryn is BEAR-in


    ******


    ~ TARKYN ~


    Thiste in the season, the heat had dried the grass of the Royal Meadow to a dull straw, but some flowers pressed through, their colored petals waving in the breeze of the soldier¡¯s passage.


    Before them, on the meadow¡¯s other side, a mountain rose high above the tree canopy, almost into the clouds and at its base, a wide cave mouth loomed dark in contrast to the bright sunlight of the meadow.


    To their right as they took the trail across the meadow to the cave, two of the Great Trees had been converted to homes. The Queen¡¯s brother and his mate lived in one, while the Queen¡¯s surrogate father, Behryn-her true father¡¯s oldest and dearest friend-and his mate inhabited the other.


    .....


    Tarkyn pointed out the doors and windows carved into the trees and exined to Harth that the Trees¡¯ massive root-structures allowed them life, even when the Anima had hollowed their base to make homes.


    Harth¡¯s eyes widened, but the soldiers had picked up their pace, and they were approaching the cave.


    ¡°Stay submitted, and let me do the talking,¡± Tarkyn muttered to Harth. ¡°The Queen is fierce, but fair. She¡¯ll listen to me. But do not challenge her. She will not take kindly to it, especially under these circumstances.¡±


    Tarkyn wished he felt stronger himself. Elreth, the Queen of the Anima and their first female Dominant, Alpha of All, had a habit of throwing her alpha power in the path of even the most subtle opposition. Her mate and brother teased her about her Alpha Male Energy.


    She did not enjoy it.


    But she was her father¡¯s fierce and passionate daughter. Just like the former King who had raised her, Elreth would not entertain any threat to her people. So before Tarkyn demanded his mate¡¯s eptance, he needed more information about what the Queen and King had discovered about her people, and how so many of them had remained in Anima undetected.


    Because Harth would be epted. Tarkyn would make certain of it.


    As they stepped into the shadow of the cave mouth, Harth leaned against him, just slightly, and his heart squeezed as her eyes went wide, following the ceiling of the cave mouth that curled to the right where the massive, wooden door, still retaining its bark and carved to look as if it had grown into the wall, stood half-open to the long royal cave. A giant living room with multiple seating areas opened before them, then the cave turned to their left into the dining area and kitchen, while Tarkyn knew another tunnel led to the Royal¡¯s bed chambers.


    Two soldiers led Tarkyn and Harth into the cave, while two followed behind.


    But Tarkyn could tell the moment they stepped inside that the Queen and King weren¡¯t there. The cave was silent and cold, and no fresh scent, as if it had been uninhabited for days, not mere hours.


    Tarkyn gritted his teeth in frustration. ¡°You didn¡¯t send someone to check where she was?¡± he growled at Dhartanyn.


    The soldier gave him a t look. ¡°Our orders were to keep any invaders away from the people, and away from seeing the City-and we weren¡¯t to leave our posts until they were detained safely. We haven¡¯t run into anyone we could use to scout.¡±


    ¡°These precautions are ridiculous. I am your Captain, surely I count as a fourth guard while someone else finds the Queen?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not so sure, Tarkyn-Sir. I mean... you don¡¯t believe she¡¯s an invader.¡±


    ¡°Because I know her-she¡¯s my mate!¡±


    Dhartanyn¡¯s face was stern. ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean she is a friend to the rest of us.¡±


    ¡°You think the Creator would give me a mate who had malicious intent for the Anima?!¡± Tarkyn snarled. All four soldiers tensed, but none of them moved. Tarkyn ran a hand through his hair and sighed, chastising himself.


    He was tired and venting his frustration on his men. It wasn¡¯t good. But he was beyond caring. He needed to rest, but couldn¡¯t show his weakness. And there was a strange tang entering his mate¡¯s sense that stung in his nose and made him want to press her to his back and search for the enemy.


    He looked at her from the side, tried to catch her eye, but Harth was scanning the cave, her gaze sweeping high and low as if the ce itself threatened her.


    He shifted his weight so his arm rested alongside hers, but she didn¡¯t seem to notice.


    ¡°Sir, you weren¡¯t there. You don¡¯t understand. The male the Queen found... his fighting skills... they were... impressive.¡±


    Tarkyn blinked and made himself focus. ¡°Who did he fight?¡±


    ¡°Jham, Dryar, and Nhox.¡±


    Tarkyn almost swallowed his tongue. ¡°The male ovee Nhox?¡±


    ¡°Nhox was thest to engage and shifted the conflict in their favor, but it was his advice to the Queen that these intruders be carefully controlled. If they were to attack in numbers-¡±


    ¡°They aren¡¯t going to attack at all, unless you attack them!¡± Harth burst out. ¡°Whoever fought probably thought you were going to kill him and was fighting for his life.¡±


    ¡°He was protective of his mate and pup,¡± Dhartanyn said carefully. ¡°But-¡±


    ¡°Wait-pup?¡± Harth rushed in. ¡°Did you say pup?¡±


    Tarkyn took Harth¡¯s elbow, she really needed to be more careful with the guards. But Dhart¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Yes, I did. Why?¡±


    Harth blinked and her scent became... wary. Tarkyn¡¯s hackles rose. His first instinct as Captain would have been to insist that she tell what she knew-but something within him, the protective part of his nature, wanted to hold his mate aside. If she feared, she likely had reason to.


    ¡°I...¡± she swallowed, looking back and forth between Tarkyn and the soldiers. ¡°It¡¯s only that there are very few Chimera with young. Very few. So it means, I probably know who they are.¡±


    Every male in the cave tensed.


    Tarkyn sucked in a breath. ¡°Harth, please... if you know who the prisoners are, tell us. We can take that information to the Queen as proof that you mean no harm to the Anima.¡±


    ¡°I do mean no harm to you,¡± she said, bluntly.


    ¡°I know, but-¡±


    ¡°But from the way you all speak, how can I be sure you mean no harm to my... my people?¡±


    They stared at her and Tarkyn¡¯s heart sank because the truth was... they likely did. And she knew that.


    ¡°Harth...¡± he pleaded with his eyes. He had to find a way to bring her to Elreth without the Queen marking her an invader. ¡°Please-¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t say another word,¡± a deep voice growled from behind him. Tarkyn turned, uncertain whether to be relieved, or horrified that Gar, the Queen¡¯s brother and War Chief had arrived.


    He was a massive male, bronze-skinned and dark haired like his father. Still only twenty, he¡¯d more than match his father in size and power. He was a tribe Alpha, and War Chief and, in Tarkyn¡¯s opinion, a fucking fantastic male. But while Gar had proven his worth time and again, he was also an emotional male, ruled by his senses. His eyes were keen and turned warm at the slightest humor, or cold as ice at the sight of an enemy.


    And right now, Gar¡¯s eyes were fixed on Tarkyn¡¯s mate, narrowed and arctic.


    The growl puttered in Tarkyn¡¯s throat before he could catch it, the instinct of such a powerful male¡¯s attention centered on his mate with lethal intent. The soldiers shrank back as Tarkyn¡¯s back rippled towards the shift and he snarled, sinking low in his stance to bnce his center of gravity and face the threat.


    But instead of meeting his aggression in kind, Gar¡¯s head snapped back and his brows rose in surprise. ¡°Tarkyn, I¡¯m d to see you safe, brother, but why would you stand in defense of an enemy? She is clearly a wolf, but not one of ours. That marks her one of these Chimera, and-¡±


    ¡°And she¡¯s my mate!¡±


    Gar stared at him for a moment in stunned disbelief, then threw back his head and boomedughter that echoed through the cave.

 Chapter 16

    Chapter 16: Interrogation


    NAME PRONOUNCIATIONS:


    ¨C Gar rhymes with car.


    ¨C Rika is REE-kah.


    *****


    ~ HARTH ~


    Harth had been consumed by the cave when they entered. She knew she should pay attention to the conversation between the soldiers, but her entire body reacted to being closed in sopletely.


    No matter how she searched, she found no windows, no air, no light, except therge door they¡¯d entered through, her ess to which was blocked by the soldiers. Her heart began to pound painfully, her breath shallow and quick.


    .....


    She needed to get out of this ce that closed in on her like a fist. She needed to breathe. She needed air. She needed to escape!


    Tarkyn¡¯s warmth brushed her arm and something within her clenched. She wanted to grab him, to plead that he take her outside. But she knew she couldn¡¯t show this weakness to these males who might use this against her.


    She began to tremble. But she swallowed her fear, made herself stand tall, to defend her people.


    They had no intent to harm or invade! The fact that these people assumed it spoke volumes about their own motives, and Harth found her heart mming even harder at the thought that perhaps her mate was part of a people who were violent and controlling like the humans had been.


    Silently she prayed, fighting to keep her eyes on the soldiers and stand up for her people. Then one of them mentioned a pup.


    ¡°Wait-pup?¡± she asked breathlessly. ¡°Did you say pup?¡±


    Tarkyn touched her arm and leaned close. ¡°Yes, I did. Why?¡±


    Harth was about to tell him when she caught herself, her heart suddenly torn.


    This was her mate. She¡¯d vowed herself to protect him, could sense the good and strength in him. She would tell him anything! But his people?


    ¡°I...¡± she swallowed, eyes darting back and forth between Tarkyn and the soldiers. ¡°It¡¯s only that there are very few Chimera with young. Very few. So it means, I probably know who they are.¡±


    It had to be Zev and Sasha. They had returned! They¡¯d sessfully freed their son! But they¡¯d been taken by these people?


    She was so deep in thought she didn¡¯t immediately notice the tension in the males around her.


    But Tarkyn¡¯s eyes had focused like the eagle on prey. ¡°Harth, please... if you know who the prisoners are, tell us. We can take that information to the Queen as proof that you mean no harm to the Anima.¡±


    ¡°I do mean no harm to you,¡± she said, bluntly. But she couldn¡¯t breathe for fearing their intentions for her people-they¡¯d called Zev a warrior? They¡¯d imprisoned him?


    Tarkyn sighed. ¡°I know, but-¡±


    ¡°But from the way you all speak, how can I be sure you mean no harm to my... my people?¡± They all stared at her but none of them had an answer.


    ¡°Harth...¡± he pleaded with his eyes. He had to find a way to bring her to Elreth without the Queen marking her an invader. ¡°Please-¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t say another word,¡± a deep voice growled from behind him and every hair on Harth¡¯s body stood up.


    The male who¡¯d appeared in the doorway had skin a deep, warm brown, and near-ck hair. He was massive-of a height with Zev, though perhaps like Tarkyn, slightly taller. But Harth was pretty sure he was thergest male she¡¯d ever seen, except for a few of the creatures.


    Broad and muscr, he looked like what the humans would describe as a barbarian-as if he could crack melons in the crook of an elbow.


    And he looked at her as if she was the enemy.


    Harth sucked in a breath and sank her weight lower, ready to shift and dart out of his grip when he went for her. But Tarkyn growled, and as if it had been a starter gun for the other males, everyone braced-the soldiers slipping back to give the two dominant males room as Tarkyn threatened to shift, his attention fully on the other male.


    Instinctively, Harth expected a sh of titans. That these two males wouldunch and fight and fear jangled through her veins-could her mate, weakened as he was-have any hope of beating this guy?


    But oddly, instead of sinking into a defensive stance, the male¡¯s head snapped back and his brows rose in surprise. ¡°Tarkyn, I¡¯m d to see you safe, brother, but why would you stand in defense of an enemy? She is clearly a wolf, but not one of ours. That marks her one of these Chimera, and-¡±


    ¡°And she¡¯s my mate!¡±


    Gar stared at him for a moment in stunned disbelief, then threw back his head andughed.


    Adrenalin flooded Harth at the sudden noise, but though her heart pounded, she found she could breathe just a touch easier, as the male wiped tears from his eyes and beamed at them.


    ¡°Your mate? You finally found your mate... and she¡¯s an enemy?¡± he wheezed, using the heels of his massive hands to wipe his eyes.


    Harth looked at Tarkyn, who was still in a defensive stance, but his body no longer rippling towards the shift.


    ¡°You find this amusing?¡± Tarkyn growled.


    The male opened his eyes, still smiling, but there was something very wry in his expression. But instead of answering Tarkyn, the male straightened his face and turned to the soldiers who¡¯d given him space.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to need to, uh, interrogate the invader,¡± he said with a nce at Tarkyn. Harth had the impression he was swallowing moreughter. Please leave us-you can guard the door. But send someone to get the Queen, and please ask Behryn very gently if he¡¯lle over to act as Advisor. I believe he¡¯s home.


    There was some back and forth between the males, and Harth found her chest growing tighter and tighter as the males began to move out of the cave-a relief-but then turned to close the door behind them.


    No. No! She couldn¡¯t be shut in here with all this darkness and this huge male and-


    Tarkyn¡¯s hand was suddenly on her arm, but she startled when he touched her. ¡°Harth, what¡¯s wrong? Gar can be trusted. He¡¯s-¡±


    She couldn¡¯t breathe. She couldn¡¯t think. She needed to get out, but this male blocked her view of the door and-


    ¡°Let her go, Tark,¡± the male-Gar?-ordered.


    Harth shrank back from him, but Tarkyn¡¯s grip on her arm loosened, and he looked back and forth between them. ¡°Harth, what-¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s having a panic attack. Rika was the same when she arrived. Just give her some space.¡±


    ¡°But, Harth, you¡¯re safe. I promise you-¡± Tarkyn shifted to put himself closer to her and even though her heart thrummed and she wanted to embrace him, her body went stiff and her breath stopped.


    ¡°What is it with you guys and the Alpha Male bullshit, honestly,¡± a feminine voice sighed.


    Harth stumbled back as a small woman appeared at the massive male¡¯s side. She smiled up at him, but her eyes quickly cut to Harth and Harth¡¯s breath stoppedpletely.


    Because even though the female smiled, and even though Harth could scent her calm... she was human.


    There was a fucking human here with these creatures?

 Chapter 17

    Chapter 17: The Human Condition


    ~ TARKYN ~


    His mate¡¯s scent had grown harder, sharper the longer they¡¯d stood in the cave. He thought she was upset about the guards and the usations that she might harm the Anima.


    But her breath kept getting more shallow, and her body began to tremble.


    ¡°Harth, what-¡±


    Gar¡¯s voice was quiet, but thick with authority. ¡°She¡¯s having a panic attack. Rika was the same when she arrived. Just give her some space.¡±


    ¡°But, Harth, you¡¯re safe. I promise you-¡± He stepped close to shelter her, to cover her, to offer his protection, but his heart ached when she shrank back, her movements stiff. And then her breath stoppedpletely.


    rm screamed in Tarkyn¡¯s head-his mate was in trouble! What was wrong? But before he could pull her into his chest, Rika¡¯s voice sighed through the cave.


    .....


    ¡°What is it with you guys and the Alpha Male bullshit, honestly.¡± Rika appeared at Gar¡¯s side, smiling, but concern furrowed her brow as she looked at Harth, who¡¯d stumbled back, eyes wide, still not breathing.


    ¡°Harth, please, you have to breathe-¡±


    ¡°Give her space, Tark. She won¡¯t breathe with you hanging over her like that,¡± Rika said easily, stepping forward to urge Tarkyn away from his mate-he almost snarled at her. But then she turned to Harth, who was still backing away and raised her hands, palms forward.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I know he¡¯s huge, but he¡¯s secretly a teddy bear. He won¡¯t hurt you, I promise.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m no bear!¡± Gar growled, offended.


    But Rika ignored him. ¡°No one will touch you or... or anything. Just breathe. Do you want toe outside with me? We can leave the guys here-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going... anywhere with you!¡± Harth wheezed, one of her hands up to guard against Rika approaching. ¡°I¡¯m not going back!¡±


    ¡°Back... where?¡± Rika was confused.


    Then Takryn clicked and wanted to bite himself for his stupidity.


    ¡°H-human! You¡¯re human! I won¡¯t go!¡± Harth¡¯s voice was high and shrill. She backed into one of the couches, and stumbled.


    Instinctively, Tarkyn leaped forward to catch her arm and help her stay upright. But that only startled her more.


    ¡°NO!¡± she growled, then shifted andunched herself at Rika.


    Time slowed and Tarkyn¡¯s heart exploded with panic. ¡°No, Harth-she¡¯s not-¡±


    But a thick snarl rose beside him as Gar moved like lightening, catching Harth¡¯s wolf in mid-air and throwing her to the ground with a crash as shended awkwardly on her side against one of the side tables and themp on it crashed to the ground.


    Tarkyn didn¡¯t even think-a male attacked his female!


    He held back from the shift by a thread, but roared and slid between Gar and Harth, scrambling to her feet behind him as Tarkyn met Gar¡¯s fierce re with a challenge of his own.


    They both went still, teeth bared, and Tarkyn threw a prayer skyward that he could find the strength to put Gar down before the massive male harmed his mate.


    But to his surprise, it was Rika that slipped between them, her back to Tarkyn, her eyes locking with Gar and hands on his chest.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she said softly, sliding one hand up the cord of his neck, to his jaw. ¡°Look at me, Gar, there¡¯s no threat. I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Tarkyn trembled. The urge was there to grab Rika and pull her out of the way so that Tarkyn could face Gar unopposed-he¡¯d touched Tarkyn¡¯s mate! But his hands were back to box Harth¡¯s beast in. Who knew what kind of control these Chimera had when they were in their beasts?


    ¡°Gar, she¡¯s afraid and surrounded by warriors. Give her a break,¡± Rika said softly. Then, while Gar still trembled, the growl still puttering in his throat, she turned, ignoring Tarkynpletely and peered around him to look at Harth. ¡°He¡¯s just being protective. He won¡¯t touch you again if you just... leave me alone. I mean no harm. I¡¯m sorry if I scared you. Please, I promise you¡¯re safe here.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if she can understand when she¡¯s-¡± Tarkyn started, but then his head echoed with his mate¡¯s beautiful voice.


    ¡®I understand everything. I just...¡¯


    He turned and looked over his shoulder as Harth, shaking and uncertain, returned to her human form and stood there, holding the arm of the couch behind her, her eyes darting back and forth between the three of them.


    ¡°Harth-¡± he breathed, but Rika put a hand on his arm to stop him.


    ¡°I understand. I won¡¯te closer to you,¡± she said quickly.


    When Harth¡¯s eyes dropped to where Rika touched Tarkyn and her face went tight, Rika gave a breathless littleugh and lifted her hands, backing away from Taryn, pushing Gar behind her who moved only reluctantly, and only so his mate wouldn¡¯t fall.


    ¡°I¡¯d forgotten what a hair-trigger you¡¯re all on, I¡¯m sorry,¡± Rika said with a sad smile, but her hands were trembling as she kept them up and in sight. ¡°Just rx... Harth is it? You won¡¯t be hurt. They¡¯re good males.¡±


    Gar made a low, crooning rumble in his chest, his hands closing at Rika¡¯s waist and Tarkyn¡¯s heart pinched when he saw the two of them... be together in such a thoughtless way.


    He automatically turned to find Harth with his eyes, yearning to touch her, tofort her-she smelled terrified. But now that the others mentioned it, he remembered how bad it had been for Rika when she¡¯d arrived and witnessed Gar and Elreth killing traitors. And other conflicts as well. There were still times when Rika would remove herself from a space if males got too aggressive.


    The Anima ferocity could be intimidating if Harth wasn¡¯t used to it. Perhaps she hadn¡¯t trained with their warriors? Maybe that¡¯s why she-


    Harth wavered on her feet, and every thought flew out of Tarkyn¡¯s head as her eyes rolled back in her head. She wasn¡¯t breathing.


    How long had it been since she¡¯d breathed?!


    ¡°Harth!¡± he leaped forward to catch her as her knees began to give, gathering her to his chest, but his own strength was beginning to give, and they tumbled to the couch together, Tarkyn turning his body so she¡¯dnd on him instead of his weight crushing her. ¡°Harth! Harth!¡±


    But her eyes were closed, and her face was deathly pale.

 Chapter 18

    Chapter 18: Safety


    ~ TARKYN ~


    ¡°We need to get her outside in the fresh air,¡± Rika said. ¡°If she wakes up in here with you two oafs hanging over her, she¡¯s just going to panic again.¡±


    Tarkyn¡¯s grip on his mate tightened. His head spun, his heart hammering. What was happening? Why couldn¡¯t she breathe? Was it sheer fear?


    But Gar had calmed and was keeping his distance, and Rika bustled around them, chastising them both for overreacting.


    ¡°-throwing her like that, Gar, really? No wonder the poor thing fainted.¡±


    ¡°She would have taken your throat,¡± the male rumbled.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t let her,¡± Rika said simply.


    .....


    ¡°Hence the throwing?¡± Gar pointed out.


    Tarkyn struggled to his feet, still holding Harth to his chest, horrified with himself for how weak he felt.


    Her burden wasn¡¯t anything that he should have struggled with. But he almost didn¡¯t make it upright, and he had to stand a moment to make sure his knees wouldn¡¯t give out when he walked.


    Rika whipped one of the soft nkets from the back of a couch, then ran ahead to open the cave door, Gar-still tense and protective-kept himself between Rika and Tarkyn. But he did nce back at Harth in Tarkyn¡¯s arms, worry shadowing his gaze.


    When they got out of the tunnel to the meadow, the guards were out there and turned, surprised, when Tarkyn stumbled out of the cave with Harth unconscious in his arms.


    But Rika urged them to move deeper into the meadow and spread the nket out in the shadow of the mountainside, then stepped back so Tarkyn couldy her down.


    She was already beginning to blink and flutter, but her eyes were unfocused.


    Tarkyn knelt next to her, holding her hand andbing back her hair as she slowly came back to herself.


    When she finally focused on him, he tried to smile. ¡°Just breathe,¡± he said quietly, still touching her face. ¡°Just breathe.¡±


    ¡°I... what happened. I thought-¡±


    ¡°You fainted because you weren¡¯t breathing,¡± Rika said from behind him. ¡°It¡¯s happened to me before too. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Harth¡¯s eyes flew wide and she sat bolt-upright, searching for the source of the voice, but Tarkyn put his hand to her elbow.


    ¡°Be easy,¡± he murmured.


    It took a few minutes for her head to clear enough, but soon Harth was back on her feet, though still pale.


    Tarkyn held her arm and put himself between her and the others. At first Rika was insisting that he needed to give her space, but Harth shook her head. ¡°It was... not you. The cave. Being closed in. That¡¯s... that¡¯s hard.¡±


    Tarkyn frowned. She panicked when she was enclosed by a cave? He¡¯d seen soldiers struggle in simr ways after war, if they¡¯d been attacked or imprisoned in a building. But... what had happened to her?


    Harth¡¯s eyes never stopped scanning the others that stood behind him. But he did his best to make sure she heard him.


    ¡°Let us tell you the story. Rika is one of us.¡±


    Harth¡¯s breathing was still too fast and shallow, but at least she was breathing. ¡°But... she¡¯s human.¡±


    Tarkyn nodded. ¡°She is Gar¡¯s mate. He is Anima. Rika is... Anima at heart.¡±


    ¡°But-they hold me captive because I smell of humans, yet she¡¯s-¡±


    ¡°My mate has proven her loyalty,¡± Gar growled from behind Tarkyn. ¡°And if you are truly Tarkyn¡¯s mate, you¡¯ll have an opportunity to do the same. But... if you shift again in threat against her, I will take your throat myself.¡±


    Tarkyn¡¯s heart sank. Gar hadughed when he¡¯d said Harth was his mate. He would have been an ally for them. But there was no faster way to raise his rage than to speak or raise violence against his mate.


    Tarkyn and the other soldiers had been witness to Rika¡¯s assistance in defeating the humans. But that wasn¡¯t true for most of the Anima. All they knew was that the deadly threat that stole so many lives hade from the human world. And Rika stank of humanity.


    The soldiers and warriors trusted her because they¡¯d been there to see her loyalty to the Anima to help them win. But there were still suspicious Anima. Gar was understandably defensive on her behalf.


    ¡°Harth,¡± Tarkyn said quietly, waiting until she met his eyes. ¡°I saw her battle humans with my own eyes. Believe me. I would not deceive you. She can be trusted.¡±


    Harth¡¯s brows pinched over her nose as she searched his gaze, obviously reading him for reassurance, and he loved that she did. He cupped her precious face in one hand, wishing he could speak in her head as she could speak in his. He¡¯d tell her every way she could trust him-and Rika, and Gar. But then, behind him, Rika cleared her throat.


    ¡°I started as a part of the human Team,¡± she said hesitantly to Harth, who tensed at the word. ¡°But when I watched the Anima and met Gar... I knew... I knew they were good and my people... weren¡¯t.¡± There was a pause and Tarkyn held Harth¡¯s gaze, pleading with her to believe. ¡°I have human blood, but my heart is with Anima,¡± Rika finished softly.


    A soft purr vibrated in Gar¡¯s chest, a noise that made Tarkyn¡¯s chest constrict because he yearned to offer it to his mate-it was a sound offort, and pleasure.


    ¡°My mate is as Anima as I am,¡± Gar rumbled a momentter, the edge of defensiveness still in his tone.


    Harth blinked, then finally looked past Tarkyn. ¡°Then why are you questioning me? I¡¯m not even human, but your guards are saying I¡¯m deceiving Tarkyn and... and calling me an invader. I¡¯m not an invader! None of my people are! The Creator brought us here to find safety, but now we¡¯ll have to fight you instead?¡±


    Tarkyn shook his head, but Gar answered her.


    ¡°You stink of humans-and not like us. You can shift, but you aren¡¯t Anima. When your people were discovered, one of yours almost killed three of ours. You¡¯ll forgive us, Harth, if there¡¯s some suspicion. Our portals are supposed to be closed. And yet, somehow, your people have shown up here anyway.¡±


    Tarkyn tensed as Harth¡¯s face went hard.

 Chapter 19

    Chapter 19: What they Made


    ~ TARKYN ~


    Tarkyn watched her carefully, poised to hold Harth back if it looked like she would attack again. His mate was clearly tense and fighting anger.


    ¡°I am Chimera,¡± she said through her teeth. ¡°But I cannot control how I came to be. I can tell you that the humans did nothing but harm us. I was taken from my people, the females were separated from the males. They were forced to breed and bond with males and... they destroyed us,¡± she hissed. ¡°I have no loyalty to them at all. Humans are fucking evil!¡±


    ¡°Not all of us,¡± Rika grumbled.


    Harth was still tense and her expression skeptical, so Tarkyn tightened his grip on her hand.


    ¡°Please exin, Harth. You said they made you? So you weren¡¯t... bred?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who my mother is, but whoever she is, it¡¯s a technicality,¡± Harth said bitterly. ¡°I wasn¡¯t raised by parents. I was... fed and clothed and sent to Thana when I was young where the adults helped me. But I never had a family. Not a true one. I was taken by the humans for their experiments even before they took all the females. It was... horrific. I¡¯ll never... I¡¯m not going back to that! Ever!¡± she said fiercely.


    .....


    Tarkyn nodded, squeezing her hand to reassure her. ¡°You¡¯re here now. You¡¯re with me. I won¡¯t allow them to take you, Harth. Just rest. We only want to understand... your shift is very simr to ours. But... you said you can understand everything when you¡¯re in your beast form? What-¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t?¡± she asked quickly, her eyes cutting back to him, surprised.


    Tarkyn pressed his lips together. ¡°I have control of my beast. But I had to learn that as I grew. My beast is not me. Not really. There¡¯s a connection between us-¡±


    ¡°Perhaps we should let Harth exin how things work for her?¡± Gar interrupted him. Tarkyn blinked, irritated at first by the interruption. But then he realized... he¡¯d been about to reveal things about the Anima to someone who was not one of them.


    He sucked in a breath. He¡¯d been a soldier his entire adult life, high ranking even as a young male, and then the current Queen¡¯s Captain and Defender of the People since she took dominance.


    Working with the royals and at the peak of security, his life had been marked as a secret keeper. He never spoke loosely. He always used care so that he wouldn¡¯t reveal information to any who shouldn¡¯t have it.


    Had the matebond addled his wits? Or was this just because he was so weakened by the past few days? He prayed he wouldn¡¯t make such a mistake again.


    He turned, keeping Harth at his side, but behind his shoulder just in case, because everyone-Gar, Rika, the soldiers nearby-were all staring at her intently.


    Harth swallowed. ¡°I already told Tarkyn... we are... creations of the humans. They made us. They kept us imprisoned. They... experimented on us. They wanted to improve themselves, use us as... as crops to help humans who are weak and-¡±


    Gar turned to Rika quickly, his face paling. ¡°Did you know?¡±


    But Rika¡¯s expression was confused. ¡°That¡¯s impossible. They hadn¡¯t replicated the Anima... I mean, they talked about trying... but our technology wasn¡¯t advanced enough yet, not to reliably splice the DNA. That¡¯s why we came here. The few that existed in the other world weren¡¯t useful to us in that way. They were too different to humans-¡±


    Gar looked at her sharply. ¡°What other world?¡±


    She turned to him, frowning. ¡°Where Pegg is from. I told you. That... space between your world and ours. The way we had toe through-where the Portal connected. There was a gateway from the human world but it was much safer than-¡±


    ¡°THERE¡¯S A GATEWAY HERE FOR HUMANS?¡± Harth recoiled.


    Tarkyn rushed to hold her, to pull her close. ¡°No, no, we closed it. Don¡¯t be afraid. We closed it. There is no gateway, Harth. I promise you.¡±


    She trembled in his arms, and Tarkyn¡¯s heart swung between the huge relief of holding her, and the tense frustration that everything they said seemed to mean different things to them. How would they ever find peace together-how would their people find peace-if they both heard things the other didn¡¯t mean to say?


    ¡°Our people fought the humans and won,¡± Gar said, his voice thick with grief. ¡°But it cost us greatly.¡± He looked down at Rika, his eyes shadowed. She put her hand on his arm.


    Harth had let go of a tense breath when he¡¯d reassured her, but then she stiffened again. ¡°Wait... when? When did you beat them?¡±


    ¡°A year ago,¡± Tarkyn said quietly.


    Harth frowned. ¡°But... but they... we still fought them just three months ago.¡±


    Tarkyn shrugged. ¡°Different humans?¡±


    ¡°Wait.¡± Rika¡¯s voice was thoughtful and they all looked at her. ¡°Harth... what was the date when you ran from the humans?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Harth said bitterly. ¡°We were rarely given any of that kind of information.¡±


    ¡°Can you remember any date? Anything recent?¡±


    Harth frowned. Tarkyn was confused. Clearly they were talking about the calendar, but why-


    ¡°I only know that when I saw my own papers, when they were considering me for... for mating... it said I was created in spring of 2049.¡±


    The number meant nothing to Tarkyn, but Rika¡¯s mouth fell open.


    ¡°Are you certain?¡± she gasped.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Rika snapped her head to look at Gar. ¡°This is...¡±


    ¡°What?¡± the male asked, concerned.


    Rika swallowed, then nced at Harth again before she answered her mate. ¡°I left the human world in 2012. We were... the people I worked with were at the cutting edge of technology, Gar. I¡¯m not saying I knew everything they did or were working on, but... Gar that means that Harth is from the future-at least, the future for me. It never even urred to me that the Portals might cross time, but... Gar, she must be what they made after we defeated them! She must be their answer to not being able to take the Anima they¡¯d nned to capture.¡±


    *****


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 Chapter 20

    Chapter 20: Deadly Approach


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    *****


    ~ HARTH ~


    They all stared at her like she was something unrecognizable. Harth¡¯s skin crawled with their scrutiny. ¡°What?¡± she growled. ¡°I have no more control over how I was made than you do!¡±


    But Gar ignored her and turned to his mate. ¡°You¡¯re saying she lived...ter than you?¡±


    ¡°I think so. It has to be. She remembers a date in the past that was still forty years away for me. That must be what they did after we kicked them out of Anima! They must have started... making people like you. Or, something like you.¡±


    .....


    They looked at each other in horror and Harth¡¯s guts twisted. But before she could insist that they understand she was no threat to them, another male approached.


    Tall, and older than most Chimera Harth had ever seen, this male carried himself with an authority that matched even her mate and this Gar. Yet, he clearly submitted to them.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? The guards said you called for me, Gar, but-¡± Then the older male saw her and his eyes widened. ¡°Is this one of them?¡±


    Tarkyn¡¯s grip on her arm tightened, and he shifted his weight so he partially blocked her from the male¡¯s view.


    ¡°This is Harth,¡± Gar said, his voice deep, but unsettled.


    ¡°Why isn¡¯t she in chains?¡±


    Harth tensed, but Gar shook his head. ¡°She¡¯s safe. Mostly. She¡¯s Tarkyn¡¯s mate.¡±


    ¡°She... what?!¡± The male snapped his head around to find Tarkyn with wide eyes. ¡°Are you certain?¡±


    Harth bristled. ¡°Yes!¡±


    But Tarkyn didn¡¯t respond so quickly.


    Certain he must have missed the question, she looked up at him, only to find him frowning at the older male.


    ¡°Tarkyn?¡± the male insisted. ¡°Is it true?¡±


    ¡°I believe it is,¡± he said. ¡°I... I sought her, from the Creator. And she appeared. But she is... not Anima.¡±


    ¡°Neither¡¯s my mate,¡± Gar interjected dryly.


    Tarkyn turned to stare down at her as if she were a puzzle to figure out.


    ¡°What?¡± she asked, a chill beginning in her blood. ¡°Tarkyn, you are my mate, and I¡¯m yours! You vowed-¡±


    ¡°You vowed to her already? Have youpleted the bond?¡± the older male barked.


    Harth¡¯s hackles rose, but Tarkyn held her tightly. ¡°We were... interrupted. But I¡¯m certain of it. There is a bond. We can both sense it. And there¡¯s a... knowing.¡±


    ¡°But she¡¯s one of these Chimerans?¡±


    Tarkyn nodded.


    ¡°And they¡¯re made by the humans. An attempt to copy us, it would seem,¡± Gar said, watching the older male carefully. ¡°I was inclined to believe she was brought by the Creator just as my mate was. But... what do your instincts say?¡±


    The older male looked hard at her, his muscles carved from what seemed like marble, though he wasn¡¯t as broad as Tarkyn, or Gar.


    ¡°The concern from the first has been deception. How can we know they weren¡¯t nted here by the humans, and it isn¡¯t until now that we¡¯ve learned of their existence?¡±


    ¡°Does it matter if they¡¯re mated?¡± Gar asked.


    ¡°Can we know that they¡¯re truly mated? The humans were very cunning. What if they made these Chimera to possess this as a skill or a... gift? How do we know they can¡¯t replicate our matebond just as they did our bodies?¡±


    ¡°Because we can feel it!¡± Harth said, offended. Tarkyn squeezed her arm, but she didn¡¯t back down, she turned her face up to him, searching his eyes-hispassionate, pleading, worried eyes.


    Why was he worried?


    ¡°You said you could feel it!¡± she said, grabbing for his arm.


    ¡°I definitely feel the connection. But... how do I know that¡¯s the same bond Gar feels for Rika? I¡¯ve never felt it before-¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s me!¡± Harth cried, her heart feeling as if it would tear in two. ¡°You feel me! Just like I¡¯m feeling you!¡±


    ¡°Unless they figured out a way to force the bond-you said that, didn¡¯t you Harth? That they forced some of you into bonds?¡±


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t... that was different,¡± Harth spluttered, frustrated. ¡°Chimera bond the moment we have sex. When they put breeding pairs together it was inevitable-¡±


    ¡°But you said there were some that didn¡¯t do that, right?¡± Tarkyn asked her, and the question in his eyes, the doubt, it wanted to break her.


    Harth held his gaze and shook her head. ¡°There was one. One Chimera who could mate with multiple females-but the females couldn¡¯t! They all bonded to him even though he didn¡¯t and... it was horrific! They all died, pining for him when they learned he¡¯d found his soul mate. Because they made him different, but all the rest of us... all the rest of us only got one chance!¡±


    ¡°Does this sound right?¡± Gar asked Rika quietly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. They couldn¡¯t make creatures when I was there... at least, not that I know of.¡±


    ¡°Tarkyn,¡± Gar said quickly, ¡°Can I approach? I want to scent her for truth. If she¡¯s telling the truth then we can trust what she says. At least, that she believes it.¡±


    Tarkyn looked uneasy. But Harth¡¯s skin crawled when he nodded, because that massive male immediately walked towards them.


    Harth growled instinctively, but Tarkyn looked down to meet her gaze, pleading with her silently not to resist.


    She gripped his hand, angry and afraid, but also terrified to let him go. ¡°What... what is he going to do?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. He doesn¡¯t even need to touch you,¡± Tarkyn assured her. ¡°He just needs to be close. He¡¯ll be able to tell if you don¡¯t tell the truth.¡±


    ¡°You think I¡¯m lying to you? My mate?!¡± she hissed.


    Tarkyn¡¯s face fell. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Harth. I don¡¯t think so, but... I don¡¯t want them to lock you into a tree. Please... let him do this. Then they¡¯ll know they can trust your word.¡±


    ¡°My word can be trusted because I¡¯m honest!¡± she said, offended, but knowing there was no way to prove that to them. So she stood, trembling, as the massive Gar came and stood at her other side.


    He stared down at her, his eyes narrowed and he leaned in to inhale her scent.


    *****


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 Chapter 21

    Chapter 21: Brutal Honesty


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    *****


    ~ HARTH ~


    Harth¡¯s skin prickled where his hair brushed her corbone, and Tarkyn tensed under her hand. But then Gar straightened enough that there were inches between them.


    .....


    ¡°Who sent you?¡± he asked carefully, inhaling as she answered.


    ¡°No one! Well, our Alphas, I suppose. The Creator showed them the way for us to get here and we did!¡±


    ¡°Did the humans know you wereing here? Did they have anything to do with your arrival?¡±


    ¡°No! We were running from them!¡±


    Gar inhaled deeply.


    ¡°Is she true?¡± Tarkyn asked quietly.


    Gar frowned. ¡°I think so. I can¡¯t be certain. Her scent threads are different. But I think she¡¯s being honest.¡±


    ¡°Of course I¡¯m being honest-this is my mate! I wouldn¡¯t lie to my mate!¡±


    But none of them answered immediately. She turned to Tarkyn-would he really not believe her? Had he really been convinced she was somehow lying? A tiny groan sounded in his throat, but when he looked at Gar, he shook his head.


    ¡°I believe her. I¡¯m sure of her. But... I can¡¯t make this call. For the good of the people... I can¡¯t. I¡¯m too close. I¡¯m so damn drawn to her, I don¡¯t trust my own judgment. I don¡¯t know if I can see this clearly.¡±


    ¡°I remember the feeling,¡± Gar said dryly, ncing at his mate, who smiled. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t help us.¡±


    ¡°It sounds like the matebond,¡± Rika said slowly. ¡°Even if it¡¯s different, even if it doesn¡¯t work for the same reasons, is it any different in how we¡¯d treat it? I mean, if neither of them has ever connected with someone before-¡±


    Gar turned back to her, his brows heavy. ¡°Have you ever bonded with another male?¡± he asked, inhaling her scent again.


    ¡°No!¡± Harth snapped. She didn¡¯t know if she wanted to cry, or bite something. Did they really think she had somehow engineered this connection? How could she even have known about these people-let alone, about Tarkyn personally? ¡°You¡¯re... he¡¯s my mate! I can¡¯t believe you¡¯d...¡± she turned to Tarkyn. ¡°Do you really think I¡¯m lying to you?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he said immediately, which gave her some relief. ¡°I know you feel it, and I know you¡¯re telling the truth. But... Harth I¡¯m a fighter. A Defender. And if this weren¡¯t happening to me, I know what I would say to another. So much has happened that we didn¡¯t anticipate, there are so many involved in this that we don¡¯t know yet, we can¡¯t know if they¡¯re somehow at work. Even if you don¡¯t lie, we can¡¯t yet know if you¡¯ve been manipted and put in my path, or... something,¡± he endedmely.


    Harth¡¯s mouth dropped open and she took a step back from him as Tarkyn and Gar both turned to the older male.


    But his eyes went wide and he lifted his hands. ¡°Oh no. I¡¯m not part of this. I gave you my advice. The decision is yours.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re Advisor to the Queen! Behryn, your wisdom is needed here!¡± Gar growled.


    ¡°No, I make myself avable. I give advice-and I have. I have suspicion, but hope. But the decisions are yours. If you want further advice from me, then I say you need to talk to Elreth and Aaryn. They need to make this call. It¡¯s her kingdom at risk.¡±


    ¡°Where is El?¡± Tarkyn asked, as if he was surprised he hadn¡¯t asked earlier.


    ¡®Who is El?¡¯ she asked in his head.


    Tarkyn turned to her. ¡°Elreth is the Queen. Our Alpha. In the end all decisions are hers.¡±


    But Gar was looking wary. ¡°El¡¯s... busy.¡±


    Tarkyn gaped at him. ¡°Too busy for this?¡±


    Gar cleared his throat, nced at Harth in a way that made her immediately nervous, then his face got very serious. ¡°The party that found these Chimera... it was El and Aaryn and their guard. They took them and brought them back here. Now they¡¯re... interviewing them.¡±


    ¡°Wait, who?¡± Harth asked quickly. ¡°Who did they take?¡±


    Gar¡¯s lips pursed, but he answered. ¡°A mated pair.¡±


    Harth blinked. Though some of the Chimera had chosen to mate since they came to this world, there were still only a few established pairs among them.


    She prayed they hadn¡¯t caught Kyelle and Lhars. The Chimera would be falling apart without them.


    When they¡¯d left the world given to them by the humans, the true Alphas, Zev and Sasha, had learned that the humans had their son. They¡¯d been forced to send everyone else through the gateway without them so they could safely try to reach their son in the humanpound without endangering any other Chimera.


    Not knowing how long it might take to save their son, or what the consequences might be of their attempts, Zev and Sasha had appointed Kyelle and Lhars as Alphas until they returned.


    It had been three months and Zev and Sasha still hadn¡¯t joined them here in this ce. Kyelle, an owl-shifter, and Lhars, another wolf like Harth, had kept their people organized and focused. If they¡¯d been lost...


    Harth swallowed hard and prayed as fervently as she ever had that the two were safe.


    Then the rest of what Gar had said hit her.


    ¡°Wait, you¡¯re imprisoning them? We just left captivity! We just left prisons at the hands of the humans and now you¡¯re locking us back up again?!¡±


    ¡°They haven¡¯t been harmed,¡± Gar growled a warning at her. ¡°Only... contained. They have a babe. We¡¯d never-¡±


    Harth frowned. ¡°A babe? There are no babes-but then she broke off, stunned.


    Tarkyn leaned closer. ¡°What is it, Harth?¡± he asked quietly.


    She couldn¡¯t breathe. It couldn¡¯t be. Surely their luck wouldn¡¯t have been so bad... but...


    The only Pair she knew that could have a babe was Zev and Sasha. The Chimeran Alphas.


    Harth growled.


    Their Alphas had returned and been taken before their people even knew they¡¯d arrived?


    ¡°Harth, what is it-¡±


    Scrambling-the urge to tell her mate the truth was there, but these others... could they be trusted? She didn¡¯t feel that they could.


    But then her eyes were caught by movement at the line of trees on the other side of the meadow at the same time that the Anima apparently heard whoever was arriving.


    They all watched as two females, surrounded by a ring of guards, walked out of the line of trees-one tall and red-haired and dressed in a linen shirt and leathers like the others here. The other in the ck, skin-hugging suit of the humans, her dark hair gleaming under the sun.


    Harth¡¯s heart leaped.


    The dark haired one was Sasha-don. The Chimeran Alpha. And she carried a baby!

 Chapter 22

    Chapter 22: Panic Stations


    ~ TARKYN ~


    Tarkyn¡¯s first instinct when he saw his Queen, Elreth, step out of the trees on the other side of the meadow was relief. Though she could be hot-headed, he knew her heart waspassionate, and she¡¯d been through the process of epting Gar¡¯s human mate. She would be thoughtful about the predicament he found himself in. And, he prayed, hopefully empathetic.


    But before he could think beyond relief, the breeze fluttered in his face and brought with it the scent of the other female that was walking with Elreth. And as the scent of a human hit the back of his nose, and he realized that the dark clothing she wore was nothing he¡¯d ever seen or smelled in Anima, Tarkyn was hit by the most wrenching inner conflict he¡¯d ever experienced.


    Twenty years of service-since he was little more than a child himself-told everything within him that the Queen was in danger, and as her Captain and Defender of her people, it was his responsibility to be at her side and protect her from this unknown invader.


    And in the same moment, his soul tore at him to ce himself between Harth and his Queen, in case a threat approached.


    For the very first time Tarkyn could remember since he¡¯d entered his first battle, Tarkyn found himself facing two opposing, powerful forces within. The tearing in his heart left him breathless, and the twist in his gut threatened to empty it.


    Who would he protect if his Queen and his mate came into conflict?


    .....


    His mate, of course, his heart sang.


    No, his Queen, his honor demanded. He was vowed to protect, even at loss of his own life.


    But his Mate... Harth was his mate...


    He stood there, quivering, unaware that he¡¯d shifted to put himself between them, effectively hiding a startled Harth from Elreth, who¡¯d seen them the moment she came out of the trees, and was now walking quickly towards them.


    ¡°What¡¯s this? What¡¯s going on? Is this the intruder?¡± Elreth demanded as she strode towards them.


    The males that had circled them, spread out to allow her ess-after all, her brother and Captain were part of this group. In any other circumstance, they¡¯d becking in duty to hold her back from approaching them.


    But Tarkyn tensed, his natural defense of his Queen wanting to slide between her and Harth, and this human!


    What was a human doing here?! And carrying a baby? Why would Elreth walk with her, even under guard?


    ¡°El,¡± he growled-


    ¡°Wee to the party, sis,¡± Gar jumped in with a wry grin. ¡°We¡¯ve got some news.¡±


    ¡°So have I. What¡¯s going on, though? Is this-Tarkyn, thank the Creator. I was terrified you¡¯d been killed.¡±


    It was instinct to drop to his knee and salute his Queen. He hadn¡¯t seen her in days, and she scanned him with weary eyes, bright with relief. He was humbled.


    And yet... he kept one arm back, keeping Harth behind him, bracketing her. Making sure no one could step between them.


    And Elreth caught it.


    Her eyes zeroed immediately in on Harth, her tone sharpening. ¡°Who is this?¡±


    ¡°El,¡± Tarkyn began, ¡°She¡¯s-¡±


    ¡°Harth?!¡± The human woman said her name with such a cry of relief and joy that Tarkyn wanted to celebrate for his mate that she was loved.


    But Harth, her instincts apparently just like his, had dropped her head and sped a hand to her chest.


    ¡°Sasha-don,¡± she said, her voice tight with unshed tears. ¡°And... your son? Is it true?!¡± Harth¡¯s scent was suddenly threaded with an overwhelmingbination of grief and joy that Tarkyn found confusing.


    Why did she grieve something that gave her such happiness?


    Elreth came to stand a few feet away and Tarkyn got to his feet, watching her warily. Her eyes never left Harth¡¯s face and her jaw was tight.


    ¡°The one who took you was female, Tarkyn?¡± she asked, incredulous.


    Tarkyn was immediately embarrassed and proud in the same moment. ¡°She found me at the end. I was... almost taken by the Creator. She saved me. Nursed me. But El, you need to know, she¡¯s-¡±


    ¡°Why are you all out here? Why aren¡¯t these things being discussed in privacy? I don¡¯t want the people rmed-they¡¯ve dealt with enough. I don¡¯t understand why you¡¯d all stand out here-the cave isn¡¯t locked. Come on, let¡¯s go inside.¡± She turned away, towards the cave mouth, expecting everyone else to follow.


    Tarkyn felt Harth tense and he rushed in. ¡°El, please, I need to tell you-out here-¡± he hurried to add as she turned on him, frowning at what she had to think was his resistance to a direct order. He gave her the look he¡¯d always saved for the moments when he needed her to trust him, and she caught it. She frowned, but she didn¡¯t speak.


    Tarkyn cleared his throat, then gave a grim smile. ¡°El... she¡¯s my mate. She¡¯s one of them, but she¡¯s my mate.¡±


    Elreth¡¯s face went wide, her eyebrows climbing even as her mouth fell open. Tarkyn gave a splutteredugh as it hit him all over again how impossible this was. But before he could continue, Harth was speaking to the human woman.


    ¡°Are you well, Sasha-don?¡± she asked quickly, humbly. ¡°Do you need anything?¡±


    The female looked extremely weary-her eyes ringed in dark circles. But she gave a quiet smile. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m safe,¡± she said after a moment.


    But Harth heard the reluctance in her tone just as Tarkyn had. ¡°Where¡¯s Zev-dan? Did he make it? Is he safe?¡±


    Oddly, the woman looked at Elreth as she opened her mouth to reply-but then froze. Her eyes zed, then her arms tightened on the baby she was holding as she sucked in a horrified gasp.


    ¡°NOOOOO!¡± she roared. All the guards rushed forward as her head snapped around to look back the way they¡¯de, then she turned on Elreth, teeth bared and her voice rough with fury. ¡°He¡¯s woken up! You said he would sleep-he¡¯s awake, and he¡¯s bound. I have to go back, I have to-he¡¯ll attack the others! You said he would sleep-was this a trick?!¡±


    *****


    Today begins Tarkyn¡¯s first week as a contracted book! If you click ¡°Vote¡± below to offer votes or Golden Tickets, (orment) you¡¯ll help him get his first week off to a ROARING good start! Thank you!

 Chapter 23

    Chapter 23: Fighting Demons


    If you like music while you read, try ¡°My Demons¡± by STARSET. It¡¯s what I was listening to while writing this scene!


    *****


    ~ TARKYN ~


    For a moment, everything dissolved into confusion. The human woman continued to scream, demanding answers from an increasingly tense Elreth, who muttered instructions to the guards.


    Tarkyn kept Harth behind him, but she clearly knew the woman, and was trying to get free to approach her. Tarkyn¡¯s attention was consumed with keeping his mate safe as the soldiers scrambled to protect their Queen, while Gar and Behryn did their best to keep the females calm.


    But the human woman wouldn¡¯t be soothed, her dark hair whipping around her face as she looked back in the direction of the trees they¡¯d just emerged from.


    ¡°You said he would sleep! He¡¯s going to break! You have to take me back!¡±


    .....


    ¡°Calm yourself or I will order you into chains!¡± Elreth snarled from behind the wall of soldiers. She tried to push past them, but with nces for confirmation from Tarkyn-who nodded to encourage them-the males, who were ustomed to their Queen¡¯s hot-headed nature, shuffled to keep themselves between her and the threat. Though even Tarkyn considered the threat minimal from an unarmed human gripping her own child.


    At the word ¡°chains¡±, the human woman shuddered and froze. She gripped the baby to her chest, who was beginning to whimper.


    The woman¡¯s nostrils red, and Tarkyn was suddenly filled with affirmation as he watched her shake off her panic, assess the situation and those around her, then raise her chin and stare Elreth down.


    ¡°Please. I¡¯m asking you to return me to my mate. He¡¯s... he¡¯s spent too much of his life... restrained. He¡¯s panicking. He may hurt himself or someone else. If we go back I can calm him down and... please.¡±


    Her jaw twitched as she bowed her head to Elreth and rolled her shoulders forward in what was perhaps the most reluctant submission Tarkyn had ever witnessed.


    And yet, it was a submission.


    Elreth, arms folded, regarded the woman with skepticism. ¡°How can you possibly know that he¡¯s awake?¡± she asked carefully.


    The woman¡¯s throat bobbed, her eyes remaining on the ground as she clearly considered whether or not to tell the truth. But then she sucked in a breath and raised her eyes to meet Elreths.


    ¡°Our connection, our bond, allows us to speak into each other¡¯s minds.¡±


    Tarkyn blinked at the woman¡¯s obvious courage-and concern-about revealing this information. But there wasn¡¯t time to consider what it meant.


    Her lips thinned and her brow furrowed. ¡°Please, I¡¯m not asking for myself, I¡¯m asking for him. I don¡¯t want to see him hurt anyone or... or be hurt. He doesn¡¯t understand. He¡¯s alone and panicking. Please.¡±


    Elreth turned, her eyes flickering between Gar and Tarkyn, who both shrugged. Neither of them knew what had passed between the women before, what Elreth had intended in bringing her there to the cave.


    Tarkyn cleared his throat. ¡°I think, perhaps, it might be safer to have the prisoners contained,¡± he said. ¡°If she¡¯s right and the warrior is aggressive-¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not aggressive! He¡¯s reacting exactly the same way you did when you woke up and didn¡¯t know where you were! Surrounded by strangers!¡± Harth said, her eyes silvering with tears. ¡°Why do you all treat people who respond the same way you do as if they¡¯re doing something wrong?¡±


    ¡°Because there¡¯s no way to know their motives,¡± Elreth snapped at Harth.


    Tarkyn¡¯s chest pinched-half of him wanting to shush his mate, because he would have given the same answer. The other half wanting to draw her into his chest to soothe her obvious fear and pain.


    Could she hear this warrior as well? Or was she only upset because her Alpha was cornered?


    Tarkyn put a hand on her arm as she tried to step around him, shaking his head. He wanted to pull her into his side, but she was watching her Alpha, looking between Elreth and the woman, waiting for the verdict with almost as much anticipation as the human woman.


    ¡°Rika?¡± Elreth asked, turning to look behind Gar.


    Tarkyn blinked, he¡¯d forgotten Gar¡¯s mate was there. She was remarkably good at remaining silent and observing without interrupting. It could be unsettling when he forgot her presence.


    ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± Rika¡¯s voice was t, wary.


    ¡°What do you think? Is our human friend here telling the truth?¡±


    ¡°She is,¡± Behryn piped up and everyone turned to stare at him. ¡°What? I can scent her from here. She¡¯s telling you the truth-and that¡¯s a hive of bees we¡¯re going to be forced to kick over.¡±


    Elreth blew out a breath and wed a hand through her hair. ¡°Well then, everyone, looks like we¡¯re headed back to the prison trees, she said tiredly. ¡°Can someone please go warn my mate who was hunting down Jayah for me? I don¡¯t want himing back here and panicking himself-he can¡¯t talk in my head,¡± she said dryly.


    As the human woman breathed a thank you and turned on her heel, hurrying back towards the trees, but being slowed by the guards who ringed her, Tarkyn turned to Harth.


    His mate frowned at her Alpha female¡¯s back. He took her hand and began to walk, but Harth¡¯s eyes never left the human ahead.


    ¡°What is it?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I just realized,¡± she said quietly, finally turning to look at him. ¡°That could be me. Here. With you. Or you, among my people. We¡¯re... that¡¯s us, Tarkyn. We¡¯re on either side of this... whatever it is. And no one we trust is going to trust anyone else. How the hell are we going to do this?¡±


    Tarkyn didn¡¯t answer. He knew his face was grim as he walked forward, squeezing her hand, praying that his knees wouldn¡¯t give as his body groaned at the idea of walking across the Tree City again.


    But he couldn¡¯t let anyone see his weakness. For exactly the reason Harth had just identified.


    It was a terrifying thought.

 Chapter 24

    Chapter 24: Humbled


    ~ TARKYN ~


    The hair on the back of his neck stood up as the guards moved to circle around them while they walked, keeping him and Harth separate from the Queen.


    He¡¯d always been the one to stand between Elreth and danger. He had never been viewed as the danger himself.


    The thought rankled. He wanted to fight it. He wanted to demand his position, his integrity, his power. But he knew... the harder he fought, the more likely Elreth was to stop trusting him. He¡¯d done his best to stay objective, to react as he would have wanted another male to in his position. He¡¯d done his best to prove his good intention for his Queen and her people. But he couldn¡¯t deny the prickle of pride and anger crawling up his spine.


    Did they really believe that he was so easily turned from his path?


    Did they really believe that he would lie about a matebond, or be so easily deceived where one didn¡¯t exist?


    He could feel himself slipping into anger and tried to push it back, clinging to Harth¡¯s hand, squeezing it, reminding himself that every word, every action would breed consequences not just for him, but for her as well.


    .....


    Probably more for her.


    His mate. It was impossible and wonderful and terrifying.


    His mate.


    Then the most beautiful voice in creation appeared in his head and his heart pounded and squeezed in the same breath.


    ¡®I never thought it would end up like this.¡¯ Even in his head her voice was little more than a whisper. As if she was afraid to actually say the words.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let yourself worry,¡± he muttered. ¡°I¡¯ll make certain they see the truth about you.¡±


    ¡®It¡¯s not just me!¡¯ she insisted in his head, her voice higher, as if she was near tears. ¡®If I just arrived by myself I¡¯d juste to your people, Tarkyn. You have to believe me. If it was just me, I¡¯d vow to your Queen and... there wouldn¡¯t be a problem. But it¡¯s not just me! It¡¯s all my brothers and sisters. They¡¯re all so damaged and we were so hopeful. So excited for this new life. And now they¡¯re going to die at the hands of-¡®


    ¡°No!¡± Tarkyn growled. The guards nearby caught his tone and looked at him sharply, but he turned to hold Harth¡¯s gaze so she¡¯d see his conviction in his eyes.


    But hers were equally alight. ¡®He is my Alpha and he¡¯s being treated like a criminal! Would you stand for that with your Queen?¡¯


    Of course he wouldn¡¯t. Tarkyn knew he wouldn¡¯t. But how could he make her understand-


    ¡®I¡¯m not the one who needs to understand what¡¯s happening here!¡¯ Harth barked in his mind.


    He was about to respond, when he drew up short, eyes wide. He hadn¡¯t spoken. How had she known he was thinking that she needed to understand something when he hadn¡¯t spoken the words?


    Harth frowned. ¡®What is it?¡¯ she asked in his head.


    ¡®You... you heard what I thought?¡¯ He thought the words carefully, uncertain how to send them to her. But it appeared that it didn¡¯t matter.


    She blinked. ¡®I did! Tarkyn, you can talk back to me!¡¯


    It was a stunning revtion-one that made him tighten his grip on her hand even further. She seemed so close. So precious. But also... could she hear everything? Were his thoughts never to be his alone again?


    ¡®I... I can¡¯t... what¡¯s worrying you. I didn¡¯t hear it,¡¯ she frowned at him.


    Tarkyn blinked. ¡®How do you send some thoughts and not others?¡¯ He knew he wasn¡¯t hearing everything she thought. Which, frankly, was as it should be.


    Harth smiled. ¡®That¡¯s easy... you wish for it. You reach with your heart, and your mind will follow. You can hold yourself from me, Tarkyn. But... please don¡¯t. I want to know it all.¡¯


    The breadth of warmth and value that came to him with that thought stole his breath. She truly meant it. She wanted all of him-the thought was washed in a sense of happy yearning.


    For a moment they just stared at each other, buried in the newness of it. For a moment Tarkyn could forget why they walked with so many others-even the fact that they were surrounded by his own guards, with defenses set against his mate. For a moment it was just Harth and heat that lit in her eyes when she looked at him.


    But then one of the guards muttered a curse behind him and Harth flinched, and the moment was lost.


    He felt the shift within her from warmth and love, to focus, and cold rage.


    ¡®They disrespect my alpha, then expect him not to fight?¡¯ she murmured in his head a minuteter.


    They were just turning down the trail through the forest, near the edge of the Tree City, but Tarkyn noted that Elreth directed them to take the side trails, to stay out of the way of the citizens. A part of him was relieved that no one would see him humbled this way. Another part roared-let them see what was being done to his mate! Let them see the distrust for his judgment!


    He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, clung to her hand, and tried to think clearly, without emotion, though it was difficult with the feelings roiling within him-both love and protection for her, and for his people.


    ¡®I know why you¡¯re angry,¡¯ he started quietly, praying she could hear him. ¡®And I would be too. But you have to see... he¡¯s a genuine threat. If I showed up suddenly among your people and almost killed three of them, I dare say he would have me bound, as well.¡¯


    Harth¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡®I can¡¯t be sure. He would imprison an enemy. But a shifter? Zev and Sasha are... they are thoughtful leaders.¡¯


    ¡®Even when things happen without warning? We all jump to protection of our loved ones, Harth.¡¯ He experimented, letting himself feel the feelings she¡¯d brought to him with her deration, trying to reflect them back to her.


    Her cheeks pinked and her lips quirked towards a smile for a moment. He prayed she¡¯d felt the true impact of that, as he had.


    But her face turned somber again as he continued.


    ¡®I understand your heartache for your alpha. I also understand my Queen¡¯s quick-fire response for protection. We almost lost ournd. We almost lost everything. And we did lose a great deal... too many that were... irreceable.


    ¡®Please, Harth, feel my heart. Know that I¡¯m telling you the truth: My Queen is not evil. She is strong, and defends her people even at cost to herself. I know that once she¡¯s convinced you and yours are peaceful, we will be able to live in harmony and... and I cannot wait for that day. I will do everything in my power to hurry it along. But please... her containment of threat is only natural under the circumstances. They are the choices I would make if I couldn¡¯t feel you. So... please don¡¯t force her to restrain you. Please, follow my lead. Trust me that I will do nothing to bring you harm. You are already precious to me, beautiful. Please... trust me.¡¯


    As they slipped down the trail, the guards forced to weave between trees because the trail wasn¡¯t wide enough for so many bodies, he felt his mate¡¯s reluctance... and also her submission.


    ¡®I trust you, Tarkyn,¡¯ she sent quietly. ¡®I will trust you.¡¯


    He pulled her into his side and prayed that soon they would have time together. Time to rest and learn each other. Toplete the bond and... time to just be.


    He had finally found his beautiful, wonderful mate. A gift from the Creator.


    Please, please, could he receive time to enjoy her!

 Chapter 25

    Chapter 25: Trust Fall


    ~ HARTH ~


    As they walked through the forest, Harth continued to be awed by the luscious beauty of the ce. Ears pricked for danger, she was still enthralled by the dark, damp earth that smelled of fresh rain and new growth. So different to the alpinendscape of Thana which was so barren byparison. She marvelled at the hollow ground echoing under their feet, the thick leaves and lush branches overhead to shelter them from sun or rain... No matter where she turned it was clear that thisnd was bursting with life.


    Under any other circumstances, she would have been overjoyed to be here, to have found this ce, and her mate... Of course her mate. She was more than overjoyed to find her mate.


    But this?


    She peered between the guards in front of them, past the stiff shoulders of the red-headed Queen, and a second circle of soldiers.


    Sasha¡¯s dark hair wasnk and stringy, half-out of its braid. The tiny, plump face of her son rested on her shoulder, his cheek shoved forward by the weight of his head. He slept. Harth¡¯s heart swelled with pride, and joy, and grief...


    They had all been praying every day that Zev and Sasha would be sessful in retrieving their son. And Harth¡¯s heart had sung the moment she¡¯d seen them together.


    .....


    But she couldn¡¯t escape the creeping fear and weight of not knowing...


    Would she ever hold such a little bundle of joy for herself?


    Was it even possible?


    After the human tests-


    ¡°This way.¡± Harth blinked. One of the soldiers stood at the side of the trail, urging them to take the right branch of a fork. Tarkyn¡¯s fingers tightened on hers again. She¡¯d been distracted and not wary.


    She couldn¡¯t afford that. She couldn¡¯t let herself get trapped in her own thoughts. That was tantamount to death when she¡¯d been in human hands. She wasn¡¯t yet confident there was any difference here.


    Hugging Tarkyn¡¯s arm to her, she took a deep breath.


    There was a joy there. She could feel him-aching for her, loving her. It seemed impossible-they¡¯d known each other less than a full day in waking hours. And yet, she felt it too... as if she¡¯d finally found the second half of her heart. As if it had been torn from her, and was now returned, thumping and pulsing with joy.


    And yet, the rend in it was not yet mended.


    She needed him. Needed toplete the bond. Not only for her aching body¡¯s sake, but for her soul.


    Fear fluttered in her chest when she imagined if he was taken from her before they had the chance...


    Then they took another turn around one of the massive trees that she¡¯d seen here and there in the area where they¡¯d settled, yet they made up half the forest in this ce Tarkyn had referred to as the Tree City.


    These massive trunks, wider than the owl¡¯s tree-homes back in Thana, some with doors and windows carved into them. Others just natural trunks... but they were so big, their thick boughs winding straight out from the trunk fifteen or twenty feet in the air, and leaves the size of pieces of paper, in clusters along them, pointing upwards, as if to seek the sun...


    Everywhere she looked this ce was full of thriving life.


    If only it could be such a home for the Chimera.


    Then her thoughts were broken again, and she chastised herself for being lost in them a second time. She had to focus!


    They were led out of the trees into a wide, open channel of space between the trees. A massive avenue, yet in a line at its center, some of the big trees-doors and windows carved into them-along with buildings and structures clearly intended for storage.


    ¡®What is this ce?¡¯ she sent to Tarkyn, thrilled to know he could now send back to her. She¡¯d been worried the differences between them might not allow it.


    ¡®It¡¯s our prison,¡¯ he offered reluctantly.


    Harth sucked in a breath, her jaw clenching. Tarkyn pulled her closer to his side.


    But neither of them spoke-in minds, or in voice-because just then, Sasha broke forward, running towards one of the doors in one of these massive trees, her voice breaking as she called for her mate.


    Harth¡¯s heart broke in the same breath that her rage exploded when the guards ahead of her blocked her with spears and shoutedmands.


    She tensed, but Tarkyn gripped her arm, a shock of warning-in feeling, not words-washing over her through the bond.


    To Harth¡¯s relief, the Queen made a signal with one hand and the guards who¡¯d stood at the doorway both stepped back, pulling their spears back, to allow Sasha to enter.


    ¡®Elreth is afraid, but she is fair,¡¯ Tarkyn offered in her head, his voice fading slightly and uncertain. She couldn¡¯t tell if he was uncertain about essing mindlink, or about what he said.


    She prayed it was the first.


    There was a short minute of confusion and instruction when they all reached the tree and Elreth determined who would be allowed to go in with them.


    Harth could smell Zev inside and itched to get in there, to make sure her Alpha was safe. But then she shook her head slightly. Of course he wasn¡¯t. Even from outside she could scent the tang of rage and panic on him-and on Sasha.


    He was hurting. What were they doing to him?


    Then Elreth turned to Tarkyn, and her brows pressed together. ¡°Tarkyn, I need you in here.¡±


    But she didn¡¯t need Harth. That was clear-but remained unspoken.


    Harth red at the Queen.


    Feeling her anger, Tarkyn tightened his hold on her. ¡°Let her see her Alphas. Let her see that they aren¡¯t harmed.¡±


    Aren¡¯t harmed?! She could tell they were harmed just by their scents-


    But the Queen¡¯s gaze snapped to Harth then and her lips tightened. ¡°You say you are honest. Do you give me your word you won¡¯t interfere with your mate, or with the pris-your alphas? Will you remain quiet and only observe?¡±


    Harth sucked in a breath through her nose. She wanted to set his powerful female down. Tell her exactly who and what she was dealing with. But she felt Tarkyn¡¯s yearning. His ache that she would submit. And she understood.


    To gain the knowledge of this ce, to understand the conflict, she had to be present. She had to be... not an adversary.


    So she blew the breath out and dropped her chin and shoulders. ¡°I give you my word,¡± she said through her teeth.


    The Queen snorted her skepticism, but didn¡¯t say more, only tipped her head at her mate-the tall male with the silver hair-who had slipped up behind her from out of the forest, to put himself at her back as she walked into the tree, followed immediately by a guard, then Tarkyn and Harth, then another set of guards behind her.


    For a moment when Harth got inside the dim depths of the tree, the shadows stole the best of her sight. But her eyes adjusted quickly, and then her mouth dropped open in horror at what she saw.


    *****


    Chapters will begin to lock on this storyter this month. If you want to know ahead of time when this will happen so you can catch up for free, click my profile pic in ament, or search my author name on WN and add my Announcements book to your library. I will update that any time there is important information about a book, giveaways, or tips to help you save money! (And there might be some VERY fun announcementsing this month.... just saying... *wink)

 Chapter 26

    Chapter 26: A Warrior¡¯s Heart ¨C Part


    ~ TARKYN ~


    Despite his weariness, as they entered the tree, Tarkyn¡¯s instinctively braced for defense-and measured his opponent.


    The tree reeked of blood, and a warrior¡¯s rage. Tarkyn took in the sight in a blink.


    This tree, originally for storage, but turned into a prison during thest war, had been renovated for the purpose.


    One, long side of near-fifty-foot space was a single cell,rge enough for several prisoners. The bars were formed from the petrified hearts of Great Trees and even Tarkyn himself couldn¡¯t snap them with bare hands. They rose all the way to the twenty-foot ceiling above-and no stairs. This tree had only ever contained one,rge hall-like room.


    But the space from the door had been made into an aisle that T-intersectioned at the big cell. On either side of them, smaller cells had been made, each with their own door, a bedroll, a bucket for waste, and a small gate within the door itself that allowed the passing through of food or other resources to prisoners without giving the prisoner any chance for escape.


    With several bodies now in the tree, standing in the aisles, there was little space.


    .....


    The human woman stood at the gate into thergest cell, demanding that it be opened so she could get inside. And inside it arge plinth had been ced.


    Tarkyn swallowed hard, his body revolted as he imagined himself in such a space.


    The male who¡¯d been ced on therge, carved stone that looked frighteningly like an altar, though Tarkyn knew that wasn¡¯t its purpose,y on his back, naked.


    His arms extended down towards the floor, and his legs hung down from the knees, arching his lower back slightly, because all his limbs were tied.


    The chains allowed some movement, but wouldn¡¯t let him lift his hands or legs level with the rest of his body. Which meant he couldn¡¯t shift, because if he did, and the chains didn¡¯t snap, his beast¡¯s body would be torn from throat to sternum.


    It was a way that lions defeated prey, splitting their chests open through sheer force.


    Whether he knew which animal had strategized to pin him there, the male clearly understood the danger he was in.


    The smell of blood permeated the room, because he¡¯d been fighting his bonds. His wrists and ankles bled, a slow, but steady patter of blood dripping from them.


    His hands and feet had swollen, but he didn¡¯t seem to notice.


    Dark haired and blue eyed, he snarled his fury, the scarred, muscr arms and legs rippling and veined with his efforts as he fought to break his bonds.


    ¡°Zev! Zev! Breathe! We¡¯re here! We aren¡¯t hurt! We¡¯re here!¡± The human woman was clearly close to tears. The moment the guards opened the door to the cell, she rushed inside, carrying her son, to curl herself over her mate¡¯s head, holding him to her, murmuring to him, stroking his hair.


    He didn¡¯t stop struggling immediately, but then a whine broke in his throat and his arms shuddered as he tried to reach for her, but couldn¡¯t because of the restraints that wouldn¡¯t allow him to lift his hands far enough.


    Tarkyn¡¯s heart went cold.


    It was a cruel, ruthless way to bind a warrior, stealing both his greatest weapon-his beast-and bing increasingly painful, the longer they were left in the position.


    Tarkyn wasn¡¯t above tactics for interrogation, even torture when it was necessary against a proven enemy. But this?


    The male responded exactly as Tarkyn would have in the same situation-with blind panic. Aggression and fear mingling so that while he kept his human form, his body-and likely his mind-reacted with his beast.


    The room stank, the tang of powerful male in full rage and abject terror.


    If they were to release the male in that moment, he likely wouldn¡¯t be able to walk, or straighten his arms-and yet, he would do everything in his power to kill anyone he was presented with.


    ¡°El,¡± Tarkyn breathed, ¡°I don¡¯t think-¡±


    His mate¡¯s scent became a tidal wave of rage and grief and she jerked forward. But Tarkyn held her closely, instinctively, immediately rushing to caution her in his mind.


    ¡®This isn¡¯t her way. He must have truly frightened them. I¡¯ll plead his case, Harth. But you have to wait. You have to trust me. I wouldn¡¯t... I wouldn¡¯t leave one of my own men in that position. I won¡¯t let them leave him that way. Trust me.¡¯


    ¡®How can I trust you if you don¡¯t trust me?¡¯ she wailed in his head, struggling against his hold to pull from his grip.


    ¡®Trust? Of course I trust you-¡®


    ¡®You didn¡¯t stand up for our bond!¡¯ she used, her eyes pained and tight as she looked back and forth between him and her alphas, the female of the pair sobbing over her mate, and clinging to him in a way that punched Tarkyn right in the sr-plexus.


    Would Harth weep over him if he was-


    ¡®Of course I would! That¡¯s my point! How could you let them think I might be deceiving you? How could you leave even the question of that in their minds?¡¯


    ¡®Harth, I had to let them see that I was still objective. If I¡¯d tried to push El-¡®


    ¡°You have to release him! Please! He¡¯s losing his mind!¡± The human woman stood up suddenly, whirling, still gripping her son to her shoulder. ¡°He¡¯s going to lose his mind-you¡¯ll kill him!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s unfortunate that he¡¯s woken,¡± Elreth said, and Tarkyn heard the very real grief in her tone, though he imagined the strangers might not realize that¡¯s what it was. ¡°But we can¡¯t risk letting him out when he¡¯s so strong.¡±


    ¡°So keep him here, but release him from these bonds! Please!¡± The woman pleaded with such intensity, it was almost a scream. ¡°You say you have mercy-you say you aren¡¯t like the humans, but this... this is exactly how they held him when... you have to stop!¡±


    Tarkyn¡¯s heart sank as the babe began to wail, woken by his mother¡¯s screaming, and the warrior on the stone roared wordlessly, his entire face turning beet red as he fought to get to his mate and child.


    The scene broke Tarkyn¡¯s heart. Please, he prayed. Please, find a way. Guide us through this. Don¡¯t let us be the viins in this story...

 Chapter 27

    Chapter 27: A Warrior¡¯s Heart ¨C Part


    ~ TARKYN ~


    ¡°Tarkyn?¡± Elreth said briskly, the tone in her voice snapping him to attention, despite his weariness.


    Tugging Harth with him, Tarkyn took the steps to close the gap between them so he stood next to Elreth on the other side of the cell bars. Harth followed, but pulled against him, reluctant to get close to Elreth. He prayed the day woulde that the two would admire each other the way he admired them.


    Elreth, arms folded across her chest in a gesture that meant she was feeling defensive, turned to face him, her jaw tight. Aaryn, her King, stood at her shoulder, his brow furrowed.


    ¡°Any warrior held that way... Elreth, I really think you can¡¯t expect to have meaningful conversations about peace while he¡¯s held so brutally.¡±


    ¡°He almost killed our guards.¡±


    Tarkyn nodded. ¡°And I might have done the same thing if my mate had been under threat. We... we have to look for a way through this. If there¡¯s any chance these people can be allies rather than enemies, we have to treat them as such until we know for certain.¡±


    .....


    Elreth chewed her lip, then turned to look into the cell again.


    The human woman stood at the side of the stone plinth, one hand holding her son to her shoulder, the other gripping her mate¡¯s forearm where he struggled.


    ¡°Holy shit.¡± The deep voice rose behind them and Tarkyn turned.


    Gar had arrived, his mate standing in the doorway of the prison, clearly rmed by the voices raised within it. But Gar stood at Tarkyn¡¯s back, his face dark.


    ¡°Fuck, El, really?¡±


    ¡°He almost killed three of our guards, Gar. Three. At the same time.¡±


    ¡°And I might have done the same thing,¡± Gar muttered, folding his massive arms across his chest exactly as his sister had. ¡°You¡¯ll never get through to him like that. You wouldn¡¯t get through to any of us. Let him loose. Let him breathe. Let him touch his mate and see his son.¡±


    ¡°Let him set an ambush for our guards?¡± Elreth said, one brow high. ¡°Let him shift-who knows if his strength is greater than ours. What if he can break the bars?¡±


    ¡°Seems unlikely, if he can¡¯t break the chains,¡± Gar said logically.


    Tarkyn was suddenly grateful for the War Chief. He could be as hot-headed as his sister at times, but when he thought, he thought clearly.


    And he was right.


    Tarkyn nodded, relieved that he wasn¡¯t the only one counseling this. ¡°Lock them in, give her the key to unlock the bonds. Let their family reunite. Let his body rest. Let everybody rest. As long as he¡¯s contained, there¡¯s no immediate danger. And then when he¡¯s rested, then maybe we can talk. To both of them.¡±


    ¡°And if we have need to get in there?¡± Elreth spat back-as was her way. Tarkyn had learned months earlier, she argued to hear the answers, not because she couldn¡¯t see sense. Both he and Gar nodded. ¡°Then we knock him out again.¡±


    Elreth chewed her lip.


    The wailing of the babe ratcheted up, and Tarkyn¡¯s heart pounded harder, faster.


    He¡¯d never been affected by the crying of children before. But something about this day, something about holding his mate and smelling her agitation as he smelled rage and blood on another, strong male and his mate... it all conspired. Tarkyn had to wrestle his own beast back for a moment. He couldn¡¯t afford to give in.


    ¡®Trust me,¡¯ he sent to Harth quietly as she opened her mouth like she would argue. ¡®I know it¡¯s hard to see, but don¡¯t give in to the temptation to attack. This needs to be managed or it will be all-out war between our people.¡¯


    ¡®It might be toote to avoid that,¡¯ she hissed in his head, but he knew her venom wasn¡¯t for him, but for the pain twisting her chest as she looked at her Alpha.


    To Tarkyn¡¯s relief, Aaryn, the King, stepped quietly forward then, leaning into Elreth¡¯s ear.


    Tarkyn didn¡¯t catch what he said-the two had an uncanny ability tomunicate silently-but a momentter Elreth, after staring at her mate long and hard, heaved a sigh, then began rattling off orders.


    ¡°Bring Jayah-we need a healer¡¯s input about why he woke. And the wetnurse as well. She can feed outside. Who has the key to the bonds?¡± Before anyone answered, she turned to the bars and stared at the human woman. ¡°Your baby needs to be fed. If you¡¯re willing to give him over to the wet nurse, I¡¯ll lock you in with your mate and give you the keys to release your mate.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t be fucking serious?!¡± the woman spat.


    Elreth bristled. ¡°Deadly serious,¡± she snapped back. ¡°Your mate is a threat to any except you. Your son will be returned to you when he¡¯s been fed. But we can¡¯t easily remove him from you once your mate is free, and frankly, your mate might be a threat to him, even without intention. So those are your choices. Either your mate stays bound while the nurse feeds him here, or you release him to the nurse and we return him when he can rest.¡±


    ¡°You ask me to choose between my mate and my child?!¡±


    ¡°No, Sasha, I ask you to choose between freedom for your mate, and your anger. I will not apologize for protecting my people, just as I suspect you wouldn¡¯t. I gave you my word that no harm wille to your child, and I meant it.¡±


    ¡°How do you define harm? Will you return him to me?¡±


    Elreth¡¯s jaw flexed. ¡°You have my assurance as Queen and Alpha of All, that once your son is fed, he will be returned to you through the foodgate-at least, as long as your mate has calmed. If your mate remains a threat, your son will be brought here to see you and returned to you when it¡¯s safe to do so.¡±


    The woman¡¯s face crumpled and she trembled as she looked back and forth between her son and mate. Tarkyn felt her pain and fear and pleaded with the Creator to give her reassurance that no Anima would harm her baby.


    Offspring were far too precious in this world.


    Then Sasha looked at Harth and the two females shared a silent moment. Tarkyn¡¯s chest squeezed with the rush of love, anger, and resignation he felt from his mate.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do everything I can,¡± Harth said to her clearly, her eyes shining with unshed tears.


    A momentter, Sasha closed her eyes, dropped her chin to kiss her son on the temple, her hand cupping the back of his small skull, then she walked slowly towards the gate.


    Everyone watched, holding their breath, as a female from the wolf pack bustled into the tree, scented the tension and grew immediately wary. But she took the baby from Sasha and hurried him outside as the guards closed the cell door in front of the human woman and locked it.


    Tarkyn watched the woman¡¯s eyes swim first with grief, then immediately with determination. Sasha turned a look on Elreth that raised the hair on the back of his neck. But all she said was, ¡°Where are the keys? I need to free my mate.¡±

 Chapter 28

    Chapter 28: A Warrior¡¯s Heart ¨C Part


    If you like music while you read, try ¡°My Demons¡± by STARSET. It¡¯s what I was listening to while writing this scene.


    *****


    ~ TARKYN ~


    Minutester, Tarkyn made himself brace. Didn¡¯t allow himself to look away. Refused to shrink from the sight of the humbled warrior before them. He knew without looking that his soldiers were simrly moved-one had had to leave to throw up. Not because what they saw was so horrific, but because all of them knew that it could be their fate.


    A soldier, a guard, a sentry... a male¡¯s role in defense didn¡¯t really matter. Tarkyn had brought his warriors up to understand: When you put your body between your people and an enemy, you epted the risk that the day maye that your control was taken from you.


    From the first moment he¡¯d seen this male tied on that plinth, Tarkyn had been unable to shake the feelings of empathy. He knew it was only by the grace of the Creator that he hadn¡¯t ended up in human hands-and apparently tormented in exactly this way.


    And he knew, just as he watched in this wolf-warrior, that if the day woulde that he¡¯d be forced to watch his family in the hands of an enemy-perhaps in hands of this very male-that he would have reacted in exactly the same way.


    .....


    When his mate, hair tucked behind her ears and her hands shaking, had circled the plinth, unlocking his chains, the male had appeared to lose control.


    First she freed one hand and arm, and he snarled, iling, attempted to sit up, but was held down by the other arm she worked quickly to unlock.


    When the second hand was free, he shoved upright in a blink, then tipped over, his blood pressure uneven from the tranquilizers, plus so long spent on his back.


    He growled and snarled, grasping, desperate to fight, to free himself, but unable to do anything but wait until the moment his mate finally unlocked thest of his chains.


    And then he shifted-just as Tarkyn would have done.


    The instinct of his beast would have been hammering at him from the moment he woke-and likely from within the drugged sleep as well.


    But as the male shifted in a massive, near-ck wolf with ice-blue eyes and threw himself from the plinth, all the soldiers flinched.


    The males hands and feet-his paws in wolf form-were thick and clubbed with swelling from hanging for so long, and his battle with the chains. His legs couldn¡¯t bear his weight, and he slipped the moment he hit the floor of the tree, his front legs sying out, his ws scrabbling on the floor, but unable to find purchase as his body likely had no sensation in his paws and lower limbs.


    He whined and snarled, scrambling, his back legs scraping and giving away under him, even when he propped himself on his front.


    Teeth bared and eyes fixed on Elreth, the male dragged himself across the floor cing his unresponsive body between his mate and the Queen, a savage growl rolling in his broad chest.


    He was, Tarkyn could see, a formidable wolf. Almost as tall at the shoulder as Tarkyn would be in his lion form, but his limbs were finer, yet steely. Massive paws and a thick tail would give him a rock-solid center of gravity, while the bulk of his ruff and thick shoulders would protect his throat in a simr manner to Tarkyn¡¯s mane.


    The male was dark and massive, clearly strong and skilled.


    And yet... he scrabbled and dragged himself across the floor like a broken doll. The ferocious snarling never stopped as he warned any male-none in the room doubted him-that he would take the throat of any who came near.


    Both Tarkyn and Aaryn took Elreth¡¯s elbows and tugged her back when the wolf made it within feet of the bars, just in case hisme nature was an act, a tactic.


    But soon enough, he made it to the bars, his body trembling with effort and pain, eyes narrowed and teeth bared, the growl rolling, rolling, puttering and rising anytime any of them moved.


    Even t on his belly, his fierceness was unquestionable... and that was what turned Tarkyn¡¯s stomach.


    This wasn¡¯t a male desperate, insane with fear. This was a fighter¡¯s vow. His heart was clear: It would be death on his enemies, or death for himself.


    He swung his body in whip-quick swipes when one of them moved, jerking himself bodily to meet any potential threat, then remaining in position, trembling, that growl vibrating up from the floor where hey, broken in body, but not in spirit.


    ¡°Zev, please... please...¡± his mate sobbed from behind him, but was smart enough not to reach out to touch him, to startle him when his senses were on such a hair-trigger.


    It took minutes for him to calm enough that his ears flickered back, searching for his mate. And minutes more before he began to pant, his teeth still bared, eyes darting between each of them standing on the other side of the bars.


    Tarkyn stood, heartbroken, unwilling to submit-to submit to this male would be death-but steeped in admiration.


    When the male finally calmed and his mate was able toe forward, to ce a hand on his back, Tarkyn didn¡¯t miss the way his skin stuttered under her touch.


    His pain extended well beyond those swollen limbs.


    And yet, the male ignored his own torment, and kept his focus on the threat at the other side of the bars.


    Harth wept quietly at his side, while Tarkyn¡¯s guards paled. Not in fear, but in sympathy, each of them praying, he was sure, that they would never find themselves in a ce of such vulnerability.


    ¡°A Warrior¡¯s Heart,¡± he said solemnly. ¡°You are acknowledged.¡± It was a soldier¡¯smendation to another, so all the guards knew it and repeated it quietly. Tarkyn had no way of knowing if there was a simr gesture where this wolf came from, but he quickly spoke to Harth in her mind, exining that for one warrior to offer this to another meant that while they may be enemies, they were acknowledged as fighters of honor.


    ¡®He will not be humbled again for cruelty. He has proven his spirit.¡±


    Harth¡¯s forehead crinkled, but she didn¡¯t answer.


    Tarkyn returned his attention to the wolf, whose sides pumped like bellows as he fought both pain and fear in the face of this unmoving enemy.


    ¡°You will not be tortured further,¡± Tarkyn said clearly.


    Elreth¡¯s head snapped around and she red. ¡°That is not your call to make.¡±


    ¡°It is exactly my call-¡± Tarkyn said quietly in the same moment Gar broke in.


    ¡°I second the Captain,¡± he growled.


    The fire rose in Elreth¡¯s eyes, but she¡¯d been affected enough herself to keep her anger in check.


    ¡°This seems a good time to let our... visitors reunite and rest. I would speak with my War Chief and my Captain.¡±


    Gar grunted, and Tarkyn stepped forward, his knees trembling with weariness, though he didn¡¯t allow himself to show it.


    Rika and Harth inched up behind them, but Elreth¡¯s gaze snapped to each of them. ¡°Alone,¡± she said, her tone leaving no room for argument.


    Beside him, Harth tensed, and once more, Tarkyn could barely breathe for the turmoil, the battle within that suddenly seemed to tear him in two.


    *****


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 Chapter 29

    Chapter 29: Pulled Away


    ~ HARTH ~


    It was so hard. So hard staring at him, listening to what his Queen ordered, seeing him realize in the same moment that she did, that it meant they¡¯d be pulled away from each other. She didn¡¯t want it. She fought it. She wanted to scream, and shift, and just... fight.


    She wanted to fight this.


    But he was her mate.


    She felt his honor, his concern, his stress.


    He wanted her safe. He trusted himself to do that. Despite his clear exhaustion, he stood strong and proud and looked to her-was she okay? Would she be safe?


    Then his voice bloomed into her head and she wanted to whine with the sheer joy of having him there, with her.


    .....


    ¡®I¡¯ll do everything in my power to move this forward in peace,¡¯ he said simply, his eyes locked on hers.


    As the Queen organized her people and asked for the guards to watch over her and the prisoners-Harth¡¯s hackles stood up to hear her alphas referred to that way-Tarkyn just watched her. Pleading.


    Harth sucked in a breath and nced at the guards. A growl puttered in Tarkyn¡¯s throat, but he swallowed it quickly, and turned to the guards.


    ¡°She is my mate. She remains untouched unless she poses a direct threat to an Anima. Do you understand me?¡± he snarled.


    The guards all saluted, and even though Harth didn¡¯t trust them as far as she could throw them, her heart squeezed again at her mate¡¯s concern.


    The idea of him leaving her, of being here with these strange people... it made her heart race. ¡°May I stay here... with my alphas? Just to be near them.¡±


    Tarkyn opened his mouth, but it was his Queen who answered. ¡°You¡¯ll be in the other cell for the time that we¡¯re gone so that you can be here together.¡±


    Tarkyn whirled on his Queen, his body poised, as if he would grab her and shake her, but her mate stepped forward, his eyes pinpoints on Tarkyn, and the Queen raised a brow.


    ¡°Do we have a problem, Tarkyn? Is my Captain going to subvert my orders?¡±


    ¡°No, but, she¡¯s my mate, I-¡±


    ¡°And she¡¯ll be under guard until we¡¯re clear what¡¯s going on with these invaders, and who¡¯s involved. When we return you can be reunited, but I don¡¯t have enough manpower right now to let her wander around, Tark. And don¡¯t tell me that you¡¯d support that idea under any other circumstances.¡±


    Tarkyn shivered. He wanted to fight this, and suddenly Harth saw what her fear was doing to him.


    He was a powerful male among these people-second to the Queen. He had already been humbled in the eyes of his people by having been taken by her, and now he wanted to fight an outright order.


    If he didn¡¯t submit, Harth knew it wouldn¡¯t just affect his position in the hierarchy, but also theirs together.


    Harth had spent most of her adult life in the wobbly hierarchy of the human¡¯s scientific ¡°herds.¡± She wasn¡¯t familiar with an established society like this. But she knew from her time in Thana with her own people when she was younger, that without the hierarchy, everyone¡¯s lives would be chaos. If she was truly going to protect her mate as she¡¯d vowed to do, she had to protect him even at harm to herself. But that meant putting herself back into a ce where powerful others could control what happened to her.


    Harth swallowed as he shuddered, fighting the submission. Adrenalin flooded through her veins. If she was ever going to find peace with these people, she had to help him sustain his position in the eyes of the Queen and his people.


    Shoving away the jangling fear twisting in her gut, in her mind, Harth showed him herself, standing behind him, one hand on his back, her forehead resting between his shoulder des.


    ¡®I want to be close to Zev and Sasha,¡¯ she said, pretending the idea of being locked in didn¡¯t make her skin scream. ¡®And this is better than being in a cave.¡¯


    At least the tree had a high ceiling and windows. She didn¡¯t feel so... enclosed.


    But her chest tightened.


    Tarkyn and his Queen red at each other, but he saluted her and submitted and she nodded once, then turned back to giving orders to the others as she moved towards the door.


    Tarkyn reached for Harth, pulling her into his chest. He was trembling.


    ¡®How far away will you go?¡¯ she asked in his head.


    ¡®I don¡¯t know. It depends whether she takes us to the security building, or her cave.¡¯


    ¡®I hope it¡¯s close enough we can keep talking.¡¯


    ¡®How far away does this link extend?¡¯


    Harth shrugged within the circle of his arms. ¡®It depends on the wolves and how close they are and... it¡¯s impossible to know for sure. But usually we can sustain for at least a mile or two. The closer the bond between us, or the more wolves involved, the further we can go.


    ¡®I don¡¯t know how far it will work for you, though, Tarkyn, so... if we lose touch ... pleasee back.¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯ll never leave you, Harth. Not by choice,¡¯ he said simply, then squeezed her harder. He straightened though, and they stared at each other, both of them feeling theing separation and despising it.


    She didn¡¯t want this, but she could feel him just as resistant as she was, and it wasforting. He woulde back. She was certain of it.


    ¡®Go,¡¯ she said, before her courage failed her. ¡®Go prove to them that you¡¯re just as strong and... and honorable as you were before I showed up. Go kick some ass, Tarkyn.¡±


    He gave a small smile at that, then stroked her cheek with his thumb before he took a deep breath and turned away, stalking for the door as if he might smack it if it offended him.


    ¡®I¡¯ll be back the first minute I can,¡¯ he growled in her head.


    She nodded, but as the door closed behind him and the guards ushered her to the other cell, she held herself back from him so he wouldn¡¯t feel her fear.

 Chapter 30

    Chapter 30: What a Cluster


    ~ TARKYN ~


    ¡°..plete shitshow,¡± Elreth snarled. She paced the security building which was less than a mile from the prison trees. Aaryn, Elreth¡¯s mate and the King, stood off to the side, his eyes following his mate as she stormed back and forth across the floor.


    The building wasrge enough for the elders and security council to gather together, with long tables at the back scattered with rolled maps, and chairs along the other.


    Gar stood at Tarkyn¡¯s side, which Tarkyn appreciated. Though it was possible his brother-in-arms was guarding him, as much as supporting him.


    Speaking of shitshows.


    ¡°The wolf was so aggressive because he was in panic-¡± Tarkyn began, but Elreth cut him off.


    ¡°I¡¯m aware. And I felt his pain and fear, too-I¡¯m not heartless, Tarkyn. But the strength of him! He¡¯s massive! As big as our biggest wolves and... that male walks a knife-edge. Did you see his eyes? Even when he couldn¡¯t stand, he was marking us for death.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Any true warrior would,¡± Tarkyn said simply. ¡°It¡¯s why I acknowledged him. Between pain and the fear for his family, he¡¯s on the edge of sanity, I think. We need to give him space to calm down and think. If he leads his people, he needs to be clear headed. He¡¯ll need healing.¡±


    Elreth snorted. ¡°Good luck getting close enough for that. That male isn¡¯t going to negotiate. He¡¯ll take the throat of any one of us without thought.¡±


    ¡°We could provide resources to his mate and she could treat him. Once he calms down and can think without panic, he¡¯ll get strategic about leading his people-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still unclear about that. His mate has Alpha. Or they share it. I couldn¡¯t quite understand what she described-it¡¯s as if there are different aspects of their society they are both responsible for, but I think she outranks him.¡±


    ¡°The human?¡± Tarkyn said, startled.


    Elreth nodded. Gar and Aaryn both shifted on their feet as if they were surprised too.


    They all waited for Elreth to expand on what she knew, but Tarkyn used the moment to reach out to Harth in his mind again.


    He was still uncertain. Sometimes when he did it, it felt like grasping at air. But so far, she could still speak to him-and her voice was steady. He breathed a little easier each time.


    ¡°I still don¡¯t understand how she heard him when we were at the cave,¡± Elreth muttered. ¡°The matebond must have some kind of link for them where they can feel each other-¡±


    ¡°they can do more than that-they can talk to each other. And not just the mate pairs either,¡± Tarkyn said, raking a hand through his hair.


    Elreth stopped pacing and the males looked up at him as well.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what?!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand all of it, but... they can talk in each other¡¯s minds. Harth-she can talk to Zev because he¡¯s a wolf. I¡¯m not sure if she can talk to Sasha or not. But she... she can talk to me as well, because I¡¯m her mate.¡±


    ¡°What the fuck?!¡± Elreth spat.


    Tarkyn raised his hands. ¡°We only just discovered that I canmunicate with her this way. But I... I found out that they can do this over miles. At least a couple of miles. Sometimes longer, she said.¡±


    ¡°They can talk to each other?¡±


    ¡°The wolves can, at least.¡±


    Elreth blinked, then turned to look at Aaryn, her mate, and a Protector Wolf. His rtionship with his beast was different than hers, but they all knew the wolves could mindlink. But talking over miles?


    Aaryn¡¯s lips thinned and his hands jumped at his sides. ¡°We can¡¯t do it with anyone but a wolf. Their link must be different,¡± he said quietly.


    ¡°Converse? You¡¯re actually conversing?¡±


    ¡°El, you knew that I could get messages to the wolves-¡±


    ¡°But talking? I thought you were... I don¡¯t know, sharing intentions or something? Why haven¡¯t we talked about this?¡±


    ¡°We have-I told you how the mindlink worked. I¡¯vemunicated for you-¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t understand the details, clearly. Something we¡¯ll rectify when I can get a second to breathe!¡±


    Aaryn¡¯s chin lowered, but his eyes on her were more warning that submission.


    Elreth shook her head and turned back to Tarkyn. ¡°You can talk to her? Or she can talk to you?¡±


    ¡°Both,¡± he said quietly. ¡°I¡¯m not very good at it yet. I¡¯m still learning-this is brand new. But... but I can get a message to her right now if I need to. The thing you need to focus on, though, El, is that if there are other Chimera out there who can do this, they wouldn¡¯t even have to be in the Tree City. At least, for some of them. She said it was different depending how close their rtionship was. If he¡¯s Alpha, and he can talk through this link, and his peoplee close enough... they could be coordinating and educating each other... sending images to each other... It seems like just having them in the Tree City means we have to assume anything they know or learn, their people will too. Or already do.¡±


    Elreth shook her head. ¡°Creator¡¯s mane... we can¡¯t catch a fucking break.¡± She paced again, her eyes darting left and right as if she was searching for something. ¡°This means we¡¯re really only safe when he¡¯s asleep. If he¡¯s awake and others get close enough, we¡¯re screwed.¡± Then her eyes widened and she whirled on Tarkyn. ¡°Can they locate each other this way? Sense each other¡¯s direction?¡±


    Tarkyn frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t know, I...¡± He turned his thoughts inward, examining himself. Could he tell where Harth was, physically?


    There was a vague tugging in his chest, back towards the prison trees, but he knew where they were. He thought it was just his yearning to be close to her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he repeated, shaking his head. ¡°But maybe we should n as if they can.¡±


    Without another word, Elreth stalked to the door of the building and yanked it open to speak to the guards outside.


    ¡°Get Jayah over to the prison tree. Feed and water the prisoners, then have Jayah prepare to tranquilize the male again.¡±


    Tarkyn¡¯s heart sank. He almost warned Harth as the sound of running footsteps darted along the path. But then his Queen turned to stalk back towards them and all his attention was taken by her focused fury.


    *****


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 Chapter 31

    Chapter 31: Seasons of War


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    *****


    ~ TARKYN ~


    ¡°We have to find out if he¡¯smunicating with anyone outside the Tree City,¡± Elreth growled, then looked at Tarkyn. ¡°The guard... we sent so many out to find you and to circle their territory when we found it... the patrols... it¡¯s why we have so few guards here in the City. I want to believe they¡¯ll catch it if any of the Chimera escape their perimeter. But how can we know?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t,¡± Tarkyn said sadly. ¡°But... I think we¡¯ll learn pretty quickly if he¡¯smunicating with someone outside. How long has he been here in the Tree City?¡±


    ¡°Two days.¡±


    .....


    Tarkyn rubbed his chin. ¡°It seems like if they didn¡¯t follow immediately, and you haven¡¯t had any word of followers or patrols following your trail, I¡¯m guessing they aren¡¯t going to be quick toe this way unless he calls them. And he can¡¯t if he¡¯s not close enough. But it¡¯s something we need to be aware of.


    ¡°Harth says they¡¯ve been here two or three months already. They didn¡¯te close enough in that time-¡±


    ¡°An entire season already? How did we miss this, Tarkyn?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he growled. ¡°I can only assume they¡¯re far enough out of the territory that they didn¡¯t breach our patrols. We don¡¯t patrol the entire WildWood every month, El. We haven¡¯t had need to.¡±


    ¡°Clearly we have! At least to the East-three hundred of them for three months and we didn¡¯t even know?¡± she snarled, cutting a dark look at Tarkyn who was supposed to have managed the patrols and guards.


    ¡°We¡¯ve never had a threat from that direction. We always assumed with the humans gone the only risk to watch for was a rebellion from within the people-¡±


    ¡°I cannot believe that we¡¯re here again!¡± Elreth growled. ¡°Creator, why?!¡± she snapped, her eyes skyward. ¡°Why do we have to do this again? I thought this was done?¡± Then she whipped around to Tarkyn again. ¡°How the hell did they get here?¡±


    Tarkyn sighed, so weary he wanted to weep. But he made himself stand at attention and answer his Queen¡¯s very valid queries.


    ¡°Harth told me that they came through some kind of portal that opens and closes without a fixed location. She imed that they couldn¡¯t open it again now that they¡¯re here. That they¡¯re stuck. That the whole idea was to escape the humans.¡±


    Elreth¡¯s jaw went tight. ¡°That¡¯s essentially what Sasha told me, as well,¡± she said quietly.


    Tarkyn blinked. She¡¯d been testing him? Cold anger burned in his stomach, but he pushed it down.


    ¡°Consider, El, that if it¡¯s true... these people may be more like allies than we realized.¡±


    El didn¡¯t look like she believed that.


    ¡°I think we¡¯d do well to take this very slowly,¡± Gar piped up from behind him. ¡°We don¡¯t want to create war unnecessarily, especially if there are many warriors like this one. Even if we outnumber them, that male¡¯s strength and speed is aligned with the best of ours.¡±


    Tarkyn nodded. ¡°Assuming that they¡¯re still establishing their society, we¡¯d win in a war of weapons for us to keep a safe distance and take them down without engaging face to face.¡± He hated saying it, but he could see the strategy in his mind-taking advantage of their greater numbers and resources. And avoiding as much Anima bloodshed as possible.


    But that was the Captain within him speaking.


    The male, the mate... that heart grieved the idea of any conflict at all. They were his mate¡¯s people!


    ¡°But, El, I have to tell you... if Harth isn¡¯t deceived about her own people, it does not need toe to war. These aren¡¯t invaders. They¡¯re refugees-from the very enemies we defeated ourselves.¡±


    ¡°If she¡¯s not deceived. But we know the humans are incredibly deceptive. Have we forgotten Hannah?¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± Gar growled at his sister. ¡°But we also have Rika-she¡¯s been loyal from the first.¡±


    Elreth cut her brother a look and nced at Tarkyn as well, but her expression was unreadable. Her mate stepped to her side, taking her elbow and leaning into her ear to murmur something below Tarkyn¡¯s hearing.


    When he leaned away, they looked at each other and Tarkyn¡¯s stomach clenched. The understanding there, the intimacy in that gaze... it was everything he yearned to share with Harth, and in a rush of emotion, he reached out to his mate again.


    ¡®Are you well.¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯m safe, Tarkyn. Juste back as soon as you can.¡¯


    Tarkyn swallowed. The truth was, he would leave in that moment if he could. But as Elreth seemed to rx just a hair, Gar spoke up again.


    ¡°Harth is the key. As Tarkyn¡¯s mate, either she¡¯s going to win this for us, or be the bridge to make certain the people are peaceful. The creator didn¡¯t put them together by ident. There has to be a reason that they connected just as we discovered them.¡±


    Tarkyn wanted to hug the male, his brother of the pride. But all of Gar¡¯s attention was on Elreth, who was considering that. But then... ¡°If she actually is his mate,¡± she muttered. ¡°If the humans haven¡¯t figured out how to... counterfeit our bond. That¡¯s what Behryn said, right?¡±


    Then she lifted her eyes to Tarkyn and measured him. Tarkyn held her gaze without flinching, but for the first time in his entire service to the crown, he felt the weighing sense of a judge in the eyes of the royals pointed at him.


    She was deciding whether or not he could be trusted. Him. Tarkyn. Her most loyal servant-and servant to her father before her. Since he was little more than a cub.


    Anger and disgust churned in his chest. He wanted to leap forward and shake her, demand that she remember his service, his dedication, all the ways he¡¯d been trusted and included in her family because of his proven loyalty. Would she really throw all of that away because he found a mate?


    But he made himself stay still and just hold her gaze, unwavering.


    ¡°I think you and I need to speak alone,¡± she said.


    Tarkyn¡¯s heart clenched.

 Chapter 32

    Chapter 32: Queen on Fire


    ~ TARKYN ~


    Gar wasn¡¯t pleased about being asked to leave, but while the massive male muttered about sisters who¡¯d ¡°gotten too big for their leathers,¡± he didn¡¯t fight the order, but merely rolled his eyes and walked out to find his own mate.


    Tarkyn watched after him wistfully, wishing he was the one leaving. Especially once Elreth started talking.


    She folded her arms-never a good sign to begin with-and her piercing gaze locked on Tarkyn.


    He¡¯d almost died two days earlier. He¡¯d been so dehydrated, his body had given out on him. He¡¯d fed and watered since, but they¡¯d traveled from the cave to the Tree City and... he was worn out. And yearning for his mate.


    But he faced the two most powerful Anima alive-the Queen, who was unleashing every ounce of Alpha Authority on him with that gaze, and her mate, her King. While Aaryn never threw his power around the way Elreth did, the truth was, Tarkyn had always wondered which of them would win in a straight battle of wills.


    Aaryn was a rock, and since his return at the end of the war, he¡¯d been unwavering in his support of his mate.


    .....


    So as Elreth began, her words quiet, but fierce, Tarkyn felt weaker in spirit than he could ever remember feeling.


    ¡°You are trusted, Tarkyn. I don¡¯t remember a time in my life when you weren¡¯t near and trusted by my family. My father ced you as a guard over my mother-his most precious treasure. ¡±


    Tarkyn nodded once. It was only true.


    ¡°You are always the first Anima whoes to mind when I speak to anyone of trust. You have proven yourself over and over, and served in the strength and humility that... that reminds me of my father.¡±


    Her breath caught for a second, but she didn¡¯t look away.


    Tarkyn had to swallow a pinch in his own throat. ¡°That is... the biggestpliment, El. Thank you.¡±


    Aaryn looked at her like he might reach for her.


    ¡°But.¡± Elreth continued without looking away. ¡°If your loyalty has been divided... that just makes you even more of a serious problem.¡±


    Tarkyn braced, shoving back the pride and rage that wanted to rise-so he could think clearly and she could see his conviction, not his anger.


    ¡°My loyalty is not swayed,¡± he said through his teeth. ¡°No more than yours was when you found Aaryn.¡±


    Even though she didn¡¯t look away from him, Tarkyn could feel her sudden shift of attention to her mate at her side. Aaryn just stared at her, watching for any sign that she needed him.


    Elreth set her jaw. ¡°My mate was always for Anima. Yours-¡±


    ¡°Mine is no different than Gar¡¯s. In fact, even less of a threat. Harth¡¯s people didn¡¯te with specific intention to study and overwhelm us!¡± he snapped.


    ¡°I had very serious concerns about Rika when she arrived.¡±


    ¡°And yet, look where we are now,¡± Tarkyn pointed out, opening his hand in the direction of Gar¡¯s retreat-and suddenly understanding why Elreth had wanted to remove Gar from the conversation. Because of course he¡¯d support Tarkyn.


    Tarkyn let a low growl putter in his throat.


    Elreth raised an eyebrow. ¡°Rika has proven herself-and they had the Anima bond.¡±


    ¡°So do we! It¡¯s just notpleted.¡±


    ¡°How do we know, Tarkyn? How do we know it¡¯s a real bond-or the same as the Anima bond? Even if it¡¯s not a deception, it¡¯s possible these Chimera have it as some kind of tool-¡±


    Tarkyn snarled. ¡°How did you know your bond was real? How did you know it didn¡¯t harm you? You can feel it, to your bones. To your soul!¡± he growled, stabbing a finger towards his chest. ¡°That female is my mate, given to me by the Creator. I asked for her and he brought her. That has to be an asset to us! These questions you¡¯re bringing, they¡¯re only the infection of fear and anger we all experienced with the humans and the voices. They aren¡¯t true, Elreth!¡±


    ¡°We have eradicated the voices-¡±


    ¡°Have we, El? How can we know? If all we¡¯re doing today is asking about possible evil, how can we know? Could it be that you can sense it? That something within you tells you that it¡¯s so?¡±


    Elreth¡¯s expression went dark. Alpha power wafted off of her in waves. Tarkyn had to grit his teeth to resist submitting.


    Instead, he stepped right up to her, toe-to-toe. Aaryn growled, but Tarkyn shook his head and spoke to the King without taking his eyes from Elreth¡¯s.


    ¡°I would never harm her! You know that!¡± Then he leaned closer to El. ¡°I told you when we were at war, and I¡¯ll tell you now-we cannot make every decision from fear. We must face what we must face.¡±


    ¡°I know that. But that doesn¡¯t mean we can¡¯t have caution.¡±


    ¡°You need caution against me, El?¡± Tarkyn shook his head in disbelief. ¡°You think I¡¯ve lost my mind? Lost my wisdom? Lost my understanding of life and conflict and-¡±


    ¡°I think the matebond is powerful-whether it¡¯s real or not. It grips us and makes it easy to dismiss things that we should not!¡±


    Something flickered between her and her mate then. Tarkyn caught the scent of it. The King went very still, watching her.


    ¡°What?¡± Tarkyn snapped. ¡°What am I missing?¡±


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Aaryn answered for her. ¡°Your queen is not just a ruler, she¡¯s Anima, and her heart and body are drawn and pulled just like yours. We are aware of the pull of the bond-even now, Tarkyn, it moves us. If your bond is real, it will affect everything. We cannot ignore that. And if it¡¯s not a true mate¡¯s bond, then it is a direct threat.¡±


    ¡°I have not lost my honor in the bond-none of you did!¡±


    ¡°Not honor,¡± El said quietly. ¡°But bnce? We all lost bnce for a time. Ask Gar-who hid things from his father as King and me, his sister and Queen,¡± she said with quiet conviction. ¡°Ask Behryn, who gave up his power for his mate. Ask me! You think I didn¡¯t give up for the bond, Tark?¡± Something breathless snapped between them then and Tarkyn remembered those months back when Elreth had been clueless about her mate¡¯s love for her, and the upheaval it had caused when it all became public. ¡°Ask anyone, Tarkyn. You are older than me, and usually wiser, but this is one aspect of life where my experience outstrips yours. You are changed by the bond, and most of the ways you¡¯re changed are amazing. And all of them are worth it. But you are in the wrong room to im that the bond won¡¯t affect your decisions or your priorities-as well it should. But as your Queen I am right to question what affect that has on your actions and advice-the entire military might of this Kingdom is in your hands! You cannot tell me that is not a weapon our potential enemies would choose to exploit!¡±


    Tarkyn¡¯s heart sank as the resonance of the truth of her words jangled helplessly against his conviction that he would never be used against his people.


    Never.

 Chapter 33

    Chapter 33: The Threat ¨C Part


    ~ TARKYN ~


    He took a deep breath and braced himself. ¡°Of course you¡¯re right to question the strategies of outsiders. But you are not right to question my integrity! My loyalty!¡±


    Elreth sighed with exasperation. ¡°Perhaps not. But forgive me, Tarkyn, you are not perfect. You cannot tell me that this doesn¡¯t ce you between a stone and an anvil. We all battled the pull when we found our mates, and you are, and will too. And if she proves to be under the thrall of an enemy-¡±


    Tarkyn wouldn¡¯t hear it. ¡°A battle is not lost until thest soldier falls.¡±


    ¡°No, Tark. You¡¯re right. But I can¡¯t gamble the fate of the entire Tree City on your ability to navigate this without mistake. Please... forgive me, Tarkyn. But until we are certain who these creatures are and what they¡¯re doing, we cannot... we cannot allow the conflict you are ced in to affect others.¡±


    Tarkyn sucked in a breath. ¡°What are you saying?¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯m saying that... you will remain my advisor. You will remain in your position as our Defender. But you will not be given freedom to ce our people in jeopardy until we¡¯re certain your mate is trustworthy.¡±


    .....


    He gaped. ¡°And what will that take?¡±


    Elreth¡¯s eyes went sad for the first time since he¡¯d challenged her. ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know,¡± she said quietly. ¡°But I hope that not only will she prove to be worthy of you, Tarkyn, but that she will also prove to be a friend to the Anima. Because if she isn¡¯t, I will remove her as a threat.¡±


    Tarkyn gaped at her, shaking with rage and protectiveness.


    Elreth finally broke the gaze and turned to look sadly at Aaryn, but he was staring at Tarkyn, observing how he trembled.


    ¡°Your discipline is remarkable, Tark,¡± Aaryn said.


    Tarkyn had to swallow the urge to punch him. ¡°What are you saying?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m saying that I¡¯m sure if anyone can get through this without destroying the people or his mate, it¡¯s you, brother.¡±


    The King¡¯s approval broke the tension just enough for Tarkyn to back off, shaking his head. But her words echoed in his head.


    I will remove her as a threat...


    He knew. He knew what that meant. But he had to make her acknowledge it.


    ¡°Elreth, speak inly, what are you saying? Do you... do you threaten the life of my mate? To me?¡±


    Elreth sighed, but her jaw was tight. ¡°It¡¯s thest thing I want to do, Tark. And would only be ast resort. But yes, Tarkyn, you need to understand that if the Chimera are hostile, and her loyalty is not thrownpletely behind the Anima, and against her own-just like Rika did-then... then she will be counted among our enemies and removed. Just like we did with the humans.¡±


    Suddenly Tarkyn couldn¡¯t breathe.


    ¡°You can¡¯t... you can¡¯t...¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡±


    ¡°No, Elreth, you can¡¯t.¡±


    But she didn¡¯t even blink. ¡°I can, and I will-but hear me, Tarkyn: Only if there is no other option. You have my word on that. It will be thest action I will choose. Now... until we know for certain, there is one conversation that I think you need to have...¡±


    As Tarkyn stood there, his head buzzing with rm and his body trembling with fear and rage, Elreth stepped past him and went to the door, leaning out of it and calling for someone. A momentter, she stepped back inside, Jayah the healer on her heels.


    Jayah strode up to him, her brow furrowed in concern, and she took his hand to examine his nails and pinch at his skin, then looked into his eyes and shook her head.


    ¡°What-¡± Tarkyn began. But Jayah spoke over him.


    ¡°He¡¯s still dehydrated and needs food. Protein and fruit.¡±


    ¡°And the bond?¡± El asked her.


    Jayah shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s iplete.¡±


    ¡°I know. But is it an Anima bond? Do you have any idea what it will do to him if hepletes it and Harth is killed?¡±


    Jayah looked at Tarkyn, who stared, confused. She was very solemn. ¡°Losing any mate will destroy an Anima heart. Only the strongest of us heal from that blow-and even those never lose the scars.¡±


    Tarkyn could barely breathe. What was Elreth trying to do? ¡°She is my mate,¡± he muttered through his teeth. ¡°I won¡¯t deny her.¡±


    Elreth swallowed, and it was the first sign she gave that she wasn¡¯t sure of her course. Tarkyn red, but she didn¡¯t back down. ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to deny her as your mate. I¡¯m asking you to consider, for your good, whether it¡¯s a good idea to wait toplete the bond. Just until we know for sure she can be trusted. Just in case there¡¯s any deception. In case there¡¯s any... need to...¡±


    ¡°In case you have to kill her?¡± Tarkyn growled. Aaryn tensed and shifted his weight, but Tarkyn ignored him.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Tarkyn narrowed his eyes. ¡°Are you asking me this to soothe my heart, El, or yours?¡± he asked bitterly.


    Aaryn growled.


    Tarkyn turned on him. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare judge me. I stand for my mate! I stepped in for you. I opened your eyes to your own need for yours. I valued the priority of your bond before you did!¡±


    Aaryn bristled. ¡°You just hold right there, Tarkyn. You taught me the confidence to stand for my mate-and I¡¯m grateful. But don¡¯t make this into something it¡¯s not. You understood something about the hierarchy and taking my ce that I didn¡¯t. But now I understand something about finding and having a mate that you don¡¯t. This isn¡¯t an area where you are wiser, my friend.¡±


    A strange kind of tension crackled between all of them then, Tarkyn battling his eptance that they knew something of the bond that he didn¡¯t, humbled by it. But also knowing that they didn¡¯t experience his mate like he did. That she was good, and strong and...


    Tarkyn forced himself to break the eye-contact. To step back. To humble himself.


    They were right. whether he liked it or not, they were right. He¡¯d developed a lot of wisdom over the years through observation and experience... but he had not experienced this.


    ¡°This really is different than I expected,¡± he admitted reluctantly. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s not real.¡±


    ¡°I hope it doesn¡¯t, Tark. I really do. But... let¡¯s do what we can to check. I¡¯m going to get Gar and Rika in here since she¡¯s not Anima and that might change things. I want you to tell us all what this feels like, Tark. Let us help you figure this out. Please.¡±

 Chapter 34

    Chapter 34: The Threat ¨C Part


    ~ TARKYN ~


    His friends tried. While they waited for Gar to bring Rika, Jayah brought him food and drink, and they pulled out the chairs so they could all sit in an intimate circle.


    Gar directly across from him, dwarfing his chair, but looking the most rxed in the room, while Rika took the seat at his side, her hand on his thigh. Elreth was alongside Rika, and for the first time, Tarkyn saw the sisterhood between the two. Both fierce in their own ways, though Rika was far happier left to herself and her projects, while El wanted to control everyone and everything. Then Aaryn next to his Queen, his arm slung along the back of hers, but his eyes cutting between her and Tarkyn.


    These were his friends, his dearest allies and the most powerful Anima in Anima. And they were all listening. Tarkyn knew there was no point holding back. He poured out his heart.


    ¡°The moment I saw her... there was something in her scent. I was only half-awake. I was dying, and still I could feel it, the way her presence... dragged at me!¡± He shook his head as the mated pairs in front of him looked at each other and touched their mates. ¡°When I woke up in that cave, I tried to resist it. My instincts were up, but they were at war with themselves. The circumstances seemed so wrong. So dangerous. But her? She pulled me so strongly I couldn¡¯t deny it even to myself.¡±


    He shook his head, buried in the memories of that moment-had it really just been the day before? ¡°We almostpleted the bond then, there. But... she told me about the differences for her people. And they¡¯re frightening. I¡¯m not clear on the details, but their bond seems to be more... physical than ours, somehow. At least from what I¡¯ve heard others exin,¡± he added with a quick look at each of them. ¡°I know that we have a bond,¡± he said, his voice intense with conviction and he met each of their eyes before he went on. ¡°What I don¡¯t know is if we¡¯re forming the Anima bond... or whether their bond is the same as ours, but because their bodies are different, it has different impacts? I can¡¯t tell.¡±


    Elreth sat back in her chair. ¡°Different bonds or different influences, regardless there is clearly a difference. My concern is, what if she gains some control over you through this?¡±


    .....


    ¡°My brain isn¡¯t changed. My heart-my intention-isn¡¯t changed, El. Only my body and... the draw, the drive, it¡¯s powerful.¡±


    The males both snorted, shifting in their seats.


    Elreth rolled her eyes and muttered something about alpha male bullshit. But before she could continue, Aaryn raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°El, if you¡¯re going to hunt with males, you¡¯re going to have to eat the fruits of our power, too. Or do I need to tell everyone about how... eager you were to learn the breadth of our bond?¡±


    Gar and Rikaughed. Elreth¡¯s cheeks pinked. ¡°Shut up.¡±


    Tarkyn swallowed his own smile-they¡¯d all observed the changes in Elreth when finding her mate opened her eyes-and her body-to the joys of the bond. He cleared his throat and tried to cover his smile so she wouldn¡¯t point her frustration at him.


    ¡°Look,¡± he said as the others chuckled. ¡°The point is, the bond is real and tangible. It¡¯s not a deception. But I can¡¯t ignore that it might be different. I just need some time alone with Harth to explore what¡¯s between us, and what she knows.¡±


    Elreth sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t know, Tark. We don¡¯t know her yet or what she¡¯s capable of, who she¡¯s loyal to. What if she¡¯s capable of hurting you?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not!¡± he insisted. ¡°She¡¯s already had opportunity to go against me and she hasn¡¯t-her heart is for me, El. But just like me, she¡¯s protective of her people.¡±


    ¡°Precisely my point,¡± Elreth said dryly.


    Tarkyn sighed. ¡°El... if there was anything within her or her kind that would harm Anima... I will learn it. I will find out. But have you forgotten that Gar scented her for truth? She wasn¡¯t lying about the bond and her heart for me.¡±


    Elreth looked at Gar, who tipped his head back and forth. ¡°I¡¯m pretty confident,¡± he rified. ¡°I don¡¯t think she lied. The scents are slightly different, but still seemed pure.¡±


    Tarkyn wanted to bite something. Why couldn¡¯t anyone see this as clearly as he did? ¡°My vow of truth and protection will not fail. If I am alone with her and learn anything that could harm the Anima, I will tell you, El. You have my word!¡±


    ¡°Not if you¡¯re being controlled by some Chimeran bond-leash.¡±


    ¡°I am not leashed!¡±


    Elreth leaned forward, her face concerned rather than angry. ¡°Honestly, Tark, how would you know? How can any of us know? You can speak in your mate¡¯s mind, and she in yours-how would we even know if your loyalty is... eroded? How do we know that she can¡¯t insert her own thoughts as yours and turn your head without your knowledge?¡±


    Tarkyn, bitter bile rising in his throat, struggled to hold back his anger.


    ¡°I get it, Tark,¡± Elreth said gently, but her voice still unwavering. ¡°My concern is, if I give you time alone with her, you willplete the bond. I am at fault if I give room for that to happen when it harms you-as much as you care for me and our people, you are one that I need to protect! And if I let you have her alone... it will end in thepletion of the bond.¡±


    ¡°I hope so,¡± Tarkyn said honestly. ¡°I¡¯ve waited to find my mate my entire life. I don¡¯t want to resist that.¡±


    ¡°Tark-¡±


    ¡°No, you listen to me, El. You¡¯re right. You¡¯re right that you have to protect. But so do I. And she¡¯s one I need to protect.¡± He shook his head. ¡°Imagine that I told you Aaryn was harming you. Or that he was going to hurt you if you let him close. Could you even have fathomed that back then?¡±


    ¡°It was a very different situation.¡±


    ¡°But not inside! Not within you! The bond I feel with her is real and true and I will not deny it.¡±


    Elreth sat back in her chair, biting her lip.


    Tarkyn waited.

 Chapter 35

    Chapter 35: Testing the Bond


    ~ TARKYN ~


    There was a lengthy debate, then, between the two mated pairs about what kind of control they gained over each other when their bonds werepleted.


    Gar revealed that he and Rika¡¯s bond hadn¡¯t snapped into ce until after the war was over. Tarkyn had forgotten that-the rumors and gossip the two had endured that perhaps their bond wasn¡¯t real, after all.


    He suddenly had a great deal more sympathy for the male.


    But even though all four of them agreed that their bond influenced their thoughts, but hadn¡¯t changed their core convictions, or swayed their minds... they also acknowledged the shift in priorities when a new mate was revealed.


    ¡°It¡¯s very distracting, if nothing else. I¡¯m not saying I couldn¡¯t think, but... I was hardly at my best,¡± Elreth said, looking at Aaryn, who nodded. ¡°And that¡¯s why I think... I¡¯m sorry, Tarkyn, but in the end, I just can¡¯t take the risk. I can¡¯t risk that in a pivotal moment we¡¯ll lose the advantage because you hesitate, or... or anything.


    ¡°Right now, either the Chimera don¡¯t know they¡¯ve been discovered, or they know they¡¯re too weak to attack us. Too timid to pursue us. But that won¡¯tst. One of these days the Patrols will bring word of new scents in ournd. I want to address this before we reach that point. I want to control this potential conflict.¡±


    .....


    ¡°What does that have to do with me taking my mate?¡±


    ¡°Because I need the advice of the Captain I know and trust. And I need his wisdom without the color of our potential enemy¡¯s influence. I need advice on whether I send an emissary to them, or an attack. And if it¡¯s-¡±


    ¡°Not an attack, please,¡± Tarkyn said, his eyes pleading.


    Elreth, who¡¯d been about to continue the thought, slumped in her seat and her eyes went sad.


    ¡°You see?¡± she said quietly ¡°Your responses are already changed. There hasn¡¯t been a day of my life that I¡¯ve seen you back down from battle. Not once. I¡¯ve felt it necessary to caution you in the past. And now we have an unknown force on our doorstep and you immediately raise not just reluctance to attack, but outright pleading?¡±


    All four of them stared at him, mingled disapproval and grief on their faces. But Tarkyn was resolute. ¡°I defy any of you to stand in my shoes and not wish for peace between your peoples.¡±


    ¡°Wish for it? Or act for it? Because acting for peace with a malicious force will only end in our defeat.¡±


    Tarkyn snarled. ¡°We can¡¯t know if they¡¯re a malicious force or only defensive if our first move is aggressive! You haven¡¯t heard me back down from a battle before-and you won¡¯t! But I have never gone looking for war, Elreth. I defend you and our people. I do not look for a fight.


    ¡°I heard the warrior¡¯s mate im that he only acted violently out of defense of her and their son! What if that¡¯s true? What if they would have acted peacefully if we had-would you walk our people into a war that could have been avoided just by talking?¡±


    No,¡± Elreth growled. ¡°But neither will I shy from it if it¡¯s needed.¡±


    ¡°I am not shying from it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s how it sounds to me.¡±


    ¡°No, what you¡¯re hearing is a male whose eyes are finally opened. A warrior who is beginning to understand that there may be other... priorities. Other solutions to these issues.¡±


    His intensity echoed around the room as everyone took in everything they¡¯d said.


    Tarkyn waited, but Elreth¡¯s expression never changed. ¡°Well, then... I guess we¡¯re going to find out, one way or another, aren¡¯t we?¡± she said sadly.


    Tarkyn braced. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    But Elreth just got out of her chair and walked to the door of the building.


    ******


    ~ HARTH ~


    Harth stood under the eyes of four guards, reminding herself that she¡¯d promised Tarkyn she wouldn¡¯t create conflict with anyone. She was grateful to be outside. It had been difficult being in the prison tree, and Zev and Sasha were too consumed withforting each other to have had much attention for her. Which she understood.


    She wanted to be with her mate too.


    When the guards hade and said the Queen summoned her for an audience, at first she¡¯d wanted to resist. But then she hoped. She hoped and prayed that perhaps Tarkyn really had found a way to build the bridge to peace.


    So, now she stood waiting outside a strange building that reminded her of a human building only smaller, and made with much rougher materials. But it seemed solid.


    What made her tense was that she could feel her mate inside, his rising panic and anger. She wanted to get in there to see what was being said. But she was being kept far enough away not to overhear the conversation.


    And when, finally, the Queen opened the door and beckoned them inside, it was with a grim face. It was clear there had been conflict.


    Harth walked in quickly, her fists clenched at her sides. She was angry with this Queen for the treatment of her Alphas, and now uncertain about the treatment of her mate whose entire scent was exhausted and angry, but who was free toe stand next to her as soon as she appeared.


    He took her hand and murmured in her head, ¡®Just be honest.¡¯


    She was about to ask him about what when the Queen took a seat in a small circle where they¡¯d obviously been meeting, and looked at Harth.


    ¡°Your mate wishes to have time with you alone tonight, for you to know each other and grow in the bond. I¡¯m considering it. But I wanted to ask you questions first,¡± she said sharply.


    Harth looked at each of them. ¡°What questions?¡±


    The Queen was brittle. ¡°Consider that my decision could be the difference between freedom and imprisonment for you,¡± she said between her teeth. ¡°Think carefully about what wordse out of your mouth.¡± Clearly she wanted greater submission than that.


    ¡°Freedom and imprisonment?¡± Harth asked, unwilling to bend. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to flinch from imprisonment. Or drugging.¡±


    A low, menacing growl rolled from the Queen. Harth sank her weight lower to brace for impact.


    *****


    Don¡¯t forget to hit ¡°Vote¡± and ¡°Comment below to remind Webnovel that you want more from Anima! THANK YOU for all your support. You touch my heart every day!

 Chapter 36

    Chapter 36: Petty Squabbles


    ~ HARTH ~


    Heart pounding, Harth¡¯s mind began to turn tobat, to how she would throw herself out of reach until she could shift-and whether Tarkyn would help her or not.


    But Tarkyn¡¯s hand on her shoulder tightened as she shifted her weight. And to Harth¡¯s surprise, though the Queen¡¯s eyes glittered, she didn¡¯t leap into her beast.


    Instead her chin rose and she regarded Harth down her nose. ¡°I¡¯ll ept your criticism when it has be your responsibility to care for and guide an entire people. But until then, consider keeping your mouth shut,¡± she snapped.


    Harth stifled the urge to bite back and did as she was asked. She didn¡¯t respond. Peace... she was supposed to be seeking peace...


    The Queen waited, then a few momentster, nodded her approval. ¡°So you do have some control.¡±


    But Harth still didn¡¯t respond. She knew it was a little childish, but everything in her screamed in fear and injustice.


    .....


    The Queen¡¯s expression ttened. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Tarkyn, I cannot let her walk free. She is clearly in resistance to me-which means she resists our people and our way of life. I can¡¯t leave her an opening to harm any of us.¡±


    Harth scoffed. ¡°So you harm my alphas, but I¡¯m the viin for being defensive against that?!¡±


    ¡°No,¡± the Queen snapped. ¡°I protect my people against the unknown, and if you were smart you¡¯d understand that and try to work with me!¡±


    Harth¡¯s head spun. She could vaguely register Tarkyn pleading with her to look at the bigger picture-that if Elreth kept lines of discussion open, Harth could help her alphas in their negotiations. If she was a prisoner, no one would listen.


    She had to bite back her anger. ¡°Work with you in which way?¡± she asked finally.


    Elreth tipped her head. ¡°Provide information. Guidance. Insight.¡±


    ¡°You want me to betray my people.¡±


    ¡°Are we enemies, or allies?¡±


    ¡°Right now? I don¡¯t know. I would have said we shared amon enemy, but all I see is that my people have fallen out of the hands of the humans and into yours!¡±


    Elreth shook her head. ¡°I hold two of your people, not your entire race.¡±


    ¡°The two most important. And one of them is... hurt.¡±


    The Queen¡¯s lips went tight. ¡°It is unfortunate that his bondage was necessary. But we didn¡¯t have the resources to put enough males around him to keep him safe-not to mention that he might have harmed any one of them. No, I will not apologize for binding him.¡±


    Heart breaking, Harth wondered how were they ever going to get through this? Instinctively, she looked up at Tarkyn and her heart yearned to be with him and... just be. For none of this to be happening.


    *****


    ~ TARKYN ~


    Tarkyn stared back at her, pleading. ¡°Why don¡¯t you let me talk with her, El?¡± Tarkyn says.


    ¡°Because I can¡¯t leave her free.¡±


    ¡°Then lock me up with her.¡±


    There was a beat, then, ¡°You¡¯d submit to that?¡±


    His immediate response was yes, of course. Just to be near her, he¡¯d do anything. But he made himself think it through.


    It could be a massive blow to his power if his soldiers were seen to be holding him like a criminal. It would undermine the trust not only of the Guard, but of the people of the Tree City. It would weaken his position to be effective in guiding towards peace...


    ¡°Apromise?¡± he offered.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m in need of medical assistance. Give us a cave. Give me food, treatment. Let her stay with me. But keep guards on the ce.¡±


    Elreth frowned as if she was considering it, examining it. But he smelled Harth¡¯s scent go prickly.


    ¡®You have resistance to this idea?¡¯ he asked her in the quiet of her mind.


    ¡®Please don¡¯t tell them,¡¯ she sent back. ¡®But the caves. I... I would prefer a ce with open light and air... I can deal with the guards. But being closed in. It will... it makes me panic. That cave we were in today... I couldn¡¯t breathe.¡±


    Tarkyn struggled, his primary instinct to protect his mate and keep her from harm doing battle with his reason-to keep her safe, he needed her closed in. And he needed to be seen to act towards his Queen as he always had so she couldn¡¯t use him of being swayed.


    ¡°How about... how about the Outsiders cave?¡± he suggested to Elreth. It was an old space, formerly used by the Protectors, before they were an acknowledged tribe, when they still suffered great prejudice from some of the other citizens.


    It was on the edge of the city, high up one of the mountain foothills and remote enough from the city center that they wouldn¡¯t be seen or heard.


    Harth gave him a sharp look at the word ¡°cave,¡± but he sent, ¡®trust me,¡¯ then turned back to Elreth. ¡°We can¡¯t escape it except by the trail, so it¡¯s easy to guard with small numbers so our limited resources aren¡¯t being used. Birds can fly in to help with the healing. And we won¡¯t have to be... restrained.¡± He gave a small smile so Elreth would think that was about wanting toplete the bond.


    Elreth looked at Aaryn. The King just shrugged. Tarkyn wondered how protective he felt of the space, since he¡¯d been one of the Outsiders since he was young. But he should have known. Aaryn¡¯s heart had always been for thefort of those who weren¡¯t epted by others.


    ¡°We aren¡¯t using the cave anymore. And she is an Outsider...¡±


    Elreth gave him a look that said she wasn¡¯t impressed by the weak joke. But then she looked at Harth and her brows pinched over her nose.


    Tarkyn held his breath.


    ¡°I¡¯ll say yes,¡± Elreth said finally, and Tarkyn almost sagged to the floor with relief. ¡°But you¡¯ll be checked periodically, and will have to answer the questions of the healers. If there¡¯s any sign that Tarkyn is being manipted or hurt, you¡¯ll be put in chains, Harth. Remember that.¡±


    His mate shuddered, but Tarkyn just pulled her tighter against his side and tried not to smile too broadly. ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯ll see her heart, El. And when you do... I know you¡¯ll love her too.¡±


    But Elreth sighed heavily. ¡°I hope for your sake that is true, Tarkyn.¡±

 Chapter 37

    Chapter 37: Weighed Down


    PATRON SHOUT OUT: Thank you, NyxG1663, for suggesting the name ¡°Magnus.¡± I hope you like how I Anima-ized it!


    If you¡¯d like to support me on P A T R E O N to read unpublished material, receive exclusive content and giveaways, or have the chance to name a character, go to: p a t r e o n/authoraimee!


    *****


    NAME PRONUNCIATION: Mhagnus is ¡°MAG-niss¡±


    *****


    ~ HARTH ~


    It was a lengthy walk to the cave, Harth¡¯s chest constricting the whole way-why had her mate insisted on a cave after what she¡¯d told him. But Tarkyn kept up discussion with the guards for the entire walk, asking them to report on what had been urring in the city and among the soldiers since he¡¯d been away. She suspected he was reminding them of his position, and that he did not walk as a prisoner, but as theirmanding officer...


    .....


    She looked up at him and her chest tightened for an entirely different reason.


    His head was turned away from her, the cord of his neck pulled tight as he spoke to a guard who walked to his side and just behind them. The fading sunlight filtering through the trees cut shadows into his corbones that peered out from beneath the clean shirt he¡¯d been given by the guards at the cave.


    His eyes were sharp on the soldier behind him, but tight with pain and weariness. He needed rest. She could feel him... fading. And yet, there was no sign of it to anyone watching. He carried himself with strength and purpose, speaking as if his energy was limitless.


    She¡¯d been given a male of great strength. It made her heart flutter.


    Then they took a trail that began to climb, and although Tarkyn didn¡¯t let it show, she took his arm, let it look as if he supported her, when really she was just praying he¡¯d make it to the top of the trail. Through the awakening bond, she could feel his body failing. And where she touched him, his muscles seemed to quiver under the skin.


    ¡®You need rest. Food and rest.¡¯


    She sounded like an alpha to a child. Tarkyn¡¯s lips twisted up on one side and he cut her a nce from the corner of his eyes.


    ¡®Do you know... I haven¡¯t had someone chide me for my protection since I left my mother¡¯s cave? Usually I¡¯m the one admonishing others,¡¯ he said in her head, his tone light, as if the idea amused him. But one of his steps scuffed because he didn¡¯t lift his foot high enough and she felt the jolt that snapped through him.


    ¡®Tarkyn, you need-¡®


    ¡®We¡¯re almost there. Just a few more minutes. Don¡¯t let the soldiers know that I¡¯m tired. Please, Harth.¡¯


    She sighed and gripped his arm. ¡®I never would, Tarkyn. But I¡¯m worried they¡¯re about to figure it out. If you fall down it will be kind of difficult to avoid,¡¯ she muttered to him.


    He squeezed her hand, but with every step he seemed to lean more of his weight against her grip on his arm.


    The trail to the cave wasn¡¯t a steep climb to begin with, but it curled with the rise of the mountain and became steeper as they got higher. Harth was just beginning to fear that he really wouldn¡¯t make it when the trail wound around a tree and some rocks, then ttened out ahead of them, widening into an open cave mouth so wide that it reminded her of the space they¡¯d had near the river.


    She breathed a sigh of relief, not only because he¡¯d made it, though she could feel him trembling now. But also because she now understood why he¡¯d chosen this ce.


    ¡°I told you to trust me,¡± he murmured.


    Harth gripped his hand and rubbed his arm as they walked as quickly as he was able into the cave.


    A cave so wide, a dozen people could stand side-to-side along its front.


    A cave that didn¡¯t curve, so the open mouth was visible even at its back.


    A cave that felt more like a home because there was furniture and seating, and... and all of it coated in ayer of dirt and scattered leaves near the front that told Harth no one had been here in months.


    As they stepped inside, a breeze came up, skittering the scattered leaves and dust at the entrance, flowing through the entire cave to turn and flutter Harth¡¯s hair.


    Even the evening light reached almost to the back of the main cavern. Harth swallowed a pinch in her throat.


    He had been listening. He had understood.


    She leaned into his arm as they walked to the couch that had seen better days, but was thick and solid. She thought Tarkyn would sit immediately, but instead he pulled from her grip and told her to wait there, where the light still caught, and he walked deeper into the cave, disappearing into a tunnel at its back.


    The four soldiers who¡¯d guarded them for the journey paused, uncertain, at the mouth of the cave. She turned to them, holding out a hand for the bag one of them was carrying.


    ¡°Please tell me you have food in there for him?¡± she asked sternly. Her own stomach growled, but unless there was a lot in there, she wouldn¡¯t eat a bite until Tarkyn had had his fill. His massive frame needed a great deal more fuel than hers did-and after the beating he¡¯d given it before she found him, he needed even more.


    The guard frowned, but before he could respond, Tarkyn¡¯s voice rose from out of sight at the back of the cave. ¡°Give it to her, Mhagnus,¡± he said, the ring ofmand in his tone. ¡°She needs to eat.¡±


    Harth rolled her eyes. They would discuss who was more in need when he returned, but she didn¡¯t speak, just took the bag gratefully when the soldier offered it to her somewhat reluctantly.


    There was a firepit in the center of the cavern, just beyond the couches and seating area. At the side of the cave just a few feet away, a tumbled pile of kindling and extremely dry branches and lumps of wood waited to be used. Harth took the bag and set it on the ground to dig through and see if there was any need for a fire, but she¡¯d barely cursed over the fact that it contained mainly fruit and cheese-only a little dried meat. He needed protein!-when Tarkyn appeared behind her carrying thick, heavy furs over one shoulder and feeling to her like he might copse even under that weight.


    She scrambled to her feet, but he gave her a warning look, then spread the furs near the fire pit, gripping his hands into fists when he wasn¡¯t holding the furs, so they wouldn¡¯t tremble as he spoke quietly to the guards.


    ¡°Take your positions down the trail. If we¡¯re in need, we¡¯ll call. I assume the birds won¡¯te until morning?¡±


    ¡°The Queen ordered one to-¡±


    They were interrupted by the sound of wings beating air as a massive bird back-pped to swing their legs down, talons extended, to catch their weight at the opening of the cave, then shifted effortlessly, a backpack slung across her chest.


    ¡°Tarkyn, you¡¯re still alive. Good... you fucking idiot.¡±

 Chapter 38

    Chapter 38: Not Alone


    PATRON SHOUT OUT: Sending a big wave to Sravanthi for suggesting the beautiful name ¡°Sarayu.¡± I hope you enjoy who I made her to be!


    If you¡¯d like to support me on P A T R E O N to read unpublished material, receive exclusive content and giveaways, or have the chance to name a character, go to: p a t r e o n/authoraimee!


    *****


    NAME PRONUNCIATION: Sarayu is Sah-RAH-yew


    *****


    ~ HARTH ~


    Harth bristled and opened her mouth to snap her teeth at the female, but Tarkyn just chuckled.


    .....


    ¡°Good to see you, too, Sarayu.¡± When Harth gaped at him-why would he let a female talk to him like that?-he winked at her. ¡°Sarayu has been healing me and my men since before the war. Don¡¯t worry, she snaps her beak a lot, but she¡¯ll tear apart anyone who hurts us.¡±


    Sarayu grinned and made no argument to that, and her body shivered in a way that reminded Harth of a bird fluffing their feathers, but she turned a re on the guards as she stalked towards Tarkyn. ¡°All of you, out-except his mate. I need him rxed. And he can¡¯t do that if you¡¯re all here needing your asses wiped.¡±


    The soldiersughed and ducked their chins in submission to her.


    With her back to the other males, she caught Harth¡¯s eyes and winked.


    Harth stifled a grin, though the urge was still within her to snap at the female for calling her mate an idiot.


    As the soldiers saluted to Tarkyn, then turned to march out of the cave and down the trail, Sarayu put a hand to Tarkyn¡¯s shoulder and urged him down onto the furs he¡¯d just spread out.


    ¡°Get off your feet. Now.¡±


    A growl puttered in Harth¡¯s throat-the female was touching her mate! But before she could order her away, Tarkyn sagged to the floor and the woman stopped touching him, unslinging the bag from around her shoulder, muttering to them both beneath the hearing of the guards on the trail.


    ¡°Stupid, stupid, stupid to keep pushing yourself, Tark. If an adolescent challenged you right now you¡¯d lose.¡±


    ¡°No one¡¯s going to challenge me,¡± he sighed, wincing as he settled his aching body down on the furs. ¡°They know I¡¯m tired, but I haven¡¯t let them see-¡±


    ¡°Alpha male bullshit,¡± the woman muttered with a nce at Harth. ¡°Good luck with this one, he¡¯s as stubborn as the day is long, and refuses to believe he isn¡¯t invincible. One day the Creator will decide he needs it proven to him.¡±


    ¡°That day almost arrived,¡± Harth said seriously. She was tired. Weary. Her body ached with tension. But she knew she would sleep and wake tomorrow ready to face the day. But the weakness and the pain she felt in his body, the echoes of it through the iplete bond, scared her.


    He was reaching his limit again, and as Harth held herself back from snarling at the healer for touching him, uneasiness bubbled in her gut. Sarayu kept tsking and sighing, asking Tarkyn to move his joints in certain directions, then carefully doing it for him when he struggled.


    ¡°Drink. This second. While we¡¯re still working. Your body is dehydrated, Tarkyn. That alone will be causing half your pain.¡±


    Tarkyn sheepishly reached for the waterskin Harth had pulled out of the bag for him. ¡°I know. We¡¯ve just been busy-¡±


    ¡°Care for your body and find your strength, Tark. Or be weak and maybe die. I¡¯m sure your mate would prefer not to lose you so quickly.¡±


    Harth felt a jolt through the bond and looked quickly at her mate, who stared at her as if he¡¯d just seen her death. She moved to his other side so she wouldn¡¯t interfere with Sarayu¡¯s work, but took his hand, needing to touch him as much as he needed to touch her.


    ¡°New mates... you¡¯re beautifully sickening,¡± Sarayu muttered, but she softened the words with a smile at Harth that faded quickly when she flexed Tarkyn¡¯s foot and his calf began to cramp. ¡°The water isn¡¯t enough. He needs salt and sugar-do you have any of the sweet strips in there?¡±


    Harth frowned. What were sweet-


    ¡°The dried meat that smells sweet,¡± Tarkyn exined quickly.


    Harth leaped for the bag to pull out some of the few meat strips and smell it, handing the two that smelled of honey to him. Tarkyn took it and began to chew like it was a task he¡¯d been set.


    ¡°The fruit as well,¡± Sarayu said grimly. ¡°As much food as he can take before he sleeps-but slowly. Don¡¯t bolt it, Tark. You need to let your body take it in steadily. And keep drinking, too.¡±


    Tarkyn nodded.


    ¡°Is he... will he be-¡±


    ¡°If he¡¯d stop pushing and let himself rest, he¡¯d be fine in two days,¡± Sarayu said, pulling up his eyelid and pursing her lips. ¡°But if you can make him do it, I¡¯ll give you honor, Harth. He¡¯s one who doesn¡¯t like to bend.¡±


    Harth looked at Tarkyn, who rolled his eyes. ¡°Doesn¡¯t have the opportunity to bend, you mean.¡±


    The woman kept examining him, but her movements slowed and she seemed less worried as he ate and drank. Then finally, she sat back on her heels and met Harth¡¯s eye.


    ¡°Sleep,¡± she said firmly. ¡°He needs no other... exertion tonight.¡±


    Harth coughed as Tarkyn growled. ¡°That is none of your-¡±


    ¡°Wait a day, Tarkyn. It won¡¯t kill you. But not resting might.¡±


    Tarkyn snorted. ¡°I find that hard to believe.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll find nothing hard at all if you don¡¯t rest,¡± she quipped, but even though she raised an eyebrow like it was a joke, Harth could see the tension in her. ¡°Tarkyn, you are mortal. Complete the bondter. When you are properly capable and your mate won¡¯t have to do all the work.¡±


    She winked at Harth who couldn¡¯t decide whether to blush orugh out loud.


    But Tarkyn growled. ¡°It¡¯s not your ce-¡±


    ¡°You see,¡± Sarayu said to Harth, ignoring him. ¡°I will pray for you. When he digs his ws in I swear the male is immovable to any but the Creator Himself... and sometimes I wonder about that.¡±


    Tarkyn huffed and sighed, but Harth could feel his pride warring with his wisdom. She smiled and put a hand to his shoulder to soothe him.


    ¡°Thank you for helping him,¡± she said to the healer. ¡°And thank you for... not treating me like I¡¯m an enemy.¡±


    ¡°You smell strange, but no female made for this male could be an enemy,¡± Sarayu said simply. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s my job to put bodies back together, not tear them apart. As long as you don¡¯t hurt me, I won¡¯t hurt you. I will pray for you though. I¡¯m not joking. He should have been a goat, the way he sticks his jaw out and refuses to move.¡±


    ¡°Or a donkey?¡± Harth said, grinning.


    ¡°I know several equines that would take offense at thatment,¡± Tarkyn added dryly around a mouthful of a juice pear. ¡°Now, if you¡¯re both done talking about my ws, I would like to do as my healer says and rest with my mate.¡±


    Harth¡¯s heart warmed at the look in his eyes when she looked down at him.

 Chapter 39

    Chapter 39: Remember the Twig


    ~ HARTH ~


    Catching the look that passed between them, Sarayu sighed and muttered something about twigs turning to limp stalks when they were dehydrated. Harth had to swallowughter when Tarkyn red at her. Then the female got to her feet, dusting her hands on her leathers.


    ¡°Keep eating and drinking until you sleep,¡± she said sternly to Tarkyn. ¡°I¡¯ll be back in the morning to check on you. You¡¯ll need to rest tomorrow and the next day as well.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡±


    ¡°Tarkyn, I¡¯m supposed to report back to the Queen now about whether or not you¡¯re currently strong and sharp enough to continue advising. Do not make me dere you incapable.¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t!¡± Tarkyn growled.


    ¡°Don¡¯t test me. Rest. Rest, eat, drink, then rest some more.¡±


    .....


    Tarkyn scowled. Harth took his hand and he squeezed it without looking away from the healer. ¡°I will... keep my activities to an absolute minimum for the next two days,¡± he said reluctantly.


    Sarayu raised her eyebrows. ¡°You must be closer to copsing than I thought. That¡¯s more than I thought you¡¯d give.¡± Tarkyn frowned harder, but Sarayu just looked at Harth again. ¡°Remind him to drink, even when he¡¯s not hungry. Drink as he would if he were in the desert. His body needs to flush out toxins.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡±


    ¡°Good luck,¡± she said with a smile, then slung the bag over her shoulder again and started for the cave opening. ¡°And don¡¯t forget, Tarkyn: The twig without water begins to droop...¡±


    Harthughed again as the woman ran for the cave opening andunched herself off the trail, shifting in mid-air, snapping her wings wide and soaring out over the forest below.


    Harth felt oddlyforted seeing that. She was reminded of Kyelle¡¯s beauty and grace in the sky. But that quickly led to thoughts of her people... which led her mind back to Zev and Sasha and the pain they were enduring at the hands of these people. And yet, her mate...


    Tarkyn was watching her when she turned to look at him again.


    ¡°I¡¯ll fix this,¡± he said quietly. ¡°Just give them time. Elreth... she¡¯s lost so much to the humans... I know why she¡¯s resistant to taking any risk. But she¡¯ll hear the truth and see it with time. Please, Harth, don¡¯t give up on me.¡±


    Harth blinked, shocked. ¡°Tarkyn, I will never give up on you!¡± she rushed, leaning down to kiss him, enjoying the sweet juice of the pear on his lips. ¡°I just... I just want to see my people safe.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Me too. I want to see them safe for you, but also for us, Harth. If their hearts are like yours, we¡¯re brothers and sisters, not enemies. I¡¯ll do everything I can to make certain my Alpha sees that. I promise you.¡±


    She nodded, her heart heavy and smiling in the same breath. ¡°You keep eating,¡± she said. I¡¯m going to make a fire.¡±


    Then, with a quick squeeze of his shoulder, she got up to do exactly that.


    But a few minutester, when the mes crackled merrily, casting an orange glow through the cave as the sun dropped below the mountains on the horizon and the sky began to turn dark, she turned back to ask Tarkyn whether he needed anything and found him deeply asleep, his hand still curled around the half-eaten pear.


    Her heart squeezed with protectiveness at the sight of his strong jaw and full lips so rxed. She took the pear carefully and finished eating it herself, taking two other pieces of fruit, and one strip of the dried meat, but leaving the rest in case he woke hungry.


    Hey on his side. Harth was about to put the second fur over him, but his clothes were pulling around his middle and the leathers were tight on his thighs. He needed to rest and his skin likely needed to breathe.


    Biting her lip, Harth reached for the buckle of his leathers. At first she worried about waking him, but clearly Tarkyn had given over to the exhaustion he¡¯d been fighting all day. He was practically unconscious. He brushed her hand with his once when she struggled to tug his leathers below his hips, but only murmuring her name, then sinking back into sleep.


    It would have been impossible to get his shirt off without his help, but at least it was cotton and would breathe. So she just folded his pants and put them aside, then looked at the cave mouth.


    She preferred to sleep naked herself. And a part of her wanted to feel what it would be like toy with him that way. But she¡¯d heard the healer¡¯s caution.


    Looking at Tarkyn, his mouth slightly open, and chest rising and falling so slow and even, she sighed. He wasn¡¯t going to be awake to be tempted.


    She wouldy with her mate in the way she¡¯d always imagined, and pray the day came soon when they could be alone and together and... not exhausted.


    Cheeks warming a little at the thought, Harth stripped off quickly, then slipped into the warmth of the furs behind where her mate was curled on his side, and... after an uncertain moment, let her arm slide over his waist, dropped her forehead to that dip between his shoulder des, then let herself rest there, with the scent of him in her nose, and her skin warmed by his.


    At first shey very still, worried she might disturb him. But then he sighed in his sleep and tightened his arm over hers, holding her to him.


    Tears pricked her eyes and Harth dropped a slow kiss to his spine.


    She wished he wasn¡¯t so exhausted. Wished it hadn¡¯t taken that to bring them together. And yet... she couldn¡¯t help smiling at the sight of his broad shoulders looming high. She couldn¡¯t stop examining the strangely intoxicating feeling of his steel-hard abs under her palm.


    Although his back was to her, she could see the way his body sloped from the width of his shoulders, to his narrow waist. And something about the tangled leather tie keeping his hair back, the stray hairs that had fallen from it resting on the back of his neck felt oddly vulnerable to her.


    Snuggling into his back and holding him tightly, she didn¡¯t sleep immediately, too busy absorbing the new and wonderful experience of curling together with her mate in this way she¡¯d always dreamed.


    It wasn¡¯t a cold night-at least, not yet. But the warm smoothness of his skin felt so... satisfying. The firmness of his back, her breasts pressed against him, her legs curled behind his... all of it conspired to fill her heart.


    She prayed that Sasha and Zev had the chance to rest together in this way that night. That Zev¡¯s pain would be eased. That the Queen would see the truth about the Chimera. And that, somehow, all of this would be resolved quickly.


    She prayed, fervently, that somehow the Creator would see a way to bring her and her mate together in peace-and their peoples, too.


    And she tried not to think about all the ways her people might be hurting under the night sky tonight. She couldn¡¯t regret that shey there with his scent in her nose, and his warmth under the furs. So, as she gave in to the heaviness of her own eyelids, she smiled and thanked the Creator.


    Because, no matter what, she knew she would never be alone again for a day in her life. She¡¯d finally found the other half of her heart, wrapped in this beautiful body of strength and grace. And she was grateful.


    So grateful...

 Chapter 40

    Chapter 40: Find You in the Dark


    CELEBRATE! On October 26th (in the USA) this book is going premium and you¡¯ll get a FIVE CHAPTER mass release! One in the morning, four that evening. So make sure and read them as early as possible because I¡¯m not in control of when they lock! (This message added after publication so you aren¡¯t charged for the words.)


    *****


    ~ TARKYN ~


    When Tarkyn blinked awake hourster, the moon was still high-and bright enough to cast shadows. A wide arch of silver light made the stone floor at the entrance to the cave glow, but cut in a hard line to ck where the high moon¡¯s light didn¡¯t reach.


    For a moment he was disoriented. This wasn¡¯t his tree.


    He had been asleep. He was in a strange cave-the Outsider¡¯s cave! But where was Harth!?


    He sat bolt upright and almost sobbed with relief when a small weight fell from his waist, and his beautiful mate rolled onto her back, sucking in a deep breath and blinking, smiling at him in the dark, her face puffy with sleep, hair falling around her on the thin pillows he¡¯d found in the back sleeping room.


    .....


    ¡°You¡¯re awake. How are you feeling?¡± her voice was gruff, husky with sleep, but she looked so beautiful!


    Unable to resist, he leaned down over her, taking her chin in one hand and kissing her softly, then deeply.


    She gave a small, happy sigh and wrapped her arms around his neck as he braced one elbow on the other side of her and covered her, sipping at her with his lips, letting his weight pin her to the furs. Her kiss was honey that lighted in his heart and-


    ¡°Wait, stop!¡± Harth hissed, pulling out of the kiss and blinking up at him. ¡°We¡¯re not supposed to!¡±


    ¡°Not supposed to what?¡±


    ¡°Mate. Remember?¡± she smiled,ughing a little.


    Tarkyn growled. ¡°There are no drooping twigs on this branch!¡± he muttered, nudging her hip with his growing arousal to make his point.


    Her brows rose and her smile broadened-fuck he loved that sparkle that appeared in her eyes. But then her lips pressed then and she started pressing to sit up.


    Tarkyn rolled off her immediately, but stayed leaning on one elbow, his hand at her waist as she sat up and looked around, shaking her head as she looked towards the cave mouth.


    When she spoke next, it was in his head.


    ¡®She said it could stop you from healing as quickly, Tarkyn. I want you strong. You need to be strong today.¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯m feeling stronger than I have since the ritual,¡¯ he insisted, tracing up her side, letting his fingers follow the hollow of her waist, the round of her ribs, before sliding his hand to cup her breast and take the warm, soft weight of it, in his calloused palm.


    She sucked in a breath and he watched, awed, as her nipple hardened under his gaze. He stroked it gently with his thumb, and she bit her lip, arching slightly into the touch.


    He was about to lean forward, to put his mouth on it, when her breath rushed back out of her and she took his hand firmly, pulling it away from her breast. ¡®No, Tarkyn. I want to, but I don¡¯t think Sarayu was lying. She said it was really important for you to rest. I don¡¯t... I don¡¯t want to hurt you just for... I mean... just another day or two...¡¯


    He could feel the waver in her that matched his own reluctance to wait, but he didn¡¯t want to press her. Didn¡¯t want their first time to happen under pressure, so he sighed and sat up, too, facing her.


    She smiled up at him, putting one hand to his chest and leaning in, her eyes bright, beaming a smile. ¡°You are such a good male, Tarkyn... I know it seems impossible, but I¡¯m already in love with you.¡± Her eyes silvered with happy tears and he leaned down to kiss her gently.


    ¡°It¡¯s beyond possible,¡± he rasped. ¡°Because despite everything that¡¯s happening... Harth I can barely think except for how much I love you. For how precious you are.¡±


    They both stared, marveling at each other.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never met anyone like you,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°Me either,¡± he said honestly, both baffled and attracted to the strange mix of fierce strength and naivety that seemed to dwell within her.


    ¡°You¡¯re young to be in the position you have... aren¡¯t you?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°But the Queen is much younger-younger than you,¡± he said with a shrug.


    ¡°Really? She seems so... sure of herself.¡± Harth shook her head. ¡°Thisnd is strange. I wish we could have found each other in a way where we could just learn each other¡¯s people and... be at peace. I wish this could be a time of curiosity and growing instead of so much stress. I wish I could just mindlink with your Queen and show her everything so she¡¯d know who we are and how we think and I could see your people and... Then maybe there would be peace.¡±


    Tarkyn blinked. ¡°Is that... could you do that?¡±


    But Harth shook her head sadly. ¡°The mindlink only works between our wolves, and asionally people we¡¯re very close to. But there has to be a great deal of trust on both sides for that to happen.¡±


    He smiled. He felt like a cub again. ¡°That means you trust me?¡±


    She snorted. ¡°Do I have any choice? You¡¯re the other half of my heart, Tarkyn. I suppose I should be grateful for that much in the middle of all this. For the first time, my heart is at peace because I¡¯ve found you.¡±


    His breath rushed out of him at her willingness to justy herself bare to him like that. He swallowed and made himself hold her gaze. ¡°I yearned for peace,¡± he said, searching her beautiful eyes. ¡°But when it came for our people I was always uneasy. And I realized it was because I didn¡¯t have you. I was...¡± he looked at her, stroked her cheek with a finger, pushing back a strand of hair that had stuck there. ¡°I think if we found peace now I¡¯d be able to enjoy it.¡±


    Her brow furrowed, but she smiled. ¡°I want to learn you, Tarkyn. I want to know everything about you.¡±


    He nodded and pushed the furs back to stand up.


    She was worried. ¡°You need to rest-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been asleep since the dinner bell, trust me, I won¡¯t be sleeping for some time,¡± he said dryly, offering her a hand. ¡°Come, talk with me. Let me show you... me.¡±


    With a shy smile, she slid her hand into his palm. He held her tightly as she got to her feet and wrapped one of the furs around her shoulders. Then he took her hand again and didn¡¯t let go, but led her to the cave mouth, to the trail and edge of thend that fell away from the cave mouth so steeply it was almost a cliff.


    Then, still slightly shaky, but much stronger than he¡¯d felt in days, he lowered himself to sit, letting his knees dangle over the edge.


    Harth had picked up the bag of food and waterskins as they passed it. She settled herself on the dirt next to him, but handed him a waterskin first, then when he¡¯d drunk obediently, she exchanged it for a rosy apple.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if you talk with your mouth full,¡± she said with a smile. ¡°I just want to hear you talk, and you need to keep eating.¡±


    He took the apple and crunched arge bite out of it, then gestured with it over the WildWood, spread out below them, glowing silver in the moonlight. ¡°Where do you want me to start?¡± he said, chewing.


    ¡°Start at the beginning,¡± she said softly, resting her hand on his thigh, which made his cock twitch, but he ignored it.


    She wanted to hear him talk? Well, he wanted her story as well. So he would share first, then draw her out.


    ¡°I was a normal cub,¡± he said with a shrug. ¡°I loved my family, loved the pride. I was tall and strong so everyone said I was meant to be a warrior but I was never confident enough to believe it. It seemed... too important. It wasn¡¯t until the day the King-Elreth¡¯s father-selected me for his Queen¡¯s bodyguard when I was still young and in training... that was when I knew what I was created to do...¡±


    *****


    DO YOU WANT TO SEE TARKYN¡¯S BACKSTORY? Just read the first scene in Chapter 138 of my book, ¡°Falling in Love with the King of Beasts,¡± to see how he was introduced to the royal family. It doesn¡¯t include spoilers if you haven¡¯t read the book, but you¡¯ll get to see Tarkyn as a young male, finding his ce in the world!

 Chapter 41

    Chapter 41: Under the Wild Moon


    ~ TARKYN ~


    He told her everything. The beauty of the WildWood when you were a child. The way he¡¯d sensed he could have his choice. The freedom he¡¯d had.


    And then, the way he was chosen by the former King. The way he grew through the ranks of guard, to shift leader, to fist leader, to Captain under arms, and then, finally, Captain of the Guard. How he¡¯d always found his purpose in protection and strategy. The way he¡¯d been so terrified early on of being a weak link against the former Queen, that he¡¯d dedicated himself to his training even beyond the grueling hours of work.


    How his entire life had been measured and directed by the hours of the sun and moon, by training and strengthening first himself, then others, and then ultimately... by war.


    ¡°In the year or two before the war, I¡¯d turned my mind to finding a mate. I¡¯d always thought it would just happen,¡± he said quietly, picking at a scrub of grass peeking through the rocks next to his knee. He could feel Harth¡¯s gaze fixed on the side of his face, but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to meet her eyes in case he found disapproval there. ¡°For a while I thought... I thought I had found her. But it soon became very clear she was created for someone else. And I think... I think that¡¯s when it suddenly hit me that... I might never find her. Might never find... you,¡± he said softly.


    Harth¡¯s breath caught. She shrugged the fur higher on her shoulder then tightened her hand on his thigh, but he rushed on. He wanted her to know. ¡°But then we learned the humans were in Anima-oring to Anima-and everything else fell aside. There was no time, no room to think about any of this. I had a job to do and people to protect and a Queen to guide and...¡±


    He trembled remembering the weeks of discovery and nning when the humans were identified in Anima. He shook when he recounted the decisions he¡¯d fought to determine, then the nights he¡¯d spent being unable to sleep in case he¡¯d made the wrong one.


    .....


    Harth leaned against his side, holding his arm, stroking it, hugging it when a shudder rocked through him.


    ¡°It might have never happened, Harth. So many times I might have died... so many times I might have given in to the urge to take someone who wasn¡¯t a True Mate, just to have thepanionship of any mate at all...¡±


    He turned finally to meet her eyes-wide and shining in the moonlight.


    Her brow furrowed, this was a part of his story that she didn¡¯t understand. Couldn¡¯t. And it grieved him, now, that he did. He wished he¡¯d been as patient as her. He wished he¡¯d been willing to wait until she appeared for any of it. All of it. He wished he knew nothing of mating or females.


    Just sitting there with her, feeling her hold him, his heart was fuller than it had ever been in the arms of another female.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Harth,¡± he said roughly, remembering how horrified she¡¯d been when she¡¯d learned he¡¯d taken many females before. ¡°I wish I¡¯d known. I wish I¡¯d understood. I wish...¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t wish this away,¡± she breathed.


    He blinked. ¡°I don¡¯t. It¡¯s the opposite of that. I wish I¡¯d discovered nothing without you. I wish I hadn¡¯t lived until you were here.¡± It sounded ridiculous, but it was pure truth.


    But Harth shook her head and lifted one hand to cup his cheek, his stubble catching on her soft palm. ¡°But don¡¯t you see, Tarkyn? You wouldn¡¯t be who you are if you hadn¡¯t lived this life. I wish I¡¯d grown up here. I wish I¡¯d lived like you lived as a child. But I didn¡¯t. But if you hadn¡¯t, you wouldn¡¯t be here. If you hadn¡¯t fought the enemy-our enemy-I wouldn¡¯t be here, right?¡±


    Tarkyn¡¯s head jerked back. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Harth gestured down, towards the WildWood below them. ¡°The woman, the human woman... Reeka?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Gar¡¯s mate.¡±


    ¡°She said that the humans made us... made me... because they were defeated by you. Right?¡±


    Tarkyn gaped at her as his spinning head took him back to that conversation. He hadn¡¯t thought it through when Rika said that Harth came from the future, that the humans must have developed the Chimera when they couldn¡¯t get their hands on the Anima...


    Creator¡¯s fang... she was right.


    She must have seen the truth click into ce behind his eyes, because she smiled uncertainly. ¡°It all happened... it all had to happen... otherwise we wouldn¡¯t be here,¡± she said.


    Tarkyn shook his head. ¡°How did you see that so quickly?¡±


    Her eyes dropped from his then and her smile faded. ¡°I was thinking when you left the prison... when I was watching Zev and Sasha... I was angry. I was thinking... thinking that I wished they¡¯d nevere here.¡± When he flinched her head shot up and she tightened her grip on his arm. ¡°Not me! I didn¡¯t mean I wished I hadn¡¯te... I just wished they hadn¡¯t had to go through that. Tarkyn, you have no idea the things he¡¯s been through-we all have. The humans... they¡¯re so cold. To them we were just resources. Cattle. We were something they did. They never really understood our feelings or how their actions affected us. I know in some ways Zev had it worse because he was different from the rest of us and... I just wished they hadn¡¯t been discovered, or hadn¡¯te here, so he hadn¡¯t had to go through that because I know... I know it¡¯s going to affect him. And that will affect Sasha and...¡±


    She took a deep breath, rubbing her hand up and down his arm as if she needed it to soothe herself. ¡°I already couldn¡¯t stomach watching you hurt like that, and we haven¡¯t evenpleted the bond yet. I can¡¯t imagine what she¡¯s going through right now.¡±


    He stared at her, his chest aching. Her heart, her huge, soft heart was right there. He could feel it. He wanted to wrap himself around it and hold it close, keep anything ugly or dark from it, and yet... yet he knew, just looking at her-he knew from sensing her-that she already knew darkness of her own.


    Putting one hand over hers on his arm, he held her gaze. ¡°Tell me, Harth,¡± he said. ¡°Tell me what they did to you? What... what are you carrying?¡±


    Her eyes widened and she shrunk away from him... yet she never stopped gripping his arm.

 Chapter 42

    Chapter 42: The Darkness Before Dawn


    ~ TARKYN ~


    Harth¡¯s throat bobbed and she stared at him as if he¡¯d asked her to slit her own wrists. Tarkyn knew, immediately, that if she chose not to share he couldn¡¯t push. So, he held her hand and prayed she could feel the way he wished to protect her. That his vows were true. He would do anything in his power to hold her safely away from anything that would hurt her¨Ceven her own memories.


    ¡°Harth,¡± he breathed, ¡°if you don¡¯t want¨C¡±


    ¡°My first memory is of a human in a white coat,¡± she blurted suddenly.


    Tarkyn held his breath as she swallowed again and again.


    ¡°They were trying to give me... medicine,¡± she said, with an odd twist to her lips. ¡°But it hurt and they wouldn¡¯t listen. They didn¡¯t believe me. They thought I was just being difficult because of the needle. And I was too young to have the right words...¡±


    She trailed off, her eyes distant. Tarkyn waited. Then she blinked and looked down at their linked hands. When she continued it was in his head, her voice very quiet and her tone strangely timid.


    .....


    ¡®Until I was seven I lived in ab.¡¯


    ¡®What¡¯s ab?¡¯


    ¡®It¡¯s like a... a hospital, except it¡¯s not for people who are sick. It¡¯s for... experiments. Learning. But a lot of the learning... they learn by hurting. Or trying things that can end up hurting, but they don¡¯t know that until after they try, it¡¯s... it¡¯s not a nice ce to be.¡¯


    Tarkyn¡¯s stomach turned just at the idea. He couldn¡¯t imagine what it must be like to live it.


    ¡®They kept us caged sometimes. Other times they gave us homes. But because I was so young and had to be watched all the time, they never let me free. Even when we went outside it was with the humans and only for short periods. For our health. To get sun.


    ¡®But then they took me to Thana. That¡¯s... that¡¯s my true home.¡¯ She sent him an image then, a beautiful, white-capped mountainndscape peppered with tall, snow-dusted trees, ck rocks, and beautiful sunsets in pink and purple. The image was colored with Harth¡¯s heart-the feeling of the wind in her hair, the smell of crisp snow, the joy of sitting at a fire at night with dozens of others. Food that tasted good and a body growing stronger.


    She finally smiled. ¡°Ten years...¡± she whispered. ¡°They left me there for ten years... maybe twelve? I¡¯m not certain. But it was a life.¡±


    She returned to sending to his mind and as she spoke she shared images-smiling faces, warm meals in air so cold her breath looked like smoke. The forest at night. Snow underfoot. ¡°It was a life. A real life-with friends, and... and older Chimera who could teach me. I learned to hunt. I learned to fight. I grew strong. The fears of my childhood never left mepletely, but they faded. I know it was at least ten years because the older females began to talk to me. I was approaching the age to mate, so I had to be seventeen or eighteen at least. Maybe even twenty? I don¡¯t know for sure. All I remember is that I¡¯d almost allowed myself to believe they weren¡¯t ever going to take me back to their world.


    ¡®I looked at every male I met and measured my heart-if it beat faster, I hoped. Maybe this would be the one...¡¯


    Tarkyn felt his jaw tighten, along with his grip on her hand. He didn¡¯t enjoy the idea of her looking at other males, of her pulse growing faster. But could he me her? He¡¯d done the same thing-and far more.


    ¡®But I never found you. And then the humans returned. Back in those days they used to onlye every year or so. We hadn¡¯t seen them in over a year, but the team came and...¡¯


    She stopped talking, her throat jumping again. But she showed him-humans dressed all in ck as she had been when he first saw her, appearing through the trees, weapons in their hands. Two of the adult males already on the ground, twitching before the rest could even blink. Orders booming around the strange, courtyard-like space surrounded by massive stone columns and walls. Chimera fighting, Chimera dying, Chimera trying to flee-some allowed to run, others stopped in their tracks by a strange weapon the humans held that looked like the drawings of the gun Tarkyn had been shown, but without the long tube at its front.


    But whatever those things were, even thergest of the Chimera fell like trees cut at the root when the humans used it.


    And so in the end, her people stood, shivering and full of rage, as the humans weaved among them to pick out the ones they wanted.


    And through it all, Harth stood, her young heart pounding so hard it hurt in her chest, waiting for the moment she¡¯d feared. The moment when one of the female humans locked eyes with her and beckoned her forward with that weapon.


    And Harth, her heart breaking, her mind screaming, walked forward.


    The memory faded into a blur. Then went dark.


    Tarkyn looked down at her, his heart weeping for the fear and pain in her. But Harth¡¯s face had gone strangely nk. She didn¡¯t want to show him more.


    ¡°I spent the rest of my life with them until Sasha-don came for us,¡± she said. ¡°Or should I say, sent the males for us. I¡¯d seen her in the sanctuary. Even though we didn¡¯t speak, I knew. I knew she¡¯d help us. I knew without her, we¡¯d die. Until she came, I think I was dying. She brought my hope back. Hoped that there could be another life, a real life. She saved me, Tarkyn. Without her, I would have died. But my life came back to me that day when she vowed she¡¯d get us out of there, and I knew. I knew she was telling the truth. And look, she did! I¡¯m here. I wouldn¡¯t be here... I wouldn¡¯t have found you without her. And now she¡¯s there in that tree watching her mate be tormented and...¡±


    Tarkyn pulled her into his chest, holding her, one hand buried in the back of her hair, holding her head to him.


    She shook in his arms but he could feel that it was as much with rage as grief. The memories had frightened her, but they¡¯d reminded her of her resolve as well.


    She was strong, and fierce, his mate.


    ¡°I wish I could be as strong as you,¡± she whispered into his chest. ¡°I wish I could make them see-¡±


    ¡°You are,¡± he said immediately. ¡°And we will... I¡¯ll help you, Harth. I¡¯ll help them. I... vow it. They¡¯re gone. Those humans are gone from here. And they aren¡¯ting back. You¡¯re free. This is a life. This is our life now-yours and mine. I promise. We¡¯ll show Elreth, let her hear your story. She¡¯ll know you¡¯re being honest and we¡¯ll fix it. You¡¯ll be free, Harth. I¡¯ll make certain of it.¡±


    She pulled back, out of his embrace to find his eyes, the furs around her beginning to slide down, revealing her corbones. He stroked her hair back from her face letting her see him, hoping she could feel his heart and know he was true.


    But even though she gave a small smile, she sighed. ¡°Tarkyn... I¡¯ll never be free as long as my people don¡¯t have their freedom too. They¡¯re the only family I have. I¡¯m not free if they¡¯re in prison.¡±

 Chapter 43

    Chapter 43: The Bright Ahead


    ~ TARKYN ~


    Tarkyn understood it, her inability to feel free if her people were in chains. He would have said the same thing. Knowing that their hearts beat in the same time only strengthened his resolve to help the Chimera. But how...? That was the question.


    It was a problem he knew he couldn¡¯t solve that night. And looking into the eyes of his beautiful mate, he wanted to ignore the problems and simply steal what joy they could.


    She was here.


    She was safe in his arms.


    That was something to be celebrated.


    ¡°Tell me,¡± he whispered, still stroking her hair. ¡°Tell me what freedom looks like for you. Let¡¯s build it in our minds, and then we¡¯ll fight for it, Harth. Together.¡±


    .....


    Her chin wobbled as her face broke into a smile of joy. She put her hands to his face searching his eyes.


    ¡°Freedom is... choices. Freedom is waking up in your arms without having to think about who mighte and tear me out of them. Freedom is peace because I know I¡¯m safe, and the people I love are safe, and my mate... my mate is safe, and he¡¯s safety. For me,¡± she whispered, her expression peppered with a strange mix of fear and faith. ¡°Freedom is living without fear. Freedom is loving without anyone telling me not to, or... or trying to take you away from me. Freedom is having loved ones close and smiling. Laughing. No need to fight or protect them, because there is no threat. Freedom is...¡± she trailed off and held her breath for a second, like she had to force herself to say it. ¡°Freedom is having offspring in a ce where they are allowed to grow and learn without being taken... if I can.¡±


    Tarkyn¡¯s breath rushed out of him, joy bringing tears to his eyes. ¡°You desire offspring with me?¡±


    Her forehead pinched into lines and she stroked his face. ¡°Tarkyn... I didn¡¯t know who you were, but I have waited for you. You¡¯re the only one I¡¯ve ever wanted offspring with. It would be the greatest joy of my life if... if we could.¡±


    A tinyugh broke in his throat and he kissed her, cupping her face in both his hands, babbling excitedly about the Pride, and the females and how they¡¯d help her, and how the males would tease him, but that they would all wee their young.


    But as his joy grew and he sank deeper and deeper into his own dreams, trying to paint the picture for her, instead of wallowing in it with him, he felt her tense. Her expression got darker.


    ¡°What?¡± he asked suddenly, breaking off. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I hope, Tarkyn,¡± she said quietly, her voice hoarse. ¡°I hope that the Creator will find a way for us, but... when you and I breed... We¡¯re different, Tarkyn! Different species... our young-¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry!¡± he said excitedly. ¡°Anima young take one or the other of their parents. If we¡¯re able to have them, our young will be wolf or lion-¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not how it works for me, Tarkyn,¡± she said, her voice high and quiet. ¡°That¡¯s not how it works for the Chimera at all.¡±


    Then he sat there, dumbfounded as she described a living nightmare. An entire race of people first created by the humans in failed experiments, then birthed at times by Chimera who didn¡¯t know better than to choose mates outside the species. And their young... they were not people. Half human, half beast, they were healthy and vital... but not human. And not animal. They did not shift, but their bodies were formed twisting from human to beast and back again-creatures that belonged nowhere, to no one. All of them male. No two of them ever the same.


    ¡°Chimera can¡¯t breed outside our species... every time we do, it results in a Creature sentenced to be alone for the rest of his life. Tarkyn... I don¡¯t even know if I can have offspring but if I can... what if it¡¯s Chimera? What if he gets left alone for his entire life?¡±


    Tarkyn was stunned.


    They stared at each other, and Tarkyn felt her fear-both of the consequence of their joining for any potential child, but also that he would reject her. Her heart thrummed within her, terrified that this might send him away.


    ¡°Harth, you hear me,¡± he said fiercely, when he realized she was beginning to lean away, fearful of his response. He pulled her closer, stared into her eyes, and let himself feel everything so she¡¯d know he was true. ¡°No matter whates for us, no matter what we face, I will never leave you,¡± he growled. ¡°I know we can¡¯t be certain of much, but you can be certain of that. I am yours to my bones. I will. Not. Leave you.¡±


    Tears sprang into her eyes, tipping over hershes and trailing down her cheeks as he continued to whisper the loyalty of his heart. But even more than that.


    ¡°I begged for you, Harth. I was willing to die to find you-and I do not, and will not regret that. I asked the Creator to bring you and He has. He makes no mistakes. If you are here, we were made for each other.¡± She sobbed and tried to lean into his chest, but he made her keep looking at him. ¡°No matter what we face... I have to trust that it was meant to be. And if we are blessed with offspring... whatever they are, however they look, they will never be alone because they will have us.¡±


    She threw her arms around his neck, crying into his shoulder. Tarkyn swallowed and swallowed, desperate to control his own emotion, but it was difficult.


    ¡°We share the same dream, my love,¡± he whispered, then kissed her hair. ¡°Peace. Freedom. A family. No defenses. No enemy. It will be the joy of my life to find that with you.¡±


    They held each other for a long time. He stroked her hair, while she stroked his chest, both of them working to get their emotions under control.


    But it was Harth who broke the silence. Snuggling her face into his neck, she sighed. ¡°I want all of this with you. I want the world to go away so that we can run after this. This whole thing... it¡¯s such a shitshow. I feel like you¡¯re mine, but not yet mine. Or maybe I¡¯m yours but not yours yet... do you understand?¡±


    Did he! He huffed humorlessly. Everything in him yearned for her-had yearned for her since the moment he¡¯d recognized the bond.


    ¡°I do... of course I do,¡± he murmured. ¡°and you are mine. But also, you will be. And I¡¯ll be yours. Wholly.¡±


    Her little hand tightened on his shoulder. ¡°Tarkyn, I want toplete the bond.¡±


    He groaned. ¡°So do I.¡±


    She looked worriedly into his eyes. ¡°Are you feeling strong?¡±


    He wanted to roar. ¡°Harth, I would give myst breath to have you, but... we have to... discuss some things. I need to understand some things for my people and my Queen, and you¡¯ll need to as well. We have to bridge the divide so that our bond, when it¡¯splete, is an asset. It means we¡¯ll have to listen carefully to each other. Will you promise to listen? I will.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll listen. I want this with you, Tarkyn. I want all of this.¡±


    Joy and desire bubbling in his chest, Tarkyn took a deep breath, pulled her back so they could watch each other, measure each other, be reassured of their truths... then he began to speak. And as he spoke, he prayed both that she would see his heart. And that he could hear hers. And that the Creator would use them to bring two broken, hurting peoples together.

 Chapter 44

    Chapter 44: In This Together


    ~ HARTH ~


    Tarkyn started with the matebond, exining that the Anima could give the act of mating without forming a bond-to enjoy each other physically. Or if two Anima chose each other without a bond, it could form over time.


    But then there was what he described as the True Mate¡¯s bond... a gift from the Creator, two souls intended for each other.


    ¡°...sometimes it takes us time to recognize it-my Queen understands this. She had a True Mate¡¯s bond with her King, but didn¡¯t realize it for many years. He... suffered for it.¡±


    Harth¡¯s breath caught. The Chimeran bond was different, but this she understood. She¡¯d had to watch as Chimeran females were mated to Zev in their animal forms, and their bodies took the bond, while Zev had no bond to them.


    ¡°That¡¯s... horrible,¡± she breathed, gripping Tarkyn¡¯s arm. ¡°But they¡¯re both here-he survived. So she didn¡¯t take a different male, thank the Creator,¡± she said earnestly.


    Tarkyn¡¯s lips pulled up on one side. ¡°Until Elreth recognized her True Mate bond with Aaryn, she didn¡¯t notice a male, let alone take him,¡± he chuckled lightly, but then his handsome face went serious. ¡°But Harth... understand... the bond you described is different, yes? I wonder... I wonder if our bond is the Anima type? If we need onlye together toplete it and then my people will understand and recognize us. Can you tell me... how does it feel to you? Because for me this...¡± he went breathless, drawing fingers up her arm and watching the progress of his own touch on her skin, blowing out a breath when her skin pebbled and the hair on her arms stood up. He cleared his throat and brought his eyes up to meet hers. ¡°To me this feels like breathing. As if you¡¯re simply a part of me. I yearn for you, but there is no fear in it for me, Harth. I don¡¯t want you so that I can avoid my own death. I want you because... you fit.¡±


    .....


    She smiled, her heart pattering. ¡°I don¡¯t want you because I fear death either, Tarkyn,¡± she said carefully. ¡°But the bond you describe...¡± She shook her head. ¡°Everything that I¡¯ve heard about a Chimeran bond fits in this for me-I¡¯m drawn to you. My soul is at rest when you¡¯re near. I ache for you and feel safe in it. I¡¯ve never felt safe in the presence of a male before, Tarkyn. Not truly.¡±


    He blinked, frowning and opened his mouth to speak, but she shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t fear dying if I don¡¯tplete the bond... the risk actuallyes for me after that.¡±


    He tensed. ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°Because if we mate, and I take the Chimeran bond, if something were to happen to you, I¡¯d die,¡± she said simply. It wasn¡¯t a shocking concept to her-just a simple fact of life for Chimera. But Tarkyn tensed and his breath became heavy.


    ¡°Harth... are you certain? If I were killed... you would just die? Just like that?¡±


    Harth shook her head sadly. ¡°For most Chimera it takes time. When a bond is lost it drains us of life, slowly. I¡¯ve seen it take years. But it is a slow, painful death, Tarkyn. It¡¯s why we¡¯re so... selective about our mates. But when it happens that the Creator reveals a mate for us-not one we chose, but one we can¡¯t deny-that is...¡± she trailed off, then shrugged, lost for words. ¡°It is simply undeniable. And for those pairs, some are Ardent... their souls literally entwine. When the heart of one stops beating, the other stops also. Immediately.¡±


    His eyes went wide, and he licked his lips. ¡°And the way you feel the bond, are you... are we... ardent?¡±


    Harth¡¯s heart squeezed at the hope and fear warring in his eyes. She cupped his handsome face. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I think... I think we could choose that. But I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s rare. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s something we are thrown into or something we select for ourselves. I could ask Sash-¡± she snapped her mouth shut, cursing herself for revealing such a weakness. And of course, her clever mate didn¡¯t miss the slip.


    ¡°Sasha? The female Alpha? And Zev? The warrior? They have this bond?¡±


    Harth blew out a breath. ¡°Please, Tarkyn... I can¡¯t betray my people-¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t, love. If this is true it... it shows their hearts. Theymitted to this?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think they had any choice,¡± Harth said carefully. ¡°Zev had been so misused by the humans... yet she was always the one for him. They bonded Ardent from the first. Few Chimera do that-but it¡¯s because they hope for offspring. An Ardent bond would remove both parents from the young if anything were to happen to either of them. We struggle for offspring enough as it is. We can¡¯t afford-¡±


    ¡°So do we,¡± Tarkyn said seriously. ¡°Many Anima never have offspring at all, and most will have one, or sometimes two. There are simrities between us, Harth. That can¡¯t be a coincidence.¡±


    She nodded and let her hand y down his neck, her mouth going dry at the firm warmth of him, the steel strength of his shoulders. Even exhausted, he seemed to move effortlessly. He was strong-a Warrior, just like he¡¯d described Zev. And she saw the way he moved. While Zev stalked like a hunting wolf, Tarkyn prowled.


    Both gave her the feeling of the predator, resting in the shade, perhaps, but uncoiled death ran in their veins, both of them.


    ¡°Tarkyn,¡± she breathed, ¡°You are mine. I can feel it. It¡¯s as if my heart wants to push out through my ribs and reach for you.¡±


    His eyes lit up. ¡°That¡¯s how I feel it too! Harth, maybe our bond is the Anima bond?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know! All I know is that I ache to be close to you, and that my soul calls for you, Tarkyn. Once weplete the bond, our souls will be bound together-at least... mine will be.¡±


    ¡°And mine,¡± he replied firmly. ¡°Harth, I spoke true. I will never leave you. I don¡¯t yearn for you only to... take you. I want the bond.¡±


    ¡°But do you want this one?¡± she said, finally giving voice to her fear. ¡°Do you want a bond that might kill me, or sentence our offspring to istion? Because... selfish as it is... I do, Tarkyn. I want to give everything to you. But I¡¯m afraid of what will happen if I do!¡±


    *****


    WANT MORE? It¡¯sing: Tomorrow there will be side-stories released on King of Beasts, Queen of Beasts, and Dark Alpha (where you can see Zev & Sasha¡¯s perspectives on the early chapters of this story), and the day after that, there will be FIVE CHAPTER mass release here on Warrior Beast to celebrate Tarkyn going premium! THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT! I couldn¡¯t do any of this without you. Enjoy!

 Chapter 45

    Chapter 45: To the Death


    If you like music while you read, try ¡°Hello Lovely¡± by The Likes of Us. It¡¯s what I was listening to while writing this, and it¡¯s a perfect reflection of Tarkyn¡¯s heart for Harth!


    *****


    ~ TARKYN ~


    Her fear yanked at his heart, pulled him closer. Tarkyn made a low, pained call in his throat and hugged her tight against his chest. ¡°Are you certain, Harth?¡± he whispered, his hand curled around to cup the back of her head. ¡°Are you truly certain? I don¡¯t want to choose a death sentence for you-¡±


    ¡°But now that you¡¯re here, I wouldn¡¯t want to live without you anyway,¡± she said, halfughing, half-fighting tears.


    Tarkyn pulled back, everything within him trembling as he searched her eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t deserve this from you,¡± he said solemnly. ¡°I haven¡¯t earned it. I haven¡¯t yet proven myself to you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you have,¡± she said, putting a hand to his chest. ¡°I can feel you. I can feel the good in you-the strength. I can feel your love-Tarkyn, can you imagine how that will feel when weplete the bond?¡± She was breathless with it-clearly terrified of the consequences, desperate to do it anyway. His heart began to race as he stared at her-the impossible rightness of her. And then he felt her, reaching for his mind, and he opened to her immediately, desperate for her to see the truth in him-to feel the wave of love and certainty that washed through him every time he looked at her.


    .....


    She spoke in his head and the intimacy of it stole his breath. ¡®I¡¯m here, Tarkyn. For you. I felt you and had to find you. You¡¯re mine. I can¡¯t deny it and I don¡¯t want to.¡¯


    Tarkyn groaned, yearning to show her the shape of his heart. But before he could find the words, augh of pure joy broke from her throat.


    ¡°I can feel you,¡± she whispered, her eyes closed and a brilliant smile on her face. Tarkyn drank in that smile, contrasted in his mind with the images he held of his own destion, the way he¡¯d break without her.


    And the simple bliss that echoed through him when she was close.


    ¡°That¡¯s it, Tarkyn,¡± she whispered. ¡°That¡¯s exactly it. Whether it¡¯s your bond or mine... it¡¯s here. Between us. That can¡¯t be a mistake... can it?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he answered immediately, determined. Certain. His conviction was immovable. ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right. I feel the same way. We both want the same thing, Harth-to be together and safe, our people safe, our offspring... for all of us to be at peace. That can¡¯t be an ident. The Creator brought us together. We have to trust that.¡±


    She nodded, but he dropped his chin, frowning. Because which of the bonds they experienced, the effects it would have, they likely couldn¡¯t know until they¡¯d already given themselves. And the idea of waiting any longer for that... it made Tarkyn growl.


    ¡°What is it?¡± she asked hesitantly.


    Realizing he¡¯d growled in truth and she was worried, he snapped his eyes up to meet hers. ¡°We can¡¯t figure this out, Harth. But I don¡¯t think we need to. I think... I think we have to grasp what we¡¯ve been given. And I want to.¡±


    Her smile returned and it filled his heart like a cup. He stroked the hair back from her face. ¡°I want to honor you, but... I can¡¯t see how... with things as they are,¡± he breathed, searching his mind-the mes and smoke? The tradition of the powerful or soul-bonded Anima is beautiful, but it takes time to organize, and would Elreth even allow it? Not to mention that the fighting involved... he looked at Harth¡¯s joy and remembered the tension she¡¯d had, her wariness of the other males. He couldn¡¯t put her through that.


    He cleared his throat. ¡°We have traditions, ways to mark the bond and... demonstrate it to others. But our ritual, the mes and smoke...¡± he looked up at her, warily. ¡°I think that wouldn¡¯t be good for you right now. And Elreth... I don¡¯t think that¡¯s an option as things stand.¡±


    Harth watched him nervously. ¡°Tarkyn, what-¡±


    With a nce over his shoulder, down the trail to where the Guards were positioned, unseen Tarkyn pushed to his feet, pulling her to stand with him, then ushering her back into the cave-not deep within it, but to the space in shadows, just outside that swathe of moonlight on the ground. The guards could likely still hear them if they chose to, but he wasn¡¯t ashamed of what he would say-he only wanted it to be intimate to her.


    ¡°Trust me?¡± he murmured.


    Harth nodded without hesitation so, holding his breath, he kept his eyes on hers as he unbuttoned his own shirt that hung to his thighs, then flipped it back, off his shoulders, and let it fall to the stone floor.


    Then, slowly, so she had time to resist if she chose, he took hold of the fur wrapped around her shoulders and slid his hands under them, pushing them back and away, letting his fingers slide only to the back of her soft shoulders. Harth blinked, but a secondter, let the fur drag from her hands so it slid to the ground, fluttering along her curves as it fell.


    Harth¡¯s eyes widened, but she didn¡¯t speak. Tarkyn blew out a breath, then knelt to gather the waterskin from near the furs, his de that he praised the Creator Elreth hadn¡¯tmanded the guards to take from him, and chose a long, thin taper from the stack of wood alongside the wall of the cave,ying the tip of it over the red-hot coals so that it red into me, but leaving the rest in the dirt. Then, holding her gaze again, he positioned her next to the low mes and stood in front of her. Harth¡¯s eyes were wide, but her lips smiled. He leaned down to kiss her quickly, a sip at her lips, but his blood turned to mes to overwhelm the cave fire when he did it.


    ¡°Harth,¡± he said breathlessly, ¡°I made my vows to you when I recognized the bond, and they were true. They remain true... but I would make them again. Now. Knowing what we know. Feeling what we feel. I don¡¯t know what journey the Creator intends for us, but I know I want to take it with you at my side.¡±


    ¡°Me too,¡± she said, biting her lip and swallowing tears of happiness.


    Tarkyn smiled and stroked her face. ¡°Then hear me, my love.¡± He took her hand and ced it on his chest, t, right over his heart. ¡°Feel me, Harth. Know that I am true. Because I will vow myself to you for eternity-to the bond, to offspring, to the death. I have waited for you. I don¡¯t want to wait any longer.¡±


    He heard her breath stop as he knelt, humbling himself, but still holding her hand to his chest. He couldn¡¯t let her have even a moment of uncertainty of him.


    ¡°When I took the vow to give my life in protection of the Queen, I was true to it. And that will remain. I cannot... I cannot take steps to harm her, or our people. I will defend them and I will not regret it. But you... Harth. You own more than my body. Youmand more than my time, and strength.¡±


    He looked up at her, his eyes burning with love and an earnest plea to her to believe him. ¡°I would give you the vow of my very self, Harth. And I pray you know I¡¯m true. I would give you the vow of a soldier to his Queen, and I would give you more...¡±


    And so, he cleared his throat to remove the pinch of emotion, and gave her the echo of his vows as a soldier-and more. Because shemanded more. And as he did so, he prayed fervently that the Creator would never ask him to betray one vow in order to honor the other-because she would win.


    It would be the tearing of his integrity as a male, but he would do it.


    She was more than duty. She was the other half of his heart.


    He swallowed back the fear, and focused on his hope as he picked up the waterskin first. ¡°Hear my heart, Harth. Because I give it to you.¡±


    *****


    CELEBRATE WITH ME! I¡¯m releasing side stories on my other BEAST books tonight¨Cinclude ¡°Rise of the Dark Alpha¡± which is Zev and Sasha¡¯s story. Even if you haven¡¯t read their book, just check out the side-story in Rise of the Dark Alpha (right at the end of the story) It will show you the events from the earliest chapters of THIS STORY from their perspectives!


    If you¡¯re a fan of the BEAST series, you also get side-stories on Falling in Love with the King of Beasts, and Taming the Queen of Beasts! These are PRECIOUS chapters to me. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!


    And finally, don¡¯t miss the mass release HERE tomorrow to celebrate Tarkyn going premium, and the NEW EVENT WHERE YOU CAN EARN A TARKYN PROFILE FRAME!!!

 Chapter 46

    Chapter 46: [Bonus chapter] To Eternity


    ~ HARTH ~


    He knelt before her, still holding her hand to his chest and Harth swallowed the surge of emotion when his eyes caught her and light danced within him. ¡°Don¡¯t let go,¡± he whispered, releasing her wrist.


    Harth nodded and left her hand pressed against his chest, feeling the thud of his heart under her palm.


    When he spoke, his voice was rough with emotion, but strong.


    ¡°Harth, you are my True Heart¡¯s Call, the one the Creator chose for me,¡± he said simply, pulling the cork on the waterskin in his hand, then turning it to ssh over his own palm-first one, then the other. ¡°We belong together, bonded by the One True God, who bonds us in water to cleanse. And by that bond, I vow to you that I will never see your sin. When your heart is dark, when life soils you, you need onlye to me, and in my eyes you will always be clean.¡±


    Something in her heart burst to life then and Harth stared, breathless for a moment, as she felt something take hold and begin to thrum in her chest.


    Tarkyn ced the waterskin aside, then picked up his de. Harth¡¯s eyes widened.


    .....


    ¡°We belong together, bonded by blood,¡± he said. Harth gasped, but he didn¡¯t even flinch as he folded his hand around it and slid the de against his own palm, blood flowing immediately.


    ¡°Tarkyn!¡±


    He shushed her, a small smile on his face. ¡°We belong together, bonded by the One True God, who takes my heart and yours, and mingles them. And by that bond I vow to you that I will shed my blood for you to show my heart true. When danger shadows you, I will put myself, body and soul, in its path to protect you.¡±


    That curling hum in her heart throbbed, like a babe stretching in the womb, feeling its limits and resisting them. Harth¡¯s vision blurred with tears-how could he say that and smile?! But she blinked them away, unwilling to miss a second of him giving his heart.


    Then to her relief, he put aside the de-instead reaching for that long taper of wood, examining it, frowning and blowing on the end of it so that it glowed red and orange, before he lifted it to his palm, opening it to reveal the gash he¡¯d left there.


    Harth almost took her hand from his chest, the instinct to leap to help him was so strong, but before she could, he began to draw that zing taper along the slice, cauterizing it.


    His voice barely shook as he gave her the vow. ¡°We belong together, bound by the One True God,¡± he said, ¡°Who gives us to each other, tested by fire, but tested to heal. I will walk through any fire He presents for you, Harth,¡± he said, and for the first time his voice trembled, but with emotion, not the pain. ¡°And by that bond I vow to you that I will endure any wound to hold you, and hold safe any wound you earn on my behalf. Where you are hurt, I will soothe. Where you break, I will be your strength. I will hold the fire to heal, or give myself to it to save you, until myst breath.¡±


    Harth gave a small cry as the coiled hum in her heart burst to life, cold, tingling mes exploding from her heart, racing through her bloodstream in rhythm with her pulse. The sensation was so overwhelming, so tangible, she rocked forward, grabbing his shoulder to keep herself on her feet.


    Tarkyn, worried, grabbed for her, holding her, examining her face. ¡°Harth, are you well?¡± he breathed.


    ¡°Yes!¡± she cried on a happy sob. ¡°Yes, Tarkyn... show me. I... I can feel you. Feel your vow. Show me how... I want to give it back to you. Please!¡±


    ¡°No, love, it¡¯s the vow of a soldier-¡±


    But she curled her lip back from her teeth and with her free hand, cupped the back of his neck, demanding that he see her. ¡°Tarkyn, do you think I haven¡¯t fought to be here? Do you think I¡¯m no warrior? My battle might be different to yours but... please... show me.¡±


    He sucked in a breath, then nodded, his forehead pinched into lines. ¡°Okay, okay, you¡¯re right. Of course, you¡¯re right.¡±


    And so, Harth watched, her blood ame, her heart tearing as he guided her to wash her hands in the water and give the vow.


    ¡°...I vow to you that I will never see your sin. When your heart is dark, when life soils you, you need onlye to me, and in my eyes you will always be clean.¡±


    His eyes clouded, and he picked up the de, but hesitated before he ced it against her palm. Harth took it from him and mimicked what he¡¯d done, folding her hand around it then drawing it out. She gasped at the pain, but didn¡¯t flinch from the vow. ¡°...I vow to you that I will shed my blood for you to show my heart true. When danger shadows you, I will put myself, body and soul, in its path to protect you.¡±


    Tarkyn made a noise as if the de had been thrust into his chest. When he looked up at her, it was with awe, his jaw ck.


    ¡®It¡¯s true, Tarkyn¡¯ she murmured in his mind. ¡®Please, let me show you.¡¯


    When he didn¡¯t move immediately, she bit her lip and leaned down to grab the end of the taper that hadnded outside the mes, then lifted it up and drew along the cut in her hand, her breathing short and fast, as that fizzing in her veins seemed to grow and throb, until it pulsed even under her fingertips, trying to force itself from her skin.


    He had to tell her the words, his voice little more than a rasp. But she repeated them through tears of joy. ¡°...I vow to you that I will endure any wound to hold you, and hold safe any wound you earn on my behalf. Where you are hurt, I will soothe. Where you break, I will be your strength. I will hold the fire to heal, or give myself to it to save you, until myst breath.¡±


    They both sagged when she threw the taper aside, into the mes, but as he stared up at her, his expression washed in wonder and disbelief, she took his hand and held it up, cing her own against it-so much smaller that her fingers didn¡¯t even reach the top knuckle of his-then twined their fingers so that their palms aligned and their woundsy against each other.


    She sucked in a breath as everything under her skin that had been seeking to get out, rushed from that ce where they joined and she was rocked to the soles of her feet by the sudden knowing of him. As if he¡¯d already entered her. As if his heart pulsed in his veins and their bloodstreams mingled.


    ¡°Harth,¡± he croaked, his hand trembling. ¡°Do you feel that?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Love... my love.¡±


    ¡°I love you, Tarkyn.¡±


    ¡°You own me to my soul,¡± he said on a breathless rush, then stood and, without letting go of her hand, pulled her into a searing kiss.


    *****


    MASS RELEASE TODAY!


    Warrior Beast is going premium! To celebrate, this is the first of FIVE CHAPTERS posting today! (The other four will post in about an hour) Keep an eye out for updates and read them ASAP because pretty soon theter chapters will begin to lock.


    Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You¡¯ve given this book such a great first month, I will be grateful forever... oh... and have you checked out that awesome event Webnovel are doing for Warrior Beast, and the whole BEAST series? There¡¯s some REALLY cool extras avable on there¨Cgo take a look now! (You can find it in the Events tab of your profile inbox, or through the Halloween Event button in the library¨Cjust hit the ¡°Warrior Beast¡± block at the bottom of the event!)

 Chapter 47

    47 Mine, Only Mine*


    If you like music while you read, try ¡°Chasing Cars¡± by Snow Patrol. It¡¯s what I listened to while writing this chapter.


    *****


    ~ TARKYN ~


    When Harth twined their hands and their twin wounds aligned, Tarkyn¡¯s body was rocked by the roar of the bond-mes in his blood, coldets dancing on his skin, disbelief and awe mingled and echoing in his head until it felt like the top of his skull might burst.


    ¡°Harth, can you feel that?¡± His voice was little more than a gutteral rasp.


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    A sound gathered in his chest like aing storm, and for the first time, Tarkyn fought, wrestling against the tidal wave of emotion and desire, suddenly terrified of losing control. But his tongue named her anyway.


    ¡°Love... my love.¡±


    .....


    ¡°I love you, Tarkyn,¡± she whimpered.


    ¡°You own me to my soul.¡± Then there were no words left. He scrambled to his feet and pulled her in, plunging his free hand into her hair to hold her to him.


    When his lips found hers, the pulsing coil in his blood burst to life, a forest fire ripping through the WildWood, burning everything in its path.


    She sucked in hard, but threw her arm around his neck and pulled him close. And as he bent to the kiss, she arched, pressing herself against him.


    Tarkyn trembled from head to toe, his breath thundered to flutter her hair. But she only sighed his name and pressed harder, letting go of his hand to grip at his neck and hold herself against him.


    Pure desire shuddered through him, and he groaned, pulling her to him, desperate, hungry in a way he¡¯d never experienced.


    wing, he drew both hands down her back, gripped her ass, slid one back up her spine to sy at the nape of her neck, the other exploring every ripple and curve. And Harth, whimpering when his thumb passed over her nipple, hooking one leg around his and letting him take her weight as she gave herself over to him.


    Only a lifetime of discipline and restraint salvaged his control. His beast roared within, and his body responded, demanding-demanding her, demanding release, demanding thepletion of the bond that hovered on the edge of his heart.


    As she arched back in his hands, supple and surrendered, the mating call tore from his throat.


    Thoughtless with lust, overwhelmed with humility, the two forces battled within him like the Kings of the Forest, their roars echoing to every edge of his soul. He walked her back, step by stuttering step, towards the bed, both of them stumbling when her heel caught on them and they tumbled together to the soft embrace of the furs.


    Shended with a breathlessugh because he caught her, didn¡¯t let her fall, not really, but lowered her to the furs, then crawled between her thighs, covered her with his body and finally, with a moaning sigh of relief, nestled over her.


    She came alive under him, body rippling to meet his touch, lips wide and soft, her tongue a teasing velvet delight.


    Then she drew a hand up, from the back of his thigh, up his spine, to fist in his hair and tug his head back. He hissed as she bared his throat then curled, pulled herself up toy her mouth, open, on his throat.


    ¡°Mine,¡± she whispered fiercely, letting her teeth graze the point of his throat. ¡°Only mine.¡±


    He had never let a female near his throat before. For a heartbeat, every instinct he¡¯d been provided by the Creator, every instinct he¡¯d honed in decades of training and battle, screamed against the vulnerability. A predator, at his throat! His body tensed, resisted.


    Then she closed her lips on his skin and sucked and that sparkling fire in his veins surged to consume them both. He felt it then, the piece of him, buried deep in his heart, his soul, that began to spin, to turn, to tear from its roots, to stretch toward her-reaching, seeking.


    And the piece of her that answered the call.


    Trembling, shuddering with desire, demand, fear, and faith, Tarkyn ground his hips against her, the hardest parts of him finding the softest parts of her-weing, seeking. And when rolled his hips again, pressing himself against her most sensitive flesh, she gasped and lost her grip on his hair, arching her back to meet him, a whimper breaking in her throat when he pulled back.


    For long moments they stared at each other, breaths mingled, bodies rolling slowly, finding each other, learning each other, inching ever closer to the moment he would take her in truth.


    And as her breath came faster, shorter, held at the peak of each roll, as her eyes began to ze, and she became slick, ready for him, Tarkyn knew he couldn¡¯t wait much longer.


    With a groan of restraint, he buried his hands in her hair and braced on his elbows to draw back and meet her eyes.


    For a moment they both stared, her eyes flickering back and forth between her wolf and her gentle, human gaze. He knew his did the same-the call of the predator within as impossible to deny as the bond itself.


    ¡°Mine,¡± he rasped, then ground against her again.


    Her mouth dropped open and he took advantage of it to delve those velvet depths, his tongue darting, teasing, a parody of what he yearned to do with his body.


    ¡°Mine,¡± he growled against her skin as he kissed his way down her jaw to her throat. He felt her skin pebble, felt the hair rise with the thrill and fear of it all, and if he¡¯d had half a breath to spare, he might haveughed with sheer joy.


    ¡°Only mine,¡± he grated. Then, knowing he would very quickly reach the limit of his restraint, and that no matter how much she desired him, this was the first time she would ever take a male, he made himself pause, to lift his head again and hold her eyes, searching for any sign she recoiled.


    But there was none.


    Braced on his elbows, holding her under him, his chest rose and fell far too quickly. He couldn¡¯t catch his breath. Didn¡¯t want to. But even as lust roared through him, even as his body trembled, fighting to take her, his heart sang.


    She was here. She was truly here. Finally. The other half of his heart. He had waited so long. And then, even as he lifted a silent prayer of thanks to the Creator, her smile beamed and she put her hands to his face, and opened her mind.


    ¡®Please, Tarkyn. I want to be yours... I want you to be mine. Please.¡¯


    He might have wept with the beauty of it, but there was no time. Harth took control, curling herself up, pulling herself higher, to take his mouth, and as their lips met the wildfire within him roared out of control.


    The bond, red-hot and pulsing, seared through flesh and sinew exactly like the fire of his vow. The piece from deep within him tore free, a shocking loss. But before he could register the pain of it, it was reced with the spinning, searing piece of her, thrumming, pulsing with love.


    The shredded leash he¡¯d held on his control snapped.


    The mating call rolled from his throat to echo in the cave.


    Tarkyn swallowed a roar and plunged into her.

 Chapter 48

    48 Worth Waiting For*


    ~ HARTH ~


    Harth always wondered what it would be like to finally take her mate.


    She kissed a male before, had felt desire clouded with uncertainty. She¡¯d considered males when she was young, and as an adult faced the inevitability of a forced mating at the hands of the humans. But she¡¯d been saved.


    Never the female selected for the mating tests.


    Yet, as the years had passed, her body abused by the humans for other experiments, she¡¯d slowly begun to despair.


    When Sasha had arrived in the human ¡®sanctuary¡¯ promising relief, promising freedom, she¡¯d hardly dared hope.


    And then that incredible day when the males had arrived to take them out, showed them to the Gateway and she¡¯d arrived here.


    And from the moment she¡¯d stepped foot on Anima soil, her heart almost pulled from her chest, bearing her forward, driving her out, away.


    To him, she now realized.


    .....


    As if by living in separate worlds and building separate lives, the yearning of the bond, the hope of it, had been condensed.


    The moment he¡¯d made the vow and her blood hade alive with the tingling, burning promise of it all, she¡¯d given over.


    Hell, the truth was, the moment he¡¯d opened his mouth in that barren hollow and called her mate, she¡¯d surrendered.


    There were no questions in her mind-no fears left. As he tumbled her to the furs and their bodies called to each other, she could only arch, and sigh, kiss and burn.


    He was Mate. The other half.


    He was her wholeness, and her body knew it.


    She ached within, hollow and needy, her body yearning-not for the act, not for the joining, but for him. To be madeplete, only with him.


    Mine, she¡¯d called him. Only mine, and she¡¯d tasted his throat, challenging him to trust her as she trusted him. Putting her life in his hands. Putting her heart-her soul-within his grasp.


    And he had... bless his handsome soul, he had.


    Harth had thought often about how it might be between her and her mate when the day finally came. She¡¯d wished for passion, hoped for desire, prayed to find her match.


    But she¡¯d never in her life imagined this.


    She was consumed. Her blood burned in her veins. Her body shook, rolling, rippling of its own ord. Her mind-near silent-boggled.


    When he rasped, ¡°Mine,¡± and arched against her, his body seeking, pressing, sending jolts of heat and want jangling through her, her world became very, very small.


    When he growled it again, ¡°Mine,¡± and his lips explored her jaw, her neck, her throat, the universe sucked in-everything disappearing except him. Every inch of her skin pebbled with tingling want, every hair rising to seek him.


    ¡°Only mine,¡± he ground out as if the words fought for release. She thought he would take her then, and she arched her back, curling her legs around his waist. But he hesitated, braced himself to lift his head again and search her gaze.


    Harth always wondered what it would be like to finally take her mate. But she¡¯d always imagined that moment to be one of the physical-a joining.


    She had never imagined that even before his body invaded, the moment he met her eyes, chest expanding like a bellows, eyes flickering with the gold of a lion, that it would slice like a sword, straight to her heart.


    Ovee with the beauty of him, she lifted her hands to hold his precious face and begged.


    ¡®Please, Tarkyn. I want to be yours... I want you to be mine. Please.¡±


    And when he stared, stunned, as if she¡¯d given him a gift, she did the only thing she knew-she pulled herself close and took his mouth, surrendering to the wave of sensation that rippled through her from that simple contact.


    Her heart twirled, spinning, faster and faster, sucking every ounce of love, every ember of desire, every quivering drop of trust and weaving it together in an ever-growing sphere that held her in its grip.


    Tarkyn came alive, shuddering, eyes ring, hands curled to cup her neck, his thumbs on her cheeks. He roared his soul to her as he arched and found her, plunging into her in a shocking, dazzling moment of pleasure mingled with pain that she felt to the soles of her feet.


    ¡°Harth!¡± he cried, desperate, pleading.


    She whimpered, eyes closed, mind empty of everything but heat and hurt-that aching hollow within soothed for only a moment before he pulled almost all the way out and she cried out, her hands pping to his back as she clung, fear that he would leave her overwhelming in its power.


    ¡°Don¡¯t stop!¡± she gasped.


    ¡°Never,¡± he hissed between gritted teeth, then plunged back in.


    Harth¡¯s head sank back, her throat bare for his taking, as everything-even the pain-faded in the wake of the sheer joy of their joining.


    She had no desire beyond the need for him. No pleasure except that he touched. No thought, but that he was here. He was finally here. Her mate. Her soul. Her Pair.


    ¡°Harth... dear Lord, you¡¯re beautiful.¡± His voice was hoarse, desperate. His presence was an assault, and onught, and yet she felt no fear-only a plea.


    More.


    Only more.


    He filled her again and again, his body seeking, hers calling him closer, nearer, deeper. Her skin humming with the pleasure of him. Her body alive in a way she¡¯d never experienced before-and one with his.


    She was his. She was truly his, and he hers.


    Harth sobbed her joy as he wrapped an arm around her head, took her mouth and covered her, his free hand finding every curve, every ripple of her skin and pulling her closer, until his longer fingers closed at the back of her knee and pulled her leg over his hip.


    With a desperate groan, he thrust again and the way he¡¯d positioned her changed the angle.


    The most delicious pressure began to build within her.


    Trembling, groaning his own need, Tarkyn lifted his shoulders, but arched his back, his bicep curled next to her ear, a marble pir of his strength. She gripped it, using it to lift her hips to meet him as he pulled himself even deeper within her.


    A wave of pleasure began to shimmer at the edge of her awareness, as if his call was made flesh, drawing her, easing her ever closer.


    With every roll of his hips she climbed closer to the crest of it, her body beginning to shake, her voice trembling as everything within her rushed to meet him.


    Then he called her name in a guttural groan, and the sound of his voice-shredded, the sight of his handsome face broken with pleasure, tipped her over the crest of that wave and she was plunged, screaming, spinning, down into a vast well of pleasure, the likes of which she¡¯d never known.


    Breathless, it tumbled her, head over heels, devouring everything until her body became nothing but a receptor of him-a raw, humming nerve of bliss.


    He moved within her again, and lights exploded in her vision as he called for her.


    Then shended, back on earth, trembling and stunned, sucking at the air, blinking, and holding him to her, as he gave a guttural moan and copsed, his nose buried in her neck, his arm curled over her head.


    And then, though neither of them spoke, both panting, his breath rushing against her skin, though Tarkyn trembled, he settled himself over her, his weight a precious cover, and curled a gentle hand over her head as his lips brushed that sensitive skin under her ear.


    ¡°Mine,¡± he whispered so softly. There was no demand in it. No ache. Just the simple deration.


    Harth turned her head to meet his glowing eyes, tears of love blurring her vision. She reached up to curl her fingers at the back of his shoulder, fighting the urge to pull him closer, though it was impossible.


    ¡°Mine,¡± she whispered back. ¡°Only mine.¡±

 Chapter 49

    49 The Wonder of You ¨C Part ~ TARKYN ~


    Eventually, he and Harth had rolled to their sides, limbs still tangled in each other, hearts and minds still marveling at the miracle. Neither of them had been willing to part, so they¡¯d ended up facing each other, but pinned together, bodies entwined.


    Quiet smiles and gentle kisses branded his heart-his heart that thrummed as if it fed power to his veins. Every nerve ending on his body seemed heightened, the slightest brush of her hand or warmth of her skin almost overwhelming. In all his years as a soldier, a servant, and a male, Tarkyn had never felt more alive. Never felt more joy.


    The thought that their time was short, that the sun would rise in a few short hours, made him jittery and frantic at the idea of letting her go. But he pushed the niggling dread away when Harth smiled again and stroked his chest.


    They curled together, both sighing happily, and before long, they¡¯d both dozed off.


    Tarkyn woke first, rm and despair screaming at him-then relief when he saw that it was still dark, though it wouldn¡¯t be for long.


    He could feel the weight of night lifting-and with it, their solitude. Looking over his shoulder towards the cave mouth, he frowned. They had an hour, two at most, before the sun¡¯s rays would light up the WildWood. Sarayu would return, and the guards as well.


    The guards...


    His hackles rose at the thought of males approaching his mate-his beast snarling within him. But Tarkyn had a lifetime of dominating his beast. To stop iting forth wasn¡¯t the pain that furrowed his brow-but instead, the fire in his blood.


    .....


    He wanted to pull her into himself, to hide her from the world. He wanted no eyes on her, no touch other than his own. He wished no one else existed-that their solitude would be unbroken for... well, for forever.


    Letting go of a shaky breath, Tarkyn gave a little shake of his head.


    He understood now, he thought, why his friends had been so skeptical. So... insistent that they watch for the influence of a new mate.


    Tarkyn was a male of honor. A male of strength. And suddenly, there in the dim gray light, his nose full of the scent of his mate, his arms full of her soft warmth, nothing else mattered.


    Nothing.


    Tarkyn blinked as a memory returned to him. A frank conversation with the former King, Elreth¡¯s father...


    Years earlier, before Elreth took dominance, the King, Reth, who¡¯d enjoyed the strongest and most popr rule in Anima history until his mate arrived, had taken Tarkyn and his fellow guards aside.


    They were young and earnest, heavy with the weight of responsibility of watching over their human Queen. She was so weak and frailpared to the Anima, the King had almost roared with the force of his fear for her-and demand for their strength to keep her safe.


    He¡¯d prowled along the line of them, all stood to attention to receive his instruction. He was a massive lion, fierce and proud, even in his human form.


    ¡°You all im allegiance to me, to my rule,¡± he¡¯d growled, ring at them as he stalked along their line. ¡°Well, know this: She is the most precious thing in Creation to me. She carries my soul. And where you step for her, you step for me. Where you fail her, you fail me.¡±


    He¡¯d turned then, to face them, his near-ck hair falling over his eyes that shed to his lion. ¡°Where she is wounded under your car, the blownds on my flesh. Do you understand?¡±


    Tarkyn, still adolescent, thoughrge and capable with it, had nodded and joined the chorus of, ¡°Yes, Sire!¡±


    And in his youthful innocence, he¡¯d thought he understood.


    The King loved the Queen, and she was his mate-his True Heart¡¯s Call. Of course he would be fierce in protection of her. Of course his every sense would be tuned to her, and hers to him.


    Over the years, watching them together, he¡¯d always prayed to find that same depth of love and understanding in his own mate. And when the King had warned him about the weakness that came with a True Mate, he¡¯d dismissed the caution. The great King Reth might be humbled by love, but that was because he ruled. Tarkyn had spent his life in service. He could give himself wholly, without regret. He was certain of it.


    Thenter, he¡¯d watched Elreth finally wake up to her own True Mate-hidden by the years of friendship they¡¯d enjoyed first as children, then even into early adulthood. He¡¯d seen the shift between them from precious friends, to given hearts, to True Mates.


    And he¡¯d watched them know each other-seen the way they could speak without speaking. And he¡¯d yearned for that for himself.


    And again, he¡¯d thought he understood.


    He¡¯d imagined the sense of togetherness, the connection, the understanding that came with true intimacy... and he¡¯d wanted it.


    Evenst night, when Elreth and Aaryn, Gar and Rika-even Behryn-as all his dearest friends and rulers spoke a warning about the mate bond and the battle it could cause within... he¡¯d thought he understood. He hadn¡¯t shied from it.


    But now...


    He looked at Harth and his chest swelled. Her warm brown hair fell over her face to curl around her jaw, the end of one curl nestled between her breasts... she sighed and stirred, as if she sensed his scrutiny-and to his delight, even still in sleep, her lips curled up towards a smile.


    She stole his breath with her beauty, with the ache to hold her, to touch her, to be within her.


    Her skin, paler than his, glowed to his eyes-as if she were lit from within by nothing but love. As if the warmth of her skin, the thrum of her heartbeat, was nothing but a call to his.


    Nothing else couldpete.


    His soldiers, his strategy-even his vow to his Queen... it all paled.


    And he didn¡¯t care.


    He didn¡¯t give a flying fuck.


    No wonder the former King had shaken his head when he¡¯d tried to say that he knew. No wonder Elreth had eyed him with such wariness the night before.


    He had not been prepared for this... onught of love. Not in the slightest.


    As Harth stirred again and he slid a hand to her waist, to hold her against him as she began to move, her bodying out of sleep, his skin felt too tight-and yet, the pressure was warm andforting.


    When she sucked in a slow breath and her eyes fluttered open, his heart wanted to pound out of his chest, but his blood gave itself to the mes with ease.


    And when she looked up through thickshes, blinking slowly, to find his eyes already on her, and she smiled brilliantly, Tarkyn shook his head in stunned disbelief.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± he rasped, reluctant to break the warm silence, but needing to say something to her.


    ¡°Good morning.¡±


    She beamed at him, and Tarkyn¡¯s breath caught.


    His mate was here. She was finally here.


    And there was nothing more right in the world.

 Chapter 50

    50 The Wonder of You ¨C Part 2*


    If you like music while you read, try ¡°Every Time We Touch¡± by Brent Morgan. It¡¯s what I was listening to while writing these next two chapters!


    *****


    ~ TARKYN ~


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a dream,¡± Harth whispered. ¡°Finally. You¡¯re here.¡±


    Tarkyn couldn¡¯t hide his smile as he nodded. ¡°Finally.¡±


    Her entire face lit up with joy, and Tarkyn couldn¡¯t resist kissing her. But the moment their lips met, he groaned as his body came to life again.


    Holding her chin, he smiled into the kiss, rolling her onto her back when she sighed and softened to him.


    He¡¯d only intended to kiss her, to give her a taste of the emotions welling in his chest as he¡¯d watched her sleep, but when her hands wed up his back, and she tilted her head to deepen the kiss, his beast began to purr.


    For a while, the only sound in the cave was their twin breaths, growing shallower, faster. Their heartbeats speeding up.


    .....


    Delight filled his heart when he stroked down her side and felt the goosebumps rise on her thigh under hand. But when a growl broke in his throat, Tarkyn knew he had to take care.


    He broke the kiss, leaning over her, forcing himself to pull back far enough to meet her gaze.


    Her eyes sought his immediately, a sh of worry on her face. ¡°Are you okay?¡± she asked quickly. ¡°You¡¯re tired, I¡¯m sorry, I knew-¡±


    ¡°No, sweetheart,¡± Tarkyn smiled and traced a strand of hair back that had stuck to her cheek. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I wanted to make sure... are you sore? There are other things we could do if... if you need some time to rest and heal.¡±


    She blinked, her forehead pinching to lines as she held his gaze. ¡°Other things?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Her hands, which had rested at his waist, tightened on him. ¡°Other things...¡± she frowned.


    ¡°Yes, I-¡± he sucked in a breath as she rocked her hips, her lower lip going ck as she arched her back and rubbed herself on him. ¡°Holy fuck, Harth-¡± he croaked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want other things, Tarkyn,¡± she whispered earnestly. Then the little vixen did it again. ¡°I definitely want you.¡±


    With a growl of approval still puttering in his throat, he took her mouth, tongue teasing and tracing, making promises of what was toe.


    When she arched again, he gripped the back of her neck with one hand, bracing on the other as he hollowed his back and pulled himself against her, increasing the pressure between them so that she was the one who gasped.


    Except, his blood went up with the electric crackle of pleasure that jolted through him.


    For long moments, they rocked together, eyes locked, bodies tensed with the effort to keep the contact.


    Harth ran her hands softly up his belly to his chest and he clenched, huffing, then on the next roll, tried to speak. But his body trembled with the restraint he fought to keep.


    ¡°Harth-¡±


    ¡°Yes, Tarkyn. It¡¯s always yes.¡±


    ¡°You have to tell me if there¡¯s pain, or anything... anything you don¡¯t like.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡±


    He rolled against her again, his breath shuddering with the perfect sensation of drawing himself along her most sensitive flesh-and her eyes shed, her cheeks pinking as her heart raced and her breath began to catch.


    She was ready for him. He could feel it where they rolled together, the soft warmth of her a stunning, slick wee that called for him to plunge, to take, to possess. His beast growled for it, and his body screamed for it. But he fought, hands trembling, to keep his control.


    The sensation of her hands exploring his body-running over the muscles of his chest and abdomen, following the lines of his waist, ying in the dip of his spine-threatened to tip him over the edge, but he wouldn¡¯t have given it up for anything.


    On the next pass he tightened his grip on the back of her neck as he passed over her, then pulled back and held himself against her.


    ¡°I love you, Harth,¡± he breathed in a rush, then took her in a single, slow slide.


    ¡°I-oh!¡± she whimpered, her eyes flying wide. For a moment Tarkyn was afraid she¡¯d been hurt. He sank down, bracing on his elbows as he pulled almost all the way out, but then she sucked in a breath and dug her fingers into his back as she arched to meet him again.


    Quaking with the sensation of having her, with the screaming pleasure of joining with her, Tarkyn fought a war within himself-every ounce of his flesh snarling for release, while his heart yearned for it to never end.


    As with every thrust, with every roll, the world around them disappeared, until Tarkyn was aware of nothing but the warm softness of her, the pleasure zipping between them as they moved, and the rake of her hands on him-stroking, wing, then digging into his muscles for grip when he reached the peak of a thrust and held her there for a shining, crystalline moment that threatened to make him explode.


    Harth¡¯s eyes closed and her mouth fell open on a sigh of his name as she disappeared into the pleasure. The sight of her so surrendered, so trusting, as she bared her throat, threatened to pummel him into oblivion with the fierce rush of pleasure somehow trembling against a wave of humility.


    He did not deserve her, and yet he gave himself just aspletely.


    Restraint shredded, trembling with the mindless fire that demanded only more, more, more of her, Tarkyn took her mouth, probing the sweet honey of her kiss, and for a moment, almost lost controlpletely when she traced his tongue with the t of hers.


    The mating call broke in his throat as he forced himself to break the kiss-but only to kiss and sip his way down, nipping at her lower lip, kissing the peak of her chin raised toward the ceiling, tasting the skin under her jaw, her throat, and down... down to explore that hollow between her corbones with his tongue, and taste the salt between her breasts.


    And then, unable to stop, he braced one hand to the furs, fisting them to give himself purchase as he curled his body, thrusting into her as he took her breast in his free hand, stroking, then holding it, thumbing the hard peak until she made a tiny cry.


    Arm trembling with the strength it took to keep himself curled over her like that, he took that peak in his mouth and sucked. Hard. Holding her in ce as he thrust again, then again.


    ¡°Tarkyn!¡± she cried, no longer stroking, but clinging to him.


    A shudder rocked through him when she began to pulse, tightening around him. He prayed for the strength, the control to keep going, to hold himself together until she found her release.


    ¡°Tarkyn... Tark-¡± She broke off in a strangled cry, her skin sheened in sweat as she pulled herself against him again and again.


    ¡°Come for me, gorgeous,¡± he breathed against her skin, thenved that nipple with his tongue again as she gave a sob of pleasure. ¡°Come for me.¡±


    And as she bit her lip, eyes closed and head thrown back, her name was a hosannah on his trembling lips.


    He saw nothing but her. And the world had never looked more beautiful.


    *****


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 Chapter 51

    51 The Wonder of You ¨C Part 3*


    ~ HARTH ~


    ¡°I love you, Harth.¡± His deep voice, hushed and awed, resonated in the cave-but before she could respond, he took her.


    ¡°I-oh!¡±


    Harth had already been sinking, falling headlong into the wonderful sensations he wrung from her, but when he entered her, her eyes flew wide open and her hand pped at his shoulder, holding on as her mind emptied of anything but the shivering pleasure of feeling him within her, over her, around her.


    Tarkyn blew out a breath as he sank back, then bracing on his elbows over her shoulders, he pressed into her again, slower this time.


    She wanted to scream at him not to slow.


    More.


    More.


    She grabbed for his shoulders, his back, plunged her fingers into his hair, frantic to find the grip that would soothe the quivering ache within her, the desperate need.


    .....


    Tarkyn¡¯s head dropped and his fingers tightened in her hair as he grew more confident, his lips peeling back from his teeth and a delicious growl began to roll in his throat.


    Harth almostughed, but she didn¡¯t have the breath. As they rocked together, twin breaths thundering, bodies rocking, voices high, she continued to struggle for control-touching every part of him that she could reach-one hand gripping the marble pir of his bicep near her ear, the other wing into his back.


    Feet nted in the furs, she lifted her hips to meet him and for a quivering moment they both groaned and held the joining.


    Breath held, he kissed her-deep and probing. Harth had never experienced the desire that roared through her in that moment. She would have taken him, taken him in-swallowed him, enveloped him, curled herself around every steel ripple of him. She ached for him so it seemed it could never be soothed.


    Then Tarkyn¡¯s breath rushed out of him and he pulled out before plunging into her again with a guttural call.


    Harth was lost, lost, barely aware when he began to kiss his way down-her chin, her throat, her chest.


    He made a noise in his throat then, a grunt of determination and sheer heat, as he nted a hand next to her, gripping the furs, twisting them between his fingers.


    To see his face in that moment, she might have thought he was in pain, but something within her understood-called back to him-as he curled himself almost in two, his hips driving forward even as he took her breast in his other hand and teased her nipple with his thumb.


    Pleasure jangled through her-the jolt of his touch crackling through her belly to meet the stunning ache of his invasion. She cried out, felt his arm tremble as he eased off, then did it again and this time, he dropped his head to suck her nipple deep into his mouth, drawing on it deeply, and in time with the pounding of his hips.


    ¡°Tarkyn!¡± she gasped, one hand curled around his forearm, the other braced on his shoulder as her body puddled into pleasure.


    ¡°Tarkyn... Tark-¡± She broke off in a strangled cry. His eyes opened and locked on hers-she could barely see, eyelids fluttering, eyes hooded, but he watched her and she felt the rake of his gaze on her like his fingers on her skin.


    She could do nothing, knew nothing, except to cling to him and open herself to the onught as the pleasure and pressure within her entwined and her entire body began to tense.


    ¡°Come for me, gorgeous,¡± he rasped, then rolled her nipple with his tongue again. She gave a sob of pleasure. ¡°Come for me,¡± he pleaded.


    Biting down, she gave in, dropping her head back, no longer able to see him, but without sight, all her other senses rose until it seemed every part of her became a raw, humming nerve, vibrating with pleasure. And that glittering wave rose within her again.


    She could feel him move within her, feeling her body reaching, holding him, feeling the steel strength of him under her hands, and against her... but the world no longer existed.


    As lights began to twinkle on the edges of her vision and her body shook with sheer desire, as his name broke from her throat again and again, and hers echoed in the cave from his lips, all thought ceased.


    She became nothing but a rippling pool, begging for him to enter, crying out when he left-and then, all at once, her belly dropped like she¡¯d leaped from a cliff and she was tumbling into freefall, turning, twisting, no longer sure of up or down-only him. She reached for him, clinging, crying his name as he surrounded her and invaded her, her skin prickling in waves of pleasure as he dropped to cover her.


    And then, sucking in a shocked, awed breath, Harth held her mate to her, clinging with arms and legs, as he thrust again and was lost, shuddering and crying, calling for her, all his strength and grace poured over her as he buried his face in her neck and shook.


    Her head spun, her pulse thundering in her ears in the silence that reigned after. Harth blinked, trying to breathe, holding him tightly, feeling him shake, as their hearts beat in time, and Harth was almost ovee by tears just for the sheer intensity of the emotions overwhelming her.


    ¡°Tarkyn,¡± she whispered, trembling fingers wing into his hair as he lifted his head to find her eyes.


    ¡°Are you well, Love?¡± he breathed, his forehead lined with concern.


    Harth smiled-she almostughed at the worry on his face. ¡°I¡¯m well, Tarkyn. I¡¯m so well,¡± she giggled, smoothing the lines on his face with her thumbs.


    Relief washed over him and he smiled, bracing on his elbows again, searching her face.


    ¡°You¡¯reughing at me,¡± he growled good-naturedly.


    She shook her head. ¡°I¡¯mughing with joy,¡± she murmured, shaking her head because it was the simple truth. ¡°Just joy, Tarkyn. Because I can¡¯t quite believe it. But I¡¯m just so grateful.¡±


    *****


    There will be a chapter update EVERY day from now on, along with monthly mass releases, and privilege tiers that refresh in FULL, every single month! Thank you foring along for the ride! Watch out for a ton of extra content in November!

 Chapter 52

    52 Waking Up


    ~ HARTH ~


    Tarkyn gave a grunt, holding her face in his hands and kissing her slowly, deeply. ¡°Perfect,¡± he murmured against her lips. ¡°You are perfect.¡±


    Harth snorted. ¡°If you believe that, either the dehydration has stolen your mind, or the bond has blinded you,¡± she said dryly.


    He pushed himself a little higher, staring at her with a mock-stern expression as he took one of her hands and kissed her knuckles. ¡°You are perfect-for me. The Creator¡¯s chosen One.¡±


    Harth nodded. ¡°Isn¡¯t it incredible?¡± she breathed. She put one hand to his chest to feel his great heart beating under his skin, her own prickling with disbelief because their hearts beat in time and it seemed impossible.


    Tarkyn blinked, then shook his head too. ¡°I never understood,¡± he murmured. ¡°I couldn¡¯t even conceive it.¡±


    ¡°Me either. I thought I knew-¡±


    ¡°So did I.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s so much more, Tarkyn. It¡¯s so much more. I can feel you in... in me. In my heart,¡± she said, cheeks pinking. ¡°It¡¯s like I¡¯m carrying you with me now.¡±


    .....


    He nodded, then ducked his head to kiss her again.


    ¡°What a gift,¡± he breathed. ¡°I yearned for you so desperately I was willing to die to find you, Harth. But I never knew... I never knew how it could be.¡±


    She put a hand to his handsome jaw, curling her fingers into the stubble on it so it scritched under her nails, then she blew out a breath. ¡°I love you, Tarkyn. I love you like I¡¯ve known you my whole life.¡±


    He nodded solemnly, stroking her hair. ¡°I know. Me too. And I¡¯ll never stop, Harth. No matter what. No matter whates today, or tomorrow. You¡¯re mine. Body and soul. And I¡¯m yours. Even to death.¡±


    The word pinched at her, but she pushed the fear and darkness it conjured away.


    This wasn¡¯t a moment for grief, this was a moment for joy.


    So she pulled him down,id her lips on his, and kissed him. And as he curled his arms under her head like a pillow and sipped at her lips, she prayed that whatever was needed to bring peace between their peoples, it would show itself today.


    She prayed for the day that they couldy like this without thought for the future. Because the future would be full of only good promises.


    And when they did finally part, only to roll to their sides and curl into each other and breathe each other¡¯s air, as Tarkyn¡¯s hand yed up and down her side, Harth thanked the Creator above for making him, for bringing her to him.


    No matter what price they might have to pay in the end.


    *****


    ~ TARKYN ~


    ¡°Are you hungry?¡± he asked her a few minutester. They¡¯d finally broken apart, but both of them were reluctant to get out of the furs until it was necessary. They stayed,ying there facing each other, his hand ying up and down her side, hers t against his chest.


    The morning sun was beginning to glow at the cave mouth, turning the opening from gray to pink. Tarkyn would have gambled his tree that it wouldn¡¯t be long until they heard footsteps.


    ¡°Is she going to be angry that wepleted the bond?¡± Harth asked suddenly, as if she hadn¡¯t heard his question.


    ¡°Who, the Queen?¡±


    Harth nodded.


    Tarkyn considered that. ¡°I think she knew... we had a lengthy discussionst night. She offered a great deal of caution, but she never forbade it,¡± he said, frowning.


    Watching Harth for a reaction in case she was cold, he flipped the furs back to her hip, so that shey bare from the waist up. She smiled at him, but didn¡¯t move as he drank in the sight of her there...


    Her skin was much paler than his, but still warm. She had single freckles in interesting ces that made him wonder if she¡¯d seen the sun, or whether it was just the painting of the Creator.


    Shey with one arm resting under her breasts, the other extended toy her hand on his chest. But that meant the position of her arms framed her breasts and made his heart patter faster.


    ¡°You¡¯re so beautiful,¡± he said hoarsely, trailing fingers down her arm, then from her ribs, to the dip of her waist, and back up to her hip.


    ¡°And you¡¯re definitely biased,¡± sheughed. ¡°But I¡¯ll take it. The mate bond must be blinding. I guess that¡¯s a good thing.¡±


    He growled his disapproval of that, but she was grinning, ying with him. The sparkle in her eyes made his heart flip, so he chose to ignore it. He was inching closer, about to kiss her again when the distant rush of wings pping reached his ears across the near-silent dawn and he slumped.


    ¡°Sarayu...¡± he sighed.


    Harth had heard them as well and nodded, but her arm sagged and her face pulled down, tension lines appearing around her mouth and eyes. ¡°For goodness sake, drink something. She¡¯s going to kill me for not making you drink more,¡± she muttered as she rolled out of the furs to find her clothes and dress.


    She was mostly clothed, though still doing up some buttons on her shirt, when the snap of Sarayu back-pping to slow herself as she reached the cave, buffeted the air.


    Tarkyn was in his leathers, but still shaking out his shirt when the healer took her human form and trotted forward, the strap of her bag slung across her chest.


    ¡°Good morning-¡± she cut herself off and slowed her steps, raising one eyebrow. ¡°A very good morning, I see,¡± she said dryly.


    Tarkyn shot her a warning look. ¡°I ate, drank, slept, and woke rested. You cannot expect-¡±


    ¡°Rx, Tark. I didn¡¯t really expect you to keep your hands to yourself. I just wanted to make sure you¡¯d fuel your body first. You were ready to copsest night. How are you this morning, Harth? I hope he treated you with... delicacy rather than all that warrior nonsense.¡±


    Harth¡¯s cheeks flushed, but sheughed. ¡°My mate is... wonderful.¡±


    Tarkyn shot her a look of pure promise and the color in her cheeks deepened, but she beamed.


    ¡°Dear Creator, please give me strength to deal with the fluttering of new mates,¡± Sarayu said with a nce skyward. Then, after another look at Tarkyn with a fond smile, she added, ¡°Help us all.¡±

 Chapter 53

    53 My Familiar


    ~ TARKYN ~


    Tarkyn snorted, but Sarayu quickly proved she hadn¡¯t been joking. The healer turned to him, her hands gripping the strap of her bag and a guarded look of caution on her face.


    ¡°I know this is all very wonderful, and I¡¯m happy for you, my friend. But there are too many irons in this fire, and your position among us is too important for you to bury yourself in a new love without thought for the events around you.¡±


    Tarkyn gaped. Did she really think him so flippant? But Sarayu only shook her head and didn¡¯t break eye-contact. ¡°You will need to be very, very careful the next few days, Tarkyn. You can¡¯t afford to end up leaping into a challenge because your beast gets jealous when she¡¯s around another male. The guards will be here within the hour to escort you both to the Queen, whose guard and mate will be with her.¡±


    Tarkyn pressed his lips thin to keep the words back that he wanted to snap at her. He knew Sarayu was right... in general. It had been his blessing to grow under the mentorship of some of the most dominant and powerful males-and females-the Anima had ever seen. And as he¡¯d grown and taken more responsibility himself, he¡¯d then mentored others. He¡¯d lost count of how many new mates he¡¯d seen briefly unhinged by a new bond. It was usually a point of humor among soldiers to watch their brothers and sisters reduced to possessive snarling. Though there were moments when some Anima had hurt others,shing out in panic or possession when their instincts screamed that their new mates were at risk.


    But as the years had flown by, he¡¯d also seen patterns in their weaknesses.


    Most of them had been years younger than him, for starters. And not nearly as self-disciplined. If any male were able to keep his head in the heat of a new bond, Tarkyn felt confident it was him. Though he knew to speak the words would sound arrogant, so he kept his mouth shut. Still. It pricked his pride that his old friend didn¡¯t believe him capable of controlling his urges-especially at such an uncertain time, and when his mate¡¯s very life might hang in the bnce. Did she think he hadn¡¯t seen the dangers?


    So he forced himself not to set Sarayu down, but to take the best from her intentions. ¡°I understand,¡± he said carefully. ¡°Thank you for caring. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be careful.¡±


    But Sarayu only tilted her head and gave him that skeptical look. ¡°I¡¯m serious, Tark. Leash your beast or-¡±


    .....


    ¡°Sar, I get it,¡± he growled. ¡°I¡¯ve watched them all go through it. I know what I¡¯m up against.¡±


    Sarayu sighed, but obviously realized that he wasn¡¯t going to listen to more. So instead, she turned to Harth. Tarkyn¡¯s heart squeezed at her thoughtfulness.


    ¡°I brought some herbs that will help if there¡¯s any bleeding,¡± she said quietly, digging into her bag. ¡°And soreness ispletely normal. Don¡¯t be concerned unless the bleeding continues beyond a few hours, or the pain increases tomorrow with, er, further activities.¡±


    Harth gave a lowugh, but she nodded, taking the small packet Sarayu handed her from the depths of the bag.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Even those simple words, just spoken in his mate¡¯s mellow tones lit his heart. Tarkyn stared at Harth as she examined the packet Sarayu had given her. But before he could check in with her to see if she was in real pain, Sarayu returned her attention to him.


    ¡°I need you to sit down, because I need to examine you and make certain your reflexes have returned. The Queen is calling for you, but she wants assurance that you¡¯re physically capable first-and that you¡¯re mentally... bnced.¡±


    Tarkyn stiffened, frowning. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious?¡± Elreth truly thought he¡¯d been imbnced by all this?


    Sarayu shrugged. ¡°I told herst night that I was hopeful, but I wasn¡¯t prepared to make a final call until I saw you this morning and had a chance to-¡±


    ¡°Sar! Seriously?¡± Tarkyn snapped, his hands clenching to fists in frustration. ¡°Why would you do that? This isn¡¯t a game! Elreth¡¯s at risk of fomenting war if she doesn¡¯t get her fear under control-¡±


    ¡°And what she needs is absolute assurance that those around her are both capable-and ountable,¡± Sarayu ground out, folding her arms, but ring him down. ¡°So, sit down on the furs so I can examine you, and let¡¯s make sure there¡¯s no question in my mind, so I can make certain there¡¯s no question in hers.¡±


    Tarkyn shook his head, his jaw set. ¡°But you¡¯re the one who has created a question!¡±


    ¡°No, Tarkyn. I¡¯ve reassured her that our familiarity hasn¡¯t clouded my judgment. That I¡¯m not glossing over any of this just to please you-or her. And that means that when I tell her that I¡¯ve checked you again, and I¡¯m certain you¡¯re ready, she¡¯ll believe it.¡±


    He felt his mate tense and that just pissed him off further.


    Tarkyn red. Both Sarayu and Elreth should have believed that of him without an examination or assessment, but he bit back the retort and did as she asked, settling himself on the furs. Then he turned to Harth to call her close-only to find her staring at him strangely... and her scent, when he inhaled it, wasced with something sharp.


    Reaching for her through the bond, he waited until she met his gaze. ¡®What is it?¡¯ he asked quietly as Sarayu unpacked several tools and bottles, and some packets of herbs as she prepared whatever she thought she needed to examine on Tarkyn so she could dere him ¡°capable.¡±


    Even the thought made him want to bite something, but he didn¡¯t like that scent threading through Harth. He reached for her again, a gentle nudge in her head. ¡®Harth? What¡¯s wrong?¡¯


    Harth had been staring at Sarayu, but at the words she turned and met his eyes again and folded her arms. ¡®You and Sarayu are... familiar?¡¯ she sent back with a growl.


    Tarkyn¡¯s heart sank to his toes.


    *****


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 Chapter 54

    54 Too Much Giving


    ~ HARTH ~


    When Tarkyn had told her that the Anima shared their bodies freely, that he¡¯d taken many females before, she¡¯d been terrified at first-to her, that had meant his heart might have bonded to another, or others might have bonded with him, as had happened in the past for her Alpha, Zev. She¡¯d seen the females waste away after learning the male that held their souls was bonded to another.


    But Tarkyn had quickly helped her see that the bond didn¡¯t work that way for his people. And she¡¯d been so relieved. In the moment she¡¯d thought only about how relieved she was to have found him, and buried herself in that joy.


    Buried her head, apparently.


    Because it wasn¡¯t until this moment, right now, when the healer-who Harth had immediately liked and wanted to befriend-looked at him with that understanding in her gaze...


    Her wolf began to bare its teeth, and every hair on her body stood up. And not in the good way. Not in the way Tarkyn had caused, the way that had left her skin thrumming, even now.


    She¡¯d assumed the female had been so open with him because that was her way with all of them. The other guards had seemed simrlyfortable with her. Harth had assumed the female spoke with such fondness toward her mate because she¡¯d cared for him and the others so many times that she felt some maternal sense of ownership for their wellbeing.


    But this... this reference to their familiarity...


    That word had quivered with double-meaning.


    .....


    Yet Sarayu had spoken it with such casual disinterest. As if it were of no ount-merely a potential obstacle to be ovee in the Queen¡¯s mind.


    Harth was pped with the sudden realization that she had made far too many assumptions.


    What a na?ve ass she had been.


    Her wolf snapped her teeth, snarling for release and Harth did a little bit of quivering herself.


    And then, just as Tarkyn caught the sense of her sudden ire, as he turned to meet her eyes, reach for her through the bond, and ask after her... his concern confused, as if nothing bad had happened... that was the moment that female touched him.


    Touched him like she knew him.


    As if he belonged to her.


    Harth¡¯s mate.


    She touched Harth¡¯s mate.


    Instinct overwhelmed her in a sh.


    Harth didn¡¯t even think-barely felt. Every shaking inch of her called for the blood of this female who touched her mate and called his mind back to some fucking moment that meant nothing next to the lifetime they would share.


    She gave no warning. A wolf did not warn the hare that they sought the kill.


    Harth let her breath go and in the calm that came with instinctive focus, flowed forward, teeth bared, her skin undting into the shift.


    The rest happened in a blink.


    Her mate shouted for her, leaping to his feet and throwing the healer aside faster than the whip-snap.


    The rippling snarl that tore from Harth¡¯s wolf-throat was meant for the healer, but her teeth snapped on air just inches from her mate¡¯s throat instead as, heedless of the danger she posed, he nted himself bodily in her path.


    ¡°No, Harth!¡± he roared, the word echoing with power that made Harth shudder against an urge to submit so strong, her wolf gave way and she returned to her human form. ¡°Harth!¡± he growled, gripping her shoulders and dodging to ce himself in her eyeline when she followed the path of the healer who¡¯d been tumbled to the floor of the cave, but rolled and flipped like a warrior to all fours, crouched and defensive, looking for the danger-eyes widening when theynded on Harth.


    But Tarkyn moved, put himself in her eyeline, forced her to meet his gaze. ¡°No, Harth,¡± he said more softly, but just as firmly. ¡®Sarayu is a friend. An ally,¡¯ he insisted through the bond.


    ¡®You call her a friend when you have mated her?¡¯ Harth growled in return, holding his gaze with every ounce of challenge she could muster-her knees trembling because her mate was... he was very powerful. More powerful than she¡¯d anticipated. He¡¯d been holding his authority in check for her, she realized. Or his physical weakness had kept it indistinct.


    Suddenly, his position in this pack, despite his youth, made sense.


    And yet... Harth was powerful in her own right-and pissed as a fucking snake in a basket.


    She did not submit.


    Tarkyn¡¯s eyes, zing with love, clouded suddenly-storm clouds covering the sun. ¡°Harth... I-¡±


    ¡°You mated her! The Queen questioned her objectivity because you two... you have...¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Sarayu said calmly from behind him. ¡°But-¡±


    ¡°Sar, this isn¡¯t the time!¡± Tarkyn snapped as Harth snarled again and shoved forward. But he caught her, the steel of him barring her as surely as any cage. There in his grip, her body fought with her senses-half of her snapping to the defensive and ready to fight, the other yearning to sink into his chest and inhale hisforting scent.


    ¡°Harth... Harth!¡± he growled. ¡°Look at me.¡±


    And then he straightened from his defensive posture, took her face in his hands and made her meet his eyes. ¡®See me, love,¡¯ he murmured in her head. ¡®Hear me.¡¯


    The words were soft with love-and resonant with that authority he held that he¡¯d kept so closely hidden.


    Harth could only blink, her resistance crumbling under his touch in harmony with that power.


    And so she raised her chin and met his pleading gaze.


    ¡®She is a friend, Harth. Not a love. She was there when-¡®


    ¡®You mated her. You¡¯ve taken her body with yours! She remembers you the way I do now-¡®


    ¡®No, Harth. Look at me.¡¯


    She¡¯d tried to lean past him, but he didn¡¯t allow her to, holding her there, his fingers curled at the back of her neck and curling to soothe against her skin.


    When she gave in and looked up at him, the worry pinching his forehead and the pleading in his eyes coupled with the rock-hard determination in him.


    He would not waver.


    A chill spread through her.


    *****


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 Chapter 55

    55 A Different Kind of New


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    *****


    ~ HARTH ~


    Tarkyn, his brows pinched over his nose, searched her gaze a moment to make certain she was listening, then he spoke in her head, his words quick but sure, and every word hummed with the authority of an Alpha.


    ¡®No one remembers me the way you do, Harth. No one. I¡¯ve shared nothing of myself with these females. We¡¯veforted each other. Enjoyedpanionship. But there was nothing of hearts. Nothing of souls. What you and I shared... Harth, I gave my soul to you and I do not regret it. The bond, this love... it is as new for me as it is for you.¡¯


    Something twisted in her stomach-the joy of her memories of taking him warring with the rage and grief of sharing that knowledge of him with others.


    But he¡¯d put his power behind the words and her defenses crumbled in the face of it. His urgency broke through to her heart-her heart that was already so tender, so raw because of him.


    They stared at each other for a long breath, then he tipped his chin down, still holding her eyes. ¡®If I let you go, will you promise me you won¡¯t hurt her? It¡¯s not her fault that you¡¯re hurt, Harth. If you should be angry, it¡¯s with me.¡¯


    .....


    Angry? At him? Grief won the battle and she slumped forward, her forehead on his chest as he wrapped her in his arms.


    ¡®You own me to my soul, Harth. Never doubt it.¡¯


    The words rang with truth, and yet Harth found herself trembling as she stepped out of his arms and prepared to face this female-her mind suddenly imagining walking through a city full of females that her mate had shared himself with.


    How could she do it?


    She shuddered, but Tarkyn let her step back, though he watched her with aser focus, his stance poised to intervene again if it was needed.


    Which was when Sarayu chose to step forward.


    ¡°Can I... reassure you, Harth?¡± Sarayu asked with more caution in her words than Harth had heard from her yet.


    Harth growled instinctively, but then swallowed it. Still, she didn¡¯t answer, but looked past Tarkyn to meet the female¡¯s gaze.


    Sarayu had her hands up, palms forward to calm. ¡°I¡¯m a healer,¡± she said carefully. ¡°There are times that the burden is great and... times when fear or discouragement can be consuming. Especially in war or when we lose someone precious. When I¡¯ve soughtfort, it needed to be from someone who understood the pressure and wouldn¡¯t add to my burden. Tarkyn is a friend. Nothing but a friend.¡±


    ¡°That is not how I findfort in my friends,¡± Harth said through her teeth.


    Sarayu nced at Tarkyn¡¯s back, which made Harth tense, but her expression seemed afraid... for him? Then she dropped her hands and shrugged.


    ¡°I wish you no pain, Harth. I wish Tarkyn, my friend, all the joy that the Creator can give. But our peoples are... obviously different. You... you will have a battle to fight with this. But if there is a male among us worth the fight, it¡¯s him. And I wish you sess with it.¡±


    She felt Tarkyn tense. His back was still to Sarayu, his eyes still firmly fixed on Harth. He reached for her hand, his fingers twining with hers, and now that she was calmer, her heart raced even at that little touch, her skin prickling in a rush as her belly clenched.


    She wanted her mate. Wanted him badly. And couldn¡¯t have him because this female was here-


    She tore her eyes off the female, suddenly sick with the images that wanted to rise, filling in all the nks she hadn¡¯t known before-all the ways he¡¯d had touched, or kissed, the feel of him inside her-how many other females shared that sense of him? She shook her head to rid it of the images and turned to her mate, who stared at her with uncertain hope in his eyes.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get this done,¡± she said quietly.


    ¡°Harth... do you understand? Sarayu has to examine me... has to reassure the Queen that I¡¯m recovered enough to be of use. She will have to touch me to do that. There is nothing in it but a healer to a soldier. I need Elreth¡¯s confidence. It¡¯s the only way for me to begin building the bridge between our people. Please...?¡±


    Harth looked at the woman, braced her body against the rush of rage that wanted to close teeth on the female¡¯s hands that had touched her mate-that nned to touch him again! But she nodded, setting her jaw.


    ¡°I said, get it done,¡± she muttered, then turned away from both of them. ¡°I¡¯ll gather the food we have left and... and shake the furs.¡±


    She kept her back to them both, not trusting herself if she saw the female touch him again. But her ears remained perked, listening to their low voices, her hackles rising until Sarayu dusted her hands and spoke quietly. ¡°I¡¯ll inform Elreth,¡± then started towards the cave mouth.


    ¡°Sar,¡± Tarkyn said quietly, his voice tight. ¡°Thank you... for understanding.¡±


    Harth did turn then to see the woman¡¯s expression.


    But Sarayu only ducked her head in a single nod. ¡°You¡¯re wee. And I really do mean it, Harth,¡± she added, licking her lips as she caught Harth¡¯s gaze. ¡°I know he has waited for you, and I am so d that he¡¯s found you. You¡¯ll take no challenge from me. I vow it.¡±


    Harth swallowed as the woman turned and took a few running steps before throwing herself from the path outside into the sky, her wings snapping wide and a high call echoing across the WildWood below as she sailed through the morning sky.


    Then Tarkyn turned to Harth, his eyes uncertain and pleading. ¡°Harth?¡± He hesitated, then spoke through the bond. ¡®I love you. Only you, beautiful. Please, you have to believe me.¡¯


    For a moment she resistedforting him. For a moment, anger red hot, and vengeance beckoned.


    But then she met his eyes and saw in him the reflection of her own heart-the precious joy.


    She couldn¡¯t deny him.


    Throwing herself across the space between them, shended in his arms and he pulled her close, squeezing her so tightly she shouldn¡¯t have been able to breathe.


    But his intensity, his care, was the only reason she could breathe at all.


    *****


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 Chapter 56

    56 Hair-Trigger ¨C Part ~ TARKYN ~


    An hourter as they stepped off the trail from the mountain and into the shadow of the WildWood canopy, Tarkyn had to roll his shoulders.


    From the moment the guards had shown up, there had been an itch between his shoulder-des. But he had no time for it, no energy or attention to give to it. His mate was here, and she was in fear and anger and uncertainty.


    ¡®The Queen... have you ever mated with her?¡¯ Harth murmured through the bond.


    ¡®No!¡¯ he replied, frantic. Grateful that it was true. ¡®Harth, please... you have to believe me that the other females in my life have never held my heart. I¡¯ve never felt with them what I felt with you. Never.¡¯


    She seemed mollified, and took his hand after that, but between the bond and her tense posture, he knew the conversation wasn¡¯t done. She remained close-wanted to be close to him. He could feel it. And yet, something within her stayed guarded as well. Tarkyn¡¯s tension increased. He had to fix this. Had to find space and time to talk, to exin.


    He squeezed her hand and kept her close to his side, but his heart was heavy with grief.


    From the incredible morning they¡¯d had, to this in a blink... Was this how the matebond worked?


    As they walked the trails towards the security council building, Tarkyn hovered over her, falling intomand without thought, ordering the guards to stay back and leave them to walk at the center of the circle without interference.


    .....


    ¡°Tark, we don¡¯t have to bind you, but... we can¡¯t just let her walk loose,¡± Mhagnus exined patiently. ¡°You agreed to be with her under guard.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not denying that,¡± Tarkyn snapped, then took a moment to breathe before he continued. ¡°I¡¯m asking you to give her space so she can be calm.¡±


    And so he could, as well. Because whenever one of them edged closer his teeth began to grind.


    Sarayu¡¯s warning echoed in his head, but that just made him want to growl. Why had everyone decided the appearance of his mate had stolen his years of experience and honor?


    But they made it through the trails without incident-circling wide of the Tree City itself so that Harth wouldn¡¯t see it or be able to inform anyone of their numbers or resources.


    Tarkyn understood it, admitted to himself that he would have ordered it for any other being who¡¯d appeared as a stranger. And yet, it still rankled.


    He rolled his shoulders again, teeth clenched against the pressure building in his chest. He was looking forward to being reunited with Elreth and talking some sense into her. This was going too far. Harth was his mate-the other half of him. Did his integrity and loyalty mean nothing?


    But then, because they¡¯d taken the long route to the other side of the city, they passed the prison trees and the scent of the Chimera within the nearest one.


    Tarkyn felt Harth tense, felt her grief and anger surge as she scented her Alphas. And then, just as she turned to him with pleading in her eyes, the wail of a baby rose in the cold morning air.


    Harth put her free hand to her throat. ¡°Tarkyn... Can we just-¡±


    He could see the image in her mind-them turning off the trail so Harth could offer support to her Alphas. And he wanted to give it to her-he did. But he knew Elreth would be waiting, and he¡¯d intended to give every indication that he walked into that room just as much her servant-and Captain-as he¡¯d ever been.


    ¡°Harth,¡± he started kindly, ¡°We¡¯ve been summoned, the Queen-¡±


    ¡°Just for a moment?¡± she pleaded, tugging him towards the side of the trail.


    ¡°No, there¡¯s no time-¡±


    One of the guards that surrounded them appeared suddenly on Harth¡¯s other side, his spear-which had been slung across his back-now in hand.


    ¡°Back to the trail,¡± he ordered Harth calmly, but with the authority of one who would not ept disobedience.


    Harth flinched-the guard had moved quickly to appear so close-and fear surged within her, lighting every warning fire in Tarkyn¡¯s chest as if the Horn had been blown as a call to arms.


    Muttering under his breath, Tarkyn shifted Harth behind him, to put himself between her and the soldier. ¡°Just a moment, Mhagnus,¡± he snapped. ¡°She¡¯s my mate, there¡¯s no need to-¡±


    ¡®Wait!¡¯ Harth gasped in his mind, but before he could even turn to see what had startled her, her warmth was gone from behind him, leaving nothing but a hollow chill at his back, and a scream in his head as his mate¡¯s entire being lit up with panic.


    The entire world slowed down as Tarkyn¡¯s instincts, honed by decades of training, fighting, and war-and the jangling rm of fear and rage that shot through the bond-shoved him to action.


    Tarkyn was renowned, not only for his self-control and brilliant mind, but for his lethal skill. He had trained countless guards in hand-to-handbat, sharing the wealth of both his natural talent, and his dedication to training. And yet, even with instruction and training from the male himself, he was yet to be bested by any Anima, head-to-head, though Gar, the Queen¡¯s brother and War Chief, threatened to be the first to achieve it.


    But Gar wasn¡¯t there. And the mind of Tarkyn the Warrior, heralded as the Queen¡¯s Champion, and the single most deadly Anima alive, had been triggered to defend against a threat.


    It was not Tarkyn the strategist that turned in a sh to find his mate snarling, her skin rippling as she threatened to shift, while the other two guards who¡¯d been behind them, tugged her away from him.


    It was not Tarkyn the mentor whose body exploded into action against the guards who¡¯d reached for his mate.


    No.


    Mindless of anything except that his mate was in danger, thoughtless of any responsibility beyond her safety, he leaped for the closest one with teeth bared, his roar startling birds from the trees above and echoing across the WildWood, announcing to any who would listen...


    Tarkyn the Warrior had seen a threat. And he was of no doubt that he would remove it.

 Chapter 57

    57 Hair-Trigger ¨C Part If you like music while you read, try ¡°Lion¡± by Saint Mesa. It¡¯s what I was listening to while writing this chapter!


    *****


    ~ HARTH ~


    It happened too quickly.


    Harth had stepped from the path, tugging at Tarkyn¡¯s arm, in her deepest self knowing there was likely no way they could divert. But they were so close to Sasha and Zev, and the thin wail of the unhappy Zan had tugged at her heart.


    But even as her foot slipped off a root at the side of the trail and she stumbled, even as Tarkyn slipped past her with his hands forward to slow the approach of the Sergeant who¡¯d seemed reasonable about giving her space when they set out, a set of calloused handsnded on her arm and tugged her back.


    If she¡¯d had time, if she¡¯d seen them approach, it might have been different.


    But her attention had been split between the cry of her Alpha¡¯s child in the tree, and the soldier in front of her who¡¯d approached to warn her.


    As the unknown male behind pulled her back, gently but firmly, it startled her, and panic lit in her chest.


    .....


    ¡®Wait!¡¯ she screamed in her mind, as her body came alive with adrenaline and fear, her instincts convinced that she¡¯d once again fallen into the hands of the humans who might leave them alone for months, only to appear unexpectedly and steal them away to pain and destruction.


    And to her horror, Tarkyn became a deadly blur.


    Before she could take a second breath he was gone from before her. A smack and a grunt sounded just behind her right ear, then suddenly the pressure on her arm disappeared.


    She couldn¡¯t turn in time to catch him, though, as the Guards-all trained, all deadly in their own right-leaped into the fray.


    And even as her panicked body continued to scream in fear, the tiniest part of her head and heart that could think cried out in warning as Tarkyn threw himself into battle against his own men.


    He darted and flowed, turned andshed, faster than a whip, smoother than water over stone-for seconds, Harth stood, open mouthed in shock, as her mate became a whirlwind of force, dropping the guard who¡¯d touched her to ground, unconscious, then twisting around her, sinking to sweep the legs of the next Guard who came to the first one¡¯s defense.


    Harth had seen shes between Alphas before. She¡¯d even seen a male Chimera fight for his life against a team of human scientists, snapping one neck and knocking another out cold before the rest could use their weapons to drop him.


    But she¡¯d never seen anything like this.


    Her mate was a blur. Silent, yet deadly, and so fast that the trees still shook with his roar when the second Guard cried out and fell.


    But no matter how quick he might be, no matter how skilled, Tarkyn was mortal and could not inhabit two spaces at once.


    With a shout, the Sergeant, and the fourth guard closed on him as he took the second guard to the ground.


    ¡°Tarkyn, STOP!¡± Mhagnus snarled, bing his own dark whirlwind to break Tarkyn¡¯s grip on the soldier he¡¯d folded in half, while the other descended as well.


    As quickly as he¡¯d brought them to battle, thebined weight and strength of the three conscious guards brought Tarkyn to his knees-one catching him while his grip was still on the guard he was attempting to ovee, while the other leaped into the fray and, aiding the guard he¡¯d been wrestling, it was Tarkyn who was suddenly on the ground, immobilized-though only by the obvious efforts of his own men.


    ¡°My mate!¡±


    ¡°Tarkyn! Stop! No one is-¡±


    Hissing and snarling, his back rippling towards the shift, Tarkyn roared again, arching and struggling against the grip of all three males who all sucked closer, fighting to keep him restrained.


    Harth took a stumbling step forward, reaching for him, pleading with him in his mind to calm, that she hadn¡¯t been hurt-but then they flipped him and one of the males wrenched his arm behind his back.


    Harth gasped as pain ripped through his shoulder. She stumbled forward as his fear and rage mmed through her in the bond-though he ignored his own pain and fought, screaming for release.


    Heedless of anything but him, Harth rushed forward. ¡°You¡¯re hurting him!¡± but the words broke from her throat in a guttural snarl just as more of the guards rushed from the nearby prison tree to help.


    Then Harth was tumbled too, screaming and growling, head buzzing with panic as too many hands, too many males, too many unknown scents descended upon her.


    She couldn¡¯t think. She couldn¡¯t speak. She couldn¡¯t breathe.


    She held control of her beast by a thread, a hair that threatened to snap at any second, while she struggled and snarled.


    Only that voice, deep within her, that called to her mate, and eased in the soothing warmth of his love, only the cool wisdom that would prevail when her body returned to calm, stopped her from shifting and taking throats. Only the shrieking fear that if she killed one of these males, her mate would be taken from her, stopped her bared teeth.


    But as more soldiers arrived, and her body tried to flee but was held by unknown hands, Harth began to tremble.


    And so she prayed.


    She prayed as she was jerked over, turned to her belly, and her hands forced behind her back.


    She prayed as voices raised around her so loudly the frantic wail of her Alpha¡¯s child was drowned out.


    And she prayed when she was yanked upwards and carried, struggling, but bound so that no matter how she fought, the ties only cut into the skin of her wrists and ankles.


    She prayed through the screaming fear, and the agonizing despair as her mate was also lifted between strong arms, growling and fighting, and carried deeper into the shadow of the trees of the cursed ce they called WildWood.

 Chapter 58

    58 Heart in Chains


    ~ TARKYN ~


    Everybody leaped to their feet when the guards dragged Tarkyn into the Security Council building, snarling and wrestling, only barely containing his beast.


    His head rang, every instinct on high alert, his body washed in waves of adrenaline fueled by rage as, through the bond, he felt his mate¡¯s fear and pain.


    ¡°What the hell happened?¡± Elreth gasped. ¡°I thought you said it was a peaceful night?¡±


    ¡°It was, we had an incident on the road.¡± Mhagnus spoke through his teeth, fighting for his grip on Tarkyn¡¯s arm as Tarkyn twisted like a serpent, snarling for release.


    Between the arms of his captors, as he looked for glimpses of his mate, Tarkyn saw Elreth hurry towards them, but Aaryn pushed forward, putting himself between his mate and the half-crazed Tarkyn.


    ¡°Free me!¡± Tarkyn snarled, still struggling. ¡°Free my mate! They¡¯re frightening her-you have no idea what she¡¯s been through!¡± His voice was guttural and ragged with his beast¡¯s growl.


    As Elreth opened her mouth, her face twisted with worry, Aaryn put a hand back to hold her, his fingers shing.


    With a nce back at his own mate, Gar shoved towards the guards, growling. ¡°Let him go!¡±


    .....


    ¡°Hold on!¡± Elreth ordered. ¡°He¡¯s out of his mind-¡±


    ¡°Because his mate is in danger. This is Tarkyn, El-¡± Gar snapped.


    ¡°I know, that¡¯s my point! When have you ever seen him like this?¡±


    ¡°When has he ever had a mate to protect? A bond pulling at him? Come on, El. You can¡¯t have forgotten what that was like,¡± Aaryn said, quietly but firmly, holding her arm when she tried to step forward.


    ¡°You tell me to release him, but don¡¯t trust him enough to let me close?¡± she said, frustrated, gesturing towards his grip.


    ¡°He needs to be free to calm down. His mate too-¡±


    Tarkyn had tried to hold it back, but a surge of sensation-his beautiful mate, her entire system jangling with fear, had suddenly gone quiet in his head.


    ¡°Harth! Harth, love-LET HER GO!¡± he roared, pulling so hard against the bonds and hands holding his limbs, the world turned red and he saw stars.


    There was a long moment in which he was aware of nothing but the pain and rage that screamed in his body as he fought to get to her, to find her with his eyes, with his hands, to pull her from the grip of the males surrounding her and overwhelming her.


    ¡°Oh, for fuck¡¯s sake,¡± Gar thundered.


    Tarkyn was still blind, jagged lights crackling across his sight, when there was a tug at his left side, then pressure released.


    ¡°Let him go,¡± the deep voice of the War Chief ordered.


    ¡°But Gar, he¡¯ll fight-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll handle him, let him go.¡±


    Secondster, Tarkyn was lowered to the wooden floor, then the guards scrambled back out of the way as he rolled, leaping to his feet, then almost tumbling as his head spun and his ankles, still bound, caught. Arms bound behind him, if he¡¯d tumbled it would have been straight onto his face, butrge hands appeared on his shoulders and a pair of lion eyes filled his clearing sight, boring into his.


    Tarkyn leaned into the hands, teeth bared and chest heaving.


    ¡°Tarkyn, brother,¡± Gar rumbled quietly, ¡°You have to breathe.¡±


    ¡°My mate-¡±


    ¡°I know, and I¡¯m going to get her free too, but you have to breathe. You have to calm. You have to think!¡±


    The words fell around him like rain. Deep within he knew they were right, were good, but his body still fought with his mind, screaming to find her. With a growl that reverberated in his chest, Gar held him, both hands cupping his neck, holding his jaw, forcing him to meet his eyes.


    ¡°She needs the Captain-your Queen needs her Captain, and your mate needs his strength. Snap out of it, Tarkyn, no one wants to hurt her!¡±


    Tarkyn¡¯s breath caught, his teeth clenching so hard his jaw ached, his ears thundered. But Gar¡¯s intensity broke through. He stopped fighting, stopped trying to move. But his entire body trembled, his heart at war with his mind.


    Gar stared at him for a moment, then shoved the air out of his nose and spoke to his sister without taking his eyes from Tarkyn¡¯s.


    ¡°Let Harth go. Let here to her mate so he can see we mean her no harm.¡±


    ¡°Gar, I¡¯m not-¡± Elreth breathed, her voice shaky with fear.


    But Aaryn stepped in. ¡°El... let her go. Tark needs this. Even together, there¡¯s no way they can overpower eight guards, plus me and Gar.¡±


    Tarkyn trembled with the urge to roar at her to listen to her mate, but Gar shed him a warning look and he swallowed it back.


    Elreth stared at her mate for a long breath, then nodded. ¡°Guards at the door and windows,¡± she said briskly, then turned to the males who were scrambling to her orders. ¡°Check her for arms and if she has no weapons, cut her bonds. Let her go to him.¡±


    Tarkyn barely dared breathe as Harth was pulled up to her feet, her face a nk mask, but her eyes immediately found him.


    A thin whine broke in his throat-he could feel her! Feel every ache, every pain, every fear! Her shoulder had been wrenched. Her wrists stung, and her hands throbbed because the bonds were too tight and she¡¯d fought them. She wasn¡¯t speaking, but adrenaline raced through her, making her chest thud with the force of her pulse.


    Tarkyn, still bound, quivered like a rabid dog as he watched the guards frisk her from head to toe, every instinct in his body screaming at him that males were touching his mate-that she was in fear and pain.


    But then one of them knelt to slice the bonds at her ankles, quickly followed by those at her wrists, and she didn¡¯t even stop to rub the aching ces, just tore forward, his name breaking in her throat.


    Gar stepped back to give them room and the first sense of relief flooded Tarkyn as she reached him, wrapping her arms around him, burying her face in his chest. But when he tried to hold her, his bonds cut into the flesh at his wrist.


    ¡°Please,¡± he rasped. ¡°Please... Elreth... let me go.¡±


    Elreth sighed, but she must have given the signal, because the shadow of her brother passed to his right, then suddenly there was an entirely new sensation screaming through his shoulders and arms as his limbs were released and blood rushed back into ces it had been restricted.


    Tarkyn didn¡¯t care. Ignoring the pain, ignoring the dozen pairs of eyes watching, he wrapped his arms around his mate, holding her head to his chest with one hand, pulling her against him with the other.


    They trembled together for longer than Tarkyn cared to consider.


    She wasn¡¯t talking-in his ear, or in his head-and that frightened him more than the pain he could feel throbbing in her body through the bond.


    ¡°Harth,¡± he breathed, his lips against her hair. ¡°I¡¯m here. I won¡¯t let this happen again. I vow to you.¡±


    She nodded against his chest, her arms tightening around his waist. But she didn¡¯t rx. None of the tension left her.


    And his heart broke, because he could feel her. Feel the tiny curl of hope and relief that poked up through her fear like a new de of grass... but it had taken root in a field of pain and anger. And he could feel the wildfire she held at bay threatening to rip through and burn it to the ground.


    ¡®I know you¡¯ll try, Tarkyn. But... I don¡¯t trust them,¡¯ she finally murmured in his head.


    And for the first time ever in his life, Tarkyn didn¡¯t leap to the defense of his Queen or her family.


    And that was, perhaps, the most shocking thing that had happened so far.

 Chapter 59

    59 Bonded


    If you like music while you read, try ¡°Louder than a Lion¡± by Eisley. It¡¯s what I was listening to while writing this chapter!


    *****


    ~ HARTH ~


    She couldn¡¯t let go of him. She felt weak like a child. Not because her body couldn¡¯t fight. But because the fear was so overwhelming, she wanted nothing more than to flee.


    Actually, that wasn¡¯t true. She¡¯d fled into Tarkyn¡¯s arms because that was where she most wanted to be-curled into him, inhaling his smell, buffered from this strange world and these awful people by his arms, his strength, his will.


    She could feel him-his rock-solid resolve to protect her, his certainty that he could fix this, but his rage and fear that she¡¯d been hurt.


    She hadn¡¯t been. Not really. Now that she felt a little safer, she could see that the guards had been careful with her, though it hadn¡¯t felt that way at the time. Her shoulder was a little sore, but it wasn¡¯t anything that wouldn¡¯t heal in a day, two at most.


    No one had struck her. No one had spoken in anger. But they had... overwhelmed her.


    It was terrifying.


    .....


    It wasn¡¯t her body that made her feel like she teetered on the edge of screaming terror. It was the feeling creeping up in her chest, into her throat.


    The feeling she¡¯d held for years when she was at the human ¡°sanctuary,¡± the one that made it hard to breathe.


    The endless, relentless, ruthless sense that danger could appear at any moment, in any breath. And that it woulde utterly without warning.


    Harth hadn¡¯t realized until she¡¯d arrived in thisnd how much of a weight that feeling was-the constant, exhausting awareness that she couldn¡¯t let her guard down.


    She¡¯d thought she was merely alert. But sleeping in thisnd... resting in thisnd... just living here before this had all happened had shown her how much of her fear she¡¯d released simply by no longer being under threat.


    But now... it hade from nowhere. It consumed her. She couldn¡¯t flee it. And neither could she define it.


    Fear was a noose around her neck, and only Tarkyn¡¯s arms around her kept her on her feet because she¡¯d barely been able to breathe.


    As if he heard her thoughts, Tarkyn held her more tightly and pressed his lips against her ear, breathing words only for her.


    ¡°Let me handle this. Let me address this. Trust me, Harth.¡± His deep voice rumbled in his chest, and she pressed her face to it, wanting to absorb him into herself. Then she sighed and nodded. She did trust him. She¡¯d given herself, for better or worse, she was at his side forever.


    But even that thought made her throat want to close. Because being close to him meant being close to these... aggressors.


    A tremble wracked her from head to toe and Tarkyn made a strange noise in his throat.


    ¡°Tarkyn, what happened?¡± The Queen¡¯s voice was higher than Harth remembered, as if her throat pinched toward tears.


    Tarkyn shuddered and kissed her hair. Then, without letting go of her, he lifted his head. Harth pressed herself harder into the deep rumble in his chest when he spoke.


    ¡°They took her. There was no warning.¡±


    The Queen must have looked at the Guards because the one who¡¯d been leading spoke.


    ¡°Tark, there was no aggression. We tugged her back to the path, that was all-¡±


    ¡°She disappeared from my back, and then... she was terrified. I could feel it!¡±


    ¡°I knew the bond would draw us together, but I never realized she would be an... extension of me.¡± He said the words, hushed, his whole body trembling with awe and anger.


    Bracing herself, determined to be as strong for him as he was for her, Harth drew her head back only far enough to see his face.


    His eyes were ame with righteous anger. His jaw a steel line, muscles flexing at its corner as he stared down the leaders behind her. If they¡¯d been alone she might have reached up to put her hand to it, to soothe him. Instead, she murmured her love to him through the link-reminding him that she was there and beside him. He didn¡¯t respond, but his arm tightened on her back as he spoke.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me. None of you warned me,¡± he said hoarsely. ¡°Her skin is my skin. Her heart moves my blood. Every thought, every feeling... it¡¯s all part of me! When she was taken, it was as if I was under attack!¡±


    ¡°Wait... Tarkyn, what are you saying? You feel the bond... right? That sense of... harmony? That feeling of protection and rightness. When you say her skin is your skin, you mean that it feels precious... right?¡± Elreth said carefully.


    Tarkyn¡¯s brow furrowed and he shook his head slightly. ¡°No, El. I¡¯m saying you should have warned me that I would feel everything she feels. How... how you all did this, got through the war like this... I don¡¯t know. But I will do it too. Just, please... please. Don¡¯t touch her.¡±


    Disturbed murmurs rippled around the room. Harth¡¯s breath stopped.


    ¡®Tarkyn,¡¯ she sent. ¡®Are you saying you feel me... not just through the mindlink? Not just when I¡¯m opened to you?¡¯


    He looked down at her quickly, frowning. ¡°Yes,¡± he said quietly. ¡°Don¡¯t you?¡±


    Harth blinked, examining herself-her sense of herself and him. She could feel him touching her, holding her, of course. But beyond that... beyond that she had a sense of him in her mind. She could reach for him that way. Yet even that wasn¡¯t what he described.


    As his friends and rulers began asking questions, Harth tried to concentrate. She closed her eyes, examining the sensations in her chest, in her mind, her heart, discerning what was her own, and what came from him.


    She could feel his love for her... feel his openness to her. Sense his determination. But physical feeling?


    Harth shook her head. She couldn¡¯t. At least, she didn¡¯t think she could.


    ¡°You can actually feel her?¡± one of the males asked. ¡°As in, the sensations of her skin? Her body?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Tarkyn said, frustrated. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you all tell me-¡±


    ¡°Tarkyn,¡± the Queen said quietly, but Tarkyn didn¡¯t even pause.


    ¡°-you should have warned me. When she was frightened, my heart almost exploded. When she fought, I felt the effort of it!¡±


    ¡°Tarkyn,¡± she said a little louder. But his jaw only tightened.


    ¡°It was more than instinct to leap to her defense-it felt like leaping to my own!¡±


    Harth dared a nce over her shoulder and saw them, all of them, gaping at him, shocked, and then it hit her.


    She looked up at Tarkyn and his friends¡¯ expressions must have finally registered for him as well, because he broke off and his eyes narrowed.


    ¡°What is it? What¡¯s wrong?¡±

 Chapter 60

    60 Us vs. Them


    ~ TARKYN ~


    Confusion twisted his chest and made breathing difficult as he looked around at his friends, all of whom stared back like they were stunned.


    It was Gar that answered him.


    ¡°Tarkyn, that¡¯s not the Anima bond. Not... not if you can sense what she¡¯s actually feeling. I mean, more than a vague impression. If you can feel it when her body hurts or her pulse is up... that doesn¡¯te from the Anima bond.¡±


    Tarkyn¡¯s eyes went wide, then he looked down at her. Harth stared right back, shaking her head.


    He looked back at his friends. ¡°But... I described it to youst night. You said-¡±


    ¡°And we were honest,¡± Aaryn said quickly. ¡°What you describedst night sounded every inch what I had with Elreth before wepleted the bond. But this?¡±


    There was a silent, hanging moment when no one spoke.


    Then Elreth blew out a breath. ¡°Well, I guess we got our answer about which bond waspleted. I can¡¯t believe-¡±


    .....


    That feeling tore through Tarkyn again-a fierce sense of fear mingled with determination. It wanted to push him forward, to make him take what he wanted, but he caught himself because it was Harth who spoke.


    ¡°No!¡± He could feel her heart pounding against his chest. She was so afraid! But she shoved out her jaw and turned in his arms to face Elreth, her eyes aze. ¡°No,¡± she repeated. ¡°What he¡¯s describing isn¡¯t... it isn¡¯t from the Chimeran bond-I¡¯ve never heard any of them describe that.¡±


    She hadn¡¯t?


    Tarkyn¡¯s stomach went cold. ¡°Harth-¡±


    ¡°Do you have it?¡± Elreth asked starkly. ¡°Can you feel him that way?¡±


    Harth¡¯s brows pinched over her nose. ¡°No. I mean, there¡¯s a sense of him... of his feelings-his emotions. I can reach his mind. But he¡¯s... he is apart from me.¡±


    Then she turned back to look at him. Tarkyn realized he was standing there, arms around her, gaping at her like she¡¯d just grown a second head. He made himself close his mouth and swallow to wet his throat before he spoke.


    ¡°You don¡¯t feel that?¡± he whispered.


    She shook her head. ¡°I feel so much, Tarkyn. So much of you and who you are and... so much. But I don¡¯t feel that.¡±


    Tarkyn¡¯s head spun. What the ever-loving hell was going on?


    *****


    It took only minutes, and testimony from every True-Mated heart in the room, for Tarkyn to understand that whatever he was feeling, it wasn¡¯t the Anima bond... or perhaps that it wasn¡¯t only the Anima¡¯s True Mate bond.


    Pieces of it aligned with the experiences of his friends-he felt... right when Harth was close. Their scents were entwined-confirmed by the others-and the love... the overwhelming love. It was all part of the Anima way, things he¡¯d known and understood, though never experienced them before.


    But the mindlink. That was from the Chimera-as evidenced by the fact that Aaryn couldn¡¯t speak into Elreth¡¯s mind.


    Tarkyn¡¯s ability to feel Harth¡¯s emotions-not just perceive them from her scent or bodynguage, and to sense her emotions even without his other senses was something Harth shared with him. She could feel the greater impact of his feelings, especially when they were very strong, she said. But a few questions revealed that her perception of him wasn¡¯t nearly as detailed or clear as his was of her.


    Tarkyn¡¯s blood ran cold.


    Then, as everyone spoke and spected, one of the guards was called by Elreth to take a message to Jayah, and as he passed Harth, he brushed against her arm.


    The hair on Tarkyn¡¯s corresponding arm stood up.


    While everyone around him murmured and frowned and shook their heads, Harth stared at him, and he just held her.


    Whatever had happened when they¡¯dpleted the bond, Tarkyn had been left with... well, it was as if she¡¯d be a piece of him. Literally. Though he admitted that the sensations of her skin weren¡¯t as acute as his awareness of his own, there was no doubt he could feel her.


    And then, without any apparent trigger, her eyes widened and her grip on him tightened.


    ¡®What is it?¡¯ he asked quickly through the link.


    ¡®Tarkyn... the Chimeran bond... the way we die if we lose each other... I knew it would be that way for me. I knew... I knew that¡¯s what I was facing. But if you can feel me so deeply... you¡¯ll feel me if... if something happens...¡¯


    She trailed off in his head, watching him, measuring him, as if she was nervous about his reaction.


    Tarkyn¡¯s breath was shallow and he clung to her, keeping her against his side, unwilling to have any space between them.


    He knew her words were important... and probably true. But looking at her wide, shining eyes, feeling her warmth against him... it didn¡¯t matter. He could feel another kind of fear creeping up on her-the fear of him, of how he might resist.


    He would never resist her. Not like that.


    ¡®Harth...¡¯ he shook his head and only dropped to embrace her again for a moment, toy a soft kiss on the side of her neck. ¡®Don¡¯t look at me like that. I don¡¯t regret this. I don¡¯t regret you. I never will. I asked for you. I¡¯ve never wanted anything in my life as much as I wanted you.¡¯


    When they pulled apart there were tears in her eyes, but he could feel her-feel her relief and a little easing in her fear. And not just because of him. They finally had some space so they could both breathe easier.


    Elreth had moved the guards, and the leaders had clustered, discussing what they¡¯d heard. Though they nced at Harth and Tarkyn several times, no one was closing tightly on them. Tarkyn¡¯s trembling had finally stopped, though he still felt like a bow string-tight and ready for action.


    His mind spun, his body and heart yearning to be nowhere except close to his mate, while he knew that his responsibility to his people and his Queen hadn¡¯t shifted. If anything, it had be even more critical.


    But that knot of her in his chest, that sense of her, it threatened to derail every thought. Every other motive.


    Tarkyn took a deep breath as Elreth turned away from an intense exchange with her brother, to look at him.


    He pulled Harth into his side so they could face the Queen together, then shifted his weight so he stood with his feet nted and shoulders back.


    Whatever was toe, whatever was needed, he would be it-or call the Creator Himself to bring it.


    *****


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 Chapter 61

    61 Into the Dark with You


    ~ TARKYN ~


    Meeting the uneasy gazes of his friends and his Queen and her King, Tarkyn¡¯s resolve only strengthened.


    Then Elreth rolled her shoulders back too, and met his eyes with the shine of both pride and fear in her own.


    Her forehead pinched, though he could see her trying to keep her expression clear and calm, and he nodded his encouragement to her as he would have on any other day.


    They were still in this together.


    Elreth gripped her mate¡¯s hand just as tightly as Tarkyn held Harth to his side. And for the first time in his life, Tarkyn wasn¡¯t the odd member of this little conve.


    For the first time, and with a sense of unerring pride, Tarkyn stood before his dearest friends and leaders, a mated male. One of a Pair. For the first time he was not the lone male in their circle of Pairs, watching from the outside as his friends and colleagues struggled to bnce their families and responsibilities.


    For the first time he truly appreciating the internal battle. Suddenly, he wished he hadn¡¯t always spoken so easily of their rights and needs in their matebonds.


    He was humbled to suddenly understand how forgiving his friends had been when he had over-simplified his advice to them on this in the past.


    .....


    Because he now understood in a way he had never been able to before, how their guts must have tightened and twisted, tearing them in opposite directions. Because he could feel it.


    And despite now sensing how this bond wouldplicate his life, his words to Harth were even more true.


    Tarkyn was the Queen¡¯s Captain of the Guard. He was the Defender of the People. And he was the True Mate of Harth of the Chimera-and she was his.


    Whatever else their bond might achieve, however else it might function, it was present now and concrete. And Tarkyn stood before his Queen sure in the knowledge of his position, and of his mate¡¯s. And utterly certain that the Creator had a great purpose in bringing Harth to him in this moment, and in this way.


    As the room went quiet and Elreth held his gaze, Tarkyn¡¯s chest finally eased, because he knew his path.


    ¡°Elreth,¡± he said quietly but firmly, ¡°This has all happened for a reason. This isn¡¯t an obstacle to ovee. It¡¯s an asset to me-and to you. I¡¯m certain of it.¡±


    Her forehead furrowed, and for the first time in over a year, Tarkyn was reminded of her youth. Her inexperience. And her irond strength.


    ¡°I hope so, Tarkyn. Because this is scaring the shit of out of me.¡±


    He nodded. He felt that in his bones. When Gar moved only to pull Rika closer, Tarkyn¡¯s body twitched, his instincts raw and humming.


    This was going to be a difficult time.


    Tarkyn took a deep breath. But Elreth spoke first.


    ¡°I rely on you, Tark. I trust you. I know... I know your heart is good. But that¡¯s what scares me so badly. I need you in this. I need your understanding and your advice... and I need to know you won¡¯t throw everything aside because someone looks at her wrong. She is an unknown, Tarkyn. You have to see that. You can¡¯t expect me to have the confidence in her that you have.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you remember though?¡± Tarkyn growled. ¡°Remember when you found Aaryn and the way the elders questioned his loyalty? Questioned why he wanted to have you? Don¡¯t you remember how hard you fought for him?¡± There was a pinch in his conscience about using his knowledge of her past to move her, but he had to get her to listen.


    Interestingly, Elreth nced at Aaryn then with a strange expression. He wondered if the pair had discussed that very thing already. He hoped so. Aaryn had seemed less wary of Harth from the beginning, and they needed every ally they could find-especially those among power.


    Then Elreth took a deep breath and nodded at Tarkyn. ¡°Aaryn and I spoke about thatst night. I remembered how it was when we mated, and how many people questioned his motives. I¡¯d... I¡¯d forgotten that. I¡¯d forgotten how hard that was, knowing how good he was and how strong, and having to watch them all fearing him. So... I understand what you¡¯re saying Tarkyn. And you¡¯re right. But the circumstances aren¡¯t the same. Aaryn was one of us.¡± She put a hand up as Tarkyn took a breath to argue. ¡°Don¡¯t, I¡¯m trying... I¡¯m trying to say... I want us to be in this together. All of us. But please... be patient. I can¡¯t throw aside everything I know and everything that is mine to bear to just... ept your view. I can¡¯t. But I am considering it. All of it. And I don¡¯t want to lose you-¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t,¡± he said, and the smile that crept up on him was real. ¡°This is terrifying, El, I get it. But she¡¯d never hurt me.¡±


    Elreth gave him a pointed look. ¡°Of course she won¡¯t. But she might hurt me, or my people, or even you without meaning to-¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Harth broke in, her grip on Tarkyn¡¯s side tightening. ¡°No! I would never hurt him-hurting him would hurt me. And hurting you would hurt him... Can¡¯t you see that? Doesn¡¯t your bond do that to you?¡±


    Elreth¡¯s gaze ttened when she looked at Harth, but Tarkyn didn¡¯t miss the way Aaryn¡¯s grip on her hand tightened. A warning, or a reminder?


    ¡°Youe here not only as an intruder, Harth, but as aplete unknown. Yet, you are here, party to conversations that even our citizens do not have the privilege to witness,¡± she snapped. ¡°I can smell the entwining of your scents. I do not deny your bond with Tarkyn, but neither do I deny the risk you bring with you. So please... let us navigate this. Speak up when you want to provide help, to provide truth. But if you want to reassure me, you¡¯ll have caution and try to see this from my perspective-as I am trying to see it from yours.¡±


    Harth¡¯s jaw flexed, but she nodded once. Tarkyn pulled her closer, sighing. But there was a flicker of hope within him, as well.

 Chapter 62

    62 A Certain Kind of Female


    ~ TARKYN ~


    It urred to Tarkyn that there was a reflection of Elreth in his mate-a strange simrity between them. And it was that oddbination of strength and innocence that El had always embodied, even when she was a child.


    But even though he was amused for a moment by the parallels between them, he was equally uneasy.


    Females that were too alike would either be sisters, or enemies.


    He prayed the Creator would guard them against thetter.


    ¡°El,¡± he said, ¡°thank you for giving this all your thoughts. Thank you for trying to understand. I know it¡¯s hard. You won¡¯t lose me in this. My heart hasn¡¯t changed. It¡¯s only expanding to make room for my mate. But it¡¯s also showing me a great deal.


    ¡°In the past I¡¯ve been guilty of... too narrow a view of the issues that threaten our people.¡± He shared a nce with Gar then, both of them remembering the ways they¡¯d conflicted when the war with the humans was beginning, as they argued each for their different styles of leadership in training the people forbat.


    Elreth raised a brow. ¡°So you¡¯re saying that your sudden advocacy for peace with these intruders isn¡¯t just because of your mate?¡± she asked pointedly.


    Tarkyn shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m saying I¡¯m learning-and so are you.¡±


    .....


    But Elreth shoved the air from her nose. ¡°Tarkyn, I just watched you be carried in here out of your mind. You attacked your own soldiers! I want you in this-I need you in this! But how can any of us trust when that¡¯s possible? What is going to happen if we¡¯re at Council and someone knocks into her by ident?¡±


    Tarkyn¡¯s heart throbbed painfully and his entire body tensed at the mental image, but he gritted his teeth. ¡°I¡¯m fighting that... instinct, El. I was taken by surprise. I didn¡¯t understand the depth, the acute awareness... it¡¯s going to take some time to adjust. But just as I don¡¯t fly to aggression every time a soldier stumbles into me, I¡¯m sure the day wille that I can feel her and not fly to attack.¡±


    ¡°Your confidence is reassuring,¡± El said dryly. ¡°But all evidence right now points to a Captain who is at best fighting battles on two fronts, and at worst is torn between two loyalties.¡±


    ¡°You know,¡± Tarkyn shot back, ¡°it would help if my mate didn¡¯t feel at every moment like she was under threat herself! If she could rx and speak her mind, move about, without being treated like an enemy!¡±


    ¡°You want me to treat her like an ally when she has done nothing to prove that she won¡¯t undermine us!¡±


    ¡°No, Elreth, I want you to trust me and my judgment to weigh the risk. I don¡¯t expect you to know or understand her like I do-but I do expect you to understand that a mate has unique insight. I know you¡¯ve lived that-remember again what it was like when you and Gar both found your mates! You said it yourself, there was great resistance!¡±


    ¡°Of course, but we had to walk through those things-¡±


    ¡°Your mate wasn¡¯t being physically harmed! He wasn¡¯t being imprisoned-¡±


    Gar coughed and Tarkyn snapped his mouth shut, but he red at his friend. ¡°Even Rika was given into your care,¡± he said tightly.


    Gar nodded, and Rika put a hand to his back, her eyes serious. But when the Queen¡¯s brother spoke, it was with the gravity that his father used too and for a moment the simrities between Gar and the former King stole Tarkyn¡¯s breath.


    ¡°I understand your battle better than any other, I think, brother. All I can say is, keep walking the faithful path. My sister doesn¡¯tck wisdom.¡± Then he ruined the somber tone by grinning. ¡°Not often, anyway.¡±


    Aaryn coughed behind his hand as Elreth arched a brow. ¡°Well, thank you so much, Gar,¡± she drawled.


    The moment of levity was a balm to Tarkyn-a return to their normal, even if only for a moment. But Gar¡¯s grin faded quickly and Elreth turned back to Tarkyn, serious again.


    ¡°Your point is taken,¡± she said quietly. ¡°But just as we had to in the past, you¡¯re going to have... walk through this Tark. I don¡¯t like it. I don¡¯t like it for you, and I don¡¯t like it for us. But I can¡¯t deny the truth of what you¡¯ve said. It¡¯s happened for a reason, and her appearance at this time is no ident. So... I will give you the honesty you¡¯re giving me: I want your advice. I want your power. I want your insight. But I will measure everything you say. I will test it. And if you want to keep peace between us, if both of you want to gain real freedom for Harth, you will need to be patient with me in that.¡±


    Harth stiffened, but Tarkyn squeezed her side. This was a concession from Elreth who always leaned into control and aggression when she was afraid. If she was willing to give any amount of freedom, it would help them.


    ¡°We will,¡± he said with a nce at Harth whose expression was concerned. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Then Elreth looked at Harth and Tarkyn held his breath.


    Harth blinked a couple of times, then jutted out her chin. ¡°I can understand being... wary of me,¡± she admitted finally. ¡°But imprisoning? Tormenting my Alpha? If Tarkyn¡¯s talk of all of you-of your good and loyal hearts-is true. I find it hard to believe that you would sit idly by and watch that happen without wanting to stop it. Or soothe it.¡±


    Elreth rolled her jaw. ¡°I have freed your Alpha from his bonds and provided him with as much space as the state of their family will allow. Overnight we¡¯ve kept guards out of the tree and given healers. Today or tomorrow we¡¯ll attempt talks again. But I would turn your very logic back on you, Harth-consider if I had shown up in yournd, almost killed your King and his guards... consider what might have happened, and how I might have been regarded in the wake of that.¡±


    There was an ufortable back and forth, but Tarkyn sent to Harth over and over again that this was good, that the Queen was softening, that this was their first step towards peace, and that he would continue to nudge her and the others toward that, until Harth took a breath and rxed into his side.


    Then finally, they all took a breath and discussion turned to filling Tarkyn in on the state of the Anima and his soldiers. And a part of him released, breathing more easily as they finally entered territory in which he knew he could prove that he was still the male they¡¯d all known.


    And hopefully, prove to his mate, also, that he would not let her, or her people down.

 Chapter 63

    63 Confidence Broken


    ~ HARTH ~


    ¡°...most of the guards are still out monitoring the Chimera. Now that we¡¯ve established the boundaries of the territory they¡¯ve imed, we¡¯ve kept them as distant as we can.¡±


    Harth bristled at the description of her people being watched, but Tarkyn only tightened his grip, sending feelings of calm and reassurance as Elreth continued to speak.


    ¡°As far as we know, they¡¯re all too far away to be keepingmunication with any that are here. But that physical distance doesn¡¯t only work against them. It works against us as well. We¡¯re sending runners every three hours. But I find it frustrating, Tarkyn. There are too many bodies consumed with the enemy leaving too many gaps in our own defenses. Too many holes in our view. Too many potential hazards. I need your eye on this-and I need your willingness to follow it to its conclusion, whatever that might be.¡±


    Harth stiffened. She felt Tarkyn reaching for her through the link, but Elreth-scenting her disapproval-turned to her. ¡°We haven¡¯t touched your people. We have only observed-I heard your plea that your people have been caged. I do not take pleasure in creating fear. But I also cannot allow my people to be overrun by unknown warriors. We increase our risk by not containing them properly when they have made their home in mynd and I have left them to it-which is more than they deserve!¡±


    ¡°The Creator brought us here!¡± Harth pleaded.


    ¡°We will see,¡± Elreth said, her voiceced in unease.


    It was like talking to a stone, knowing that whatever you might say, it would not budge. Harth despaired for a moment, ever findingmon ground with this woman. But as if he heard her thoughts-and perhaps he did? Tarkyn turned to her, turning her chin to face him.


    ¡®I asked you yesterday to trust me,¡¯ he said, his deep voice resonant through the link.


    .....


    ¡®I do.¡¯


    He nodded. ¡®So I¡¯m asking you to hold onto that while I try to build a bridge here. Please, Harth?¡¯


    She tightened her grip on him. ¡®What are you going to do?¡¯


    ¡®Humble myself, so she knows I¡¯m true,¡¯ he returned promptly. ¡®Pushing Elreth rarely works unless she is already shaky. What she needs now is reassurance. Trust me, Harth. Trust me. And please... for my heart¡¯s sake, please don¡¯t move. Please just let me handle this.¡¯


    And with that he suddenly let go of her, squeezed her hand, then stepped forward, towards his Queen.


    Elreth watched him. They¡¯d all see something pass between the two of them.


    Harth¡¯s fear spiked when his steel warmth was gone from her side, but watching him stride forward, still strong and no longer shaking, his eyes fixed on his Queen, her heart quickened. He was... stunning.


    He stood before his Queen, spacing his feet shoulder-width apart, then thumping a fist across his chest in a salute she¡¯d seen the other soldiers give him at times.


    Elreth nodded once, obviously urging him to speak. But to Harth¡¯s surprise, instead, Tarkyn held the salute and knelt, dropping his chin and bowing his head, his arm still sped to his chest, the other at his belt where, she was sure, he was ustomed to holding a weapon.


    ¡°You know that I serve you, Sire. You know I always have-you and your father before you. My life has been given to thisnd, these people-your family.¡±


    Elreth watched him, but her brother, Gar, nodded.


    Then Tarkyn raised his head and met Elreth¡¯s eyes from his position debased in front of her, and even Harth could see the way her cold distance wavered at how he lowered himself for her.


    ¡°She is my mate. I am responsible for her and any offspring that mighte from our bond. You and I have spoken in the past... My King and I have as well. I have always supported you in giving family priority of your time and presence. Your father taught me that. Sometimes it is... necessary. But I am vowed to you and I don¡¯t reject that. So tell me, how do I fulfill both my love for my mate and the need to be close to her, when you see her and her people as being at odds? Tell me, Elreth, how do I serve you and care for my mate?¡±


    Elreth¡¯s forehead pinched, but her mate, Aaryn said dryly, ¡°Wee to the battle of every mated male alive.¡±


    That snapped the Queen out of her confusion. ¡°You think only males battle with this?¡± she growled at her mate. ¡°That¡¯s pure Alpha male bullshit.¡±


    The Queen and her King red at each other, but then her brother stepped forward, the massive male moving surprisingly lightly. ¡°Tarkyn, Captain, I walked this road with my mate. Perhaps I had... a little more space. Fewer demands on me from the hierarchy at the time. But I understand the battle.¡± Then he turned to his sister. ¡°There¡¯s only one way to find out if she¡¯s going to betray us.¡±


    Elreth¡¯s expression went dead. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°She told the truth about their purpose in being here. I scented her for truth.¡±


    ¡°You said you couldn¡¯t be certain, that she scents differently.¡±


    ¡°I could be certain she believed what she was saying-I only don¡¯t know if she hid anything.¡±


    ¡°And when you all discussed this-without me-did you question what strategies or ns her people employed after they arrived? Whether they hid themselves intentionally? How long they¡¯ve known about us?¡±


    Gar and the other males all look at each other. ¡°We got interrupted,¡± he said uneasily.¡±


    ¡°Creator, give me strength,¡± Elreth muttered, but then she shifted her attention to Harth. ¡°Harth, will you answer questions willingly about what you know of your people¡¯s goals? Their ns? You have fierce warriors-¡±


    The words burst from her. ¡°My people want NOTHING except peace. They want NOTHING except to be left to thrive and grow and live without the controls of someone else over them. That¡¯s all we¡¯ve ever wanted. It¡¯s why we came here! We didn¡¯t even know you were here!¡±


    Elreth¡¯s mouth pursed. ¡°Why do they have such fierce warriors if all they want is peace?¡±


    ¡°Because we were made! The humans created us and trained some of them-especially Zev. He¡¯s... he¡¯s the example they use, the model they tried to follow with the others. Plus, we lived in and that was... harder than this one. We are hunters and protectors and... why can¡¯t you see that we just want to live?¡± she pleaded.


    ¡°Because, your Alpha appeared to have a lot more than survival on his mind. He vowed to destroy anyone who touched him or his mate.¡±


    Harth heard Tarkyn¡¯s breath stop. She swallowed. ¡°What would you do if you were in his position?¡±


    Elreth looked stern at that.


    But then Tarkyn cleared his throat. ¡°El... I need to tell you that I learned... there¡¯s a unique element to the Alpha¡¯s bond. If we kill Sasha, Zev will die-and visa-versa. Their souls have been unified in some way that links their physical lives. And with her being human and so much weaker... It seems... it seems when he stands in protection of his mate, he stands in protection of his own life as well.¡±


    Anger and a fierce sense of betrayal rocked through Harth.

 Chapter 64

    64 Always, Together or Apart


    ~ HARTH ~


    Harth gaped at Tarkyn¡¯s back-why had he told them? ¡®I shared that with you so we could understand each other,¡¯ she hissed through the bond, ¡®so you wouldn¡¯te to our bond in ignorance. Why would you-¡®


    But Elreth¡¯s face suddenly got very tight. ¡°Is that... is that what¡¯s happening for you, Tarkyn? Is that why you can feel her this way?¡±


    Tarkyn sucked in a breath. He nced back at Harth who was trying hard not to show her anger. His eyes pleaded with her to understand before he looked back to his Queen. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he said simply. ¡°But it¡¯s possible. So I¡¯m asking you to keep this in mind for both of us.¡±


    Everyone shifted on their feet and nced at each other. Harth¡¯s heart sank, even in her anger, she wanted Tarkyn to seed. Wanted him to convince these people. But it seemed like for every step forward they took, there was just another back.


    But Tarkyn hadn¡¯t wavered. He held the Queen¡¯s gaze. ¡°If you want any chance at peace... if there is any possibility that these people are allies, do not remove the male. You will remove the Pair-and I can¡¯t see any loyal people taking that lightly, can you? And with that in mind, I think... I think we can all understand my mate¡¯s defensiveness on their behalf, can¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s real,¡± Elreth said.


    Harth rolled her eyes, but Gar stepped forward, pausing before he was two strides away, then asking her very gently. ¡°Can I please scent you for truth again?¡± He nced down at Tarkyn. ¡°I won¡¯t touch you. But I will need to get close.¡±


    Harth tensed, and she saw Tarkyn shudder, but she raised her chin, then nodded.


    .....


    Elreth looked at her brother like she didn¡¯t appreciate her hand being pressed, but when Gar stepped to Harth¡¯s side, Elreth didn¡¯t waste time.


    ¡°This bond you¡¯re describing that links pairs in this way... is it true? Have you hidden anything about it?¡±


    Harth¡¯s jaw clenched. ¡°No, I shared that with my mate in confidence,¡± she seethed. ¡°But it is true. If you kill either of them, the other will die. And on some level this is true of all Chimeran mates.¡±


    She heard the massive male inhale near her hair and her skin prickled in fear. She had to close her eyes, but she could feel Tarkyn watching her, so she breathed deeply and made herself stand for it.


    Then Gar leaned away. ¡°She believes it. It¡¯s real to her.¡±


    Elreth stared at her thoughtfully while the others all waited to see what she would say.


    Tarkyn looked at her from his kneeling position, his eyes pleading. But Elreth only gestured to her mate who was watching her closely, then strode to a dusty corner of the room and turned to speak to him below the level of hearing.


    As soon as she moved, Tarkyn returned to his feet and hurried back to Harth¡¯s side. She sank into his side gratefully, but her stomach still twisting with anger that he¡¯d revealed such a powerful secret.


    ¡®I¡¯m sorry, Harth,¡¯ he sent through the link, his eyes still fixed on the Queen in the corner, speaking with her hands and her mate¡¯s face tight. ¡®She needed to know the consequences of the decision if she chose to remove him. I knew that would be on her list of possible solutions. She needed to know.¡¯


    ¡®But now they know my people¡¯s vulnerabilities-they know ours!¡¯


    ¡®That¡¯s exactly why I told her,¡¯ Tarkyn said, a thread of steely determination in his tone. ¡®It was very unlikely that they¡¯d decide to remove you now that our scents entwine-they know that means this bond is real. But just in case... it also makes you safer, Harth. They won¡¯t remove you knowing how it might affect me.¡¯


    He looked down at her then, his eyes clouded, but the sun broke out in his gaze when she looked up.


    ¡®She is... very stubborn. She didn¡¯t want to believe me.¡¯


    ¡®She¡¯s afraid to believe you,¡¯ Tarkyn returned, his lips thinning. ¡®She can be very hot-headed when she¡¯s angry or afraid. But her heart is soft. I¡¯ll speak to her about hearing your story-the story of all the Chimera. She¡¯ll better understand then. The fact that she¡¯s talking to her mate now is a good sign. Once she stops being angry and starts to think, she leans into humility. This will get better, Harth.¡¯


    Harth wasn¡¯t so sure, but she hoped he was right. The woman still looked fierce to Harth, the room still pungent with the scent of her unease.


    But then, Elreth sighed and strode back to join the group that was watching her. ¡°We¡¯ve left them all overnight. Things should have calmed. The warrior is already healing. I¡¯m going to speak to Sasha-their leader. I know she desires peace, but I do not see how she can control males like her mate if... in any case, I¡¯ll see if we can negotiate some kind of understanding that will allow us all some sort of... freedom.¡±


    Then she looked at Harth.


    Then her eyes snapped to Tarkyn. ¡°I¡¯m going to need the advice and strategy... the understanding of my Captain and War Chief to figure out how we can do this safely.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do anything,¡± Tarkyn said, nodding, and Harth could feel his hope.


    ¡°Anything?¡± Elreth challenged him.


    Tarkyn nodded. ¡°Anything.¡±


    Elreth folded her arms, and even though she didn¡¯t look towards Harth, Harth felt it suddenly, the understanding of what she might-


    ¡°I need to talk to the Chimeran Alphas and try to gain some grasp of their goals. I am asking you to be patient for what I hope will be only one more day. I need to keep your mate contained and unable to hear what¡¯s said during these discussions so that I can test their honesty, and hers, when I speak with her afterwards.¡±


    Tarkyn froze, his arm around Harth pulling her tighter against him.


    ¡°What do you mean, El?¡± he growled.


    Aaryn, the Queen¡¯s mate sighed. Harth couldn¡¯t tell if the darkness in his expression was for his mate or Tarkyn since he looked back and forth between them.


    ¡°I need some kind of... double-check, Tark. You have to see that. If I speak with her leaders thene back to her, she can confirm details. It makes us clearer on both parties. Until we know what¡¯s going on, it¡¯s a safety check.¡±


    ¡°You said ¡®contained.¡¯ What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°While you¡¯re with me and the others, I need to keep her under guard.¡±


    Harth sucked in a breath and Tarkyn trembled. ¡°You¡¯d put her back in prison-do you understand what she¡¯s been through, El? What her people have been through-¡±


    ¡°And do you understand that no matter what people have been through, I can only judge them on how they conduct themselves around me and my people?¡± Elreth said, her voice tight with disapproval.


    ¡°She has submitted to your-!¡±


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t submit! She follows you-and that¡¯s a point in her favor. I¡¯m not suggesting we keep her imprisoned for days, Tark. I¡¯m asking you to let me keep her... not free until I¡¯ve spoken with Sasha. And perhaps at the end of that we can all rx a little bit more. Including Harth.¡±


    ¡°Would you submit to a cage, El?¡± Tarkyn said, all sign of his submission gone. Harth could feel him quivering, his muscles tense and ready to leap. She put a hand on his belly, gripping his shirt, her heart sinking, her fear climbing up her throat-


    ¡°I¡¯m not suggesting a cage. I¡¯d be happy with... house arrest. At your tree. But let me be clear: She can¡¯t be given any chance to interact or attack or learn about our people-and if you give me that, you have my word, Tarkyn, that she will not be harmed unless she harms someone else. If she remains quiet and patient, she will be perfectly safe.¡±


    Tarkyn blew out a breath, then turned to look at Harth, his face tortured.

 Chapter 65

    65 Trust


    ~ TARKYN ~


    Everything within him wanted to fight again-the idea of letting Harth out of his sight, let alone under the eyes of other males wanted to blind him. But as he felt her fear bloom, he was reminded that at least he¡¯d know if something went wrong. He would know, and he would take action.


    ¡®Trust me,¡¯ he murmured in her head. ¡®The Queen takes honor in her word.¡¯


    Then he locked eyes with El and spoke to her not as her Captain, but as her loyal friend. ¡°You leave her free in my home-the guards stay outside. And you promise you¡¯ll free her the second you know she¡¯s safe.¡±


    To his relief, Elreth nodded immediately. ¡°I¡¯ll do better than that, I¡¯ll let you free her.¡± Then she turned to the guards. ¡°Put the word around. No one can ount for Harth¡¯s freedom except myself, Aaryn, Gar, or Tarkyn. If anyone else attempts it, it will be seen as an act in vition of my peace and that person will be named a traitor. As long as she remains in her mate¡¯s home, she¡¯s left untouched.¡±


    Then she turned to Tarkyn. ¡°I believe I can still trust you, Tarkyn. Don¡¯t convince me otherwise.¡±


    A wave of gratitude washed over him, but it brought with it an undercurrent of fear. He shook just thinking about being apart from Harth. But if this approach could leave her free... it was worth it.


    ¡°Can I please take her to my home, and can we... Can I prepare her?¡±


    ¡°You have ny minutes. I need to speak with Aaryn and Gar, and we¡¯ll make sure the Alpha¡¯s son has been fed so that they can be as rxed as possible. I¡¯m looking for answers, Tark. Not to conquer.¡±


    .....


    Harth coughed, shaking her head to argue that point-what need was there to imprison her and keep her away from her Alphas if the Queen wanted peace? But Elreth¡¯s intimidating gaze snapped to Harth.


    ¡°Tell me what your leaders would do, Harth? And be honest: If I arrived in yournd, and I brought a warrior who was strong, and that Warrior attacked and almost killed your King, your people? I¡¯ve spoken with Sasha, she is not a withering flower. Tell me she wouldn¡¯t stifle the risk until they were certain I could be trusted? If you try to say otherwise, you lie. Sasha admitted as much herself.¡±


    Harth red, tension twisting in her chest. Tarkyn held her tightly to his side, his tension high as well. But there was no doubt that this was ending better than Harth had imagined when he¡¯d been carried in her by his own men.


    Elreth turned to her mate and her brother. ¡°Make sure the healers make the Alphas asfortable as they can be. You stay here with me so we can n how to approach the... discussions. Tarkyn, I¡¯ll expect you back here within ny minutes. Noter.¡±


    Tarkyn nodded and saluted again, though he didn¡¯t let go of Harth.


    Then, as the Queen turned away from them, he led her out of the building, Harth¡¯s teeth gritted in a twist of fear and anger when the guards who¡¯d carted them in there circled them again.


    *******


    As they walked quickly down the trail, Tarkyn kept an arm around her and looked at each of the guards, muttering orders for them to give more space. He was relieved-and could see Harth rx-when they kept a much wider berth this time. But her body still quivered, waiting for that sudden attack from behind that had happened earlier. Tarkyn wanted to w something.


    ¡®Where are we going?¡¯ she asked him through the bond, clinging to his waist.


    Tarkyn never looking around them, checking the position of the guards, and looking for other dangers as well. But the truth was, the guards would stand in his defense, just as solidly as they would stop Harth from fleeing.


    ¡®My home,¡¯ he said, and then it hit him... he was taking her home.


    ¡®What is it?¡¯ Harth asked, nervous.


    Tarkyn gave a little huff, uncertain how to feel. A curl of joy had begun in his chest, and yet it was shadowed by the weight of their position.


    ¡®I just realized... I¡¯ve been waiting for the day I could bring my mate to my home. But I didn¡¯t imagine it would happen this way.¡¯ He smiled down at her, shaking his head. ¡®I wish all of this were happening differently, Harth, but... but my home is your home. Do with it as you will. It has need of the female touch,¡¯ he said with a small pinch of dread. But there was no time or space to think of the details of life-whether his home was clean or she would like it. At that moment his chest tightened because while he imagined walking her inside and watching her reaction... he also saw himself having to leave her there, alone.


    He shuddered.


    ¡®Tarkyn, what¡¯s wrong?¡¯


    ¡®I just don¡¯t want to leave you,¡¯ he said, ncing at the guards over his shoulder again. ¡®But I can see Elrething around, Harth. Thank you for not arguing about this. I know... I know it was hard. And I¡¯ll make certain I¡¯m not gone a moment longer than is needed. I¡¯m just certain that this is needed. El needs to see that I¡¯m still her loyal Captain-and I need to be there to make certain that your Alphas are understood and... listened to.¡±


    A chill ran in his blood when he thought of the dozen ways this could go wrong if the warrior was enraged again. But perhaps if one good thing came from their own conflict that morning, it was that Elreth and the others would be reminded how far a male would go for his family.


    The walk to his tree took several minutes. Tarkyn, that joy and thrill threading deeper into his veins, tried to prepare her-he had lived the life of a soldier. His tree was neat and well cared for, but... stark.


    But Harth truly didn¡¯t seem to care, only gripping his side as they walked and leaning into him. ¡®I just want to be with you.¡¯


    Tarkyn nodded and held her until finally the trail turned and his Great Tree could be seen, the trail taking a wide bend around it because he¡¯d chosen this area which was more remote.


    When he was younger and just finding his feet as a Lieutenant, he¡¯d needed a ce that would remain quiet even during the day if he was working night shifts. And he¡¯d never moved closer to the center of the Tree City, though therger trees there had been offered to him more than once. He¡¯d always found relief in having a ce to simply be, without the eyes of others watching-or the burden of authority.


    The only Anima who came out here were hunters and trackers, or the asional family or group of young ones taking a trip to the mountains. He was less than a mile from the center of the City, but there were very few homes on this side, and none of them within earshot.


    As he pointed it out, Harth¡¯s eyes widened. The door into the tree, and the windows-lots of windows-drawing her eyes. ¡°The tree is... still alive?¡± she asked quietly.


    Tarkyn chuckled. ¡°Yes, the Great Trees share themselves with us. As long as we leave them their roots and their branches, they shelter us in their hearts,¡± he said with a quiet smile.


    They looked at each other as they stepped into the shadow of the tree. Tarkyn nced over her shoulder as the guards trotted to circle the tree and set themselves within eyesight of it, and each other. Tarkyn¡¯s tension burned, but as they reached the door, he pulled her to a halt and turned to face her, holding her against him. She looked up at him, nervous and curious.


    ¡°We have an hour, Harth. I wish we had more. I pray we¡¯ll get more today. But for now, it will be a lifetime¡¯s joy to show you my home-our home. So I propose to you that when we step through here, we take that hour and hold it precious. Forget what urs out here... forget theing distance. For an hour, let¡¯s just be newly mated and finding each other in this world. Will you do that with me?¡±


    Harth burst into a beaming smile. ¡°Yes, Tarkyn. Yes!¡±


    He leaned down to kiss her quickly, then opened the door and ushered her in. ¡°Wee home, my love.¡±


    *****


    Please remember to click ¡°Vote¡± and ¡°Comment¡± below to help Tarkyn keep climbing and finding more readers! Thank you, every day, for all your support! It means the world to me!

 Chapter 66

    66 Home is Where You Are ¨C Part If you like music while you read, try ¡°Hello Lovely¡± by The Likes of Us. It speaks Tarkyn¡¯s heart perfectly for this scene!


    *****


    ~ TARKYN ~


    Stepping into his home was surreal.


    As he walked her inside, closing the door behind them a little more firmly than was necessary, Harth stopped just three steps in from the door to turn a circle and take in his home-smiling-he looked too, trying to see it as she might.


    Like most tree houses, the door opened directly into the living space. Tarkyn had his lower level separated between areas where he lounged and ate. To their right, a deep couch with thick arms that would easily amodate a soldier¡¯s entire weary body had its back to them, alongside a thick chair with a low back sat at a corner to the couch, both facing a low, rectangr table and just feet from the firece that he only used in winter.


    To their left were several wide windows overlooking a dining set, a table with four chairs that Tarkyn usually used as a desk, choosing to take his meals at the market, the covered, but half-open-walled center of the Tree City where the Anima gathered for meals and festivals.


    His kitchen was small, but neat with an icebox he didn¡¯t use.


    Directly in front of where they stood, the back wall was lined with bookshelves that reached taller than Tarkyn and stacked with books on every subject imaginable.


    .....


    He hadn¡¯t meant to create a library, but as a youth he¡¯d been hungry for information and training, and as a mature male who spent so many evenings alone, books were familiar friends.


    His favorite chair squatted against the far wall, in the shadow of the stairs that climbed from beside the living area, up, all the way along the curve at the back of the tree, to the next level, twelve feet over their heads.


    Harth took it all in, eyes sparkling. ¡°I love your home, Tarkyn!¡± she breathed.


    ¡°Our home,¡± he said. And he smiled.


    He loved it too-the bare wood walls of the interior of the tree, gnarled, but worn smooth first by the master builders, then by generations of Anima.


    He knew that he should have art on the walls over the stairwell, and his curtains were a in, burgundy wool. He¡¯d seen ways that other Anima made their homes brighter and more colorful. And he¡¯d always intended to do the same. But he¡¯d never seemed to find the time.


    His home suddenly looked a little bare, and his heart sank... but when he turned to apologize to Harth and assure her that they would brighten it, the uneasy feeling fell away.


    Harth¡¯s mouth was open in a wide smile. Her eyes shining as she took it all in. And he realized that while his home mightck color, simply having her there, her sunny warmth and giving heart, made his home fuller.


    She made it better, just by being within it.


    Humbled and excited, he showed her around the kitchen, never letting go of her, keeping her under his arm. And she never stopped touching him either-not when he walked her to the living room, not when he promised to bring another chair into the library area, and then led her towards the stairs.


    She kept shaking her head like she couldn¡¯t quite believe the ce-which Tarkyn didn¡¯t understand.


    But then when they took the first stair up, Harth shot him a beaming smile and hugged his waist. ¡°I love it here,¡± she said, eyes shining.


    The adoration and joy in her gaze made his body jump in response.


    ¡°I love that you¡¯re here,¡± he said, clearing his throat as he led her up the stairs to show her the bedrooms-thergest of which was his.


    Theirs, he corrected himself in his mind.


    When they reached the top of the stairs there was a smallnding, then two doors, one close to the stairs. That one, Tarkyn waved Harth away from. It was the spare room which he really only used for storage. Instead, he ushered her past it to the next doorway which was into the master suite that took up the rest of the second floor.


    As they entered the room he let her go and started for the windows. Thest time he¡¯d left it had still been dark and he hadn¡¯t pulled the curtains.


    Knowing that the dark might make it difficult for her, he hurried forward to yank the thick curtains back to reveal his room.


    The bed, massive and wide to fit a warrior¡¯s height was made perfectly, the furs shaken and spread smooth. His pillows were lined precisely at the top of the bed, and all surfaces on the chest of drawers and small table under the window were clear.


    The room was neat as a pin-and just as sterile, Tarkyn realized.


    Once he had all the curtains pushed back so the sunlight could drench the room, he turned back to find his mate still standing just inside the door, eyes wide and scanning the room.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s a bit bare,¡± he started, ¡°But you¡¯re wee to-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s wonderful, Tarkyn. It smells like you.¡±


    The words made his heart pinch and he stopped, still halfway across the room from her. She tore her gaze from the bed back to him and smiled. ¡°I think I¡¯ll rest here while you¡¯re gone... so I can smell you. It will feel like you¡¯re close.¡±


    He almost believed her brave face. Would have believed it, because the smile she gave was genuine. But the bond was alive. And as soon as the words were out of her mouth he felt the ache that started in her chest, and the sinking fear in her gut.


    He didn¡¯t hesitate, but hurried back to her, wrapping her in his arms. Hers snaked around his waist, and they stood that way for a while, her face buried in his chest, and his nose in her hair.

 Chapter 67

    67 Home is Where You Are ¨C Part ~ TARKYN ~


    Tarkyn¡¯s heart ached. He didn¡¯t want to leave her anymore than she wanted to be left, but he was so d that she¡¯d be here in privacy, not hovered over by the males outside. Mhagnus was a good male-evidenced by the fact that he hadn¡¯t been angry with Tarkyn after the kerfuffle that morning. Tarkyn knew they wouldn¡¯t disturb her... so why did he feel shaky just at the idea of leaving her there?


    Because he could feel her fear-and holding her close like this, he felt it as acutely as his own.


    He searched his mind then for something to say that mightfort her, anything. But all his reassurances sounded hollow, even in his own mind.


    And so, he spoke his heart instead. ¡°This is going to be a hard day, Harth. But we have an hour now. So, give me a piece of yourself, and let me give you a piece of me. Tell me, beautiful, if we¡¯d just found each other and we came here because we were normal and mates and... If there weren¡¯t guards outside, and no pressures from our peoples... if it was only you and me, what would you say?¡±


    He was dying to know how she thought when she wasn¡¯t under stress.


    Harth turned her head so her temple rested on his chest and she stared at the room as she spoke .¡±I would say it feels just like you, and that already feels like home...¡± she said quietly. Tarkyn wasn¡¯t sure if he wanted to weep or kiss her. But she wasn¡¯t done. ¡°But that¡¯s only true because you¡¯re here. You¡¯re my home, now, Tarkyn. I just want to be with you. All of you, all of the time. I wish... I wish there really was no one but us. That would be perfect.¡±


    Then she tilted up her chin to find his eyes and when they caught, Tarkyn cupped her precious face and sipped at her beautiful lips. And as her breath got shallower, the stroking of her hands on his back more intentional, as his heart began to race, Tarkyn prayed breathless gratitude to the Creator for bringing him such a brave and loving female.


    It was mind-boggling to him that she was there, truly there, in his home-their home-and throwing herself into his arms as if he was the safest ce to be.


    .....


    Him, the warrior, the soldier, whose entire life had been marked bybat, both real and simted. Whose skin was marked by scars and bruises, and whose strength had been carved at the hands of resistance.


    He doesn¡¯t know how many nights he¡¯d spent in that very bed specting about his mate, how she would look, which tribe she¡¯d be from-how she would feel under his hands.


    But his thoughts then, the feel of her in his arms, was nothing but a paleparison to what he¡¯d imagined.


    As he deepened the kiss and Harth began to tug his shirt from his leathers, he cupped her face with one hand, trailing the other up her side, under her shirt, where the velvet skin of her stomach was so soft and warm.


    Then she returned the favor. Having freed his shirt, she slipped both hands underneath it at his back, her fingers wed, even as she followed the dips and curves of his spine. He sucked in, tensing, but in pleasure at her touch. His entire skin prickled and tingled under her touch as she investigated him, and when she pulled her hands around to explore his stomach, his blood turned to mes.


    ¡°Harth... Creator¡¯s mane...¡± he groaned, then deepened the kiss, fighting with himself not to overwhelm her. But she only sighed into his kiss, her mouth curling into a smile as she pulled him closer.


    Minutes... it was minutes that they spent slowly touching, kissing, searching. Harth struggled with the buttons of his shirt, but got through them, then let her hands y up his stomach to his chest, then his shoulders, pushing his shirt open ahead of them, andying a kiss right at the center of his chest.


    He groaned, shivering with weakness for her, and somehow flooded with strength that wanted him to believe he was invincible, that told his body he was healed and his mate was there, and that there was nothing more necessary in this world than being close to her.


    As she pushed the shirt off his shoulders, he was forced to drop his arms to release it. And in a stupid, juvenile moment of self-indulgence, he pulled out of the kiss to lock eyes with her and yank the shirt down-waiting to see her eyes rake down his chest as they had in the dark that morning.


    But, because the Creator had a sense of humor, and honestly, he was being an ass, his dramatic flick and tug-which should have yanked the shirt sleeves down so he could drop his hands and let it fall to the floor behind him-instead caught the tail of his shirt on his belt-buckle, and one of the sleeves on his bicep.


    Instead of his mate¡¯s eyes lighting with desire, they lit with amusement as he was forced to briefly wrestle with the fabric to free himself.


    He gave her a mock scowl forughing at his ridiculously-loving the sparkle in her eyes, and the way that even herughter, her eyes followed the lines of his chest, down his stomach and lower-where even in in the confines of his leathers, his body was making his arousal in.


    She giggled, then reached out to palm him, tilting her head and looking suddenly very young as she felt him twitch under her palm.


    But Tarkyn, near shaking with desire for her, forgot the embarrassment of trying to show off, and instead reached for her shirt, letting his eyes hood and his jaw go tight when her gaze dragged back up to his face.


    She didn¡¯t stop him, little minx. She locked eyes with him and let her arms rx, only her fingers trailing on the sides of his thighs, her eyes bright on his while he worked her buttons, first one that revealed the hollow between her breasts, then another that revealed the paler skin below than, then the next... until only the sides of the shirt catching on her breasts kept her covered.


    And her nipples made points beneath it.

 Chapter 68

    68 Home is Where You Are ¨C Part 3*


    ~ TARKYN ~


    Breath shallow and quick, once he¡¯d released thest button, Tarkyn slowly ced his fingertips on the t of her stomach, then dragged them up, under the fabric, until he cupped both breasts, taking the weight of them.


    She sucked in when his calloused palms brushed over those tight peaks that he couldn¡¯t yet see. He teased her for a moment, ying both thumbs over her nipples so that she gave a tiny jerk and bit her lip.


    But she hadn¡¯t dropped his gaze.


    ¡®Mine,¡¯ he breathed through the link.


    And when she smiled, smug pleasure rippled through him-only to be overwhelmed by an awed ache as, without looking away from him, she popped the buttons on her leathers and shoved them down so that they sagged to her ankles where she gave a little step-never moving out of his touch-and kicked them away.


    Then she stood in front of him, practically naked, only hidden behind the thin cotton of her open shirt.


    Neither of them wereughing anymore.


    ¡°You¡¯re so beautiful,¡± he whispered. ¡°I¡¯m so d that it¡¯s you, Harth. So stunned that you¡¯re here. You¡¯re really here. In our home. This is our home, my love.¡±


    .....


    Her forehead pinched into lines, and for a moment he thought he¡¯d made her sad. But then-much more smoothly than he¡¯d managed it, and while he still cupped and yed with her breasts, she rolled her shoulders back, grabbed the bottom hem of the shirt behind her, and tugged it down so it slid from her arms to the floor and she was revealed.


    A growl of approval puttering in his throat, Tarkyn tore his eyes from hers to scan down her body, savoring every inch.


    But he was still staring when she whispered his name and lifted her hands to his belt.


    He swallowed convulsively, like an adolescent, new to his own body. ¡°Are you certain?¡± he whispered.


    Harth raised her eyebrows and tugged at his belt so that the leather length pped at his thighs and the buckle clinked. Her fingers flew to the buttons on his fly and she dragged her eyes down, smiling.


    ¡°Tarkyn, if the events of my life have taught me anything, it is to grasp joy the moment it presents itself.¡± Teeth biting into her lower lip, she slid her hand into his leathers and stroked him. Tarkyn sucked in a heavy breath, his hands stilling on her breasts. But before he could speak, she kept going. ¡°You have to grab at joy, Tarkyn, because you never know when things will change and it might be stolen from you.¡±


    Then she pumped him, twice.


    He descended on her, growling, rolling his hips to press himself into her touch and when their lips met, she kissed him with abandon, her breath thundering in his ear.


    But he was beginning to shake. He shucked off his leathers and, without hesitation, picked her up to turn andy her on the furs, crawling up after her as she pushed herself back, deeper onto the bed until she could rest her head on his pillow.


    Their pillow.


    Her pillow.


    She was home.


    With the mating call shuddering out of his throat, he dragged one hand up her calf, cupped the back of her knee, then trailed his fingers up the back of her thigh until he could lower himself to rest between her legs.


    More kisses, and the world became smaller, the sunlight dappling through the leaves on the tree outside and shivering on her skin as he kissed and tasted, stroked and rubbed himself against her.


    And she pulled at him, stroking all of him, her breathing faster as she answered him touch for touch.


    ¡®Harth, love, are you sore?¡¯ he asked in the intimacy of the bond. ¡®I don¡¯t want to hurt you if-¡®


    ¡®Not really. But Tarkyn, I don¡¯t care anyway. I want you. I want all of you.¡¯


    He was about to make her pause, to ask for rity-make sure she wasn¡¯t spending herself just for reassurance he could give her in many ways, when she pulled herself up by wrapping her arms around his neck, and took his mouth in a deep, searing kiss. Then she leaned back, pulling him down so he covered her, wrapping her legs around his thighs and breathing his name with an edge of desperation.


    Tarkyn was overwhelmed, his body leaping to find her. For a moment it was all he could do to fight the beast within as he rocked against her, finding her there, already ready for him, already tilting her hips to guide him, her hands wing at his back, her lips a soft world of want.


    He had to wrestle back his beast that wanted to roar and to take, to possess her... to im her!


    Creator¡¯s mane... That thought made him shudder. But it lit a fire of excitement in him too. His mind racing with visions of telling her about the iming, asking her permission when the time was right-and then marking her his when they were truly alone.


    The thoughts lit a fire in him that fed the mes already in his blood. He trembled with need and Harth gasped, pulling him against her, tilting her hips again to find him.


    ¡°Please, Tarkyn.¡±


    Cupping one hand over her hair, he braced on the other, leaning down to take her mouth and delving with his tongue at the same time that he entered her in a single thrust.


    Harth gave a happy little cry and arched into him.


    And then they began to move together, as if they¡¯d been doing this for years. As if they heard the same drums. And perhaps they did-perhaps they danced to the rhythm of their hearts that seemed to beat in time.


    But the more they moved, the smaller the world became until he¡¯d forgotten everything but her.


    Inhaling her gorgeous scent, he pushed back to watch her writhe beneath him, marveling at the sheer beauty of her. His mate. His Pair. His True Heart¡¯s Call.


    She¡¯d never leave him-not by choice-and they¡¯d never have to stop.


    He couldn¡¯t fathom it.


    Dark thoughts wanted to intrude-fears, angers, resentments-but he pushed them away, unwilling to break the moment.


    Thank you, he prayed. Thank you for her. For this. Thank you for saying yes.


    Then Tarkyn let go of everything else that existed, and turned his entire existence to her.

 Chapter 69

    69 Home is Where You Are ¨C Part 4*


    ~ TARKYN ~


    With a puttering growl, Tarkyn kissed his way down Harth¡¯s neck, her shoulder, her corbone, and yet still down, until the warm plump of her breast was under his tongue.


    Staring at her out from under his brows and the hair falling into his eyes, he smiled as he traced her nipple with his tongue.


    Harth stared down at him, watching, eyes wide, as he teased that peak that hadn¡¯t softened since he¡¯d held her in his hands. Then he opened his mouth over it and sucked.


    Harth whimpered and her hips bucked.


    He sucked again and her breath stopped. She¡¯d wrapped both arms around him, her hands in his hair, holding him against her, still watching as he opened his mouth wider,ving her with the t of his tongue, tasting her more, deeper, sucking harder in rhythm with his thrusts, until she began to shake.


    ¡°Harth,¡± he rasped against her. ¡°My love-¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t stop, please!¡± she pleaded.


    With a growl of approval, Tarkyn smiled around her breast and set to his task.


    .....


    Bracing one hand over her shoulder to keep himself at her breast, he used the other hand to lift it so that her nipple pointed to the sky, then he sucked again, this time letting his teeth graze her skin as he released, nipping at her rosy peak before opening wide again.


    Harth cried out and tightened around him, arching, pushing herself back into his mouth.


    His body thrilled, threatening to steal his control, but he didn¡¯t stop, picking up the pace of both thrusts, and his suckling, until she was keening, her body shaking, and clenching around him.


    ¡°Tark... Tar... I... ohgodohgodohgodohgodohgod-oh!¡±


    She gave a full-body shudder and every hair on Tarkyn¡¯s body stood tall. Groaning the mating call, still sucking at her, still rocking into her, he slid his free hand under the hollow of her back and lifted up as he thrust, holding the peak for a shining, silent moment as she jolted, her jaw fell wide, and she didn¡¯t breathe.


    For seconds on seconds, she arched, riding out the wave of pleasure in breathless silence, then copsing with a cry, scrambling to reach for him and pull him down over her again, her body still quivering with the aftershocks of her release.


    Panting, eyes shining, she grabbed for him and pulled him down, taking his mouth, words of love and joy rasping from her throat.


    But Tarkyn was ovee. When she flicked her tongue against his, then wrapped her legs around his waist and met his thrusts, Tarkyn lost the grip on his leash.


    Body alight with pleasure and awe, he broke the kiss, threw back his head and roared his joy. Then he looked down on her, cheeks flushed and smiling. Her eyes were closed, and her mouth half open, lower lip plump and ck.


    ¡°I love you so much, Harth,¡± he groaned, then braced on both elbows and thrust into her so hard she gasped. She tipped her head back and he kissed her chin, licking her throat as he thrust again and again. Harth, still overwhelmed by her orgasm, could only make wordless pleas. She clung to him, pulling him into her, grasping, her mouth dropped further open and her hands tightened on his back, holding him pulling herself against him, whimpering his name.


    Her passion sent fire through his veins.


    There was no room between them, they took every roll and thrust together and Tarkyn felt his own climax rushing closer.


    Then, as he dropped his head back, still fighting against his climax because he didn¡¯t want this to stop, Harth tipped her head up and opened her mouth on his throat.


    His orgasm hit like a tidal wave, tumbling through his blood as he roared again and the world fell away-everything except Harth.


    As he tumbled over that cliff of pleasure, he was aware of nothing but her mouth on his throat, her warmth pressed against him, nothing but their joining and the intense, indefinable bliss that sparked lights on the edge of his vision and sent his body rippling into joy... until his lungs inted again and he copsed over her, panting.


    *****


    ~ HARTH ~


    The weight of him pressing her into the deep furs was, quite possibly, the most wonderful experience Harth had ever had. While she clung to him, arms and legs wrapped around him, and tried to catch her breath, blinking and panting, her head spun.


    Her mate. He was her mate. This was her life. This was her home. This would be their bed...


    It all seemed too good to be true.


    And then, all of the people and problems they¡¯d met crowded in, screaming that no... it wasn¡¯t too good at all. It was terrifying.


    She was so grateful that he¡¯d opened the curtains, that the sun shone in, flickering and rippling between the shadows of leaves and branches rustling in the breeze of the forest outside. She was so grateful that he¡¯d even thought to do that for her, let alone that he¡¯d done it himself. Hurrying to the task as if it were his calling.


    He was a stunning male-not only in his flesh, but in his heart.


    ¡°Am I crushing you?¡± he asked suddenly, pushing up on his elbows to take his own weight, but Harth just shook her head and held him to her,bing her fingers through his hair that had mostly fallen from its tie now, as he stared down at her.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. Rx,¡± she said.


    Tarkyn, his skin sheened in sweat, smiled and let his fingers trail from her temples, pulling strands of hair away from her face, down her scalp behind her ears.


    It was a delicious sensation and she closed her eyes and arched into it like a cat.


    Like her mate.


    The dark voices wanted to mor about that as well, about the risks they were taking. But she shook them off.


    No. She hadn¡¯t been lying when she¡¯d told him that she¡¯d learned to take her joy where she could find it. She¡¯d meant every word. And she would do that now.


    So, as theyy there together in the quiet afternoon, the room full of the scent of warm skin and desire, Harth smiled.


    Tarkyn¡¯s mouth tipped up on one side and he narrowed his eyes. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just thinking that I¡¯m happy,¡± she said quietly, twirling a piece of his hair around her fingers, ¡°and that I¡¯ll be even happier when we can spend time like this without having to watch for enemies or... obstacles.¡±


    Tarkyn sighed, nodding. Then dropped his head to kiss her gently.


    ¡°The Queen is softening, Harth, I can feel it,¡± he rumbled, his chest vibrating against hers. ¡°Just trust me. I¡¯ll get us through this-both of us. And I¡¯ll help your Alphas, too. I give you my word.¡±


    She kissed him again then, just because she couldn¡¯t resist.


    When he pulled his head back to meet her eyes, she¡¯d blinked away the beginning of tears that had been tightening her throat. Because while she couldn¡¯t feel him as sharply as he could, apparently, feel her, she felt enough.


    Her mate was a good male. The best kind. And she did trust him. More and more.


    Now she just prayed that those around him were equally as good. Because she didn¡¯t want to have to hurt anyone he cared about.

 Chapter 70

    70 Lion Awake


    ~ TARKYN ~


    Thankfully, taking his mate hadn¡¯t spent his energy. Tarkyn had decided he wouldn¡¯t heed the risk. Being close to Harth was as necessary as breathing. But he¡¯d known in the back of his mind that it was a risk.


    He¡¯d already been so weak. Despite his best efforts to hide it, the others had clearly sensed it in him-it was part of why Elreth had been so fearful. Her natural dominance growing in the face of a male she¡¯d relied on growing weaker. He knew that. And it was humbling. But this morning he¡¯d woken feeling so much stronger. And now...


    His blood pulsed in his veins, his heart still returning to calm. But instead of his body feeling spent, he felt invigorated.


    And angry.


    He caught the simmer building and tried to soothe it-reminding himself how he might respond to an Alpha near death. Reminding himself that Elreth had been standing in instinctive protection of their people.


    But the lion in him was awake now-and angry. He didn¡¯t want to leave his mate. But damned if he was going to be torn from her and not make use of the time to ensure that it would never happen again.


    He was going to fix this. Today. He would make Elreth hear him, and he would find the way forward with the Chimera. They all would. They had to.


    With a silent prayer of thanks to the Creator for his lovely, soft mate, he rolled off of Harth, pulling her into his side.


    .....


    The twist of dread in his gut wouldn¡¯t be moved. He would have to leave her soon, and he couldn¡¯t think of anything he wanted less. But it had to be done. And at least she¡¯d be safe andfortable here... wouldn¡¯t she?


    Harth sighed and snuggled into him, her arm across his chest, her fingers ying up and down his arm, raising goosebumps.


    Fuck.


    The desire was there to lock the door and ignore the rest of the world and just bury himself in her again and again. He turned to kiss her head, and inhaled deeply, wallowing in her warm, happy scent.


    He didn¡¯t want to move.


    And yet, he wanted to burn the whole fucking ce down for daring to pull them apart.


    ¡°I have to go soon.¡± His voice was dark, deep. He cleared his throat and gave it warmth before he spoke again. ¡°What do you need to befortable here while I¡¯m gone, Harth?¡±


    He felt her tense under his hand and pulled her tighter against him. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± she said, but he could feel her, feel the tick of fear and unease.


    But she was strong, his mate. He was proud when, a few minutester, as he reluctantly rolled off of the bed and began to get dressed, she did the same, a fierce light in her eyes despite her fear.


    They walked down the stairs together, Tarkyn taking the lead-but as they reached thending at the bottom, he realized they¡¯d used all their time and he hadn¡¯t even shown her where to find anything. He turned to face her on the squarending, frowning.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I haven¡¯t shown you where anything is. I can give you a quick tour,¡± he said. ¡°Will you want food? Or nkets? I can show you-¡±


    ¡°Tarkyn, I think I¡¯m intelligent enough to look around to find what I need,¡± she said dryly, but grinning to soften the words as she stepped right up to wrap her arms around his middle, her head turned up and throat bare.


    She smiled, and though it was tense, he couldn¡¯t resist. He cupped her face and kissed her, long and slow.


    She gave a little sigh and her grip in his waist tightened-which brought his body alive again.


    Creator¡¯s mane, she was like a drug.


    But he forced himself to break the kiss and look down on her, to show her his care. ¡°How is it for you being in here? Is it like the cave?¡± he asked quietly.


    She shook her head. ¡°No, the windows help a lot. I¡¯m tense, but I¡¯m not panicking. It¡¯s just hard knowing there¡¯s guards out there.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back as soon as I can.¡±


    ¡°I know you will.¡±


    But he could feel the way her guts tightened at his words and he groaned, pulling her into a kiss again. ¡°I don¡¯t want to leave you.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure you do, Harth,¡± he graveled, turning her and pressing her against the wall so she was covered from sight, shadowed by him. An ache clenched his belly then-he would let them y him alive if it would keep her safe. He knew she¡¯d be safe-she wouldn¡¯t leave. But that tiny piece of him that always wanted to believe a good thing couldn¡¯tst, screamed fear.


    He gave in and kissed her again, his body rising to find her while his heart began to race as he traced her lips with his tongue and delved her sweet mouth.


    Harth whimpered and her body rippled under his touch. Her kiss got desperate. She wed her fingers into his hair and pulled him down, and he was lost again, both of them panting.


    The kiss became heated and frantic. Tarkyn, with a low growl, let one hand drag down her back, down her leg and cocked up one knee to hook it over his hip so that he could grind against her.


    It was a silly, juvenile desire, but he couldn¡¯t resist it. And Harth¡¯s mouth opened on a small gasp that lit a fire in his belly.


    Holy shit, he was hard for her again, his body driving forward. Seeking. He would have tried to tamp it down, but to his delight, Harth leaned back, letting the wall take her weight as she arched closer.


    He slid that hand higher, cupping her ass and pulling her against him just as she started to unbutton his shirt and her tongue traced his.


    Everything left his head except his joy in her and the burning, driving desire for her-until there was a thump on the door behind him and they both started.


    ¡°Tarkyn, it¡¯s time.¡±


    Tarkyn froze, his face buried in her neck, her hand inside his shirt and dragging down. Both of them breathed too quickly.


    Tarkyn lifted his head, his hair falling out of its tie because she¡¯d had her fingers in it.


    The look in her eyes that he could feel through the bond-impossibly mingled desire and joy right alongside terror-made him want to close his teeth on something.


    Rage at the injustice of all this-and at the interruption-threatened to steal his control.


    Either she sensed it in him, or she was just that beautiful, because she reached up to stroke his jaw and sent to him through the bond.


    ¡®Go. As long as they leave me alone, I¡¯ll be fine.¡¯


    Tarkyn growled at the image that shed in his head-her fear, males rushing into the tree after he was gone, anding for her. He tightened his grip on her, but she only dropped her forehead against his chest and sighed. ¡°Tarkyn, go. It¡¯s not going to get easier.¡±


    Teeth clenched, he lifted her chin and gave her a quick, chaste kiss, holding her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m going to fix this. Now.¡±


    *****


    Please remember to click ¡°Vote¡± and ¡°Comment¡± below to help Tarkyn keep climbing and finding more readers! Thank you, every day, for all your support! It means the world to me!

 Chapter 71

    71 [Bonus chapter] The Unwee Door


    If you¡¯re reading this in the first few days of November, thank you for being here for Tarkyn¡¯s first month of privilege! You¡¯re a blessing! EVERY privilege purchase increases the book¡¯s presence and impact on the tform. So you are a HUGE part of this book reaching new readers. Thank you!


    *****


    ~ TARKYN ~


    Harth held his gaze and her lips pulled up into a hesitant smile. ¡°I believe you.¡±


    ¡°You should,¡± he said, arching one eyebrow. ¡°You haven¡¯t seen me at my best yet, Harth. But I¡¯m feeling my strength again. No one is going to touch you, except me,¡± he vowed, stroking the line of her jaw with his thumb. ¡°And I¡¯m going to get the Queen listening to your people if I have to drag her to it by the scruff of her neck.¡±


    Harth looked both rmed, and slightly amused by that idea. He kissed her again quickly, then-just as another knock came on the door, slightly louder this time, he stepped back and reached down to redo his buttons.


    Harth let her eyes drag down to where his fingers were working and even though he could feel her growing cold and afraid, she smiled. ¡°Come back soon so we can finish what we started. I want to understand how... that would work,¡± she said with a nce over her shoulder at the wall.


    Tarkyn growled his approval. Pressing her against it with his hips, he nted one hand against the wall over her shoulder, then leaned down until they almost nose to nose, tracing the line of her jaw with his nose, he whispered, ¡°I will return, and I will show you that... and every other kind of pleasure we can find.¡±


    She bit her lower lip and he wanted to tease it out from under her teeth, to kiss her again, to slide his tongue against hers and-


    .....


    He knew if he did, he wouldn¡¯t let her go. And Harth looked like she might lose her resolve too. So he made himself straighten and hold her gaze.


    ¡°Give me three hours. Four at most.¡± His hand tightened at her side. ¡°I¡¯m going to help the Queen find her way through this so we can all be at peace. Not just me and you, but our people. We will find the freedom we both yearn for, Harth.¡±


    Her forehead pinched and hope sprang in her heart, which warmed him.


    ¡°Explore this ce. Find all my secrets. Change anything, Harth. I don¡¯t care. I¡¯ll make certain they don¡¯t disturb you. Figure out what you need to make this your home. It¡¯s mine, and whatever is mine is yours. Including my heart.¡±


    She gave a sad little smile at that. ¡°I know, Tarkyn. Me too.¡±


    Then with a snarl of frustration he turned on his heel, stepped off thending and stalked for the most unwee door in the history of Anima-the one that took him away from his mate.


    Stepping out of that door felt like tearing off his own skin. If there hadn¡¯t been half a dozen guards waiting, he likely would have turned right back around and returned to her. But the Guards snapped to attention as he stepped through the door, and he was reminded of his role in the lives of his people.


    ¡°Those of you returning to the Council with me, we leave now. If you¡¯re staying here, you don¡¯t touch that door, you don¡¯t make a sound. If she doesn¡¯t ask for you, you leave herpletely alone.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± the Guards leaped to acknowledge the order. Tarkyn wanted to growl, but instead he took the first step away from her, gritting his teeth against the feeling of being yed. But he made himself do it, because he knew he was needed. He needed to be there to make sure El didn¡¯t fly into panic, and to make certain that his mate¡¯s wellbeing was considered as decisions were made.


    Plus... he had a job to do.


    That thought settled a weight on his shoulders, and for the first time in his life, the weight of responsibility-the weight of his role in the Anima-sat heavily. Like a job.


    It was a burden he¡¯d always found joy in before. Purpose. But now it felt like a sword, dangling over his head. An adversary that he wanted to fight.


    ¡®Help me, Creator,¡¯ he prayed silently. ¡®Strength, wisdom, and peace... we need peace. Please bring peace-for Harth and I, and for our people.¡¯ He gritted his teeth as he took the second step, ¡®Because I don¡¯t want to be responsible for what will happen if my Queen wages war on my mate.¡¯


    ¡°Sir, the Queen said we could call for a messenger to bring anything that might be needed to make your mate morefortable.¡±


    ¡°How generous,¡± Tarkyn said dryly, shaking his head slightly. There was food and drink in his home, warmth and safety. But what his mate needed waspanionship. Security. To be together with-


    He stopped dead on the trail and the guards all turned, brows high, to see what was wrong.


    ¡°Tarkyn-¡±


    ¡°Just a moment,¡± he snapped, then turned and rushed back to the door, swinging it open to find Harth standing behind the couch, stroking a hand over the fur he had thrown there.


    She flinched when the door opened, but her eyes brightened when she saw him.


    ¡°Love, I just had an idea. I¡¯m going to send you a friend-a female that you can trust. Someone to be with you so you aren¡¯t alone.¡±


    Harth¡¯s expression was uneasy. She didn¡¯t wee the gift. She was afraid. He could feel it.


    Tarkyn sent to her through the bond. ¡®Do you trust me?¡¯


    ¡®Of course. But has this female... has she known you?¡¯ Harth asked quietly.


    The darkness that churned in his chest threatened to make him vomit, but he swallowed it back. ¡®No, I vow it, Harth. Trust me on this: She is someone who will be a blessing in your life. You shouldn¡¯t be alone.¡¯


    Harth took a deep breath, but she nodded, and he felt her resolve, her determination to believe in him. It was humbling.


    Sending her an image of the way he¡¯d hold her when he got back, Tarkyn forced himself to close the door again and walk away. But as he did so, he pulled the soldier aside who¡¯d offered the messenger.


    ¡°Get Suhle over to the tree as soon as possible. It¡¯s an emergency. Tell her there¡¯s a broken heart that shouldn¡¯t be alone, and she¡¯s a wolf. She needs a friend. And safety.¡±


    The guard nodded and darted off, shifting into equine form and galloping into the trees as Tarkyn shook his head and chastised himself for having been so weak. He should have eaten more yesterday, should have drunk more. Should have paid more attention to how his own weakness was affecting everyone around him.


    He wasn¡¯t weak today. Today he was steel.


    He wouldn¡¯t let them question him again.


    With a huff of determination, he stalked through the forest reminding himself exactly who he was-he was the Captain of the Queen¡¯s Guard. Defender of the Anima. He was Alpha and he was Mate.


    He¡¯d given his life to his Queen and her people and they¡¯d all seen the truth of his loyalty.


    And he would be fucked if he would let them question it again.


    He was true to his vow to his Queen. He would protect her life-and her people. But he¡¯d never treated the Royals as if they were any less mortal than the rest of his charges. So he would also shake some fucking sense into El if that¡¯s what it took.


    He would not be ruled by fear-and he wouldn¡¯t allow his Queen to rule the Anima out of fear, either.


    And if Elreth couldn¡¯t see that that¡¯s what she was doing, he would show her.


    That was his job. And he was fucking good at it.


    He leaped forward into his lion and darted into the forest, leaving the guards to follow if they could.

 Chapter 72

    72 Calling the Queen ¨C Part ~TARKYN ~


    He hadn¡¯t meant to m the door when he walked into the Security Council building, but he flipped it closed a little harder than necessary and the shuddering thunk of it in the frame turned all his friends heads.


    Elreth, Aaryn, and Gar stood at the back of the room, while a handful of guards clustered near the door. They¡¯d all been talking, but their voices stopped when he stepped in the door banged.


    Ignoring the sudden tension in the room-or perhaps, appreciating it-Tarkyn strode through them, letting them scent his authority so that the guards all shrank back as he entered.


    Elreth tilted her head, a warning in her eyes as he strode towards her, but Tarkyn didn¡¯t miss a beat, pping a quick fist to his chest in salute as he approached, then stalking right up to stand at her toes.


    Aaryn feeling Tarkyn¡¯s dominance wafting off him in waves, twitched to get between them when Tarkyn didn¡¯t give her space, but Elreth didn¡¯t look disturbed. She just raised a hand to stop her mate as she held Tarkyn¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°Clearly you¡¯re feeling stronger,¡± she said, her nostrils ring. He knew she¡¯d scent that he¡¯d taken his mate, but he didn¡¯t give a shit. And Elreth had never been one to taunt on those lines anyway. But he wouldn¡¯t put it past Gar-


    ¡°Just needed to blow off a little steam,¡± the male sniggered predictably.


    Tarkyn lifted his lip to bare his teeth on that side, but he didn¡¯t take his eyes off Elreth. ¡°I did it, El. I let you pen her up. So she¡¯s not here to see me tell you that you¡¯re acting like a fucking child who¡¯s scared of the dark and it¡¯s time to grow the fuck up.¡±


    .....


    Elreth growled and both Aaryn and Gar tensed.


    The guards around the room went still, none of them wanting to draw the attention of the most powerful Anima when they were in conflict.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re feeling stronger today, Tarkyn. But this isn¡¯t your-¡±


    ¡°Oh yes it is. You want your Captain, El? You got him. You got me and you left my fucking mate shivering by herself, willing to face her fear because you aren¡¯t. But this is no game and this isn¡¯t you. What happened to the fierce Queen? What happened to the female who wouldn¡¯t let any of us set her down? We get one skilled warrior on ournds and you turn into a housecat scared of the neighbor¡¯s dog?¡±


    ¡°Back. The fuck. Off,¡± Elreth snarled.


    ¡°No, El. I¡¯ve backed down. I¡¯ve submitted. I¡¯ve pleaded with you and it¡¯s not getting through. This situation is fucked. If you want my advice you¡¯re going to get it: Wake the fuck up.


    ¡°The only way through this is for you to hear the story that the Chimera tell. They are even greater victims of the humans than we are.


    ¡°I did what you asked and I got my mate out of here so you can have your fucking double-check since you apparently don¡¯t trust me to test my mate for honesty-or your brother to scent her for that matter. Now we¡¯re going to talk to these fuckers, right? And you¡¯re going to listen. Becausest night I had to watch my mate try not to fall apart while she talked about what she¡¯d been through at the hands of the humans.


    ¡°Rika has a theory that they are from the future, that they¡¯re what the humans made when they couldn¡¯t get their hands on us. Do you understand what that means? It means that somehow these beautiful people weren¡¯t brought to life under the Creator¡¯s hand, but by human technology.¡± Elreth blinked. Tarkyn nodded. But he didn¡¯t stop.


    ¡°And my mate-my beautiful mate-was the one who had the soul and humility to look me in the eye when I told her how sorry I was for what she¡¯d been through-and how I wished I waited for her-she told me that she understood it was the Creator¡¯s n. That unless we had defeated the humans, she wouldn¡¯t even exist and she and I wouldn¡¯t have each other.¡±


    Aaryn shifted on his feet and Gar blew out a breath, but Tarkyn didn¡¯t take his eyes off of Elreth. ¡°Do you have any idea how humbling that is, Elreth? Her story is sick-worse than anything we went through here. And yet somehow she still has the heart to celebrate that those fucked up situations brought her here... to me.¡± He stabbed his own chest with a finger and leaned right in Elreth¡¯s face. ¡°These people deserve Anima, they were brought by the Creator Himself-freed toe here. And if you step into their path, you will remove His blessing from them. Are you prepared to do that?¡±


    Elreth huffed, her jaw tight. She looked uneasy, but thoughtful. ¡°Of course not,¡± she muttered.


    ¡°But?¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m also not prepared to let their blessing be our downfall. I don¡¯t doubt that these Chimera were abused-no one does. But that doesn¡¯t mean we can let them remove Anima from us, either. They have been made by the humans, Tark, and raised in violence and victimization. Their Alpha came for us when he was under threat-


    ¡°I bet you or Aaryn would have done the same thing!¡±


    ¡°-we can¡¯t just say ¡°Oh, Sorry¡± and free them. He could kill our people before he understood that we are not the humans.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve treated them the same way!¡±


    ¡°No, we have not!¡± Elreth snarled putting a finger under his nose. ¡°I have put our people at risk by only watching them and not taking them. I haven¡¯t waged war when I could have for the simple fact that that male would have killed me or my mate if we hadn¡¯t had enough guards to help. I¡¯ve let you take one of them as your mate, Tarkyn. Do you think I couldn¡¯t have stopped that?¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to, but don¡¯t stalk in here with your tail twitching and tell me that I am the enemy, because I am not. I have people to protect on every side. And until you stand in my shoes-sit on my throne-you do not deign to tell me that I am heartless for being torn between those I know and love, who have proven their loyalty, and those who arrive unannounced and literally out of the bosom of our enemy!¡±


    Tarkyn had to swallow a growl as he and Elreth red at each other. He knew she was right-it was why he hadn¡¯t attacked earlier. But he also knew Elreth was dragging her feet. She was scared and procrastinating on taking action because of it.


    And he¡¯d never let her stay in that ce before. So why would he now?


    Just as he opened his mouth, Gar stepped in, sliding a hand between them and nudging his sister back carefully.


    ¡°So, friends... You¡¯re both right. You both make good points. But that¡¯s what we¡¯re here to sort out today, right? Because we¡¯re all going to go talk to these people and figure this out together. We¡¯re all on the same team, remember?¡±


    ¡°I remember,¡± Tarkyn muttered. ¡°Do you, El?¡±

 Chapter 73

    73 Calling the Queen ¨C Part ~ TARKYN ~


    Elreth sucked in a breath, a cloud shadowing her eyes. She flinched. ¡°Seriously, Tarkyn?¡±


    Tarkyn wed a hand through his hair. ¡°It feels like since the second I woke up after the rite you¡¯ve done nothing but question me.¡±


    ¡°Are you fucking kidding me? I turned Anima over looking for you! I thanked the Creator when we found you. I question them, Tarkyn. For the Creator¡¯s sake, none of us are immune to being wrong, or deceived or... or affected by things we don¡¯t understand! I¡¯m standing in protection of my people-including you!¡±


    ¡°So do I!¡±


    She stared at him long and hard, those shadows still passing behind her eyes, but then she nodded. ¡°I believe you. I do. I just... I¡¯m scared, Tarkyn. And we¡¯ve got so few of the guards here. It feels like this will take a single breath from the wrong direction and our entire lives will fall apart.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s your fear talking. Put your faith in the Creator and let His breath blow, Elreth. This has to have happened for a reason. They arrived three months ago-just when my heart began to ache for my mate, and hers drew her to me. She¡¯s been searching. And she found me, just in time to save my life-and at exactly the same time you ran into her Alphas.


    ¡°Can you imagine what would havee of this if she and I weren¡¯t mates? If we¡¯d just found them out there? All hell would have broken loose. You can¡¯t believe that she and I were brought together at that time by ident?¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± Elreth muttered.


    .....


    ¡°So let¡¯s get this fucking finished!¡± he growled.


    Aaryn stepped closer with a low growl of his own, but Tarkyn didn¡¯t take his eyes from Elreth. ¡°I submitted to you in her presence. I asked her to trust me to get through to you. I have done everything I can to show you that my heart remains true, and now I¡¯m telling you it¡¯s time for action, El. These people have been wounded-worse than us. So let¡¯s figure out how to forge peace.¡±


    Elreth took a deep breath and nced at Aaryn. He knew that look. Obviously they¡¯d discussed this already. Tarkyn¡¯s heart swelled with gratitude for the male. He¡¯d known Aaryn would have a heart for the disenfranchised Chimera if he knew their story.


    Then Gar cleared his throat, and Tarkyn¡¯s hope soared. Gar had reason to trust and negotiate as well.


    ¡°I think he¡¯s right, El. I think it¡¯s time to just talk to them.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t doubt that they were hurt by the humans, but the enemy of my enemy is not necessarily my friend.¡±


    Tarkyn leaped in. ¡°No, but my mate is our friend-or would be. Her heart is good, Elreth-and if these are the people who saved her, I¡¯m guessing their hearts are, also!¡±


    Elreth¡¯s lips went thin. ¡°I want this to be true, Tarkyn, I do,¡± she said quietly. ¡°But I can¡¯t just take your word for it-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to-I¡¯m asking you to stop balking and start talking. Let¡¯s go. Let¡¯s do this. Because the only one who can build a bridge is you, El. Have you realized that? Nothing else matters if you refuse to move. This all hinges on you, and you¡¯re the one holding us back!¡±


    Elreth threw up her hands and turned to stalk away, but only to pace the floor. ¡°I¡¯ve already spoken to Sasha-the female Alpha-before all of this went to hell. She doesn¡¯t want war, but her mate-¡±


    ¡°I know the questions to ask now,¡± Tarkyn insisted. ¡°Let me talk to him, El. Warrior to Warrior. Mate to mate. I¡¯m bonded to one of his now-he should be able to scent that. Let me talk to him.¡±


    Elreth didn¡¯t stop pacing. She chewed her lip, her hands opening and closing at her sides indicating she was so deep in thought she wasn¡¯t aware of her bodynguage. Then she turned to look at Aaryn and Gar. ¡°Do you both agree? Do you think the gains are worth the risk?¡±


    Aaryn nodded. Then Gar shrugged and opened his hand, as if it was her decision.


    But Tarkyn¡¯s anger burned again-she thought it was a risk for him to talk to this male?


    But Elreth must have caught scent of his irritation because she shook her head and turned back to him. ¡°The risk of losing you, Tarkyn. I am already working with a skeleton of guards-do you think I want to take any steps that would put us at risk of losing you?¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t lose me when the enemy is on the other side of prison bars.¡±


    Elreth huffed her skepticism. ¡°And a year ago we didn¡¯t have to worry about any other human getting into Anima, remember? We sacrificed to make that certain... and it¡¯s no longer certain.¡±


    All of them sagged a little at that. Grief speared through Tarkyn, and it had to have been worse for Elreth and Gar, he knew.


    Tarkyn cleared his throat. ¡°I know it hurts, El,¡± he said softly. ¡°It hurts me too, I can¡¯t imagine how it hurts you. But we can¡¯t let this make us spiral into nothing but fear. Our loved ones¡¯ sacrifice wasn¡¯t for nothing.¡± He nced at El and Gar, then Aaryn. ¡°The Creator didn¡¯t bring these people here to destroy us, I¡¯m certain of it. They¡¯re seeking the freedom we fought to achieve. They literally asked this... this gateway thing to take them to a ce where the humans could never hurt them again. And the Creator brought them here. He gave me a mate among them to bring us all together.¡±


    The other three looked at each other, then Elreth muttered something under her breath and stalked towards the door, shaking her head. All three males watched her go, uncertain.


    But when she reached the door, she turned to look at them. ¡°Well? Aren¡¯t youing?¡±


    Yes. Yes, they were. Tarkyn hurried towards her and the door, and the path outside that would lead them to the prison tree, and even though there was still so much of this war to be fought, his heart sang.


    Because they were finally the path to make his mate free.

 Chapter 74

    74 A Friend Among Wolves


    ~ HARTH ~


    Harth had spent almost an hour pacing his house. She couldn¡¯t sit still. She knew the guards were outside, and that felt... like eyes on her back, even though they weren¡¯t. Even though she knew that the order had been given to leave her alone. And she knew she wouldn¡¯t step outside to tempt them to harm her.


    Her head knew these things. Her body wasn¡¯t quite ready to believe them.


    There were males outside who saw her as a threat, and she didn¡¯t know what forces were at work to move them.


    But she did know her mate.


    She put a hand to her chest, pressing on that spot right in the middle that felt so tender, almost hot. And yet... it throbbed not with pain, but with awareness of him.


    Not the same awareness he had of her-that was curious, and she pondered that, as well. But she could feel the essence of him. Sense his resolve and his uprightness.


    She could feel how good her mate was, and it was so beautiful, it almost brought tears to her eyes.


    He¡¯d left angry, she knew. She¡¯d been able to feel that much-which must mean he was feeling it strongly. She¡¯d scented it on him some, but the deeper conviction came through this incredible bond.


    .....


    Her mate was in a rage, yet he held himself in check. He¡¯d touched her with such tenderness, not a whisper of his fury directed at her.


    It was a mark of his self-discipline, and his care for her, and it only made her fall more head over heels for him.


    There¡¯d been a moment in the bed upstairs when she¡¯d almost grabbed him and begged him not to leave. Almost begged him to escape with her so they could just live together, alone and never have to think about anyone else.


    She would be happy that way, she knew.


    Others always caused pain. In her life, in the lives of everyone she cared about-others always caused pain.


    Her mate would not. Her mate helped her feel safe. Cherished.


    Her mate helped her feel joy.


    She wanted more.


    She wanted time to admire him properly-in body, and in his spirit. There were so many pieces of him she didn¡¯t yet know. And so she explored his home, ignoring things like furniture, instead peering into corners, opening books to see what he¡¯d pressed between pages. Even going upstairs and pawing through his closet, though there was little of excitement there.


    She picked up the book that had beenid on his bedside table with a small ribbon bookmark curling out of it, wondering what had held his attention at night when he was alone.


    Alone.


    That word echoed like a cold wind in her chest. She could see him here, now. Laying in bed naked, sprawled, one arm curled under his head, thatdder of muscle that climbed his ribs rippling every time he moved.


    She could see his face, frowning into the pages of that little book. See him stalking the room in quick, efficient steps to dress himself-or perhaps kneeling toy a fire in the hearth.


    Her mind filled in the pieces as she prowled through the house, and her heart ached to have him back.


    She felt a great throb in the center of her chest and it made her breath stop-but then she realized... it was him aching for her. He¡¯d thought of her-or yearned for her. And she¡¯d been able to feel it.


    With a tiny smile, she closed her eyes and thought of him in the bed just an hour before, let her body flush with the warmth of his touch, and her heart sigh for missing him.


    And there it was again, that clench in her chest.


    She gave a littleugh and ced her hand there, right over it.


    ¡®I love you, my mate,¡¯ she sent, thenughed delightedly when he answered back.


    ¡®When I get back, I¡¯m going to show you how much I love you, beautiful.¡¯


    She was about to answer-to ask him what was happening, when a quiet knock sounded on the door, and Harth startled, whirling towards the door.


    When had shee back downstairs? Had she ever left?


    She swallowed hard. ¡°What is it?¡± Her voice was too high, shrill.


    But it was another high voice, a female, softly spoken, who answered.


    ¡°My name is Suhle, and I onlye to greet you. Tarkyn called for me. May Ie in? I won¡¯t open the door if you don¡¯t wish me to.¡±


    Harth stood there, heart pounding, and almost gave in to the urge to say no. But then the memory of Tarkyn, looking at her, brows furrowed. ¡®Do you trust me?¡¯


    She did.


    This was a friend, he¡¯d said. Someone who she would be safe with.


    Stomach trilling with uncertainty, Harth blew out a breath then walked to the door and made herself turn the handle and open it.


    Outside, a woman stood, older than Tarkyn though still beautiful-her face had begun to show lines, her skin a touch weathered. But her smile was kind and her eyes... They were wolf eyes.


    ¡°Hi,¡± Harth said uncertainly, then stepped back pulling the door open. ¡°I¡¯m Harth.¡±


    ¡°Hello, Harth. My name is Suhle.¡±


    ¡°Soo-lee?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Harth waited for her to sweep delicately inside, then she closed the door and sped her hands at her waist. ¡°Um... thank you foring. I don¡¯t know what Tarkyn thought-¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I do. I suspect we have a great deal inmon, Harth. I thought I might tell you my story and... well, we can just see?¡±


    Harth stared at her. Her eyes were bright, striking blue-they reminded her of Zev¡¯s eyes a little bit. Her hair was almost white-blond. She was stunningly beautiful, and she moved like a woman who knew her mind. Yet there was something incredibly soft about her.


    Harth¡¯s throat pinched when she smiled, because it was the smile she¡¯d always imagined a mother would have for her daughter.


    ¡°I... thank you?¡± Harth said quietly.


    Suhle stepped forward slowly, opening her arms to give Harth an opportunity to reject the hug she was offering. But Harth found herself just falling into the embrace, still fighting tears.


    And this lovely, gentle woman sighed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry you¡¯re frightened, Harth. I know this ce, our people, can be frightening,¡± she whispered into Harth¡¯s hair. ¡°But I¡¯m here to tell you that the Creator always has a n. And I always want to help anyone find His purpose. So... let¡¯s sit down and I¡¯ll tell you my story. Then, only if you want to, you can tell me yours, okay?¡±

 Chapter 75

    75 Warrior to Warrior ¨C Part ~ TARKYN ~


    They stood in the prison tree-Tarkyn standing directly to Elreth¡¯s right, Aaryn on her other side, and Gar beyond him. Tarkyn had questioned the War Chief about his mate, but Gar waved him off saying Rika had been called away by a friend in need. She¡¯d join themter.


    Elreth had called Jayah to be close in case there was any need for a healer, but Tarkyn suspected it was more because she wanted the option to sedate the wolf if needed. There were four guards standing at four points around the tree outside, and two more just inside the door to ensure no one else came in.


    Tarkyn was concerned that there were already far too many bodies in there to let this male rx, but Elreth had been insistent that everyone be able to hear anything that was said, so they would all be on the same page.


    Tarkyn took a deep breath. The wolf-warrior sat at the back of his cage, his knees bent up in front of his chest like a shield. But he didn¡¯t grip them like someone submitted, or frightened. No. Even without his scent, Tarkyn could read every line of tension, every muscle rigid and poised for action. The male had his hands braced on the floor for leverage, his chin low, and bright blue eyes staring out from under dark, heavy brows and messy hair.


    There were dark smudges under his eyes that hollowed his face further and made him look much paler than his tanned skin would appear.


    The male looked tormented... and resolved. Ready to move, to attack, at the slightest provocation.


    Tarkyn would do everything in his power to ensure that wasn¡¯t necessary. This male had been through enough. And if Harth¡¯s view of him was true, he wasn¡¯t just a strong leader and warrior, but a selfless one.


    But how to prove it?


    .....


    The male¡¯s scent-pungent and sharp with toxic stress-carriedyers of sweat and adrenalin. He clearly had barely slept, and spent most of his time on the edge of rage and fear. Tarkyn tsked. He¡¯d never thought he would be a part of putting an unproven male in this position.


    A human who¡¯d tried to destroy his entire people? Certainly. He¡¯d strap that male down and watch him suffer dly. But this?


    This felt like tormenting an animal.


    And the worst part was, the male was beginning to smell like one. They were pushing him deeper and deeper into his animal instincts.


    This was not good.


    ¡°There¡¯s too many people, El,¡± he muttered quietly, never taking his eyes off the wolf-tensing when the male¡¯s gaze swiveled to find him when he spoke. ¡°We can¡¯t expect him to rx and speak if he feels cornered and overwhelmed.¡±


    Elreth frowned deeper, her gaze going to the male¡¯s mate, the human woman, Sasha, who sat nearby holding their son.


    She¡¯d been sitting right next to him when they entered, but he¡¯d obviously given her a warning to give him space, because she¡¯d looked rmed and scooted away from him when they entered.


    Tarkyn didn¡¯t like this. He didn¡¯t like it at all.


    The baby spluttered and gave little wails, arching asionally in his mother¡¯s arms. The sound cut strange slices into Tarkyn¡¯s chest.


    He¡¯d always loved children, though rarely had time with them, except Elreth and Gar when they were growing up, and he¡¯d been so young himself... It seemed since his soul had been awakened to the matebond that something within him felt the call of a child as well. Of course, that thought brought memories of Harth¡¯s fear and concern for what mighte of any child they were able to make... if they even could.


    He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, two or three times, to calm his heart.


    One potential hazard at a time.


    Elreth unfolded her arms and raised her chin. The wolf¡¯s eyes snapped to her face when she spoke.


    ¡°We aren¡¯t here to harm you,¡± she said quietly, though her tone was darker than Tarkyn would have hoped. ¡°We want to talk. We want to... understand. One of your people has shared her story with my Captain, and he believes I need to hear yours. So I¡¯m here. I¡¯d like to hear what you have to say about how you came to be here, why you chose this ce, and what your ns were when you entered... before we met.¡±


    The wolf-Zev, was his name, Tarkyn reminded himself. He had to stop thinking of Zev as his beast, but his scent was so feral...


    Zev¡¯s eyes narrowed, but he didn¡¯t respond. Sasha looked at her mate from the side. Tarkyn wondered whether they were talking in their heads the way he and Harth could, or if she was just waiting for him to speak as they were.


    Elreth waited for a long moment, then blew out a breath and tried again. ¡°I understand that you¡¯ve been in pain and struggling to rest. I understand that your mate and child are struggling also. We are here to try and... find amon ground. Or learn enough of each other to do so. Will you speak with me as the Alpha of your people?¡±


    Zev¡¯s nostrils red and the baby gave a longer cry. Tarkyn sensed the minute shift in the male, the way his body subconsciously swayed towards his son and mate at that cry. But the movement was so tiny, he wasn¡¯t sure the others would even notice.


    Tarkyn¡¯s adrenaline jolted. This was a male with immense control and strength.


    What happened when someone like that snapped his leash?


    Not good things. Never good things, Tarkyn knew.


    He cleared his throat and his friends turned to look at him. ¡°Let me,¡± he said quietly. Then remembered that they weren¡¯t alone. ¡°May I speak with him, Sire?¡± he added quickly, and a little louder.


    Elreth nodded.


    Tarkyn had been weighing his approach ever since he¡¯d left Harth. He knew there would be few chances to truly strike a connection with this male, this wolf. He¡¯d debated the merits of dominance versuspassion, leadership versus empathy. He¡¯d entered the Prison Tree still uncertain, but praying that the Creator would make it clear when they were together.


    And so he trusted his instincts. And with a final, hasty prayer to the Creator, he stepped forward and followed his heart.

 Chapter 76

    76 Warrior to Warrior ¨C Part ~ TARKYN ~


    Tarkyn took a deep breath and locked eyes with Zev.


    The wolf was strong, but young. A leader, but one most likely still working through his self-doubts. He¡¯d been pressed to his limits physically and emotionally, and now he yearned for rest, but the animal within him wouldn¡¯t allow it out of protection for himself and his family.


    He functioned in a dominance hierarchy, just as the Anima did.


    He needed to know that to rest was not to be left undefended. That alliance didn¡¯t mean needing to watch his back, but to be watched over.


    And so, Tarkyn let himself feel the mantle of his Alpha authority and his decades of work and training. He let himself step forward with the weight of his years of experience and strength.


    And he reminded himself that no matter how strong this male was, he was not Tarkyn¡¯s better.


    Zev¡¯s eyes returned to him when he took the step forward,ing within reach of the bars because he didn¡¯t fear this man. He stood easily, arms folded and shoulders back. A male of strength in a time of rest. And when he spoke, he spoke as to a soldier-respected, admired, but lower in the hierarchy, even if only just.


    ¡°My name is Tarkyn,¡± he said quietly, firmly. ¡°I¡¯m the Captain of the Queen¡¯s Guard and the Defender of the Anima. It is my job to measure threats and protect against them. I see you, Zev of the Chimera. I see your strength, and I do not deny it. I see your skill, and I do not underestimate it. I honor you as a Warrior, but I do not fear you.


    .....


    ¡°I am blessed to have found my mate from among your people. Harth of the Wolf Tribe is the other half of my heart. I¡¯ve waited a very long time to find her-almost lost my life in the pursuit of her. She is... precious. And, I believe, our bond is a provision of the Creator that I understand you know and follow also.


    ¡°I have heard some of your story from my mate-her story, and the pains that were caused to her and to you and your people by the humans. We know their ruthlessness and cruelty. We know their strength because we defeated them. But not without huge cost to our people. Cost that, I know, you have also paid... and even more.¡±


    Elreth looked at him sharply, but he didn¡¯t look away from the wolf who was clearly listening, though his expression gave away nothing about how he felt about it.


    ¡°I have listened to your story, Zev of the Chimera. I have watched your mate show her strength and her wisdom. And I see and hear the cries of your child. I honor you as a Warrior... and I grieve the pain you¡¯ve experienced. I pray the day wille that we can walk as brothers and allies, not as enemies. But you must understand... We believed our world waspletely closed off. Inessible from the human world-from which you and your people have arrived.


    ¡°We believed no humans could ever enter Anima again, and yet here is your mate, and who knows how many others with you?


    ¡°We believed we were in control of ournds and strong to defend them, and then you arrived and almost killed our royals and their soldiers.¡±


    Tarkyn took a breath and let that sink in, knowing it was a risk. But if he¡¯d been in the male¡¯s shoes, he would hear that. Understand it. Be reminded of how he might have reacted in the same circumstances.


    Zev¡¯s jaw twitched, but his expression didn¡¯t change. Tarkyn nodded and continued.


    ¡°Your appearance here wasn¡¯t just unexpected, it has torn away our sense of safety in our istion. We know enough of the humans and their world to truly fear any chance that they might return here. Your arrival in this world is a known threat to my Queen and her people-and has revealed that there was an unknown threat here for months before we became aware of you. But wee today to listen and consider. Wee to try and bridge that gap-to reach across and offer the opportunity for peace. To... understand each other. I give you my word, as an Alpha, as a Mate, and as the Captain of the Guard and the Defender of the People, that I will measure your words honestly and openly. I will question my concerns, and admit any wrongs. But I will not waver in this until we can be certain our people are not in danger from you and yours.¡±


    Sasha¡¯s head snapped back to look at her mate, her brows pinched. The baby wailed again and she rocked him absentmindedly. But she didn¡¯t speak-except, probably, in the mind of her mate.


    Zev¡¯s chin dropped slightly lower-but not in submission. He wasn¡¯t happy to have heard Tarkyn say he wouldn¡¯t waver.


    There was a long silence then, and Tarkyn felt the tension rising in the room. Elreth had never been good at hiding her fight. She wasn¡¯t happy that the wolf wasn¡¯t talking, and everyone could feel it.


    Tarkyn wanted to hiss at her to rx, to give the male time, but he knew it would only undermine her in the Chimeran¡¯s eyes. So he kept his mouth firmly shut, determined to wait this male out.


    He was impressed when Zev didn¡¯t cave to the tension either, just held his eyes and waited.


    Tarkyn knew given enough time and space, they could find respect for each other. But his fear was that Elreth-never a true warrior, though she was a fierce fighter and faster than many of his male soldiers-would crack in impatience.


    His Queen had a good heart, but her youth showed at times in her impatience. And his fear was that on the back of seeing no response from this male, she¡¯d trip into the ruthlessness he knew simmered within her.


    Elreth had been changed by the war. In many ways for the better-she¡¯d grown. Matured. She¡¯d given up much of her childish insecurities and expressed herself, especially her love, more openly. She was no longer threatened by the strength of the males around her, though Tarkyn still knew which buttons could still push her into irritation because Gar never quite let her forget them.


    But the loss of those she loved in the war-the losses she suffered, and those she¡¯d thought she suffered before Aaryn returned-had refined the steel of her spine.


    Where Elreth loved, she was no longer willing to wait. If she felt her precious ones were under threat, she would do anything in her power to protect them.


    And when that new resolve wasbined with her naturally stubborn streak, Elreth was capable of drawing a line in the sand that she would not back away from.


    If Elreth perceived that the people she loved were under serious threat, she would not waver from whatever it might take to remove that threat.


    And unlike her father who had always trusted his own ability to physically remove an enemy whenever it might be necessary, and not before, Elreth had had to rely on the greater strength of her military might, and the males around her to protect both her, and her people.


    She would not allow danger toe within a hair¡¯s breadth. She would remove it while it still remained at arms-length.


    Tarkyn knew they couldn¡¯t afford for her to reach that point with these people-not if they ever wanted peace.


    And so, as Elreth gave a small, but sharp intake of breath and swayed forward as if to confront him, Tarkyn caught her arm.


    *****


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 Chapter 77

    77 Warrior to Warrior ¨C Part ~ TARKYN ~


    Elreth¡¯s head whipped around to look at him, but she didn¡¯t pull out of his grip. He turned to meet her eyes, giving the wolf a moment to breathe. And meeting the disapproval of his Queen.


    ¡°Please,¡± he said quietly, calmly. ¡°Trust me.¡±


    Elreth stared at him and Tarkyn waited.


    He remembered a conversation with Behryn after the war with the humans. Behryn was the former King, Elreth¡¯s father¡¯s, best friend. He¡¯d been Second only to the King, and an intimate of the entire family. And he was the former Captain of the Guard.


    After the war with the humans Tarkyn had sought him out for wisdom on how to handle Elreth¡¯s somewhat erratic instructions in the wake of war.


    Behryn had told him that Elreth reminded him more and more of Aymora-her adoptive Grandmother.


    ¡°Aymora was a wonderful,passionate female,¡± Behryn had said with a sad smile. ¡°Wise and strong. But when people she loved were in pain, she could cut the throat out of an enemy and smile while she did it. She never had Reth¡¯s reticence for violence. And I wonder how much of her bloodlust has rubbed off on Elreth. You¡¯ll need to keep a rein on her, Tarkyn. Remind her of the lives of the people-don¡¯t let her view the world in terms of conflict, but terms of hearts. And you¡¯ll need to do that, as well.¡±


    Tarkyn had nodded, but dismissed the advice for himself somewhat, focusing instead on Elreth¡¯s need for it. Now he thought he understood Behryn¡¯s words better... for both of them.


    .....


    He was determined to be the tool in the Queen¡¯s hands to make the difference between a negotiation, and a deration of war.


    So he held her eyes a moment longer after the plea, but then turned back to Zev.


    Looking at how this soldier was suffering... his heart wanted to despair. If he were in the male¡¯s shoes, with all these Alphas standing over him, he wouldn¡¯t feel safe to speak either. He¡¯d fear that every word out of his mouth might be used against him.


    ¡°Please, El. He needs space and time. Let me talk to him. Alone. I¡¯ll bring it all back to you. But he has a Warrior¡¯s heart, just like mine. Give him space to breathe. We need to get all these people away. We¡¯re standing over him like...¡±


    Tarkyn was lost, but Gar broke in.


    ¡°Like he¡¯s a prisoner.¡±


    Elreth snorted. ¡°He is.¡±


    Tarkyn sighed. ¡°El, if that were me, or Gar, or your mate... how would you want us to be treated by them? Let him see that we have mercy. Let these people see that we have hearts!¡±


    Elreth and Sasha looked at each other then and something startling passed between them that he didn¡¯t understand. But he couldn¡¯t ask.


    Sasha nodded, her brow crinkled with worry. ¡°Please,¡± she said quietly.


    Elreth sighed then threw up her hands. ¡°Fine. We¡¯ll go outside. But youmit to nothing, and you decide nothing without filling me in first. This is an open line ofmunication, Tarkyn. Not the negotiation table.¡±


    He nodded quickly. ¡°I know. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Sasha said quietly. Her voice was tight and she didn¡¯t smile, but she offered the words.


    Elreth nodded at her, then gestured to the others to follow. Gar was thest to file out and he looked at Tarkyn pointedly before he stepped out of the tree. Tarkyn wasn¡¯t sure what the War Chief was thinking, but he didn¡¯t have time to find out just then.


    He waited until the door closed behind them, then let himself sag a little, shaking out his arms and letting his body rx before he turned back to the wolf.


    Zev. His name was Zev.


    When he did turn back, it was with a deep breath and a casual stance, praying that the male would reflect him.


    ¡°That will be easier,¡± he said, ignoring the presence of Sasha, thankful that the baby seemed to be settling. His cries and sounds would only remind Zev of his protective instincts. ¡°I want you to know that my mate and I share the bond that you share with yours-she¡¯s able to speak in my head even though I¡¯m not a wolf.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re ardent!?¡± Sasha gasped, sitting up straighter.


    Tarkyn blinked. ¡°I... don¡¯t know what that means. All I know is that we can share thoughts and I can feel her-her feelings, her body. We are connected in ways I never imagined and it lights me up to my bones. I love her with everything within me.¡± Then he turned back to Zev. ¡°When I heard her story of what they¡¯d done to her-and not even the depth of it. Just the description of that life... it broke my heart. And while she didn¡¯t go into great detail, she also shared her heartbreak for you, Zev, and what you¡¯ve been through. Alone, as I understand it?¡±


    Sasha¡¯s breath wasing faster, she looked quickly at her mate whose eyes had sharpened on Tarkyn¡¯s. For the first time he nodded, a single, short dip of his chin. But it was a response. Tarkyn¡¯s heart sang with hope.


    Heid out what he knew of Harth¡¯s story-and some of the less personal memories she¡¯d shared with him. And slowly, he watched the male¡¯s shoulders settle lower, and his arms loosen at his sides, though he never removed his hands from the floor, ready to throw himself forward and into action. But he was clearly listening.


    ¡°...after hearing all of that I can see that we share an enemy. That your training and skill is hard-won. I want to bring our peoples together, Zev. I want my mate safe to walk freely in Anima without threat from my people, and I want to walk safely among hers.¡±


    ¡°Do you?¡± The words were short, quiet, and muttered, but they were the first he¡¯d spoken and Tarkyn¡¯s heart leaped again.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he replied emphatically. ¡°But it¡¯s also my job to ensure that the people of the Queen are safe. I hold great respect for your skill and strength, Zev. I¡¯ve attempted to acknowledge that more than once. I respect what you went through to achieve that strength-and I respect that you are a fierce adversary. But you are an adversary I do not want to fight. I want to find a way to cross the space between us. I do not want to meet you on the battlefield.¡±


    He¡¯d expected another long pause while the wolf considered that, so it was something of a shock when Zev pushed smoothly to his feet and walked closer, though still keeping himself out of reach of the bars.


    ¡°You¡¯re wise to see that,¡± he muttered. ¡°Because you¡¯re right, you don¡¯t want to meet me on the battlefield.¡±


    And then the maleunched into a tale that broke Tarkyn¡¯s heart... and brought a chill to his stomach.


    He¡¯d had no clue. Not the tiniest clue.


    Dread coated his ribs.

 Chapter 78

    78 Warrior to Warrior ¨C Part ~ TARKYN ~


    ¡°...they treated us like animals,¡± Zev said bitterly.


    Tarkyn nodded, it was the thought he¡¯d had when Harth described her upbringing and the way the humans had treated her as an adult, too. He prayed that Elreth and the others had stayed close enough outside to be hearing this nightmare.


    ¡°My training meant that I was given what they considered special treatment-I wasn¡¯t confined to the cages or Thana at all times. I was taken into the human world and taught to live. But I was nothing but a tool,¡± he snarled. ¡°They used me-my strength, my abilities-they turned me into a weapon, then did everything they could to deceive and manipte me so that I would serve them willingly.¡±


    Sasha had bent her head over the baby who was now asleep, but Tarkyn could smell her tears and see the shaking of her shoulders. He ached tofort both of them.


    ¡°Harth told me-¡±


    ¡°No, she didn¡¯t. I can guarantee she didn¡¯t tell you all of it, Tarkyn. Because she¡¯d know it would snap you like a twig if she did. No one should have to live through that-and no one who loves them should have to imagine it.¡±


    Sasha raised her head to look at her mate¡¯s back, her eyes red and shining as she stared at him, worriedly.


    Tarkyn¡¯s breath got shorter. He¡¯d known Harth was holding back, but he¡¯d thought it was to protect herself. Was it possible she¡¯d been trying to protect him?


    .....


    She needed to know he would carry her pain. Thoughts of her, joined with the rush of emotion that swirled in his stomach, brought his awareness of her to the fore, and for a moment he forgot what he was there to do, his entire consciousness consumed with her.


    ¡®Tarkyn, what is it?¡¯


    Her voice in his head was a balm and a cry of relief. ¡®I love you, Harth. I love you no matter what has happened before. And I¡¯ll keep loving you. Let me share your burdens, beautiful. I am strong. I can help you carry them.¡¯


    He could feel her shock through the bond-even the way her skin prickled at his words. ¡®I... what is going on?¡¯ she asked faintly.


    ¡®Your Alpha stands in defense of you and his people,¡¯ Tarkyn said, blinking, reminding himself of the Pair in front of him. ¡®And his words reminded me of your story. Please don¡¯t feel that you have to protect me from it, Harth. Please.¡¯


    ¡®I... I don¡¯t know what to say.¡¯


    ¡®You don¡¯t have to say anything now. I just needed you to know. Now, keep praying. I¡¯m trying to bring our people together so that we can all be at peace.¡¯


    She sent him a rush of love through the bond, then he turned his attention back to the wolf and his mate.


    ¡®With all of this behind you and this hope for a peaceful life here, why did you attack when you arrived?¡¯ Tarkyn asked, though he was certain he knew the answer, he hoped it would be a reminder to Elreth.


    Zev¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°I¡¯d just spent months-years-trying to free my people,¡± he seethed. ¡°I¡¯d let theme ahead so that my mate and I could go and pry our child from the hands of those fucking humans. We almost died in the process, but we made it. We had just taken our first steps into safety, we thought. I¡¯d barely had a chance to even touch my son-and immediately we met that Queen.¡±


    The wolf¡¯s tension was rising again. Tarkyn wanted to soothe him, but he tried to imagine having been in a ce where he could have lost not only his people, but also his mate and child.


    It didn¡¯t bear thinking about.


    ¡°She called my mate a bitch and came for her.¡±


    ¡°Because she was human,¡± Tarkyn reminded him. ¡°If you¡¯d met a human here would you have responded any differently?¡±


    ¡°My mate submitted to your Queen,¡± Zev said bitterly. ¡°She did everything in her power to make herself smaller than she deserved to be.¡±


    ¡°And she was human. Would you have trusted that from a human?¡± Tarkyn knew he was being relentless, but they all needed to look at these moments from each other¡¯s perspectives. He couldn¡¯t see another way through them.


    Zev took another step closer to him, his hand clenched to fists at his sides. ¡°She had my mate thrown to the ground-while she still held my son. Would you have trusted anyone who did that to yours?¡± he snarled.


    Tarkyn blinked. Elreth had done that?


    An image of Harth holding such a precious burden, yet tossed to the ground, shed in his head and his entire body tensed. He wanted to roar.


    ¡°I hope and pray,¡± Tarkyn said through his teeth, ¡°that my soldiers were... more careful than that. But if they were not, they will meet with the discipline of our hierarchy. Children are precious to us. They are not to be used as pawns.¡±


    Sasha scoffed and gave him a disbelieving look, but Zev spoke again before Tarkyn could ask her why.


    ¡°In the wake of that-which I might have understood because I had defended-I woke bound and tormented. I woke unable to move, my body in chains. After I¡¯d sworn I would never let myself be bound again.¡± His voice was cold, emotionless, but Tarkyn had been there when he was freed. He knew that was only Zev¡¯s control so that he wouldn¡¯t let himself feel the fear and rage of that moment.


    Tarkyn would have done the same thing.


    ¡°I acknowledged you in that moment,¡± Tarkyn reminded him. ¡°When we saw you freed, we knew what you were suffering. I acknowledged you then, and I acknowledge you now.¡±


    ¡°Oh, good,¡± Zev sneered. ¡°That makes it all better.¡±


    Tarkyn raised a hand to soothe him. He could smell the wolf¡¯s anger rising. Behind him, his mate looked rmed. They must have spoken through the bond, because her eyes cut to Tarkyn and she shook her head.


    ¡°How would you feel, I wonder, if I took Harth from you?¡± Zev asked, his voice chillingly calm.


    ¡°None of us are humans-neither the Chimera or the Anima. And none of us should ever stoop to the cruelty that the humans put you through.¡±


    Zev took one more step and snarled through his teeth. ¡°Tell that to your Queen.¡±

 Chapter 79

    79 Undefeated


    ~ TARKYN ~


    ¡°...if you seriously expect me to believe that I can walk through thisnd without defending myself or my family, you¡¯re delusional,¡± Zev snarled, then finally took a breath after a tirade of white-hot rage over the way he and his mate had been treated.


    Tarkyn was almost despairing. He¡¯d heard every word, recognized that he likely would have felt the same in the same shoes, but how to show the Chimera in the wake of this that the Anima weren¡¯t like the humans and had no desire to destroy or exploit them?


    The only ideas he had during the conversation were executable offenses, and far too risky. He needed to talk to Harth, to find out if there was a way to approach this, specific to the Chimera and their traditions, to see if they could create some kind of ceasefire or truce in which to discuss it.


    ¡°Do you at least believe me?¡± Tarkyn asked Zev quietly when the male had finished, his jaw jutting out and eyes glittering with malice. ¡°Do you believe that my bond with Harth is real and I want peace for our people?¡±


    Zev stared at him for a long moment, clearly measuring whether to be honest or not. Tarkyn prayed he would be.


    ¡°I¡¯d need to talk to her,¡± Zev answered finally. ¡°But you are one male, Tarkyn. Even one with power, you answer to your Queen. And that bitch-¡±


    Sasha sucked in a breath and Tarkyn stiffened, his hackles rising.


    Zev cut himself off, but didn¡¯t apologize for the word.


    .....


    Tarkyn prayed Elreth wouldn¡¯t plow in there to punish him herself. But that also convinced him that the male needed a break. Unfortunately, that also meant that Tarkyn needed Sasha.


    ¡°The Queen is... morepassionate than you might think,¡± Tarkyn said quietly, carefully. ¡°But I know this has been a hard morning. I wonder, Sasha, if you would be willing toe with me outside, to speak with her?¡±


    Sasha opened her mouth, but Zev jumped in. ¡°You¡¯re fucking kidding me, right?¡± he snarled, shifting himself between Sasha and the door-and Tarkyn-in a blink.


    Tarkyn raised his hands to soothe the tense male. ¡°I know Sasha and the Queen have already spoken at length-safely. I don¡¯t want to remove her from you. Only to give her a chance as Alpha to... hear the Queen¡¯s petition.¡±


    Sasha¡¯s face was pained, watching her mate¡¯s back as he growled, his back rippling towards the shift. ¡°You are not taking my family from me!¡±


    ¡°No, Zev,¡± she breathed. ¡°Remember, I told you? I went with the Queen before. She... she promised me safe passage and she gave it. I wasn¡¯t touched or hurt. We just talked. I think... I think it might be good to-¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t trust these savages, Sash,¡± Zev snapped. ¡°Don¡¯t let them fool you. It¡¯s bad enough that we have to let them feed Zan. Who knows what they¡¯re giving him.¡±


    But since Zev didn¡¯t turn away from Tarkyn, his hands back and held out to keep Sasha from moving forward, he didn¡¯t see the way his mate¡¯s face twisted in pain.


    Tarkyn watched her carefully, sensing perhaps a better chance at sess with her-but would it work? If they shared the power, would Zev have the capacity to overrule her? Or would their tribes be split if they disagreed?


    The questions only made him want to be able to speak with Sasha more. And it was clear from her expression she wanted to speak to him, as well. But it was also clear that Zev wasn¡¯t going to ept that. Not in his current state of mind.


    But Sasha stepped forward then, the baby at her shoulder, and touched Zev¡¯s arm. ¡°Zev, look at me. He can¡¯t get in here, it¡¯s locked and he doesn¡¯t have a key. Just... look at me. Please.¡±


    Zev turned slowly, reluctant to take his eyes off of Tarkyn, but Sasha waited, her eyes wide and pleading. ¡°Why don¡¯t I leave Zan here with you? You can watch him and keep him safe. And I can go talk to them-¡±


    ¡°No! This is the humans all over again-you¡¯ll go and they¡¯ll keep you and-¡±


    ¡°I give you my word that we won¡¯t,¡± Tarkyn interjected quickly. ¡°We¡¯ll let her speak to the Queen unbound, and right outside the door. We won¡¯t take her away. You keep your son and we won¡¯t touch her. She¡¯ll just... have a chance to... talk. Would you rather find peace if you could, Zev? Wouldn¡¯t that be better for your people as well as ours?¡±


    Sasha handed Zev the baby and put her hands up to his jaw, clearly speaking to him in his head as she cupped his face.


    Tarkyn waited, holding his breath, to see if Zev would agree-he seemed so tense.


    Then Sasha said, ¡°I¡¯ll make them stay outside so you can breathe.¡± And something in the male shuddered.


    It all came home to Tarkyn then. There really was only one option here.


    Damn.


    Momentster, after Tarkyn had obtained the key from a guard, then returned to the prison, he grimly led Sasha out to find the others waiting for him just outside the door.


    One look at Elreth¡¯s face confirmed that they¡¯d heard every word.


    Zev¡¯s white-hot rage at the way he¡¯d been treated, his utter disbelief that the Anima could be trusted-though he¡¯d conceded that he believed Tarkyn meant to help, given his attachment to Harth-made Tarkyn terrified that the bridge had already been burned.


    He didn¡¯t even wait for Elreth to ask, but heunched in. ¡°The only thing that¡¯s going to help him is freedom,¡± he hissed.


    ¡°Impossible,¡± Elreth said, shaking her head sadly.


    ¡°El,¡± Tarkyn started.


    ¡°I¡¯m listening! I¡¯m not trying to say there¡¯s no way forward here, but seriously, Tarkyn, would you run in there and just cut him loose? Let him walk out of here?¡±


    Tarkyn didn¡¯t respond, because he¡¯d had the same thought. Of course he wouldn¡¯t. That male was in crisis, a cornered animal. And cornered predators used fangs first and asked questionster.


    But where did that leave them?


    Tarkyn¡¯s heart sank.

 Chapter 80

    80 Friends & Foes ¨C Part ~ TARKYN ~


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand,¡± Sasha stepped up next to Tarkyn, which made him warm. She trusted him not to hurt her? But the Chimeran Alpha was fierce on behalf of her mate.


    ¡°You¡¯ve caged him. You have no idea what we¡¯ve been through in the past few months! After the others got free, they were literally hunting us. They turned the one ce he¡¯d always felt safe and at home into a... a hunt. I almost lost him then, and now... now you¡¯re sending him back into that dark ce. After the control and maniption he¡¯s suffered before... he¡¯s going dark again. You¡¯re going to tip him over the edge! He¡¯s not even listening to me half the time, he¡¯s so terrified.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s being pushed into his beast, El,¡± Tarkyn said dismally. ¡°I¡¯m afraid we¡¯re going to break his mind if we leave him in there. He¡¯s like a caged animal-there¡¯s no way he¡¯ll see sense as long as he feels that way. His beast won¡¯t allow it. He needs to be outside. To move. He won¡¯t be able to calm down or think until he is.¡±


    Sasha¡¯s worry was palpable-her scent twisted up with fear for her mate.


    On the other side, Tarkyn could see Elreth twisting up with abination of both empathy and skepticism. None of them doubted that the Warrior¡¯s experience had traumatized him. It was obvious, even to Elreth.


    It was clear to Tarkyn with his experience going through the wars, and helping his soldiers to do the same, that they needed to create something that made Zev feel safe and in control if they were ever going to get through to him. But how could they free him if he was just going to kill everyone?


    ¡°I think you should bring Harth here,¡± Tarkyn said quickly, as Elreth chewed it over and obviously drew the same conclusions Tarkyn had.


    Elreth frowned. ¡°Here? Why?¡±


    .....


    ¡°She¡¯s a wolf, she can talk to Zev in his mind. He can see what she sees. She can show him the truth about my character so Zev can trust me-then maybe I have a chance to help him see that he can trust you. He said he won¡¯t take my word for the matebond, though I think he actually does. I think he just wants proof that Harth is okay.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Sasha said, sounding surprised. ¡°He told me that-he doesn¡¯t believe that your bond is the same as ours. He can smell it on you. But he¡¯s afraid you might only use it to control her.¡±


    Tarkyn turned a look on Elreth then and had to bite back the words, sound familiar?


    Elreth didn¡¯t miss it, but she also didn¡¯t respond. ¡°I don¡¯t know, Tark,¡± she breathed.


    Tarkyn sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve told you a thousand times, Elreth. There is no victory without risk.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but there¡¯s risk and there¡¯s risk.¡±


    ¡°Do you trust me or not? I am your Captain. I understand warriors, and I know my mate and how she might work. I¡¯m telling you, we need her here.¡±


    ¡°I think he¡¯s right, El,¡± Gar said quietly. Tarkyn cast him a grateful look. ¡°And I¡¯ll stick around, too. I¡¯ll keep him honest.¡±


    Tarkyn gave him a dry look, but Elreth nodded as if that were a good idea, which only made Tarkyn bristle.


    But then Elreth crossed her arms and stepped back. ¡°Okay, okay. Bring her in.¡±


    Sasha blew out a breath of relief.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± Tarkyn¡¯s relief was overwhelming.


    But his Queen wasn¡¯t done. ¡°But this is me trusting you and your judgment, Tark. This is me listening-right? Don¡¯t let them prove you wrong.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t, El. I¡¯m certain of it.¡±


    *****


    ~ HARTH ~


    Harth sat back on the couch and gave a small smile. Suhle patted her knee.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Harth. Clearly you two were meant to be together and I have no doubt you¡¯ll be the vehicle to bring the rest of us together, as well. He has a funny way of doing things like this.¡±


    Harth nodded. She¡¯d said as much herself, but the truth was, every time something happened to give her hope-like getting time alone with Tarkyn-worse things happened around them to steal her hope.


    Like being locked in his home because the Queen didn¡¯t trust her not to kill everyone. Or something.


    But even as the dread in her stomach knotted, she warmed at Suhle¡¯s gentle smile. Her mate had shown his wisdom sending this woman to speak with her. She was a wolf as well, though older. And she¡¯d been ostracized for much of her life. She spoke so highly of these people and this ce, it was hard not to fall in love with them. But it felt like the people Suhle described were somewhere else. As if Harth wanted to leave and go there. Because other than Tarkyn¡¯s gorgeous heart, she¡¯d seen little evidence of it here.


    But in the way of the wise wolves, Suhle sat with her in silence as much as conversation, allowing her to think and process as they spoke. And Harth found her heart not just warmed but... resting.


    This woman was someone who could be trusted. She was certain of it. She couldn¡¯t even exin exactly why, except that Suhle seemed to have no guile-speaking as frankly about the ws of her people as she sang their praises.


    And she hadn¡¯t backed away from the differences between them, either.


    Harth had even found herself confiding her fears about offspring. Something she rarely even spoke to other Chimera about. But Suhle had only empathized and encouraged her.


    ¡°The Creator put you together for a reason. So leave it in His hands. Whatever He brings you-if anything at all-will be a joy, I¡¯m certain of it.¡±


    It was difficult to remain angry, to let go of her hope, when she was talking with Suhle.


    And maybe that was why Tarkyn had sent her, Harth thought, her heart tangled between good-humored admiration of her mate and stark dread.


    But she was pretty sure they needed more than hope to get through this...


    *****


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 Chapter 81

    81 Friends & Foes ¨C Part ~ HARTH ~


    Although Suhle hadn¡¯t experienced the physical ravages that Harth had at the hands of the humans, she¡¯d been tormented and harmed by the humans at times that were, in some ways, worse. And her mate had been banished from among the Anima by Elreth¡¯s father-and yet, Suhle gushed about the love of this male lion, Reth. His wisdom and fairness, his mercy.


    Harth struggled to put those two pieces of the woman¡¯s story together, but Suhle assured her that had she been in the King¡¯s shoes, she would have done the same thing.


    ¡°He saved my mate¡¯s life at cost to himself as a ruler and leader. I live in his debt,¡± Suhle said, her eyes downcast and shining with emotion. But then she smiled. ¡°And his children¡¯s hearts are just as big... if a little more abrasive,¡± sheughed.


    Harth had struggled to share that joke.


    She was yanked back to the present by Suhle touching her leg again, looking concerned. ¡°Are you well?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± Harth reassured her-surprised to realize the statement was true, at least for that moment. ¡°I¡¯m just... thinking about it all.¡±


    Suhle nodded. Her hand still rested on Harth¡¯s knee. ¡°I know this is frightening, Harth. But I can see that your heart... fits here. You are just the right female for our Tarkyn. I¡¯m surprised he could be drawn from your side at all.¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t want to leave,¡± Harth admitted, smiling to herself even as she remembered her own nerves about him leaving her alone. ¡°And I didn¡¯t want him to.¡±


    .....


    Suhle sighed quietly. ¡°I know that feeling. Separation from my mate in those early days... it was a sharp yank on my fur that wouldn¡¯t stop.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it does feel like that,¡± Harth admitted, tapping her chest. ¡°Like someone is tugging at me, right here.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯vepleted the bond clearly, because your scents entwine. Can I ask why you were left here?¡±


    ¡°The Queen doesn¡¯t trust me,¡± Harth said, her anger beginning to simmer again. ¡°No matter what Tarkyn said, or what I said... she just wouldn¡¯t hear it.¡±


    ¡°Well, I trust you,¡± Suhle said easily. ¡°I have a talent for... sensing hearts. Yours is good, Harth.¡±


    Harth was surprised by the pinch of tears closing her throat. ¡°Th-thank you.¡± Then she sucked in a breath, praying she wasn¡¯t wrong. ¡°I trust you, too. And I don¡¯t usually do that.¡±


    Suhle leaned in to hug her. ¡°I¡¯m blessed, the Creator often soothes people around me. It makes me... less tense,¡± she said with a wry smile.


    Harth nodded. ¡°I can see that. And... are you close to these people? Tarkyn, the Queen? Can... can I bring you to my Alphas? I¡¯d like them to meet you. I think if they know Anima like you exist they¡¯ll be more likely to listen to Tarkyn.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m close enough,¡± Suhle said, nodding quickly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell them to trust you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll do the same.¡±


    Harth snorted. ¡°Anima don¡¯t trust.¡±


    Suhle frowned. ¡°They do. And they love. Deeply.¡±


    Harth frowned. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen that-except in Tarkyn. Everyone seems like they¡¯re just... waiting for a fight.¡±


    Suhle sighed. ¡°There may be some truth to that, but it isn¡¯t our way, Harth. I assure you. Tarkyn is a good male but not the only good male among our people. I told you my story-my mate betrayed the people decades ago, and yet here he is-first in mercy, and now returned to the Tribe. The Royal Family are good and wise-¡±


    Suhle cut herself off when Harth sucked in a breath, pulling away from that idea. She frowned. ¡°Harth, I know this has been very difficult. And it likely won¡¯t be healed quickly. But please know... Elreth has been through a lot in the past year. I wonder if-¡±


    An insistent knock on the door made Harth startle. But Suhle only shook her head then got up from the couch to hurry gracefully to the door and open it.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Tarkyn and the Queen are asking for Harth. We¡¯re to bring her.¡±


    Harth got to her feet, her heart racing. ¡°They were supposed toe get me themselves,¡± she said, her voice high and thin.


    The soldier leaned around to look at Harth over Suhle¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I have an order from Tarkyn directly, at the prison with the Chimeran Alphas. He wants to forge a link with the wolf and they need you to do that.¡±


    Harth nced at Suhle who turned, but didn¡¯t open the door wider to allow the soldier in, which Harth appreciated.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you,¡± she said quickly. ¡°We¡¯ll walk together. I¡¯m certain he isn¡¯t lying, and Tarkyn sends for you, Harth. Your mate. He¡¯s a good male.¡±


    Harth braced, that knot appearing in her stomach again.


    ¡®Tarkyn?¡¯ she scratched at his mind, uncertain if he was open to her. ¡®There¡¯s a soldier here.¡¯


    ¡®Pleasee, Harth. I¡¯m sorry, I keep forgetting about the link. I would have warned you. Pleasee. We need your help.¡¯


    He reassured her several times that it wasn¡¯t a trap, sending somewhat foggy images of the Anima leaders standing outside the prison looking burdened. Suhle watched her for a response and she realized there was no reason not to go. Tarkyn needed her. She¡¯d be morefortable surrounded by danger at his side, than there in safety alone.


    So she nodded, wiped her hands on her thighs, and walked around the couch to join Suhle and the soldiers.


    As they started out of the house, the older woman linked arms with her in a way that one of her pack sisters had used to when they were young, and Harth found those tears threatening again.


    Suhle squeezed her arm and when Harth turned her head, she was startled to feel Suhle nudging at her mind.


    The link, when Harth opened to her, was slightly hollow. But it was there.


    ¡®Don¡¯t worry,¡¯ the older female said with a reassuring smile. ¡®I won¡¯t let them get near you.¡¯


    Harth almostughed. Suhle was short for a wolf, and older than Harth. Had she even trained?


    Suhle shed her a wicked grin, and her eyes gleamed. ¡®Don¡¯t mistake my kindness for weakness,¡¯ she murmured good-naturedly in Harth¡¯s head. ¡®Many an enemy has fallen to underestimating me.¡¯


    Harth did give a breathlessugh then. And she clung more tightly to the woman¡¯s arm, her hope rising just a little higher as they walked.


    *****


    EXCITING NEWS FOR DECEMBER: The holiday season is here! And I have three pieces of fun for you:


    1. Privilege will be COMPLETELY renewed (so any priv purchases get a whole new mass release.)


    2. If you buy top-tier privilege in December, I will send you a card from Tarkyn (USA READERS ONLY¨Cunless you want to pay postage via paypal.)


    3. I¡¯m doing TWELVE DAYS OF GIVEAWAYS again this year! Join my reader group on the faces b***k if you want a chance to win ALL KINDS OF ANIMA PRIZES (Join at linktree/authoraimee)


    (This message added after publication so you aren¡¯t charged for the words.)

 Chapter 82

    82 Friends & Foes ¨C Part ~ HARTH ~


    When they arrived at the area outside the Prison tree, the guards spread out and Harth and Suhle were allowed to simply join the circle where Tarkyn and the Queen, her mate and brother, along with the healer Harth had seen, but whose name she couldn¡¯t remember.


    Tarkyn, who¡¯d been standing just apart from the others talking to the Queen¡¯s brother, hurried towards her when he saw her arrive. His face lost some of its tension when she made it to his side and he pulled her close, kissing her hair as they listened to the Queen¡¯s brother discuss with the guards how they would keep the prison door open to assist with the feeling of more space, but position guards outside it.


    While they discussed logistics, Tarkyn touched her mind. ¡®Are you okay?¡¯


    ¡®I am,¡¯ she said carefully. She still held some of the hope she¡¯d felt when Suhle encouraged her, but Sasha was standing in this circle as well, and watching her, Harth¡¯s heart chilled.


    Sasha¡¯s dark hair was oily and twisted into a bird¡¯s nest of tangles on top of her head. Her skin was pale and she had very dark shadows under her eyes, as if she¡¯d barely slept for days.


    Then Harth blinked. ¡®Where¡¯s Zan?¡¯


    Did Sasha look so wrecked because there was something wrong with her son?


    But Tarkyn¡¯s arm tightened around her. ¡®He¡¯s fine. He¡¯s with his father. Zev is... struggling. Sasha felt caring for their son might help him stay calm.¡¯


    .....


    Harth frowned, but before she could respond, the guards nodded, saluted, and trotted away to the positions they¡¯d been given and the Queen turned her piercing attention on Harth and Tarkyn.


    ¡°Thank you foring quickly, Harth,¡± she said carefully.


    Harth nodded. ¡°What do I need to do?¡±


    They all turned to Sasha-don whose face was so pained it made Harth ache.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Sasha said on a sigh. ¡°I don¡¯t know what the best thing is to do. Harth, we want peace, but... I don¡¯t know how Zev will ever believe these people can be trusted. Tarkyn thinks he can connect with Zev on a... fighter¡¯s level. So I wonder if there¡¯s anything you can show him-so he knows it¡¯s a memory-that might help him trust? I can¡¯t get through to him-if I encourage him towards them he thinks I¡¯ve been brainwashed. And then I wonder...¡± Sasha trailed off, ufortable to say this under the eyes of these strangers, but what choice did they have?


    Harth could understand the feeling. The thought had crossed her mind more than once. No doubt Sasha was aware. Harth herself had seen what the humans could do with a person-or a Chimeran¡¯s-mind if they were given time.


    She¡¯d seen females convinced to mate males they would never have chosen.


    She¡¯d seen Chimeran¡¯s go against their natural instincts and support an Alpha, or wee a human, when if they¡¯d had their right mind they would have fought or run.


    And she¡¯d seen Chimeran¡¯s whose minds had been... washed. Not refined. Not added to. But... it was as if memories were stolen from them. She¡¯d seen females who had forgotten families, mates, offspring. And she¡¯d seen humans who¡¯d protested against atrocities, brought to a ce where they were willing tomit them themselves.


    Harth shuddered and pushed the memories away. That wasn¡¯t what she needed to focus on. It was only what brought the question Sasha had raised to mind.


    But she also knew that the people who¡¯d been changed in those ways-either because they¡¯d been hypnotized, or had their minds yed with-always had signs of their own unease. Their responses were always just a little off. A little too bright. A little too easy.


    An animal¡¯s instincts were always alerted, even if only quietly.


    Harth looked at Tarkyn who stared down at her, worried, but hopeful, pleading. She put a hand to his chest, then turned back to her Alpha.


    ¡°If my mate is an example of them... then they are trustworthy. Or they can be. I know he can be trusted,¡± she said simply. She cut her eyes to Elreth with less conviction, who bristled, but Sasha just sped her hands in front of her.


    ¡°See if you can get through to him to believe that they don¡¯t want to harm us. But I¡¯m afraid he¡¯ll never see it until he¡¯s so far away that... that it¡¯s not useful.¡±


    Harth could feel her Alpha¡¯s stress. But there was no point discussing it further. She agreed and with little further discussion, they all turned to walk back into the prison tree, surrounded by guards who were keeping a morefortable distance. Tarkyn and Aaryn walked alongside their mates, Sasha hurried ahead to get back into the cell with Zev, while the others hung back towards the door as Tarkyn had asked them to do.


    Inside, Zev sat with his back to the far wall, holding his son in hisp. But his face was dark. His eyes gave Harth a chill when she met them. When she stepped slightly forward of the others and his eyes met hers, they were alight with something... unhealthy.


    Harth swallowed hard.


    Sasha hurried to Zev and took back Zan, soothing his father that she was taking him to get fed again, before she was ushered back out of the tree with the healer, which surprised Harth. Since when had the Queen allowed her freedom to move around? But Harth supposed she should be grateful. Sashas would never want to leave her son¡¯s side if she didn¡¯t have to.


    She shouldn¡¯t have to. Neither of them should.


    Anger simmered in Harth¡¯s chest again. As she scratched at Zev¡¯s mind, she didn¡¯t tamp it downpletely-but let him sense it in her.


    ¡®What is it?¡¯ he asked in her mind-his voice sounding cooler and calmer than she would have expected from his expression.


    Harth took a deep breath. ¡®They brought me here to show you what I know of my mate, and I want to do that, Zev-dan. You should trust him. You can. He¡¯s as good a male as you, or Lhars. His heart is pure and he¡¯s... strong the way you are strong. He seeks to protect, not take.¡¯


    Zev gave a little nod, though he didn¡¯t look happy about it.


    ¡®But,¡¯ Harth continued, ¡®I want to show you more than that. I want to show you everything I know. You can¡¯t react. And you can¡¯t tell them everything I¡¯m going to show you.¡¯


    On the outside, Zev nodded slowly again. But in their minds he sent an image of himself smiling a predator¡¯s smile.


    *****


    Please ept my apologies: I made an administration error and just discovered that there is no chapter written for tomorrow¡¯s release. (This week I have my mother¡¯s birthday which is really precious because we almost lost her 4 years ago.) I am hosting family functions and won¡¯t be able to write tomorrow, so there won¡¯t be an update. I¡¯m so sorry! I will try to get an extra chapter released for you to make up for it soon! (This message added after publication so you aren¡¯t charged for the words.)

 Chapter 83

    83 Seeking Peace


    ~ TARKYN ~


    Tarkyn watched his mate with ever-increasing pride. He could feel her fragility, the uneasiness she felt, like a cat walking on uneven stones-always aware that one might slip under her paws. And yet, she stayed calm and handled herself with dignity. She was truly an amazing female. He wished he could whisk her away from this ce, hide her in the forest-take her to hisgoon... but he knew those were the wishful thoughts of a cub with no responsibility.


    She was here to help him forge a bridge to peace. With a male who walked the knife-edge of sanity.


    Tarkyn wanted to growl at the scent that came off the male, but though he was clearly in a dark ce, his gaze was sharp with intelligence. This might be a male on the edge, but he wasn¡¯t disconnected from reality or intellect. Tarkyn had seen a soldier thrown over the edge of sanity. This male hadn¡¯t tumbled over that cliff yet. He still had all his faculties.


    Tarkyn wasn¡¯t sure if that was worse.


    Harth stepped forward of the rest of them, lined up to watch him, but keeping some space from the bars.


    Zev had settled with his back to the wall again-a position that was smart. Tarkyn would have done the same.


    When Harth stepped forward, Zev¡¯s eyes cut to hers and the two stared at each other. Neither of them spoke a word.


    It was strange watching two peoplemunicate when you couldn¡¯t see or hear what passed between them-or even that anything did. But Tarkyn realized that was what he and Harth could do. This must have been how they would look, focused on each other.


    .....


    He understood Elreth¡¯s nerves now-those two could be saying anything to each other. If one of them wasn¡¯t his beautiful, golden-hearted mate, every hair on his arms would have stood up.


    No wonder the wolves had always been so shifty...


    While the two made their connection, Tarkyn looked left and right. They¡¯d asked all the guards, bar the one with the key, to stay back at the door, or outside it. But the one male, a tall, strong Equine, stood near the cell door, just to Tarkyn¡¯s right. Elreth stood closer to Tarkyn¡¯s right, Harth to his left, but slightly ahead. Behind them all stood Aaryn, and the looming bulk of Gar who had been oddly quiet this morning. Tarkyn made a mental note to ask him what was going on with Rika. It was strange that she wasn¡¯t here, though the male had dismissed it as little more than the need of a friend.


    Tarkyn took a breath and scanned the prison tree again.


    Jayah had taken Sasha out with the baby to give Zev nothing to distract him, but there were still too many bodies here. Tarkyn prayed the n would work. While his mate and the wolf continued to lock eyes, he rolled his head on his neck, his tension rising.


    Too many bodies, too little space to move. And yet, the male was locked behind the prison bars. What threat could he pose there?


    Behind him, Aaryn shifted to the left, to stand behind Harth and watch over her shoulder. Tarkyn¡¯s hackles rose. Having his mate close to other males was harder than he wanted to admit. His head knew Aaryn posed no threat to Harth whatsoever. But his newly mated heart and beast instincts begged to differ.


    They urged him to hold her. To take and possess, and warn all other males away.


    He rolled his shoulders again, his hands twitching towards her. But he went still when Zev suddenly pushed to his feet and took a couple steps closer to them all.


    ¡®What are you saying-what¡¯s he saying?¡¯ Takyn asked in Harth¡¯s head.


    In response, she spoke to all of them.


    ¡°I¡¯m showing him... you,¡± Harth said carefully. ¡°Your strength. Your resilience. Your integrity. Your vows. I¡¯m... showing him how you protect me. He needs to see that your heart and his are... very simr.¡±


    Zev¡¯s face went t, but he didn¡¯t say anything. He remained, locked in Harth¡¯s gaze, standing in the center of the cell.


    Harth sighed heavily. ¡°He¡¯s a good man, Zev. I can feel his heart-just like you can feel Sasha¡¯s and she can feel yours. He doesn¡¯t want to hurt you, or me, or our people, even though he¡¯s capable of it. And he¡¯s high in the hierarchy. He has the ear of the Queen.¡±


    Zev turned his head to look at Tarkyn then, scanning him from head to toe.


    Tarkyn, weing the connection, stepped up until he stood right next to Harth. ¡°She shared her story,¡± he said quietly. ¡°Once I heard it and knew what it was like for her-for all of you-I vowed that I would help her find peace. I¡¯ll help all of you. I¡¯m confident the Creator brought us together for a reason. But we need to find our way forward without violence.¡±


    Zev scoffed, his upper lip curling back in a sneer. ¡°Without violence?¡±


    Elreth stiffened behind him, but Tarkyn just nodded. ¡°You have my word that if you don¡¯t attack, you won¡¯t be harmed.¡± He¡¯d already warned Elreth that they needed to give the male that-put him in control of when and how any physical contact would ur. She was ufortable with it, but it was the pure truth, so she couldn¡¯t really argue.


    He¡¯d hoped that would reassure Zev. But the handsome male just tilted his head, his eyes narrowed. ¡°So... I should just follow you... like a good puppy... on a leash?¡± he said through his teeth.


    ¡°No.¡± Elreth stepped forward suddenly, and one of the guards from the door hurried forward to be at her side. Tarkyn wanted to curse, but Zev didn¡¯t startle or take a defensive stance, so he only motioned to the others to stay back while Elreth spoke to the Chimeran Alpha. ¡°I don¡¯t want to strip your strength,¡± she said quickly, firmly. ¡°But I need to make sure you can be trusted not to harm us. You are a formidable fighter. I need assurance that you won¡¯t kill my weaker people.¡±


    Zev snarls. ¡°You need... my assurance? I stand in your cell, I was bound, my mate and son were taken from me... but you need proof that I won¡¯t kill? How do you propose that I demonstrate that to you unless I¡¯m free to... not kill?¡±


    In any other circumstance, Tarkyn would haveughed. But the irony coated his throat in a copper tang. Because the wolf was right.

 Chapter 84

    84 Lightning Strikes


    ~ TARKYN ~


    Elreth¡¯s jaw flexed. ¡°That¡¯s what they¡¯re trying to figure out. But we¡¯re hoping that your Tribemate, Harth, can show you that you have a male here who understands both your position of strength as a Warrior, and your desire to bring your people through this safely.¡±


    Her mouth twisted slightly on the word and she nced aside at Tarkyn, but he had made his submission, and he¡¯d been weak. He wasn¡¯t going to give Elreth wiggle room now. Even without his mate being a part of their people, his heart knew that war would only lead to destruction on all sides. Peace... peace was what they needed. And he wouldn¡¯t apologize for working towards it.


    Zev looked back at Harth then and the two of them locked in once more. Tarkyn fought against the itching in his skin-too many males, too close to his mate-but he swallowed it back and reached out to her. Could she carry two conversations at once in her mind? He wasn¡¯t sure.


    ¡®What is he saying, love?¡¯


    ¡®He¡¯s listening. I¡¯m showing him how I saw you fight-and how you¡¯ve protected me. He had to take simr action for Sasha when she arrived. I¡¯m trying to let him see what you have inmon. I¡¯m showing him that you¡¯re both males of strength and character and-¡®


    Zev tensed, his hands clenching to fists at his side as he growled. ¡°But he follows that fucking Queen,¡± he snarled.


    Tarkyn¡¯s heart dipped, but before he could speak, Elreth took two pointed steps, right up to the bars. ¡°You¡¯re an Alpha, you know that our role is to take control-¡±


    ¡°No, El-¡± Tarkyn started, his instincts screaming-torn between taking hold of his Queen to pull her back, and staying close to his mate who was leaning as if she might step closer too.


    .....


    The guard stepped up with Elreth, awkwardly bringing his spear between her and the bars. Tarkyn blinked, then sucked in a breath to scream a warning, but it was toote.


    Zev suddenly wasn¡¯t where he had been. He moved like liquid lightning, but ck-bringing death in a blink.


    *****


    ~ HARTH ~


    When Zev zeroed in on her again, he was no longer passively listening, no longer regarding her with careful consideration.


    No longer letting her control the conversation.


    He locked eyes with her, an Alpha to his pack member, and he snarled in her head.


    ¡®I don¡¯t care how honorable the male is, he¡¯s submitted to a female.¡¯


    ¡®But so are you!¡¯ Harth replied quickly. She had to stop herself licking her lips in submission when his eyes shed with anger. ¡®Zev, I¡¯m not challenging you-I just... there are so many simrities here. I... I don¡¯t think they¡¯re like the humans. I think they¡¯re like us. They¡¯ve been frightened by the humans. Hurt by them. And it¡¯s made them defensive. But they¡¯re listening now-¡®


    Tarkyn nudged her mind, wanting to know what was being said.


    She filled him in quickly, sending images in her mind to Zev, even as she described them to her mate-those moments when he¡¯d stepped between her and danger, even danger from his own people-and she shed that right alongside the moments when Zev had had to protect Sasha from other Chimera.


    She felt her Alpha take the hit like a blow to his stomach, flinching inwardly from the memories.


    Perhaps that was a mistake to remind him of that. Especially with Sasha and Zan outside. But she was growing desperate. She¡¯d already reassured Zev by showing him everything she¡¯d seen in this Tree City-the few trails she¡¯d been allowed to walk, the cave where they¡¯d slept, the Royal Cave, the scents she¡¯d caught.


    They were outnumbered. Greatly outnumbered. He needed to know that.


    So she shoveled images and memories at Zev, let him taste the fear she¡¯d felt-and thefort of her mate stepping between her and the guards. She¡¯d shown his dignity and strength in not revealing the truth of his weakness that first night so that she wouldn¡¯t be risked.


    And she showed him fighting their guards when she¡¯d been pulled away that morning when Zan was crying.


    Was it really only that morning?


    Time seemed to run so slowly in this ce...


    Desperate, when she reached the end of her memories, she started again,ying her words over the images.


    ¡®He¡¯s a good male, Zev. He reminds me of you-your power and protection. He¡¯s disciplined and strong. And he wants what¡¯s good for the people, not just for himself.¡¯


    But then she showed that fight again-and the way Tarkyn had struggled against the guards, imagining something very simr had happened to Zev when he¡¯d been taken.


    ¡®And yet, he¡¯s free, and here I stand, caged again,¡¯ he growled in her head.


    ¡®But not for long-if you¡¯ll just trust him-¡®


    ¡®Trust him?¡¯ Zev¡¯s voice rang in her skull, echoing with his incredulity. ¡®Trust? Him?¡¯


    She opened her mouth, but Zev¡¯s lip curled up in a sneer again. ¡°But he follows that fucking Queen,¡± he snarled.


    Harth¡¯s heart fell to her toes-she could feel Zev bracing himself. But before she could speak, the Queen stepped up to the bars, bristling with anger.


    ¡°You¡¯re an Alpha, you know that our role is to take control-¡±


    ¡°No, El-¡± Tarkyn snapped


    And Harth cried out as she saw the n in Zev¡¯s mind a split second before he moved so quickly she didn¡¯t see his body pass through the space.


    She blinked, turning to warn Elreth or Tarkyn, or someone-but it was toote.


    She was hit by a whirlwind of dark, lion strength, her arms pinned to her sides and her entire body whipped to the side. And a mere secondter, panting with shock, she was ced on her feet, now well out of reach of the bars. But faced with the horror of what was urring there.


    Somehow, with that lightning speed, Zev had taken the Queen by the neck and pulled her straight into the bars, twisting his other arm through them and locking the arm and spear of the Guard next to her in ce, using the bars as a brace, with the spearhead pointed directly at her throat. He¡¯d also hooked his ankle through the bars and around Elreth¡¯s, pinning her there, at neck and feet, using the bars to keep them all upright and braced.


    The male guard struggled, but his movements made the spearhead jiggle and it scratched the skin of the queen. Zev¡¯s arm bulged, veins and muscles popping to keep the guard there. But he was rock solid because he had the bars to use as leverage.


    The Queen had frozen, nose-to-nose with him because of the grip he had on her throat-and that glinting spearhead quivering, its tip scratching the skin right above her jugr, raising a single bead of blood.


    Their eyes were locked.


    ¡°Take control?¡± Zev whispered menacingly. ¡°That¡¯s what you said leaders do... right?¡±


    Elreth quivered herself, obviously tempted to shift. But could she do it and free herself from the awkward position before he plunged that spearhead into her neck-or her beast¡¯s?


    Whether the human or the beast were killed, both died... didn¡¯t they? It was certainly true for Chimera.


    ¡®Don¡¯t. Move.¡¯ Tarkyn¡¯s voice in her head rang with Alpha authority so strong Harth almost submitted. But she couldn¡¯t move.


    She gaped as her mate released her, stepping slowly between her and Zev and that cluster of limbs and death at the bars.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do it, Aaryn,¡± Tarkyn said quietly, his voice-still resonant with the Alpha power-somehow calming andmanding in the same breath.


    Which was when Harth realized, the Queen¡¯s mate stood, just feet behind her, frozen, his entire body quivering, lips peeled back in a growl, and his skin rippling towards the shift.


    *****


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 Chapter 85

    85 A Time to Kill ¨C Part ~ TARKYN ~


    ¡°Don¡¯t do it, Aaryn,¡± Tarkyn whispered. Moving so slowly so that the wolf could see him and his intentions at all times, he raised his hands, palms up. ¡°He hasn¡¯t killed her.¡±


    Aaryn, Elreth¡¯s mate stood behind his mate, shuddering, a horrific growl rattling in his throat. But Tarkyn could hardly hear it. His entire head rang with a shrill scream of nerves and terror.


    He¡¯d been closer to her. Closer to Elreth than the other males, bar that stupid guard. He¡¯d been the closest, and the most skilled.


    Any other day of his life he would have met that onught by throwing the Queen aside and putting himself in the enemy¡¯s way-dly.


    But he hadn¡¯t even thought. It hadn¡¯t even registered.


    He¡¯d whipped his mate aside instead. His mate who wasn¡¯t the target of the attack, though close enough to it to be at risk. Everything in his body, his mind had screamed for Harth¡¯s safety first and he¡¯d reacted the moment the wolf moved.


    Thoughtless.


    Mindless.


    .....


    In defense of his mate... but leaving his Queen defenseless.


    A cold chill squeezed his throat as surely as Zev¡¯s hand on his Queen¡¯s neck.


    Tarkyn swallowed to loosen it, shook off the dreadful thoughts because that was a problem forter. The problem for this moment gripped his Queen¡¯s throat so hard his fingers created shadows in her skin.


    Tarkyn didn¡¯t take his eyes off of Zev, whose teeth were bared and his eyes alight with vengeful delight.


    He held the Queen and that weapon...


    Tarkyn was rocked by a wave of nausea.


    Nudging Harth behind him, he took another slow step forward.


    ¡°One more step, Tarkyn, and I¡¯ll cut her throat.¡±


    Tarkyn froze. Raising his palms higher to show his obedience. Yet he didn¡¯t address Zev, but the King.


    ¡°Aaryn, breathe. He hasn¡¯t killed her. He hasn¡¯t even harmed her.¡±


    Aaryn¡¯s curses sizzled under that snarling growl, but Gar-the Queen¡¯s brother-also poised just feet from her, blinked and nced at Tarkyn. He was getting it.


    ¡°He hasn¡¯t killed her,¡± he repeated. ¡°He has opportunity, and he hasn¡¯t done it,¡± Tarkyn said quickly, praying they could all hear him past their own screaming instincts. He swallowed and made his voice stronger. ¡°The scratch happened when the guard fought-he hasn¡¯t broken her skin yet.¡±


    Elreth¡¯s breath tore in and out of her bared teeth-which meant Zev was holding her tightly enough to keep her there, but not strangling her. There was no doubt in Tarkyn¡¯s mind the male knew how to do it. But he¡¯d chosen not to. Tarkyn would have felt relieved, but Elreth stared Zev straight in the eye. She didn¡¯t move a muscle, but her eyes zed with Alpha anger. Tarkyn prayed she¡¯d keep her self-control, knowing that her instincts would be shrieking also.


    ¡°Zev, you¡¯ve made your point,¡± he said, far more calmly than he felt, drawing Zev¡¯s attention to himself. ¡°We all get it, so... let her go.¡±


    ¡°Do. Not. Patronize. Me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not. I just know-as you do-there would be no going back from that. And I know from my mate, you are not ruthless. You¡¯re a good, thoughtful male. You don¡¯t want to kill her-¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so certain,¡± Zev growled, his eyes snapping back to lock with Elreth¡¯s. ¡°I didn¡¯t break my people free just to see them with your fangs at their throat instead.¡± The words rolled off into a guttural growl and adrenaline shocked Tarkyn¡¯s system as the wolf¡¯s eyes changed. ¡°I haven¡¯t killed her... but I could.¡±


    The tension in the room was palpable-Elreth quivering with the urge to fight, but holding herself together while her mate stood behind her, his body twitching and a growl rising ever higher as he struggled with himself not to put her in further danger. Her brother stood just to Aaryn¡¯s right, trembling also, but Gar was the only one whose eyes hadn¡¯t changed-he was listening to Tarkyn.


    Praying that he could make this right, Tarkyn straightened from his defensive stance and tried to make his voice rx.


    ¡°Revenge won¡¯t make your people freer,¡± Tarkyn said bluntly. ¡°Harth and I have discussed what freedom would look like for the Chimera-the chance to live and love and grow families without intervention... you won¡¯t achieve that this way, Zev.¡±


    ¡®Remind him of his own son,¡¯ Harth whispered in his head.


    Of course. She was right. ¡°Your son won¡¯t have the chance to grow into the strong, capable male he could be if you do this, Zev. You may kill her-but you will bring the weight of the entire Anima down on yourself, your family, and your people if you do. Just as I would expect you to do if I were to kill your mate.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not your mate.¡±


    ¡°She is my Queen.¡±


    ¡°Fucking human institutions, human titles-you say you fought them, but you act like them, you think like them,¡± Zev snarled.


    ¡°No,¡± Tarkyn countered. ¡°You¡¯re wrong, Zev. But I get it. You¡¯ve been wounded, and your family put at risk. If I were in your shoes, I¡¯d want to fight too. But this won¡¯t bring what you need. You know that.¡±


    Zev shuddered, his entire body wracked with the fight for restraint, his hand that gripped the soldier¡¯s and his spear, trembling so that Tarkyn could barely breathe for fear he¡¯d plunge it into Elreth¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Show the way, Zev. Show us the way. You could have killed her, but you didn¡¯t. Because you aren¡¯t a ruthless killer. You¡¯re a thoughtful male with honor. Prove it. Prove to them that you have the capacity, but you won¡¯t use it.¡±


    Zev sucked in a breath. A shudder wracked him from head to toe.


    As the life of his Queen hung in the bnce, there was a small noise behind Tarkyn-a guard twitching, he thought at first. But then light footsteps were suddenly apanied by a small, high voice that gave a little breathless sob.


    ¡°No, Zev... please.¡± It was Sasha, crying. ¡°Please.¡±


    Zev¡¯s brow furrowed and Tarkyn pressed the advantage. ¡°If you kill her, Zev, I will kill you.¡±


    ¡°Not if I beat you to it,¡± Aaryn snarled from behind Elreth.


    But to Tarkyn¡¯s dismay, Zev¡¯s expression only hardened.


    *****


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 Chapter 86

    86 A Time to Kill ¨C Part ~ TARKYN ~


    Tarkyn, praying that Zev wouldn¡¯t be startled or triggered, plowed on. ¡°You force our hand if you take her-if you even injure her, Zev. Make no mistake. If she loses life or her blood is spilled, you will not be in a position to protect your mate. She will die. I don¡¯t want to do that, but I will. I cannot let you take our Queen. None of us can.¡±


    Harth was breathing heavily behind him. Through the bond, he could feel her, cold with terror, hot with hope, her body trembling. She was terrified and praying.


    Everyone waited to see what Zev would say, but then it urred to Tarkyn: His mate had already made it clear.


    When he¡¯d been in there with them alone, Sasha had stared at Zev and tried to reassure him. ¡°I¡¯ll make them stay outside so you can breathe.¡±


    It was what had made Tarkyn realize what was truly going on with this wolf-the animal fought the man.


    Tarkyn had had bouts of ustrophobia-dreams in which he¡¯d been buried and unable to breathe, feeling as if his chest was crushed.


    He¡¯d always woken in a cold sweat, his heart racing as if it would burst.


    Those were the nights he¡¯d yearned most deeply for a mate-not for a body to take for pleasure, but for a soft, warm ce to fall. Arms to hold him, and a heart to soothe his.


    .....


    Was that what this male dealt with all the time, closed in like this?


    After the bonds he¡¯d woken to, probably. And if he¡¯d spent time in his life locked in, or controlled by cruel masters... well, Tarkyn couldn¡¯t me him.


    Tarkyn¡¯s skin shivered just at the thought of waking bound the way they¡¯d held him. He¡¯d never been tortured in that way, though as a young soldier he¡¯d had some training that had been deeply disturbing.


    But that meant that this moment, right now, was Zev¡¯s release. His control. Even if he didn¡¯t want to kill El, he was finally the one calling the shots. And he wouldn¡¯t want to give that up. He needed to feel that to breathe.


    Damn.


    Tarkyn took one small step to bring Zev¡¯s eyes back to him. ¡°You can have me,¡± he said quickly.


    ¡°Tarkyn, no!¡± Harth gasped.


    ¡°I¡¯lle in there unarmed,¡± he said, pulling his knife from its sheath and dropping it to the nks under his feet. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to you. I¡¯ll listen. I¡¯ll trust you. I won¡¯t fight unless you hurt me. But let her go.¡±


    ¡®TARKYN NO!¡¯ Harth screamed in his head. ¡°He¡¯s not himself! He¡¯s too scared and hurt. He¡¯ll-¡±


    Tarkyn sent her warm, softly lit images of himself holding her, stroking her hair, soothing her... he let her catch her own scent in his nose-the rich fullness of it and the way it fed something in his heart. And he let her feel the ache in his chest and his body when she was close.


    Then, without another word, he turned towards the guard who¡¯d been given the key and instructed him to open the cell door. No one else moved or spoke, so the guard hurried forward to do as he¡¯d asked.


    ¡°Lock it after me,¡± Tarkyn said, his voice a low murmur as he walked into the cell and pulled the gate shut behind him, then stepped to the other end of the cell so Zev wouldn¡¯t think he wasing for him.


    He could feel Harth¡¯s jittering terror and he tried to soothe it, but Zev still hadn¡¯t let Elreth go.


    When the guard had locked the cell and stepped away, Tarkyn cleared his throat. ¡°Take the spear. I¡¯m at your mercy now.¡±


    A breath shuddered out of Zev.


    ¡°Please,¡± Sasha breathed. ¡°Please.¡±


    With a quick whine that rolled into a growl, Zev suddenly released her, shoving her backwards. Elreth stumbled back, hands at her throat, but straightened almost immediately-out of reach of the bars-as her mate rushed to hold her.


    She trembled from head to toe, but she pushed Aaryn off without looking at him, even her hair quivering in the still air.


    Zev still had the hand of the guard locked. He snarled and turned his attention to the guard, whose chin was jutted out and his hand still gripped around the spear-which stopped Zev taking it through the bars.


    ¡°Give it to him,¡± Tarkyn ordered the guard with such a rush of authority that the guard released his grip as if it burned.


    Zev yanked the spear through the gap in the bars, then turned on Tarkyn pulling himself back far enough that no one could reach him withouting through the cell door. He leveled the spear at Tarkyn, though he was still far enough away he¡¯d have to throw it.


    Tarkyn didn¡¯t let himself react.


    ¡°Leave. All of you,¡± Tarkyn said, his voice clipped with tension. Harth gave a little cry, but he shook his head without breaking Zev¡¯s gaze. ¡°Leave us alonepletely. I¡¯ll tell Harth through the bond when we¡¯re done talking and she can bring a guard to unlock the door. Let us talk. Let me hear him. Let him be heard.¡±


    There was a silent moment where everyone considered his words-but to a man they realized that Zev had a spear leveled at him, and Tarkyn was calm.


    There was nothing to do but follow the order.


    Elreth gave quick, quiet orders for everyone to leave. She stood there, trembling, but chin high and eyes aze, until everyone else had passed her. She waited until she was thest, then turned towards the door, her eyes catching on Tarkyn¡¯s for the briefest second... her face unreadable.


    For a moment, Tarkyn wished he could talk in her mind too. But then he was grateful that he couldn¡¯t. Because he knew what she would say. He knew the fear she was feeling-and the usation she¡¯d carry from this moment.


    He¡¯d saved his mate first.


    If Zev had been truly homicidal, Tarkyn would have been toote.


    He¡¯d never intended it... but he had broken his vow.


    Cold chill twists in his stomach as the Queen disappeared into the rectangle of sunlight at the door, then it closed firmly behind her.


    Zev watched them all leave, then turned back to smile at Tarkyn.


    The chill in his stomach got worse.


    *****


    POSTED 29 November 2022 AFTER publication so you aren¡¯t charged for the words:


    GREAT NEWS! On Webnovel the new month begins tomorrow! That means two important things!


    1. Privilegepletely renews, so if you want to subscribe, you get ALL new content.


    2. Top tier privilege buyers (AFTER 9:30am Pacific tomorrow¨C30 November in the USA, 1 December elsewhere) will receive a personal letter from Tarkyn (hard copies only for USA readers, international readers will receive digital.)


    ENJOY!

 Chapter 87

    87 Male to Male


    ~ TARKYN ~


    When the door closed behind the shaking Elreth, the room got darker. But with the high windows in the tree, it wasn¡¯t enough to affect either of them.


    Zev¡¯s smile grew as he prowled towards Tarkyn, who¡¯d stood at the other end of the cell, waiting, so he wasn¡¯t a threat. Zev flipped the spear up with a quick twist of his wrist, and any hope Tarkyn might have had that he didn¡¯t know how to use a weapon of that design went out the proverbial window.


    Shit.


    Zev stalked straight up to him, bringing the spear level and pointed straight at Tarkyn¡¯s throat.


    Tarkyn braced-would the male simply y him?-but he felt the way Zev braced as the cold of that de reached his corbones.


    So the male knew how to use it, but didn¡¯t know as well as Tarkyn how to defend against it. It was a position that gave Tarkyn a fighting chance if the male decided to kill him.


    His heart beat so hard he could feel it thrumming in his skin. But he kept himself still and waited for Zev to talk.


    ¡°Captain of the Guard and Defender of the People?¡± Zev said, his voice low and dark. ¡°Where are your fangs?¡±


    .....


    ¡°I¡¯ll fight you for dominance if you wish,¡± Tarkyn said easily. ¡°But at this point, for the sake of my mate and yours, I¡¯m still hoping for peace.¡±


    Something flickered behind Zev¡¯s eyes then and Tarkyn made a mental note that his instincts were correct. The male¡¯s heart was true. His vulnerability was his much weaker, much more fragile family.


    They stared at each other for several breaths, then Zev snarled and threw the spear aside.


    It ttered to the wooden floor, rattling against the bars of the prison before it came to rest.


    Neither of them looked at it.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Tarkyn said simply.


    ¡°Sit down,¡± Zev growled, suiting his own words. Tarkyn, surprised, followed his example. A momentter when they were both sitting, he waited. But Zev just regarded him suspiciously and didn¡¯t speak.


    Tarkyn sighed. ¡°There¡¯s an old tradition in my people. One that, to my knowledge, hasn¡¯t been used in my generation. But I think it would apply here.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Zev asked through his teeth.


    ¡°When there is a problem between the people of the same tribe-a division that we cannot seem to cross-the leaders of the respective factions take a seat at a fire together. They call it sitting in council. And no one leaves until the decision has been made-the terms of the negotiationpleted. It is amitment both parties make-¡±


    ¡°That is not the way of wolves,¡± Zev said sullenly.


    ¡°Maybe not, but I know my mate told you I¡¯m a male of honor,¡± Tarkyn offered. ¡°I¡¯m doing everything I can to find a way to peace. Perhaps all we need is time and... consideration?¡±


    Zev thought about it for a minute, his eyes narrowed, but thoughtful.


    At first Tarkyn thought he¡¯d give in. But then Zev set his jaw and shook his head.


    ¡°It¡¯s toote for that. She tried to destroy my family. She keeps us from our people. She bound me like an animal. I vowed I would kill her for that.¡±


    ¡°Her?¡±


    ¡°Your Queen.¡±


    Tarkyn let his own jaw tighten. ¡°I can¡¯t let that happen.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t have a choice.¡±


    ¡°You say that, but you were just presented with the opportunity-a fault of mine that I do not n to allow you again-and yet, here we are. So I have reason to believe there¡¯s still hope. If I¡¯m wrong, if you just let me volunteer because you think you¡¯re going to kill me, we will have a problem. So, tell me clearly, Zev. Is there a way forward for us? Any way to peace?¡±


    ¡°Not while that bitch is in power,¡± Zev replied without hesitation.


    Tarkyn¡¯s hackles rose and he stiffened. ¡°I¡¯ll need you to soften on that position, because I can¡¯t help you if you¡¯re threatening my Queen.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t give a shit.¡±


    ¡°Liar,¡± Tarkyn snapped. ¡°If that were the case you would have killed her, or tried to kill me already. Your people are on ournd, under our eyes. Elreth will listen to me. I can keep her from taking them. I can keep them free.¡±


    Zev¡¯s jaw rolled, but he didn¡¯t say anything.


    Tarkyn tensed. ¡°I¡¯m working really hard here not to push you, Zev. I know you¡¯ve been pushed to your limits, and it¡¯s not fair. Nothing that¡¯s happened here is fair. But you¡¯re leading your people to war and we outnumber you at least three to one. And you¡¯re currently sitting in a cell. If you do this, you will lose.¡±


    ¡°You know nothing about my people and what we can do. Nothing.¡±


    ¡°So tell me.¡±


    ¡°Why, so you can beat us down and take us as ves? I¡¯m not an idiot.¡± Zev quivered and had to roll his head on his neck, his eyes rolling briefly towards the high windows, then the door.


    Tarkyn could feel his tension.


    ¡°I¡¯m very aware that you aren¡¯t stupid. But you are young, and you¡¯ve only faced one enemy. I¡¯ve been through war. Twice. And I can tell you, you don¡¯t sleep easier at the end of it. That¡¯s the great lie behind it all, Zev. You meet the enemy, and even if you win... your body and mind remain at war. You think beating my ass, or killing my Queen is going to make you feel better. Feel safer. It¡¯s not.¡±


    ¡°Says the enemy who wants me to submit,¡± Zev growled.


    Tarkyn loosed a frustrated breath. ¡°If you won¡¯t believe me...¡± he trailed off. Then, in a burst of inspiration, Tarkyn reached for Harth in his mind, relieved to find her still close.


    ¡®Tarkyn! Are you ok-¡®


    ¡®I¡¯m fine. Can you still reach Zev?¡¯


    ¡®I... yes.¡¯


    ¡®Please, Harth. I¡¯m going to show you my memories... please show them to him.¡¯


    Then he focused on Zev again. ¡°Perhaps, if you won¡¯t believe me, you¡¯ll believe my mate. I¡¯ve asked her to show you my memories-will you be able to tell that they¡¯re memories, not... created thoughts?¡±


    Zev nodded once, tightly.


    His body braced against the thoughts, his stomach twisted with dread. But, praying that his mate wouldn¡¯t hold any of it as his weakness, Tarkyn made himself dig back, deep into his memories and open them to Harth.

 Chapter 88

    88 War is Never Won


    ~ TARKYN ~


    The remembered images and smells overwhelmed him immediately, sucking Tarkyn back to that time in his life. He dropped his head to the back of his forearms, sped in front of him over his knees. Everything in him worked every day to keep these things buried, to push them from conscious thought. But with his teeth gritted, he forced himself to dredge them up instead.


    The pile of bodies that had been stacked near the prison during the War of the Wolves-faces that he knew, swollen and grotesquely discolored. And the stench...


    Zev grunted.


    sh after sh of grieving families-mothers who copsed at the news that their mate, or child had been killed, children¡¯s eyes filled with fear when their parents didn¡¯t return from a day at war. Lovers waiting on the edge of the city for the soldier¡¯s return after the confrontation with the humans, their eyes swimming with love and hope... only to slowly go dark.


    Zev hissed, that hope of love hitting him hardest-especially when Tarkyn, remembering his son, showed him a baby, wailing, unattended in a home where both parents had been assassinated during the War of the Wolves.


    ¡°War leaves its stain everywhere,¡± Tarkyn muttered. ¡°Even on the victors.¡±


    Then he took a deep breath and gave himself to his mate-all those nights he¡¯d woken in a cold-sweat, screaming because his dreams had taken him back to the war front-only this time, the humans were winning.


    All those evenings he¡¯d been forced to leave the market because even during a meal, even in thepany of hundreds of Anima, he couldn¡¯t shake the feeling of eyes on his back. He¡¯d had to patrol, had to make certain that no enemy threatened.


    .....


    Zev flinched, clearly familiar with that feeling. Tarkyn nodded.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t even cover half of it.¡± He caught the male¡¯s eyes, made himself hold them despite the pain there, despite the anger. ¡°When you lead your people to war, when every life lost bes a question about your decisions-when every tear shed might have been avoided if you¡¯d only chosen differently... the what-ifs, the usations from people who¡¯ve lost... trust me, Zev. You don¡¯t want war. You don¡¯t want to go through it yourself, and you don¡¯t want to put your people through it. I have been through it, and I can tell you this with authority.¡±


    He eased Alpha authority into that statement, watching Zev carefully to see if the male noticed.


    But Zev only leaped to his feet and began to walk. ¡°I am not saying I want war,¡± he snarled, pacing like a caged animal. Which he was, Tarkyn supposed. ¡°But you aren¡¯t the only one with memories to avoid.


    Then he turned to face Tarkyn again and their eyes locked. And suddenly Tarkyn was rocked by images sent by Harth, painted in grief and pain and abject terror.


    No... no.


    As Tarkyn curled his fingers into his hair and fought the urge to snap the connection to stop seeing what he was seeing, all he could think was... was this the truth of what Harth had endured?


    *****


    ~ HARTH ~


    She could barely breathe. She stood outside the prison tree, staring nkly at its wall. There were guards nearby, but she barely saw them, because she could only see the images these males-both strong, both devastated-showed her.


    Tarkyn¡¯s memories were saturated in self-doubt and grief. And those moments in the dark by himself, by an aching, hollow loneliness that Harth recognized with such rity she groaned.


    She knew that feeling.


    Her heart went to her mate and she wept, curling herself over her knees, hands in her hair, begging the Creator to save them both from that.


    But then Zev snarled in her head that she would return the favor for him, and before she could even agree...


    It was brutal.


    The images of a dark, sterilebid over with the scents of her childhood-that horrific disinfectant that seemed to strip the lining from her nose and send her reeling. She shoved the images at Tarkyn desperate to get rid of them. But Zev had barely started.


    Looming, dark humans gripping small limbs and tying them down when wriggling children threatened to shift. Tying them in exactly the way Zev had been bound here.


    Harth almost vomited, but the memories rushed on in a blinding blur.


    Pain-unexined illness, torturous experiments, surgeries that left Zev barely able to move for weeks-and always watched by those humans in white coats, or Nick, Zev¡¯s surrogate human ¡°father¡±, standing over him, reassuring him that it would get better, that he was strong.


    Then suddenly a jump to the time when Zev was an adult, or close to it. He stood in a human home, his heart warm and brimming with joy... suddenly turned cold as the man he¡¯d called ¡°Dad,¡± threatened his mate and forced Zev from her.


    Years spent spinning between locked cages, and night-time hunts. Watching humans manipte and deceive-forcing Zev to do as they wished, or they would harm the only one he loved. The threat of everything from death, to sexual assault thrown at her to keep him motivated.


    The despair.


    The training.


    The darkness of human cities and a wolf¡¯s senses easily able to follow, to track... scents of victims given to him, bodies torn apart by wolf-teeth and ws, and Zev, a young, rudderless male, apuded for them.


    The sick, sick weight of dread and self-loathing.


    And then Sasha was back in his life, and almost stolen from him, first by the humans, then by the Chimera who¡¯d been manipted, and then by the humans again.


    The jangling fear that never left. The nights unable to sleep. The weight of any unnatural ceiling over his head pressing on him like a vice.


    His mate. His precious mate. They¡¯d taken her and he could do nothing. She was gone and could be dead and he wouldn¡¯t know. She was weak and might be harmed. And then she was back and in his arms and her scent was wrong, all wrong, because she should have been a mother but she wasn¡¯t-


    The images cut off and Harth sagged, cheeks wet with tears, her chest heaving.


    She could feel Tarkyn¡¯s stunned silence, waiting for more. But there was no more. Zev had cut off the connection.


    ¡®Harth... love, are you-?¡¯ Tarkyn breathed in her head.


    ¡®I never stopped being afraid,¡¯ she sobbed back to him. ¡®My whole life. Until that night with you. Never, Tarkyn. They stole everything. Please... don¡¯t make them go through this anymore. Don¡¯t make me do it... Peace, Tarkyn. We need peace.¡¯


    ** POSTED 29 November 2022 AFTER publication so you aren¡¯t charged for the words **


    GREAT NEWS! On Webnovel the new month begins tomorrow! That means two important things!


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    ENJOY!

 Chapter 89

    89 Make Your Choice


    ~ TARKYN ~


    Tarkyn¡¯s heart cracked as his mate¡¯s feelings-her grief, her fear, the sheer trauma of living both his memories and her Alpha¡¯s-overwhelmed her.


    It was a battle to keep himself in ce, not to demand to be freed so he could go to her. But the Chimeran male in front of him was clearly struggling too, and Tarkyn¡¯s instincts raised every hair on his body as the male shifted his weight and his eyes-so bright in color, like deep ice-fixed on Tarkyn.


    Zev¡¯s hair fell in tines over his eyes because he¡¯d been wing his hands through it. His jaw was iron, and his lips peeled back from his gritted teeth as he spoke.


    ¡°I will not be caged again,¡± he said slowly. ¡°My son will not grow up in a cage.¡±


    ¡°No, he won¡¯t,¡± Tarkyn said firmly. ¡°I give you my word, Zev. He won¡¯t.¡±


    The male didn¡¯t rx, but the light in his eyes shifted. ¡°I don¡¯t give a shit about your word.¡±


    ¡°You will when you find out I honor it.¡± The question was, how? Tarkyn already walked a fine line with Elreth, but he¡¯d just betrayed her protection in front of an audience. In front of those she feared were enemies!


    How could he possibly-


    .....


    ¡°Free me. Free my family,¡± Zev whispered quickly, breathlessly, below hearing of anyone further away from him than Tarkyn.


    Tarkyn tensed. ¡°I¡¯m trying. But you have a role to y in this.¡±


    Zev¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°The role I yed was to defend my family and it¡¯snded me here.¡±


    ¡°I know. And I understand why you did it. And I would have done the same thing in your position, I¡¯m sure. But now I have to convince my Queen of that. And she¡¯s... not happy with me.¡±


    Zev huffed and muttered something about a neutered male.


    Tarkyn tensed. ¡°I¡¯m told that you submit to your mate¡¯s Alpha-yet you condemn me for doing so to my Queen?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Zev snapped. ¡°I¡¯m condemning you for... shrinking from her!¡±


    ¡°I do not shrink! You¡¯ve endured training and hierarchy. You understand respect. You know what it is to be under the authority-¡±


    ¡°I know what it was to have been used and manipted-I broke free from authority because authority broke me and my people. Don¡¯t speak to me about respect. I have no respect for the power that was used over me.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s where we differ-because the power over me is not cruel, or maniptive. And so, I do respect it.¡±


    Zev shook his head and looked away, sneering again. ¡°I should have known-¡±


    ¡°No, Zev, you should let yourself understand that good people do bad things sometimes. But those with the right heart will turn and correct-they¡¯ll acknowledge their ws and work against them. Don¡¯t try to tell me you¡¯ve never made the wrong choice as a leader-none of us have escaped that.¡±


    The muscles at the back of Zev¡¯s jaw flexed, but he gave a single, tight nod.


    ¡°So hear me, wolf: I will work to free you and your people. I will work for peace. You have my word. But your aggression has to be in check. Would you allow a rabid wolf loose among your people?¡±


    Zev¡¯s eyes snapped back to him. ¡°I¡¯m not rabid,¡± he snarled.


    ¡°You¡¯re getting damn close.¡±


    ¡°Walk in my shoes, cat. Then tell me your thoughts.¡±


    ¡°I just did. And my heart aches for you-and for the others who¡¯ve experienced these... brutalities. But now we have a different problem to solve. And I find myself wondering if you have the discipline needed to see it through. Because releasing you into my people where you might harm those who¡¯ve had nothing to do with this conflict... that doesn¡¯t sit well with me.


    ¡°Release me and my family to my people and I will leave yours alone.¡±


    They stared at each other for a long moment, then Tarkyn pushed to his feet. Zev leaped to follow him so they stood within arm¡¯s reach of each other, still not breaking eye-contact.


    Tarkyn¡¯s heart beat so quickly. He already stood in betrayal of his vows-though inadvertently. But he saw both sides of this coin-the leader who¡¯d been pushed to his limits through the cruelty of amon enemy,ing against the instinctive control of another leader whose fear of that same enemy made them ruthlessly suspicious of anyone new.


    How would either side ever have the chance to see the other¡¯s humanity unless...


    Unless...


    Heart thumping, Tarkyn offered a hand in the way he¡¯d been told that those in the human world secured an agreement. ¡°I will do everything in my power to make my Queen see the plight of you and your people... and to get you free,¡± he said grimly. ¡°I¡¯ll get you out of this cage,¡± he added more softly.


    Zev looked down at where their hands sped and the muscles of his jaw flexed. He looked back up to Tarkyn. ¡°If you seed, you¡¯ll be safe,¡± he said finally. ¡°You and your mate will be called our allies. No matter what.¡±


    Tarkyn nodded once to ept the concession. Then he blew out a breath and tightened his grip before releasing Zev¡¯s hand. ¡°It isn¡¯t only me you should see as an ally. There are more here that would help you. That ordered me to help you.¡± he looked towards the door, then back to Zev. ¡°I¡¯ll instruct them to keep the guards outside so you and your family can at least have this space. The rest will just take patience.¡±


    Zev looked skeptical, but he nodded again. ¡°If you seed, I¡¯ll owe you,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°Just remember that when the timees. My goal isn¡¯t simply for your freedom, but peace between our peoples. Don¡¯ty any more barriers in the way of that.


    Zev gave him a wry look, but didn¡¯t argue. They shook hands once more, then released and stepped back. Tarkyn finally turned his mind to his mate and asked her to tell the guard that he was ready to leave.


    He needed an audience with his Queen.


    But even as he wanted to shake with the sickness in him at the thought of how he¡¯d turned from his Queen in danger, his mind shed back on everything the Chimeran Alpha had been through-and his mate as well.


    These people had been tortured and abused. And now they needed freedom.


    He¡¯d been given a task by the Creator, to bring them out of this captivity. There were allies in ce to assist. But that just meant there was no going back now. He had to convince Elreth.


    A pit opened in his stomach.

 Chapter 90

    90 Trust or Treason? Part ~ TARKYN ~


    Thankfully, as the guard entered the prison to release Tarkyn, keys jangling at his waist, without being asked, Zev took himself to the back of the cell so he posed no threat when the guard approached to unlock the cell door.


    Tarkyn could feel the tension on the male, but there was the smallest bond there now-a hint of trust under the fear and rage. Even though Tarkyn could feel the male¡¯s eyes on him, it didn¡¯t feel like the gaze would sear his skin.


    But Tarkyn couldn¡¯t risk giving anything away. Once the guard entered, he kept his eyes off of Zev headed for the cell door, sweeping up the spear without a word as he passed it, and once the guard had opened the door, stalking from the prison without looking back, praying silently that his actions that day wouldn¡¯t be viewed by his Queen as Treason.


    He needed to talk to her.


    But there was little time to think further. When he stepped outside the prison tree, Harth threw herself into his chest and the tension he¡¯d been feeling at the separation threatened to tear him in two as relief and grief washed him in equal measure. Wrapping her in his arms and burying his nose in her hair, he held her tightly.


    Harth was still crying, though quietly. The shaking of her shoulders cut through him like a de. All the pain and anguish that he¡¯d been holding at bay in order to keep himself in check with the Chimeran Alpha broke over him in a wave.


    He held his mate tightly, thankful for the bond that allowed her to feel him, even if not as distinctly as he could feel her.


    ¡®I¡¯m here,¡¯ he murmured in her head. ¡®I won¡¯t leave you. And I¡¯m sorry, Harth. So sorry that you had to do that. Thank you, love. Thank you for helping me. And for trusting me with that. I promise you... I¡¯ll never let you endure that cruelty again.¡¯


    .....


    ¡®I know.¡¯


    ¡®I mean it, Harth. I will put my body and blood in the path of anything that threatens you. I will find a way through this to bring your people together again-and without a threat.¡±


    She sucked in a breath and lifted her head, her eyes shining andshes wet, to search his gaze. He stroked the hair back from her temples and let her examine him. He meant every word.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s been hard, but this day isn¡¯t done,¡± he said softly, sadly. ¡°I have to speak with my Queen and-¡±


    ¡°Tarkyn, you¡¯re bothing with me.¡±


    Tarkyn looked up at the brusque tone from Gar, the massive lion standing just a few feet away, his face grim, and thick arms folded over his chest.


    Their eyes met, and though he couldn¡¯t hear the thoughts of the War Chief, that look spoke volumes.


    Tarkyn¡¯s heart sank to his toes. ¡°It wasn¡¯t-¡±


    ¡°Not here,¡± Gar said, letting his eyes flicker to the guards around them. ¡°The others have already gone to the Royal Cave. I¡¯m headed there. Walk with me. Both of you.¡±


    Tarkyn¡¯s stomach went cold. But at least Gar wasn¡¯t calling him under guard, or dering him a traitor. That was a good sign... wasn¡¯t it?


    Harth looked back and forth between them, her brows rising when Gar waved off the guards that had automatically fallen into formation around them.


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary,¡± Gar said to them. ¡°The Queen has asked me to bring the Captain and his mate. That¡¯s all.¡±


    Ironically, the Guards looked at Tarkyn for affirmation of the order.


    He nodded once, as if he wasn¡¯t as shocked as they were, then when Gar began to walk, ushered Harth along as well.


    They made it through the Prison Tree clearing and onto the trail before Tarkyn opened his mouth. ¡°Gar, it was instinct-¡±


    ¡°Not. Here,¡± the male growled, turning to give him a pointed look, then nced back in the direction they¡¯de from. ¡°Wait until I speak.¡±


    Tarkyn frowned, but did as his friend asked and kept his mouth shut. His skin began to tighten with every step though.


    What had Elreth said to Gar?


    ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯ Harth asked in his head.


    Tarkyn sighed and showed her his memory of the moment he chose to protect her, rather than the Queen.


    He still had an arm around her and felt her tense. ¡®But wouldn¡¯t any Anima do that with their mate?¡¯ she asked, her voice high and frail.


    ¡®I can only pray she sees it that way. And that the King can ovee his anger about the danger she was in long enough to see it too,¡¯ Tarkyn replied grimly.


    They were walking a back trail, avoiding the main Tree City routes. That didn¡¯t surprise Tarkyn. They¡¯d been trying to keep Harth off the main trails since anyone paying attention would scent her difference.


    But he came to a quick halt when the trail met an intersection-moving straight ahead would take them on a back trail that curved around to eventually meet the trail between the Tree City and the Royal meadow.


    Yet Gar turned left.


    ¡°Gar, what-¡±


    ¡°Walk with me, brother,¡± Gar said quietly, ncing over his shoulder and beginning to move more quickly. ¡°Walk this way.¡±


    Harth looked up at Tarkyn, but he just pulled her along with him, keeping his eyes on Gar. What the hell was going on?


    Gar led them, walking quickly but confidently, deeper into the forest. This trail would wind off east and south, towards The Clearing where they took Rites and walked the Smoke and mes. Or it forked to the Northeast, and petered out into the WildWood.


    Was Elreth requiring some kind of Rite-


    ¡°You need to leave. Give her some space,¡± Gar said quietly, his eyes searching the forest around them for threat, like any good warrior.


    ¡°I... what?!¡± Tarkyn said,ing to a halt and grabbing Gar¡¯s arm. ¡°What the hell?¡±


    The male turned to look at him, a dark warning on his face.


    *****


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 Chapter 91

    91 Trust or Treason? Part ~ TARKYN ~


    Gar¡¯s lips thinned and his eyes kept darting around them as if he expected someone to follow, though he didn¡¯t look afraid. ¡°I¡¯m not saying leave for real. I just mean... disappear for a few days. Take your mate on a honeymoon. Give everyone time to think and cool off.¡±


    ¡°Gar, I need to talk to her. She needs to understand-¡±


    ¡°No, Tark. You don¡¯t. She gets it. I¡¯m sure she does. But it¡¯s... it¡¯s making her face some stuff and... I think she needs to do that without you.¡±


    Tarkyn gaped. ¡°We¡¯re in the middle of peace talks!¡±


    Gar snorted. ¡°These aren¡¯t peace talks, Tarkyn, and you know it. She needs to be convinced that that walking weapon back there won¡¯t take her throat the second her back is turned, and he needs to be convinced that she¡¯s human... I mean... You know what I mean.¡±


    He did, but he hadn¡¯t counted on being removed from the conversationpletely. He¡¯d assumed Elreth would be angry-even discipline him. But this?


    But Gar wasn¡¯t finished. He dropped his voice even lower and his eyes bes pinpoints. ¡°Did you do as I suggested?¡±


    Tarkyn nodded quickly, though fear fluttered in his chest. ¡°Is it actually El sending me away?¡± he asked, surprised by the jolt of fear that shot through him at the thought.


    .....


    But Gar shook his head. ¡°She was barely holding it together. She told me to handle things, that she needed a minute, and then she shifted and took off-Aaryn on her heels. I know where she is-at least, I think I do. But that¡¯s not the point. She was terrified, Tark. Like, she held it together in there, but... she was falling apart. This is going to take some time and I¡¯m telling you, I know my sister. She needs space right now. We all need to just calm the fuck down and breathe for a while.¡±


    ¡°Sure, except you have an entire family that¡¯s been traumatized, sitting in a prison cell!¡±


    ¡°You should have thought about that before you let her see that your loyalties had shifted.¡±


    ¡°My loyalties have not shifted!¡± Tarkyn growled. ¡°It was instinct-and one I¡¯m sure Elreth would have done the same thing-¡±


    ¡°Calm down, calm down, brother. I get it. I almost missed the Veneration of my Tribe because my mate was in crisis, remember?¡±


    Tarkyn took a deep breath. He did remember. The Rite of Veneration had been conducted at the Hallowed Grounds. The most formal and significant of their rites always were, and they didn¡¯te more formal than the raising of a new tribe. It hadn¡¯t happened in centuries.


    But it had all happened at the same time Gar¡¯s mate was revealed as a human-one of the humans sent to study the Anima in preparation to conquer them. Tarkyn had been the one to discover them approaching the Tree City, and he¡¯d brought the pair back to Elreth and Aaryn.


    Gar had been in pieces... torn between his newfound responsibilities, his loyalty to his sister, and his new mate.


    It had been a shitshow, but they¡¯d gotten through it.


    Gar must have seen all of that pass behind his eyes, because he was nodding.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, Tark, what this needs is time. Space. Let her think. Let her breathe. She¡¯ll realize that you didn¡¯t do anything she wouldn¡¯t have done-and then she¡¯ll listen. But if you try to press her when she¡¯s still scared...¡±


    Tarkyn shoved out a breath and raked a hand through his hair. He knew Gar was right about El... but Gar didn¡¯t know what Tarkyn was nning. What he¡¯d done.


    He raised his gaze to meet the massive male¡¯s and tried not to let his fear show.


    Tarkyn swallowed hard. ¡°If Elreth doesn¡¯t hear from my mouth why I failed-¡±


    ¡°She¡¯ll hear it from mine,¡± Gar growled. ¡°I saw it in the wolf, Tark. I get it. I mean... war destroys more than the body, right?¡± he said uneasily.


    Tarkyn nodded and his heart went out to the young Alpha. He was only a year or so older than Tarkyn had been when the War of the Wolves urred. Events in those days had set Tarkyn on his course for the future and he couldn¡¯t regret them. But the memories...


    Battle and bloodshed, frozen fear... all of it stuck with a soldier. And Gar had carried far more responsibility and weight into the battle with the humans than Tarkyn ever did with the wolves.


    It was a measure of the male¡¯s good heart that he looked past his own fear to put himself in the other¡¯s shoes.


    He and Gar shared a look, then Tarkyn leaned in. ¡°That feeling you get some days-the bad days? That¡¯s what these Chimera have, Gar. All of them. All the time. They¡¯ve never lived without threat. They¡¯ve all been under attack their entire lives. They don¡¯t know anything else. It¡¯s amazing that they¡¯ve found the capacity to love and find mates... to have hearts for more than just vengeance. We have to help them. She has to see-¡±


    Gar raised his hands. ¡°You¡¯re preaching to the converted, Tark. I¡¯m all for the real peace talks, okay? But that male in that prison isn¡¯t just strong. He¡¯s honed. He¡¯s a weapon. And one that just got pointed right at Elreth¡¯s throat. I¡¯m telling you-she was already on the edge. She¡¯s not sleeping. Aaryn¡¯s really worried about her. What she sees and what she feels are two different things, and she¡¯s trying to bnce those. If you try to push her right now, when she just had a spear to her throat...?¡±


    Tarkyn sagged. He knew Gar was right. But Gar didn¡¯t know that Tarkyn had just promised... what he¡¯d done.


    ¡°You gotta trust me, Tark,¡± Gar said quietly, his face earnest. ¡°Trust me to stand for you. I¡¯m not saying flee. I¡¯m saying go somece. I know you must have a cave out there somewhere. Go take your mate and get some rest. Stay there. Tell me where to find you. When she¡¯s ready we¡¯lle get you. We¡¯ll fix this, Tark. All of it. But not in the next day or two. That¡¯s all.¡±


    Selfishly, Tarkyn¡¯s heart soared at the idea of taking his mate away alone and free. And he knew she needed it. But then he looked down at her.


    Harth stared between him and Gar, her eyes big and shining-questioning.


    She didn¡¯t know. The question was... should he tell her? Or did that only put her in more danger?


    *****


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 Chapter 92

    92 Trust or Treason? Part ~ TARKYN ~


    Tarkyn hadn¡¯t nned to tell Harth so soon. He¡¯d been afraid that knowing might change how she reacted to any conversations they were forced to have with Elreth-or interactions with the Guard.


    But what if it worked? She needed to be confident of what Tarkyn was working towards. And she also deserved to know if they made this decision to leave, what the consequences might be.


    So, taking a deep breath, but trying to keep his face as expressionless as possible, he reached for her mind and showed her the memory.


    He showed her Gar standing close, watching over his shoulder when they were outside the prison tree, and breathing to him below hearing, ¡°Help him. Get him out of here. He can only prove himself when he¡¯s free.¡± He showed her his relief at the War Chief¡¯s instruction. Then he showed himself, offering his hand to Zev, and the two, tiny nails he¡¯d palmed to the male as they shook. Neither of them big enough to do harm as weapons... but strong and straight... and perfect for picking a lock.


    He always carried little tools in his belt, but when he¡¯d seen it in the male¡¯s memories-the training he¡¯d had, the ways he could free himself or break into closed buildings-it had urred to him.


    There was only one way to prove to the Anima that the Chimera weren¡¯ting to kill.


    Tarkyn just prayed that the nails were enough. They¡¯d get Zev and his family out of the cell. But Tarkyn had nned to create a diversion, an opportunity for them to flee without needing to take out guards.


    Gar¡¯s instruction or not, he couldn¡¯t be responsible for harming to some of his guards, especially not as a consequence of him letting the Queen down, breaking his vow, however unintentional the breach had been.


    .....


    He¡¯d tried to give the wolf every warning and clue. But he hadn¡¯t expected to immediately disappear.


    If they left now and Zev wasn¡¯t patient like Tarkyn had told him to be. If the male tried to escape immediately, harming guards-or worse-on his way... Or if he was caught trying because Zev got frantic and didn¡¯t wait until there were no witnesses...


    And if any of these things happened-even his sessful escape-right after Tarkyn had been alone with him... right after Tarkyn had let the Queen down...


    Tarkynid it all out in the sh of a few seconds for Harth. Her eyes widened, but she was wise not to speak out loud. She tightened her grip on his hand, but he felt her hope rise and heard her joy in the whisper of her voice in his head.


    ¡®He¡¯ll be careful. He won¡¯t want to kill anyone for the sake of it. He¡¯ll just want to get free,¡¯ she murmured as if they might be overhead, even in the bond.


    ¡®Yes, but will he wait? If he disappears tonight-at the same time I¡¯ve gone with you? Harth... it won¡¯t look good.¡¯


    Gar waited, obviously figuring out that they were speaking, but he kept watch on the forest around them.


    Then, while Harth chewed her lip and considered that, Tarkyn had an idea. ¡®Can you still reach his mind? Can you tell him we need two or three days? So they won¡¯t connect us with his disappearance? I can... I can give him some tips on the best times to try.¡¯


    Harth blinked, but her eyes brightened. ¡®Yes. Yes, I can still reach him.¡¯


    Tarkyn nodded, then turned to Gar, instinctively pulling Harth closer. ¡°We¡¯ll go,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll take her to thegoon.¡±


    ¡°The Lagoon?¡±


    Tarkyn¡¯s chest tightened-he¡¯d never shared his favorite spot with any of the other males because he¡¯d always gone there seeking solitude. But this was necessary, and Gar had his own caves, Tarkyn knew.


    So, he stepped aside on the trail to point through a gap in the trees, tugging Gar to look over his shoulder. ¡°You see the peak with the curved side, like a bear swiped a chunk out of it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Head that way for three hours-two if you¡¯re in your beast. Just keep running straight for it. There¡¯s a ravine at the base of the mountain that looks dark, like a dead end. But if you push through, there¡¯s a small wood, then it opens into a lovely clearing. The cave is hidden, but I¡¯ll hear you if you call. Even from the Ravine.¡±


    Gar nodded and they both turned to face each other.


    Tarkyn¡¯s heart was pounding, but he couldn¡¯t decide what he felt more deeply-the fear and dread of the Queen¡¯s potential anger, or the freedom and joy of time alone with his mate.


    ¡°You¡¯re certain she¡¯s not going to think I¡¯ve stolen Harth away?¡±


    Gar shook his head. ¡°She was already talking about letting Harth stay with you-without the guards. She knew that had to happen. She was just... struggling.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t she want Harth to confirm some of-¡±


    ¡°Tark, seriously, just go.¡± Gar reached down to his belt where he¡¯d tied two hunting bags. ¡°I got you some food and a knife. Do you have furs there?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. We¡¯ll be fine,¡± Tarkyn said carefully, taking the bags from his friend.


    Then they stared at each other and a momentter, Gar cracked a smile. ¡°I know it¡¯s a shitty way to do it, but happy honeymoon.¡±


    Tarkyn smiled too.


    Gar winked at Harth. ¡°Don¡¯t let him order you around like one of his soldiers. Make him work for it.¡±


    Harth snorted, but her grip on Tarkyn¡¯s arm tightened. Then Tarkyn and Gar sped forearms. Gar pulled him into a quick embrace, thumping his back. ¡°Just keep an ear out for us. We¡¯ll get through this, Tark. She¡¯ll listen. We¡¯ll make sure she does.¡±


    Tarkyn nodded quickly, then took Harth¡¯s hand and pulled her down the fork in the trail that would lead them into the wood.


    The questions and fears of everything that had happened wanted to overwhelm him, but he shook them off.


    He¡¯d prayed for a chance to be alone with his mate-free. Both of them free. And here it was.


    He wasn¡¯t going to question this gift.


    In fact, as they started down the trail and he used the link to tell Harth everything that Zev needed to know before they went out of range, he had to discipline himself not to run.


    ** POSTED 29 November 2022 AFTER publication so you aren¡¯t charged for the words **


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    ENJOY!

 Chapter 93

    93 Freedom


    ~ HARTH ~


    Pieces of her twisted as they fled. Parts of her heart that remembered running from danger too often. Parts that had been thrown into hunts in which she was the prey.


    Though Tarkyn held her hand and they only walked briskly, rather than running, she couldn¡¯t escape the creeping dread, the tingling sense of horror that at any moment they might be ambushed, or an enemy might break through the trees behind andunch towards them.


    They were forced to walk silently for almost an hour, Tarkyn warning her that there were patrols and stations throughout this area of the forest, still close to the Tree City.


    They spoke infrequently through the bond, but most of Tarkyn¡¯s focus went on their surroundings and their passage. He apuded her more than once for keeping herself so quiet, andmented that she could teach some of the Anima a thing or two. But he obviously felt her fear, because his forehead was creased, and he never let go of her hand.


    She was d-she needed something solid to hold onto. And having his great bulk nearby, his sharp eyes and ears, and hismand of the forest... it kept her from jittering fear.


    But she couldn¡¯t hide the creeping dread within her, and some of it seemed to infect him, until finally, they slowed and he crouched down behind a fallen stump, motioning to her to do the same.


    ¡®There¡¯s heavy guard patrol in this area, but once we get beyond it, we shouldn¡¯t meet anyone unless we¡¯re very unlucky. I want to wait here until we see a patrol. That should give us a few minutes-but we¡¯ll need to take care with our trail.¡¯


    Harth nodded, trying hard to keep her heart from pounding quite so hard. She knew that even if they were to be caught, no one was going to shoot their Captain. She knew that they were leaving with the War Chief¡¯s permission-and likely the Queen¡¯s as well, from what Gar had said.


    .....


    Yet her mind kept conjuring crisis-a guardsman who didn¡¯t recognize Tarkyn right away and shot his arrows before he asked questions-or who¡¯d met with Zev and was feeling vengeful and might seek to take any Chimera out of this life.


    Her stomach wouldn¡¯t stop knotting, and her heart wouldn¡¯t calm.


    ¡®Harth, what is it? Do you sense something?¡¯


    She shook her head. ¡®It is only my body¡¯s response to fear,¡¯ she said, frustrated with herself.


    Tarkyn tore his eyes from the forest and turned to look at her, his warm eyes pinched with concern. ¡®Give me another hour or two, Harth. Then we¡¯ll have a true rest. True freedom. True solitude. And I¡¯ll hold you as long as you need so you can feel safe.¡¯


    Tears pricked her eyes, but the vision he put in her mind was so lovely and she yearned for it so desperately, that she wiped her face and focused on her breathing.


    A couple of hours. She could do anything for a couple of hours.


    The humans had certainly proved that much to her.


    The moment when one of the guards stepped onto the trail not far from their tree was incredibly tense, but her mate had positioned them beautifully. The breeze blew the guard¡¯s scent to them, but kept them from him-and where the trail passed, the stump they crouched behind was slightly behind him.


    Within minutes, Tarkyn had pulled her from the spot and they were running, first in their human forms, then after taking a moment for Harth to undress and tie her clothing to her leg, in their beasts.


    But something happened when Harth shifted. Something she couldn¡¯t quite pinpoint at first. An... emptiness. In her chest-and in her head. At first she tried to dismiss it as just a consequence of her stress.


    But when Tarkyn-bold and beautiful in his lion, his thick mane trailing halfway down his back and stomach-turned to look at her over his shoulder and his beast made a strange call, then drew up quickly to a halt, Harth whirled, wondering what he¡¯d seen or scented that she hadn¡¯t-


    ¡°Harth?¡± he whispered her name and she turned to find him in human form again, standing there, staring at her, his face a mask of worry.


    She shifted quickly back to her human form. ¡°What? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡®Can you hear me?¡¯ he asked quickly through the bond.


    ¡®Of course. Why?¡¯


    Tarkyn blew out a breath. ¡°Don¡¯t shift,¡± he murmured.


    Harth nodded, still confused, but Tarkyn shifted-he didn¡¯t have to remove his clothing, which she found very curious-and then he watched her.


    His broad muzzle was much lighter than the rest of his tawny coat. His eyes a brilliant gold, and full of intelligence. But after a long moment of staring, he made that strange call again, then shifted back.


    ¡®You couldn¡¯t hear me,¡¯ he said, his voice tight with concern. ¡®When I was in my beast, you couldn¡¯t hear me.¡¯


    Harth blinked. ¡°You spoke?¡±


    ¡°In your mind, I tried to. But you couldn¡¯t hear me. I tried when we were running also. That¡¯s why I stopped, because you weren¡¯t responding. I was worried something was wrong.¡±


    Harth frowned, then shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I haven¡¯t heard of that before, but... but I suppose if your beast is different to mine... I don¡¯t know, Tarkyn.¡±


    ¡°We have to remember that,¡± he said fiercely. ¡°We have to remember that we can¡¯tmunicate when I¡¯m in my beast.¡±


    She nodded, then took his hand when he looked so fierce. ¡°I¡¯ll remember,¡± she said, trying to soothe him. ¡°Please don¡¯t worry, Tarkyn, I¡¯ll remember.¡±


    Squeezing her hand, he turned and looked through the trees in the direction they¡¯d been traveling. ¡°Should we travel more swiftly in our beasts, but not able to touch minds? Or... should we stay in human form? I don¡¯t like losing that connection with you, Harth,¡± he said quietly. Seriously.


    Harth couldn¡¯t stop the smile that broke on her face. ¡°Me either,¡± she breathed. ¡°Let¡¯s just walk. I¡¯ll be fine, Tarkyn. I just want to be with you and not... not have to think about others, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to be fine. We¡¯re outside the main patrol range now-and those that might have wandered this far have been assigned to... the current surveince. I don¡¯t think we¡¯re going to see anyone after this, Harth. It¡¯s just you and me.¡±


    And then he smiled.


    His handsome face lit up, his eyes sparkling.


    Harth couldn¡¯t help but return it.


    Then he offered his hand, and she took it, and they darted deeper into the forest together.

 Chapter 94

    94 Serenity Lagoon


    ~ TARKYN ~


    ¡°Oh, Tarkyn... it¡¯s beautiful,¡± Harth breathed.


    They¡¯d had to crawl through portions of the ravine that were overgrown with bush and vines, but that had only reassured Tarkyn that they were unlikely to meet other travelers out here.


    Both of them were speaking more easily now, walking with less tension when they didn¡¯t have to crawl through vines and branches.


    He¡¯d drawn Harth through the dark, narrow ravine with its high, rock walls and trees growing even from the cracks in them. Between the rock walls that curved overhead until they almost touched, and the vines and branches from the trees, very little of the sun could be seen in the ravine. It brightened a little when the walls gave way and opened to the wooded area, but the trees here were small and thick, slow-growers with dense canopy.


    It wasn¡¯t until they reached the edge of the wood and Tarkyn couldn¡¯t bury his smile any longer that he turned to her, taking her hand to draw her forward through thest of the bushes. They¡¯d broken through thest of the dim shadows to be washed in warm sunlight reflecting from the face of the mountain above them.


    But that wasn¡¯t what had made her eyes go wide and her jaw drop.


    There was a reason this was Tarkyn¡¯s favorite ce, and one he¡¯d never shared before. He¡¯d discovered it once in his youth when he¡¯d been just old enough to begin feeling the weight of responsibility without yet having developed the strength to bear all of it.


    He¡¯d been allowed a few days break from shifts, and he¡¯d gone alone into the WildWood for the first time. He¡¯d needed solitude, but everywhere he¡¯d turned he seemed to keep meeting patrols or hunters.


    .....


    He¡¯d been fleeing, he realized now. When he¡¯d seen the darkness of the ravine, a part of him had hoped it would discourage others-and a part of him hoped he¡¯d find a silent one with a den that he would have to fight and might vent some of his tension in the process.


    But then he¡¯de out of the woods in this exact spot and he¡¯d knew his face had made almost that exact expression.


    In his mind, he¡¯d called thegoon the Creator¡¯s Oasis.


    Under their feet was a carpet of thick grass that spread out all the way to the edges of the bowl in thend that held this clearing. In deep summer Tarkyn knew it would be long enough that he could throw Harth down in it and be hidden from watchers. But at this time of year it was shorter, thick and spongey under them.


    Just feet away, the grass began to give way, thinning, then fadingpletely into the rich, brown soil of the banks of thegoon, punctuated by t boulders and sandy areas scattered with small but beautiful trees, all of which leaned towards the water as if to trail their branches through it.


    The contrast of the deep green grass with the rich brown soil that was almost red, was only heightened by the incredible aquamarine of thegoon itself, its waters clear and deep and such a bright reflection of sky¡¯s blue it never failed to steal Tarkyn¡¯s breath.


    Watched over by one of the towering peaks of the northern range, a rippling white waterfall wider than two grown, male animaying feet to head poured into thegoon, its thundering rush leaving the entire clearly with a cover of natural sound that always made Tarkyn feel like he¡¯d been wrapped in a nket of beautiful noise.


    The rock walls climbed high and steep around them, increasing the sense of being hidden from the world


    But Tarkyn had been here dozens of times. And while the beauty of the ce still impacted him every time, it was the look on Harth¡¯s face that made his heart sing. She clung to his hand, staring around like a cub at their first feast-eyes wide and round, darting left and right. Her body still, but quivering with excitement.


    He could feel it in her-the rush of relief, of joy, and of thrill.


    She let go of his hand to cover her mouth with both hands, then turned to stare at him with sparling eyes. ¡°We¡¯re staying here?¡±


    Tarkyn nodded excitedly, then pulled her into a brief kiss. He ached for her, ached to discard the weight of the day they¡¯d had. But there was still more to show her first. And likely some work to do in the cave.


    Harth didn¡¯t breathe when he kissed her, clinging to him, her body trembling. But when they broke apart, he grinned. ¡°Let me show you.¡±


    Then he led her around thegoon-behind the clusters of trees on its bank, to the narrow trail that someone had widened into the rocky sides of the mountain that climbed around the side of the bowl to a height halfway up the waterfall, where its water poured to its widest flow, shining and glittering under the sun-and arched feet away from the rocks underneath.


    From the clearing itself both the path and the gap under the waterfall couldn¡¯t be seen, hidden by trees and the curve of thend and water. But from here only the light spray of the water, tiny beads of it floating in the air, touched their skins.


    Because the rocks overhung the mouth of the cave, the water of the falls covered it like a curtain-allowing light, but no view. And as Tarkyn drew the gaping Harth under the flow of water and into the cave, she shook her head in disbelief.


    He¡¯d beening here since the summer after the War of the wolves. During that time he¡¯d brought various conveniences, one at a time, until these days the cave was almost asfortable as one near the Tree City.


    Whoever had widened the trail on the side of the mountain had also carved a sleeping tform at the end of the cave, which wasn¡¯t very deep, but quite wide. Tarkyn had brought enough furs out here to keep himself warm, even in winter, in case he was ever stuck by the weather. He¡¯d carried the wood for shelves, and a set of drawers. A natural chimney had been carved out of the rocky walls at some point by the Creator Himself. It curved up from a hollow in the side of the floor near the front of the cave, and when a fire was built in there, the smoke was naturally drawn up and out of the cave.


    There were cooking utensils, cast-iron pans, and a dozen other conveniences Tarkyn had brought her during the past almost two decades. Everything needed to make it a home-a second home-except a mate.


    Tarkyn loved this ce. But there had been lonely nights here tainted by the ache of unquenched desire, and despairing prayers, begging the Creator to reveal the missing piece of his heart. He¡¯de less and less in recent years-then not at all the year before because of the invasion of the humans and the subsequent work.


    But now he was back. And she was at his side.


    His beautiful, soft-hearted, warm mate, who was staring around the cave, open mouthed... and with tears trailing down her cheeks?


    *****


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 Chapter 95

    95 You Delight Me


    ~ HARTH ~


    She hadn¡¯t anticipated the emotion of it. To have him walk her into this beautiful ce that felt so peaceful and private. To feel finally free. And to know it all came because of him... the furniture, the furs, the little shelves set against the wall and more of those books he clearly loved. It squeezed her heart to see his little touches in every corner. Even under the dust ofck of use, even in the litter left by animals who¡¯d discovered the spot while it was empty... he was here. She could feel it.


    It was like walking into his home for the first time all over again, and yet somehow felt even more personal.


    ¡°You¡¯re the only one I¡¯ve brought here,¡± he¡¯d told her while they were still walking through the forest, a slow smile starting on his face. ¡°I¡¯ve imagined you here every time I¡¯vee.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± she¡¯dughed.


    And he¡¯d turned, his face serious even behind the smile. ¡°You, Harth. My heart knew you, even if I didn¡¯t. Every time I came here it wasn¡¯t just a break for me. It felt like... preparation. As if this ce wouldn¡¯t be truly right until there were two of us. And now...¡±


    Harth blinked out of the memory to find him staring down at her worried, using his thumbs to brush away her tears.


    ¡°What is it, love?¡±


    In answer, she just grabbed him and pulled him down into a kiss-chaste and desperate. Then she buried her face in his chest and held him as he tightened his strong arms around her.


    .....


    ¡°Harth¨C¡± His voice was tight with worry.


    ¡°I¡¯m just so d to be here, Tarkyn,¡± she breathed against his chest, then inhaled his gorgeous scent as he stroked hands up and down her back. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful. You did such a great job. I wish we could stay here forever.¡±


    He gave a little grunt then, like she¡¯d caught him with an elbow to the ribs. She pulled back to make sure he was okay, and found him looking doubtfully around the cave, his Adam¡¯s apple bobbing.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry it¡¯s so messy...¡±


    Harth spluttered augh. Only a male of immense self-discipline would look at this cave-abandoned for months, yet neat as a pin-and see a mess.


    She knew that he must focus on the fact that it was dusty, and with a few small piles of bones where animals had used it for shelter, and one pile in the corner where things had been knocked from a shelf.


    But Harth remembered her tent back at the settlement, the piles of furs and clothing, and the asional dirty mug... she swallowed a bit herself and gave another nervousugh.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s beautiful, Tarkyn. But let¡¯s clean it up so you feelfortable and... just show me how you live here. I want to share this life with you.¡±


    He touched her face then, his warm eyes burning so she thought he might kiss her. But then he smiled and turned away to pull a broom out of a small alcove at the back and start sweeping.


    They both busied themselves, dusting and sweeping, picking up a pile of books something that had been knocked from the shelf, and shaking and beating the furs.


    Then, while Harth was still finishing up thest fur-her stomach beginning to tingle with the thought of whaty in store for them there-Tarkyn turned to the firece and frowned. ¡°I guess I didn¡¯t restock the wood before I leftst time. I hope we can find enough that¡¯s dry. It rains more here near the hills.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go look,¡± she said, eager to explore this ce with him.


    Tarkyn grinned and offered his hand, so she gave the fur onest shake, then threw it over the sleeping tform and hurried to take it.


    *****


    ~ TARKYN ~


    She was stunning. He¡¯d led her back down the trail, answering her questions as much as he could about the trees and the mountain range, the birds they saw perched on a crag above the waterfall, and why the dirt was almost red.


    She was like a cub, devouring information and squealing with pleasure at every new discovery. Being near her when she found one of thest Skyblue flowers in the clearing was a joy.


    He¡¯d been in the middle of describing the two kinds of wood in the forest and how to tell them apart-one was good for the cave fire, the other too light and created too much smoke-when she gave a little gasp and yanked out of his grip.


    He¡¯d jumped, thinking something had frightened her. But instead found her hurrying forward to the grass and getting to her knees. ¡°Tarkyn, look. They¡¯re blue.¡±


    Tarkyn gave a little chuckle and walked over to where she knelt, touching one of the small flowers with a fingertip.


    ¡°They feel like velvet!¡± she said breathlessly.


    Her joy at this tiny piece of creation took his breath away.


    Joining her down in a squat, he watched her rather than the flowers, finding his own joy there. ¡°They¡¯re called Skyblues. In the spring and summer they cover the meadow-thoughte in the season there¡¯s only a few because they get too shadowed by the grasses that grow faster. But these must be a hardy little bunch. I wouldn¡¯t have expected to see them now that it¡¯s growing cold at night.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a blue flower before, not like this,¡± she said breathlessly.


    ¡°Really?¡± Tarkyn had never really thought about how Creation might differ in the human world, but... no blue flowers?


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sure they exist,¡± she said with a little self-deprecatingugh. ¡°I just haven¡¯t seen them. Where I lived in the human world there were only a few flowers, mostly white and yellow, a few pink or red. And in Thana it was snowy nine or ten months of the year. Our springsted about three weeks. I don¡¯t remember ever seeing blue flowers there. But we were so busy at that time of year...¡±


    They got caught up then,paring their worlds and lives. Tarkyn found her so fascinating, and was stunned to watch her flicker between jaded, abused woman, and thrilled, joyful child, depending what she spoke about or remembered.


    She was a heady mix... and she was his.


    ¡°Tarkyn... are you okay?¡±


    He blinked. She was staring up at him, her brows high and eyes wide, slightly worried.


    He realized she¡¯d been talking and he¡¯d been so deep in thought, he¡¯d just stared at her.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine! I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m just... I just love hearing you, Harth. I love watching you. Your heart... I love the way your heart shines when you smile.¡±


    She blinked, then covered her mouth with one hand. ¡°I think that¡¯s the sweetest thing anyone¡¯s ever said about me,¡± she whispered.


    Tarkyn dropped his chin and smiled at her out from under his heavy brow. ¡°I have more,¡± he said, tracing her jaw, letting his thumb tug at her lip. ¡°There¡¯s so many things about you that are beautiful, Harth. But I want to get the wood and get into the cave where I can show you properly.¡±


    He could feel his desire-which had been at a low simmer ever since they stepped into solitude-zing in his veins.


    And he could feel her, sensing it and responding.


    With a breathless prayer of thanks to the Creator, they both stood. Harth looked at him out from under hershes, a delightful smile creeping up on her face. ¡°Well, let¡¯s find the wood, Tarkyn. And let¡¯s get you fed. Because once you start, I don¡¯t want you to stop.¡±


    He groaned and pulled her into his chest for a kiss, but made himself release her quickly.


    Harth gave a giggle that was so full of delight and abandon, he almost said to hell with the wood. But they¡¯d need it for cooking as well as heat during the cold night.


    So he clenched his fists and made himself keep his hands away from her as they walked towards the woods together and he made certain she understood which of the fallen branches made the best wood-and which of the dead underbrush to strip for kindling.


    But he might have broken into a run more than once, as he searched for the wood.


    He didn¡¯t want to waste a single, precious moment.


    *****


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 Chapter 96

    96 Dream Come True


    ~ HARTH ~


    Back in the cave with all the wood collected, Harth watched as Tarkyn made them a meal in quick, efficient movements. He¡¯d gotten very serious as they were carrying their finds back and hadn¡¯t stopped moving since they returned, building a fire in the back of the hollow against the rock wall, watching to make sure the draw on the chimney was right and the smoke wouldn¡¯t fill the cave, then showing her the cupboard where he kept most of the utensils and pots.


    It was fascinating to see the soldier in him-fast, efficient, task-driven, and satisfied by a job well donee to life. And yet, his brow remained furrowed, and his breath a fraction quick.


    Had something happened while they were out gathering the wood? Or was he just remembering what they¡¯d left behind with the Queen and the events of that day?


    Harth had been distracted from all that herself when they¡¯d first arrived-and wanted to be distracted again. But the way he wouldn¡¯t quite meet her eyes, and the way he moved about the cave as if he was on a mission... it worried her.


    When they were done eating, Tarkyn sorted through what rations Gar had provided. He ced them carefully in the cupboard as well, where they would be safely shut away from any wildlife that might make an appearance.


    ¡°I¡¯ll need to hunt tomorrow,¡± he said distractedly as he wrapped and stacked the food. ¡°If I do, this will keep us going for days.¡±


    ¡°I can hunt too,¡± Harth said, ¡°If you have a bow, or a snare.¡±


    Tarkyn looked up at her quickly. ¡°You hunt?¡±


    .....


    ¡°Yes,¡± sheughed. ¡°And track. I was taught when I was young. I¡¯m quite good-though probably not as good as you.¡±


    His eyes narrowed slightly even as he smiled. But before she could ask what was on his mind, his scent hit the back of her throat and thoughts of anything beyond him fell out of her head.


    He wanted her.


    For whatever reason, hearing that she could hunt and track had... aroused him?


    She tilted her head and raised one brow. ¡°Hunting? Really?¡±


    ¡°Honestly, Harth, you could have told me you¡¯repetent at juggling... I love a strong female with skill in any arena. I find it-¡± he broke off, frowning. ¡°What is it?¡± he asked suddenly.


    Harth realized she¡¯d gone still when he mentioned ¡°a strong female.¡±


    She¡¯d been so preupied with everything else, it was easy to forget that he was so much more experienced in these things than her.


    ¡®Nothing, it¡¯s fine,¡¯ she said in his head quickly, forging the link instinctively because her throat felt tight.


    ¡°Harth-¡±


    She cleared her throat. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Tarkyn. I was just distracted-¡±


    ¡°No, Harth-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine!¡± She got to her feet, intending to take her te to the entrance to the cave where he¡¯d said they would wash the dishes under the flow of the waterfall.


    But Tarkyn stood too and caught her arm as she passed. He didn¡¯t pull hard, but she stopped, her heart beating faster, cursing herself for bringing dark thoughts into this moment, because she was so happy to be there with him and free and-


    ¡°Harth,¡± he murmured, staring at her, tracing a finger around her ear to push her hair behind it.


    His touch sent goosebumps all the way down her side.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Tarkyn,¡± she breathed.


    ¡°No, you aren¡¯t fine. And you¡¯re my heart. Talk to me.¡±


    She was about to protest again, but realized that would only be inviting his frustration. So she made herself put the dishes down and turn to face him.


    He stared down at her, his brow furrowed again as it had been outside and she sighed. She reached up to press smooth his forehead. ¡°Don¡¯t frown. There¡¯s no reason to frown,¡± she muttered, feeling frustrated with herself.


    ¡°There is if you¡¯re suddenly unhappy. I know my life has been different than yours, Harth, but what you hear when I speak of other females... it isn¡¯t the reality.¡±


    Harth sighed again and dropped her hands, gripping the bottom of her shirt. ¡°Okay then, tell me the truth of it... I¡¯ll try to see it,¡± she said simply.


    Tarkyn¡¯s shoulders rose and fell once, then he took her face in his hands and leaned down, his expression intense. ¡°What I know now,¡± he said, his voice so low she could only just hear it over the rush of the waterfall, ¡°is that everything that drove me forward, everything that drew me in the past was the search for you.¡± He paused, letting those words sink in and Harth managed a small smile. He caught her chin when she started to look away, suddenly ufortable in his scrutiny.


    ¡°No, Harth, hear me: I didn¡¯t understand. Truly. There was something in me that was always seeking.¡±


    ¡°Pleasure,¡± she pointed out, working hard not to let her voice be sullen.


    ¡°Yes, at times, especially in my youth,¡± he said bluntly. ¡°But even that... Harth, it was hollow. I gave myself over to my work when I was little more than twenty-five because what I¡¯d found elsewhere up to that point had left me hollow. I was wounded and tired and lonely. But I tried not to feel it. I wanted... I wanted you. I wanted what I feel with you-that unity. That harmony. That soul-connection. But I didn¡¯t know how to find it. I thought that came from intimacy... but when it didn¡¯t work... sometimes I sought intimacy just to soothe the ache. But you? Harth, you don¡¯t understand-touching you is electric. There is a charge in my skin that I have never felt.


    ¡°Wanting you is like needing air-it isn¡¯t purely physical, though that¡¯s how it¡¯s expressed. There is something within me-deep inside-that thrives when you and I are close. I yearn for it. I ache for it. I burn for it-for you. I have been mating females for twenty years and I have never experienced that before.¡±


    Harth knew he wasn¡¯t lying-at least, not consciously. But the way he¡¯d spoken earlier... his understanding of females and himself. Knowing himself to be... drawn by things within different females.


    She looked at him skeptically and set her jaw.


    Because she might be inexperienced, but she wasn¡¯t stupid.


    *** POSTED 29 November 2022 AFTER publication so you aren¡¯t charged for the words ***


    GREAT NEWS! On Webnovel the new month begins tomorrow! That means two important things!


    1. Privilegepletely renews, so if you want to subscribe, you get ALL new content.


    2. Top tier privilege buyers (AFTER 9:30am Pacific tomorrow¨C30 November in the USA, 1 December elsewhere) will receive a personal letter from Tarkyn (hard copies only for USA readers, international readers will receive digital.)


    ENJOY!

 Chapter 97

    97 Tell Me the Truth


    ~ HARTH ~


    ¡°You really want me to believe you¡¯ve never burned for another female?¡± she asked, unimpressed. ¡°I may be inexperienced, Tarkyn, but I¡¯ve been around males. I¡¯m not an idiot. The joke in the Chimera is that males are so quick to choose mates purely because they burn.¡±


    But Tarkyn just shook his head. ¡°Not like this, Harth. Watching you outside-when you¡¯d seen those flowers, and then we were gathering the firewood... it was a battle within me not to pick you up and carry you back here instead of the wood.¡±


    ¡°Because you burn?¡± she asked breathlessly. Was that what had been bothering him?


    ¡°Because I burn for you,¡± he corrected. ¡°You are a drug to me, Harth. I want to know everything. Inside and out. I want to understand you. You fascinate me. And every new thing I learn is a jewel added to your crown.¡± He grimaced and shook his head. ¡°I sound like a fluttering adolescent, but it¡¯s the truth. Wanting you is asyered and asplex as the leaves on a tree-and as simple as breathing. It just is. Always. I sat in that prison cell, facing death and destruction, and still I ached for you.¡±


    She smiled, she couldn¡¯t help it. ¡°I want you, too.¡±


    He gave a little growl and leaned closer so she thought he would kiss her, but he wasn¡¯t done. Eyes zing, voice deep, he ran his nose lightly along her jaw, inhaling slow and deep. Adrenaline sent butterflies through her stomach and the hair on her arms stood up.


    ¡°Do you understand that I want you not only for the act?¡± Tarkyn asked hoarsely. ¡°Not only for the pleasure of it-though the pleasure is immense, Harth.¡± He pulled back enough to meet her eyes and his love zed through. Harth¡¯s stomach flipped and she leaned closer. But he wasn¡¯t done. He took her shoulders and pulled her back to make her meet his eyes. They zed with intensity. He was desperate for her to understand.


    ¡°Harth, the fact that we stand here together... I never brought another soul to this ce-not even a male friend. Not even the males who have saved my life more than once. This is... this is my den. The ce made for us. I have waited for you, love. My heart waited here, for you. I need you,¡± he rasped. ¡°I need you like air.¡±


    .....


    The admission seemed to cost him. She put a hand to his face and stroked his stubble with her thumb.


    ¡°I need you, too,¡± she said, her voice too high. ¡°But it¡¯s hard to believe... these females around you are so... sure of themselves. Somanding. While I¡¯m still learning. It seems like I can¡¯t yet give you what-¡±


    Tarkyn blew out a breath. ¡°Harth, you can be certain: I have never needed another person in my entire adult life. I have been... capable and strong and aplished since I was young. Anything I needed I set myself to the task of learning, until I was more thanpetent. But you?¡± His expression pinched. ¡°I can¡¯t learn you fast enough, or well enough. I can¡¯t possess enough of you. I can¡¯t take you more passionately or hold you with more conviction, and yet it isn¡¯t enough. I need time. I need... I need you. If you were to reject me...¡± Fear ignited in his eyes and that was what broke through to her.


    She realized by holding this over him she was creating fear in him that he hadn¡¯t felt before-just as she¡¯d been feeling fear about his familiarity with these others.


    She never wanted to do that to him... and he hadn¡¯t ever wanted to do that to her.


    Harth¡¯s breath released in a whoosh and all her fears, all her tension about his experience or the other females seemed to melt away with it, like smoke in the air.


    ¡°Tarkyn, I feel the same way,¡± she whispered, and threw her arms around his neck, pulling him into a tender, but passionate kiss, letting her tongue tease under his lip and her body press against his. ¡°I love you,¡± she whispered against his mouth.


    He groaned the mating call and her stomach clenched, aching with want.


    Dishes and clean-up forgotten, Tarkyn pulled her into him, devouring her mouth.


    ¡°I cannot believe you could think any other would hold me in this thrall, Harth,¡± he rasped, his desperation evident in his kiss.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know. I didn¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°Understand this, love. There is no other for me. There never has been, and there never will be. You¡¯re mine, and I¡¯m yours. And that is as it should be.¡±


    The words sparked joy for Harth and she pressed into him, her breath short and sharp. And at first he returned her frantic kisses, but as the conversation fell away and their bodies began to speak, he changed the pace... slowing. Savoring.


    Harth found herself pressing into him, leaning up to take his mouth-but though she was washed in relief every bit as potent as the fire he was stoking in her, he didn¡¯t grasp for her. He kissed and stroked, walking her backwards slowly, closer and closer to the furs, but easing away at times to meet her eyes, to stroke her face, then diving into the kiss again. But every time she began to pant or cling, he chuckled and pulled away again.


    He was teasing her!


    ¡°Tarkyn,¡± she said the third time he pulled back.


    ¡°Mmmm?¡± he murmured, smiling as he watched himself trail a finger down her neck, to trace the line of her corbone, then the open-neck of her shirt until he reached the barrier of the first button. Then his eyes crawled back up to hold hers as he pinched the button loose.


    She felt it give and her breath caught.


    ¡°What is it, mate of mine?¡± he rasped, his fingertip stroking lightly down her skin between her breasts, to the next button, where he hesitated.


    She¡¯d been meaning to say something. To... to chastise him for... something?


    But then he flicked the second button open and raised an eyebrow when her breath stopped.


    Harth bit her lip. ¡°Keep going,¡± she whispered.


    Heughed delightedly, the fire in his eyes roaring higher.

 Chapter 98

    98 No One But You ¨C Part 1*


    If you like music while you read, try ¡°Hallelujah¡± by FVR DRMS. It¡¯s what I was listening to while writing the next two chapters!


    *****


    ~ HARTH ~


    Her mate was a handsome man, dignified and strong. Just watching him prowl through the world,manding and confident, made her stomach flutter. But something about the boyish grin Tarkyn gave her in this precious, private moment set her whole body alight, her stomach twirling as if a cascade of butterflies had taken wing within her. She shivered with the pure pleasure of it.


    Yet, Tarkyn¡¯s smile only broadened. It was clear her cheeky mate was enjoying breaking her control!


    She opened her mouth to chastise him, but he took her lips, a low growl puttering in his throat. Buried in his kiss, she let herself arch, leaning into the grip of his hand syed at her back, allowing him to take her weight, and letting her head fall back to bare her throat as his free hand continued to drag down-slightly faster now, his movements a little jerky-to open her shirt.


    When her shirt fell open and he slid his whole palm up her stomach to cup her breast, her breath stopped-and he had the audacity tough!


    Fingers fisted in his hair, arched back and at his mercy, she almost demanded that he move faster. But he seemed to have such fun making her bodye alive... she suspected two could y at that game.


    And so, closing her eyes to morepletely enjoy the sensation of his lips ying up her neck, and his thumb teasing her nipple, Harth reached for him, feeling his stomach muscles contract when she found and began to explore the shape of him in his leathers-straining against the restriction.


    .....


    ¡°That can¡¯t befortable,¡± she gasped, smiling when he made a tiny whine.


    But she didn¡¯t give him a chance to respond. As she slid her hand down to cup him, Tarkyn sucked in a breath-sucked on her neck-and her body shivered.


    Still leaving her weight in his hand, she reached for his belt buckle, tugging at the length of the belt until it came free and pped against his thighs.


    Tarkyn¡¯s entire body trembled when she released the belt and opened it.


    But when she hesitated then, she felt his cheeks pull into a smile against her neck and he nipped at her skin, raising goosebumps that curled up to her scalp and felt delicious.


    Her hands began to tremble, but she decided she didn¡¯t care. Still heavy in his hands, she began on his buttons, making short work of them-only battling with thest one-until he sprang free and into her hands.


    He groaned, then thrust into her hand, his body shuddering.


    ¡°How do I give you pleasure?¡± she whispered, wrapping her hand around the velvet iron of him, surprised again at how soft his skin was there, despite the core of steel. She drew her hand slowly up the length of him and he groaned again, shuddering.


    ¡°Exactly like that,¡± he rasped, then nipped her neck again.


    Harthughed, though her voice was breathless. ¡°You know,¡± she whispered, stroking him again, ¡°the older females used to joke about leading a male around by his member-but I always thought it was an exaggeration.¡±


    ¡°If that is how you choose to lead me, love, I¡¯ll follow you anywhere.¡± His voice was rough and warm, his eyes gleaming.


    Harth¡¯s joy swelled at the delight in his expression, but she was still uncertain how to proceed. She giggled because she could feel him beginning to shake, though she wasn¡¯t sure if she¡¯d done that to him, or if he was simply overwhelmed with emotion. But as he gazed at her and his breathing grew rough, it seemed the bnce of power had suddenly shifted between them, she kept her hand circled around him and stroked again, then again, feeling his body twitch, enjoying the sensation of him pressing into her grip and wondering what might happen if, when she reached the top of him she rubbed her thumb across-


    ¡°Harth-fuck!¡± he hissed, gripping her to him tightly so her hand-still holding him-was pinned firmly between them.


    ¡°Was that not-¡±


    ¡°That was everything,¡± he groaned, then pulled back far enough to meet her eyes. ¡°But if you keep doing that, this will end very quickly,¡± he said dryly.


    She frowned when he took his hand from her breast and slid it between them to find her and pry her grip from him. ¡°Another time, love,¡± he said with a shaky chuckle. ¡°When things aren¡¯t quite so new and... thrilling.¡±


    He lifted her wrist, cing her palm against his chest and held it there for a moment as he kissed her again. Then, just when her breath shortened again, he let go, allowing more space between them so that he could peel her shirt aside, urging her to drop her hand a moment for him to remove the sleeve.


    Then he started touching her and Harth was lost.


    Piece by piece, stroke by stroke, kiss by kiss, they slowly undressed each other, still standing there in the cave. He hadn¡¯t moved her since she¡¯d started undressing him. But when they were finally naked and entwined, skin-to-skin, both of them sighing from the sheer pleasure of removing all barriers between them, then he cupped her face in one hand, and her ass in the other and began to walk her backwards towards the sleeping tform.


    She wasn¡¯t really aware of anything but his touch and his kiss until she hit the tform and came up short with a little gasp when they bumped together.


    But Tarkyn just growled and leaned down, sliding both hands down the back of her thighs to grasp behind her knees and tip her effortlessly back onto the tform.


    Harth gave a little shriek, gasping again, thenughing a little with the shock of it when he immediately stepped between her now-open knees. She began to push up on her elbows, intending to pull herself back, up the bed. But he gave a little growl and caught her hips before she could move.


    ¡°No.¡± His voice was rough, honeyed gravel. ¡°Stay there.¡±

 Chapter 99

    99 No One But You ¨C Part 2*


    ~ HARTH ~


    Harth watched, wide-eyed as, with a sly grin that made her stomach twist and flutter deliciously, Tarkyn yanked her towards him by her hips. Her hands pped on his arms as she iled, afraid that she would fall. But Tarkyn, still smiling, wrapped an arm under the hollow of her lower back to take her weight. Then, with hooded eyes and a voice rough with desire, urged her to wrap her legs around his waist until sheid on the bed, her back on the furs, the rest of her pressed tightly against him.


    For a moment they just stared at each other, Harth strangely thrilled by the sense that if he dropped her, she would fall to the floor-and yet... she knew he wouldn¡¯t. Then he leaned closer, his eyes never wavering from hers, and every move, pressed them against each other.


    Harth blinked. Her back was on the bed, but everything below her waist was held by him, or locked around him. One wrong move would dump her to the floor.


    He had her at his mercy.


    But Tarkyn, standing between her thighs, eyes zing with heat and delight, leaned over her, cupping the back of her neck in his long fingers, his thumb tracing the line of her jaw.


    ¡°How-¡±


    Then he arched his hips and pressed himself along the seam of her. Harth¡¯s mouth fell open and she slumped back to the furs, her body tingling as Tarkyn smiled, then drew back before doing it again.


    It was, Harth realized, an echo of where this would end-but it seeded a different kind of ache-not just the hollowness within, but a swirling rush of sensation in her skin. He drew pleasure out of her in slow, sliding thrusts, drawing the hardest part of himself along the softest part of her until she was beginning to gasp and twitch with each pass.


    .....


    And then as she rxed into it, her hips finding the rhythm, hands gripped on his arm and shoulder, he smiled wickedly and pulled her knees higher, leaning over her, urging her to lock her ankles behind his back, which changed the angle and offered a whole new wave of her pleasure.


    Her eyes began to close of their own ord. She fought it, desperate to watch the beauty of him-the gleam of his muscles as his skin began to sheen in sweat, the roll of his jaw as he fought against the call of his own pleasure. But still he didn¡¯t enter her.


    ¡°Harth... you¡¯re so beautiful,¡± he rasped.


    She wanted to respond-to argue that between them, the beauty was all his. But he¡¯d just nted one hand on the furs right over her shoulder and used it to brace her as he pressed again-harder, holding himself against her at the peak-and pleasure screamed through her, almost to the point of pain.


    His name became a soft cry on her lips, her eyelids fluttering as she tried to keep him in sight, but fought against the urge to give all her attention to the jangling pleasure he was wringing from her body.


    ¡°Tarkyn...¡±


    ¡°Do whatever feels good, love,¡± he breathed, drawing himself against her again so that her breath stopped. ¡°Only tell me if you don¡¯t like it.¡±


    ¡°I like it. I like all of it!¡±


    He chuckled and the sound was so warm, so full of love, she made herself keep her eyes open to look at him again, heedless of how her jaw went ck with every pass.


    Tarkyn, eyes zing, flickering between his warm brown, and his beast¡¯s gold, stared at her as if she were the most riveting sight in creation.


    Then she watched his shoulders ripple and clench as he curled himself almost in half, still braced on one arm, to take her breast in his other hand and open his mouth over it.


    Harth gave a little cry and arched against him. But he only groaned and set to the task of loving her, never once closing his eyes.


    Even when Harth¡¯s began to roll back in her head with the sheer bliss of it all.


    *****


    ~ TARKYN ~


    With her legs curled around him and her ankles locked at his back, Tarkyn leaned over Harth, nting a hand just above her shoulder and fisting the furs to give himself traction as he rolled his hips to press against her again. His body screamed joy and rising pleasure, but he was determined to take his time. To savor her, and let her savor him.


    Staring down at her, watching her cheeks pink and her breasts bob every time he rocked against her, his body threatened to revolt and tip him over the edge before he¡¯d even taken her.


    But he wouldn¡¯t allow it. Harth¡¯s jaw was ck, her eyes beginning to ze, her eyelids fluttering as she fought giving in to her pleasure.


    ¡°Tarkyn...¡±


    ¡°Do whatever feels good, love,¡± he breathed, drawing himself against her again, inwardly cheering when her breath stopped. ¡°Only tell me if you don¡¯t like it.¡±


    ¡°I like it. I like all of it!¡±


    Heughed delightedly and her eyes flew wide again. To his eternal joy, Harth fought valiantly, straining to keep her eyes open and on him, gasping, her gaze alight as she raked it down his body.


    Seeing her drink in the sight of him made him feel powerful. Invincible.


    And yet, he couldn¡¯t take his eyes off of her, either. She was the most beautiful creature he¡¯d ever seen, her skin lighter than his, but flushing, blushing as her blood rushed to the surface, her skin pebbling and hair standing up.


    Unable to resist, he curled himself to take one, rivet-hard peak in his mouth. Harth¡¯s hips bucked against him when he sucked.


    Groaning the mating call against the pillow of her, he knew he couldn¡¯t wait much longer. He drew back intending to take himself in hand, to guide himself into her, bracing for that wave of pleasure-but before he could, Harth took hold of him again and he froze, trembling.

 Chapter 100

    100 No One But You ¨C Part 3*


    ** POSTED 29 November 2022 AFTER publication so you aren¡¯t charged for the words **


    GREAT NEWS! On Webnovel the new month begins tomorrow! That means two important things!


    1. Privilegepletely renews, so if you want to re-subscribe, you get ALL new content. (And if you don¡¯t, you¡¯ll still get daily chapter releases!)


    2. Top tier privilege buyers (AFTER 9:30am Pacific tomorrow¨C30 November in the USA, 1 December elsewhere) will receive a personal letter from Tarkyn (hard copies only for USA readers, international readers will receive digital.) Watch for notices tomorrow on how to receive yours if you resubscribe!


    MERRY CHRISTMAS!


    *****


    ~ TARKYN ~


    Tarkyn¡¯s chest heaved, his breathing shallow and fast, the sounds of his panting mingling with hers as they stared at each other, both smiling.


    Even amid that looming pleasure, Tarkyn¡¯s heart burst with pride and joy, with love, at the sight of his mate, smiling-eager like a puppy on her first hunt.


    .....


    But then she rolled her hips, positioning him, and her throat bobbed as she swallowed.


    ¡°Please, Tarkyn.¡±


    He leaned down, head tilted to drag his lips softly across hers, his tongue flicking at the seam of her mouth. ¡°I love you, Harth. Only you.¡±


    Then, with a shuddering groan, he eased into her.


    Harth¡¯s jaw dropped again and she threw her head back, the most beautiful cry breaking in her throat.


    For a long, breathless minute, they moved slowly, intentionally together though there was little sound other than the rustle of the furs, because neither of them seemed to breathe at all.


    Then, cupping one hand under her knee to keep her with him, he curled the other over her head and pinned her to the sleeping tform so that the force of his thrusts wouldn¡¯t push her up the bed. And then he began to love her properly, that twisting, curling tingle of the bond throbbing in his chest with every joining.


    Tarkyn moaned the mating call and Harth sighed his name in return as he took her, slowly at first, easing in and out so she felt every inch, holding himself against her at the peak.


    He plunged the depths of her sweet, velvet mouth, taking her that way as well. Then, with a whispered warning for her to keep her legs locked behind him, he held himself, hovering over her, one hand braced on the furs, the other stroking her hair, then her jaw, her neck, down the center of her chest, and then to first one breast, then the other.


    Her breasts, already erect from her arousal, seemed to press higher, into his hands, until those little peaks drew rigid under his calloused palms.


    Harth began to whimper when he rolled her nipple between his thumb and forefinger, his breathing hot and demanding.


    He couldn¡¯t take his eyes off of her, and his body responded, picking up the pace.


    She grasped at him, curling one hand around his bicep to give herself leverage, the other gripping his back as they moved together in long, rolling waves.


    But the further she sank into the growing ecstasy of their joining, the less self-conscious she became, until she gave a little crying gasp at the peak of each thrust and her body began to clench around him.


    Tarkyn was overwhelmed, unable to get enough of her, stroking his hand up her side so she rippled into him, then tracing the back of her thigh to hold it locked to his side. His breath thundered across her cheek as he devoured first her mouth, then tasted her jaw, her chin, and finally her throat as she threw her head back and began to keen.


    He cursed with joy when her eyes rolled back, his own pleasure growing to watch her skin flush and pebble-and he felt her goosebumps rise under his tongue when he kissed her breast, then her neck.


    He was first smug, then humbled by the abandon she offered, heedless of anything but seeking to draw him closer, deeper, her hips rising to meet him, and her kisses desperate.


    She pulsed around him, and Tarkyn grunted, fisting his hand in the furs, fighting for control as he thrust faster, faster, harder-watching her for any sign of pain or unease. But there was none.


    Then she began to call his name-broken sybles apanied with the w of her fingers and the tightening of her body, and Tarkyn¡¯s control shredded.


    Unable to resist, he pounded into her, his kisses turned to sucking, teeth grazing mouthfuls of her skin. And still she rose to meet him, higher, faster, crying frantically, her body hovering on the cusp of that wave until she trembled with the promise of it.


    She was desperate... helpless.


    ¡®Hold on,¡¯ he muttered in her head, and as her hands tightened, he reached between them to find where they joined with his thumb, drawing it up in a firm slide to that precious bundle of nerves that made her entire body twitch again, and again, in time with his thrusts.


    Momentster, Harth¡¯s hand pped to his shoulder as she sought to ground herself as she fell apart in his arms.


    ¡°Fuck, Harth...¡± he breathed as she clenched around him, arching like a cat, and sobbing his name.


    On and on, her orgasm took her in waves, so that when she tightened on him again, the leash he¡¯d held so tightly on himself snapped like a bowstring.


    Unable to tear his eyes from her, he tightened his grip on her, holding her to him as he shook with ecstasy and roared her name. Then, weak and trembling, they slumped together, panting and blinking until the world righted itself again.


    It took minutes before his strength returned so that he could lift her into his arms and crawl up the sleeping tform toy her head on the pillow. But then they curled together wordlessly, hearts aching and eager, until they fell asleep, wrapped in each other¡¯s arms.


    Tarkyn¡¯sst thought before sleep sucked him under, was a prayer of gratitude for his mate... and a plea that the Creator would never allow anyone, or anything, to take her from him.


    ¡®This is perfect,¡¯ he murmured in her head.


    Harth, with a sleepy smile, nodded and stroked his neck. ¡°Perfect,¡± she mumbled. ¡°I want it to be like this always, Tarkyn. Just you and me.¡±


    He pulled her tight into his chest and she sighed happily.


    But as her body ckened and her breathing evened out, Tarkyn found himself unwilling to let her go. He felt it too, that yearning to just... be.


    But he also knew that the world-and the Creator-weren¡¯t done with them yet. And so, as Harth fell deeply, happily asleep, he prayed that somehow they could find their way through this shitshow to the time and ce where he and his mate could truly be free.


    *****


    END OF VOLUME 1! Thank you so much for taking this ride with me! Tomorrow begins the next volume of this story and offers more fun and freedom for Tarkyn and Harth, but also some insight into your other favorite characters. I can¡¯t wait to share it with you!

 Chapter 101

    101 [Bonus chapter] An Upended Throne


    The deeper we dive into this story, the more important it will be to see certain events through the eyes of other characters.


    As we move forward, pay special attention to the name at the beginning of the scene. I hope you enjoy seeing parts of this story unfold through the eyes of Tarkyn and Harth¡¯s closest allies!


    *****


    ~ ELRETH (Hours Earlier) ~


    There were still rare moments when Elreth had to remind herself that she was a Queen. Dominant of Anima. The Alpha of All.


    Having an unknown male take her by the throat and hold a spear-de to her neck was one of them.


    And it was all her own damn fault.


    She¡¯d been frantic for days, biting down every cry of fear her body yearned to give, swallowing every coil of rage. For a moment, as those around her sought unity, she¡¯d thought there was light-a way through this shitfest. This clusterfuck of chaos that she hadn¡¯t seening and had somehow only made worse with every decision and deration she¡¯d made.


    She¡¯d rushed to defend herself and her people, entreating this strange leader of an even stranger people to see her as Alpha and find a way to step up to the line of peace with her.


    .....


    She¡¯d been thoughtless. Arrogant. Reckless.


    It had happened so quickly. One moment she stepped towards the bars, a guard rushing to her side that she was about to growl at-the male was already in prison, they didn¡¯t need further cover! Then Zev had taken her captive.


    The shame of that moment would live with her forever.


    Her father had warned her.


    Her brother.


    Her mate.


    She knew her dominance was born of an iron, Creator-given will and a whip-smart intellect. Yet, while her physical strength had been honed by every important and knowledgeable male in the hierarchy over the years, her sly, feline skills ofbat required space and time so with her lighter, quicker frame she could use her adversary¡¯s greater weight and momentum against them.


    Power for power, she would never outstrip an Alpha male. She knew that. She¡¯d known it. They¡¯d warned her. Again and again.


    They¡¯d warned her because she¡¯d been raised a female among honorable, powerful males. And she¡¯d been reckless before, too trusting of those who trained her, too instinctively willing to believe they would not actually harm her.


    Thoughtless, instinctive recklessness. A gamble she¡¯d never lost because the males she¡¯d fought-even her own father in the challenge for power-would always submit rather than kill her. And they knew she would fight to the death.


    Her willingness to die for the cause had always outstripped their willingness to hurt her.


    But she¡¯d never gone toe-to-toe with an actual enemy.


    So on this day, already beaten down and rocked by self-doubt, Elreth was humbled. Taken by an adversary.


    And it was her own damn fault.


    It happened so fast it had taken her seconds to realize that the sudden pain in her temples was the pressure of the bars against her forehead as the male held her there, nose to nose. The nervy-sting on her neck was the spot where the de had scratched her skin. And the pit of dread in her stomach was because he¡¯d pinned her so tightly against the bars-from neck to ankles-that her arms were useless.


    She was at his mercy.


    It pissed her the fuck off. And frightened her beyond measure.


    While the males around them froze in rm, watching for space or avenue to save her, while her mate shuddered behind her in rage and abject terror, Elreth¡¯s heart simultaneously screamed with rage and gut-wrenching fear.


    Zev, this strange, Chimeran wolf, stared her down, letting her see that he had her, and he knew he had her. Letting her see the derision and unfiltered hate in his gaze.


    Letting her feel the pleasure he would take in killing her.


    Elreth had been present when sheer malice entered Anima and almost destroyed them all. But she¡¯d been the center of power. Her role had been one of strategy. She¡¯d ordered and the people moved. She¡¯d spoken and their hearts responded. She¡¯d pointed and the soldiers attacked.


    She had never shared breath with a male that wanted her dead before. Never, until now, felt the squeeze of his fingers, or the chill of his de on her neck.


    But as Zev, the male she had bound and stripped of his rights, seethed, his fingernails almost piercing her skin, his muscles quivering with the effort to keep her-and the guard holding the spear-braced against the bars, Elreth finally understood what they¡¯d all been telling her all these years.


    Dance away. Flee. Never allow yourself into the hands of a true enemy. It is better to live humbled, to fight another day, than to let your pride carry you to death.


    And yet, she wasn¡¯t the only one who¡¯d failed.


    As she and Zev red at each other, and Elreth¡¯s heart wavered on the edge of despair, Tarkyn¡¯s smooth, careful voice echoed in the room. He sought to free her, but he did so from a distance too far to intervene.


    Because he¡¯d protected his mate first.


    And so, they had both failed. And their failures might just end her life.


    Even as a screaming rm shrilled in her head so loudly that she couldn¡¯t take in the words being spoken around her, Elreth found herself strangely still, every animal instinct quivering with certainty that movement meant death.


    She cast around for any other answer, but came up nk. He had her leg locked at the ankle. Her arms pinned between her body and the bars, and his grip on her throat already constricted her breathing-but was also joined by that fucking de.


    Elreth Elias Hyrehyn stood there in the dim light of the prison tree, surrounded by the strongest, most vital warriors of the Anima, and faced the truth of her mortality.


    And she prayed.


    She stared into the eyes of the male who would choose whether or not to kill her. She made certain he knew she did not go cowering. And she prayed.


    She prayed for her mate who struggled so desperately behind her that she could feel his trembling shake the air.


    She prayed for her brother who had already lost the rest of their family, that he wouldn¡¯t be left alone.


    She prayed for her people, that they would nevere into the hands of this wolf, or the warriors that served him.


    And she prayed that she might live... that she might right the wrongs that were suddenly so clear.


    And more than anything else, she prayed for forgiveness for all the ways she¡¯d been living and thinking and leading that had brought them to this point. And she prayed if she was freed that the Creator would show her how to fix this so no one else had to die.


    *****


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 Chapter 102

    102 A Moment


    ~ ELRETH ~


    Elreth stared the wolf down, teeth bared and breath tearing through a throat narrowed by his grip. If she died, she would die making certain he knew she had not been cowed.


    But to her disbelief, the moment came. The wolf-with a snarl, and movements as sharp and fast as a whip-shoved her away from the bars, and stole the soldier¡¯s spear.


    Elreth sucked in a deep, necessary breath, her entire body trembling so hard that her knees threatened to give out. But she couldn¡¯t give in to that chittering terror again. As Aaryn rushed to her side, his scent painted in fear and rage, she put a hand up to stop him taking hold of her. Because if he touched her, she would crumble. She knew it.


    She could not crumble.


    ¡°Leave. All of you,¡± Tarkyn ordered so sharply Elreth almost overrode him-he dared order her? But she was afraid to speak, afraid she could crack into pieces and reveal her fear. ¡°Leave us alonepletely. I¡¯ll tell Harth through the bond when we¡¯re done talking and she can bring a guard to unlock the door. Let us talk. Let me hear him. Let him be heard.¡±


    There was a silent moment where everyone considered his words-including Elreth. But she couldn¡¯t breathe. She could barely think beyond the sudden, insistent need to be gone from that ce, from these people.


    And so, holding herself in quiet, trembling check, she swallowed hard then began to issue the necessary orders to make certain that Tarkyn would be given the opportunity to make up for his betrayal. She prayed the Creator would keep him safe as she told the guards to leave the prison, and her brother and mate to move with them.


    She held her chin high and didn¡¯t let her eyes waver from the enemy wolf¡¯s until everyone else had gone. And then she walked out slowly, letting her gaze catch on Tarkyn as she passed, wondering if she would ever truly trust him again.


    .....


    And wondering whose fault it was if she didn¡¯t.


    Then she stepped out of the prison tree into the ring sunlight of the clearing outside and closed the door firmly behind her.


    The temptation to hold onto the door, just to have a grip on something solid was overwhelming, but she made herself turn away and face them all.


    Everyone stared-her brother, her mate, the healers, the guards.


    Aaryn stepped forward, one hand raised, his face a mask of grief and fear. ¡°El-¡±


    ¡°Not. Here,¡± she snapped.


    Forcing herself to meet the eyes of the guards she made certain they would watch over Sasha and the baby, and Harth-though the female looked like she¡¯d rather crawl back inside the Prison Tree where her mate was currently held by her Alpha.


    Then Elreth finally let herself meet Aaryn¡¯s eyes.


    ¡®I need a moment,¡¯ she signed. Then without even waiting for his shocked response, she turned, sucking in a great, gulping sob of air, and threw herself into her beast, galloping away from the stunned expressions of everyone who¡¯d seen her stripped so easily of her power.


    *****


    She tore out of her beast in the clearing where the Weeping Tree grew-that great, hulking trunk that spread it¡¯s long branches and grew vines of leaves that dangled in a thick, imprable curtain, all the way to the ground.


    Shaking like one of those leaves, she shoved between the shimmering wave of green to the space under the boughs, stumbling into the great, wide circle in the shadow of the tree, like a tent covering nothing but dry earth and leaves and the twisted roots of the tree.


    She staggered to a halt, her breath wheezing until she felt like there was no more air. She turned a circle, stunned, unable to focus on anything except the next breath, but as she cast mindlessly around, her neck stung and she touched it thoughtlessly-her fingersing away with a smear of red where she¡¯d been cut. Right over her artery.


    Nausea tumbled her like a wave. She threw herself to the edge of the tree¡¯s cover, emptying her stomach under its leaves over and over, until her body ached.


    But her throat wouldn¡¯t close. She couldn¡¯t breathe. Her body convulsing as she was left standing there, gaping, grasping for something, anything to hold onto as she desperately tried to draw breath-


    ¡°EL!¡±


    Her mate hit her from the side, sweeping her up into his arms, his voice a ragged cry. The impact shoved thest of the air from her lungs, making her cough. But as he pulled her up and into his chest, burying his face in her neck and sobbing his relief, Elreth could finally breathe.


    Clinging to him as tightly as he held her, she let her head drop back and sucked at the air, tears trailing from her eyes to drip into her hair.


    ¡°El, thank the Creator. My god, I thought he was going to kill you.¡±


    Aaryn trembled under her hands, his entire body shaking, his fingers digging into her side and thigh so sharply he would leave bruises, but she didn¡¯t care. She didn¡¯t care.


    She¡¯d thought she was going to die too, and all she could think was about how close it had been. How desperately, needlessly close she¡¯de to-


    ¡°El, look at me. Look at me!¡± Aaryn dropped her legs so she could stand, but she was so shaky, she almost fell. She stumbled, then grabbed at his iron arms as he clutched at hers and put himself in her face. ¡°Look at me, El.¡±


    She made herself look up. A sob broke in her throat at the screaming terror in his eyes and she put a trembling, uncoordinated hand to his gorgeous, loving face. ¡°I¡¯m ok-okay,¡± she said, her teeth chattering.


    ¡°You¡¯re in shock. You need to sit down.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m okay!¡± she whispered. But she didn¡¯t protest when he wrapped an arm around her waist and led her to the trunk of the tree where he sat in the bowl at its roots, and helped her down to sit between his thighs, with her back to him so she was surrounded by his arms, his warmth, his scent.


    And as she gripped his arms circling her and her breath came in gasps, she prayed for her incredible mate, too. Because without him, she might just have lost her grip on this world.

 Chapter 103

    103 Never Again ¨C Part ~ ELRETH ~


    It was the way they¡¯d sat since before they were mates-the way he knew she needed to sit so that she could think and process. Only now... now he wrapped her in his arms and curled himself over her back, his breath fluttering in her hair and his lips brushing her ear when he whispered his love and relief, and his prayers of gratitude.


    ¡°El, are you certain-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not hurt. I was just... I was terrified and... and thinking about... about how I got there and-¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t. Not now. Right now, just think about being here with me, and the fact that you¡¯re safe. That¡¯s what we have to focus on. That¡¯s what¡¯s important.¡±


    Was it though? She tightened her grip on his arms that held her so tightly he trembled. She was so grateful for her mate. But was he right? She needed to figure this out. But how to start?


    She tried to think how to put her feelings into the words-the fear of losing more loved ones that was doing war with her fierce sense of betrayal, that battled with her sense of failure when she¡¯d learned that there were strangers in hernd... but she couldn¡¯t find the words that would exin the twisting gamut of emotions. She¡¯d been trying to find them for days, and failing.


    As her breath returned and her mate held her, his low murmur broke through the fog of terror in her head.


    ¡°...never again, El. You can¡¯t run from me like that. I thought he¡¯d hurt you, that you were in danger and you just ran-you have to let me help you. If anything like that happens, you have to let me see you and touch you and scent you. I have to know-¡±


    .....


    The need for him, to be certain of him, to be safe, rocked her like a wave crashing her into the sand.


    ¡°Oh, Aaryn,¡± she wailed, then twisted around in his arms, turning to kneel between his knees and take his face in her hands, she kissed him desperately, frantically, tears on her burning cheeks.


    Aaryn didn¡¯t miss a beat, burying one hand in her hair, the other gripping her shirt at the back, he devoured her, and weed her feast in return. Fire roared between them. The temptation was there to simply forget about everything else, take her mate-or be taken-and wallow in him.


    But it seemed like that was where this journey had taken them every night since Tarkyn had left to undertake the Rite. Every night she¡¯d returned to the cave exhausted, determined to finally tell her mate, to sort all of this out, to make steps forward... and instead, every night, she¡¯d ended in his arms, breathless and mindless, pushing the fear away instead of facing it.


    As Aaryn¡¯s breath grew rougher, and his hands slid under her shirt, Elreth forced herself to pull back, just far enough to rest her forehead on his, one hand on his chest.


    He stopped immediately, his shoulders heaving, and held her gaze with his bright, wolf eyes.


    ¡°Aaryn, I have to... I can¡¯t...¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± His voice was low and thick with barely contained fear. ¡°But, El...¡± his hands tightened on her back. ¡°Please... don¡¯t ever run from me after something like that again.¡±


    She nodded quickly, stroking his face which was so serious. So full of love for her.


    Then she took a deep breath and steeled herself to say the hardest three words in Creation.


    ¡°You were right.¡±


    Aaryn blinked, his brows rising though he tried to stifle his surprise. ¡°Oh?¡±


    Elreth gave him a t look and sat back on her heels between his knees. He didn¡¯t let her go, but his hands slid out from under her shirt and rested at her hips. He watched her like... well, like a wolf.


    She stroked his broad chest and focused there, because it was hard to meet his eyes. ¡°I... I think you were right. I think... I think I¡¯ve made it worse. And now... now I¡¯m worried that we can¡¯t go back.¡±


    Aaryn took a deep breath. ¡°El-¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t exin it to you, Aaryn. But everything inside me just twists up whenever I see those creatures or smell them. It¡¯s like... it¡¯s like I¡¯m sucked back to that time when you were all gone and I thought you were dead!¡± She held his eyes then. They¡¯d only spoken about those weeks a few times, preferring to focus on the joy of their reunion. But the truth was, Elreth still woke sometimes crying, her chest pained and dark, because she had dreamed that she was back in those days after the war, when so many people were lost or harmed. Including her mate.


    ¡°They were made by the humans, Aaryn! It feels like... like if I let them be free I¡¯m saying that none of that mattered!¡±


    Aaryn¡¯s forehead pinched. ¡°El, they have no control over who made them. I know it was scary-I¡¯m scared. Three hundred of them? And powerful? But Tarkyn¡¯s right. We share an enemy. And even though he¡¯s bond-drunk right now, I don¡¯t think he¡¯s blind. I think... I think he¡¯s been put in this position for a reason. And we should pay attention to that.¡±


    Elreth dropped her gaze to her hands on his chest again. ¡°I hear you say that and my head agrees. I know in my mind there¡¯s another way to handle this. But the minute I think of what that means... think of weing these people or... or just talking to them... my entire body goes tight and I can¡¯t breathe. We don¡¯t know, Aaryn. We don¡¯t know their loyalties. We don¡¯t know their motives. We don¡¯t know how they work or what they¡¯ll try to do-¡±


    ¡°We know that Harth is Tarkyn¡¯s mate and their bond is true,¡± Aaryn said softly. ¡°We know that Sasha wants peace.¡±


    ¡°But Zev-¡±


    ¡°Zev is Tarkyn if the roles were reversed. Or Gar. Or me.¡± He leaned closer, his voice hushed. ¡°El, if we¡¯d just had a child and were forced to enter a new world, I mean... Creator¡¯s fang...¡± Aaryn wed a hand through his hair, his gaze going distant. ¡°If someone came at you, I wouldn¡¯t even blink, El. And neither would you.¡±


    Elreth nodded sadly, grimacing. She dropped her face in her hands. ¡°I¡¯m just so afraid,¡± she breathed, fighting tears.


    *****


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 Chapter 104

    104 Never Again ¨C Part ~ ELRETH ~


    Elreth hated to cry. Hated feeling weak. Only with her mate did she allow herself the freedom, and even then something within her always quavered.


    So she was so grateful when Aaryn shushed her, sitting up straighter to pull her into his chest and stroke her back and hair. ¡°El, you¡¯re carrying so much, stop trying to do it alone. We¡¯re all here to help. Ask Behryn to read the winds, you know he¡¯ll do it if you ask him to. Ask Reece! His talent is true. And he¡¯ll be honest with you.¡±


    Elreth went very still as the truth of her own blindness crashed over her.


    He was right.


    These males could help. They could show her at least some of what was happening under the surface. How had she forgotten that? How had she let it go this far without bringing them in?


    Despair and choking self-loathing washed over her. What kind of Queen was she to have forgotten that.


    ¡°El-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m failing,¡± she said, her breath hitching. ¡°On every level.¡±


    .....


    ¡°No, you¡¯re not,¡± Aaryn growled, pulling her hands down from her face and waiting for her to meet his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re carrying impossible conflicts and fears. But you shouldn¡¯t be trying to carry them alone. I¡¯m telling you, El,¡± even hushed, his voice became resonant with his Alpha power, and Elreth sighed, tipping back into his chest in submission. It had been their agreement since the beginning-as Queen and Alpha of all, she was dominant between them when others were present. But when they were alone, he took the burden of leadership and gave her a ce to rest.


    ¡°Listen to me,¡± he said intently. ¡°You can¡¯t do this alone. It¡¯s not just on you, and we don¡¯t expect you to do it alone. And neither does the Creator. Let us help. All of us. Including Tarkyn. He cares so much about you, El-¡±


    Elreth went very still and Aaryn broke off. There was a long silence as they both reyed the events of the morning in their minds.


    Aaryn blew out a breath. ¡°I would have done the same thing,¡± he said quietly.


    Elreth¡¯s face screwed up in abination of grief and relief. ¡°Me too,¡± she said. Then fell into him, holding him and being held.


    ¡°Dad...¡± she whispered. ¡°He warned me about it.¡±


    Aaryn took a deep breath. They rarely talked about her parents. It was too hard. But she had to get this out. Her father had been King, and extremely powerful. He¡¯d taught her everything she knew about ruling.


    ¡°About what?¡± Aaryn asked carefully.


    ¡°He said... He told me that the biggest challenge to his rule was how much he loved mom. He said he lived every day with the knowledge that he betrayed his own people in his heart, because he¡¯d put everyone one of them on the line for her. I brushed him off at first, but then he told me about the War of the Wolves and what he was willing to do. He said it was only by the grace of the Creator that he made it through that without bing a traitor to his own throne.¡±


    She made herself meet her mate¡¯s eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t understand. I thought he was being dramatic.¡±


    They both gave little, tearful huffs ofughter at that. But Aaryn¡¯s smile faded quickly. ¡°What are you saying, El?¡± he asked,bing a piece of her hair back behind her ear with his fingers.


    ¡°I¡¯m saying... I¡¯m saying I think I get it now. But I don¡¯t want to,¡± she said through her teeth. ¡°Because when Tarkyn left me there... Aaryn I¡¯ve never been that scared in my whole life. But at the same time, all I could think about was you and... and... what we¡¯d lose...¡±


    Aaryn¡¯s face pinched with concern. ¡°He was put in an impossible position, El. We¡¯ll be careful not to put him in that ce again.¡±


    ¡°But that could have been any of us, Aaryn! Tarkyn is my Captain and Defender! Gar is my War Chief. You¡¯re my King-any one of us could be put in that position. We can¡¯t avoid putting mates in dangerous situations, it¡¯s impossible!¡±


    ¡°Exactly my point,¡± Aaryn said quietly. ¡°We have to just do this... bring the best people in. Trust them. Move forward. And pray.¡±


    Elreth groaned.


    But Aaryn gripped her shoulder. ¡°We¡¯ll deal with it, El. Tarkyn is still Tarkyn. You can still trust him.¡±


    Elreth gave a shakyugh. ¡°I¡¯m not even mad at him. I¡¯m just... Aaryn, I¡¯m falling apart. This whole thing...¡±


    ¡°Then fall apart with me. Because you can¡¯t do this on your own, El, and neither can I, and neither can Tarkyn, or Gar... none of us can. That¡¯s why the Creator gave us each other.¡±


    She fell into his chest again. Aaryn fell back against the trunk of the tree with a little grunt, but he held her there, wrapped tightly in his arms as Elreth finally gave in to the tears she¡¯d been fighting for days.


    She wasn¡¯t a cryer, she hated the weakness of it. But she couldn¡¯t hold any of this in any longer.


    She was just so damn afraid.


    ¡°El, what¡¯s wrong. Please... did he... hurt you more than you¡¯re letting on?¡± Aaryn asked, his voice hushed with fear.


    ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°Then what is it? You¡¯ve been so on edge this entire time. I saw you face the humans with more confidence than this. What is going on?¡±


    Elreth began to tremble and Aaryn¡¯s grip on her tightened, his voice going hushed. ¡°El, what-?¡±


    She lifted her head to meet his eyes, her own sight blurred with tears. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to tell you like this,¡± she said, her voice pinched and thin. ¡°I wanted to... I wanted to wait until Tarkyn was safe and we were all happy again and... but it¡¯s not happening that way.¡±


    Aaryn¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Elreth... what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m scared, Aaryn... I¡¯m scared because there¡¯s so much more to lose now.¡±


    He frowned. She cupped his face with both hands and took a deep breath. ¡°Aaryn, I¡¯m pregnant.¡±

 Chapter 105

    105 In the Quiet


    ~ JAYAH ~


    Jayah, the healer, stood at the back of the prison tree, her stomach cold.


    She¡¯d stood by while the Alphas debated and challenged.


    She¡¯d helped this little child who was ignorant of every stress and drama that surrounded his appearance.


    She¡¯d tried to soothe the Queen, Elreth, who she¡¯d known since the day she was born. But her Queen was strangely defensive.


    Jayah had watched and listened, understood exactly what was happening, and seen where it would take them all if someone didn¡¯t do something.


    While the others argued and fought to win each other¡¯s minds, she¡¯d observed their hearts-the matebond between Tarkyn and Harth was unique. But undeniable.


    And that was when she was certain. There could be no mistakes. The Creator had brought these two peoples together for reasons only He knew-but she trusted that. And yet, she¡¯d spent almost her entire adult life around the Royals and Alphas of power in the Anima. She knew that while their hearts were driven to protect and guide, they often lost sight of themselves, of their humanity in the process.


    In over twenty-five years as a healer, Jayah had observed one truth that crossed tribes, and species: Power stripped the individual of perspective. About themselves, and about their people.


    .....


    And the defense of power stripped many of theirpassion.


    Jayah suspected she knew what drove her Queen-and she prayed daily that those around her would help her see the right of it. But that morning¡¯s events had turned deadly.


    If something didn¡¯t change soon, these people were going to sh and everyone-the Alphas included, and their offspring-would pay the price.


    Jayah had been considering it for days, but that morning, when the Queen was almost killed, she knew the time hade. Leaving Tarkyn in the cell with that rabid wolf had raised every hair on her body-did he not know what happened to a wolf in fear? Was there a more dangerous animal alive?


    Jayah wasn¡¯t sure. All she knew with certainty was that if things continued as they were, many would die.


    She was a healer. Of persons. Of peoples. And she knew, havinge out of the rebellion of the wolves, that when animals were cornered, they often could not see sense.


    Someone needed to cross this bridge, to reach out to these unknowns, to broker peace.


    Someone who had no responsibility if the attempt failed. And who held no animosity towards them. Someone who wished to heal the wounds of their people.


    Someone like Jayah. Because the more she listened and watched, the more Jayah understood-these Chimera reacted from pain and fear. And so did Jayah¡¯s Queen.


    This conflict needed someone unafraid of death. And as an Anima who¡¯d never found a true mate, and never sought to take a male to forge a bond, or build a family, if something happened to her, the loss was minimal.


    At least if she was killed, she was the only one affected.


    So, certain now of her purpose, Jayah quietly assisted the Chimeran Alpha female in getting her son fed by the wet nurse. She pretended to ignore the drama unfolding in the prison between the Chimeran Alpha male and Tarkyn.


    But as she worked, she nned.


    And, when finally Tarkyn and his mate left under the watch of Gar, and the female and her son were returned to the wolf, and the guards and servants went their separate ways to their various tasks, Jayah turned calmly away from the prison tree to the trail and without a word to anyone, she followed it north.


    Jayah was a healer. It was her Creator-given role to help. And as her leaders and their servants watched all of this unfold from the perspective of war, Jayah saw it differently.


    These people were dangerous, certainly. But not because of a desire for power. They were dangerous because they were in pain. And an animal in pain would always fight until they understood that the hands reaching for them came to heal.


    Jayah was a healer, so she would reach out.


    As soon as she was out of sight and sound of the prison tree clearing, she darted into the forest and shifted to her wolf.


    And then she began to run.


    *****


    Two hourster, Jayah wolf crept through the forest, eyes and ears peeled for sight or sound of the Anima patrols.


    Being near the royals and Tarkyn when the Chimera were discussed, she knew the paths the patrols were taking, and the rough route to the Chimeran territory. Her beast understood the need to avoid the guards. But at this point in thend, foothills and crags from the mountains encroached on the WildWood. Without adding hours to travel, the only way to reach the area the Chimera had settled was through a wide ravine. But the guards were keeping a heavy presence in the area in case the Chimera decided to move towards the Tree City.


    So, Jayah battled with her wolf, whose instinct was to rush. They crouched behind bushes, crawled up tributaries, and waited for winds to change as she approached the ravine to stay out of the sight and scent of the guards. Now they waited at its narrowest point. A patrol would pass through here soon. She would wait for them before continuing.


    But as shey behind a thick log that had once been a majestic tree, but was now a mossy border on the trail, her wolf¡¯s coat blending perfectly with the forest, her beast tensed.


    The wind was changing.


    This ravine curved. If she stayed where she was and the patrol was heading east, she would be scented.


    Swallowing a growl of frustration, she turned and darted towards the steep walls that rose, clifflike through the forest, curving overhead.


    Her wolf remembered the ravine. There was a natural den on this side. A dark cave. They could rest there while they waited for the wind to change once more, then try again.


    The ce had overgrown more since she wasst there, but her beast knew the fall of thend and trotted almost directly to the spot in the ferns and underbrush that now hid the cluster of rocks, fallen from the ravine walls, that marked the entrance to the cave.


    Jayah, separated somewhat from reality by her wolf, still felt a sense of relief as her beast pushed through the brush and vines to enter the dim confines of the cave-but then drew to a startled, breathless halt. She¡¯d been right that being in the cave would stop the scent from drifting...


    But the cave wasn¡¯t empty.


    Arge, silver-gray male wolf crouched near the back, its lips peeled back from its teeth and a growl so low it seemed toe from the rock under its feet rolled in its chest.


    Jayah¡¯s beast froze. She had a split second to decide whether to wrestle back control and face this thing as a human-which it might find less intimidating, when suddenly the males ears flickered forward, then back and he began to lick his lips.


    Jayah shifted, returning to human form, crouched on the floor, one hand raised in a gesture to soothe.


    The wolf¡¯s eyes locked on hers and something in Jayah¡¯s chest unfurled, stealing her already shallow breath.


    Then the male whined and tossed his head.


    Jayah fell backwards on her ass in shock, blinking wide-eyed, as a deep, male voice echoed in her head, resonant and awed.


    ¡®Mate...?¡¯

 Chapter 106

    106 My Mate ¨C Part NAME PRONOUNCIATION: Skhal is pronounced SKAL


    *****


    ~ JAYAH ~


    Jayah was stunned senseless. Her chest tightened, thrumming with a fizzing that unfurled like a fern right at the center of her heart.


    Then the male shifted, his human form crouched, hands on the ground, knees bent under him, all refined and marbled muscle. He was broad through the shoulders, but there wasn¡¯t an ounce of fat on him-every tendon and ridge of muscle appearing as if carved from his skin. He was dark haired and dark eyed, a trimmed beard framing his face and mouth that feathered into the first peppers of a silver that matched his wolf¡¯s coat at his temples.


    He stared at her, open-mouthed, but every line of his body poised-for flight, or fight, she wasn¡¯t sure. Yet, another whine broke in his throat.


    He swallowed, his Adam¡¯s apple bobbing, but never took his eyes from her. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    Jayah¡¯s breath came out in a little rush. His voice... it lit something inside her, warming and thrilling her in a way she¡¯d never experienced before.


    ¡°Jayah,¡± she breathed.


    .....


    ¡°Jayah...¡± he said her name like a prayer, then shook his head in disbelief. ¡°I¡¯m Skhal.¡±


    A smile broke on her face that she couldn¡¯t stop. His name was Skhal... her mate¡¯s name was Skhal.


    ¡°Skhal...¡± she said breathlessly.


    He nodded, his eyes bright. ¡°Are you...?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Anima,¡± she said quickly. ¡°But I wasing... there¡¯s conflict. Your Alphas and mine-I wasing to try and make peace. To open lines ofmunication or... something.¡±


    He nodded, but the first hint of a shadow clouded his gaze. ¡°They have Zev? And Sasha?¡±


    ¡°Yes. And their son.¡±


    Skhal¡¯s entire body sagged and relief washed his scent.


    His scent. Jayah inhaled deeply and her chest warmed again.


    Pine trees and a mountain steam. Fall morning air.


    He smelled like her favorite ces to be.


    Jayah put her hands to her mouth and had to swallow a girlish giggle. She was far too old for it, but it wasing home to her, suddenly.


    She¡¯d given up years ago. She¡¯d epted her fate. Had never been driven to forge a bond with a male that hadn¡¯t been made for her. She¡¯d given her life to her work, and been content in it-only wishing on cold nights for a warm body to cuddle... or a pair of arms to hold her as she grieved. But she¡¯d never expected that it woulde.


    She pushed to her feet, and Skhal followed her up, both of them staring, scanning each other.


    Her view was rather more revealing than his since he was naked-the Chimera shifted differently than the Anima. When Jayah shifted her existence... moved. Her wolf came to take her ce in this world, while she was elsewhere.


    But when the Chimera shifted, their bodies changed. She¡¯d suspected-watching Zev shift after he¡¯d been bound. But this confirmed it.


    Instinctively she took a step towards him, but he tensed, so she stopped.


    Then he muttered something and shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t ever be afraid of me,¡± he growled, and prowled towards her, his voice lighting a fire in her chest.


    He stopped within arm¡¯s reach, still drinking in the sight of her. Jayah stifled another giggle. She opened her mouth to ask him what he was doing when a small shout sounded out in the ravine.


    They both flinched, and Skhal grabbed her, pulling her behind him as he half-crouched, watching the entrance to the cave.


    But the sound was followed byughter, and teasing voices.


    The patrol was out there, but they thought they were alone.


    Jayah breathed a little easier, but neither of them moved until it had been a full minute from thest sounds.


    Then Skhal turned, straightening and they faced each other again.


    ¡°I was on my way to... to try and find our Alphas,¡± Skhal said, his voice rough and stillced with awe.


    Jayah nodded. ¡°Of course you were.¡± Then she smiled.


    His face, rock hard angles and weathered by decades of sun, softened as he watched her.


    ¡°I came to find your people because I¡¯m afraid... afraid if there isn¡¯t a bond of peace created that our peoples will destroy each other.¡±


    Skhal¡¯s forehead creased. ¡°They are... conflicting?¡±


    Jayah nodded. ¡°A great deal. But my Queen is good. Her King and her Captain... they are good. All of them are afraid. They don¡¯t understand how you came to be here, or why. They need answers. We are... brothers and sisters, I think. Different, but the same in here.¡± She tapped her chest.


    Skhal frowned. ¡°I didn¡¯t know what was happening-we didn¡¯t even know Zev and Sasha were here until I caught traces of their scents. But it was already days old, I couldn¡¯t be sure...¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re here. And for now they¡¯re safe. But I worry, Skhal. I don¡¯t know how to bridge the gap.¡±


    Skhal let go of a breath and took a step closer, reaching for her hand. ¡°It all has a purpose,¡± he said. ¡°It has to. The Creator brought us together for this.¡±


    Jayah smiled, wetting her lips with her tongue when his fingers, calloused and thick, entwined with hers, sending goosebumps all the way up her arm.


    She looked down at where they touched, then back up to him.


    ¡°God, you¡¯re beautiful,¡± he breathed. He still hadn¡¯t taken his eyes from her.


    For the first time in her adult life, Jayah blushed. Then it hit her. All the things she¡¯d heard, all the troubles over the bond-the uncertainty of it, the difference in Tarkyn¡¯s bond to the others, the difference in Harth¡¯s body...


    Jayah¡¯s smile faded. ¡°Our people are different, Skhal. Our bodies are different. Our bonds are different. There are things... Harth-do you know Harth?¡±


    He nodded quickly.


    ¡°Harth is the mate of our Captain of the Guard. But there are things happening in their bond that make the other fear-¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t give a shit,¡± he said frankly. ¡°You¡¯re my mate, Jayah. The rest... the rest is in the hands of the Creator, because I¡¯ve waited my whole life for you. I will never give you up.¡±


    *****


    #12DaysOfGiveaways starts TODAY! You can win letters from your favorite characters, journals, notebooks, profile frames, and more! But you have to be in my reader group on faces bk to enter, so visit linktr.ee/authoraimee NOW and join the fun!

 Chapter 107

    107 My Mate ¨C Part ~ JAYAH ~


    Jayah spluttered a shockedugh, then took a step forward. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t care either,¡± she breathed. ¡°I only... I want you safe.¡±


    Skhal huffed. ¡°I¡¯d given up. I thought the Creator had chosen solitude for me. I¡¯d... epted that.¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Me too.¡±


    A rush of warmth and joy and desire washed through Jayah and sheughed again. Stepping right up to stand between his feet, she reached up to touch his face.


    Skhal went still, like a wild-animal under threat. But his eyes never left hers. And Jayah found herself enthralled.


    His jaw was square and strong, his beard neatly trimmed. His features angr and striking, but softened slightly by dark hair that was in need of a cut. Those whispers of gray at his temples told her they were likely of a simr age... but then she realized she didn¡¯t care.


    Sliding her hand to his cheek, she curled her fingers into his beard, following the stark line of his jaw.


    Skhal¡¯s breath came out in a rush when she touched him. Jayah found herself both giddy and terrified in the same moment as he tilted his head down, his eyes fierce and afire.


    .....


    Then he breathed, ¡°My mate. My impossible mate!¡± and pulled her into his chest, dropping his chin to take her mouth softly, his lips a feather-touch on hers.


    Jayah shuddered as her entire body tingled and she leaned into him, her breathing fast and broken.


    As they kissed, something within her detonated, sending a glimmering, shimmering light from her heart that sparkled on the edge of her vision and rushed through her veins when he touched her.


    She sucked in a breath when his tongue traced hers and arched against him, pulling him closer.


    ¡®Mate... my mate... how can it be?¡¯ His voice was quiet and deep, pleading, echoing in her head in the same way it had when she¡¯d discovered him.


    Jayah¡¯s breath caught. ¡®Can you hear me?¡¯ As they kissed, she reached out to him as she would another Anima wolf, but found no barrier. He was simply... there.


    ¡®Yes.¡¯


    Jayah whimpered at the slow, simple heat in that word. His fingers tightened on her arms and he deepened the kiss.


    For long minutes she was lost, exploring the lines of his neck, shoulders, and chest, pressing her warmth against his, testing his scent, drugged by his kiss... on and on until the world around them disappeared and there was nothing but his body, his kiss, his touch, his voice. The darkness around them in the cave became a void, a shelter from the world that she wanted to dive into headfirst and nevere out.


    But just as his body became urgent, just when their kiss grew desperate, just when he¡¯d started to walk her backwards towards the cave wall and she went willingly, pulling him with her, there was another call in the ravine outside and they both froze.


    Chest heaving, Skhal lifted his head to find her eyes. Jayah stared at him, overwhelmed.


    ¡°We have to bring them together,¡± he said, his voice a guttural rasp. ¡°I can¡¯t... we can¡¯t be apart.¡± He reached up to touch her hair at the temple, to stroke it away from her face.


    She shook her head. ¡°But I thought... I thought if I went... I had no mate. If something went wrong, I took no one with me.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Me too.¡±


    After a long searching look, he dropped his forehead to rest against hers, cupping her face in his thick, strong hands.


    ¡°I have to leave before the guards find me. But don¡¯t want to let you go,¡± he said, his voice pained with the ache that matched the one in her chest.


    Jayah frowned, but nodded. ¡°Me too.¡±


    ¡°Will youe back? Tomorrow?¡± he asked quietly. ¡°I¡¯ll speak to our other Alphas, I¡¯ll try to find a way forward.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I will. As well. This is... not what I nned. But-¡±


    ¡°I know. Me either.¡±


    They stared at each other. He stroked her hair again and his hand trembled. Then he leaned in to kiss her softly and Jayah had to swallow the pinch of tears.


    Being in his arms felt like... like being in the family den. Warm. Safe. Loved...


    When they finally drew apart, neither of them spoke.


    Skhal stroked her cheek with his thumb, then turned and darted silently out of the cave, sending back to her, ¡®Come after high sun tomorrow. Keep talking while we can. I want to see how long the bond will carry.¡¯


    ¡®Yes,¡¯ she replied, leaving the cave herself, reminding herself that it wouldn¡¯t help to be caught now-especially now that she was painted in the scent of a strange male. The guards wouldn¡¯t recognize him...


    Jayah¡¯s chest went cold.


    ¡®What is it?¡¯ he sent, rmed.


    She sent him a rush of warmth and reassurance through the bond. ¡®Nothing, don¡¯t fret. I only... I just want to keep you safe.¡¯


    He returned the sentiment, and so they continued to talk and learn each other for the next hour until the bond faded.


    ¡®Tomorrow. After high sun.¡¯


    They were thest words he sent her before the link was lost, and Jayah was surprised by the sudden need to stop, to turn, to go back. Her body yearned to return to him, and for a moment she fought with her wolf who wanted to take control and take her back home.


    To him.


    Jayah shook her head, then started to run. She couldn¡¯t risk being in her wolf, so the trip would take longer going home.


    But that was probably a good thing, because she needed to think.


    She was even more determined now, than before, to find a way to bridge the divide between their peoples. But now... now her determination wasced with fear. Real, palpable fear.


    Because before it was only herself at risk. But she had heard the discussion about Tarkyn¡¯s bond.


    She¡¯d heard about the Chimera and the way that if one in a Pair died, the other would be killed.


    So now... what could she do? How could she risk putting herself on the line if it meant potentially getting her mate killed too?

 Chapter 108

    108 Rest with Me


    ~ TARKYN ~


    The following day, Tarkyn led Harth out to the valley. He found himself still stunned that she was there. Still instinctively checking that she followed, or watching her walk to remind himself that this was real. So their progress was slowed. But through the morning he set snares, then showed her several of the safe nts for food¨Cthough there was little fruit on the branches this time of year, and only those protected from frost were still edible.


    His use of herbs was limited, but he had a soldier¡¯s knowledge. Practical. Functional. Generally focused on the management of a crisis. He showed her the Bloodclot leaves in case either of them was injured. And the thick des of a specific thistle that seeped clear sap which would soothe burns, bites, or skin that had reacted to something.


    It was, in Tarkyn¡¯s mind, a morning of simple pleasures. Harth was fascinated by thisnd, continually eximing over the differences from her previously wet, cold climate.


    Tarkyn imagined she would fare well in the mountains should they ever have reason to venture into them.


    His mate¡¯s curiosity and delight over new discoveries was a joy. He hadn¡¯t had a chance to see her truly rxed. Here, without threat, she grinned like a child and whooped with triumph when she got something right.


    She made him feel very young, and very blessed.


    They stopped foraging when the sun grew high enough to beam directly into the valley, and Tarkyn ushered her under the shade of nearby trees.


    There were none of the Great Trees in this ce. They tended to thrive where water was more sparse, leaving the banks of rivers andkes-and the base of mountain waterfalls-to the smaller, faster growing trees.


    .....


    So theyy in the shade under the boughs of arge pine, years of needles creating a cushion under them.


    As they shared some of the dried meat and the small berries they¡¯d found, they were both quiet. Thoughtful.


    Harth sat right against his arm, her warmth pressed into his side and it felt... right. He sighed with relief.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± she asked quietly.


    ¡°Yes. More than okay. It¡¯s... this is joy, Harth.¡±


    ¡°I know. Me too.¡±


    They were both quiet for another minute, then she sighed. ¡°Do you think the Queen will forgive you?¡±


    A tiny chill threaded in Tarkyn¡¯s chest. Normally he would have answered that question with a resounding yes. But Elreth was fierce, and not herself. Reacting in fear, rather than strength. She¡¯d seemed... imbnced about many things over these few days. And yet, he¡¯d sensed her softening before that debacle back at the prison.


    So would she walk out of that with greater understanding and perspective? Or would she be tipped over the edge into ruthlessness?


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he answered honestly. Harth tensed, but he leaned into her to reassure her with his warmth. ¡°I do know that she didn¡¯t react in the moment. She had opportunity. So my hope is that she¡¯ll see it clearly. It might have happened to any of the males-even to her.¡±


    Harth nodded quickly. ¡°My people, too. We¡¯re always more attentive to our mates. It¡¯s instinct!¡± Her voice was a little higher than usual.


    Tarkyn put a hand on her knee and made himself smile. ¡°Don¡¯t fret. Gar knows where we are. If I¡¯m needed, they¡¯ll call me. If I¡¯m not called, then all is well.¡±


    ¡°Is it?¡±


    He nodded, confident of that much. ¡°She won¡¯t face war without me,¡± he said, only the tiniest niggle of doubt in the back of his head. ¡°She may want to punish me. She might demote me, even. But she won¡¯t face an actual conflict without me. If they aren¡¯t calling for me, either they¡¯ve found a way forward to peace, or nothing has been decided yet. I¡¯m sure of it.¡±


    Harth chewed on that for a moment. He watched her from the side, her pretty face tight with concentration. He traced the line of her jaw with his eyes and imaginedying his lips in that little hollow at-


    ¡°Is peace possible?¡± she asked suddenly. ¡°I mean for real, Tarkyn. Will our people ever unite?¡±


    She turned to look at him then, her eyes shining, pleading with him. He reached up to cup her chin and hold her gaze.


    ¡°It¡¯s more than possible, Harth. It¡¯s necessary. We will get there. If we have to be the ones to achieve it ourselves.¡±


    She nodded, though she only rxed a little. She looked down, brushing a pine-needle off her leg. She¡¯d just opened her mouth to tell him something when a flutter of wind washed over them, bringing with it a scent Tarkyn didn¡¯t recognize.


    Harth¡¯s head snapped to the right as she inhaled. ¡°What is that?¡±


    ¡°I... don¡¯t know,¡± Tarkyn said, his heart beating a touch faster. The scent was odd... animal, but an animal he didn¡¯t recognize, which raised the hair on the back of his neck.


    They both got to their feet, following the breeze which rose and fell. When the air was still, there was no scent, which meant the trail wasn¡¯t on the earth around them.


    ¡°I think...¡± Harth murmured, frowning as her nostrils red. ¡°I think it¡¯s one of the Creatures.¡±


    ¡°Creatures?¡±


    ¡°The Chimera I told you about. The ones the humans abandoned because they weren¡¯t purely human in their form. They... theybine their human and animal species. They look different. Some of them are very different,¡± she said nervously.


    ¡°And what is this one?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she said, still testing the scent. ¡°Not one that I¡¯ve met before. It could be anything. For a while they were mixing human DNA with a variety of animals, looking for more strength and speed. They even made a spider.¡± She shuddered.


    Tarkyn¡¯s chest tightened and he turned to examine thend, his eyes sharp and ears perked for any sound, any indication of a watcher.


    But even as his soldier stepped forward to ensure the safety of his mate, his heart began to beat faster with a thread of anger.


    These humans and their endless power. They encroached even on his rest here. He ground his teeth and inhaled the wind.


    No matter what, he would see his mate through this. All of it.

 Chapter 109

    109 The Things You Haven¡¯t Seen


    ~ TARKYN ~


    As they both tested the wind and continued scanning thend for signs of an intruder, Tarkyn frowned, trying to imagine what these creatures must look like.


    ¡°Are they dangerous?¡± he asked quietly.


    ¡°Not usually,¡± Harth said with a shrug. ¡°Not to us. They see us as... cousins. They worked with us against the humans when they could. But they are different. They keep themselves mostly isted from us-and as far from the humans as they could. I don¡¯t know how they¡¯ll feel being here if they¡¯ve caught any sign of the humans from your war. Or... I assume they could scent the differences between Anima and humans. But I really don¡¯t know. I haven¡¯t spent much time with them, and every one is different.¡±


    Her forehead crinkled with worry.


    Tarkyn stepped forward, his face to the wind, examining the high sides of the ravine and mountains around them that formed this bowl. If something was up there, watching them...


    ¡°You¡¯re safe here!¡± he called, then waited in case there was a reply. ¡°We¡¯ll do you no harm. We¡¯re visiting for a few days...¡± he trailed off, feeling odd speaking to the hills.


    But Harth was searching the hignds around them too.


    The wind brought no new or increasing scent, and no sound.


    .....


    There was no sense of eyes on them. It was entirely possible the creature was a mile or more away and simply emitting a pungent scent.


    Eventually Tarkyn shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t see anything. I think if there is something out there, we should just... leave it.¡±


    ¡°Him,¡± Harth said quietly. When he looked at her, she emphasized it. ¡°Him. They¡¯re always hims. Always male. That¡¯s part of why it¡¯s so hard for them. They¡¯re all different and none of them can have offspring. They¡¯re like mules.¡±


    ¡°Mules. I feel like Elia told me of those before. From the human world?¡±


    Harth nodded. ¡°When horses and donkeys breed, they have strong, healthy offspring. But the offspring are barren. They can¡¯t reproduce.¡± She looked up into the hills again. ¡°They¡¯re destined to die alone.¡±


    Tarkyn could feel the darkness weighing on her. It was instinct to touch, to pull her into his chest and hold her. She folded into his arms easily and both of them sighed.


    ¡°It scares me, Tarkyn. We could end up... we could have a child like that.¡±


    ¡°Or no child at all. Don¡¯t let yourself be buried under the possible, Love. We have enough happening without question, we don¡¯t need to borrow trouble.¡±


    ¡°But-¡±


    ¡°Harth,¡± he pulled back, holding her shoulders and staring down at her. ¡°I am blessed to have been around some of the most wonderful families. And I can tell you, even as an outsider it¡¯s clear: The most important thing in a child¡¯s life is love.¡±


    Harth blinked. ¡°I... I mean I know that. But I never had that as a child. Not until I was released to live with the ns when I was a little older. And even then... I saw the few who were raised by parents. I envied them.¡±


    He stroked her hair. ¡°Our child, if we are blessed with one, will be envied. Because they will be loved deeply by both of us, and never rejected.¡±


    ¡°But the people-¡±


    ¡°I wish you could have been here a year ago, Harth. I wish you could have seen our Queen... she only became Queen because of her defense of those under oppression, did you know that?¡±


    Harth tilted her head, frowning. ¡°No. What happened?¡±


    He told her then, about the Anima, and the percentage of them who¡¯d been born unable to shift. They were held in the tribes, but always viewed with suspicion by some. ¡°Her King, Aaryn is one of them.¡±


    ¡°But... he has a wolf! I can smell it!¡±


    ¡°He does now. But it wasn¡¯t always that way. It¡¯s a long story-but know this, Harth. Elreth has always thrown the best of herself, all of her strength, into the protection of others. Her mother was the same waypassionate, and daring. Unwilling to bend to the preferences of society. Elreth challenged her own father when he threatened to separate the disformed-that¡¯s what we called them then-to maintain peace in the tribes.


    ¡°She fought her own father for dominance to save those who couldn¡¯t stand for themselves. And then she brought them together... They were crucial to our sess... to our salvation...¡± He swallowed the pinch in his throat as his mind flooded with images of Reth and Elia, and Gahrye and...


    Harth squeezed his arms and watched him, worried.


    He forced himself to smile. ¡°You have not seen the best of our Queen, Harth,¡± he said quietly. ¡°I promise you. If you had met her before... before all this loss and fear... you would love her. And I know she¡¯ll return to that heart. And I know-I am utterly certain-that if we were to have a child who was different, she would stand in defense of them every day until there was no question that they were a part of us. Elreth is many things-and wed with them-but she is first and foremost a fighter for the weak or defenseless.¡± He blew out a breath. ¡°Trust me. If we have a child who is different, we will love them, and they will be... valued here.¡±


    Harth smiled and pulled him down into a kiss. ¡°Thank you,¡± she whispered against his lips. ¡°Thank you for always making me feel stronger.¡± She pulled away for just a moment, her eyes shining now with joy. ¡°Thank you for loving, Tarkyn. Thank you for not holding yourself away from it even after the pain you¡¯ve had. I... I love you so much.¡±


    ¡°I love you, too.¡± Tarkyn gave a small, happy hum when her tongue flickered out to taste his. Inhaling deeply, he wrapped her in his arms and walked her backwards until she came up against the trunk of the tree.


    All the drama of the moment, all the heaviness of the issues fell away as he sought her mouth and stroked his hands up her sides, under her shirt, his thumbs stroking her stomach as he found the form of her waist, and she arched into his touch, giving a breathlessugh when she sucked on his tongue and he growled.

 Chapter 110

    110 Teaching Minx a Lesson


    AUTHOR NOTE: There are several lengthy love scenes approaching in the story. I know some readers aren¡¯t excited about those, but these scenes are genuinely necessary for the plot of the story moving forward. So I have marked the chapter titles with an asterisk like this*. If you prefer to skip those chapters, you can just open the ones that aren¡¯t marked!


    *****


    ~ TARKYN ~


    Tarkyn hadn¡¯t intended to start anything, but the way her breath got heavier and her hips began to bump his, suddenly he was considering.


    Then his beautiful, desirable, wicked mate let her head rest back against the tree. He kissed his way down her throat and she curled her arms around his neck to hold him there as he tasted her skin. But when he brushed lips and tongue under her ear, she gave a breathlessugh and flinched, tickled.


    ¡°Tarkyn¡± she breathed.


    ¡°Mmm?¡± he was finding his way down to her corbone, his finger ying along the neckline of her shirt towards those beckoning buttons.


    ¡°You did promise me back at your house... to show me how it would work... standing like this?¡±


    Tarkyn went very still, heart racing.


    .....


    The temptations she threw at him!


    He lifted his eyes slowly, watching her with hooded eyes. She bit her lip, smiling at him-she knew she was tempting him!


    Minx.


    He lifted one hand from her shirt to ce it on the trunk over her shoulder, dismayed by the thick, rough bark. But he shed a smile at her.


    ¡°I did promise,¡± he said, letting his voice drop very low.


    She nodded, her smile growing.


    ¡°And I am a male of my word.¡±


    ¡°I was counting on it,¡± she giggled, then reached for him, to pull him into a kiss, but he resisted.


    ¡°But there is one barrier in our way,¡± he said solemnly, not allowing himself even the hint of a smile.


    Harth¡¯s forehead lined suddenly. ¡°Is it too soon after this morning?¡± she whispered.


    ¡°What?! No!¡± he growled. ¡°You cheeky little-¡±


    Harth spluttered augh as he buried his face in her neck, nipping at her skin.


    ¡°For that I should force you to do it here,¡± he grumbled. ¡°Let you learn the hard way about the importance of location.¡±


    ¡°I just know it¡¯s been a stressful time,¡± Harth giggled, shrieking when he grabbed her ass and lifted her. ¡°And Sarayu said the twig can droop-¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough of that talk,¡± Tarkyn muttered, mock-angrily.


    Harth¡¯sughter stopped when he let her go and dropped almost to his knees. ¡°What-¡±


    But he was only positioning himself. She gasped when he gripped her thighs, pressing her over him, then stood, throwing her over his shoulder.


    ¡°Tarkyn!¡± she shrieked.


    He patted her bottom next to his ear. ¡°It¡¯s time for more than one lesson, I think, love.¡±


    ¡°Y-you can¡¯t be serious-¡±


    ¡°Oh you underestimate me, Mate,¡± he growled, then leaped to a run.


    Harth spluttered, barely able to breathe as he raced her through the little valley. But she wasughing too hard to fight him.


    Her punishment was that he didn¡¯t let her walk until they reached the trail up to the cave, by which time sheined her stomach muscles were sore fromughing and the bouncing on his hard shoulder.


    He slipped her to the ground, but didn¡¯t let her turn from him, walking her backwards up the narrow trail, forcing her to trust him to keep her on course. And he would. Every piece of him-heart, soul, body-was tuned to her, humming with anticipation as he took her mouth over and over, never letting her get a word out, never letting her start to think.


    She¡¯d asked him to show her, and he would. It was a battle to keep himself in check, stroking, teasing as they climbed the trail. But finally they passed under the curtain of the waterfall and Tarkyn snapped his leash.


    A growl puttered in his throat as he gripped the button of her leathers and yanked them open, groaning as he plunged his hands under the waistband at the back and down, to cup her ass and knead, but pushing the trousers over her hips and down until they slid down her beautiful legs to pool at her feet.


    She almost tripped because he was leaning her backwards, but he held her, his arm braced at her back until she found her bnce again and could kick the leathers away.


    But even as her breath began to thunder and his world became little more than her soft skin under his hands and her beautiful scent, she wasn¡¯t backing away from him.


    Arching her back and returning his kiss with every bit as much fervor, Tarkyn found himself trembling when her hands appeared-awkward but intent-on his leathers. It took her several tries, but she soon had his buckle open and leathers unbuttoned.


    He groaned when he sprang into her hand and for a moment, they stopped kissing, mouths hovering open and panting as they stroked each other.


    Tarkyn was stunned senseless by the warmth of her-her eagerness and willingness. The way she pressed into his touch and arched to find him when he moved.


    Finding her already slick and ready for him, he groaned again and opened his mouth over her shoulder, tonguing it even as he stroked her softest flesh.


    Harth trembled in time with his touch, gripping the back of his neck with one hand as she stroked him with the other. The position should have been awkward, yet they fit, each shivering with pleasure, and offering it to the other.


    Tarkyn was lost, every hair on his body standing up to find her, his skin shivering for her. His soul singing with joy for how she shared herself and gave to him...


    Overwhelmed by her, he reached up to cup her neck, then pulled back far enough to meet her eyes.


    Neither of them stopped touching, stroking as their eyes locked. He saw the mes that burned in his belly reflected in her eyes and he hissed through his teeth when she pumped him a little more vigorously.


    ¡°Are you certain... about the wall?¡± he asked, his voice tight and husky. ¡°It¡¯s still so soon-we have so much time to explore-¡±


    Harth¡¯s smile was a thing of beauty. ¡°You promised,¡± she panted.


    ¡°Never let it be said,¡± he gasped, ¡°that I do not honor my word.¡±


    Unable to hold himself back further, Tarkyn leaned down and swept her up, urging her to wrap her legs around his waist as he held her high and walked her to the wall of the cave.

 Chapter 111

    111 A Promise Honored*


    ~ TARKYN ~


    Harth¡¯s weight in his arms was a delicious gift.


    Choosing the span of t rock that was nearest the sleeping tform, he walked her to it, still kissing, holding her high and whispering how beautiful she was until they reached it.


    Wary of hurting her on the hard surface, he ttened a hand to the rock just before he pressed her against it, giving her head a softer ce tond. But her shoulders hit and she gave a little grunt. For a moment he worried he¡¯d harmed her, but Harth came alive, writhing against him, her kiss frantic, desperate for him.


    She devoured his mouth and her legs tightened around him, pulling him against her as she rolled her hips.


    Somewhere in the back of his mind, Tarkyn marveled at her-so open and willing, so eager, and for him. Only for him! But the thoughts were soon blown away when she opened her mouth on his throat and sucked.


    Overwhelmed with desire, Tarkyn tried to warn her. ¡°Hold onto me-¡± he croaked.


    But she took his mouth, leading with the t of her tongue, whimpering with need.


    With a guttural moan, Tarkyn slid both hands to cup her, take her weight, and spread her. There was a unique and devastating moment of pleasure as he rubbed himself against her, finding her, positioning himself. Both of them tensed as the tiniest of movements sent waves of pleasure through flesh.


    .....


    ¡°Harth... oh fuck.¡±


    ¡°Please, Tarkyn!¡± she gasped.


    He found her then and with a guttural moan, he pulled her down onto him as he thrust, bracing her against the wall.


    Harth¡¯s mouth dropped open and she gave a breathless cry into the kiss, but Tarkyn didn¡¯t stop, sliding his hands to her thighs, gripping her too hard, but he could barely control himself, holding her high enough to pull out almost all the way, then using the leverage of the wall to brace her against his thrust.


    Harth¡¯s head fell back in a silent moan. Her eyes were closed, but she clung to him, pulling him closer, always closer. She met him, thrust for thrust, pressing against the wall and clinging to his neck and shoulders as they rocked together again and again.


    Tarkyn couldn¡¯t close his eyes, he had to watch her. His breath shuddered with the mingled pleasure and awe as she became nothing but a conduit for desire. And the deeper they fell together, bodies entwined, souls alive, the more the bond hummed, jangling in his veins, drawing more and more.


    Something passed between them. Something he couldn¡¯t exin.


    She¡¯d put herselfpletely in his arms. There was nothing fighting him-nothing protecting herself. She was open to him body and soul. Tarkyn was humbled even as his body responded and he fought for control.


    Then, as their skins prickled and bodies writhed, he worshiped her. Fingers in her hair, tongue on her skin, bodies joining again and again... The fizzing, sparkling joy in his blood sang-and called to her, and hers to him.


    It was as if they shared one heart. He could feel her pleasure as well as his own, and they built on each other. He didn¡¯t know what was happening, only that it was beautiful-she was beautiful-and he never wanted it to end.


    But his body screamed and plunged deeper into the abyss.


    The hard wall behind her and his body before her, she had nowhere to go, so every slide, every thrust between them only increased the bliss.


    Harth didn¡¯t even speak, she barely breathed, her breathing in tiny pants. Her fingers dug into his shoulders, fisted in his hair.


    Then she began to pulse around him and Tarkyn groaned.


    ¡°Tarkyn!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here, beautiful. I have you.¡±


    ¡°Tarkyn! I-¡± she stiffened, her back arching, but he held her close as she came apart, calling for him breathlessly. He kept her there, curled between him and the wall, and he took her again, and again, giving her no break, wringing every ounce of pleasure avable to her until her breath rushed out of her and cried out in joy, going liquid in his arms.


    ¡°Open your eyes, Harth!¡± he rasped.


    Her eyes flew open and their gazes locked-and the final burst of pleasure shivered through him.


    Neither of them spoke into the room, but their minds linked and he shoveled every ounce of wordless love and joy at her as his body shattered.


    Her jaw still ck, she cupped his face as he fell apart, her face almost pained with the sheer joy of it all.


    He knew the feeling.


    And as his body was washed in bliss, he showed her through the link just how beautiful she was to him. He roared her name and it echoed through the cave as he shuddered, gripping her so tightly, holding her in ce with his weight, until they were finally both still, bodies trembling.


    Tarkyn slumped, his forehead on her shoulder.


    Both their chests heaved.


    His entire body trembled until he wondered if his knees would give way. But as they gazed at each other and the impossible beauty of it all threatened to overwhelm him, he pulled her away from the wall, carrying her back to the sleeping tform.


    ¡°Hold onto me,¡± he rasped as he leaned forward, one arm at her back, and crawled up the bed, still holding her to him.


    Then theyy together, stunned, and staring at each other. She keptbing her fingers through his hair and Tarkyn wondered if there had ever been a more perfect moment.


    Something was building within him. It seemed impossible that they could be closer than that moment, and yet... he could feel it within him. Something more.


    When they¡¯d finally caught their breaths, he traced the hair back from the side of her face and behind her shoulder.


    ¡°Harth,¡± he said, his voice a bare husk. ¡°There¡¯s something I want to ask you.¡±


    Her throat bobbed, but her smile climbed. ¡°What is it?¡±


    Tarkyn blew out a breath. How to exin? ¡°I want to make you truly mine.¡±


    *****


    #12DaysOfGiveaways starts TODAY! You can win letters from your favorite characters, journals, notebooks, profile frames, and more! But you have to be in my reader group on faces bk to enter, so visit linktr.ee/authoraimee NOW and join the fun!

 Chapter 112

    112 Closer to You*


    ~ HARTH ~


    When Harth had been reaching maturity, the females in Thana had often spoken to her and the other young females about mating, choosing mates, and the drive that could happen between Chimera who were attracted to each other.


    She¡¯d seen it at work, too, and wanted that-seeing a male whose attention wasser-focused on his mate, who clearly desired nothing more than her. And the female who flourished under that love.


    She¡¯d ached for that. Yearned for it. Prayed for it.


    And she¡¯d been blown away to have found it in such a wonderful man.


    But this...


    Tarkyn¡¯s ragged demand that she meet his eyes as he loved her and the intensity of that, the intimacy of being so together in that moment... then the tenderness with which he¡¯d carried her toy her down... it stole her breath.


    Trust. That¡¯s what it was-a sense that this was the male who would ce himself between her and... anything. Who loved her so much that it was as if she were the only female in creation.


    She didn¡¯t know his people. Didn¡¯t know his ways. But she knew his heart, and it took her breath away.


    .....


    For the first time she could remember, shey in the depth of a cave, walls around and ceilings above, and she felt not even a pinch of fear. No tension. Nothing. There was no weight of being caged. Shey there at rest with her mate because her heart knew if a threat appeared, he would fight to the death to protect her from it.


    She didn¡¯t know what to say. She didn¡¯t know how to describe the feelings building in her chest, the desires-not just passionate-that mored for her heart.


    It took time for both of them to stop panting, but when they finally did, Tarkyn lifted a sweet, gentle finger to trace the hair back from the side of her face, then trailed it behind her shoulder and down her back.


    ¡°Harth.¡± His voice was deep, and still ragged. ¡°There¡¯s something I want to ask you.¡±


    Nerves jolted at her, but they sparkled with joy. ¡°What is it?¡±


    Tarkyn blew out a breath, his brows pinching over his nose like he was afraid. She held him tightly.


    ¡°I want to make you truly mine,¡± he said, his voice like honeyed gravel.


    Harth blinked. ¡°Tarkyn, I am yours to my bones,¡± she whispered, feeling her cheeks heat. ¡°I... I¡¯m just yours.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°And I¡¯m yours. But Love, there¡¯s a tradition in my Pride... And it¡¯s pulling at me.¡±


    Harth licked her lips. ¡°What is it?¡±


    Tarkyn¡¯s face became very serious and for a moment she worried that it wasn¡¯t good. She held him more tightly. ¡°Tell me, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Nothing¡¯s wrong,¡± he said, his voice tight as if he fought emotion. ¡°That¡¯s just it. I... I don¡¯t want to miss anything with you, Harth. Ever. Even if we¡¯re different. Even if our people are different. I want to be with you in every way that I can.¡±


    She was stunned to feel him through the bond-nervous!


    ¡°Tarkyn,¡± she breathed, ¡°what is it?¡±


    He pushed up on one elbow to loom over her, stroking her hair, her arm, her breast, her side... as he spoke, his fingers never stopped finding her.


    ¡°You are beautiful, Harth. The most beautiful. You are... precious.¡±


    Tears welled in her eyes and she grasped his hand, bringing it up to her mouth. ¡°I feel the same way. I just don¡¯t know how to say it.¡±


    Tarkyn cleared his throat, watching where her lips rested against his knuckles. ¡°There¡¯s a tradition in the Pride. An old way... we have a... special rite, I suppose, that happens only between mates. I want you to think on it, to pray about it.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Tarkyn¡¯s eyes shed. ¡°We call it iming. It¡¯s... an act of surrender. The male marks the female so all other males will know that she¡¯s viewed as elevated in his life. Treasured. Untouchable by others.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Tarkyn.¡± She pulled him down into an embrace, fighting tears. ¡°I¡¯m already surrendered to you.¡±


    He pulled back to measure her gaze. ¡°Are you sure? You would have to put yourself in my handspletely. Willingly. But it will deepen our bond, and-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m certain, Tarkyn. We have a tradition too-where male and female wolves mark each other to deepen the bond. We be...more sensitive to each other after it. Would you let me mark you?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± he breathed. Then he blinked. ¡°Now? What do I need to-¡±


    Harth gave a small, breathlessugh. ¡°Not right now. Soon. I¡¯ll... I think we¡¯ll both know when it¡¯s right.¡±


    Tarkyn¡¯s face rxed into a beaming smile and he leaned down to kiss her again. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re right. I can hardly wait.¡±


    Harth gave a littleugh and pulled him down to cover her, holding him there, thanking the Creator when he rxed and let his weight pin her to the furs.


    She¡¯d never felt safer than she did in that moment. Never more sure of herself or her purpose.


    This male, her mate, he was the center of her world. And together... together they had to find a way to bring this harmony to their peoples.


    She smiled into his hair as he clung to her, but his grip slowly loosened and his breathing evened out.


    Harthy there, her sleeping mate in her arms, smiling at the ceiling of the cave.


    She¡¯d had hope since she found him-though it had been sorely tested-that they could build a life together. That their people coulde together.


    His words were true, she knew. That meant his Queen did have a heart. They only needed to figure out how to open it to the Chimera.


    Thoughts of trying to meld the people always gave her pause, but now, with Tarkyn¡¯s head resting on the pillow next to hers, his weight pressing her down into the furs, she couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    They were the walking evidence that Anima and Chimera could co-exist.


    They were the Creator¡¯s purpose, she was certain of it.


    So this was no longer a question to be asked, but only a puzzle to be solved. And until they did that, she would love him. Hold him. Protect him. And wallow in his love in return.


    ¡°Thank you for him,¡± she whispered, watching her mate sleep. ¡°He¡¯s perfect.¡±

 Chapter 113

    113 Finally You


    NAME PRONUNCIATION: Sarayu is ¡°Sah-RAH-yoo¡±


    *****


    ~ JAYAH ~


    Jayah hurried through the WildWood, cursing herself for her rush, but unable to rest until she saw her mate again. She¡¯d thought once she was moving the urgency to get back to him would ease, but as she felt him drawing closer, it only increased.


    She¡¯d spent the entire day distracted and preupied until, back at the Healer¡¯s Tree, Sarayu had finally be frustrated with her.


    ¡°Whatever flea is in your fur, Jayah, go see to it. You¡¯re making me anxious. And you¡¯re over-crushing those herbs. They¡¯ll only be good for tincture at this rate.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Jayah had replied, her heart pounding. She¡¯d tossed the pestle down on the bench and covered her face with her hands. ¡°I¡¯m just distracted.¡±


    Sarayu had grinned. ¡°You¡¯re not normally so... fluttery. What¡¯s his name?¡±


    Jayah was so shocked, it had taken her a beat too long to reply to her friend. ¡°I¡¯m not... that¡¯s not...¡±


    .....


    Sarayu¡¯s eyebrows popped up. ¡°I was joking but... truly, Jayah? A male has caught your eye?¡±


    Jayah spluttered and waved her friend off. ¡°Not... no. I just...¡±


    But Sarayu, never one to mince words, only wiped her own hands off with a thick linen, then walked across to the bench where Jayah was working and nudged her aside. ¡°You go. Go... do whatever needs to be done. I¡¯ll handle this.¡±


    ¡°But the baby-¡±


    ¡°Is robust, but distressed. The wet nurse is the greatest help that child can have, and I am more than capable of assisting with arranging his feeding.¡±


    Hope sprang in Jayah¡¯s chest. Was it possible she might see her mate earlier than she¡¯d thought? But that was selfish. She should be focused on helping these people-and bringing their peoples together. Not on seeing the only male who¡¯d brought her body to life.


    She¡¯d even dreamed about Skhal. Jayah had woken blushing.


    And hopeful.


    Sarayu began to empty the mortar into a small leather sack, ncing at Jayah with a happy smile. ¡°Jayah, seriously. Go. Nothing is happening that we can¡¯t all handle together. And I¡¯ve never seen you so... distracted. Clearly something needs to be done. So... go do it.¡±


    Jayah almost choked at her friend¡¯s wicked grin. But Sarayu¡¯s tone was gentle. They¡¯d both reached their maturity without finding mates and both been content in that.


    Until now.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Jayah said quickly, untying her apron. ¡°I¡¯ll... I¡¯ll make it up to you somehow-¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly. I¡¯m excited to learn which male has finally caught your eye, sister. Just promise me when the time is right that you¡¯ll introduce us.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, of course...¡± Jayah barely thought about what she was promising as she gathered her things and hurried for the door. ¡°Thank you again, Sar.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure. Go enjoy yourself-and tell me all about itter!¡±


    Jayahughed nervously, then stepped out of the door of the Great Tree where the healers gathered resources and centered teams when there was any kind of crisis.


    Since Aymora¡¯s death, her cave, which had always been the center for the healers, but inconveniently located, had be Jayah¡¯s.


    A thought urred to Jayah then, but she barely dared hope, so she pushed it away and took off into the forest, running, her heart tugging at her ribs.


    This way. This way.


    This way to your mate.


    She was going to be hours early to the meeting ce, but it didn¡¯t matter. Even if she had to wait... at least she¡¯d be there the first moment they might be together.


    Her entire bloodstream went up in mes at the thought and she pushed it down and shifted into her wolf to calm her thoughts.


    But even in her beast, her heart thrummed. Even the animal¡¯s body ached and pushed for more speed.


    Her mate.


    Her mate was here.


    And she needed him.


    *****


    Her wolf¡¯s impatience had almost gotten them caught by the guards, so Jayah had shifted back and forced herself to take more care as she passed through the WildWood towards that ravine and the cave nestled in it.


    Thoughts of Skhal kept her blood pumping, but she forced herself to concentrate. She was going to see him-true. And it would be a relief to be close to him. But they also had a purpose in it. She couldn¡¯t see this simply as a selfish trip to find her male.


    Things had been quiet around the Prison tree that morning-the Queen and her King taking time to rest. Tarkyn having taken Harth for time to strengthen the bond. Only Gar and Rika in attendance, and the War Chief oddly quiet.


    Rika had seemed distracted too.


    The guards had been pushed wider to give the prisoners time to rest as well-the only time anyone was to enter was to bring food, or help with the infant.


    Jayah appreciated the intention, but in her opinion, the Queen¡¯s action was too little, toote. Even if they were all taking time to think and breathe, even if Tarkyn had been allowed to take Harth unguarded, clearly the Queen hadn¡¯t been convinced to free the Chimeran Alphas.


    And soon, those Alphas would be beyond reaching.


    Jayah shook her head to free herself from the sudden dread, and crept through the forest. The ravine loomed over the tree-canopy above and the cave was almost in sight. She could feel the pull of her mate and reached out with her mind.


    ¡®Are you close?¡¯


    ¡®Jayah!¡¯


    Her breath caught at the joy in his tone and she hurried forward, pushing through the underbrush, into the cave where Skhal paced the clear space at the back. He turned when she appeared and rushed to her.


    The first sight of him was like sugar on her tongue-his broad shoulders and rippled abdomen exposed because he¡¯d thrown his fur jacket aside and paced the space with nothing on above the waist.


    Jayah¡¯s breath caught at the honed beauty of him. His body was hard as marble, his movements strong and sure as he hurried towards her.


    They threw themselves into each other¡¯s arms, holding tightly as if someone threatened to pull them apart.


    ¡°Thank the Creator,¡± Skhal breathed, then pulled her so close there was no space left.

 Chapter 114

    114 Nobody¡¯s Watching


    ~ JAYAH ~


    Skhal had cupped the back of her head and held her to him so tightly, for a long time she was simply lost-her heart thrumming, and body more alive than she had ever felt. For a moment they just sank into each other, breathing each other¡¯s breath and resting in the relief of finally being close.


    The pull to be near him didn¡¯t ease with his touch, though her entire being celebrated it. Instead, her blood went up in mes as he growled in his throat and kissed her, his tongue stroked hers-teasing, but insistent.


    The way her belly twisted with glorious heat, for a moment she wondered if perhaps they wouldn¡¯t wait after all. If the urge toplete the bond was too strong.


    She¡¯d heard of such things, but never understood. Not really.


    She was a wolf of careful thought and discipline. Usually. But she¡¯d known her mate for less than twenty-four hours and he was turning her back into a flighty adolescent.


    Letting her hands slide up his back to his hair, she pulled herself into him, into his kiss, and her belly clenched when his arm around her lower back tightened, pressing her hips against his.


    But with a tiny whine, and several small, short kisses, he finally raised his head to look at her, admiration and relief blowing away the clouds that had been in his eyes when she arrived.


    ¡°I¡¯m early, how did you know?¡± she whispered, holding his face, a ridiculous smile pulling her cheeks wide.


    .....


    ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± he admitted gruffly, his eyes sparkling. ¡°But I couldn¡¯t stay away. It was a risk, but they know I¡¯m working to get Zev free, so... no one questioned me.¡±


    They smiled at each other. He began to descend on her again, but Jayah caught him, her guilt for ignoring her purpose pressing her to take care and to make this time count for the others involved, not just themselves.


    ¡°Wait,¡± she said breathlessly.


    Skhal hesitated, arching one eyebrow as if she might be ying a game with him.


    Jayah grinned. ¡°I can¡¯t juste here to... to forget about... everyone else,¡± she said, flustered. Much as she might want to. ¡°Skhal, things are reaching a limit. We have to do something.¡±


    Skhal groaned and finally, slowly, reluctantly released her, though he kept one of her hands as he straightened and she found her feet without his support.


    ¡°I know,¡± he said. ¡°I have a n.¡±


    Jayah nodding, urging him to share it with her. But his face was pained. ¡°What is it?¡± she asked quietly.


    Skhal shook his head, then put a calloused palm to her face. ¡°I will tell you,¡± he murmured, searching her gaze. ¡°But first I have to say that this has been the hardest day of my life, separated from you, not knowing if you were found out or... Jayah, the pull to be here was so strong it pained me. And now you¡¯re here. I know our people are at odds, but... it isn¡¯t wrong for us to seek each other. It¡¯s a part of the Creator¡¯s purpose.¡±


    Her breath quickened to match her suddenly racing heart. ¡°I know. You¡¯re right.¡±


    His eyes never left hers. ¡°Finding you... knowing you... That is mind-boggling to me, Jayah. I want... I want nothing more than to make a home with you, to bring you the hunt and to... to give myself.¡±


    ¡°Me too,¡± she breathed.


    He nodded. ¡°It¡¯s the way it should be. I¡¯ve never understood the mates who didn¡¯t choose each other every day-whose eyes dropped or hearts grew cold. I promise you, Jayah. There will never be another wolf alive that will light my heart the way you do.¡±


    Jayah¡¯s breath caught and she had to swallow a tiny sob. ¡°I¡¯ve been so distracted today, thinking about you and... and dreaming. Even in my sleep I wanted to be near you.¡±


    Skhal nodded again and stepped right up so their stomachs brushed, though he was head and shoulders taller than her. Sliding his fingers into her hair he stared down at her, hope and light so intense in his gaze that she barely breathed.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t steal you, Jayah. I wouldn¡¯t... take you thoughtlessly. But... please... I need you.¡±


    Jayah bit her lip and nodded, letting her hands tighten on his thick biceps. ¡°Me too. I only... I already fear how hard it will be to leave you,¡± she whispered. ¡°Leavingst night felt like tearing myself in half. And now... if weplete the bond, Skhal... I fear I¡¯ll lose everything in my head but you.¡±


    He gave a slow, delicious smile then, his eyes twinkling. ¡°Well, I am very, very pleased to hear that I¡¯m not the only one who fears the loss of all honor and strength in the face of... you.¡±


    Nervous, but excited, Jayah let her hand y across his chest. She tore her gaze from his and watched her hand y across the broad nes of his pecs, trailing her fingers along his corbones.


    ¡°We need a n. A very short n, please. Because there¡¯s a much more practical reason that we can¡¯tplete our bond yet.¡± Her voice went serious and Skhal frowned. Jayah plowed on. ¡°If we take the Anima bond, our scents will entwine,¡± she whispered. ¡°It may take hours for my friends to notice because they won¡¯t be looking for it, but the first time one of them observes... they¡¯ll know-and they¡¯ll know it¡¯s an unfamiliar scent. So we can¡¯t. Yet. But I¡¯m praying... I¡¯m praying that you can see a way clear so that we can make this happen-our people, and our bond. And quickly.¡±


    Skhal sighed heavily. He didn¡¯t let her go, but he nodded. ¡°Very well,¡± he said finally, his voice low and husky. ¡°You¡¯re right, of course. My mate is wise.¡± She could hear the disappointment in him, but she was d he didn¡¯t let her go. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what I¡¯ve been thinking and you can... you can tell me how we might achieve it.¡±


    They didn¡¯t move apart as he began to speak. Jayah¡¯s hands tightened on him both in hope and in fear. But before he was done, she was nodding.


    Her mate was strong. Insightful. And he saw the way through this.


    But they would need the Creator¡¯s own luck to navigate it without those in power taking each other¡¯s throats...

 Chapter 115

    115 Honeymoon You


    ~ TARKYN ~


    They¡¯d never quite left the bed. After such an intense and intimate ride together, they¡¯d stayed in the furs sleeping and talking deep into the night. And still, despite thete hour the night before, Tarkyn woke before the birds.


    After the first breath of awareness, adrenaline flowed-something driving him up and out.


    It happened this way sometimes. He had yet to discern whether it was simply a hangover of trauma from being a soldier at war. Sometimes his body was convinced there was danger near, even when nothing could be found. Yet, other times when he¡¯d woken this way, it had been to find a true need or threat.


    He didn¡¯t throw the furs back and leap into the darkness before dawn though. Hey there for several breaths, watching Harth.


    She slept on her side, her knees curled towards her chest and her hands under her pillow. She looked adorable and young and so precious.


    The urge to reach out and touch her, to wake her, to love her was strong. But if he couldn¡¯t sleep it didn¡¯t mean she shouldn¡¯t.


    So using all his feline powers of stealth, he slowly drew the furs back and slipped out, dressing silently, then padding out of the cave to take a circuit of the valley, scenting the wind.


    While he was out, he checked the snares he¡¯d set the day before, celebrating when he found two hares and what must have been a clumsy pheasant. Each of them were quickly dispatched and stuffed into his bag to be taken back to the cave and cleaned for eating.


    .....


    Half an hourter, having found no strange scents or trails, he turned back for the cave. The sun was just beginning to rise, lining the mountains overhead in avender glow that made his heart sing.


    He¡¯d always loved the early morning. It came from years of guard shifts, returning home, or leaving home in these early hours when so few Anima were awake. The never-silence of nature always making him feel embraced, as if he shared their secrets.


    He crept back into the cave to find Harth still asleep.


    He took off his shirt to keep it clean, then spent minutes dressing his catches and hanging them to cure, then washed his hands in the stream of the waterfall.


    When he turned back into the cave, dawn light was beginning to glow through the water-glinting on Harth¡¯s eyes following him as he crossed the cave to the sleeping tform at the back.


    She smiled as he approached and his belly clenched-her cheeks were pink and warm, her hair mussed, and her eyes hooded and puffy.


    She looked delectable.


    She stretched just as he reached her, lifting her arms over her head and arching her back. It was such a childish gesture-one he knew he still indulged as well-so it wasn¡¯t until the furs fell away from her chest as she arched that his breath quickened.


    Her bare breasts, full and round, suddenly pulled tight in the chill morning air.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± she sighed through a yawn.


    It was, he thought, the best morning yet. But he couldn¡¯t find the words, and so just reached out with a gentle hand to cup first one breast, then the other.


    Her breath whooshed out of her at his touch. He knew his eyes must be gleaming, because she caught his gaze and her smile widened. ¡°A very good morning,¡± she giggled.


    The temptation to strip and leap into the warm furs with her grabbed at him. But Harth clearly had other ideas as she flipped the furs back and pushed up to sit, her legs hanging over the edge of the sleeping tform.


    ¡°Hold that thought,¡± she said, sighing and pulling him down to a chaste kiss before she got out of the bed and padded across the cave.


    Tarkyn busied himself preparing food for breakfast. With the hares already there for dinner that night, they could use thest of the bread and fruit.


    When the morning well and truly arrived, it found them sitting at the side of the fire, bellies already full, Harth¡¯s knee resting on his thigh. He held her knee without thought as they spoke.


    After such intensity the day before, and their conversationste in the night, it was a morning for dreaming of the future-of peace between the Anima and Chimera, of introducing each other to friends and family. Of anticipating joy.


    Harth¡¯s smile grew with each passing minute and she asked question after question about his home, what their days might look like, and who would be important to it.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t get to tell you!¡± she said suddenly, eyes wide.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Suhle! Thank you for sending her. She is... lovely.¡±


    ¡°Like you,¡± Tarkyn said with a sly grin, loving the way Harth¡¯s smile sweetened, even as she rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Yes, sure, but... honestly, Tarkyn. There¡¯s something about her. It made me feel like... like I could belong here, learning to know her.¡±


    Tarkyn nodded. ¡°She¡¯s very wise and loving. And she was gone from WildWood for many years-she knows what it is to feel like an Outsider.¡±


    ¡°I know. She told me. It¡¯s an incredible story.¡±


    Sadness tweaked at Tarkyn¡¯s heart as he nodded. ¡°Elreth¡¯s father was... a wonderful ruler. And wise as well. She¡¯s more like him than you¡¯d think.¡±


    He could tell from her expression that Harth wasn¡¯t so sure, but she didn¡¯t lose her smile. ¡°When this is done, when we get to live again... could we have Suhle and Lerrine to the house? Share a meal, or something?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± he said, pleased by the thought. ¡°In fact, I hope we can do it sooner than that. I hadn¡¯t thought about it deeply, but I believe those two might be able to advise all of us on ways to... embrace the Chimera. Help us to understand how to bring others in.¡±


    ¡°I hope so,¡± Harth said, running a hand up and down his forearm. ¡°Gosh, Tarkyn, it feels like everything is just... waiting on this edge. I can see what it would be like if this fear was gone. Can¡¯t you?¡±


    He nodded, saddened that this was how it had alle together. His nerves fizzed. ¡°I want peace as much as you do, Harth. But it¡¯s going to take patience. I¡¯ll do everything I can to bring us together.¡±


    ¡°So will I,¡± she vowed seriously, squeezing his arm. ¡°But no matter what, Tarkyn... I¡¯m not leaving your side. Please... please don¡¯t leave mine.¡±


    ¡°I never would,¡± he breathed, his chest tightening even at the thought, so that he had to lean down and kiss her, just to reassure himself-and her-that he was true.


    *****


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 Chapter 116

    116 Stand in the Gap


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    Merry Christmas!


    *****


    ~ TARKYN ~


    ¡°I¡¯m really excited for the day you cane meet my people,¡± Harth said hesitantly, almost shyly. He hated that she felt like he might not want to hear what she said, and he squeezed her knee.


    ¡°I would love that. We just have to make it happen in a way that doesn¡¯t create greater turmoil. If Elreth is still speaking to me when we return, I¡¯ll suggest it. I¡¯m the right person to lead truce talks.¡±


    Harth¡¯s eyes went distant and her smile grew. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to introduce you to Kyelle and Lhars, and Skhal and Dhunken and... gosh, they¡¯re going to love you, Tarkyn. I wish you knew them before all this. You¡¯d love each other. I know you would.¡±


    He hoped so-and didn¡¯t doubt her intentions. But the soldier in him flinched.


    ¡°I look forward to meeting them and speaking with them and showing them how I love you,¡± he said carefully. ¡°But Harth, understand... just as Zev made my Queen wary, I am a soldier and strong... with my Alpha power... any strong Chimera is going to feel threatened by that. It will be a very vulnerable ce for me-and for them. You may need to be patient before expecting a group hug.¡±


    .....


    But Harth only tossed her hair over her shoulder. ¡°They¡¯ll love you because you¡¯re mine,¡± she said stubbornly. ¡°The Chimera cherish mates.¡±


    Tarkyn was grieved that she hadn¡¯t seen that side of his people.


    ¡°The Anima do as well, Love. I promise you. You haven¡¯t seen the best of my people-only their worst, really.¡±


    Harth chewed her lip, ying her fingers on his chest. ¡°When you talk about them they seem like different people. People I would want to meet. And love.¡±


    ¡°They are,¡± he said simply. ¡°You¡¯ve arrived at a time when we were all just only beginning to find our feet after the war with the humans. So much happened, Harth. We lost so many¨Cand such important people. Elreth especially... she walked out of that war victorious, butpletely alone.¡±


    Harth frowned. ¡°Her mate left her? But he seems so attached¨C¡±


    ¡°Aaryn has only ever loved Elreth,¡± Tarkyn said with a chuckle, remembering the pain and angst the male experienced before Elreth sensed the bond. ¡°But he was taken from us for a time by the humans. We didn¡¯t think we would get him back. And Elreth was... well, you can imagine. She¡¯d already lost most of her family. To lose Aaryn too... it broke her. She¡¯s still recovering. Still finding herself in this new world.¡±


    Harth snorted bitterly. ¡°I don¡¯t think that woman is having any trouble finding herself.¡±


    Tarkyn frowned and cupped her face, made her meet his eyes. ¡°I know you don¡¯t trust her. But trust me. Elreth is... far more vulnerable than she lets on. She is so strong, but that bes her weakness. She thinks she has to be that way all the time¨Cunflinching. She thinks that showing emotion makes her weak. And so she stifles it. But to keep going, she has to be... hard. Brittle. This confrontation with Zev, it¡¯s her worst nightmare. She was only just beginning to believe that the humans had truly been routed from our world. Then she stumbles on a human woman and child, and a male wolf¨Cthe tribe that almost killed her father when he was King¨Cand they¡¯re all from the human world?¡± He went silent for a moment, considering what his Queen must have gone through in that moment.


    ¡°She attacked them. I saw it. She had the guards take Sasha down when she was holding Zan!¡±


    Tarkyn nodded. ¡°I¡¯m not saying she¡¯s faultless, Harth. I have had... words for her. When I spoke with her while you were at the house I was very forthright. And I will continue to be. But I¡¯m trying to help you understand... you aren¡¯t seeing Elreth¡¯s true heart right now. You¡¯re seeing the cold statue she thinks she has to be to get her people through this.


    ¡°One thing has always been true of Elreth: When she realizes she¡¯s wrong, she turns to a new path. She makes amends. And she lives differently. She can be very stubborn, but when she breaks through that... she is very humble. Like her father.¡±


    Harth shrugged one shoulder, obviously struggling to believe him. But could he me her? She¡¯d seen so much evidence to the contrary.


    Then again, someone had to be the first to trust. Tarkyn was grateful the Creator had shown him that early in his life: it seemed many of the conflicts between Anima were a result of everyone waiting for the other to soften. To reach out. To understand. Whether it was on an individual or tribal level, leaders or followers, it didn¡¯t seem to matter. Everyone stuck their ground until the person or group they thought needed to change would give.


    But while both parties needed to move, when neither was prepared to be the first... nothing changed. Instead, both stayed in ce, stewing in their wounds or fears-real or perceived-and med the other for being unwilling to move, when they also stood still.


    He feared he and Harth were the only things standing in the gap between the stone and the hard ce.


    ¡°Harth...¡± he said hesitantly. She looked up at him, concerned. Tarkyn swallowed. ¡°I want to meet your people. I want to show them that the Anima are not brutal. We are not ruthless. We are only wed. As I¡¯m certain your people are also. Please... trust me. Trust my heart and my willingness to see the truth in others. The problem here isn¡¯t that Elreth is your enemy, it¡¯s that she fears your people are hers. Events before your arrival have made her feel unsafe. And because of her losses... she¡¯s frozen. She doesn¡¯t want war. But she fears it wille to her-and she¡¯s afraid to put herself in a position of weakness, to be taken advantage of. She fears learning the truth the hard way. She fears that your people misrepresent themselves and their intentions-because she¡¯s experienced that from others. Can you understand?¡±


    Harth nodded, her jaw tight. ¡°I understand that,¡± she said carefully.


    ¡°Then, please... believe me... the very best thing we can do is create safety for Elreth and the Anima people.¡± He stroked her face. I am more than willing to walk into the fire of the Chimera. But I ask you: Your people have suffered even greater wounds at the hands of the humans. Can you truly be certain-utterly certain-that they will neversh out as a result of that pain? That they would never subjugate another to reassure themselves that they won¡¯t be harmed again?¡±


    Harth frowned and looked down.


    *****


    #12DaysOfGiveaways starts TODAY! You can win letters from your favorite characters, journals, notebooks, profile frames, and more! But you have to be in my reader group on faces bk to enter, so visit linktr.ee/authoraimee NOW and join the fun!

 Chapter 117

    117 Still Here ¨C Part If you like music while you read, try ¡°Always Remember Us This Way¡± by Caleb and Kelsey. It¡¯s a very sweet song for El and Aaryn in the middle of a difficult time.


    *****


    ~ ELRETH ~


    Elreth was aware of being awake before she opened her eyes. The day before had been the most restful and rxing she¡¯d had since their honeymoon, and she wasn¡¯t quite ready for it to have ended. But they¡¯d fallen into the furs the night before, passionate and heated, and fallen asleep in each other¡¯s arms.


    Now shey there listening to the rustling of the furs as Aaryn tried to move slowly so he wouldn¡¯t wake her, because he was the most thoughtful male in Creation.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m awake,¡± she murmured without opening her eyes.


    ¡°Shhhhh, go back to sleep.¡±


    Elreth rolled towards him, stretching and smiling. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Stubborn minx.¡±


    .....


    ¡°This might be ourst day to rest together for months... years, Aaryn. Or have you not been around a female with a newborn before? My mother said having me and Gar only a year apart was more stressful than fighting the wolves.¡±


    Aaryn snorted.


    Elreth finally opened her eyes to find her mate leaning over her, smiling, his silver hair mussed and eyes bright behind it. He¡¯d never more resembled the wolf that lived within him. Elreth¡¯s belly fluttered and she reached a hand up to stroke the firm nes of his chest.


    ¡°Good morning, gorgeous.¡±


    Aaryn raised an eyebrow. ¡°You¡¯ve slept an extra hour and woken... frisky? I thought we¡¯d sated those appetitesst night.¡±


    ¡°My appetite for you is never sated,¡± she said in a low growl.


    ¡°Well, thank you, Reth. It¡¯s nice to see you again,¡± Aaryn chuckled, then froze as Elreth¡¯s yful smile faltered.


    It had always been a joke within her family-her father¡¯s overt, very Anima view of sex and desire, always expressed shamelessly towards his mate, Elreth¡¯s mother. It was a trait Elreth had loathed when she was younger-taking after her human mother who had clearly been just as passionate for her father, but kept her thoughts and actions mostly behind closed doors.


    Gar, having followed his father¡¯s footsteps, had never ceased to tease Elreth for her ¡°human modesty,¡± even going so far as to trick their father into walking in on Elreth and Aaryn when they were first acknowledging the bond.


    Aaryn had always walked the line with Elreth-teasing her sometimes when she was too prudish, but never poking her to make her bite the way Gar would. He¡¯d said this thoughtlessly, she knew. It had juste out because it was funny and true and...


    And she couldn¡¯t enjoy it with him.


    Ever since the war, and the loss of her parents... she¡¯d avoided the subject as much as possible. Even Gar had rarely broached it, and never with the same goading.


    Elreth had been a raw nerve in the wake of the losses, both to her family and to the tribes.


    Her parents were ghosts that hovered over their shoulders at all times-sometimes in wonderful ways. But at others...


    She stared at him now, frozen, and cursing the telling twitch on her chin that heralded tears she wanted to shed, but resisted.


    ¡°Oh, El,¡± Aaryn breathed, pulling her into his chest, then rolling her onto her back so he could lean over her and stroke her hair back. ¡°You have to talk about them. You have to let yourself remember them and enjoy it.¡±


    Elreth kept blinking. A choking ache was twisting in her chest, pushing up out of her throat. She wanted to weep like a child-but she couldn¡¯t! She couldn¡¯t let herself, because if she opened those floodgates she¡¯d never close them again. She¡¯d just be washed away in the tidal-wave of grief and fear.


    Because she still woke some nights from dreams that they¡¯d died, and Aaryn was gone, and she was here alone. Utterly alone.


    A mental image of herself in her dream popped into Elreth¡¯s head-a memory of a recurring dream she had in which she was racing around an empty Tree City, calling for Aaryn and unable to find him, or anyone she loved...


    Her face crumpled and she yanked her hands up to cover it.


    She¡¯d just been starting to feel a little better, a little lighter. Then she¡¯d figured out she was pregnant-and then the Chimera arrived.


    ¡°El, please, don¡¯t cry,¡± Aaryn murmured, wiping away the tears that slid out from under her hands.


    ¡°They should be here for this!¡± she cried. ¡°They shouldn¡¯t miss this! I¡¯m having a baby, Aaryn-can you imagine how excited they¡¯d be? The jokes dad would tell?¡± She sucked in a breath, but it didn¡¯t seem to hold enough oxygen. ¡°The way Mom would get all sweet and thoughtful-and possessive. How she¡¯d go fierce on me if I did too much or... I can¡¯t...¡± She tried to take a deep breath, but her body... ¡°It¡¯s not... I can¡¯t breathe-¡± Elreth shoved Aaryn off and rolled over to sit up out of the furs, sucking at the air.


    Hands braced on her knees, she ignored the tears streaming down her cheeks, and just focused on breathing.


    Aaryn pulled himself up next to her, curling over her back andbing her fiery red hair back from her face with gentle fingers. ¡°Breathe, El. Just breathe.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°You can. Just let yourself. Rx your shoulders. Close your eyes. Focus on counting...¡±


    They¡¯d been through this before. Elreth felt ridiculous and childish and... and so grateful for her mate who was so patient with her.


    It took minutes before she could breathe without her lungs catching, or the air feeling empty. But finally they just sat there together, Aaryn¡¯s arm behind her back, his warmth pressed against her.


    When she¡¯d taken several full breaths, he dropped a soft kiss to her shoulder. ¡°That¡¯s better. You¡¯re safe. I¡¯m here.¡±


    Elreth nodded and wiped her cheeks. ¡°Sorry. I¡¯m... it¡¯s just gotten harder to keep it all inside. I just... I¡¯m so emotional and-¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re having a baby, El,¡± Aaryn said, and she felt the curl of his lips against her skin. ¡°That¡¯s... that¡¯s the best news I¡¯ve ever heard. And you¡¯re right, your parents would have been so excited-almost as excited as me.¡±


    Then Elreth sobbed. Because it was only true.

 Chapter 118

    118 Still Here ¨C Part ~ ELRETH ~


    Then he sighed and pushed off the sleeping tform to kneel on the stone floor at her feet, looking up at her, his hands on her thighs, and his eyes bright and earnest. ¡°But this is life now, El. This is us. This is our family. We¡¯ll be Dad and Mom now. And I know... I know the first thing they¡¯d do is tell you not to let them hold you back from that.¡±


    Elreth nodded, because he was right. It was the very things she chastised herself about every day.


    But it didn¡¯t change how she felt.


    ¡°El, I-¡±


    ¡°I love you, Aaryn,¡± she whispered, taking his face and pulling him into a kiss.


    He clutched at her, holding her to him in a kiss thatcked the heat of the night before, but was saturated in the love that held them together, and had held them together through everything so far.


    When they both pulled away, Elreth made herself smile. ¡°He¡¯s going to call you Dad and that¡¯s... that¡¯s going to be the hottest thing ever, Aaryn.¡±


    Aaryn¡¯s eyebrows shot up. ¡°Did you just say... hot?¡±


    .....


    Elreth nodded. ¡°You have no idea. I can¡¯t wait.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t wait for...?¡±


    ¡°For you to be even hotter.¡±


    Aaryn snorted and Elreth made herself smile with him-because it was funny. It was also true. It wasn¡¯t what she should have been thinking about, she knew. But it was true, and she didn¡¯t have the energy to admit any of the other truths. So this one would have to do.


    Then Aaryn sucked in a breath and his expression softened. He looked down at her stomach and ced hisrge, gentle hand there, t on her belly and shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s... incredible,¡± he whispered.


    Elreth¡¯s tears threatened again, so she put her hands over his, holding it there and nodded. ¡°Everything¡¯s going to be different.¡±


    Aaryn looked up at her and smiled, but his eyes were thoughtful. ¡°Everything,¡± he said quietly. ¡°And I couldn¡¯t stand to walk through it with anyone else.¡±


    They were both quiet, looking at her stomach then.


    ¡°When did it happen?¡± Aaryn asked.


    Elreth snorted. ¡°Remember that night in the bathing pools, like two weeks ago?¡±


    Aaryn¡¯s eyes cut up to meet hers, heat and happiness shing in his eyes. ¡°I remember.¡± But then he frowned. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me sooner?¡±


    Elreth sighed. ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure until the day Tarkyn went missing. And like I said, I didn¡¯t want to tell you that way.¡±


    Aaryn¡¯s forehead furrowed. ¡°Wait... you knew when we were out in the forest, searching? When you challenged Zev?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but-¡±


    ¡°Elreth,¡± Aaryn got stern. He pushed to his feet and stood over her, his hands clenched at his sides. ¡°You can¡¯t do that. If you¡¯re... this isn¡¯t just you now. You can¡¯t pick a fight with a male when you¡¯re carrying a baby!¡±


    Elreth gave him a t look. ¡°I¡¯m still Queen, Aaryn. Still dominant. I can¡¯t stop being that just because I¡¯m going to have a baby.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to stop ruling, I¡¯m asking you to stop stepping into danger-you were in the prison with him and-¡± he cut off, his eyes going wide as he remembered, just as Elreth had, that moment when Zev pinned her and had that de to her throat.


    She¡¯d almost blurted it out then. Would have, if she¡¯d thought the wolf would believe her. But something had told her that the wolf was going to let her go-the Creator, or just her instincts? She didn¡¯t know. All she knew was, when he had released her, her first thought had been that she¡¯d almost lost another precious loved one. And if she had, it would have been her own fault.


    But Aaryn was unaware of her remembered fear. His anger was ring. ¡°El, you should have told me.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know how.¡±


    ¡°You tell me just like this-you never carry that on your own! Ever!¡± He was frantic, and Elreth shushed him, pulling him down into a kiss, whispering her apology against his lips.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry,¡± she murmured, stroking his strong face, gripping him to her. ¡°I won¡¯t hide it again, I promise.¡±


    ¡°The minute you know, Elreth. Anything about our child-anything. Good or bad. You tell me. Always!¡±


    ¡°I will. I swear it to you,¡± she breathed, pleading with her eyes that he¡¯d forgive her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Aaryn. I was overwhelmed and scared and... I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    He stared at her, his brows pinched over his nose. But then he looked down and stroked her belly.


    ¡°You take care of your mama, little one,¡± he said, suddenly stroking her stomach. ¡°You remind her that she needs me just as much as I need her.¡±


    Elreth gave aughing sob and pulled him in then. And as he lowered her back to the furs and covered her with his own body, like he was afraid there was a threat then and there, kissing her like she wouldn¡¯t be there the next day, Elreth silently prayed, thanking the Creator for her sweet, solid mate. Her strong, admirable male.


    She couldn¡¯t have gotten through all of this without him.


    But instead of his kiss growing more passionate as she¡¯d expected, Aaryn sighed and pushed up on his elbows, cupping his hands over her head and staring down at her, his face worried.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to call Jayah toe check you.¡±


    Elreth¡¯s breath caught. ¡°No, Aaryn. There¡¯s nothing to check yet. It¡¯s way too soon-¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know that.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I do! I might still lose it, Aaryn. Please... I can¡¯t talk to other people about this yet.¡±


    ¡°Jayah isn¡¯t ¡°other people.¡± She¡¯s our healer.¡±


    ¡°But, she¡¯ll know and-¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care. Humor me.¡±


    Elreth pushed away anger and made herself sigh instead. He stared down at her sternly, so she tried to smile. ¡°Please, Aaryn. I don¡¯t want you to tell anyone. Not yet.¡±


    ¡°What?! Elreth, they have to-¡±


    ¡°Soon. We¡¯ll tell them soon. But there¡¯s so much happening, I don¡¯t want anyone to start questioning me. And... I want to have this with you, Aaryn. I want to share this just with you for a while. So much of our lives are public. Let¡¯s have this thing to ourselves for a little bit.¡±


    He stared at her, pleading. But Elreth pulled her head up to kiss him again.


    ¡°Please?¡±


    He groaned, but as she kissed her way along his jaw and let her hands slide down his back, she could feel him soften.


    ¡°One week, El,¡± he grumbled. ¡°One week. Then Jayah checks everything. Then we listen to her about who needs to know and what you can do, and everything. And we¡¯re resting today-we aren¡¯t even going to the market for a meal. We¡¯re staying here and you can sleep or... whatever.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Fine.¡± Elreth let her head fall back to the pillow, but at least her smile wasn¡¯t fake. Her mate was a wonderful male.


    They stared at each other, smiling.


    Then Elreth raised an eyebrow. She reached down to stroke the back of his thigh and grab his ass. ¡°How do you define ¡®Whatever¡¯? I think it would be great to rx before we have to deal with all this crap tomorrow.¡±


    Aaryn¡¯s smile became heated, but then it faded. ¡°Are you sure, El? Aren¡¯t you tired?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± she said, pulling him down into another kiss, letting her tongue y along his.


    Aaryn growled and grabbed her, rolling her over so she straddled him, but never breaking the kiss.


    ¡°As long as you¡¯re sure,¡± he whispered against her lips.


    Elreth had never been a giggler, but she tittered then like a child-until her mate reached between them and suddenly there was no moreughter.

 Chapter 119

    119 Alpha Female BS


    ~ ELRETH ~


    Elreth woketer, rolling over and reaching out to find Aaryn-but instead got a handful of cold fur.


    She lifted her head, blinking and bleary-eyed. Thenterns were on, but Aaryn had turned several down so the room wasn¡¯t too bright.


    She might have felt nervous wondering where he was, but as soon as she paid attention she realized what must have woken her-it was the low rumbles of her mate and brother¡¯s voices, talking in the Great Room, but barely above a whisper. They were trying not to wake her.


    She wanted to feel thankful and pleased, but the hair on the back of her neck stood up.


    Was Aaryn telling Gar?!


    She leaped out of bed and dressed, barely buttoning her shirt, before creeping out of the room and down the tunnel to the main cave and peering carefully around the corner to find them both standing in the living area, near the firece, though the hearth was cold.


    ¡°...everyone thought it was a great idea to take a break. We¡¯ve given the prisoners as much room as possible, keeping the guards out of the tree except for nightly and morning checks.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s Tarkyn?¡±


    .....


    ¡°I told him to take Harth away. I know where they are. We can reach them within a few hours if we need to.¡±


    Aaryn nodded solemnly.


    He hadn¡¯t put a shirt on, just stood next to Gar in his leathers, his rippled chest and abdomen bare. Elreth swallowed back another burst of desire and almostughed at herself.


    Apparently getting pregnant just made her want to work on getting more pregnant?


    ¡°How¡¯s El?¡± Gar asked, his voice deeper and his eyes earnest. Elreth¡¯s chest pinched. Gar had been her rock when Aaryn was gone after the war-which wasn¡¯t fair on him at all. He¡¯d been grieving the same losses, and navigating a new matebond. Yet he¡¯d always found her when things got too dark.


    His concern for her hadn¡¯t waned, though it was more annoying now.


    She was about to open her mouth and let them know she was there, but Aaryn answered him. ¡°She needs to rest. This has all been... a lot.¡±


    ¡°Only one more day,¡± she said quickly. They both jerked, surprised that she¡¯d snuck up on them as she rounded the wall in the dining area to join them in the living room. ¡°I¡¯m not asking for a lot of time, Gar. Just today. We can get back to it tomorrow. I know we need to find a safe way to get Zev out of there and... I just haven¡¯t figured it out yet.¡±


    Aaryn frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t start going down that path again. You need to rest. We¡¯ll all meet tomorrow and brainstorm, and then-¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re going to let him loose?¡± Gar said, brows high.


    Elreth shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I know... I know this is all worse than it has to be. And I don¡¯t know how to fix it. But I do understand... I know that if I was in his shoes, I would have reacted too, and... It¡¯s just hard, Gar.¡±


    Her brother nodded solemnly. ¡°I mean, I could just let him go-¡±


    ¡°NO!¡± Elreth snapped, then caught herself. ¡°I mean... we need to manage this... somehow.¡±


    Gar and Aaryn looked at each other, and she didn¡¯t like what passed between them. She set her jaw and put her fists on her hips.


    This is a crisis. I¡¯m already taking a vacation-which is just... wrong. But I know I wasn¡¯t seeing clearly. I get it,¡± she said, looking back and forth between them. ¡°I have regrets and I¡¯ll express those to Zev and Sasha and... see if there¡¯s a way to bridge the gap. But the threat from these people hasn¡¯t disappeared. I¡¯m just... willing to look at options other than outright war.¡±


    ¡°El, they¡¯ve been here for months without making trouble-¡±


    ¡°They didn¡¯t even know where we were. And now Zev is here-it¡¯s his and Sasha¡¯s seconds who¡¯ve been running things. Who knows what happens when they return to power after this?¡±


    Neither of them said what they all knew-that she had been the one to push things to this ce. That they¡¯d both counseled her to take it more easily on Zev since he¡¯d woken from the tranquilizer.


    She was grateful, because it smarted, knowing that she was the cause of this heightened level of threat. But that didn¡¯t change the fact that it existed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask them both to talk to me tomorrow. Do we have enough guards back? I could take them out-to the security building or... somewhere with more space.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll make it happen,¡± Gar said quickly. ¡°I¡¯ll tell them. I think that might help, knowing that it¡¯s-¡±


    ¡°Not yet please,¡± Elreth said, her heart hammering in her chest. ¡°Let¡¯s bring Tarkyn back tomorrow-let him have tonight-and get our guards in ce. If something happens or we¡¯re dyed, I don¡¯t want to give them a reason to think I was lying.¡±


    Aaryn and Gar looked at each other, then both submitted with quick nods, though she could tell her brother was frustrated.


    Oh well, let him be.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Rika?¡± she asked suddenly, realizing she hadn¡¯t seen her sister of the mes for two days.


    ¡°She¡¯s fine. She¡¯s in and out. She has a friend struggling right now. I told her to go ahead and deal with that and we¡¯ll just pull her in when we need her-but I think keeping her away from the Chimera is a good idea. Even Harth got twitchy when she was close.¡±


    Elreth frowned. ¡°That¡¯s wise, I suppose. But I would like to have her around tomorrow to measure anything they tell us about the humans-make sure it rings true. Behryn too, or Reece. Whichever one you think is going to do better at keeping their mouth shut, but giving me a heads up if there¡¯s a problem.¡±


    Gar nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to both of them and let them decide. Maybe we should bring both in-Behryn can double as an extra guard and he might catch things Reece misses.¡±


    Elreth nodded. ¡°Good idea. Tell them I asked for them both.¡±


    Aaryn offered a couple names for guards that were cool headed under pressure, but Elreth was already turning the whole situation over her in her head.


    ¡°How does Zev seem to be doing since Tarkyn talked to him? It sounds like that was pretty intense.¡±


    ¡°Better, a little,¡± Gar said hesitantly. ¡°He¡¯s still on edge. But I think Tarkyn managed to be heard. Zev didn¡¯t hurt him, which is a good step forward.¡± Gar hesitated then, which was very unlike him. Elreth frowned.


    ¡°What?¡±


    Gar, never one to mince words, just asked her outright. ¡°What are you going to do about Tarkyn?¡±


    Elreth grimaced. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I... I¡¯m not angry with him. I just... I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Come on, El. You know that any of us would have done the same thing,¡± Aaryn said quietly. ¡°I didn¡¯t give two shits about Tarkyn stepping into that prison with him when it meant that it got you free. We¡¯re all wired to protect our mates.¡±


    ¡°I know, I know that,¡± Elreth said, her chest beginning to tighten again. ¡°I just... I need to see him and talk to him, I think. That¡¯s... that¡¯s going to be the way to see clearly. I hope.¡±


    They both watched her warily and Elreth hated that feeling. She wanted to growl. But instead she pushed forward.


    ¡°Other than that, we¡¯re just avoiding crisis, right? Tell the guards to warn me if there¡¯s any sign of the Chimera moving. But otherwise, hold the ravine and just wait.¡±


    Gar nodded and he and Aaryn shared a second nce, but he left without saying more. El was uneasy as she watched her brother leave to go do everything that she should have been doing.


    ¡°Maybe I should-¡±


    ¡°No, absolutely not,¡± Aaryn said, emphatic-and he ced his Alpha Authority behind the words.


    El gaped at him. ¡°You don¡¯t need to do that?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t I?¡± he muttered. ¡°You just told him we were resting today, but you were about to follow him out there and start working again, weren¡¯t you?¡±


    Elreth twitched. ¡°I mean... it just seems wrong to sit here and rx when all of this is going on out there.¡±


    ¡°Well, tough. I¡¯m King and I say that today is a day of rest. And now... now we¡¯re going to go take a bath together.¡±


    Then he grinned.


    Elreth couldn¡¯t help smiling back at him. ¡°I thought we were resting?¡± she asked dryly.


    Aaryn¡¯s grin turned wicked. ¡°There¡¯s rest and then there¡¯s rest... This is... the kind of rest where you stop being Queen and get to just be mate and mother.¡±


    Elreth sighed happily. Gosh, she loved that word!


    Aaryn sidled up to her, taking her hand and giving her a quick kiss before turning and leading her towards the door to the bathing pools.

 Chapter 120

    120 Undeniable


    If you¡¯re seeing this message on 5 December in the USA, (6 December internationally), you¡¯ve purchased top tier privilege and earned a letter from Tarkyn! Comment below so I can confirm that you have ess, then email me on with your address!


    Merry Christmas!


    *****


    ~ JAYAH ~


    The urgency had never left Jayah-only gotten worse. But at some point during the day as quiet seemed to descend on the WildWood, as if even Creation waited for something, something within Jayah began to punch for the surface, driving her. Something above and beyond the simple draw of her mate. Something... deeper.


    She¡¯d tried to resist. She was nning to see Skhal that evening to finalize the n that they¡¯d made the evening before. There was only one more day-two at most-before they would put everything into action and either be free toplete the bond, or separated... likely forever. But her body began to tremble. Not with desire, but with restraint.


    When the second punch came, like a fist to her belly, shoving her in the direction of her mate, Jayah was in the Royal Meadow, on her way to the cave. The orders hade down for everyone to leave the Queen and her King to rest that day. But given everything that was happening, for the Queen to seclude herself... Jayah suspected she knew what had drawn the Queen¡¯s attention. The only thing that could. And she¡¯d wanted to be of help. Known Elreth would be battling both the physical and emotional barriers of this incredible mountain to climb.


    Knowing everything could potentially explode the following day, she¡¯d been determined to offer her help and wisdom while she could. Just in case.


    But as she crossed the sparse grass of the near-winter meadow, that shove hade again and she¡¯d stumbled to a halt, breathless and stunned.


    .....


    She turned quickly to face north and east, one hand to her stomach where that punch hade-not as if to stop her, but as if something pushed her in the direction of her mate.


    What was going on?


    ¡°He¡¯s calling for you, isn¡¯t He,¡± a deep voice said from behind her.


    Jayah turned, startled, to find Behryn, the former King¡¯s best friend and second, the former Captain of the Guard, and now Elreth¡¯s surrogate father and unofficial Royal Advisor. The male held so many roles-or had-Jayah¡¯s head spun. But he was wise, and his smile was gentle.


    ¡°I... what?¡± In the past two days she¡¯d asked more people to repeat themselves than she thought she¡¯d asked in the preceding year. She could barely keep a thought in her head beyond her mate. It was frustrating and... humbling.


    Behryn stood in the open door of the tree that had been Reth and Elia¡¯s before the war. His tall frame filling the doorway, his hair smattered with gray, wrinkles around his eyes, especially when he smiled.


    ¡°I said, He¡¯s calling you, isn¡¯t He?¡± Behryn strode out of the house to cross the grass to her.


    Jayah¡¯s jaw dropped. She knew Behryn could read the winds, but that... that had shown him her mate?


    ¡°How did you know?¡± she breathed.


    ¡°Because the Creator can be quite insistent when we¡¯re resisting. Trust me, I know. And I have to tell you, Jayah, there was no greater regret in my life than the time when He urged me forward and I dug my hooves into the grass. Whatever He pushes you to... do it. Don¡¯t hesitate. You will only regret it.¡±


    Jayah blinked. He... he didn¡¯t know about her mate. But he knew about the push.


    ¡°How do you know it¡¯s Him? The Creator?¡± she said carefully. ¡°How do you know when the urge is... from Him?¡±


    ¡°Because it isn¡¯t desire. It¡¯s simple conviction,¡± Behryn said quietly. ¡°Sometimes it follows your wishes, other times it doesn¡¯t. But always it is... undeniable.¡±


    Jayah nodded, swallowing hard. ¡°To go... is to leave my purpose-¡±


    ¡°Permanently?¡±


    Jayah gave a chilledugh. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Well, it wouldn¡¯t matter anyway, frankly,¡± Behryn said,ing to stand at her side and look towards the WildWood in the direction she¡¯d been watching when he appeared. ¡°If the Creator calls you to it, Jayah, it is for good. It may not look good. It may not feel good. But it is for good, you can be certain of that.¡±


    Jayah¡¯s heart began to race. ¡°But if it harms others-¡±


    ¡°Does it harm them, or only you because their view of you might change?¡± Behryn asked solemnly.


    She hadn¡¯t ever thought about it that way before. ¡°I... I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Behryn crossed his arms. ¡°I don¡¯t know all of what He¡¯s asked of you, Jayah. But I know that when you walked into the meadow I could feel you being called away-and I could feel you resisting. Whatever your purpose is, it is important. To resist it is to resist the Creator Himself. I can¡¯t imagine that¡¯s something you want to do.¡±


    ¡°No...¡± She licked her lips, her heart thrumming. ¡°No, it¡¯s not.¡±


    ¡°Then go,¡± he said, opening a hand in the direction they faced. ¡°Go do what He¡¯s asked you to do, or be what He¡¯s told you you¡¯re to be. Whatever it is, it¡¯s necessary.¡±


    Jayah sucked in a breath. ¡°I... I will. Thank you. I am... it hadn¡¯t urred to me to speak to you. I may be guilty of assuming others aren¡¯t as wise as me and... thank you, Behryn.¡±


    He chuckled, his voice deep and husky. ¡°You¡¯re wee, Jayah.¡±


    They embraced quickly, then Jayah pulled away.


    Just as she turned from him, Behryn murmured, ¡°And please, tell your mate I look forward to meeting him when the time is right.¡±


    Jayah staggered to another shocked halt, but Behryn had already turned away. She watched him walk back to the tree. He didn¡¯t look back. But she would have sworn his shoulders shook now and again withughter


    Shaking her head, Jayah started back towards the trail, cataloging in her mind the things she would have to do and the time they would take. She¡¯d already packed a bag and left it at the Healer¡¯s Center. While she was there she would speak with Sarayu and ask for her help again, they would need to make sure the wet nurse for the infant understood who was overseeing Zan¡¯s care and... and too many things to count.


    Behryn¡¯s word came back to her.


    Whatever your purpose is, it is important. To resist it is to resist the Creator Himself.


    When the trail reached the intersections where one direction would take her into the Tree City or the other along the side trails towards the Prison, and then to leave WildWood, that nudge came again, right in her spine, pushing her forward, towards her mate.


    Jayah stopped resisting. She took a sharp turn to the east and the trail that would take her past the prison where she could inform Sasha to trust Sarayu, that she might be gone for a day or more. And then she would leave.


    All she had was her herbs bag, her gathering knife, and the scarf around her neck... but it was enough.


    Whatever your purpose is, it is important. To resist it is to resist the Creator Himself.


    Jayah nodded to herself, then set her jaw and began to run.


    She didn¡¯t know why thepletion of her bond was so important to the Creator, but she would stop resisting. She¡¯d already put the measures in ce here that would help Skhal achieve his n-if the n hadn¡¯t changed. All that was left was to find him and... to bring him home.


    Jayah¡¯s breath quickened and she increased her strides, her heart fluttering like a young whelp¡¯s at her first mating.


    Which, Jayah supposed, aged or not, is exactly what she was.

 Chapter 121 - 121 Everything New – Part 1

    121 Everything New ¨C Part ~ JAYAH ~


    Reckless. She¡¯d been reckless.


    Jayah crouched behind a tree, silently cursing herself as two guards spoke quietly nearby, both their instincts rmed, though she¡¯d stayed downwind so they hadn¡¯t caught her scent yet.


    She¡¯d hurried. Taken risks. Let her wolf run, despite knowing the animal would choose conflict over care. And now she¡¯d lost several minutes while the guards discussed what had raised the hackles on their necks and whether they should leave their posts to patrol further.


    To her relief, after another few minutes the two decided to take turns patrolling¡ªand one of them darted off to search in the opposite direction.


    Praying they wouldn¡¯t stumble on her trail, the moment the remaining Guard¡¯s back was turned, she shifted to her wolf and darted into the underbrush and toward the cave.


    She was early again and praying that Skhal was as sensitive to the nudge to be close as she was. She felt as if her guts would pull out of her body if she didn¡¯t get close to him soon. So it was with a great wave of relief that she pushed through the ferns and bushes that obscured the cave mouth and ran inside to find Skhal already pacing the area at the back of the cave.


    ¡°Thank the Creator,¡± he growled as she appeared, rushing to take her in his arms and hold her tightly to his chest.


    He was trembling.


    .....


    ¡°What is it?¡± she murmured into his broad chest. He held her like he was afraid. ¡°What¡¯s happened?¡±


    ¡°The Guard presence has been increased. Or concentrated at least,¡± he breathed, then with a quick shake of his head, he reached for her through the mindlink. ¡®Those who were nearer our territory have drawn back, closer to this spot. There¡¯s far more of them in the ravine than there has ever been. Either they¡¯re all here, or they sent some back to your City and left the remaining only in this area. I was almost caught on my way.¡¯


    Jayah¡¯s blood ran cold at the mental image he sent of how closely he¡¯de to being discovered. She shed him an image of her own hiding, but knew without doubt that the risk was not nearly as great to her. The guards would know her, at least. Even if they were suspicious, they would take her, not kill her. But Skhal?


    ¡®You have to stay with me,¡¯ she sent, along with an image of him standing at her side. ¡®If we¡¯re caught, we must be caught together. They won¡¯t kill me. They¡¯ll listen.¡¯


    Skhal¡¯s brows pinched and he stared down at her, worry and tension written all over his handsome face. ¡®That was never the n. They were never to find out that you were working with me¡ª¡¯


    ¡®We can¡¯t risk it, Skhal. Please. Don¡¯t¡­ don¡¯t ask me to risk losing you when I could save you.¡¯


    His breath rushed out of him and he trailed his fingers through her hair, searching her eyes. ¡®It is incredible to me¡­ but I feel you, Jayah. I feel your heart. I ache for you¡ªand yearn to keep you close. I was pushed here, as if the Creator Himself shoved at my back. I struggle to ept your n because it aligns with my passion¡ªhow can we trust that we aren¡¯t simply indulging our desire?¡¯


    Jayah gave a wry smile. ¡®I had exactly that conversation with a wise man in our people¡­ one who reads the winds. He¡­ he told me that I can know the difference between my own selfish desires and the push of the Creator because of the¡­ conviction of it. It is¡­ undeniable, not because of my flesh, but because of my heart. I was pushed to you, too, Skhal. The male I spoke with¡ªBehryn. He doesn¡¯t know everything, but he guessed¡­ the Creator told him I needed my mate. And he urged me to you. He said to resist the Creator¡¯s n is to resist the Creator Himself.¡¯


    Skhal¡¯s fingers tightened in her hair. ¡®You felt the push as well?¡¯


    Jayah nodded, smiling at the boyish glint in his eyes at that thought. ¡®Yes. I¡­ I find myself unable to concentrate on anything but you, Skhal. My people are in crisis¡ªas are yours. And yet my head is flighty like a girl¡¯s, and my body aches and shoves at me. Something here is¡­ important. Bigger than simple desire.¡¯


    His breath had grown faster, shallower as she spoke. He licked his lips and nodded, his eyes alight as he stared at her. His fingers stilled in her hair and he cupped her face, his eyes piercing, zing as he searched hers.


    For a long moment they only stared at each other. Jayah was stunned to find herself speechless¡ªno words that could express what she felt. As if a piece of her, deep within her heart that hadin dormant for her entire life suddenly woke and stretched¡­ and his eyes, his soul, his need for her was the warmth of the sun. She wanted nothing more than to bask in it.


    Lifting trembling fingers to his face, Jayah licked her lips nervously, her stomach fizzing with nervous anticipation, even as her heart swelled and stretched. ¡®Do you¡ª¡¯


    ¡®Are you sure, Jayah? Sure that I¡¯m your one? Sure that the bond¡­ the bond should beplete?¡¯ His words were breathless even in her head. ¡®Because we can¡¯t go back from this. We haven¡¯t discussed our n, or the risks¡ªare you certain?¡¯


    She nodded without hesitation, letting her thumb y along the line of his jaw, enjoying the masculine roughness of his trimmed beard. ¡®You were made for me,¡¯ she breathed in his mind.


    Skhal made a tiny groan that tugged right behind her navel. He leaned down as if he¡¯d take her mouth, but stopped himself, resting his forehead on hers, eyes closed, his face tight in a grimace of restraint.


    ¡°If we¡¯re¡­ if this is it¡­ Jayah I want to honor you as my mate. I want you to be sure of me¡ªof my heart for you.¡± His whisper was rough, guttural as his body came alive. He gripped her, one hand at her back, the other at her neck, held her against him, and she could feel him wanting her.


    But then he opened his eyes and straightened, staring down at her, his face solemn and shadowed, before stepping back.

 Chapter 122 - 122 Everything New – Part 2*

    122 Everything New ¨C Part 2*


    ~ JAYAH ~


    When Skhal first pulled away, adrenaline flooded Jayah¡ªwas he leaving? Had something happened that she didn¡¯t understand?


    But Skhal took her hand and drew her forward as he walked back¡ªto a simple space at the back of the cave where he¡¯d spread furs and rested his bag. His resources in case he was stuck there for days.


    Heart racing, Jayah bit her lip as he drew her towards them and his eyes dropped to her mouth, light and heat zing in them until she almostughed with the sheer delight of it all. But her mirth faded quickly when he¡¯d drawn her to the furs so that she stood at their edge. And then he knelt, still holding her hand, but down on one knee and staring up at her, a smile on his face that beamed like the sun. He pulled her hand to his chest and ttened it there, holding her to him, his pulse hammering under her palm.


    The healer in her shed with worry¡ªhis heart pounded so!¡ªbut the part of her that was purely female fluttered with the joy of it, the sense of power she held to impact him so deeply.


    ¡°Jayah,¡± he rasped, ¡°You¡¯re a gift to me from the Creator. One I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d ever receive. I am¡­ I am a male of little, but what I have is yours. I am a hunter and a fighter¡ªI offer all of that at your call. Your enemies are my enemies. Your people are my people. And my strength is yours. Where you face danger I will stand in the gap and give myself for you. Always. Always. Every day. Every moment. I am¡­ humbled to have you.¡± He trailed off, clearing his throat, his eyes beginning to shine.


    Jayah gave a little gasp and stepped closer to cup his precious face¡ªhow was it possible that she¡¯d never known him, and now, as her blood fizzed and her body hummed, he had be the treasure she¡¯d always wanted. His very breath precious?


    And yet, he ced himself below her. It felt wrong to her, so with a tiny sob, she knelt on the furs as well, pressing herself close to him, one hand still on his chest, feeling his heart, but the other cupped at his neck, holding him to her.


    ¡°I have little as well,¡± she whispered with a nervousugh. ¡°But what I have is yours. I am yours¡ªI don¡¯t know how that can be, but I¡¯m here, Skhal. And I¡­ give myself. I¡¯m a healer¡­ Your wounds are my wounds. Your hurts are my hurts. Where it¡¯s in my power, I will heal you, soothe your pain. And¡­ and where you¡¯re in danger, I will stand for you. Stand to protect you. Stand for you in the face of others. We are¡­ we are one. I will refute anyone who would say otherwise.¡±


    .....


    A tiny whine broke in his throat and he let go of her hand to pull her closer. Jayah¡¯s heart flooded with joy and thrill as their lips touched.


    It seemed like her entire skin thrummed with joy. He kissed her so gently, so softly, at first his breath fluttered more heavily against her lips than his kiss had.


    ¡®My mate,¡¯ he sighed in her head.


    ¡®My mate,¡¯ she replied, clinging to his shoulders as he groaned and his grip on her tightened. Then he descended on her, that soft-sweet kiss deep and searing.


    He held the back of her head, pressing her back into his hand¡ªhis kiss branding her, his tongue teasing and searching and Jayah, her body ame, taking his kiss and offering it back with every ounce of the heat that he brought.


    She¡¯din in the arms of a male several times, enjoyed kisses and strokes. She knew what was toe and knew she would enjoy it. Her mate drew her body in a way no male ever had before. Apart from her young years, when curiosity drove exploration, she¡¯d rarely felt desire for a male. And where she¡¯d given in to lust, especially inter years, she¡¯d always walked away feeling hollow in the aftermath, as if something important were missing.


    She¡¯d assumed there was something wrong with her. That the Creator hadn¡¯t made her for this kind of love. Because as she devoted herself to the service of healing and especially through the wars and care of the Royals, she hadn¡¯t missed it. Hadn¡¯t ever felt that she wascking for not having a male in her life.


    But as Skhal murmured her name and trailed his fingers up the back of her thigh, her entire body quivered. Her skin seemed to lift towards his touch. She thrilled in a way she never had before, and her heart¡­ her heart spun out of control.


    He took minutes to undress her, both of them fumbling with each other¡¯s clothing,ughing softly into their kisses when her leathers didn¡¯t want to slide down her thighs, or she struggled with the button on his shirt.


    At some point they¡¯d stopped kissing and instead watched each other. It stole her breath when Skhal, finally having finished with the buttons of her linen shirt, used his fingers to draw it open and she watched his eyes widen and light up as her breasts were revealed.


    His breath rushed out of him, and he murmured her name, reaching to cup her and take the weight of them, his roughened hands and calloused thumbs sending fizzing jolts of pleasure through her when he stroked her nipples.


    They still knelt and he stared down at her with delight, his full lips pulled to a smile, his chest rising and falling quickly.


    She¡¯d already opened his shirt, but as he continued to stroke and tease, she reached for it to push it back and off his shoulders, baring the t nes of his chest with a bare smattering of hair. And then, on a whim, she leaned down to tease his nipple with her tongue.


    The noise that broke in her mate¡¯s throat then was very, very gratifying.

 Chapter 123 - 123 Everything New – Part 3*

    123 Everything New ¨C Part 3*


    If you like music while you read, try ¡°Come to Me¡± by Sebastian Ekstrand. It¡¯s Jayah and Skhal¡¯s love song!


    *****


    ~ JAYAH ~


    Skhal¡¯s breath stopped and he stared at her, eyes wide and breathing even faster.


    When Jayah straightened and met his startled gaze, she smiled, thenughed as, with a determined growl, he wrapped her in his arms and bent her backwards, arching her over his arm until her breasts pointed for the ceiling, then he took first one, then the other in his mouth, flicking and rolling with this tongue, small hums of approval and pleasure rumbling in his chest, as if he discovered a delicious taste for the first time.


    His breath rasped, fluttering on her bared skin, pebbling her to her ears as ripples and waves of pleasure washed over her body, beginning where he touched, but flowing through her as if he invaded her bloodstream.


    Then he opened his mouth over her nipple and sucked it deeply into his mouth and Jayah gasped, gripping his head, burying her fingers in his hair and arching into the pull, holding him there as her mouth fell open and her body screamed at her to continue the pleasure.


    He came off that breast with a small pop and she whimpered, but he only moved to the other, sucking and drawing at it, one hand dragging down to cup her ass and pull her against him, hard.


    She¡¯d been working at his leathers when she was distracted by all this, but now, he ground against her, his breath thundering from his nose because his mouth was full of her. And Jayah trembled, shivering in a wave that rocked through her body.


    .....


    Unwilling to have him stop sucking at her, she wed her hands down his body to find the waistband of his trousers, then follow it around, her hands pinned between them because he continued to seek her, rolling his hips against her.


    Then she found him, cupped his length and squeezed gently.


    Skhal¡¯s mouth opened on a groan that vibrated her nipple and Jayah whimpered again. Still holding her tightly against him, he pressed her back, catching theirbined weight with one hand, then lowered her gently to the furs, murmuring her beauty and his joy in her and Jayah marveled that it could be true. But she knew¡ªshe felt it too. Something within her yearned for him well beyond the need for physical connection. As if his soul twined with hers, or wished to.


    When she wasying down and he covered her, they began to move in a parody of the joining, his hips rolling forward and up, into her palm. And Jayah¡¯s heart raced.


    For the following minutes they fumbled and gasped, rippled and rocked, tearing at what was left of each other¡¯s clothes even as they paused to press into the bliss of a touch, or a kiss. But finally, finally, they were skin to skin, their clothing tossed aside.


    Jayah let herself sink into the thick furs he¡¯d brought andid down for them. He had his elbow braced on the fur over her shoulder and that hand cupped over her head, the other explored every dip and curve of her body, and when he finally delved between her legs, he gave a long, shuddering groan to find her ready for him.


    Trembling with need, Jayah took him in hand and stroked even as she lifted her hips to meet his touch, to guide him because he seemed hesitant. But as he explored her most sensitive flesh, gasping his joy, her body quivered with anticipation.


    Then he dragged his fingers from within her, gasping her name like a question, and the pad of his thumb found that bundle of wonderful nerves.


    Jayah stiffened and sucked in a breath, and Skhal went still.


    He¡¯d been kissing her neck¡ªa glorious, shivering pleasure¡ªbut he lifted his head, his eyes hooded and stared down at her as he stroked her again.


    Jayah¡¯s mouth fell open and her grip on him tightened.


    ¡°You like that?¡± he rasped.


    ¡°Very¡­ very much¡ªoh!¡±


    With a low chuckle, he began to y, testing, letting fingertips trail and tease, then using the pads of fingers or thumb to press and slide, watching her, his breath growing harsher and deeper as she melted under his touch.


    He was in one moment uncertain or hesitant, and in the next,ughing with delight. A quick learner, he was soon ying her like a musical instrument, catching her gasps with his kisses, teasing and trying different touches, different angles, different pressures, until she quivered like a struck tuning fork.


    ¡°You are¡­ so beautiful¡­ so giving,¡± he croaked. ¡°I never imagined¡­¡±


    A fleeting thought crossed her mind then, but there was no room to think, no time to find words, because Skhal was shifting his hips, letting himself sink fully between her thighs, drawing himself out of her hand and suddenly the velvet-iron of him pressed against her, so full, so promising.


    Jayah arched to meet him as he drew himself along her and they both sucked in a deep breath.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I don¡¯t want to hurt you, but¡­¡± he groaned.


    Jayahughed. ¡°You w-won¡¯t,¡± she breathed, wing at his back in frustration as he rubbed himself against her again, but still didn¡¯t enter her. ¡°You draw me, Skhal. There won¡¯t be pain¡ªthat is only for the first time. This will be only pleasure for me, I assure you. Please.¡±


    ¡°But, the first time is always¡ª¡± He broke off as Jayah froze, opening her eyes to find him, braced over her, staring at her, blinking.


    They stared at each other and all the pieces clicked into ce for Jayah¡ªhis hesitance, his delight, his fumbling¡­


    ¡°Skhal,¡± she whispered, cupping his strong jaw, ¡°Is this¡­ have you never¡­?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°You have?¡± he asked with disbelief. ¡°You had a mate and¡­ lost them and¡­¡±


    ¡°No, no¡± she hurried to reassure him. ¡°I¡¯ve never met my mate.¡±


    Skhal¡¯s forehead crinkled in confusion. ¡°Yet¡­ you¡¯ve mated?¡±


    Jayah blinked, nerves joining the hum of pleasure in her belly. ¡°It is¡­ we all have at some point. I¡¯ve never¡­ I¡¯ve never wanted anyone like this, Skhal. But I have been with males since I was a teenager. You haven¡¯t?¡±


    The question hovered between them, and Jayah¡¯s heart dropped.

 Chapter 124 - 124 Everything New – Part 4*

    124 Everything New ¨C Part 4*


    ~ JAYAH ~


    Skhal¡¯s expression reminded Jayah of a fish who¡¯d been smacked with a rock to stun it senseless. Her stomach went cold as her mate blinked, then blinked again.


    There was a frozen, breathless moment when she feared he might draw away from her and her heart screamed in protest. Without thought, she tightened her grip on his shoulders, clinging, pulling him nearer.


    But he didn¡¯t draw away¡­ he began to talk.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t have mated before, Jayah. If I¡¯d taken another female the bond would have formed between us and if she died, or I did, I would never have been able toe to you¡­ our people mate once, for life, Jayah. Always.¡±


    ¡°So do mine,¡± she whispered, still holding him as he trembled and for the first time she couldn¡¯t tell if it was from desire or fear¡­ or something worse. ¡°But the act¡­ the act doesn¡¯t bond us unless the bond already exists. Anima¡­ we can have sex with whomever¡­ the bond¡­ the bond is deeper. It¡¯s more.¡±


    He nodded, then his breath released in a rush.


    Bracing on one arm so that the muscles bulged like rippled marble, he took her face in his other hand, his fingers curling to the back of her neck, his thumb tracing the line of her jaw.


    ¡°The bond¡ªthis bond between us¡ª¡± he rasped, ¡°you¡¯ve never felt that¡­ felt this, with anyone else?¡±


    .....


    ¡°Never,¡± she whispered, gripping him. ¡°Please, Skhal, you¡¯re my mate, I would never¡ª¡±


    ¡°Hush,¡± he whispered, dropping to take her mouth, his tongue delving, as he gripped her hair and tugged her head back.


    Jayah surrendered, feeling the tension in him mingling with sheer desire. She whimpered as he pulled her head back, then kissed his way down, nipping at her chin, the soft skin under her jaw, then opening his mouth over her throat.


    ¡°Mine,¡± he growled, his teeth pressed against her skin, shuddering as he eased himself into her, cautious at first, then thrusting home when she cried out and arched to meet him. ¡°Mine¡­ you are mine, Jayah¡­ only mine¡­¡±


    He dropped to his elbows, both hands in her hair, the words tearing from his throat as they rocked together.


    Jayah felt the slide of him inside with such a wave of tingling joy that she shuddered, a fizzing pleasure coursing through her veins until every inch of her skin hummed and pulsed with it. She pped at his back as she pulled him closer, closer, always closer.


    Skhal¡¯s breath, hot and sweet, thundered on the skin of her throat, feeling like ice where it had been wet by his kisses. Her entire body responded to him, pulling, seeking¡­


    She couldn¡¯t breathe, only sucking at the air in short gasps between the frozen moments as her body came alive, and that fizzing in her blood began to twirl and¡­ live.


    Something inside her hade alive¡ªa piece of her soul.


    A call broke from him, humming in the air of the cave, fluttering against her skin and tugging at her heart. It called to that piece of her, tangled and elusive, but growing. A piece of her that no hand could touch, and yet his kiss, his voice, his body seemed to stroke like a gentle, tantalizing finger.


    He groaned and shuddered, clearly struggling for control. Jayah might have soothed him, but she trembled, the pressure of pleasure within her building and she prayed, she prayed he wouldn¡¯t stop.


    He took her mouth and their tongues danced, but then he groaned again and simply hovered over her, their breaths mingling, his lips brushing hers with every thrust.


    His fingers were so tight in her hair it should have hurt, but instead she felt only the heat coursing between them, the call of his blood, his soul, to hers.


    And as her pleasure climbed, as she began to cry and call for him, that life within her gathered breath, twisting, twirling, spinning, throwing light and heat into her veins that pulsed through her with her hammering heartbeat.


    Then, as Skhal gasped her name, his body shuddering, as he pleaded with her to follow him, as both of their bodies began to tense and climb that impossible wave, Jayah felt something so pure, so real, pour into her veins¡­ shed by that piece of her soul that was suddenly thrust out of her chest as she broke apart.


    She cried his name, her fingers digging into his shoulders as they both fell apart¡ªbut beyond the pleasure, beyond the joy, that piece of herself bled out of her and into him, their skins suddenly pulsing in time, their heartbeats in sync.


    Jayah, mouth open in a silent scream, arched against him as her very soul seemed to leave her to embrace his.


    Then she broke, her body shivering to an impossible release, her heart twisting, driving, rushing to return to her, as if her very existence had exploded, mingling with his, then came roaring back to her.


    As Skhal copsed over her, his warmth and weight a nket of joy and safety, Jayah panted, blinking, waiting to make sure her heart still beat, that her life still lived.


    He had¡­ he had changed her.


    Tears welled and she blinked them away.


    Skhal, still panting, groaning, his body twitching with his release, still murmuring her name against her skin, must have scented the tears, because he jerked his head up suddenly, cupping her face.


    ¡°Jayah, my love, I hurt you? I¡¯m so sorry¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, no, silly man¡­ no,¡± she smiled through the tears, pulling him against her and kissing his handsome cheek. ¡°No¡­ you are¡­ you were beautiful. My heart¡­ my heart is singing, Skhal. You¡¯re mine. You¡¯re truly mine. I am¡­ I am undone. And it¡¯s beautiful.¡±


    He checked and double-checked, whispering love and reassurance to her. But she couldn¡¯t stop smiling, and the tears passed quickly.


    Though the joy¡­ the joy didn¡¯t pass at all. As theyy together, resting, watching, still learning, Jayah reached for him through the bond, awed to feel him even more deeply in her heart than he was in her body.


    ¡°You¡¯re¡­ impossible,¡± she whispered, then kissed his neck. ¡°You are impossible, and you¡¯re mine.¡±

 Chapter 125 - 125 Finding Purpose

    125 Finding Purpose


    If you¡¯re seeing this message on 10 December in the USA, (11 December internationally), you¡¯ve purchased top tier privilege and earned a letter from Tarkyn! Comment below so I can confirm that you have ess, then email me on with your address! (You don¡¯t have to do it again if you¡¯ve already messaged earlier.)


    Merry Christmas!


    *****


    ~ JAYAH ~


    Eventually they rolled to their sides andy facing each other. Skhal ced his hand under her head to cushion it because they hadn¡¯t moved far enough up the fur to reach the small pillow he¡¯d brought. She was pleased by the gesture, so sweet and thoughtful. So once he cupped her cheek, she turned her face to kiss his strong palm slowly. The smile that lit his face made her belly tingle.


    ¡°I¡¯m not the only impossible one,¡± he muttered gruffly, his lips still twitching into smiles. ¡°I just¡­ I thank the Creator for you, Jayah. You are a miracle.¡±


    He pulled her back into his chest then and they held each other for a long time. When they finally rolled apart, it was only to stare at each other again.


    She wished that they could just stay there. Never leave. Bury themselves in that cave and ignore the world, but they couldn¡¯t.


    And while the shoving, niggling pressure she¡¯d been feeling for days had finally eased, she wasn¡¯t left at rest.


    .....


    Skhal sighed heavily and stroked her cheek. ¡°Are you well, my mate?¡± he asked, so sweetly.


    ¡°Yes, very well,¡± Jayah smiled.


    ¡°Are you at peace?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever felt more peaceful.¡±


    ¡°The driving, it¡¯s gone?¡± he asked, his eyes pinched with worry.


    Jayah examined herself¡­ that feeling of pressure had changed. As if something had fallen into ce. Something important. But there was still a niggling sense of something not yet finished. ¡°I¡¯m not being pressed anymore, but there¡¯s still¡­ something to do?¡± she whispered.


    He sighed and nodded. He slumped again, burying his face in her neck.


    ¡°What is it?¡± she asked, rmed.


    ¡°I need to ask for your forgiveness,¡± he rasped.


    Jayah tensed. ¡°What, why?¡±


    Skhal pulled away, pushing up onto one elbow to hover over her, staring at her like she was the answer to every question in his life¡ªbut as if he was afraid she didn¡¯t want to be. ¡°I have to ask your forgiveness¡­ Because what I¡¯m about to ask you will go against every one of your instincts and honor¡­ but I need you to trust me that it is absolutely necessary.¡±


    Jayah braced, ready for whatever he might say. ¡°Tell me.¡±


    Skhal gave a small smile. ¡°I should have known the Creator would give me a female with impressive fortitude.¡±


    Jayah snorted, but his smile faded quickly.


    ¡°Jayah, I have to get Zev out of that ce. We can¡¯t wait any longer. He¡¯s literally going to lose his mind¡ªand if he does, he bes a threat to everyone. Not just your people.¡±


    Jayah sighed. ¡°I was worried about that. It¡¯s exactly why I wasing for the Chimera, to try and convince them to cross for peace, to negotiate to get him out.¡±


    Skhal shook his head. ¡°Our n to bring an emissary to your Queen, it¡¯s going to take too long. I got close enough this morning to mindlink with Zev. He¡¯s already on the edge¡ªhe¡¯s beyond the edge. He¡¯s falling back into the mind they taught him in his assassination training. The things the humans did to him... they taught him to switch off his heart. He goes dark. He showed me some of what happened in Thana before he and Sasha arrived¡­ he was already in a bad ce. But now¡­ now he¡¯s worse.¡±


    Jayah sighed, stroking his chest. ¡°I know the sadness¡­ the darkness of soldiers.¡±


    But Skhal only frowned. ¡°Not this one. He¡¯s no normal soldier.¡±


    Jayah blew out a breath. She¡¯d sensed something in the male that she hadn¡¯t really seen before, but didn¡¯t know what it was. ¡°So what do you need me to do? How can we save him?¡±


    Skhal blinked, stunned. ¡°Just like that? Jayah, what I¡¯m asking¡­ I¡¯m asking you to go against your Queen¡ªwho would consider this treason, I¡¯m sure. And you will just do that? Just like that? For me?¡±


    Jayah pressed her lips together. ¡°If our goal is to heal a broken male, and heal the rift between our peoples, I cannot see that as treason. But also¡­ I follow the Creator¡¯s n. He has pressed me to you. My Queen is not¡­ bnced either. Sometimes we all need someone to show us the way. If I can help stop the crisis, I will do it. I already nned to do it. My only fear now is with the bondplete, how it might affect you if I am¡­ harmed.¡±


    ¡°Or I am,¡± he said quietly.


    They stared at each other, both of them holding tighter to the other.


    ¡®I¡¯ve never had anything to lose before,¡¯ Skhal said gruffly through the link.


    ¡®Me either.¡¯


    They held each other, breathing and praying. Then Jayah pressed him. ¡°What do you need?¡±


    ¡°A way to get them out without killing anyone.¡±


    Jayah thought, then frowned. ¡°Are you skilled at picking locks?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°If I could¡­ clear the path safely, could you get him and his family away?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Her conscience pricked when she imagined what they discussed. Jayah got up and began to pace the cave, but every thought trail led her back to that conversation with Behryn, and the drive she¡¯d had to get to her mate, toplete the bond.


    It seemed that the bond increased her danger¡ªbecause others would likely scent it on her. And yet¡­ ¡°I will do it.¡±


    Skhal, who¡¯d stayed sitting in the furs, watching her, got up immediately and hurried to her. ¡°I¡¯m asking this and I need it, but I don¡¯t want to make you go against your conscience. Not if you can see another way.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that.¡±


    ¡°Then what is it? You smell¡­ reluctant.¡±


    She let her chin turn up to hold his gaze. ¡°It¡¯s danger. And I suddenly find myself selfish. I¡¯m¡­ reluctant to lose you so quickly.¡±


    Skhal blew out a breath, then pulled her in and kissed her. ¡°The Creator got us this far, Jayah, he¡¯ll get us through the rest too. We¡¯ll get them out. He¡¯ll know you¡¯re an ally then, so when youe with us¡ª¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t, Skhal. They¡¯ll notice. I need to be there to help in the aftermath.¡±


    Skhal jerked. ¡°No, Jayah, I can¡¯t leave you there with them. They¡¯ll kill you!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think they will. But even if they do¡­ it¡¯s the only way I can continue to work. Elreth¡ªthe Queen¡ªthere¡¯s a risk she would see this as an attack and dere war. Someone needs to be there who knows what happened. Who can keep things calm from that side¡ª¡±


    ¡°Jayah, no. You don¡¯t understand!¡± his voice was hushed, but he stared down at her, his intensity prickling. She could feel the tension in him¡ªthe fear, for her. ¡°If I misjudge this and he kills someone on our way out, anyone who had anything to do with this will be dead. It¡¯s what I would do if I was Alpha. We can¡¯t risk that.¡±


    ¡°We have to.¡±


    ¡°No! I¡¯ll do everything I can to stop Zev hurting anyone. But I¡¯ve been in enough tight spots to know we can¡¯t anticipate everything. If this goes wrong, it¡¯s war. I can¡¯t have you on the other side of the line,¡± he insisted.


    But Jayah was resolute. ¡°If I leave they¡¯ll know it was me who betrayed them. We¡¯ll lose my ess to the royals. I can give you so much, Skhal. Help so much just by being close to them. We have to solve this, not just shift the conflict. We have to bring them together.¡±


    Skhal looked emotional. ¡°But¡­ that means¡­¡±


    Jayah nodded, taking a deep breath. ¡°We¡¯ll remain separated for a time. But if we¡¯re sessful, we¡¯ll never have to be apart again.¡±


    Skhal stared at her, his forehead pinched. Then, without another word, he pulled her in and kissed her, holding her tightly, curling himself around her.


    And when he broke the kiss, it was to whisper in her ear. ¡°I knew the Creator brought me a fierce female¡­ but your courage humbles me, Jayah. I wouldn¡¯t¡­ I wouldn¡¯t have the strength to choose it this way.¡±


    Jayah kept her words to herself and kissed him¡ªeven more desperately than before. Because she didn¡¯t feel brave. She felt terrified¡­ but not of death. Death had never frightened her. No¡­ now she was terrified to lose him¡ªand terrified of how it might change her actions and intentions if he stepped into danger.

 Chapter 126 - 126 Touchy, Touchy

    126 Touchy, Touchy


    ~ TARKYN ~


    Tarkyn crept around the trunk of one of therger trees in the little valley and smiled the smile of a predator.


    Harth was crouched behind a mound of fallen branches and rocks, listening. But he was downwind. She hadn¡¯t scented him¡ªand hadn¡¯t yet realized he was behind her.


    He would have liked to have told himself it was only his skill as a tracker and scout that had put him to such advantage, but the truth was, the bond was far more clear for him than for her. It made him uneasy to know that somehow he felt their connection more than she did, but he shook it off. It could simply be a function of their different physiologies.


    It didn¡¯t mean she loved him less.


    He crept forward using all of his skill to keep his feet silent on the grass, not leaping on her until she was within reach.


    ¡°Gotcha!¡± he growled.


    Harth shrieked and leaped, flipping herself around, eyes so wide they were white all the way around. She held one hand to chest, which heaved¡ªtoo deep, too fast.


    ¡°Harth, beautiful, I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to¡ª¡±


    .....


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± She swallowed hard, but the fear didn¡¯t leave her face, and she was beginning to tremble. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m fine,¡± she said hurriedly.


    He gathered her into his arms, cursing himself for his thoughtlessness. Of course she wouldn¡¯t take well to being ambushed. What had he been thinking!


    But of course, as he tried to apologize again, she only shushed him.


    ¡°Tarkyn, seriously, it¡¯s fine! Now that the shock is passed I¡¯m actually more annoyed that you were able to get to me without me sensing it! I thought I¡¯d sessfully hidden from you¡ªbut you could still sense me, right?¡±


    He nodded,bing her hair back from her temples. They¡¯d been trying different things and discovering boundaries¡ªorck of them¡ªin their bond.


    ¡°Will you forgive me for the scare?¡± he asked quietly.


    Harth tipped her head and a wicked gleam entered her gaze. ¡°Only if you do a favor for me¡­¡±


    Tarkyn¡¯s body leaped to attention the moment she smiled like that. He growled his approval, but sheughed and pushed him back, insisting that they undress first.


    Tarkyn did as she bid and gave her space, working quickly to pop the buttons on his shirt and whip it off. But his mate¡­ his wicked, yful mate just bit her lip and stared at him from a few feet away, her fingers very, very slow on her own buttons.


    ¡°Do you need some help, Love?¡± he asked, letting his voice husky and get deeper.


    But Harth shook her head. ¡°I want to see you,¡± she said with a little grin. ¡°I never get to just look at you. I want to do that.¡±


    Tarkyn¡¯s brows popped up¡ªalong with applicable parts of his body¡ªbut he only smiled, then tossed his shirt away. ¡°Whatever my mate wants, she gets. Please¡­ drink in the sights, my love.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t stop smiling. He was pathetic. And he didn¡¯t even care.


    Within seconds he¡¯d strippedpletely, leaving his clothing tossed aside like trash¡ªnot usual for him. Order was crucial. But for this moment¡­ with this mate¡¯s eyes growing darker and her tongue snaking out to wet her lips?


    For this he would let the world descend into chaos.


    When he was naked, the light wind whispering on his skin, he looked at her for cues, standing there, hands open. ¡°What would you like me to do?¡±


    Harth bit her lip again then sidled towards him. ¡°Just stand there,¡± she said, but her voice was breathless in a way that clenched his belly and drew his balls tight.


    She approached him fearlessly, which he loved. His body was making his arousal known, but her eyes hadn¡¯t yet drifted down.


    She walked to stand right in front of him, examining first his jaw, then his shoulders. When she reached up, it was to run a finger along his corbone. She traced the divot between them, then along the other vicle, her touch raising goosebumps on his skin.


    Then she took both hands and drew them along his shoulders, kneading and following the lines of his muscles until her hands dragged down to his arms and she gripped his biceps.


    He was about to reach for her, but she shook her head, still smiling. ¡°Turn around,¡± she said, her voice husky.


    Tarkyn¡¯s breath came faster, but he turned, pleased when she made a small sigh of appreciation as his back was revealed.


    ¡°This is my favorite part, I think,¡± she murmured, drawing one hand along his shoulders, then down the line of his spine, her fingertips trailing so lightly he physically shivered.


    He put his hands on his hips to force himself to keep his hands from her as she continued to explore¡ªtracing the lines of his buttocks,menting on the hollow at the side of them and cing the heel of her hand there.


    ¡°Everything about you is so¡­ big,¡± she said thoughtfully.


    Tarkyn swallowed a burst of juvenileughter.


    He¡¯d spent too many years in the barracks of soldiers not to have the proverbial joke rise in his thoughts.


    He tried to imagine himself rying this story to Gar. ¡°No, really, she really did say that!¡± But as hrious as it might be, he knew he never would. These moments with her when she showed her innocence were precious to him.


    ¡°Does it frighten you?¡± he asked suddenly, wondering if he¡¯d misinterpreted the breathlessness in her voice.


    ¡°No. I love it,¡± she said, then gave a little giggle. ¡°I never thought I would say that, but it¡¯s true. You make me safe, Tarkyn. I¡¯ve always feared males on some level¡ªespecially humans, but anyone that could overpower me. There¡¯s always been a part of me that stayed¡­ alert.¡±


    Tarkyn knew that feeling and grieved that she had it.


    ¡°But,¡± she said brightly, leaning into his back and resting her forehead on his spine, ¡°with you I¡¯m¡­ rxed. I feel safe. Your size, your strength, they¡¯re my safety. My protection. Not my threat.¡±


    She said the words so simply. But Tarkyn was ovee. For a moment with her leaning at his back, he pulled her hands around his waist and held them to his stomach, simply appreciating her trust. Cherishing it.


    But clearly she was moved as well, because after a moment, she sniffed, then breathed deeply and pulled her hands out of his grip.


    ¡°Stop distracting me with feelings,¡± she said with mock displeasure. ¡°This is a moment for appreciating the beauty of what the Creator made you to be. So stand still while I do that.¡±


    Happy to lighten the mood if it was what she wanted, Tarkyn raised his chin and pretended to position himself to be observed. ¡°Like this?¡±


    Harth giggled again. ¡°Yes. Exactly like that. Don¡¯t move.¡±


    Tarkyn nodded once, then made himself go still as a statue.


    Until his mate¡¯s fingers began to trail up his sides to his ribs, following the lines of muscle there up and under his arms until he was giggling like a child and flinching from her touch.


    ¡°You¡¯re ticklish?¡± she asked, delighted.


    ¡°No!¡± he insisted, squirming and twitching.


    ¡°You are!¡± sheughed.


    Tarkyn growled, then turned quickly and pulled her against him, pinning her arms under his and ring at her.


    ¡°This is a secret between mates! If you tell a soul, I will¡­ punish you! Soundly!¡±


    And then the little minx gave him a look¡­ as if he¡¯d promised her a toy.

 Chapter 127 - 127 Her Own David

    127 Her Own David


    ~ HARTH ~


    Her mate was fascinating. Everything about him oozed strength like steel. She¡¯d seen all of him more than once, but never indulged in this simple exploration. She¡¯d seen images back in the human world of a statue named David which had always been heralded as the summit of male beauty.


    Tarkyn looked better.


    When he agreed to let her examine him and yed along as if he were the subject of her study, she¡¯d been delighted, indulging in following the lines of his muscles and spine¡ªuntil she found his weak spot.


    Ticklish. Her big, strong mate was ticklish¡ªand apparently quite embarrassed about it.


    ¡°This is a secret between mates! If you tell a soul, I will¡­ punish you! Soundly!¡±


    Harth hadn¡¯t been able to resist. She grinned up at him, licking her lips. ¡°Define¡­ punish?¡±


    Tarkyn growled and descended on her. But she danced back out of his grip. ¡°No, no, no! You said I could look at you! I can¡¯t look at you if we¡¯re kissing!¡±


    ¡®I want to do a whole lot more than kiss you,¡¯ he growled in her head, the depth and rasp of his voice making her belly flutter. But Harth enjoyed the growing tension, as if something were being stretched between them and would soon snap.


    .....


    ¡°Just a few more minutes,¡± she said with a smile. ¡°Please?¡±


    With a heavy sigh and rolled eyes, as if it were a huge favor she asked, Tarkyn rolled his shoulders back and opened his hands. ¡°I suppose,¡± he pretended to grumble.


    Harth was delighted. And fascinated.


    Not by males, but by this male. Her male.


    She¡¯d known male bodies since childhood. The Chimera bathed atmunal pools. So just seeing a naked male wasn¡¯t shocking to her. But there was something about his body that called to her in a way no one else¡¯s did.


    She¡¯d seen erections before too, though rarely. Yet knowing that it was the sight of her, standing close with her shirt unbuttoned, that aroused him¡­


    She felt the power of it. She felt the flutter of knowing how he would touch her, how he would kiss, the way he would make her feel¡­


    For a moment she almost gave up and just threw herself at him. But he was facing her, his expression pleased and patient now that they weren¡¯t pretending anymore. And she wanted to drag it out.


    So she stepped up again until her belly brushed against him and he grunted. His hands twitched towards her, but he didn¡¯t grip her. She smiled as she ttened her palms to the broad nes of his pecs, then drew her hands down, letting her fingers follow the lines of his abs.


    ¡°This part of you,¡± she said breathlessly, ¡°It¡¯s so strong. It always draws my eyes. I want to lick it.¡±


    ¡°Please, be my guest,¡± he sighed, then his abs clenched when she leaned down and licked them.


    His eyes shed and went dark in the same moment. Then she realized why and had to stifleughter.


    ¡°Do you like that, Tarkyn?¡± she whispered.


    ¡°I like that a great deal,¡± he growled, his hands twitching again, but he fisted them at his sides and left her.


    Unable to resist, Harth brought both hands up to the part of him that had grown and was now twitching close to her breasts.


    With a sly smile, she trailed her fingers down, marveling again at the softness of his skin there¡ªand yet the steel strength beneath.


    Tarkyn groaned, his pupils dting until his eyes were almost ck.


    Then Harth gathered her courage and did something she¡¯d only ever heard the mated females talk about.


    She put her mouth on him.


    Tarkyn gave a small cry as she held him, licking first with the tip of her tongue, drawing it up underneath that sensitive head.


    Her mate shuddered and one of his hands clutched at her shoulder.


    She¡¯d shocked him.


    She looked up to make certain that he didn¡¯t disapprove, but his mouth was open and he gazed at her as if she¡¯d morphed into an angel.


    Her stomach fluttered at that look, so she did it again, but this time closed her mouth over him, letting the t of her tongue follow as much of his length as she could take, and sucking, just slightly.


    ¡°Holy shit¡­¡± He gave a strangled curse and grabbed for her as if he might topple without something to brace against.


    Surprised by a small rush of salt on her tongue, Harth gripped him, but his hips drew back slightly, then forward again, pressing him into her mouth.


    Ah¡­ this was a reflection of the mating?


    Fascinated, Harth began to y in the rhythm he set, her hands at the base of him, her mouth at the head. And when she moved the two in time, he almost came apart.


    ¡°Stop! Stop!¡± he gasped, pulling out of her grip as she straightened, worried she might have hurt him. But his chest heaved and his eyes were still dark¡ªthey shed once to his lion, which startled her¡­ then made her smile.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Nothing. Nothing at all. Creator¡¯s mane, Harth. I just¡­ I want to have you and if you keep doing that, we¡¯ll be done before we¡¯ve started.¡±


    He held his palms up as if to stop her advancing on him, but she only took one of his hands in both of hers and began to trail her fingers along the tendons at its back. ¡°If you say so¡­ but I¡¯m not finished looking at you yet.¡±


    He groaned. His hand trembled, but he submitted, sighing when she turned his hand over to trace the lines in his calloused palm, then trailed her fingers along his forearm, then back to up his hands.


    ¡°They¡¯re a beautiful part of you, Tarkyn,¡± she said seriously. ¡°Your hands are so strong. I¡¯ve seen them at work. You are¡­ intimidating in your strength. And yet¡­ so gentle with me. And these hands¡­ they give me so much pleasure,¡± she said, not meeting his eyes because she suddenly felt very vulnerable. ¡°I love that this part of you that¡¯s so strong can be so tender, too.¡±


    Tarkyn gave a little groan and his breath got shallower.

 Chapter 128 - 128 Touched*

    128 Touched*


    If you like music while you read try ¡°Every Time We Touch¡± by Brent Morgan. It¡¯s what I was listening to while writing this!


    *****


    ~ HARTH ~


    She looked up to check that she wasn¡¯t hurting him, but even though he growled, he was smiling. The look in his eyes threatening to make her pay for this drawn out tease¡­ his eyes still shing to his lion. But he didn¡¯t stop her.


    So she released his hands and trailed her hands down his sides to his hips, then his strong thighs¡ªthe line of muscle there was impressive and so deep she could press a finger into it. But there was more than one scar, and she frowned when her fingers ran over those puckered, lighter stretches of skin.


    ¡°Hurt so many times in the service of others,¡± she whispered, blinking back tears¡ªhalf d she hadn¡¯t had to see him hurt, half desperate to have been there tofort him.


    She dropped then, letting her hand trail down to his calf that felt like steel under her palm. Then she traced the lines from his toes to his ankle, then stood, letting her fingers trail up the insides of his legs this time.


    His long, thick legs.


    Until she reached the top of his thigh and very gently cupped him.


    .....


    He¡¯d told her to always be very careful with his testicles. She was surprised, now, to find them high and tight. She hadn¡¯t realized they could move or were even involved in the rest of this dance they were doing.


    She cupped them gently, then ran her hand up again.


    Tarkyn¡¯s hand shot out to grip her wrist and stop her before she could circle him and stroke again.


    ¡°Please¡­ Harth¡­¡± he croaked. ¡°Please¡­ let me touch you now.¡±


    ¡°Just a minute longer,¡± she breathed, wide eyed at watching his body respond. Because she¡¯d been so focused on each part of his skin as she touched it, she hadn¡¯t paid attention to the way it was affecting him. All of him.


    He was trembling. Her big, strong mate shook with pure desire and restraint. Her Alpha brought almost to his knees. Weakened by her touch.


    She stroked him once, watching his abs ripple and flex, tightening. And when sheid a kiss right at the center of his heaving chest, he growled a growl that he seemed to draw up from the earth under their feet. But then it rolled off in a resonant mating call and her stomach clenched.


    ¡°I love it when you make that sound,¡± she whispered, pulling him close, kissing her way up his chest, then opening her mouth to receive him when he descended on her with a searing kiss.


    *****


    ~ TARKYN ~


    Watching her discover his body was both touching and inming at the same time. She was so delighted when he reacted to her. He stifled every instinct to grab and take and possess so he didn¡¯t interfere with her joy. But the truth was, his body grew tighter and tighter with need.


    And something else was building in him. Something his beast demanded.


    He wanted to im her. Needed to mark her as his own.


    As she touched and stroked his stomach twisted, driving him to take her¡ªbut he had to step so carefully. She was still so new to all this, and he¡¯d already frightened her once that day. He didn¡¯t want to do it again. He couldn¡¯t im her until she was ready.


    Surrendered.


    But desire pulsed in him. Deep, resonant calls breaking his chest as she ran her hands all over him, exploring his body.


    ¡°I love it when you make that sound,¡± she whispered, her scent drenched in desire almost as acute as his own.


    Then she leaned into him and the leash he¡¯d been holding on himself snapped. He gripped her chin and turned her face up, taking her in a kiss that plundered.


    On and on, delving, plunging, he used the kiss to show her what his body yearned to do with hers¡ªand he pulled her against him, her warm skin a tantalizing joy in the cooler air of the valley.


    He broke the kiss before he lost controlpletely, his hands tight on her, not allowing her to move away.


    She looked up at him, her forehead lined. ¡°Are you okay?¡± she asked¡ªthen gasped. His eyes must have changed when that jolt of desire speared through him.


    But before he could reassure her, she smiled and her eyes changed too, flickered to her wolf¡¯s.


    His entire body quivered. He couldn¡¯t resist. He pulled her up into a kiss, wrapped his arms around her and pinned her to him.


    Harth held his face as if she was afraid he would pull away too. Her heavy breathing a seductive rasp.


    ¡°Harth,¡± he panted into her mouth. ¡°God¡­¡±


    He reached down to tear at her buttons, to shove her leathers down, then finally, finally touch her, sliding his fingers between her thighs and almost roaring when he found her, already slick and hot.


    Deepening the kiss and bending her backwards into his hand, taking her weight, he took his turn to touch and stroke until Harth¡¯s mouth was open, not even kissing him anymore, and her cries were swallowed by the call of the Riverbirds, startled when she began to keen.


    For a moment he almost discarded the idea of iming her, almost forgot everything but the need to plunge into her.


    But as he drew back, intending to press her to the grass, her eyes opened and his heart swelled.


    Swallowing hard because lust pressed at him from every corner, he caught his breath and held her chin. ¡°Can I interest you in¡­ bathing?¡± he asked hoarsely.


    Harth¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Can we do this in the water?¡±


    Tarkyn spluttered. ¡°Yes. Yes we can.¡±


    ¡°Then lead the¡ªoh!¡±


    He swept her up, carrying her at his chest, groaning when she recovered from her shock and immediately threw her arms around his neck and began nibbling at his ear while he carried her.


    Tarkyn was practically running when they reached the shore of the river. Harth quickly threw her shirt aside on the banks as he carried her into the water, which was shockingly cold against his hot skin, but he plowed in, carrying her until his momentum carried his upper body past his feet and they plunged under the freezing water together.


    They both broke the surface a momentter, gasping. Harth was already out of her depth and treading water, water droplets glittering on hershes.


    But she smiled as he reached for her and pulled her close, wrapping her legs around his waist until they bobbed in the water together.


    He kissed her again and his body trembled. He¡¯d intended to speak to her, to exin, but seeing her skin glowing in the water, her nipples peaked and hard against his chest, to feel her goosebumped skin under his palms¡­


    Tarkyn groaned and kissed her as if he would die if he didn¡¯t.


    And she responded in kind¡ªno longer hesitant or innocent, no longer drawing it out to tease. She gave a little cry and climbed him, her arms wrapped around his neck, her hips rolling as she rubbed herself on him.


    Tarkyn dropped his head back and made the mating call, and she didn¡¯t miss a beat, opening her mouth to his throat.


    Desire and heat enough to evaporate the river sizzled through him and he grabbed her, rasping her name.


    Something had shifted between them.


    It was time.


    *****


    GREAT NEWS! The new year begins in 3 days with a mass release for standard readers, and COMPELTELY NEW MATERIAL for >ALL< privilege tiers. So no matter what reading you¡¯re doing in January, look forward to a lot of extra content when the new year begins here on Webnovel!

 Chapter 129 - 129 Surrender*

    129 Surrender*


    ~ TARKYN ~


    He couldn¡¯t kiss her deeply enough.


    She¡¯d wrapped her legs around his waist and he cupped her ass, holding her up and against him. But then she writhed and he groaned and the temptation was too strong. He whispered her name and let her slide down until he slid into her, her weight taking him all the way to the hilt.


    They both groaned.


    With the most gorgeous sigh Tarkyn had ever heard, Harth leaned back gripping his shoulders, shivering, though not from the cold. Her entire body prickled under his hands and her head dropped back as they moved together.


    He¡¯d intended to go slowly, to bring her to this gently, but she bucked against him until he could only hold her hips and give in, the water rippling around them in time with his thrusts.


    For a time, the only sound was the rush of the waterfall punctuated by their twin, rasping breaths. But then suddenly Harth pulled herself up to kiss him and stopped moving.


    They rested together a moment, trembling, panting, then she opened her eyes¡ªshing with her wolf¡ªand shot him a wicked smile.


    ¡°What?¡± Tarkyn asked suspiciously.


    .....


    With a giggle, she pushed away from him, throwing herself towards the bank. ¡°It¡¯s cold. I¡¯m going back to the cave.¡±


    Tarkyn growled and chased her,ughing. ¡°Weak! Youckmitment, soldier!¡±


    ¡°If this ismitment, I don¡¯t want it!¡± she giggled, stroking for the bank.


    But just as her feet caught on the bank below and she started to walk, Tarkyn leaped forward, grabbing her around the middle and pulling her down. She shrieked withughter, tipping forward to all fours on the silty bank, her back heaving withughter.


    He grabbed her shoulder intending to turn her and pick her up, but his body jolted with sheer heat, and suddenly his instincts kicked in.


    The iming¡­


    A low growl puttering in his throat, he covered her back, stroking his hands up her stomach until he cupped her breasts. ¡°I will warm you, Harth¡­ please¡­¡± he rasped, nipping at the back of her neck.


    Then he rubbed himself against her.


    Harth wasn¡¯tughing anymore, her heart pounding and her body responding to him. But Tarkyn was doing battle with his lion, his entire body trembling. He could feel his beast snarling for release.


    Breath heaving, he kept himself over her, but stroked her, drawing his palms up the insides of her thighs, along her sides, over her breasts, sucking at her neck, pleading with her, his voice hoarse and deep.


    And Harth rippled into his touch, no longerughing, no longer fleeing, but pressing into his hands, bumping her backside against him, a high whine breaking in her throat.


    ¡°Harth¡­¡± he rasped. ¡°I have to¡­ I need you¡­ I need to make you mine. It¡¯s time love¡­ if you¡¯re ready, it¡¯s time,¡± he growled.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she breathed, her head back so he could lean over her and kiss her throat, open mouthed. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°You have to surrender,¡± he whispered against her skin.


    ¡°Yes, Tarkyn,¡± she gasped, pressing back into his body. ¡°I¡¯m yours. Whatever you want¡­ anything¡­ I trust you.¡± Then she bumped herself back against him.


    Trembling with the restraint not to be rough on her, Tarkyn nipped at her throat, whispering, ¡°Just let go and leave it to me,¡± then he leaned back, wrapping her wet hair around his wrist and hand, then widening her legs, stroking her until she began to pant again, he took her in a single thrust.


    Harth¡¯s mouth dropped open in shock, but she was smiling. She had no time to react as he ttened a hand to her chest and pulled her up and back, bodily, into his lips.


    Bringing both hands around to hold her breasts, squeezing until his fingers dug deeply into the soft flesh, he began to pound, calling for her.


    And Harth, his beautiful Harth, sank back onto him, letting her head drop back against his shoulder and reached back to link her fingers behind his neck and keep herself against him.


    The water sshed and rippled around them as he thrust, the deep resonant mating calls broken and echoing in the valley as Tarkyn was lost and his lion pressed, his back rippling as he threatened to shift.


    They rocked together again and again, Tarkyn broken between the waves of pleasure and the fight to keep himself, until he¡¯d dropped his hands to grasp her hips and was pulling her up and off of him, then pushing her back down.


    Harth was liquid in his arms, her head back, eyes closed, mouth open and keening.


    ¡°Harth¡­ Harth¡­ love!¡± He was growing frantic, but so was she. With a broken cry he looked over her shoulder to watch her breasts bounce in time with his thrusts, a guttural groan pulled from him by sheer desire.


    It was time¡­ It was time¡­ but he wasn¡¯t ready for it to be over.


    ¡°Harth! Love!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    With a tormented groan he pulled her off him and flipped her onto her back, letting her fall back into the water, but keeping her head up as he covered her quickly so that he could take her and taste her at the same time, entering her again in blink so her eyes flew wide and she grasped for him.


    He sat back to look at her, almost sobbing with sheer pleasure when her breasts, rosy nipples puckered and tight, made small inds out of the water.


    ¡°Harth¡­ God¡­¡±


    ¡°Please, Tarkyn¡­¡±


    He still held her hips and she gripped his forearms, her teeth bared, her eyes now open and flickering to her wol¡¯fs as she called to him, over and over.


    It was the most aggressive he¡¯d ever been with her, gripping her thighs, pulling her onto him until their skins pped. But she only cried for him more.


    ¡°Don¡¯t stop¡­ please¡­ Tarkyn¡­¡±


    That only made him more frantic, but then her eyes widened and she growled.


    ¡°Harth, I¡ª¡±


    Using his shoulders to pull herself up, she met his lion eyes with her wolf¡¯s.


    ¡°You¡¯re mine,¡± she growled.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Only mine,¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Grabbing his hair, she yanked his head back to bare his throat and he gave it willingly, his body thrumming with need. He gripped her sides, his chest heaving, still pumping into her. Delighted and fascinated as a strange noise¡ªhalf growl, half cry¡ªkept breaking in her throat.


    Then she kissed him, her breath hot, then followed the line of his chin, his jaw down, down. She grazed his throat with her teeth and he shivered, thrusting even harder, stunned.


    Harth sucked in a breath. Then she found that spot where his neck met his shoulder and kissed it. ¡°I will make you mine,¡± she rasped, letting her teeth drag on his skin.


    Tarkyn shivered. ¡°I already am.¡±


    But Harth shook her head, her wolf snarling, ¡°No. You¡¯ll be mine¡­ only mine.¡±


    ¡°I am, Harth¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll show all of them¡­ even that Queen. Let me show them, Tarkyn. Please!¡±


    ¡°Anything.¡±


    Then with a long, low call, she bit down. Tarkyn groaned as her teeth pierced his skin, but there was no pain, only an electric current, shocking, humming through his skin and into his veins.

 Chapter 130 - 130 Claimed – Part 1*

    130 imed ¨C Part 1*


    ~ HARTH ~


    Harth felt the jolt of her marking shock through him, felt the bond shimmer and crackle with an electric hum. She tasted his blood and grieved it, even as her heart thundered and her body came alive.


    She¡¯d pulled his head back, her fingers fisted in the long strands he kept pulled back. She should have loosened her grip, let him move, but she was taken, moving with him pinned between her teeth, her tongue tracing his wounds to soothe them.


    They both trembled, something frantic and undeniable building between them, a current of power that left her breathless.


    And when she finally sucked in a heaving breath and pulled away, her hands still in his hair, his throat still bared, she grazed her teeth over his Adam¡¯s apple and he groaned. His grip on her hips tightened and he quivered.


    She should let him go. Surrender. She¡¯d told him she would, but for a moment she did battle with her wolf¡ªthe power thrumming in her veins igniting her wolf¡¯s strength. But she managed to let go of his hair, let him lift his head. And when he did, opening his eyes to meet hers, his lion¡¯s gaze alight with fire and somehow with love as well, Harth¡¯s breath caught.


    Strength. Fire. Passion. Protection¡­


    Possession.


    It was all there in his eyes. His groans turned animalistic, puttering and resonant, but he didn¡¯t break the gaze, holding her to him, thrusting into her with increasing power and strength.


    .....


    And locked in his gaze, held by his heart, Harth¡¯s wolf¡­ submitted.


    ¡°My turn,¡± he purred.


    Harth¡¯s jaw was as ck as her body, as everything within her gave way¡ªnot because of his demand¡ªthough it was hot as fuck¡ªbut because she¡¯d seen his heart. Seen his soul.


    And there was nowhere safer in Creation. She knew.


    So she closed her eyes and let herself sink into his hands, let him take her weight, let him do as he wished to her.


    Purring with pleasure, he leaned her back until her hair trailed back into the water, then he licked his way up from her corbones to her chin, his breath harsh and hot on her skin in contrast to the cold water.


    ¡°Let go,¡± he growled, reaching back to uce her fingers behind his neck. ¡°I¡¯ve got you.¡±


    Harth did as he asked, releasing himpletely, letting her hands fall back and trail into the water as he syed a hand between her shoulder des and took her weight.


    A strange, low growl puttered in his chest as he continued rocking into her, but held her there, one hand and steel-muscled arm taking her weight, the other tracing the line of her jaw, down her throat, to her breasts where, with heavy breath, he teased and yed his thumb against her nipples until the pleasure began to jangle, lightning crackling from his touch to where they joined and back.


    Harth moaned and reached for his arms to steady herself, but he only chuckled.


    ¡°Not yet, Love. Not yet,¡± he admonished her. With eyes closed she couldn¡¯t see his lion eyes, but she felt them zing trails down her body. Felt the edge of a growl in his voice. Felt the strength pulsing under his skin.


    Then, just as the tension between them reached a fever pitch, as her body trembled, pleasure cascading through her, shimmering to herald her release, just when she thought he might finally mark her, Tarkyn grunted and pulled her off of him.


    She gasped as the world spun when he flipped her, her hands reflexively reaching to catch her weight. But she¡¯d barely found the silty bank of the river, barely begun to open her eyes, when he groaned her name and plunged back into her, pulling her hips back as he took her with such force she felt it in the soles of her feet.


    Arms shaking, eyelids fluttering, she lost all sense of existence beyond him, his taking, his kiss, his touch. Her entire body shook as if she was fevered¡ªand she was¡­ but fevered by the intensity of pleasure he wrung from her.


    He¡¯d pulled her knees apart and taken her so that her belly rested on his thighs and she held her weight on her hands. But as she gasped and began to call for him, he slid his hands up from her hips, one sying at her belly and pulling her up so she was arched, her knees straddling hisp, her back bowed, her head thrown back to rest on his shoulder, and his second hand¡­ his other hand on her throat.


    ¡°I will make you mine,¡± he rasped through gritted teeth right next to her ear, an echo of her words. His palm nketed her throat, his fingers held her jaw. She could barely move the way he had her arched like a bow, but she nodded, panting.


    ¡°Yes. Yes.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll show all of them,¡± he snarled, repeating her words again, and Harth¡¯s belly flooded with desire. She clenched on him and they both groaned. ¡°You belong to me,¡± he hissed, the word rolling off to a growl as he pulled her chin back to the limits it could reach and then thrust into her with a long, guttural call as he bit down on the skin at the curve of her neck.


    Harth¡¯s body spun. Light sparkled under her eyelids and she cried his name as her body washed in a tidal wave of pleasure that overshadowed the shing pain of his teeth.


    The world disappeared. There was nothing but his body, his strength, his warmth. She was liquid in his arms, her body washed in wave after wave, her throat in his hands, her lifeblood pulsing just a finger¡¯s breadth from his bite.


    Then the fluttering, shimmering pleasure unfurled to fizzing in her blood. Starlight inside her, coursing through her. And, as if he¡¯d thrown the curtains back on the window of her heart, she was flooded by the sunlight of him.


    *****


    GREAT NEWS! The new year begins in 3 days with a mass release for standard readers, and COMPLETELY NEW MATERIAL for >ALL< privilege tiers. So no matter what reading you¡¯re doing in January, look forward to a lot of extra content when the new year begins here on Webnovel!

 Chapter 131 - 131 Claimed – Part 2*

    131 imed ¨C Part 2*


    ~ HARTH ~


    Suddenly, shockingly, Tarkyn came alive in her head, her heart. The bond crackled and hummed, shivering with a rush of new sensations¡ªas if she had grown another skin.


    It was impossible in that moment to tell where she ended and he began. She could feel his solid strength under her, inside her, around her¡ªand she could feel herself in his arms.


    She could feel his pleasure peaking.


    Yet, even as the tide on her own climax drew away from the shore of her heart, to suddenly sense his, to feel the blood coursing under his skin, burning with heat and crackling with energy, to sense his boundless desire for her, to feel that impossible bliss crash over him, pulled her body into another spiral.


    As if she was suddenly thrown from a cliff, another orgasm rocked her from her foundations.


    She screamed Tarkyn¡¯s name in the same moment he roared, announcing to all of Creation his dominance, his rule over her¡ªand hers over him. Their voices mingled, sending clouds of birds startling into the sky.


    Twitching and crying with the ecstasy of it all, it took time to return to earth. When Harth finally opened her eyes, chest still heaving, she found herself spent, her bodynguid and shivering, her muscles water. It was an effort to raise her hands, to find him.


    Tarkyn¡¯s face was buried in the curve of her neck, one spread between her breasts, pinning her to him, the other still at her throat. Yet she felt no fear. Because she could feel him. All of him.


    .....


    His body that shook and trembled, overwhelmed.


    His heart that swelled and ached with the sheer weight of his love.


    And that warm, selfless soul that cried out for her.


    He didn¡¯t hold her to conquer her will. He held her as a treasure. And the love that passed between them, body to body, heart to heart, soul to soul, stole her breath and brought tears to her eyes.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± he whispered, still trembling, still holding her.


    ¡°Yes, yes. Tarkyn, yes. I love you.¡±


    He made a small cry, then with shaking hands and trembling limbs, turned her so she faced him, tucking her legs around his waist and holding her face, his shining eyes¡ªno sign of his lion¡ªdrinking her in.


    ¡°I love you, Harth,¡± he whispered hoarsely, as if the roar had broken his voice. ¡°I love you so much.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± she said through happy tears. ¡°I can feel it. Can you feel me too?¡±


    He nodded, then huffed a disbelievingugh. ¡°My beautiful mate,¡± he whispered, kissing her gently again and again. ¡°My beautiful, perfect mate. The answer to my prayers.¡±


    Harth curled her arms around his neck and pulled him close.


    They held each other for a very long time.


    *****


    ~ TARKYN ~


    At some point he was forced to move.


    The same vague, nameless drive to do what must be done that had always pushed him out of the warm furs on a cold morning, insisted that he care for his mate.


    Even the thought was a pleasure.


    They¡¯d held each other until their breathing returned to normal¡­ and then until the cold of the water began to puncture the beauty and happiness that filled his chest to bursting.


    When he straightened to look down on her, Harth lifted her head slowly, her eyes still half-hooded as she smiled at him.


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡± he asked quietly, then gently urged her to tip her head to the side so he could check that her iming marks had stopped bleeding.


    To his relief, they had.


    While Harth stretched and murmured happily that she was fine, he scooped handfuls of water, bringing them up to clean away the blood and clean the wounds.


    She shivered as the chill water dribbled down her back and front, pulling him closer so that the water couldn¡¯t pass between them, but trailed off down their sides.


    He brushed his lips at her temple and continued to check her all over, ensuring that he hadn¡¯t injured her. She slumped happily against his chest and shoulder, muttering to him not to fuss. But he couldn¡¯t stop touching her. His hands trembled, but no longer with desire, now with the simple, overwhelming love that had rocked him to his core.


    He could feel her, crystal clear. Feel her love for him, her weariness, her happiness¡­ feel that her marks ached, but not disturbingly so. Feel that she wished for nothing more than to simplyy with him.


    And he breathed a sigh of relief, because he felt the same.


    ¡°You¡¯re alive in my heart, Tarkyn,¡± she whispered against his neck. ¡°I can feel you.¡±


    He went still. ¡°Like I feel you?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I think so. I can feel that you were truly worried about hurting me. Don¡¯t. I hadn¡¯t realized how much you¡¯d leashed yourself. You don¡¯t need to. I want you as you are.¡±


    Her simple words took his breath away. He wrapped one hand over her head and the other around her back and squeezed her to him for a moment to let the wave of emotion pass. Then he sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the cave,¡± he murmured, tracing his hand up and down her spine.


    She sighed, but nodded.


    Tarkyn gave her a hand to steady her as she stood. Then slowly, with many touches and traces, they both got to their feet and hurried up to the cave to Tarkyn¡¯s stash of towels, where they dried each other, then applied ointment to their marks.


    When his finger brushed over her wounds, Harth shivered. He would have thought he had hurt her, but instead the hair raised on his arms because he could feel the tingling pleasure that washed over her.


    Then, both of them exhausted, they tumbled into the bed together, tangling legs and limbs until they made a single mound under the thick fur.


    And then they slept the deepest, most precious sleep Tarkyn could remember in his years as a soldier. As if not only his body rested, but also his heart¡­ and his very soul.

 Chapter 132 - 132 Safe With You

    132 Safe With You


    ~ JAYAH ~


    They had tried not to sleep the night before, to spend what hours they could be sure to have together learning each other. But eventually the silences between their whispers lengthened, the moments of quiet joy sharing the mindlink grew longer¡­


    Jayah woke the next morning, blinking, immediately disappointed that they¡¯d slept¡ªbut then just as quickly smiling.


    The great hulk of her mate rose behind her shoulder. His breath fluttered in her hair, his lips almost brushing her neck. His thick arm was thrown over her waist, and his knee pressed behind hers, resting on her straightened lower leg.


    She took a deep breath, and even in his sleep, his arm tightened on her, as if he instinctively feared she¡¯d move.


    Jayah smiled and let herself lean back into his chest.


    Skhal sucked in a long, slow breath as he came awake¡ªand his body did too.


    Jayah bit her lip, but didn¡¯t speak as Skhal buried his nose in her hair and inhaled deeply. ¡°Good morning,¡± he murmured, his voice deep and rough with sleep.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± she whispered, letting her fingers twine with his on her stomach.


    .....


    ¡°Turn around, let me see you,¡± he rasped.


    Jayah rolled over, smiling shyly to find his eyes sharp and intense on hers. Theyy facing each other and he brushed her hair back from her face, searching her eyes. Jayah held his forearm and watched him watching her, marveling at how sure she felt.


    She¡¯d heard about the matebond, the connection it provided¡ªand the sense of possession. She¡¯d seen it at work. But she¡¯d always thought it a product of their animal natures. A binding of sorts, something instinctive. She¡¯d never imagined it to be quite so¡­ emotional.


    Skhal frowned, touching her face with featherlight brushes of his tough fingers, and the tenderness in his gaze stole her breath.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have much time if they¡¯re going to believe you weren¡¯t gone,¡± he whispered.


    Jayah shook her head.


    The cave was dim, its mouth mostly covered by ferns and in the shadow of nearby trees. But the soft light of dawn still crept through, making the leaves glow green and heralding the beginning of a new day.


    She¡¯d be expected at the prison in a couple of hours at thetest. In truth, she¡¯d already bete, but found that her nerves centered on leaving her mate more than the questions she might encounter.


    ¡°If they scent me on you¡ª¡±


    ¡°I will tell them the truth. I¡¯m not ashamed of you, Skhal.¡±


    His hand stilled, tightening on her hair and the lines on his rugged face deepened as he frowned. ¡°You would just¡­ tell them?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d have no choice. If they think to test my scent, they¡¯ll know¡ªeven if they don¡¯t know who you are. Under the circumstances it won¡¯t take them long to figure out. It¡¯s far better for me to offer the information than for them to dominate me for it.¡±


    Skhal¡¯s face tightened. ¡°I agree on that point, but¡­¡± he blew out a breath, shaking his head. ¡°It doesn¡¯t feel right to leave you to face that alone. If¡­ If it happens I think you should tell me. I¡¯lle and speak to them¡ª¡±


    ¡°And leave Zev unaided?¡± Jayah said gently.


    Skhal¡¯s frown deepened and his fingers in her hair tightened even further. He trembled, torn in himself between the bond and his responsibilities to his Alpha and friend.


    She knew. She¡¯d been fighting that fight for the past week, watching her Queen fumble and fight her way through something that should have been a careful examination.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to leave you in their hands!¡± Skhal muttered fiercely.


    Jayah put her hand to his jaw, letting her thumb y against his beard. ¡°Skhal, I¡¯ve walked through two wars. In the first I joined the rebels out of loyalty to my tribe, then celebrated when they returned to our true King because it became clear that my people were¡­ not walking the Creator¡¯s path. I was embraced by the healer to the King and Queen at the time and helped deliver our current Queen when she was born.


    ¡°Then I stood alongside her and the soldiers as they faced the humans and their technology. I have never feared anything more than the sorcery they were able to achieve. And yet¡­ we won. The Queen has seen my loyalty and strength throughout her life¡ªI was trusted by her mother. If ites to it¡­ I don¡¯t believe she¡¯d call for my death.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re only in this ce because of her inability to see clearly!¡± Skhal pointed out.


    Jayah shrugged. ¡°Perhaps. But she could also have called for Zev¡¯s death before now and she hasn¡¯t. She hasn¡¯t lost herpassion, only her bnce. If our bond is revealed before I am ready to reveal it, I have to trust that the Creator brought that for a reason.¡±


    ¡°Of course, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°Skhal¡­¡± she inched closer to him,id a soft kiss on his lips, then drew back to meet his eyes again. ¡°I have no need of your cover. I will survive without it. But I want it.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps¡­¡± he rumbled, ¡°Perhaps I am in need of yours?¡±


    The thought was so humble, Jayah¡¯s breath caught. They locked eyes and her stomach flipped.


    She didn¡¯t want to leave him. Ever.


    ¡°I want you close,¡± she whispered. ¡°I want our people at peace. And I want my mate at my side. At my back.¡±


    ¡°I will never leave it willingly,¡± he replied, pulling her into his chest.


    ¡°I know. And¡­ this is going to be challenging. We are forced to walk alone to help and protect each other. Surely that must be both the worst and the best feeling? I would walk dly, calmly to my death if I knew it saved yours. But knowing that any harm thates to me might take you too¡­¡±


    It was the thought that had woken her in a cold sweat. The fear that had gripped her far more than any thought for her own death.


    She¡¯d heard the discussion of Tarkyn and Harth, this new bond that they¡¯d found, and the difference in the Chimera.


    Had she taken his bond, or he hers? She didn¡¯t know. But just the thought that her death could bring his¡­


    Suddenly, right and wrong were not so clearly defined.


    Suddenly, Jayah found herself afraid.

 Chapter 133 - 133 Touch My… Heart

    133 Touch My¡­ Heart


    ~ JAYAH ~


    Skhal shook his head, a low growl puttering in his throat. ¡°Be safe, Jayah. I will do as you instruct. I will walk where you point and wait when you ask. But¡­ promise me that you will have care for yourself. I can protect myself. You aren¡¯t the only one who¡¯s walked in battle. Trust me. Protect your own life. Please.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± she said, smiling. ¡°I¡¯m a healer, not a fighter.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what concerns me,¡± he said dryly.


    Jayah gave him a sly grin. ¡°Just because I choose not to fight doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t.¡±


    Skhal¡¯s brows popped up and his eyes shed. ¡°A soldier of stealth¡­ of course my mate is fierce,¡± he said, smiling, then lifting her hand to his lips and kissing her knuckles.


    They began to speak of the n then¡ªthe new n.


    Skhal would travel with her towards the Tree City so she could lead him through the route where his scent was least likely to be crossed. She¡¯d leave him on the outskirts of the city, just minutes walk from the prison. He couldmunicate with Zev throughout the day.


    Then, he would creep into the City itself that night, an hour after the high moon shift change.


    .....


    Jayah would give the guards a drink to dull their senses, then make them sleep. And when they¡¯re all knocked out, Skhal would lead Zev, Sasha and Zan back to their people.


    They were agreed. But Skhal still looked unhappy. ¡°What about you? What do you do when we¡¯re gone?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go to bed and wait to be told what has happened. Healers are everywhere all the time. I have been asked to be a part of this¡­ mission of care. I am highly trusted. They won¡¯t suspect me.¡±


    Skhal frowned, searching her gaze. ¡°And if they do?¡±


    ¡°I will flee to you.¡± She said the words so simply, without hesitation, because they were only true.


    In fact, the struggle for her would be to not flee with them from the moment Zev was free. It was in her heart to do it. She didn¡¯t want to be separated from her mate.


    But if her friends didn¡¯t test her scent, didn¡¯t detect her bond, she would be present to learn more and more¡ªand to offer counsel. It was the best for everyone.


    She and Skhal stared at each other, both of them scared, their hearts beating a fraction too fast. Both of them desperate¡ªbut knowing it had to be this way.


    Then Skhal sighed. ¡°Come to me, Jayah. Come back to me if you hear even the hint of war, or the scent of blood. Come to me. I¡¯ll keep you safe in my people.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± she said, though inside her heart sank. The truth was, if Elreth reacts explosively, there would be no time. She and the others would be trapped within the confines of the City as Tarkyn and Gar led them to war.


    She¡¯d been present for the beginning of two such asions. She knew how hard it would be to get free.


    But she would try.


    Skhal sighed again, then leaned in, tracing her nose with his.


    Jayah¡¯s heart clenched at the tiny gesture of tenderness. She leaned in to kiss him again. She¡¯d only intended toy her lips on his, to show him how he touched her heart. But as their mouths met, Skhal sucked in a breath and pulled her close, and Jayah found herself swept into his kiss¡­


    Her mate.


    Her mate. Her strong, courageous, thoughtful mate was there. And soon they would be parted.


    To hell with getting back to the Prison on a normal schedule.


    Jayah wrapped her arms around his neck and rolled back, pulling him with her, until hey over her. She wallowed in the weight of him, pressed into his touch.


    To hell with the time.


    To hell with the morning.


    To hell with this brewing war.


    Her mate was here now. The most precious of gifts.


    She would love him as often, and as long as she could.


    As Skhal took her mouth, his breath already rising, Jayah drew her hands up his back and tugged the furs higher that had fallen down the great slope of his body when he¡¯d rolled onto her. It was an instinctive gesture, a nurturing one. She didn¡¯t want him to grow cold as he covered her with his warmth.


    But he stopped kissing her for a moment, raised his head enough to meet her eyes and stared at her as if he was awed.


    ¡°What is it?¡± she asked, one hand on his neck, the other at his back.


    ¡°You,¡± he whispered, shaking his head in disbelief. ¡°I¡¯ve never had¡­ in my whole life¡­ Jayah, I am an elder among a people whose lives have been cut short, time and again. I have lived through invasion, kidnapping, experimentation, and I have fled certain death. I have walked in a n and advised and¡­ But no one has ever¡­ cared for me.¡±


    Jayah frowned. ¡°Your people don¡¯t care for you?¡± She was offended by the idea.


    Skhal gave a low chuckle. ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. I have dear friends and nmates and¡­ Yes, people care for me, mate. So you can put the fierce frown away. What I meant was¡­ My life is marked by the need to watch for myself. Provide for myself. I have worked with others, and our n shares responsibility. We serve each other. But I have never had another pair of hands to give thought to what I might need before I express it. You¡­ you care. You truly care. And it stole my breath.¡±


    ¡°Of course I do¡ªas you do for me. We are mates!¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know,¡± he smiled, his eyes dancing. ¡°But¡­ know that you touched my heart just now, lovely. That thought for myfort¡­ it touched me.¡±


    Jayah blew out a breath and pulled him down for another kiss, smiling into it as his breath quickened. ¡°I¡¯m d,¡± she whispered, against his lips, then let her tongue dart out to flicker against his. ¡°Now¡­ will you touch me?¡±


    Skhal stifled a boomingugh in her shoulder, then growled with delight.


    ¡°My mate¡¯s wish is mymand,¡± he said with a sly mischief, then dove under the furs to open his mouth on her breast so that Jayah gasped and forgot all about nurturing,pletely.


    *****


    GREAT NEWS! The new year begins in 3 days with a mass release for standard readers, and COMPLETELY NEW MATERIAL for >ALL< privilege tiers. So no matter what reading you¡¯re doing in January, look forward to a lot of extra content when the new year begins here on Webnovel!

 Chapter 134 - 134 A Soldier’s Heart

    134 A Soldier¡¯s Heart


    ~ TARKYN ~


    The next morning, Tarkyn was down in the valley alone, gathering wood. He¡¯d gone an hour earlier, telling Harth he only intended to run a quick patrol, but the bond was too clear between them. She¡¯d known he was struggling, but let him go.


    He¡¯d been too long in thought. He could feel her approaching, worry simmering in her chest. He¡¯d worried her. Guilt washed over him.


    He stooped to pick up another dry branch as he felt her draw close. When he stood and turned she was in front of him, watching him warily.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± she asked quietly, already knowing the answer.


    Tarkyn set down the bundle of sticks and dry brush, then ran a hand through his hair. He wasn¡¯t quite sure what to say.


    Was he good? No. But could he exin why? Not really.


    It just happened sometimes. He¡¯d gone to sleep the night before awash with joy and excitement for the bond and his mate and everything that was happening between them, his heart optimistic¡ªhe¡¯d even spent some time thinking about how to approach Elreth about sending him to the Chimera before he slept¡­


    Then he¡¯d woken that morning tense. Breathing was difficult at times. His body humming with adrenaline as if an enemy watched his back. But there was none there.


    .....


    It wasn¡¯t an unfamiliar feeling. Most soldiers he knew experienced it at times. And most of the time it would ease without intervention.


    He only cursed that it happened now, when things were so beautiful around him.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to be fine, Harth.¡±


    She frowned. ¡°Did I upset¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, no, Love. No.¡± Cursing himself for his thoughtlessness, he stepped quickly forward and pulled her into his chest, holding her as she clung to his waist. ¡°This is nothing to do with you. It¡¯s an instinct. Something on the wind. As if my body senses danger, but my eyes and ears can¡¯t identify it. I don¡¯t know what makes it happen, but whenever ites, it just makes me restless. It just happens sometimes without warning. I¡¯m a male of action and when there¡¯s nothing I can do it¡¯s as if my body bes¡­ agitated.¡±


    Harth sighed in his arms. She didn¡¯t lift her head from his chest. ¡°Do we need to go back to the Tree City?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± He wouldn¡¯t say he hadn¡¯t considered it. But he¡¯d forced himself to look at the situation from all sides¡ªthe strategist. Not the male. ¡°I¡¯m confident Gar will let me know when the time is right to return. And I wouldn¡¯t lose this time with you for the world, Harth. I¡¯m so grateful that we have it. Who knows when we¡¯ll get more? Honestly¡­ I wish we could stay here forever.¡±


    Harth did pull her head up to look at him then. ¡°Except when you feel like you need to do something?¡±


    Tarkyn chuckled. ¡°Yes. that¡¯s right.¡± He didn¡¯t want to talk about it further¡ªspeaking of it only seemed to increase the feeling¡ªso instead he pulled her hair aside and checked her wound where he had imed her. She shivered when he brushed it with his fingers.


    ¡°Is that pain?¡± he asked, though he was fairly certain it wasn¡¯t. He could feel the thrill in her belly.


    ¡°No,¡± she sighed, smiling. ¡°It feels wonderful when you touch it. Whenever you touch it, it¡¯s like my bodyes alive. I feel you even more deeply.¡±


    Tarkyn smiled genuinely then. Regardless of what else might be happening, he was so grateful for the link they shared. When he was agitated like this, he needed to be alone a lot. But the bond allowed him to not be torn, wondering if she was safe, or hurting. He¡¯d been able to feel her for thest hour, knowing that she was content.


    Except in her worry for him.


    Worry that skated across her face behind the warm joy. ¡°This isn¡¯t normal, Tarkyn. Even for the newly mated,¡± she said quietly.


    He nodded his head. ¡°I know. This bond¡­ something is different between us.¡±


    ¡°Does any of this seem normal for you? For the Anima?¡±


    Tarkyn thought on it for a moment. ¡°The focus¡­ the single-mindedness for the other person. The desire. Those things aremon and I¡¯ve seen them at work. Our joy and desire for each other aren¡¯t unique,¡± he smiled, winking at her. Harth¡¯s cheeks flushed. ¡°But not this ability to feel each other in such a tangible way. My friends have always described a feeling of being¡­ united. Together with another. As if they¡¯re a unit. And I feel that, too. But¡­ this is more.¡±


    Harth nodded ¡°Our link seemed normal to me until you imed me. Until then, I could sense the direction you were in when I concentrated. Speaking in your mind is very normal for wolves, especially among mates and family. And the desire, the unity, I feel that too. But there¡¯s more now.¡±


    ¡°You can feel my heart? My mind?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°But even more than that, Tarkyn,¡± she whispered. Then to his surprise, she reached up to push back the neckline of his shirt and stroke the ce where she had bitten him.


    Her fingers there felt like feathers and ice, leaving his skin pebbled and his body trembling. He stifled a groan.


    ¡°That,¡± Harth whispered. ¡°I can feel that. Feel your pleasure. It¡¯s as if¡­ when I touch that, or when you touch mine, it opens a link between us. Something even deeper¡ªit¡¯s like I¡¯m inside your skin, Tarkyn. Now, when I don¡¯t touch it, I can feel you¡ªknow if you¡¯re hurt, or how you feel. But when you touch that¡­ ¡±


    Tarkyn nodded, he understood what she meant. Though he didn¡¯t understand what purpose it would y in their lives. Except, perhaps, to increase pleasure.


    ¡°I keep wondering if this is what it means to be ardent¡­ ¡± Harth mused.


    ¡°Sasha mentioned that word. What does it mean to you?¡±


    Harth¡¯s throat bobbed. ¡°Ardent mates are vowed to each other to death.¡±


    ¡°I thought that was the Chimeran matebond?¡±


    ¡°Our bond drags us to death when one of us dies. Always. But it can take months, or even years. The Ardent bond is different again¡­ your hearts beat together. If one stops¡­ the other does too. Immediately.¡±


    They looked at each other and Tarkyn¡¯s breath almost stopped.

 Chapter 135 - 135 The Purpose

    135 The Purpose


    ~ TARKYN ~


    It was a moment in which fear could rule.


    Tarkyn, very serious, gently ced his hand between Harth¡¯s breasts so he could feel her pulse against his palm. Their eyes locked.


    ¡°Our hearts beat in time,¡± he said, awed.


    She nodded. ¡°Does that frighten you?¡±


    ¡°Not for myself. Not at all. I wouldn¡¯t want to live a day in this world without you.¡±


    Harth made a little noise in her throat and threw herself into his chest as if she might cry.


    As Tarkyn stroked her hair and searched his mind for ways he might soothe her, he blinked. Surprised. ¡°There¡¯s something more here, Harth.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    .....


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. But when I touched you, when I started examining the bond my agitation eased. I think¡­ I think we can affect each other.¡± He frowned, his mind suddenly spinning with a dozen different thoughts. ¡°We need to explore this further. How do you feel about an experiment or two?¡±


    Harth¡¯s eyes widened and she gasped, tensing.


    It took a beat for him to realize¡­ what a terrible choice of words!


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Love! I didn¡¯t mean¡­ I only meant¡­ research. Let¡¯s see what the boundaries of our bond are. That¡¯s all. Let¡¯s test it.¡±


    Harth drew in a deep breath and smiled. ¡°Yes, of course. I know. I knew you didn¡¯t mean¡­ I just¡­ it just took me by surprise. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Tarkyn leaned down to kiss her and for the first of his experiments, traced his fingers along her iming wounds as he did so, murmuring his love and care against her lips.


    Harth shivered. He felt her anxiety ease.


    It was fascinating.


    When they pulled apart, his mind was turned entirely to the puzzle of it. ¡°Let¡¯s start with distance. I¡¯ll run to the foothills and we¡¯ll see how much space we can cross before it fades. Then we¡¯ll try the ravine and see if having rock walls between us causes an interference¡­¡±


    He wasn¡¯t quite sure why Harth was looking at him with amusement, but he loved that she was game to try whatever he chose.


    That is, until the little minx waited until he was a mile away to send him her mental image of how it looked to her when he¡¯d entered her that morning, his head thrown back and his hand on her breast.


    How the hell was he supposed to concentrate on a task with that running around in his head?


    *****


    That afternoon, after spending a couple of hours exploring the boundaries of their bond¡ªand finding few¡ªTarkyn wrapped a bundle of food and waterskins into a fur and ced it in one of his hunting bags. Then he took Harth¡¯s hand and led her up the trail, higher into the foothills. They climbed up the mountainside to a lookout spot he knew where they could watch the sun go down.


    As they walked, Harth asked him more questions about WildWood and the Anima, how it felt to live there when there wasn¡¯t conflict or bloodshed.


    Tarkyn found his heart easing as he remembered the good days¡ªthe times with his brother soldiers when they yed pranks on each other.


    The Festivals, when everyone gathered in the Market to feast together, then the tables were pulled out to the edges so that the dancing could happen at its center.


    ¡°You dance?¡± Harth asked, her eyebrows high.


    Tarkyn smiled. ¡°I do okay.¡±


    ¡°What kind of dancing do you do here?¡± she asked, smiling.


    Tarkyn blinked. ¡°There¡¯s more than one kind?¡±


    ¡°Of course! I mean, is it just like¡­ dancing where you just move to the music? Or is there like set steps, or¡ª¡±


    Harth pulled him to a halt on the trail, her expression curious. ¡°Do you dance alone, or together?¡±


    ¡°Together,¡± he said promptly.


    ¡°Is it like this?¡±


    Tarkyn¡¯s eyes went wide as his mate suddenly began to¡­ convulse. She raised her hands, but moved her body in smooth, rippling waves, swinging her hips and¡­


    He swallowed hard, his body responding to the movements that were so reminiscent of lovemaking he looked around quickly to make certain no one else was near.


    ¡°No,¡± he said a momentter, his voice strangled, when she stopped and looked at him. ¡°Is that¡­ are you¡­ that looks very much like¡ª¡±


    Harth grinned at him. ¡°Did you like that?¡±


    ¡°Yes, very much!¡± his groin was tight and his voice as well. ¡°But¡­ please don¡¯t do that in the market, Harth. I¡¯m thankful that we¡¯re mated¡ªif we weren¡¯t and you did that, I would be fighting every other male in the room for your attention.¡±


    Harth snorted. ¡°Hardly. But if you don¡¯t dance like that, how do you do it?¡±


    His body still tingling and very much aroused, Tarkyn decided that there was no harm in pressing his mate up against his body and showing her, despite the fact that there was no music.


    So he put his bag aside, took her hand and pulled her close so she was pressed against his belly, then snaked an arm around her waist and began to lead her in a gentle circle.


    She was uncertain, like a child just learning, but she beamed at him. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s kind of like ballroom dancing?¡±


    Tarkyn didn¡¯t know what ballroom dancing was, but he quickly turned her and tipped her back, catching her weight when she gave a little squeak, then kissing away her surprise, his body thrumming.


    He loved to dance.


    He hadn¡¯t even thought about what a joy it would be to dance with his mate.


    When he pulled her upright again, Harth was flushed and smiling. Touching her hair.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s lovely. I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll be excited to do that again.¡±


    Tarkyn snorted. If he had his way, she would do more of her Chimeran dancing for him. But he supposed this was hardly the moment, or the location.


    Looking around at the rocks and trees, the sheer cliff beside them and the rugged, mountainous rise above, he sighed.


    If only he¡¯d thought to raise the dancing when they were back at the cave.


    Reluctantly, he picked up his bag and slung it over his shoulder, taking her hand again. ¡°We¡¯ll discuss this¡­ dance of yours more. Another time,¡± he said darkly.


    Harth snorted.


    *****


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 Chapter 136 - 136 To be Here with You

    136 To be Here with You


    ~ TARKYN ~


    Eventually his body rxed and it was no longer torturous to walk alongside Harth on the trail and not take her. Eventually her questions broke through and his mind was distracted from that vision of her rippling body¡ªthough he still looked forward to the day he might see it again.


    Harth continued to babble her questions about this world and the people who inhabited it.


    He exined that the southern and northern ranges created a natural barrier, hemming the WildWood between them. That the only tribe that lived outside it was the Bears¡ªwho had a tense and difficult history with the rest of the Anima.


    ¡°They have gone to war with the other Anima in living memory,¡± Tarkyn said, his voice dark. ¡°We always have to be careful to watch for them when they¡¯re moving. But most of the time they prefer to be alone. It¡¯s really only a problem in winter after a sparse summer. Thest time we had trouble it was because they were drawn further down into the londs than usual to find food.¡±


    ¡°Are there any other ns out there?¡± Harth asked.


    ¡°Not that we know of. Though it sounds like we may have some of your creatures here now. That will be interesting.¡±


    Harth looked a little troubled. He made a mental note to ask her more about the creatures at a time when he wasn¡¯t trying to be romantic.


    For the sake of this evening which was supposed to be rxing, he changed the subject then. He turned her attention to their future and painted the picture he hoped and prayed daily would eventuallye to them. He spoke to her of the WildWood, the tribes, the hierarchy¡­ how, when all these issues were sorted out, she would be embraced by both the Pride, as his mate, and the Lupine tribe as a wolf.


    .....


    ¡°Technically, you¡¯ll belong to the Lupines, but the Pride will wee you as a surrogate daughter.¡±


    Harth looked very thoughtful at that. And not happily. ¡°And our offspring¡­ if we¡¯re able to have them?¡± she asked quietly.


    ¡°They will belong to whichever tribe their animal belongs to¡ªbut again, embraced by all. The Anima raise our children together. I can¡¯t wait, Harth. I can¡¯t wait until we can bring our children among the pride, whether they¡¯re lions or not.¡±


    They reached the outlook an hourter.


    Tarkyn spread out the fur he¡¯d brought and they sat together, watching out to the North, the massive and intimidating peaks of the Northern Range looking like the Creator¡¯s own teeth rising out of the ground.


    The mountains were virtually impassible, yet stunningly beautiful. And he discovered Harth emotional, looking at them.


    ¡°They have snow,¡± she said with a little sniff. ¡°It reminds me of home.¡±


    He held her to his side, but she wiped her eyes quickly, shaking her head. Her skin glowed in the evening light, warmed by the deep pinks and oranges of the sunset in front of them.


    Tarkyn found his own chest tightening at the sight. He¡¯d forgotten she would feel that.


    ¡°What is it?¡± she asked quietly, putting her hand to his chest.


    He blew out a breath. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you how many times I¡¯vee here alone and wished for this moment.¡±


    As they watched the sun disappear behind mountains, the rays cutting across the sky like des over the trees, Harth cleared her throat.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen anything more beautiful¡­ except you.¡±


    Tarkyn snorted. ¡°I am a male, and an Alpha. I am not ¡®beautiful¡¯.¡±


    But Harth insisted. ¡°Yes, you are, Tarkyn. And not just your body. Your heart. Your strength. Your integrity¡­ all of it¡¯s beautiful to me.¡±


    Tarkyn was stunned to silence. He took her hand and twined their fingers, holding it on his thigh and seeing how much smaller her fingers were against his. It made his heart thump. A rush of protectiveness washed over him. But to his chagrin, his agitation was beginning to rise again too.


    Harth felt it. ¡°It¡¯s bothering you that you aren¡¯t home. Maybe we should go back?¡± she said slowly, clearly not excited about the idea.


    Tarkyn shook his head. ¡°No. Gar knows his sister. And El¡­ I hurt her¡ªemotionally and physically. She¡¯s far more likely to forgive me if she has time to miss me. Besides, I can¡¯t be there when Zev gets out. it¡¯s important that I¡¯m not seen to be associated with that.¡±


    Harth sighed. ¡°Why can nothing be easy? Why can none of these people see that my people are good?¡±


    Tarkyn sighed. ¡°Can you see that El is good?¡±


    Harth was quiet, even in his mind.


    He took her hand. ¡°She is, Harth. She¡¯s strong and she has a temper. But you¡¯ll never find another female more loyal or more giving to those she protects. Her fear is driving her right now. She lost her family to that conflict¡ªand almost lost her mate. It was only a year ago and she¡¯s young. She¡¯s¡­ been scarred.¡±


    ¡°So are we.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°And that¡¯s why I¡¯m going to make sure that your Alpha is free, and my Queen understands that you¡¯re good too¡ªall of you. I can¡¯t wait until the day everyone is seeing clearly and we¡¯re all in this together. Then everyone will see how wonderful everyone else is.¡±


    Harth smiled at that as he sent her an image of Sasha and Elreth hugging. She leaned into him and hugged him, snuggling her face into his chest.


    Unable to resist, he pulled her to sit between his thighs so he could hold her and watch the sunset over her shoulder.


    After that, they sat together quietly, barely moving or speaking as the Creator painted the sky in zing red, then purple and pink, and then¡­ finally¡­ darkness.


    It was only when the night had truly descended and the rock beneath them began to chill that he finally sighed and got up to lead Harth back to the cave.


    But he never stopped praying that together they would find a way through this that would allow them to return to this mountain, and this spot, to watch the sunset together again without this cloud hanging over them.


    He never stopped praying for that.

 Chapter 137 - 137 Walking the Line – Part 1

    137 Walking the Line ¨C Part ~ JAYAH ~


    Jayah strode away from the prison tree, down the trail on her way to the healing center, marveling and humbled at the level of trust she enjoyed.


    No one had asked her why she waste that morning¡ªit was, apparently, epted that if she waste, there was a good reason for it.


    No onemented when she¡¯d chosen to take the lunch meal at the market, rather than with the guards at the prison as she¡¯d been doing every day since she was called in to attend the Chimeran Alpha.


    And no one thought twice when she took dinner there as well, and left after the baby¡¯s first evening feed.


    With each trip to the market, she¡¯d stuffed dried meats and fruits into her bag. She¡¯d even begged two small loaves of bread from the kitchens on her way out¡ªagain, without question.


    She¡¯d known she was trusted among the Anima, known that her association with the royal family offered her a certain amount of prestige. But she supposed she¡¯d never thought to test its limits. Never needed it.


    It was humbling knowing that the very first time she did, she took actions some would consider treason.


    And though her conscience was clear that her motives were for the best for the Anima, the niggling voice at the back of her head, the one that whispered in her ear and closed cold fingers on the back of her neck, didn¡¯t entirely leave her.


    .....


    But there was no time to analyze it deeply, no time for self-indulgence.


    In truth, though her mind was uneasy, her heart was full. Her mate was near. Hidden in a copse of trees she knew where the ground sank below the level of dirt¡ªan old tree had died, its entire root structure rotting out from underneath the earth, leaving a wide bowl in the ground that could fit half-a-dozen fully grown males.


    She¡¯d often thought it was a good spot for an enemy to hide and had even raised its location to Tarkyn months earlier.


    The irony wasn¡¯t lost on her.


    She shook off the thought though. Night was beginning to fall over the WildWood. The shadows beneath the trees darkening and deepening. Though she and Skhal weren¡¯t speaking through the link at that moment, they¡¯d stayed open to each other.


    She could feel the tension in his muscles, his gentle patience warring with his sense of urgency. And his perked ears as he watched for the approach of any Anima guards or patrols, though Jayah doubted they would find him so close to the prison.


    But then, as she walked in the quiet evening, Skhal did speak in her mind, and Jayah¡¯s own nerves jangled.


    ¡®I¡¯d like to bring you to a link with Zev. I think he needs the reassurance of speaking with you himself.¡¯


    Jayah agreed and after a moment, felt herself drawn into a link that was¡­ odd.


    The Anima wolves could link one on one, or within a chosen group¡ªwhen any agreed for their minds to be open to others, it simply was.


    She¡¯d shared simr ease with Skhal, though he felt different in it. But this link¡­ it felt forced. Or¡­ as if it drew energy from her.


    ¡®I¡¯m here, Zev,¡¯ she sent tentatively. ¡®I¡¯m going to make a tea that will make tonight¡¯s guards sleep so Skhal can get you out.¡¯


    ¡®Why would you help me?¡¯ The Chimeran Alpha¡¯s tone was dark and sharp.


    Jayah felt rather than heard Skhal growl a warning to him, but Zev didn¡¯t apologize. He waited for her reply.


    ¡®I am convinced that our peoples are brothers and sisters, not enemies. That we have all been harmed by amon enemy. That you need help to find your freedom, and my Queen needs to¡­ see that you and your people can be trusted. I know your mate has a good heart. I trust that you do also,¡¯ she sent, allowing the edge of warning to creep into her tone.


    Back and forth, words perfunctory and orders given, they made the n for the night¡ªJayah emphasizing to Zev that it was critical the guards before the shift change heard or saw nothing abnormal¡ªthat they didn¡¯t put the night shift guards on alert.


    Zev understood and agreed, and Skhal reassured her that Zev was well aware of the strategic needs of this kind of operation.


    Jayah was relieved by her mate¡¯s confidence, but the cold, distant feel of the Chimeran Alpha tore at her¡ªhalf of her pressed to even greater urgency to get the male free. Though he guarded himself closely, there was a certain intimacy that came with the link. She could feel the shadows in him. Feel the tension that threatened to snap his control. If this male was going to heal, he needed to get out of that prison. Now.


    And yet¡­ that same darkness was a warning. What if their rescue mission went wrong? What if they were disturbed? What if freedom and the tension of running from the danger snapped thest thread of his control?


    For the first time, Jayah harbored doubts that freedom was the best course for the male. But she also knew herself well enough to know that her fears for the Anima she loved were coloring that.


    If she could free Zev without any risk to others beyond herself, she would.


    ¡®Zev,¡¯ she sent grimly, ¡®Do you vow to me that you will trust us to get you out? That you¡¯ll harm no one, take no revenge?¡¯


    There was a silent moment that made the hair on Jayah¡¯s arms stand up, but then Zev responded. ¡®I will harm no one except in defense of myself or my family,¡¯ he said finally. ¡®You have my word before the Creator.¡¯


    And so she decided and stayed the course.


    But as she listened to her mate and the wolf-Alpha coordinate and saw what they would do, her heart sank.


    Their n was good and true. But Jayah knew that things never went as nned. And what responsibility would she hold for unleashing this wolf among her people if it went truly bad?


    That was a question she couldn¡¯t answer until it was done.


    *****


    THERE WILL BE A MASS RELEASE TOMORROW! I am taking 2 days off over Christmas, so there will be no releases for 48 hours, BUT I will release FIVE chapters tomorrow so you get all your chapters, plus some special extras!


    MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM ME! Thank you for being a gift from God to me this year!

 Chapter 138 - 138 [Bonus chapter] Walking the Line – Part 2

    138 [Bonus chapter] Walking the Line ¨C Part ~ JAYAH ~


    When Zev broke the link and she was left alone in her mind with Skhal, she turned to her mate.


    ¡®That male is a de. A weapon. And his mind is dark. Are there healers among your people ustomed to dealing with those internal wounds? Because his flesh may not bleed, but there is harm to his mind.¡¯


    Skhal quietly agreed. ¡®I wish you could see him when he¡¯s in a good headspace, Jayah. You¡¯d love him. And he¡¯d love you. He¡¯s so hurt because his heart is soft. He adores his mate, and has yearned to be a father. He fought a sick and desperate war with the humans for months before he came here. You have to understand, the hope of this ce is what kept him going until they got Zan back. His normal self is¡­ well, if not sunny, he is warm and¡­ The male that you¡¯re seeing here is the male the humans molded, the assassin they forced him to be. Not the natural state of him.


    ¡®I promise you, Jayah. He¡¯s like my younger brother¡ªI love him. And he loves his people. And he¡¯lle to love yours. He just needs to reach a ce of safety.¡¯


    Then he sent her an image of them together¡ªJayah and Skhal, Zev and Sasha, and half-a-dozen other Chimera that Jayah didn¡¯t know, all of them sitting around a fire in an evening, smiling andughing, the males teasing each other and the females humbling the males.


    It was a warm image that made Jayah¡¯s heart sing to be included in it.


    With a rush of joy, she showed him her home, her people¡ªsitting in the market at a feast. The feeling of warmth and humor, the affinity she anticipated between Skhal and Tarkyn, and the way Gar would tease and Elreth would roll her eyes¡ªthen Aaryn would set them all down a peg.


    Her heart swelled with love for her dear friends and leaders...


    .....


    But she and Skhal both went quiet in the bond then, because she was sure it came home to him as deeply as it suddenly struck her¡­


    Where would they live? Whose life would be upended?


    Neither of them spoke about it, but they sat in the grief and uncertainty together.


    Jayah reached for him in it, the love she felt for him, bringing tears to her eyes. She let herself remember the feeling of being wrapped in his arms and the warm strength of his calloused hands.


    ¡®The Creator will show us, Skhal. He got us this far.¡¯


    Her mate agreed, and her nerves were soothed somewhat with knowing that no matter where they ended up, they would be surrounded by love.


    She only had to pray that they did, indeed, end up together and alive and¡ª


    ¡®I can hardly wait to be surrounded by your love again, my mate,¡¯ Skhal growled through the link.


    Jayah¡¯s cheeks flushed, not with embarrassment, but with heat and she gave a throatyugh. But just as she did, she passed an equine guard on the trail who looked at her strangely. She waved him off, but hurried forward to the healing center.


    She had to stay focused. She couldn¡¯t give anyone any reason for rm. Night had descended. She had less than three hours until the shift change. Skhal only had to remain undetected for that long, then¡­


    Then she would make it possible for him to remove Zev. Safely. Safely, she prayed.


    Her stomach thrummed with nervous tension.


    Then, just as she took the corner in the trail that would lead her to the door of the healing center, she almost ran into the wide chest of Gar, obviously having just left the building and in a hurry.


    Adrenaline coursed through her body until she wanted to shake.


    She stepped back as if to give him room, but in truth, she was shifting herself to make sure she was downwind.


    She¡¯d been doing that all day. Most Anima wouldn¡¯t analyze the scent of a friend they trusted unless they felt threatened or worried. But Gar scented for truth, and was remarkably astute. If he caught any whiff of her changed scent¡ª


    ¡°Jayah, thank goodness. I was looking for you.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked quickly. ¡°Is the baby okay? I only left a few minutes ago¡ª¡±


    ¡°The baby is fine. I had no idea you were staying at the prison sote¡ªthank you for being so diligent. You don¡¯t need to do that. There must be healers we can trust to watch over the care of the babe?¡±


    He would have continued, but Jayah waved him off. ¡°I want to be present,¡± she said quickly. ¡°Elreth called me for the care of Zev as well as his son. I¡¯m more worried about the Alpha, to bepletely honest with you.¡±


    Gar¡¯s face went grim and he nodded. ¡°We are working on¡­ easing this for him.¡±


    ¡°I know. And I know Elreth wants to protect us all, but that male is on edge. I worry for the guards being so close to him for so long. His scent¡­ he¡¯s¡ª¡±


    ¡°I know. I know,¡± Gar said, raking a hand through his hair and grimacing. ¡°I¡¯m working on it, Jayah. Truly.¡±


    ¡°I know¡­¡± Then she tilted her head and made herself meet his eye. Gar was the son of her dear friend, the former Queen¡ªElreth and Gar¡¯s mother. Jayah had vowed herself to their care literally since the day they were born. And here she was possibly leaving them¡­ this might be herst chance to honor her promise to her friend.


    She prayed it wasn¡¯t so. But just in case¡­


    ¡°Are you okay, Gar? Rika hasn¡¯t been around much. And Elreth¡¯s resting. Are you¡­ are you well?¡±


    Gar waved her off. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Rika has a friend who¡¯s struggling and she¡¯s trying to help. I¡¯ve been consumed with this shitshow. That¡¯s all. It¡¯s life.¡±


    Jayah didn¡¯t like the way his eyes drifted away from her as he spoke. Her heart went out to him.


    *****


    GREAT NEWS! The new year begins in 3 days with a mass release for standard readers, and COMPLETELY NEW MATERIAL for >ALL< privilege tiers. So no matter what reading you¡¯re doing in January, look forward to a lot of extra content when the new year begins here on Webnovel!

 Chapter 139 - 139 Walking the Line – Part 3

    139 Walking the Line ¨C Part ~ JAYAH ~


    ¡°I know it¡¯s life but¡­ I¡¯ve always seen Elia¡¯s heart in you, Gar. Even more than your sister, though please don¡¯t tell Elreth I said so.¡±


    Gar snorted, but Jayah plowed on. ¡°You carry a tribe now¡ªhow are the Protectors? I¡¯ve been so consumedtely I haven¡¯t checked in¡ª¡±


    Gar¡¯s eyes lit up. He beamed with pride. ¡°They are thriving,¡± he said in a low, pleased voice that sounded so much like his father¡¯s, Jayah¡¯s breath stopped. Unaware of her reaction, Gar continued. ¡°My Alphas are handling the people. There are already many new mate-pairs forming. It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s very gratifying. The people are happy.¡±


    Jayah blinked back tears. ¡°And are you?¡± she asked simply.


    Gar¡¯s forehead wrinkled as he considered that. Then he smiled, but there were shadows behind his eyes too. ¡°I¡¯m very happy with my mate. I¡¯m very happy with my tribe.¡±


    Jayah sighed and wished she could pull him in for a hug. ¡°But are you happy?¡± she repeated quietly, as she knew his mother would have.


    Gar¡¯s eyes dropped to his feet and his voice deepened too. ¡°I¡¯m still finding my feet. But Elreth is struggling more than me,¡± he said, concerned.


    Jayah nodded. ¡°Elreth is also Queen, and with many to attend to her needs. Do you have any who would attend to yours?¡±


    .....


    Gar huffed. ¡°I don¡¯t need that kind of attendance. Honestly, it¡¯s always driven me a little crazy.¡±


    But Jayah folded her arms. ¡°We all need attendance¡ªespecially in loss and grief, Gar,¡± she said. ¡°Your mother was simrly stoic¡ªsending those away who came to help her without care for her own needs. It isn¡¯t healthy. Forgive me, but denial isn¡¯t strength.


    ¡°Your mother was a beautiful woman and a beautiful heart. But she wasn¡¯t perfect, Gar. Don¡¯t confuse humility withck of need. It isn¡¯t wrong to need people. It isn¡¯t wrong to lean on others. And it isn¡¯t wrong to be weak.¡±


    Gar became very obviously ufortable. ¡°I¡¯m doing fine,¡± he insisted. ¡°I¡¯m coping well. Much better than Elreth. Elreth is the one who needs¡ª¡±


    ¡°No. Elreth¡¯s heart is broken, and it shows. It is good and right that she demonstrates her pain. It¡¯s real. You appear¡­ untouched. But you aren¡¯t. That¡¯s not healthy, Gar. It¡¯s easy for those around you, but it¡¯s not healthy.¡±


    He shrugged and looked a little sullen. But he didn¡¯tsh out as he might have a couple years earlier¡ªnor did he insist on leaving the conversation.


    The male had grown into a man in the past year or so, Jayah thought, with a heart that swelled with love for her friend, Elia, wishing the former Queen could see her son today. How much like his father he was bing.


    ¡°The anima need you and your heart, Gar. We need you. Don¡¯t let yourself be broken for pride.¡±


    He nodded thoughtfully. But then footsteps sounded behind Jayah and her heart rate increased, praying that whoever it was wouldn¡¯t analyze her scent.


    Gar caught eyes with whoever it was and nodded¡ªit was clearly someone looking for him. So he turned to give her a sad smile. ¡°Thank you,¡± he murmured, then leaned in to hug her.


    Jayah held her breath. He was preupied, distracted, but he might¡ª


    She pulled out of his arms as he huffed.


    ¡°Wait, Jayah¡ª¡±


    But then the guard reached them and Gar was pulled away to address a conflict between trainees so that they didn¡¯t have to call the King out.


    He rushed away without asking his question and Jayah¡¯s heart beat slowed a little.


    As she walked to the healing center she felt weighed down, knowing that she might not be around to keep an eye on Reth and Elia¡¯s children any longer.


    Not that they weren¡¯t capable of caring for themselves¡ªand everyone else. But¡­ but they carried such a load, and she¡¯d always intended to help them bear it.


    They were the ones she had invested in when she never found her own mate or had a family. She honored her old friend Elia in that way.


    Skhal reached for her in the link, just to brush her awareness and she smiled. Her mate honored his leader in that way as well. They had simr hearts.


    As she stepped into the healing center, relieved to find it empty for now, she couldn¡¯t deny to herself that if she was forced to leave it would feel like a failure. And yet, she also couldn¡¯t deny that her mate was her creator-given purpose.


    She prayed that they could find a way to bring their people together so neither of them has to say goodbye to loved ones.


    Tears wanted toe¡ªtears of pain and fear and grief. But she swallowed them back and began to quickly pull out and measure the herbs she¡¯d need for the tea she was going to prepare for the guards. It needed to steep for a couple hours to be fully effective.


    ¡®Are you well, my mate?¡¯ Skhal breathed in her head.


    She sent him an image of them embracing. ¡®I will be,¡¯ she assured him. Her heart was immediately easier.


    ¡®Are you certain? I can feel your stress¡ªif this puts you in a bad¡ª¡±


    ¡®No, Skhal. It¡¯s not that. I¡­ would grieve far more to be separated from you. I¡¯m just worried about how things might go. I want to see our loved ones learning to love each other. But¡­ the most important thing to me is you. I can¡¯t fathom being separated from you.¡¯


    Nothing else mattered in the face of that. It shouldn¡¯t be that way, she knew. But it was a fierce reality, and Jayah had always been a wolf to ept difficult truths that she couldn¡¯t change.


    And she could feel Skhal¡¯s resistance to the idea of their distance, too¡ªthe feel of his heart reminded her of how she felt when she walked into a sickroom and could smell death descending. Everything within her fought the idea, even while she knew it was likely inevitable.


    Suddenly strangled by fear, she reached for his heart through the bond, and he sent a rush of love back.


    ¡®Just a few more hours. Then we¡¯ll be together¡­¡¯


    Jayah agreed. She agreed and it reassured her. But she couldn¡¯t deny the asking¡­ to what cost?

 Chapter 140 - 140 Walking the Line – Part 4

    140 Walking the Line ¨C Part ~ JAYAH ~


    Three hourster Jayah hurried towards the prison, her arms weighed down with mugs and a heated teapot. The night was chill and steam rose from her breath and also the tea pot.


    When she reached the cones of light that surrounded the prison, the nearest guards looked up warily, having heard her approaching. But they smiled when they saw what she carried.


    ¡°Just a drink to warm your insides on a cold night,¡± she murmured, praying they¡¯d put her pounding heart down to carrying the difficult burden all the way from the healing center.


    ¡°Thank you, Jayah!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so thoughtful!¡±


    They¡¯re very grateful.


    As she gave them each a mug and began to pour, she distracted them from her task by asking how the prisoners were doing.


    ¡°It¡¯s all been very quiet. The earlier shift said there¡¯s been no disruption all day. It¡¯s good. It¡¯s been a rest for all of us.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Ah, but that makes it harder not to fall asleep, right?¡± Jayah said with a wink to the young guards, who grinned.


    ¡°Shhhhhh, don¡¯t tell the Captain.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m certain the Captain already knows.¡±


    She hurried around to them so they would all feel the effects at the same time. There were eight guards in total, pairs at north, south, east, and west of the prison tree, though they spread out at times, and shifted positions to keep themselves awake through the night, she knew.


    When she¡¯d served thest one and stood back to make sure they all drank, she was humbled again. There weren¡¯t many who could bring them food or drink while on shift that they wouldn¡¯t doubt in the least. And she knew she was breaching that trust¡ªthough for their protection. Still. That scared her. Even for a good purpose, it was still a betrayal.


    She waited to regather the mugs one by one, making small talk with the guards as she did so, but then she felt Zev scratching at her mind and she opened to him warily.


    ¡®Thank you,¡¯ His voice was far tighter, more tortured than it had been earlier. As if he struggled to hold himself back.


    He was more open¡ªperhaps unwillingly¡ªand she could feel not only his grief warring with his hope, but also the simmering rage. The intensity of his stress was¡­ overwhelming. Toxic, it swirled in his blood.


    That kind of darkness would end sanity.


    Jayah blew out a breath as she gathered thest of the mugs.


    She was doing the right thing.


    If Zev didn¡¯t get out of there soon he was going to break, then no one would be safe.


    ¡®It will be half an hour yet, before the guards are asleep. I know it¡¯s hard, but you need to be patient just a little longer,¡¯ she sent to Zev. Then Skhal joined them in the link.


    ¡®Jayah¡¯s going to let me know as soon as they¡¯re out, Zev. I¡¯m just minutes away. But we can¡¯t afford to give them any reason for suspicion. I won¡¯t approach until Jayah is certain. But I¡¯ll have you and Sasha out and moving in minutes, I swear it.¡¯


    As one of the guards nearest the door to the tree turned to his partner, the keys shed, clipped to the belt at his waist, and Jayah¡¯s heart leaped. She sent the image to both of the males. ¡®We won¡¯t even have need to pick the locks.¡¯


    But then, as Zev thanked them and cut off the link, Jayah chewed her lip.


    She¡¯d been uneasy this whole time with the n to leave the guards asleep. If they were uninjured, it would be questioned how they¡¯d been overwhelmed¡ªall of them at once.


    The tea usually removed memory in the preceding moments before the tea was applied, but it was never foolproof. They might remember she¡¯d brought them something¡ªand that would cut off any chance she had to continue to help her people, or bridge the gap for peace.


    She¡¯d be banished as a traitor¡­


    But the entire reason for the tea was to save the guards from injury.


    Of course¡­ as a healer she knew¡­ she knew exactly where a blow couldnd to bruise without doing permanent damage¡­


    And in that moment, Jayah changed the n without telling Skhal.


    She farewelled the guards, carrying the mugs and pot to dump them in a creek bed not too far away, but where they would be hidden from view by the overgrown banks. Then she circled back around to return near the prison tree, but downwind.


    Peering out from the shadows, she could see the guards beginning to sway on their feet.


    ¡®It¡¯s getting close, but don¡¯te until I tell you,¡¯ she sent to Skhal, who affirmed that he wouldn¡¯t.


    When the first Guard took a stumbling step, then went down, his friend jerked towards him to help him, but then he also fell.


    There was a small cry from another guard who could see them, but as he turned, his knees gave out.


    Thud. Thunk. Thump.


    Jayah waited until she heard eight bodies drop, praying that none of them harmed themselves on the way down. Then she hurried into the clearing.


    As she stood over the first guard, sprawled in the dirt, she asked the Creator¡¯s forgiveness. Then, turning his head to reveal just the right spot, near his temple, she tightened her grip on the tree branch she¡¯d collected, then swung it with a very precise level of force¡ªto split the skin and leave a bruise.


    He didn¡¯t even flinch, and Jayah blew out a breath.


    He would wake with a headache, but nosting damage.


    Then, one by one, for the first time in her life Jayah used her skill as a healer to do harm. And when she was done, she threw the branch away, sickened by the sight of it.


    But at least it was done.


    She didn¡¯t get up from her squat next to thest of the guards. A piece of her chest became very heavy as she stared down at his ck face, knowing she was the one who¡¯d made it that way. Then she closed her eyes.


    ¡®It¡¯s time,¡¯ she sent to Skhal. ¡®Come now.¡¯

 Chapter 141 - 141 Walking the Line - Part 5

    141 Walking the Line ¨C Part ~ JAYAH ~


    Skhal had found her, approaching silently¡ªwithout the bond she wouldn¡¯t have even known he was there¡ªbut he raced to her side and embraced her silently, then took the keys she held out on a wide ring, and darted to the prison door.


    Jayah stayed kneeling over the guard, checking his pulse, and that of his friend next to him, both of them sprawled awkwardly in the dirt.


    She begged their forgiveness, though they¡¯d never know it.


    At the first sound of footsteps, she was confused¡ªthey came from the opposite direction from the prison tree.


    Her hand tightened on the arm of the guard and she instinctively crouched, ready to fly intobat as a shiftmander walked into the clearing, then stopped dead, his eyes cutting between sprawled males and Jayah, shock and anger shing in his eyes.


    ¡°What the hell¡ª?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡ª¡± But before Jayah coulde up with something to say, a heavy arm wrapped around her middle and yanked her off her feet. She struggled immediately¡ªbut then a cold, hard de appeared pressed right under her ear, and she froze, her chest heaving.


    And with every inhale her body screamed.


    .....


    Not Skhal. Not Skhal. Not Skhal.


    The shiftmander froze, stunned, his eyes locked on the male over Jayah¡¯s shoulder.


    Jayah trembled, trying not to panic. Those weren¡¯t Skhal¡¯s hands on her, holding that de. She reached for Zev in the link, tried to keep her voice calm.


    ¡®Please¡­ I¡¯m on your side, Zev. I didn¡¯t call him in, I don¡¯t know how he¡ª¡¯


    A low, deep growl appeared in the link¡ªSkhal¡¯s desperate distress.


    ¡®You kill my mate, Zev, and I will kill you.¡¯ There was no ring of arrogance, no deration of Alpha Male Bullshit, as Aymora had always been so fond of calling it.


    No.


    Skhal issued a threat, and Zev¡¯s hand tightened on her.


    ¡®Please¡­ don¡¯t kill themander. He¡¯s justing to check his guards. He didn¡¯t know what he was walking into,¡¯ she begged, as Skhal¡¯s growl continued to roll in the link.


    ¡°Don¡¯t. Move,¡± Zev instructed the Shift Leader, who nodded once, tightly, but his eyes narrowed and his upper lip began to curl.


    ¡°Stay back.¡± Zev started to walk backwards, carrying Jayah and snarling at the Commander to stay away.


    She knew that the soldier would appear to obey themand until they were out of sight. But then¡ª


    Just as they sank into the trees and their view of the soldier was obscured, Jayah heard a cry and a thud.


    The shadow of Sasha, hunched over her son, joined them in the trees. She must have been behind Zev the whole time. But Jayah didn¡¯t have time to consider what else might go wrong, because Zev wasn¡¯t letting her go, and he still held that de pressed to the skin under her ear at precisely the right angle to punch it into her brain if he chose.


    Jayah¡¯s heart hammered in her chest. Struggling to control her panic, she forced herself not to struggle, but fear screamed through her. ¡®Let me go, Zev. I¡¯m on your side. Let me go.¡¯


    But he didn¡¯t. And Sasha didn¡¯t tell him too, hovering at his side as he hurried through the trees as fast as he could while holding her.


    There was a brief moment¡ªa shadow that shifted just ahead, then suddenly Skhal stood in between two trees just ahead, hands at his sides, his chest heaving.


    ¡°Let. Her. Go.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s our shield!¡± Zev hissed. ¡°If we meet a patrol on the way¡ª¡±


    ¡°She is my mate, and she saved you. Let her go or I swear on all that¡¯s holy, Zev, I will make you.¡±


    There was a tense moment where the two males stared at each other past her¡­ but all Jayah could do was drink in the sight of her mate, towering and furious, ready to go to battle with the leader he honored¡­ for her.


    The tension of the moment hung in the night like a bowstring pulled too tight and twanged.


    But finally, Zev¡¯s arm around her eased. Jayah¡¯s feet hit the ground and she stumbled forward, to her mate¡¯s waiting arms, as behind her, Sasha gave a sob of relief.


    But Skhal apparently wasn¡¯t ready to simply rx. When Jayah reached him, he whipped her behind him, but remained facing Zev, chin down, but eyes locked with the younger male. He never took his eyes off of the wolf, who Jayah could now see, despite the night dark under the trees.


    His jaw was tense and twitching, his body trembling. He was a force of nature held at bay¡ªunwillingly.


    ¡°Zev,¡± Skhal whispered, his voice dark with warning.


    The male¡¯s eyes shed and his hands closed to fists, but then Sasha leaned in and touched him, pressing into his chest, holding their son.


    ¡°Zev, please. We¡¯re free. Look. We¡¯re free.¡±


    The male¡¯s eyes reluctantly tore from Skhal¡¯s down to look at his mate and their son pressed between them.


    Jayah watched, shocked, as everything about Zev changed. It was like watching a stone turn to water.


    The male breathed. He softened. The fire in his eyes didn¡¯t disappear, but it faded¡ªembers from a bonfire, instead of the mes themselves.


    Jayah could see and sense the warmth and softness rise in him, the fierce protection of his mate, the love¡­


    It affected a stunning transformation in his stance, his expression, even his scent.


    ¡®He¡¯s a good male, Jayah,¡¯ Skhal breathed in the link. ¡®But he¡¯s been pushed to his limits.¡¯


    Jayah had known it from his scent, but she could see it now.


    With a small whine, Zev wrapped his arms around Sasha and they both huddled together over their child, murmuring love and care.


    ¡°We need to move, Zev. I knocked the soldier out, but we¡¯ve only got maybe ten minutes at best. I didn¡¯t want to kill him.¡±


    Zev shot him a dark look for that, but then he nodded and pulled barely away from Sasha looking down at her. ¡°We need to shift and run in our wolves. You¡¯ll have to ride me.¡±


    Sasha nodded, but then looked down at Zan. ¡°I need to hold him¡ª¡±


    ¡°I can help,¡± Jayah blurted.


    They both turned to look at her and Skhal¡¯s hands tightened on her. She swallowed hard at the dark warning in Zev¡¯s gaze, but plowed on.


    ¡°I can help you make a sling so he¡¯s safe while you use your hands.¡±


    It was a matter of half a minute, a torn shirt, and Skhal keeping watch over Zev while Jayah had to touch Sasha, but within moments, little Zan, his shock of ck hair the only thing sticking out from the swaddling, was safe and tight against his mother¡¯s chest.


    Skhal stepped between Zev and Jayah when Zev shifted, but the moment Sasha was on his back, he began to run.


    Skhal looked at Jayah, and they both shifted, then ran after him.


    It had been instinct to go with her mate, and Jayah¡¯s wolf was relieved when she didn¡¯t fight. But the further they drew from the WildWood¡ªand the further Jayah led them through the patrol routes, through non-descript creeks and under rock overhangs, the more her heart beat at her ribs and she had to wrestle against her wolf.


    It was necessary.


    It was right.


    They needed to reach their people safely, and only she knew the safest route to the ravine¡­


    But it was also betrayal.

 Chapter 142 - 142 Ripples

    142 Ripples


    If you like music while you read, try ¡°Without You¡± by Ashes Remain. It¡¯s been one of Elreth and Aaryn¡¯s songs since Taming the Queen of Beasts!


    *****


    ~ ELRETH ~


    Elreth shrieked as she ducked out of the freezing, mountain-fed water of the waterfall and sprinted across the rocks to plunge into the steaming mineral pool, Aarynughing and throwing his arms up to shield himself from her ssh.


    The high, arching ceiling of the cavern loomed almost a hundred feet overhead, her voice echoing above to bounce from wall to wall of the cavern.


    The bathing pools were unique to the Royal cave, a cavern that housed a deep, cool pool of crystal water fed by a waterfall that fell from the crevasse in the ceiling, nestled up against a volcanic mineral pool, hot and steaming, the water cloudy. Together the two pools made a rough figure-eight, though the cold pool wasrger and there was a span of rock between them where the spray of the waterfall left a thinyer of water.


    The cavern was hidden in the depths of the mountain, it¡¯s only entrance through the royal cave itself.


    It had been a part of Elreth¡¯s life since her birth, and was the ce she and Aaryn always chose when they wanted to be truly alone.


    As Elreth stroked through the hot mineral water towards where Aaryn sat on the bench that had been carved into the rock by some earlier royal generation, she grinned at his mock-anger about her ssh.


    .....


    ¡°You were right, this is the perfect way to start the day,¡± she said as she reached him and pulled herself into hisp.


    Aaryn¡¯s pretend-anger faded from his face immediately, his hands going to her hips as she straddled his waist.


    She buried her hands in his silver hair¡ªa little longer now because he hadn¡¯t taken time for a cut since the war¡ªand pulled his head back so his throat was bared. He met her gaze with hooded eyes and smiled as she kissed him.


    She was a touch too bright, she knew. A little too loose. But her emotions were in a tangle, and she didn¡¯t know what to do except focus on the good feelings. And Aaryn was letting her do that¡ªsomething she would be eternally grateful for.


    Today they were going to free Zev. Or try to. By Elreth¡¯s instruction they¡¯d pulled the patrols on the Chimera back to the ravine. A dozen soldiers had returned to the Tree City the day before and rested overnight. So they had the protection they needed. There was no more reason to wait.


    ¡°Thank you for thesest couple days,¡± Elreth whispered. ¡°I didn¡¯t see how we could do it, but you were right. It was exactly what I needed.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± he snorted, but his smile was soft.


    Elreth pretended to get irritated, but in truth, she couldn¡¯t. Aaryn was so precious, and he¡¯d been so patient¡­


    ¡°Let¡¯s call Tarkyn back today, too,¡± she said,bing her fingers from her mate¡¯s temples back into his hair. ¡°I need to release him. He¡¯ll be certain that I¡¯ve lost all trust in him.¡±


    Aaryn looked at her thoughtfully. ¡°Have you?¡±


    Elreth shrugged one shoulder. ¡°Some. But only what I would have lost if Gar had done the same. You were right the other day, Aaryn, any of us would have done it¡ªincluding me. I know I can¡¯t fault him for that, even if I want to.¡±


    Aaryn shook his head and squeezed her closer. ¡°You never fail to surprise me, El. Impress me. You¡¯re amazing.¡±


    Elreth shook her head. ¡°Nothing about this has been impressive,¡± she said sadly. ¡°I know that. I know I handled this all wrong. I can see that now. But it¡¯s toote to fix it. All I can do is¡­ better.¡±


    Aaryn watched her, stroking his hands up and down her back. She almost broke in the silence.


    ¡°I¡¯m still scared, Aaryn. So scared.¡±


    He blew out a breath. ¡°I¡¯ll protect you, El.¡±


    She curls forward to bury her face in his neck. ¡°I know we have to free Zev, but¡­ I think I have to do it. I think it has to be me. Otherwise he¡¯s never going to believe I want peace.¡±


    Aaryn¡¯s grip on her tightened. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you need to be there the moment he walks out¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yes, I do, but¡­ but we¡¯ll do the rest of our n first. I just pray that it isn¡¯t foolishness.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not,¡± he said softly. ¡°I¡¯m sure of it.¡±


    Later that morning Elreth was going to bring Sasha to the Treaty Table first, then hopefully Zev, if Sasha could get him to agree toe in peace.


    Elreth would have the guards in ce to manage him if he was loose and violent¡ªbut if he agreed to peace talks¡­ tonight he would be on his way to his people.


    At least, that was the theory. Part of Elreth was terrified and still uncertain if she could bring herself to free the male. Since the night they¡¯d discovered the Chimera, Elreth had woken from multiple nightmares in which Zev closed his teeth on Aaryn¡¯s throat and shook the life out of her mate.


    She hadn¡¯t even admitted that to Aaryn, knowing that it was ridiculous to fear a male for something he¡¯d done in a dream. But nothing she¡¯d seen of the wolf made her any less certain he was capable of it, and that was the problem.


    But Tarkyn and Harth¡¯s bond, Behryn¡¯s reading of the winds, and everything Sasha had said when they¡¯d first spoken had convinced Elreth that this was a risk she had to take. Before, when events kept overtaking her ability to process them, she hadn¡¯t been able to see her way through all the chaos and uncertainty. But these couple days in the quiet and peace of talking with Aaryn, anticipating their baby, and being reminded that she wasn¡¯t alone in having to protect the people in all of this¡­


    As Elreth¡¯s mind drew back to the moment and the epiphany she¡¯d had, she shook her head in disbelief. If only she¡¯d been able to see it from the start¡­

 Chapter 143 - 143 Interrupted

    143 Interrupted


    P A T R E O N SHOUT OUT to my Patron DespinaNY! Thank you so much for your support. I hope you enjoy the name I got to use here!


    *****


    ~ ELRETH ~


    Elreth sighed heavily, but in truth, she felt better than she had since this entire nightmare began.


    Aaryn had finally clinched it the night before when he¡¯d woken to find her sitting in bed, staring at the wall, unable to sleep.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he¡¯d jumped, anxious, to help her.


    She¡¯d felt terrible when she realized what stress she¡¯d put him through these past few days.


    Failure on failure¡­ that¡¯s what this entire episode had been. One big Elreth fuck-up after another.


    She¡¯d sobbed. She¡¯d finally admitted it to herself, and broken down. And when she finally got herself together enough to speak clearly, they¡¯d talked for over an hour, him listening patiently while she expressed every fear, every what-if from the loss of their child, right through to another human invasion.


    .....


    She¡¯d be so agitated, he¡¯d pulled her into hisp and cradled her, stroking her hair.


    ¡°But, El¡­ none of that has happened. And none of it is in your control. You can¡¯t stop every bad thing that will ever happen. You just can¡¯t. It¡¯s not up to you.¡±


    And those words¡­ so simple. So true.


    They had opened her eyes.


    She had somehow be trapped in a mind of fear¡ªa very impossible belief that if she was just careful enough, or just strong enough, she could keep everything calm and peaceful and good.


    And it was a lie.


    She saw it.


    There was a breathless moment of wrestling with herself¡ªbecause if she was reckless, she could create harm for others¡­ but even in that, Aaryn and Gar, Behryn and Reece¡­ Tarkyn and Lerrin and and and¡­ the list of strong, capable fighters around her went on and on.


    She couldn¡¯t stop every bad thing from happening.


    And if something bad did happen, she had a lot of support from very strong people to get through it.


    It seemed like she¡¯d taken her first full breath in a week. Aaryn had been able to scent the change in her.


    It was as if a weight had been lifted from her. It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t fear¡ªshe was still terrified. But thepass that she had followed her whole life that had seemed to spin endlessly since the moment she¡¯d seen Sasha and smelled her as human¡­ thatpass pointed north again.


    She knew what was right now. She just had to pray for the courage to do it.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she murmured against Aaryn¡¯s lips, then stroked his tongue with hers. ¡°Thank you for not giving up on me.¡±


    ¡°I love you, El. I never would,¡± he breathed out in a rush. She tilted her head to deepen the kiss and his hands tightened on her, pulling her hard against him as his body responded to her closeness.


    Elreth hummed her pleasure when he brought one hand up, out of the water, the droplets tinkling on the surface as he reached for her breast, stroking her nipple with his thumb.


    He let his head fall back onto the rocks behind him and she kissed her way down his chin, his jaw, his throat, opening her mouth over his Adam¡¯s apple.


    ¡°Did I ever tell you this is the first ce that I ever walked in on my parents having sex?¡± she said, her voice low and husky.


    She shivered when Aaryn pulled her down over him so he could kiss his way up her neck. ¡°I might remember a certain, traumatized young lioness whining about something to do with how gross her parents were,¡± he chuckled, then nipped at her skin.


    Goosebumps shivered their way down her arm and back and Elreth sighed happily. ¡°Never stop doing this to me, Aaryn,¡± she whispered. ¡°I don¡¯t care if we traumatize our kids¡­ I never want to lose this with you.¡±


    Aaryn moved his hand down to her stomach then, gently cing his hand over her t belly. He blew out a breath. ¡°It won¡¯t be long until we have the chance to traumatize at least one of them.¡±


    Elreth snorted, though fear jangled right along with desire in her veins as she gripped his broad shoulders and leaned back, bringing herself up against him, and grinding down.


    Aaryn groaned and slid his hand further down, finding that swollen bud and sliding his thumb against it until Elreth began to gasp and twitch.


    He was just whispering to her to give him some room, urging her up on her knees, when the door into the cavern flew open so fast it mmed back against the rock wall, then bounced back to be caught by a gauntleted arm.


    ¡°Forgive us, Sires, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°Holy fuck!¡± Elreth hissed, throwing herself sideways into the water as Aaryn snarled and whipped himself around, sshing as he stood to put himself between Elreth and the intruder.


    ¡°What the hell, Drayko!¡± Aaryn growled at one of the equine guards they¡¯d known and appointed to their personal attendance since the war.


    The guard stood at the door, his body turned so that he faced the wall, but he didn¡¯t retreat.


    ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry, Sire! Truly, but this is¡ª¡±


    ¡°Get over it, El, he was right toe.¡± Gar¡¯s deep voice boomed in the cavern.


    Elreth wanted to snap her teeth¡ªbut she was swallowing back tears that pinched at the back of her eyes and throat. ¡°What are you doing, Gar?¡±


    ¡°Coming to tell you that the Prisoners escaped.¡±


    ¡°I¡ªWHAT?!¡±


    Gar strode towards them looking every inch the warrior, his eyes aze as he nodded. Aaryn was already getting up out of the water, but Elreth stood there a moment gaping.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Aaryn asked Gar as he sped his hand to pull up out of the pool and hurry to the side to get the towels he¡¯d left for them.


    ¡°We aren¡¯t sure yet, but they¡¯re gone. Zev, Sasha and their child¡­ and we think they might have taken Jayah¡­ or killed her.¡±


    Elreth had never seen Gar look so fiercely dark, though she supposed he must have when he faced the humans.


    She had one second to flinch, then she had to remind herself who she was and what responsibility she held.


    Though her cheeks colored, she didn¡¯t hesitate to push to the side of the pool and step up and out, taking Aaryn¡¯s hand, then the towel he wrapped around her the moment she was clear of the water.


    *****


    GREAT NEWS! The new year begins in 3 days with a mass release for standard readers, and COMPLETELY NEW MATERIAL for >ALL< privilege tiers. So no matter what reading you¡¯re doing in January, look forward to a lot of extra content when the new year begins here on Webnovel!

 Chapter 144 - 144 Can’t Be Happening

    144 Can¡¯t Be Happening


    ~ ELRETH ~


    Elreth stood in the middle of the prison floor, the intersection of the aisles, staring at the open cell door.


    Gar, Aaryn, and two of the guards, including a Shift Lieutenant who¡¯d apparently interrupted the escape stood there with her.


    ¡°I think Jayah must have just discovered them. She was kneeling over one of the guards, checking his pulse, and when I arrived she looked up like she was shocked. Then he came roaring out of there and got her¡ªtook her off guard. His mate was right behind him. He put a spear to her throat and told me not to move.¡±


    Elreth shivered. She remembered how that felt, that cold steel against her skin.


    There was a cluster of guards sitting outside with various headaches and pains. Sarayu was seeing to each of them, but she was baffled.


    They¡¯d all be hit or hurt, yet none of them remembered.


    ¡°They had to have had help!¡± Elreth growled, half out of frustration that her prison had been breached, half out of fear.


    She¡¯d been about to free him! She¡¯d been a dayte¡­ if only she¡¯d been strong enough to see it just a day earlier¡­


    .....


    As if he knew what she was thinking, Aaryn reached for her hand. She let him take it, held it tightly.


    This shitshow just kept getting worse.


    ¡°Sarayu is looking for dart pricks, but so far she can¡¯t find any. The thing we can¡¯t figure out is how they were all knocked out without the others being aware of it. Were there eight different attackers that all managed to pounce at the same time? It seems unlikely, but it¡¯s the only exnation we have right now.¡±


    ¡°When did it happen?¡±


    ¡°After the nightly shift change. There were no rms, no problems for the evening shift. So¡­ sometime after high moon.¡±


    It was after dawn, so they¡¯d been loose for at least an hour, but more likely four or five. Elreth cursed. Aaryn tightened his grip on her hand.


    ¡°How did the Chimera get past our guards at the ravine? Is there is a pass in the mountains we aren¡¯t aware of?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t think so, but¡­ that¡¯s also possible. The trackers are already following the trails, but they used water¡ªthey shifted to move quickly, not far from here, and they still had Jayah with them,¡± the guard said nervously.


    Elreth stared at him. ¡°What? What is it? What don¡¯t you want to tell me?¡±


    The guard looked at Gar, who nodded. Then his throat bobbed. But he made himself meet her eyes. ¡°Jayah shifted as well,¡± he said.


    Elreth frowned. ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°So¡­ she went with them in her wolf form. And¡­ there are only four adult scents¡ªJayah, a male we haven¡¯t met, Zev, and Sasha¡ªand their son.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m saying that¡­ somehow they got Jayah to go with them willingly. There was no scent of blood. No scent of death. If she shifted into her wolf to fight, she received no injury, but moved with them. How would they get her wolf to run when there were only two male wolves?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know what they threatened,¡± Elreth growled, her head spinning. ¡°If Jayah was given an incentive to go with them, she would control her wolf. She never struggled with that.¡±


    Her heart raced, mming in her chest. Her pulse thumped in her ears. Her breath kept rushing out of her. Elreth was fighting hard not to simply dere war.


    But she¡¯d been about to free him.


    But if they didn¡¯t know how he¡¯d gotten loose, or if there was a way for these things to mask their scents like the humans used to¡ªwas it possible they had some of the human technology?


    She hadn¡¯t even thought about that.


    Elreth cursed and let go of Aaryn¡¯s hand as she began to pace.


    ¡°What is it? What are you thinking?¡± Gar asked her quietly, his voice deep and solemn.


    ¡°What if they have some of the human tech?¡± she said quickly. ¡°What if they can hide their scents like the humans used to?¡±


    Gar¡¯s brows rose. ¡°I really don¡¯t think¡ª¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t know. Rika thinks the humans we fought were from fifty years ago¡ªimagine how much they¡¯ve done since then? Maybe they haven¡¯t left us alone for three months. Maybe they¡¯ve been here this whole time, hiding and watching us through some fucked up technology, and we just didn¡¯t know it. No wonder the wolf was so pissed off about getting caged.¡±


    ¡°No, El, I really don¡¯t think¡ª¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what we think. It matters what is, Gar. And this is at the very least possible, if not probable. Shit. Shit!¡±


    ¡°El,¡± Gar said, scratching the back of his neck, ¡°I¡¯m really confident that¡¯s not what you¡¯re facing here.¡±


    Elreth heard the conviction in his voice and stopped pacing. She turned to look at her brother who was staring at her the same way he used to when she knew something that their parents didn¡¯t and he was begging her not to tell them.


    What. The. Fuck.


    What had he done?


    ¡°We¡¯re going to get Tarkyn,¡± she blurted suddenly, then started for the door without another word.


    ¡°What? El¡ª¡±


    ¡°Keep the guards here, make sure these ones have any healing that they need. Tell the patrols to double their alert. We¡¯re going to get Tarkyn and talk to Harth and¡­ and we¡¯re going to figure this out.¡±


    The guards trotted for the prison door, following her instructions, but she could feel Aaryn and Gar staring at her back.


    Her head buzzed, humming with rm.


    Her brother? Her own brother? For real?


    The morning sun was bright in her eyes after the dim depths of the prison tree. She squinted into it until they adjusted, turning not for the Tree City, but for the trail that led north.


    Her mate and brother followed on her heels, neither of themining or questioning her¡ªwhich was a minor miracle in itself, and only raised Elreth¡¯s suspicions.


    As they strode down the trail, further and further from the guards, Elreth¡¯s tension ratcheted up with every step.


    ¡°We aren¡¯t seriously going to get Tarkyn, are we?¡± Gar asked finally.


    ¡°Yes, we are. Or I am. You¡¯re going to tell me whatever it was you didn¡¯t want to tell me in front of the guards, then I¡¯ll decide whether you¡¯re going to live long enough to go with me.¡±


    And when Gar didn¡¯t immediately splutter and try to deny that he knew anything about anything¡­ that was when her blood ran cold.

 Chapter 145 - 145 Stunned Mullet

    145 Stunned Mullet


    ~ ELRETH ~


    ¡°I¡¯m waiting, Gar,¡± Elreth hissed as they stalked down the trail. If she¡¯d been in her lion form, all the hair on her back and tail would have stood up.


    Gar kept looking around, left and right and up into the trees, as if he thought they might be trailed by birds. ¡°We need to get out of the City limits first, I think,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯ve got hidden patrols everywhere right now.¡±


    ¡°Which only begs the question, how did any Chimera¡ªeven one¡ªget into the City at all without Anima help?¡± Elreth muttered, cursing under her breath.


    Aaryn gasped. She turned to her mate who stared at her shocked.


    ¡°You think they were helped by one of us?¡±


    Elreth looked at Gar and saw a strangebination of pride and regret on his face.


    ¡°Yes, I do,¡± Elreth said, without breaking eye-contact with her brother. ¡°Holy shit, Gar. What did you do?¡±


    Gar gestured for her to be quiet. ¡°First thing¡¯s first, if we¡¯re going to find Tarkyn, you¡¯ve got to send Aaryn back. One of us has to stay in the city in case the others are hurt or dyed.¡±


    .....


    Elreth drew up short. She hadn¡¯t even thought about it. But he was absolutely right.


    Aaryn stared at her. Hard.


    For a second she was confused.


    Oh, wait. Baby. Right. Her cheeks pinked. ¡°I, uh, won¡¯t do anything stupid. But I need to talk to Harth and Tarkyn, and if we wait for someone to travel to them, and them to travel back, it wastes precious hours. I need to know what they know, and hear what Harth has to say about what Zev is likely to do now.¡±


    ¡°You need to rest,¡± Aaryn said pointedly.


    Elreth let her eyes sh at him. ¡°I need to do nothing except live my life and¡­ and ept what I cannot change,¡± she said, arching an eyebrow at him. ¡°And I need to talk to my brother.¡±


    Gar raked a hand through his hair, but he didn¡¯t contradict her.


    ¡°Seriously, now you two are closing ranks on me?¡± Aaryn gaped at them. ¡°After everything we¡¯ve been through¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, Aaryn. Now we¡¯re all doing what we have to do for our people. I need to talk to Gar. Gar needs to take me to Taryn. And that means that you need to go back and be King in case something happens to me. Or him.¡±


    Aaryn¡¯s jaw twitched. ¡°At least take guards¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll pull some off patrol on our way,¡± Gar said. ¡°I know the signals. They¡¯lle. I¡¯ll wait until we¡¯re out of the City though, because whoever¡¯s watching now might be in on it¡ªif they got in and out without being detected¡­ we can¡¯t know.¡±


    Elreth¡¯s stomach chilled. He was right and she hadn¡¯t even thought of that.


    But that meant that any of the guards might not be trusted!


    Elreth buried her face in her hands, but then caught herself and shook it off. No, no she wasn¡¯t giving in to that fear and paranoia again.


    Something bad had happened. Something she couldn¡¯t control. Now she had to deal with it. And she needed Tarkyn on board to do that. And she needed to hear what her brother had to say.


    ¡°Aaryn¡­ I¡¯m sorry to ask it, but please. Can you go back? Gar will keep me safe until the patrols join us. And then we¡¯ll have Tarkyn as well on the way back. I can¡¯t afford to lose a whole day to their travel. And we can¡¯t afford to have no hierarchy present at the Tree City, just in case.¡±


    ¡°You realize they could be nning an invasion? That this could have been their first move¡ªthere might be an entire army out there!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s not,¡± Gar said emphatically. ¡°They couldn¡¯t hide that from us. I would know. I¡¯m dead serious, Aaryn. We¡¯ve had an escape, but this isn¡¯t¡­ this isn¡¯t war. And it doesn¡¯t have to be.¡±


    Elreth shot her brother a look. But he just met it with pleading eyes. ¡°We can¡¯t turn on each other, El. We can¡¯t start suspecting everyone. We have Anima mating Chimera. Clearly we were brought together for a reason. We have to find away through this!¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°I want to send Tarkyn to the Chimera. As an Emissary. They won¡¯t kill him because it would kill Harth.¡±


    For a moment Elreth¡¯s pride rankled. She¡¯d thought of that too¡ªwhy was everyone a day ahead of her today?!


    ¡°Unless they¡¯re ruthless and they kill both of them,¡± she said stubbornly, though she knew she¡¯d end up agreeing on this point. There was no one safer to send than Tarkyn¡ªbut that meant she needed him back here and coordinating with Gar before he left and all hell broke loose.


    Her brother and mate argued, of course. And she let herself be persuaded, because really she didn¡¯t have a choice. Then finally, Aaryn submitted.


    ¡°But you watch over her¡ªshe needs as much rest as is possible, do you understand?¡± Aaryn said to Gar, his eyes shing.


    Gar nodded solemnly. ¡°I¡¯ll protect her like she¡¯s Rika.¡±


    Aaryn pulled Elreth into an embrace, and she went willingly, suddenly no longer eager to be apart from him. But she knew she had to.


    She was the reason they¡¯d gotten this far without a solution. She needed to be the means by which the answer was found. It was the only way to redeem herself.


    Aaryn held her and kissed her, and signed to her in the fingernguage they¡¯d been developing since they were children, ¡®Don¡¯t put the baby at risk. Don¡¯t put yourself at risk. Come back to me, safely.¡¯


    She nodded, swallowing back tears, which was so frustrating. She wasn¡¯t a crier!


    Then she and Gar turned away and hurried down the trail as Aaryn headed back towards the city.


    She waited until she was certain her mate would be far enough behind not to hear, then she turned on her brother. ¡°What did you do? What do you know about this? And why didn¡¯t you tell me?!¡±


    But Gar just turned to face her, his own expression stern. ¡°How long have you known you¡¯re pregnant? And why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡±


    Elreth¡¯s jaw dropped.


    *****


    GREAT NEWS! The new year begins in 3 days with a mass release for standard readers, and COMPLETELY NEW MATERIAL for >ALL< privilege tiers. So no matter what reading you¡¯re doing in January, look forward to a lot of extra content when the new year begins here on Webnovel!

 Chapter 146 - 146 The Bond

    146 The Bond


    ~ TARKYN ~


    The sun was high as Tarkyn hopped to grasp a small but hardy scrub-tree to pull himself up the short, sheer face of the stone and dirt mountainside. He was deep into the foothills of the Northern Range, high enough that the air was more chill, but not yet in the areas where the ground would freeze.


    ¡®Are you well, my love?¡¯ he sent, grunting as he heaved himself up to the small, level area overshadowed by an overhang of rock.


    ¡®I am well,¡¯ she said and he could feel her smile.


    He stopped there to breathe for a moment and look down on the valley and WildWood bathed in Autumn sun below. That sight almost stopped his breath.


    He was high enough to see over the WildWood, all the way to the Southern ranges, including the mountain that was home to the Royal Cave.


    It wasn¡¯t the first time he wished Harth was with him, but he had only himself to me. He¡¯d been fascinated by their bond, and the few limits it seemed to pose for them.


    He¡¯d already traveled for hours, far further than he¡¯d ever intended to today. He would have expected them to lose the link by now¡ª even Harth was surprised. She said she¡¯d never heard of a bond reaching beyond a few miles of walking.


    Always the strategist, the further they grew from each other, the more the opportunities and options Tarkyn wanted to explore¡ªcould they still send images and memories? Did altitude, distance, or climate affect it?


    .....


    Did this mean if they were separated between their peoples they could stillmunicate? He wasn¡¯t certain how many milesy between WildWood and the Chimeran encampment. He only knew he wasn¡¯t willing to travel that far from Harth right now. But all their tests so far had shown little effect on the bond by distance.


    Standing there, looking over the edge to thend below¡ªbecause of the barren ground around it, he could even see glimpses of the great sides of the bowl that made the hallowed ground off to the east.


    ¡®This is amazing, Tarkyn,¡¯ Harth said happily in his head. ¡®How far away are you?¡¯


    ¡®Several miles now,¡¯ he sent back, swallowing the sudden clench in his gut when he looked northwest. The valley was there and he could see a pinch of the waterfall, but apart from the dark seam of the ravine, the rest was hidden by the curve of the hills, or the tree canopy.


    And yet, he had no reason to fear because his mate could speak in his head. He could feel her. He knew she was well and happy.


    What an incredible gift.


    Surveying the area where he knew his mate stood, for a moment he felt an immense sense of wellbeing¡ªgratitude, joy, thrill¡­ When he focused on who she was and whaty between them, his heart was at peace.


    But then something gripped his spine, twisting his guts and pulling him back to her.


    Tarkyn sighed. The events that surrounded them, the powers pressing at them from opposing sides¡­ those things couldn¡¯t be forgotten, much as he wished they might.


    ¡®What happened?¡¯ Harth sent suddenly¡ªshe¡¯d obviously felt his stress.


    ¡®I¡¯m fine. Just missing you,¡¯ he sent genuinely. Then for fun, he showed her his favorite memory¡ªher stretched back over his knees, her breasts high and tight, hands clutching at his arms as she cried his name.


    He felt the clench of desire in her belly that tangled with embarrassment at the intimate sh. A thrill she loved, but was still disconcerted by.


    But she didn¡¯t push the memory away¡­


    Instead, to his delight, a momentter she reced it with her own memory¡ªTarkyn looming over her, his shoulders rippling as he braced his weight on one arm, and sped the back of her neck with the other, his eyes bright and intent, locked on hers through the hair that had fallen over his face because she¡¯d been wing her fingers through it.


    He felt her desire spike with that memory, and his body responded.


    ¡°Minx,¡± he growled through a smile. Then he sent. ¡®Hold that thought. I¡¯ming back.¡¯


    As he began to crawl back down the rugged mountainside, he shifted to his lion which could leap and use for legs for bnce. He made it down the mountain far faster than he¡¯d made it up.


    ¡®It won¡¯t take me as long to get home,¡¯ he sent.


    Or tried to.


    But deep in his beast he could feel that he was suddenly alone in his head.


    ¡®Harth?¡¯ He wasn¡¯t sure how the bond link was formed, whether his lion was capable of it. But when she didn¡¯t respond, and he couldn¡¯t feel her open to him, he urged his lion to leap to a t rock, then shifted back.


    ¡®¡ªgoing on, Tarkyn? Are you okay?!¡¯ Even in his head her tone was frantic, shrill.


    ¡®I¡¯m well, love. I¡¯m fine,¡¯ he reassured her quickly and felt her rx. ¡®I shifted to get down a tricky portion of the climb. It seems I can¡¯t form the link with you in my lion.¡¯


    He felt her sigh, felt her panic subside and leave her shaking.


    ¡®I wouldn¡¯t have thought of that¡ªthe link bes easier for us wolves in our animal forms.¡¯


    ¡®Not my lion, I guess.¡¯ He was disappointed to find such a boundary, but thankful that they shared such an incredible link when in human form.


    He began to climb down the rocky outcropping, but the slowness frustrated him when his body ached for his mate, and she yearned for him.


    ¡®I want to be with you, Harth,¡¯ he said, choosing not to be embarrassed by the demanding whine that crept into his tone.


    ¡®I want you, too.¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯m going to shift. I can be back to you within a couple of hours then. It might take twice that without my beast.¡¯


    She hesitated, but he knew her fear wasn¡¯t for herself, but for him. ¡®Okay,¡¯ she said. ¡®But shift back in an hour and let me know you¡¯re safe?¡¯


    ¡®I will, Love. I love you. go warm the furs. I¡¯ll join you there when I get back.¡¯


    She gave an adorableugh at the image he sent of her curled in the furs and him leaping onto the sleeping tform to cover her.


    ¡®Okay, Tarkyn. I love you.¡¯


    ¡®I love you more.¡¯


    ¡®Not likely.¡¯


    ¡®Let¡¯s figure it out this evening,¡¯ he said with a wicked grin. ¡®I¡¯ll run like the wind to reach you.¡¯


    ¡®Just don¡¯t exhaust yourself. I have¡­ work for you to do when you get back.¡¯


    Heughed, but shifted immediately and began to leap from rock to rock. He needed to get home.

 Chapter 147 - 147 News from Home

    147 News from Home


    ~ HARTH ~


    When the bond went silent Harth had to deny the part of herself that wanted to fall into fear. She¡¯d always been alone in her heart until this new life appeared. She¡¯d never feared that specifically before. It was silly to allow herself to do so now.


    But that sinking dread she¡¯d felt in the moment when Tarkyn had disappeared from her head and stopped responding didn¡¯t want to leave her alone. It weighed on her chest and made breathing more difficult.


    ¡°This is stupid!¡± she muttered at herself. She¡¯d been outside in the valley collecting wood and bathing, most of her focus going to Tarkyn and their tests. But now she returned to the cave¡ªmarveling that being in the enclosed space somehow felt more safe¡­ but it was because it smelled of him.


    She¡¯d sweep and tidy and make the ce immacte¡ªthough it almost was already. Then when he returned he wouldn¡¯t be distracted by the need for tasks.


    She smiled as that image he¡¯d sent of himself galloping into the cave and leaping on her bed looped in her head and her stomach trilled.


    Harth still couldn¡¯t believe how clear the link was over such distance. She didn¡¯t know exactly where her mate was, but it was at least three hours away¡ªby his long, loping strides and strength. Probably further for her. So they were beyond even the distance between the vige and The City back in Thana, a distance she knew many wolves couldn¡¯t reach through the link.


    What was it about their bond that was so different?


    More and more she suspected that their bonds had somehow¡­ mingled. That they were tied together by elements of both.


    .....


    Did that mean they enjoyed two bonds? That might exin the stronger link. Or was it simply a different bond?


    She couldn¡¯tmunicate with him in his beast form, which was disconcerting. At least, not at this distance. Would she be able to when he was close?


    When he stopped to check in, she¡¯d tell him to try as he drew closer.


    Nodding to herself as she walked into the cave, Harth picked up the broom and began to sweep the damp stone floor.


    The spray from the waterfall at its entrance made the air in the cave slightly damp. But Harth loved the ce. She prayed that when all of this was settled and they were truly free, they could still visit¡ª


    ¡®Harth? Can you hear me?¡¯


    Harth almost dropped the broom. The voice was different to Tarkyn¡¯s, and even though the words were sent with a rush of relief and joy, it was much, much darker.


    ¡°Zev?¡± she gasped, then blinked. ¡®Zev? Is that you?¡¯


    ¡®Yes, thank the Creator. We weren¡¯t sure how far away you were. I¡¯ve been sending every few minutes for hours¡ªyou have toe, now. Find a way free and return with us to the encampment.¡¯


    Harth froze. ¡®Return with y¡ªyou¡¯re free? You got out?¡¯


    ¡®With some help. I had nned to use the tools from Tarkyn today anyway, but our friends had another n.¡¯


    ¡®Friends? Which friends?¡¯


    A vision came through the link then, Skhal, his rugged eyes alight and fixed on the healer who¡¯d been attending Zev and Zan.


    Harth gasped again. ¡®Jayah and Skhal?¡¯


    ¡®They¡¯re mates. They alreadypleted the bond.¡¯


    Harth was stunned speechless. ¡®She helped you?¡¯


    ¡®She helped us get out without having to harm anyone.¡¯


    Harth¡¯s blood chilled at the level of threat that ran under those words. For the first time she could remember, Harth felt scared of her Alpha.


    She sent an image of herself in submission, letting him know she posed no threat. In the past, though she¡¯d had little contact with Zev personally, she¡¯d always seen him as a strong but gentle soul. But the male that spoke to her through the bond felt¡­ deathly cold.


    ¡®You need to get to the ns immediately, Harth. We¡¯re traveling the long route to ensure we don¡¯t disturb their patrols. But we¡¯ll be home this evening and I¡¯m calling the ns to war. You need toe¡ª¡¯


    ¡®What?! Zev! No!¡¯


    The snarl that met her sending was immediate and terrifying¡ªbut not directed at her.


    Images shed so quickly she almost couldn¡¯t catch one before the next was thrown at her, a bombardment of Anima, the Tree City, the Chimera, Zev bound, Sasha bruised¡­


    ¡®I am free now, Harth, and I will not be imprisoned again. None of us will be in a cage ever again. I don¡¯t care if we have to kill everyst one of these creatures¡ª¡¯


    ¡®Zev, my mate is Anima! Skhal¡¯s mate¡ª¡¯


    ¡®Bring your mate. I will not reject him if he swears peace. He is a good male. A strong male. But he will disavow his people, Harth. The Chimera will not be caged again.¡¯


    Her head spun even faster than her racing heart.


    ¡®Zev¡­ please¡­ he¡¯s working to bring peace with the Queen. No one has to fight. They¡¯re¡­ they¡¯re armed and trained and there¡¯s so many more of them¡ª¡¯


    ¡®And I know how to hunt,¡¯ Zev snarled. ¡®These creatures are sight-blind. So sure of themselves they leave trails and disregard risk. I don¡¯t care if we pick them off one by one. I don¡¯t care if it takes a year. Thisnd was given to us by the Creator and we will take it.¡¯


    ¡®But¡ª¡¯


    ¡®Do you know the way to the encampment? Can you find it again from where you are?¡¯


    ¡®Yes, but¡ª¡¯


    ¡®Then get there, Harth. You¡¯ve got two days. Three at most.¡¯


    ¡®But Zev¡­ peace¡­ we could all live in pea¡ª¡¯


    ¡®Never!¡¯ The image he sent¡ªhimself in his wolf form, leaping at her, teeth bared and lips peeled back in a silent snarl¡ªwas so vivid, she physically leaped back, arms up to protect her vulnerable throat.


    The image changed when she shrank back. Zev¡¯s wolf standing before her, his chin down and eyes fixed, chest heaving and lips still revealing his teeth, but he stood still.


    ¡®Choose your side, Harth. I will never be at peace with an Alpha who would treat my mate, my people the way she did. She separated family and bound me. Sound familiar? Enemies of the humans, my ass.¡¯


    Harth felt the shudder rock through him before he narrowed the link and her heart ached for him¡­ but her dread was thick and heavy behind it.


    ¡®Come quickly, Harth. I know it¡¯s hard with them watching, bute in the next three days. Because that¡¯s how long it¡¯s going to take us to¡ª¡¯


    ¡°Hello?! Tarkyn! Harth?¡±


    Harth startled, instinctively closing the mindlink, rushing towards the entrance to the cave and the top of the path that led to it, peering around the edge of a rock alongside the waterfall to look deep into the valley below where the voice rose again, deep and resonant.


    ¡°Harth? Tarkyn? You¡¯re needed. Right now. Things have¡­ developed.¡±


    Harth stopped breathing as the movement beneath the trees coalesced into the massive form of the War Chief, dark and swarthy, his chest shining in the sun.


    And he was followed by the smaller, but still intimidating form of his sister.


    The fire-haired Queen.


    Gar.


    And Elreth.


    They were here.


    And Tarkyn was nowhere to be seen.


    *****


    I CAN¡¯T BELIEVE THIS IS THE END OF 2022! Thank you so much for being here with me this year. It¡¯s been a helluva year, and I don¡¯t think I would have survived it without you. So thank you for not only supporting me financially, but emotionally as well. You¡¯re enthusiasm for my characters gives me joy every day! See you next year!


    And don¡¯t forget, ALL the privilege tiers will bepletely renewed TOMORROW at 8:30am PACIFIC /11:30 EASTERN (and if you buy the top tier, you¡¯ll also receive a copy of the love-letter written from Zev to Sasha!) So tomorrow you can rebuy privilege for all new material, OR ignore it and still receive daily updates for the month! ENJOY!

 Chapter 148 - 148 [Bonus chapter] Countdown – Part 1

    148 [Bonus chapter] Countdown ¨C Part If you like music while you read, try ¡°Call Me Fighter¡± by Matt Beilis. It¡¯s the perfect soundtrack for Zev¡¯s inner turmoil in this chapter and the next!


    *****


    ~ ZEV ~


    Zev snarled, his body twitching back as Harth cut off the link. He stood there for a moment, breathing too heavily, aware of Sasha¡¯s eyes on him, but unwilling to meet her tired and frightened gaze again.


    This was right. He was right. She had to see that¡ªshe had to!


    His precious mate, so strong and unwavering, hadn¡¯t flinched from the conflict with the humans. Why did she seem so uncertain now? A growl puttered in his throat, but he swallowed it.


    Harth had been interrupted, that was all, he told himself. He¡¯d felt her jerk in surprise just as she cut off. That had to be it. She wouldn¡¯t be rejecting his instruction as her Alpha.


    In any case, if she didn¡¯t show in three days, they would know. And he didn¡¯t care if she told her mate. Zev had sessfully undermined Tarkyn¡¯s position with the Queen, though the fucker was apparently still submitting himself to that bitch.


    He should have slit her throat when he had the chance.


    .....


    The thought was insidious. It woke him in the night. It needled him, a quiet, hissing voice in his head throughout the day.


    He should have done it. Should have ended this then and there.


    He swung between self-contempt that he hadn¡¯t had the resolve, and self-loathing for thinking so coldly about the life of another.


    After he learned about how he¡¯d been manipted by the humans, he¡¯d sworn to himself that he¡¯d never let himself fall back into that ce when he could regard the death of another with such¡­ dismissal.


    Except an enemy. He¡¯d sworn he would never hold guilt or shame for removing an enemy¡ªespecially one that threatened his mate¡­ and now his son.


    His son.


    His heart pattered just at the thought of Zan.


    He turned then to find Sasha. Their son was quiet, sleeping, a tight cocoon against her chest in the sling that Jayah had fashioned.


    Sasha was looking down, one hand against Zan¡¯s back, but her face was pale. Dark circles shadowed her eyes. And her cheeks were gaunt.


    Had she eaten today?


    Zev¡¯s heart rate picked up and he took a step toward her. Her eyes came up in a snap colored with rm.


    His mate? His mate looked at him in fear?


    What the hell was happening? ¡°Sash¡ª¡±


    ¡°The patrol has passed. We need to move¡ªwhat happened? Did you find her? What did she say?¡± Skhal growled, emerging from the trees and undergrowth behind him.


    The male that Zev had always trusted, who treated him like an older brother, or uncle might, stopped dead in the shadow of the trees, eyes tight on Zev¡¯s.


    ¡°I got her,¡± Zev said quietly. He could feel Sasha¡¯s eyes on him, worried and edged with fear. What the fuck? ¡°I told her she¡¯s got three days. And she can bring her mate if he¡¯ll disavow his Queen¡ª¡±


    ¡°He won¡¯t.¡± Jayah piped up from her seat on a rotting tree stump just behind Sasha.


    They all turned to look at her.


    ¡°He will, or he¡¯ll remain with her,¡± Zev growled.


    Skhal put a hand to his arm, but he yanked it out of his brother wolf¡¯s grip.


    Jayah stood, keeping her posture submissive, but her eyes met his, unafraid. ¡°I¡¯m only telling you the truth. You shouldn¡¯t expect Tarkyn toe to you as an¡­ asset,¡± she said carefully. ¡°He¡¯s extremely loyal and¡­ he¡¯s given his entire life in service. He isn¡¯t going to just roll over and throw all that away.¡±


    ¡°Even for his mate?¡± Zev sneered. ¡°Loyal?¡± he shoved the air from his nostrils in disdain.


    Jayah¡¯s lips thinned. ¡°He¡¯ll try to find a way to assist both sides, without betraying either,¡± she said, licking her lips, her eyes darting to Skhal, then back to him. ¡°Just like I am.¡±


    Zev went still.


    ¡®Zev, just listen to her! Don¡¯t!¡¯ Sasha gasped in his head.


    He hesitated. ¡®What is it you think I¡¯m about to do?¡¯ he asked Sasha through the bond, keeping the leash tight on his rage. His mate had been tormented these past days as well. She didn¡¯t deserve his wrath.


    ¡°We should continue this in the camp. Once we¡¯re safe,¡± Skhal whispered. ¡°That patrol has moved on, but we don¡¯t know how long it will be until anotheres, and we aren¡¯t beyond the ravine yet.¡±


    Zev held up a hand to stop his friend, his eyes still on Jayah.


    ¡°You flee with us and¡­ what? Think you¡¯re going to return to your precious Queen?¡±


    Jayah kept her posture unchallenging, but she didn¡¯t drop her eyes. ¡°I want to help. To soothe¡­ tensions. I will not betray you, but I will not vow to harm my people any more than you would¡ª¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t throw a female down while she held an infant and imprison her and her mate,¡± he snapped.


    Jayah folded her arms. ¡°You wish me to believe you¡¯ve never imprisoned a threat? Never restrained a shifter? You want me to believe you¡ªso clearly a honed weapon¡ªhave never harmed another you thought to be a threat?¡±


    Zev stepped past his mate to stand over Jayah, who dropped her arms, but didn¡¯t back away.


    Behind him, Skhal approached. Zev could feel the tension wafting off of him in waves.


    Why did everyone think he was going to be so quick to hurt females? Fuck!


    He stood over Jayah, not even guarding his chin, his eyes hooded and fixed on hers, hands fisted at his sides.


    ¡°I was never a threat until she touched my mate,¡± he snarled, the me of anger in him flickering and that niggling voice trying to rise, but he shoved it away.


    But Jayah nodded. ¡°I do not agree with the Queen¡¯s actions in that, but you have to understand: The Queen lost so many to the humans. We were harmed, betrayed, and hunted by them¡ªsomething I know you understand. The unknown humans were eradicated from Anima at deep, personal, life-changing loss to our Queen. And when Sasha appeared¡ªapparently through the portals we believed were closed forever¡ªthe Queen¡­ reacted. I daresay if you¡¯d been in her shoes you might have responded simrly. You seem very familiar with¡­ aggression.¡±


    Zev growled, and Skhal became a blur behind him.

 Chapter 149 - 149 Countdown – Part 2

    149 Countdown ¨C Part ~ ZEV ~


    He didn¡¯t move as Skhal whipped around to put himself between them, his chest to Zev¡¯s his eyes piercing¡ªthreatening!¡ªand fixed on Zev¡¯s.


    ¡°She¡¯s telling you the truth, not challenging you,¡± Skhal said, his voice rough and deep, full of every ounce of authority the male could muster¡ªa tone that spoke of the days when he¡¯d been more father than brother, and cleaned Zev¡¯s childhood wounds.


    ¡°She¡¯s telling me she¡¯s loyal to the Alpha who might have killed my mate and son,¡± Zev snarled.


    ¡°She¡¯s proven her worth, her willingness to help you¡ªto help us!¡± Skhal growled.


    ¡°But to what end?¡± Zev snapped. ¡°She¡¯s standing here pleading the case for that bitch. You expect me to trust her to be among our people¡ªclose to my mate¡ªwhen she¡¯s probably just gathering information and¡ª¡±


    ¡®Do you want to hear a difficult truth, Zev? Or the lie that makes you feel better?¡¯ Skhal growled through the link.


    It was a low blow. A reference to Zev¡¯s days training and strengthening as a young adolescent¡ªwhen Skhal had been among the wolves grooming him for Alpha. Before the humans had taken him back into the human world.


    When, in his youth and ideology, he¡¯d been taught¡ªand loudly dered¡ªthat no matter how difficult his life became, he¡¯d always seek a painful truth over a pleasant lie. He¡¯d made Skhal vow it to him: Never hesitate to speak the truth to me, even if you think it will hurt.


    .....


    And the male had stayed true, all these years. At times he¡¯d been the only one Zev could trust not to stroke his fur. Except his brother¡ªwho¡¯d take the low blow on purpose.


    Zev snorted, trembling with restrained rage¡ªbut not at Skhal, he reminded himself. His anger was not for his brother who¡¯d freed him, or even his brother¡¯s mate.


    His rage was for that fucking Queen who postured and spat because she had dozens of warriors at her back.


    Let her meet Zev on a dark street.


    Hell, let her meet Zev in a well-lit clearing.


    He would disembowel her first to make certain she felt the pain before he tore her throat out.


    The thought made his chest tighten with anticipation¡ªbut recognizing that thrill terrified him. He wasn¡¯t the monster the humans had tried to mold him into.


    He was more than a weapon.


    Was that truly all Jayah saw in him?


    He broke eye contact with Skhal to look at his brother¡¯s mate over his shoulder. Jayah hadn¡¯t backed away. Her eyes were clear and fixed. She held his gaze and waited patiently.


    She was well matched for Skhal¡ªsofter than his friend who always reminded him of an old tree¡ªweathered and rough, but so deeply rooted he was impossible to blow over in a storm.


    Unless someone put an ax to it.


    He narrowed his eyes, focusing on Jayah. He didn¡¯t miss the wariness in her gaze. Not out of fear. But she looked at him the way he¡¯d look at a gun on someone¡¯s table.


    A weapon, not drawn, but bringing with it the potential to kill.


    Was that all she thought he was?


    He startled when a handnded on his elbow, but resisted the instinct to jerk away from it. It was Sasha, his own mate, warm and exhausted, and afraid.


    ¡°Zev¡­ please. Let¡¯s just go. We can sort this all outter.¡±


    He turned to look at her, then down at their son, his shock of ck hair peeking out of the sling on her chest, and his heart melted.


    Turning away from Skhal, he put a hand to his son¡¯s bottom, pulled the sling back far enough to see that tiny, soft face, the thick cheek pink and shoved up to look even fatter because he had his face curled against his mother¡¯s chest.


    Sasha¡¯s dirty shirt, the top button torn off at some point so that the v revealed the rounds of her breasts.


    His stomach fluttered at the sight.


    How long had it been since he¡¯d taken her? How long since all he¡¯d thought about was to be with her?


    How long since he¡¯d felt free enough to give his mate his full attention?


    He dragged his eyes back up to meet hers¡ªwide and shining¡­ pleading.


    Why was everyone so certain he was about to do something he shouldn¡¯t?!


    He cupped her face, then leaned down to brush his lips on hers, the tiniest flutter of desire and warm flush of love spreading through his chest as they touched.


    They were free, he reminded himself. No longer watched over by guards. No longer having their steps, their meals, their fucking toileting determined by an aggressor.


    They would be alone tonight. He¡¯d make certain of it.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± he whispered to her.


    Her brows rose in hope and her eyes softened. She nodded and turned away in the direction Skhal had gone to check for the patrols Jayah had warned them were in the area. But Zev didn¡¯t move.


    As Skhal turned to take Jayah¡¯s hand and lead her into the forest, Zev caught his elbow.


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t enter the encampment as long as she¡¯s loyal to that bitch,¡± he growled, low and hard.


    Skhal froze, his jaw tightening.


    But it was Jayah who squeezed his other arm. ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll show you past the patrols, then¡­ then I¡¯ll go back,¡± she whispered.


    That grating voice in Zev¡¯s head screamed about separating mates, but he pushed it away.


    No one would be given the chance to undermine the safety of his people, his mate, his son again. No matter who they were¡ªor who they were mated to.


    Skhal quivered and Zev scented the tidal wave of anger and hurt that crashed over him. But he ignored it, stepping away, to follow Sasha, who was frowning again now, but silent, even in the bond.


    And so was Skhal.


    Good. Good.


    They all needed to sit up and fucking pay attention. This wasn¡¯t Thana. This wasn¡¯t peace. This wasn¡¯t safety.


    This was fucking war. And he had three days to get them through it, to the other side. To real safety.


    Or die trying.

 Chapter 150 - 150 Home is Where the Heart is

    150 Home is Where the Heart is


    ~ SASHA ~


    Thatst couple of hours before they reached the Chimera were heartbreaking. Sasha had had to stand aside and watch while Skhal, his face lined and pale, his jaw tense and flexing, said a desperate, pained goodbye to his mate. Zev wasn¡¯t allow Jayah toe closer to the Chimeran settlement yet, despite Skhal¡¯s pleas and Sasha¡¯s encouragement that the female had already shown her trustworthiness by showing them around the patrols, and the long route through the hills to move past the ravine that, Skhal exined, acted as an excellent gateway between the two peoples.


    The long route they¡¯d taken to reach this ce took far too long to allow for strategicmunication, and without Jayah¡¯s knowledge of the locations of the Anima patrols, they wouldn¡¯t have made it through.


    But Jayah voluntarily withdrew once they were beyond thends where the Anima had drawn back, leaving the Chimera to live, but keeping them contained on this massive penins where the bulk of the Chimera had, apparently,nded when they came through the gateway.


    A safe, isted spit ofnd guarded on one side by dense forest that eventually gave way to the sharp mountains whose foothills they¡¯d just navigated, and on the other side by a coastline.


    Watching Skhal fight the need of his new bond, remembering how difficult it had been for Sasha to be apart from Zev in those early days¡ªand that was before they¡¯d evenpleted the bond!¡ªjust broke her heart.


    She kept looking at Zev who watched the two coldly, drawing back far enough to give them some privacy, but not wavering in his resolve.


    What had happened to her mate?


    That was a stupid question. She knew exactly what had happened.


    .....


    She¡¯d seen Zev like this once before, when they¡¯d spent months hiding in Thana, evading the human scientists and paramilitary who hunted them. Or rather, hunted Zev.


    He¡¯d slowly slipped into this darkness then too¡ªthe aggression and confidence of a predator, with the haunted, fearful belly of prey. His distance in those days had chilled her. But he¡¯de back to her, finally. And she¡¯d thought when they got Zan safely away from the human sanctuary that those days were behind them.


    But they¡¯d caged him. Bound him. Triggered every memory, every sensory detail he¡¯d feared and hated about himself.


    Her mate had been altered against his will¡­ forged by heartless, cruel men into a weapon in the years they¡¯d been apart. And when danger threatened, it was only instinct for him to return, to be the cold de again.


    But before now, when he¡¯d shown that side, it had always been in defense of her life, and his own¡ªwhich were the same thing when they shared an Ardent bond.


    Yet, here they were, finally safe. Saved by friends. Assisted even by their enemies¡ªyet Zev wasn¡¯t snapping out of it.


    The man who stood next to her, his eyes cold and dispassionate on one of his dearest friends¡ªhis former Advisor and trusted council member¡ªwhile that male was forced to say goodbye to his mate in the midst of a potentially life-threatening conflict¡­


    This wasn¡¯t Zev. Zev wasn¡¯t cruel. He didn¡¯t hate. He was warm and funny and strong and noble and¡­ not this.


    Zev had never been a hard-hearted, passionless bastard.


    When Skhal and Jayah had finally parted, Skhal prowling past them like a wolf on the hunt, not even meeting Zev¡¯s eyes, Zev hadn¡¯t frowned. He hadn¡¯t reached for his friend¡ªhadn¡¯t reacted at all. He¡¯d turned on his heel and followed, taking Sasha¡¯s hand and leading her without a word.


    Sasha¡¯s blood ran cold at how he¡¯d disassociated.


    Would she ever be able to break through to him and get him back? She almost hadn¡¯t been able to back in Thana when they were on the run. And this was worse.


    But she stayed alone in her thoughts¡ªsomething else she wasn¡¯t ustomed to anymore. Theck of Zev¡¯s warm words of encouragement and hope in her head left her starkly cold and fearful.


    But she was too exhausted to try to reach him. She was just grateful that their near-constant movement had kept Zan mostly asleep throughout the night and now morning that they¡¯d traveled. How many hours had it been? Eight? Ten? She wasn¡¯t sure.


    All she knew was that her body wanted nothing more than to stop moving, and to sleep. And her heart wanted nothing more than the safety of her son, and her mate¡¯s arms around her, and his whispered words of love in her ear.


    Jayah had given her two feedings worth of milk in a supple waterskin, that should keep Zan healthy and full until that evening. But then they would need to find other milk for him.


    She prayed that the Chimera would have what they needed. It was the only detail Jayah had been uncertain of. They¡¯d thought she would be with them to help them figure it out, so as they¡¯d moved through clearnd, Jayah had hastily given her advice on which animals would provide the best for him.


    Now Sasha had to pray that the Chimera had gathered flocks over the summer when they¡¯d been here, before Zev and Sasha arrived.


    Her thoughts were interrupted by Skhal¡¯s sudden slowing, and Zev¡¯s immediate tension.


    They must have caught the scent of the encampment and the ns.


    Ahead of them, the trees did appear to thin, more sunlight beckoning, though it was the colder, thinner sunlight of the Autumn season.


    Sasha waited to feel Zev¡¯s thrill¡ªhe was going to see his people soon! After months apart and fleeing the humans, after freeing Zan and¡ª


    ¡°Go,¡± Zev growled when Skhal hesitated.


    Skhal looked over his shoulder, his eyes shadowed and tight and Sasha¡¯s heart broke all over again. ¡°You should go first,¡± he muttered. ¡°They¡¯ll scent us soon and they¡¯ll want to greet you.¡±


    Zev should have been thrilled.


    He should have been overjoyed.


    He should have hurried forward to greet his people.


    He should have felt the thrill of triumph, the pride of a father and an Alpha bringing his son home to his people.


    He should have been ecstatic.


    But when she looked up at him, a small smile of her own hope and anticipation growing, it was to find Zev frowning at that growing sunlight, and his hand tightening on hers.


    ¡°Be careful,¡± he muttered to her. ¡°Keep your eyes open, just in case.¡±


    Sasha blinked. ¡°Zev¡­ are you telling me to be careful¡­ with our people?¡±


    He didn¡¯t stop walking, but his grip tightened on her until it was almost to the point of pain and he looked down at her, his face stern. ¡°We don¡¯t know what¡¯s happened, in the past three months, Sash. We don¡¯t know who¡¯s been secretly meeting with the Anima or¡­ anything. Just¡­ keep your eyes open, that¡¯s all.¡±


    She gaped. But just then they broke through the edge of the trees, and a few secondster a howl of triumph rose less than a mile away.


    Their people had just learned that their beloved Alphas were finally home, bringing their son and heir.


    Sasha wished she felt the joy of that.


    And she deeply wished Zev didn¡¯t look like a dark angel.

 Chapter 151 - 151 Welcome Home – Part 1

    151 Wee Home ¨C Part If you like music while you read, try ¡°What a Wonderful World¡± by AG + Reuben and the Dark. It sets just the right tone for the next few chapters!


    *****


    ~ ZEV ~


    When the howl rose in the distance, Zev swallowed hard, heart thumping in his ears.


    They knew he wasing. They knew his mate was here, and their son¡ªor they would, soon enough.


    Did a baby release as much scent as an adult? Were they less likely to scent Zan? Zev hoped so.


    Swallowing down the clench of fear in his gut, he started forward, eyes sharp on the treeline, waiting for the inevitable shadows that would appear before his people¡­


    They would rush him, he realized, and he had to stifle a shudder.


    Among the Chimeran wolves, greetings after a long absence were¡­ enthusiastic. The males would approach first to test his scent and share theirs. He would be wrestled and pressed and touched and buried under a pack.


    .....


    His entire body went rigid and his breath got short.


    ¡°Zev?¡± Sasha whispered, stepping up to his elbow.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± he said, his tone short and cold. Of course, her scent didn¡¯t change. She was worried about him. He needed to reassure her. Shit. What was wrong with him?


    Skhal watched him closely, also unsmiling. But Zev plowed forward. He needed to get this over with.


    ¡®Stay at the back and watch for Sasha. I don¡¯t want them knocking her over with the baby,¡¯ he sent to Skhal alone. Sasha would, he knew, be angry that he¡¯d even think it. But she hadn¡¯t been through this kind of thing before. Her will was so strong, she often forgot how much weaker she was physically than the Chimera.


    A niggling thought fluttered in the back of his mind¡ªthat the Anima probably hadn¡¯t realized how weak she was either, that that may have been part of why she was thrown down when she held Zan¡ªbut he growled and pushed it away.


    There was no excuse.


    They¡¯d been brought to this ce to find safety from the humans. Walking into the jaws of other shifters was just out of the frying pan and into the fire. It was up to him to fix this. Now. No one could be safe until he did.


    And that started with gathering his people back to him.


    Another howl rose¡ªjoyous and excited¡ªLhars. His brother. His brother who he¡¯d left at the summit of the hierarchy while he was gone.


    His brother who he¡¯d only found peace with in recent weeks.


    His brother who had always been ambitious.


    Would Lhars want to give up the power he¡¯d enjoyed in the past three months?


    Zev supposed he was about to find out.


    ¡°Sasha, stay back and keep Zan safe until they¡¯ve calmed down,¡± he muttered, then leaped into a run, shifting into his wolf because somehow it seemed less threatening to meet the pack that way.


    Pushing himself, pushing away thoughts of fear, he raced down into the clearing below just as the first of the shadows appeared in the thinner forest on the other side.


    There was the slightest flutter of warmth in his chest when he saw theming for him¡ªeyes bright, heads thrown back to howl and call. But even he was surprised by how detached he felt.


    This should have been his moment of greatest triumph. Even in the face of his imprisonment, this was the moment he¡¯d envisioned again and again, vowing to himself and to the Creator that he would reach them, protect them¡­ and here he was.


    As the pack descended on him, howling, barking¡ªhalf shifted into their wolves, half staying in human form¡ªhe should have been yipping in delight.


    Instead, adrenaline crashed through his system as they surrounded him, plowing into him, rubbing against him, jaws open and mouths wide to taste his scent, howls and barks rising in a cloud as they writhed and leaped over each other, each of them rushing to touch, to scent, to get close and test that this was, indeed, their Alpha returned.


    His wounds from the bindings at wrists and ankles were almost healed in his human form¡ªthe Anima had fed him enough to keep his system functioning efficiently. The pink, tender skin in his human form was less noticeable in his wolf. But they scented it on him¡ªthe echo of blood and pain.


    Some of those yips were indignant. Others angry. Some noses pressed to his wounds, others nudged his ears, neck, shoulders. The pack rushed him, tails whipping, ears perked, bodies piling closer until Zev couldn¡¯t do anything but work to keep his feet as more and more of the pack arrived, and he was pummeled and jostled until he almost fell.


    He growled when his lungs grew tight, but the sound was buried under the calling and barking of the pack, only those wolves closest to him hesitating, checking his posture and submitting to calm him.


    Then the scent of his brother hit the back of his throat and Zev found his body doing war with itself¡ªhalf of him rushed with love and gratitude, with relief. The other half tense and alert, ready to meet a challenge.


    He lifted his head, looking for Lhars. But just then one of the younger males, ovee with the thrill of it all, lost his head and leaped over Zev¡¯s back, yipping his excitement.


    Zev gave a vicious snarl and whirled, teeth snapping a hairsbreadth from the male¡¯s neck.


    The entire pack sank back, away, the young male yelping and dropping to his side in the grass, licking his lips in submission, pleading for mercy.


    I am young, his posture said. I made a mistake. Forgive me. I submit.


    Zev stood over him in his wolf, chest heaving, hackles high and teeth bared as the rest of the pack backed away to give them space.


    As Alpha it was his due to discipline any wolf he chose, to draw the boundaries as clearly and tightly as he deemed right.


    He could kill this pup and while they might grieve, they wouldn¡¯t condemn him for it.


    He was Alpha.


    It was his right.


    Zev took a small step toward the young male, images of his own wrath dancing in his head.


    Then he stopped.


    Had he really just considered killing an adolescent who¡¯d lost their head in a greeting pile?


    What the fuck was wrong with him?


    He stopped, shivering, made himself turn away from the young male, ignore him¡ªtacit permission to return to his feet and join the pack again now that the boundary had been set.


    But Zev¡¯s head was spinning. For a moment he wanted to flee, to drop his haunches and run. Be free. Be alone. Away from this pup, all of the pack.


    When had he ever wanted that?


    He turned again, searching for Sasha, finding her standing a dozen feet from the pack, staring at him with an expression of deep worry on her face.


    His mate. His son. He had to remember¡ª


    ¡°Zev?¡±


    Zev¡¯s heart stopped as he turned to find his brother, in human form, standing just feet away, eyes silvered with tears, but his face¡ªso simr to Zev¡¯s own¡ªexpressionless. His eyes locked on Zev and searching.


    For greeting? Or challenge?


    Whichever it was, Zev still retained enough respect for his brother to finally shift back to his human form, though it left him feeling more vulnerable.


    They stood just feet apart, facing each other and all around them, the pack went slowly silent as Zev lowered his chin and didn¡¯t drop eye-contact.

 Chapter 152 - 152 Welcome Home – Part 2

    152 Wee Home ¨C Part ~ ZEV ~


    ¡°You¡¯re back,¡± Lhars breathed. ¡°And¡­ safe?¡± His brother watched him warily, one strong predator in the presence of another in whose reception he was uncertain. ¡°All of you?¡± he asked, and his voice quivered with fear and uncertainty that should have broken Zev¡¯s heart for thepassion that showed.


    Why didn¡¯t he feel it?


    Zev nodded once. ¡°Yes. But only by the grace of the Creator,¡± he muttered back.


    Lhars blinked once, then his body slumped. ¡°Thank God,¡± he said and threw himself at Zev, pulling him into a hug so tight, Zev almost couldn¡¯t breathe again.


    There was a sh of panic in his chest, a moment when his hands tightened on his brother to push him away. But then Lhars¡¯ voice bloomed in the link.


    ¡®We¡¯ve been praying every day that you¡¯d made it safely. I¡¯m so d. So d, Zev. Thank the Creator¡­ we were so scared.¡¯ And his brother began to weep on his shoulder.


    Zev stood there, stunned, while his brother¡¯s shoulders shook. Then slowly, swallowing hard, wrapped his arms around Lhars and held him in return.


    The pack raised howls¡ªshared grief, shared joy, shared sorrow, shared relief. And Zev¡¯s heart fluttered again with a whisper of the feeling he knew he should have felt.


    .....


    Joy.


    Warmth.


    Love.


    He was loved. He had been missed. And his pack weed him back¡ªhim and his family. They shared his joy and fear.


    They loved him. And Sasha and Zan, though they¡¯d never met him.


    A shudder rocked through Zev when Lhar¡¯s arms tightened even further around his chest. But he didn¡¯t jerk out of the hug immediately. He pped his brother¡¯s back and squeezed his shoulder before stepping back.


    Lhars released him immediately, but his eyes searched Zev¡¯s when they parted enough to look each other in the eye.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Sasha?¡± Lhars said. ¡°And the baby¡ª¡±


    ¡°Zan,¡± Zev said, pride creeping into his tone. Then he turned to look, and the entire pack followed his gaze.


    Howls rose again, but the first and biggest burst of energy that came with the excitement of their reunion had been spent on Zev, so to his relief, the pack rushed Sasha with a great deal more restraint.


    Zan was still slung against her chest, but Sasha beamed with a relieved, exhausted smile as they descended on her. But he didn¡¯t miss that her arms tightened on their son, and she used her body to shield him from the rush of the younger wolves who were still wiggling with excitement.


    Zev tensed, but the females were approaching now, most of them having been saved by Sasha from the human sanctuary. Their scents were saturated with gratitude and admiration that bordered on zeal. Yet they were much more hesitant, much slower to approach and more careful of their greetings, which made Zev breathe easier.


    The females just wanted to be closer to her, to see her son, to catch her scent and be certain she was safe.


    Then the other ns approached too, calls, cries, and in the case of the mountain goats, dancing their greetings.


    Zev was hugged and jostled and pped on the back, his body jarring with shock at every touch, but he kept his teeth clenched and made himself face them, receiving the greetings and wishes¡ªuntil finally, the crowds parted and Dunken stood in front of him.


    His old friend¡¯s eyes were watchful, but wary. Dunken rarely smiled anyway, but he wasn¡¯t frowning, which for Dunken was as good as beaming.


    ¡°Wee back, Zev,¡± he said on a rush of breath.


    Zev forced himself to smile, then pulled his old friend into a brief hug¡ªand felt Dunken rx in his embrace.


    Right before they¡¯d left Thana, Zev had asked Dunken to carry out a task, and Dunken had refused¡­ he¡¯d thought he¡¯d found his mate, and hadn¡¯t wanted to take the risk of leaving her. Zev had understood, though he¡¯d felt the sting of rejection at the time.


    Clearly Dunken feared Zev might be angry about it.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you, Brother,¡± Zev muttered in his ear, then stepped back, squeezing Dunken¡¯s shoulder as he knew he would have done if he¡¯d felt¡­ normal.


    Dunken gave a small, lopsided smile. But before Zev could ask, he was pulled away by the greetings and warm embraces of some of the others who¡¯d waited patiently to see him.


    Carefully, as each of his people approached and embraced or touched him, Zev slowly moved himself closer and closer to Sasha, until they stood only feet apart¡ªLhars at Zev¡¯s side, and Kyelle at Sasha¡¯s.


    Kyelle.


    She¡¯d found Zev¡¯s eyes¡ªher own welling with tears, her scent a strange mix of relief and fear. But she was Zev¡¯s oldest, and one of his closest friends, now the mate to his brother¡ªdespite being an owl¡ªand the second to Sasha.


    She¡¯d led the females out of Thana and the human world and brought them all here to start fresh. And here they were, his people¡­ safe. Thriving, if their looks and scents were anything to go by.


    They certainly seemed healthier than he and Sasha.


    He looked at Kyelle again, who¡¯d shifted her attention to Lhars.


    There was a flutter of tension in Zev about Kyelle as well¡ªwould she challenge Sasha for dominance now that she¡¯d tasted leadership and power, above and beyond being Alpha of her own flock?


    Zev made himself push the thought away.


    A true leader assumed his control, and only exerted it when it became clear there was a need to remind someone of their ce. He wouldn¡¯t help his cause¡ªor Sasha¡¯s¡ªby seeing challenge where challenge hadn¡¯t been presented.


    But to soothe his own anxiety, he vowed to keep his nose to the wind.


    He and Sasha had just endured the most terrifying and trying months of his life. Now they were back with their people, but with a new enemy to face. A new threat. That was more than enough to keep them busy and alert.


    Wisdom dictated that he didn¡¯t invite trouble that hadn¡¯t appeared.


    But¡­ he would watch for it. And he would take its throat the moment it did.

 Chapter 153 - 153 Alpha of All

    153 Alpha of All


    ~ ZEV ~


    Turning to his people, Zev raised a hand to quiet everyone. Sasha stepped towards him,ing to stand at his side, holding Zan tight against her chest, even though the sling kept him secure anyway.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said, and meant the words, though he knew they should have touched him more deeply.


    A cloud of calls, huffs, barks, and cries rose.


    Zev felt hollow inside. He put an arm around Sasha and pulled her closer, desperate to feel her warmth.


    ¡°We¡¯re safe, we¡¯re here. And our son¡­ our son¡¯s name is Zan. He¡¯s healthy and strong and¡­ thank you for waiting for us,¡± he said, wishing his voice sounded warmer. ¡°But you probably already know, there¡¯s a different threat to be faced here in Anima¡ªone we now know intimately. And there¡¯s no time to waste.¡±


    Everyone went still, stunned, apparently. But Zev plowed on.


    ¡°Lhars, Kyelle, I need to speak with both of you immediately. Alphas, please gather ready to council after we¡¯ve spoken with the Seconds. Sasha and I are so grateful you¡¯re all happy to see us¡ªand we¡¯re so d to be back with you. but unfortunately there¡¯s no time to enjoy it. We¡¯re¡ª¡±


    ¡®Zev, greet them! Show them that you love them!¡¯ Skhal¡¯s voice in his head rang with dark disapproval. ¡®They¡¯ve been waiting for you for three months, begging God to bring you and your family back safe¡ª¡¯


    .....


    Zev cut off the link and cleared his throat.


    ¡°My friends¡­ I know this wasn¡¯t the reunion we all wanted, but it¡¯s the reunion we¡¯ve been given. We are facing a deadly enemy. And I love you too much to indulge in¡­ in fun while our enemy creeps up behind us. So¡­ please, go and prepare. Because very, very soon, we will be at war.¡±


    He looked at Lhars and Kyelle, then started to walk in the direction of the encampment, which he could smell further south.


    Sasha sighed heavily, but walked with him, and his people¡ªso many faces warm and bright, fading to fear or disappointment, stepped back to give them the passage of the Alpha through the ns.


    *****


    Half an hourter, Zev squatted next to a fire in a rough building, simr to those they¡¯d built in the vige back at Thana¡ªsomething that had once been a lean-to, but was slowly growing and being improved.


    It was thergest structure the Chimera had made so far,rge enough to seat twenty in a circle, though right now, only half a dozen of them were inside. The others were gathering outside, waiting to be called in by the Alphas.


    The scent of relief that had permeated the people was being slowly overwhelmed by fear, and it was his fault, Zev knew. But what could he do? Pretend that these Anima weren¡¯t a threat?


    He paced back and forth along the back wall of the building, unwilling to admit that he still felt the need to cover his back, even among his own people. Let them think he was only tense.


    But Sasha knew, she watched him with worried eyes.


    Lhars and Kyelle stood in the center of the room, side by side, their scents entwined and that easy closeness of mates bonded and intimate. Zev knew that feeling¡ªwhen the body of your mate seemed just an extension of your own. When physical space was unnecessary. He knew that feeling, had enjoyed it for months with Sasha back in Thana.


    A sh of jealousy roared through him because his own mate stood further away, watching him, tense, holding their son. Zan had woken and Sasha was feeding him from the waterskin Jayah had provided.


    A hum of rm raced through Zev¡ªthey needed a food source for their son, and quickly. Kyelle was already on it, she and Sasha discussing it with one of the healers as they¡¯d walked back to the encampment, but Zev wouldn¡¯t feel safe about it until everything was in ce.


    He tore his attention back to his brother and Kyelle, catching both their eyes with a warning in his own.


    ¡°Tell me, as quickly as you can, how established we are here, who made it and who didn¡¯t. How big are our numbers? How healthy are we? Quickly.¡±


    Lhars blinked, but didn¡¯t question, justunched into the briefing.


    From the n Chimera alone, three hundred had left Thana and at least two hundred and fifty had made it here¡ªthat they knew of. It was possible some of the others hadnded in other parts of the world, but never reunited with them. At least, not yet.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t go looking for them?¡± Zev barked like he would to a recruit, stopping himself from wincing at his own tone. His brother would forgive him. This was important.


    But it was Kyelle who answered. ¡°I was¡­ leading when we first arrived, working to keep the females who¡¯de from the human world calm and helping them to assimte, while we still had all the others who¡¯de with us from Thana and hadn¡¯t adjusted yet. It was a lot, Zev. You have to remember how much they were struggling. We were concerned at the beginning¡­ but being here was actually better. It gave us all a purpose. We kept everyone close¡ªa three mile radius for the first couple of months. Except the hunters and scouts, who kept specific routes. We weren¡¯t certain we were alone, and we thought if we kept everyone close it would help the females settle and it would mean, others were more likely to find us if we were in arger group.


    ¡°But some struggled with the close confines. Especially the females after being in the sanctuary. We had a few breaking ranks. Then Harth disappeared and¡­ and we realized¡­ we couldn¡¯t keep them all cooped up. It was fracturing us. So, we had to let them be free. But a few left after that and haven¡¯t returned yet.¡±


    ¡°A few?¡± Zev asked quietly, still pacing.


    Kyelle licked her lips and nced up at Lhars like she was nervous to speak. Zev stopped pacing and waited, heart pounding. What had happened? How many had they lost.


    ¡°How many?¡± He asked sharply.


    Kyelle sighed.


    ¡°We have about two hundred who keep tents or shelters here. A couple dozen that have made homes in the hills or the forest, apart from the main group. And then more that we haven¡¯t seen in a week or more.¡±


    Zev swore. Lhars jumped in, shifting his weight as if he would put himself between Zev and Kyelle.

 Chapter 154 - 154 The Lay of the Land

    154 The Lay of the Land


    ~ ZEV ~


    Zev wanted to bite something. Did his brother really think he¡¯d hurt Kyelle? What was wrong with everyone?


    Lhars spoke up as if to take Zev¡¯s attention from his mate. ¡°It¡¯s only been days, Zev. I¡¯m guessing a lot of them wille back when they¡¯ve had some time to rest. Everyone is still finding their feet here, but we have a lot more resources than those who¡¯ve gone out alone, or as a pair.¡±


    ¡°We have more pairs?¡± Sasha asked quickly from the corner. Everyone turned to look at her.


    Kyelle smiled. ¡°Several new mate pairs, and others that we¡¯re certain are going to choose to bond. They¡¯re just¡­ finding their way. The females are still¡­ uncertain of themselves a lot. And there¡¯s that cluster of them that the humans interfered with. The ones that appear to be mature, but are really still children. We¡¯re being very careful with them and¡ª¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s two Anima who¡¯ve mated Chimera, too. Do you know that?¡± Sasha blurted.


    Zev had to bite back a growl. He hadn¡¯t wanted to reveal that until he had a better grasp of where the Chimera were.


    ¡°Truly?¡± Kyelle gasped.


    ¡°Skhal has a wolf mate, and Harth is mated to one of their lions!¡±


    .....


    Zev¡¯s brother and his mate both whirled to look at Skhal. ¡°Really, Skhal? Congrattions! Where is she?¡±


    Zev almost startled. He¡¯d forgotten his former advisor was even in the room. Skhal had stepped inside the door, then nted himself there, as if he¡¯d stop anyone else from entering.


    Skhal cut a searing re at Zev, then turned back to Lhars. ¡°I¡¯m hoping she¡¯ll join us in a couple days. I have to go meet her tonight. She¡¯s trying to help us forge a line ofmunication so that we can avoid conflict,¡± he said through his teeth.


    Zev was grateful that Skhal didn¡¯t reveal more just then¡ªthen annoyed with himself for thinking it. He¡¯d been right to minimize the risk of Jayah¡¯s connection to the Queen of the Anima! Skhal would see that if it wasn¡¯t his own mate.


    ¡°Harth¡¯s mate is the Captain of the Anima military,¡± Sasha said, her eyes flicking back and forth between Kyelle and Zev. Zev didn¡¯t smile, but he didn¡¯t tell her to stop either. It was toote now.


    ¡°Keep that to yourselves until we¡¯re certain what¡¯s going on. There¡¯s a chance that Harth and her mate will be joining us in a couple of days. If they do¡­ then we can get excited about it.¡±


    Lhars¡¯ eyebrows popped up. ¡°Their Captain ising to join us?¡±


    ¡°Possibly,¡± Zev said.


    ¡°Unlikely,¡± Skhal growled.


    They red at each other for a moment. But Sasha stepped in. ¡°We won¡¯t know until it¡¯s been a couple of days. But the good news is that we have two Chimera with close ties to the Anima. That gives me hope that we can forge peace without a fight.¡±


    Zev¡¯s upper lip twitched back from his teeth, but he didn¡¯t argue with her, just barked questions at Lhars and Kyelle so he could form a mental picture of what kind of resources they had.


    He asked about the creatures¡ªthe Chimera who were failed experiments of the humans, who couldn¡¯t shape-shift and instead existed in a half-and-half form, their bodies twisted tobine human and animal features.


    But he already knew many of them had chosen to stay in Thana and fight the humans¡ªand lost.


    ¡°They¡¯ve been staying away from us,¡± Kyelle admitted with a sad look at Lhars. ¡°The hunters and trackers are crossing their scent trails and finding evidence. A few have even spoken. But mostly they¡¯re avoiding us, I think. Thisnd appears to be muchrger than Thana. But we¡¯ve kept our hunters on this penins so far, so we don¡¯t know¡ª¡±


    ¡°Have every tracker or hunter who¡¯se in contact with a creature or the Chimera who left the encampment gather in the morning. I want to hear reports from them directly,¡± Zev muttered. ¡°But in the meantime, do we have any maps, anything to help us understand how much space we have here before we hit that ravine and the Anima patrols?¡±


    Lhars briefed him¡ªpartial maps, still iplete and virtually no information beyond the ravine except what they could see from a distance, being up in the hills above the forest.


    Zev cursed again and Sasha cut him a look. ¡°Give those who are talented with maps forty-eight hours. I want to see as much of thisnd we hold and thend we can see from the mountains documented and drawn as we can in that time. We¡¯ll get the trackers and hunters to tell us as much as they know about terrain and defensible ces tomorrow, too. And Lhars, you and Skhal identify our ten best scouts and snipers. I need to meet them tomorrow for some training. I¡¯m assuming by now we have more than just snares for weapons?¡±


    Lhars frowned. ¡°Of course. Bows and slings and¡­ but, Zev, why? I thought we were opening up lines ofmunication? Talks for peace?¡±


    Zev huffed his derision at that idea. ¡°Eventually. Maybe. But right now we¡¯re making sure these bastards know that the Chimera aren¡¯t to be underestimated.¡±


    Lhars¡¯ eyes narrowed. ¡°What are you saying?¡±


    Zev stopped pacing and turned to face his brother, pointing to the east, towards the WildWood and that Tree City. ¡°Those people almost ended me. They threatened my mate and son, and almost killed all three of us. They¡¯ve held me in a cage¡ªbound me so I couldn¡¯t shift without killing myself¡ªthen refused to listen even to their own Captain, who tried to tell them that we came in peace when he was mated to one of our own. They are led by a headstrong, blind, prideful Queen, and until she¡¯s removed, there¡¯s no hope we will be any more free than we were in Thana.¡±


    Lhars swallowed, his hands tightening to fists. ¡°You¡¯re going to¡ª¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to teach these fuckers a lesson and assassinate that she-cat Queen. Then we¡¯ll see about peace.¡±

 Chapter 155 - 155 Submission

    155 Submission


    ~ SASHA ~


    When that awful, awkward, joyless meeting was over, Sasha was almost in tears, but she swallowed them back and made herself look stronger than she felt as they all began to move towards the doors, Zev and Lhars still deep in conversation with Skhal, apparently debating when and how to gather the hunters that Zev wanted.


    Sasha¡¯s stomach dropped at that thought and her steps slowed, allowing the males to leave the building ahead of her so she could have a moment to breathe before she ventured back out and had to smile and greet the people again. She was so happy to see them, and so grateful for their excitement to see her¡­ but she was exhausted and defeated and terrified that she was going to lose her mate to this darkness that seemed to inhabit his skin.


    She knew what he¡¯d endured, he¡¯d shown her more times than she wanted to remember. She knew he¡¯d been shoved back into that ce by the cruelty and cold treatment of the Anima right on the heels of the humans hunting them. She understood what had happened¡­ but it still terrified her.


    Zev wasn¡¯t Zev. He¡¯d be the soldier. The assassin that the humans had molded him to be. And she didn¡¯t know how to bring him back from it.


    Zan had fallen asleep again as soon as she¡¯d fed him, which was a relief. He was as tired as she was¡ªthough he didn¡¯t seem to settle as well this time, squirming more in his sleep and asionally letting out a small cry.


    She¡¯d kept herself in the corner of the building, swaying back and forth to keep him soothed, not knowing what else to do. Part of her wanted to grab Zev and try to force him to break through this fear and anger that was driving him. But there was a small piece of her that was scared to do that.


    If she couldn¡¯t bring him back, how might he react?


    She had a baby¡ªthey had a baby! She couldn¡¯t let her son be put at risk from his own father. Or worse, what if Zev was right? What if Elreth really wouldn¡¯t ever soften her position? What if the conversation she and Sasha had had before everything went to shit really was just a ploy to get Sasha to lower her guard?


    .....


    She and Zev had always led together¡ªthe one taking the lead who knew the enemy better, or who had the stronger n. When the humans had been the biggest threat, it had been Sasha who¡¯d taken the lead, journeyed back to her own world and negotiated with the Team. She¡¯d been the one to fool the humans and found a way to get the Chimera out of that prison they called a ¡®sanctuary.¡¯


    But now¡­ now they were dealing with shifters. And physical threat. Zev had been quick to point out that they were in and they didn¡¯t know, facing shifters who were so much stronger and didn¡¯t need weapons to kill.


    What if he was right¡ª


    ¡°Sasha?¡±


    Sasha jumped, gasping, as Kyelle took her elbow. Zan squeaked, woken by her fear, but he just nuzzled her chest, then sighed and resettled.


    Sasha waited until his breathing was even before looking up at her friend, blinking back tears. But Kyelle¡ªher brown hair peppered with white strands, not because she was old, but because it mirrored the plumage of her owl that shifted between brown in the summer and white in the winter¡ªjust stared down at Sasha¡¯s son, her eyes wide and forehead wrinkled with something between joy and despair.


    Kyelle had been experimented on by the humans. She wasn¡¯t capable of having offspring¡ªwhich was a strange kind of blessing since her mate was a wolf, and their offspring would inevitably be one of the gically mutated Creatures. And yet¡­


    ¡°He¡¯s beautiful, Sasha,¡± Kyelle said, a hollow sadness in her tone, despite her gentle smile.


    ¡°Thank you. It¡¯s so good to see you, Kyelle. Thank you for holding everything together here.¡±


    Kyelle finally tore her eyes off the baby and back to Sasha, and they embraced again, both of them careful not to squash Zan between them, but gripping each other tightly.


    When they pulled apart, there were tears in both their eyes. But Kyelle¡ªnever one to dance around an issue¡ªdidn¡¯t even address it. She just cleared her throat and held Sasha¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Why are you submitting to him, Sasha? He¡¯s obviously¡­ not himself.¡±


    Sasha shook her head, her vision blurring. ¡°You¡¯re right. He¡¯s not. But¡­ this is the kind of fight I can¡¯t lead,¡± she whispered, ncing towards the door, wondering if the males were close enough to overhear them. ¡°He¡¯s so scared, Kyelle. He didn¡¯t tell you everything that happened. They really did almost kill him. And he¡¯s¡­ he¡¯s stuck in that dark ce where the humans used to keep him¡­ before¡­¡±


    Kyelle rubbed her arms while Sasha breathed deeply and blinked back tears. This wasn¡¯t the time to crack!


    ¡°So¡­ there really isn¡¯t hope for peace?¡± Kyelle said, her own voice crackling with disappointment.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I really don¡¯t. I thought¡­ I talked to the Queen before Zev woke up and¡­ I thought¡­ I thought it would be okay. But now¡­ he hates her, Kyelle. And I can¡¯t me him. She did everything she could to push him back into the trauma of everything the humans did. So now he doesn¡¯t see a difference. He had a¡­ useful conversation with their Captain¡ªwho¡¯s working hard, because his mate is Chimera. He wants peace. But Zev¡­ he¡¯s not wavering.¡±


    Kyelle frowned at the door where the men had disappeared, then absentmindedly rubbed Sasha¡¯s arm. ¡°Is he¡­ okay? In his head?¡± she asked carefully.


    Sasha blew out a breath. ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± she wailed. ¡°I can¡¯t tell if he¡¯s just got to solve the problem then he¡¯ll rx, or if I¡¯m losing him. Kyelle he¡¯s exhausted but he won¡¯t sleep. He¡¯s seeing an enemy behind every rock. And if anyone confronts him about it, he thinks they¡¯re part of the problem. I don¡¯t know if he can look for peace right now. I really don¡¯t.¡±


    Kyelle sighed and ran a hand through her hair. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Lhars. Maybe¡­ maybe he can get Zev to see straight.¡±


    ¡°Or maybe he already is? These people¡­ they¡¯re different to us, Kyelle. I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m just misreading the situation or¡­ but it doesn¡¯t matter. This isn¡¯t a war I can fight. I have to look after Zan and I¡¯m not strong enough to fight. This has to be his battle. I have to stand by him.¡±


    Kyelle nodded, but her expression was a lot less certain.


    Sasha was just grateful that as they walked out of the building and into the sunlight of the encampment, most of the hovering people had followed the men ahead, so she had another few minutes to breathe.


    She was just so damn tired. She knew Zev was even worse, had had even less sleep and even more tension. He had to be asleep on his feet. Yet his gaze was still sharp and he seemed to continue to draw energy from somewhere.


    Was it just the difference in their bodies? Was this part of the strength the humans and had bred into the Chimera? Or was her mate going to keep pushing himself until he literally crashed?


    Sasha didn¡¯t know. There were too many things she didn¡¯t know. But she prayed that somehow it would all be clear. And that Zev would be leading them in the right direction until it was.

 Chapter 156 - 156 Dread

    156 Dread


    ~ JAYAH ~


    As evening fell, Jayah was already back at the cave where she¡¯d met Skhal before. They¡¯d arranged through the mindlink to meet there that night¡ªthough Skhal hadn¡¯t known how long it would take him to have the freedom to leave again.


    ¡®Don¡¯t let any of them see you. I don¡¯t know what Zev¡¯s going to do. I¡¯m hoping that being back with the people will help him rx and I can bring you back with me,¡¯ he¡¯d told her when he¡¯d held her, so tightly, before they¡¯d said goodbye.


    Jayah had been through war. She¡¯d been through crisis. She¡¯d lived through countless deaths and births and all the ups and downs of life.


    She knew that sometimes life was hard, and there was just no way to avoid that. She¡¯d been willing to wait until she was trusted to meet Skhal¡¯s people. When they were still together and Zev had made it clear that she wasn¡¯t toe to the encampment with them, she¡¯d even understood, though her heart had ached at the idea of leaving her mate.


    But it wasn¡¯t until they¡¯d actually had to say goodbye¡­ she nearly panicked. She would have thought with the bondpleted and their mindlink so strong, it would be easier to be physically distant. But the opposite was true.


    Walking away from Skhal in that moment had felt like scalping herself. And she¡¯d felt him fighting it too¡ªhis body resisting to the point of pain.


    Now she paced the small, damp cave where they¡¯d first met, and had been reunited before, her hands shaking and body tense.


    It had been much easier to get here this time. She¡¯d approached from the Chimeran side, and it was clear her information from Elreth was true¡ªthe Anima really had drawn back to the WildWood side of the ravine. They weren¡¯t trying to manage the movement of the Chimera in their own territory.


    .....


    There were patrols a mile back, she knew. But none here, so she hadn¡¯t even had to be more than cautious, looking for any rebels or outliers who¡¯de closer than they were supposed to. But that also meant she had nothing to distract her from the ache she felt for her mate.


    An ache that was somehow increasing as she felt him drawing nearer.


    When they reached a certain distance apart he just became a presence in her chest¡ªshe could point in the direction she¡¯d follow to find him, but she had no way to measure how far away he was. But as he drew closer, suddenly, she could feel him.


    Relief fought with panic to run to him and find him. But she¡¯d told him she would stay here until he got here, praying that she could return with him. And if not¡­ if not they would be together before she went back to her people.


    When the cave entrance¡ªalready dark because it was obscured by ferns and the shadows of trees¡ªgrew even darker because his bulk blocked what little light did filter through, Jayah hurried towards him. Skhal stopped just inside the cave entrance, his eyes bright and fierce, fixed on her as she ran to him, throwing herself into his chest and swallowing tears when he did nothing but bury his nose in her shoulder and hold her, so tightly.


    They stood there together for a long time, neither of them willing to let go. Neither of them speaking. Their hearts slowly soothing as they were finally together.


    Jayah found she could finally breathe. She would have been happy to stand there with him for hours, holding to his strength and warmth forever, and to hell with this conflict, these people around them.


    Which was the thought that told her she had to discipline herself. She¡¯d only found her mate because of her willingness to sacrifice to bring these people together, she reminded herself. To lose sight of that goal now would be beyond selfish.


    With a heavy, reluctant sigh, she pulled her head back far enough to look at Skhal, who straightened and stared at her, drinking her in as if she were water.


    One of hisrge hands trailed down her hair, over and over again as they stared at each other, and Jayah¡¯s face dropped.


    If he¡¯d had good news he would have shared it already, she was sure.


    So she braced for the blow and made herself ask. ¡°How bad is it?¡±


    ¡°Worse than I thought,¡± he growled without hesitation. ¡°Zev is¡­ shut down. Self-protective. Untrusting. I thought getting him out from behind the bars would help him see more clearly. But he¡¯s not focused on finding peace. He¡¯s out for revenge.¡±


    Jayah sucked in a breath, praying that she hadn¡¯t been a vehicle for the demise of her own Queen.


    ¡°Skhal¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to let him hurt you¡ªor your people, Jayah. I just¡­ I really thought when he got clear and got back to his n he¡¯d see it for himself. He¡¯d rx and let himself smile again. But he¡¯s not. He¡¯s cold and distant and stressed and¡­¡±


    ¡°Maybe he needs sleep? You¡¯d be surprised how many of our emotional and mental tensions can be eased with good rest.¡±


    Skhal nodded thoughtfully and rolled his jaw. ¡°Perhaps. I¡¯ll definitely do what I can to make sure he gets rest. I¡¯ll drug him if I have to.¡±


    Jayah gave a little huff ofughter. Males and their overstatements¡ª


    ¡°Don¡¯tugh. I¡¯ve done it before,¡± he said gruffly, but his eyes were twinkling. Was he serious?


    Jayah tilted her head, then put her hands on his shoulders¡ªso broad and strong, and yet they sagged this evening. ¡°Speaking of rest. Zev isn¡¯t the only one who needs it. How much time do you have?¡±


    His face tightened. ¡°Hours at best. He¡¯s¡­ he¡¯s calling the people to war, Jayah. I have to be there to make sure he doesn¡¯t overstep before we can reel him back in. But I couldn¡¯t leave you here¡ªI had to find some of the hunters anyway. But I can¡¯t stay. Not all night.¡±


    Jayah nodded, her stomach sinking. ¡°I can wait until tomorrow, just in case. But if you don¡¯t return in the morning, I¡¯ll go back¡ª¡±


    Skhal gave a little growl and she put a hand to his jaw that was suddenly even tighter.


    ¡°Jayah,¡± he said reluctantly, ¡°This is the first time I¡¯m not certain you¡¯ll be safe.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve taken care of myself this long¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, Jayah, hear me¡­ My leader. My Alphas¡­ Two days ago I would have sworn your safety as my mate among them. Would have walked you across a battlefield unshielded. But Zev is¡­ imbnced right now. And the others are listening¡ªeven though they¡¯re nervous, they haven¡¯t met the Anima face to face. I thought if you were there and Tarkyn, they¡¯d see. We could raise hope and with that, peace. But Zev won¡¯t allow you in while you remain loyal to your Queen, and you said Tarkyn wouldn¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m certain of it,¡± Jayah said unhappily. ¡°He will not abandon her even if he disagrees with her. He will try to¡­ smooth a path.¡±


    Skhal nodded and stroked her hair again. ¡°It¡¯s wisdom, and what I will do too,¡± he said tly.


    Jayah stared at him, concerned by the heaviness in his voice and posture. ¡°Skhal, you can¡¯t carry all of us. At some point¡ª¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s my brother. You¡¯re my mate. I can¡¯t live in a world where my family and my heart are at war. We¡¯ll find a way, Jayah. But it won¡¯t happen today. And I can¡¯t stay with you. So, that means¡­ that means you need to go to where you are safe.


    Jayah¡¯s chest pinched, but she nodded. ¡°It¡¯s probably for the best. I can be of more help on that side, trying to bring peace through the Anima,¡± she said doubtfully.


    ¡°It¡¯s not the Anima I worry about,¡± he murmured, pulling her back into his chest. ¡°I need you, Jayah. I can¡¯t¡­ I can¡¯t see my way through this yet. That terrifies me. I can¡¯t lose you already.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t,¡± she murmured, pulling him down into a soft kiss. ¡°You won¡¯t.¡±


    But his grip was tight and desperate as he walked her deeper into the cave, and his calls to her when he entered her were tormented pleas that shook Jayah to her bones.


    And when they began to move together, he held her so closely that she struggled to know where his body ended, and hers began.


    He was a part of her, and she of him.


    They couldn¡¯t let others tear them apart.

 Chapter 157 - 157 Home to Roost

    157 Home to Roost


    ~ HARTH ~


    Harth had cursed it, but there had been no way to make her way down to Elreth and Gar without revealing her position behind the waterfall. She¡¯d considered hiding, but the truth was, they¡¯d find her scent if they were determined. And besides¡­ if she was going to help bring peace between their people¡­ she had to be able to talk to them alone, right?


    So, with only slightly shaking knees she¡¯d epted what she couldn¡¯t change and made her way down the trail, calling to them that Tarkyn was traveling back and would be with them soon.


    But as she got to the bottom of the trail that wound along the rocky wall of the basin, and pressed through the little trees and boulders at the base of it, Gar and Elreth stood on the shore of thegoon, waiting, neither of them smiling.


    All of Harth¡¯s instincts were alerted, screaming rm. She was careful not to challenge as she approached, but watched them both as warily as they watched her.


    When she made it to the dirt where they stood, she stopped just a few feet away, looking back and forth between them.


    Elreth stood, hands on her hips, her face stern but not angry.


    Gar just looked tired. And a little curious. But the male was so massive, he was intimidating just by his mere presence. And Harth¡¯s wolf could sense the barely restrained predator that lurked inside his huge frame.


    She didn¡¯t want to meet that creature.


    .....


    ¡°Thank you for not hiding from us,¡± Elreth started with a quick nod. ¡°Now, where is Tarkyn?¡±


    Harth raised an eyebrow. ¡°My mate was traveling, we were testing the bond. He¡¯s an hour or two away, buting back as quickly as he can.¡±


    ¡°He left you alone for that long?¡± Gar asked, surprised.


    Harth raised both eyebrows. ¡°I am not defenseless,¡± she said, ignoring the niggling voice in the back of her mind that reminded her how it had felt when she¡¯d been left without Tarkyn in the link. ¡°We also weren¡¯t expecting¡­ visitors.¡±


    Gar gave an amused little huff, but Elreth paled.


    Harth frowned at her. ¡°What is it? What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Gar looked at his sister, clearly waiting for her to respond.


    Harth waited impatiently, resisting the urge to fold her arms defensively. She was trying desperately to appear far more confident than she felt facing these two alone. While Tarkyn had insisted over and over again that their hearts were good¡ªand she¡¯d seen Gar give some solid advice to his clearly emotional sister¡ªseeing them here, alone, without the buffer of Tarkyn¡¯s strength and status¡­ well, this was the true test.


    Harth didn¡¯t shrink from it. But she wasn¡¯t stupid enough to assume she was safe, either.


    Elreth held her gaze, her bright blue eyes wary, but not aggressive. She didn¡¯t look at her brother for strength, which Harth found revealing.


    ¡°The wolf¡ªZev¡ªhas escaped,¡± she said carefully. ¡°Along with his mate and son.¡±


    Harth nodded. ¡°I thought so.¡±


    Elreth¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Did you¡ª¡±


    ¡°He spoke to me through the link. I don¡¯t know where he is, only that he wants me to follow him back to the Chimera.¡±


    ¡°What did he say?¡± Elreth asked sharply.


    Harth bristled, suddenly fighting a war not to set this Queen down for everything she held responsibility for¡ªand at the same time, quavering before a will so much stronger than her own. Holding Elreth¡¯s full attention was¡­ intimidating. But Harth knew this woman had been a huge part of creating these problems they all faced. Harth wasn¡¯t wrong to face her!


    ¡°He said that I had three days to get to my people,¡± she said, which was true, though not all of the truth. A part of her wanted Elreth to know that Zev was vengeful and fomenting war¡ªbut the bigger part of her didn¡¯t want to light any fires if this might all still be soothed rather than fueled.


    But while she was still arguing with herself about the best way forward, Elreth did look up at Gar, who shifted his weight and gave his sister a speaking look that Harth couldn¡¯t interpret.


    But clearly Elreth could because, to Harth¡¯s surprise, the Queen deted like a pricked balloon. She nodded at her brother, then turned back to Harth looking¡­ humble?


    That couldn¡¯t be right.


    ¡°I, um, apologize for my sharp tone, Harth,¡± the Queen said quietly. Then cleared her throat again. ¡°I have a lot to apologize for, actually.¡±


    Harth blinked. ¡°I¡­ you do?¡±


    Elreth nodded again, then took a deep breath. ¡°It¡¯s unfortunate that Zev found his way out today. I had nned to invite Sasha to the peace treaty table first, then bring him in to the talks if he agreed. I had hoped¡­ nned to free him myself today.¡±


    Harth raised a skeptical eyebrow, but she couldn¡¯t deny that Elreth¡¯s expression and posture¡ªeven her scent¡ªspoke of frustration and regret.


    Was it possible she was telling the truth? Had theye that close to a resolution on this?


    Would it have worked?


    ¡°If that¡¯s true, it¡¯s unfortunate,¡± Harth said quietly.


    Gar shot her a dry look for her skepticism, but he didn¡¯t speak.


    Elreth just nodded again. ¡°Very unfortunate,¡± she said. ¡°And my fault for the dy. I own that,¡± she admitted, though she didn¡¯t keep Harth¡¯s gaze when she said it.


    A sh of frustrated rage scoured through Harth in that moment. This was the day this woman finally found rity? Finally saw the error of her ways now? Now that Zev was free and on the rampage? Now that their peoples had no choice but to face each other?


    Injustice and irony and pure fury clenched Harth¡¯s hands to fists and set her jaw. But before she could unleash, and probably say something they all regretted, Gar eyed his sister, and with an expression that stood halfway between an eye roll and outright worry, he shifted his weight again so his shoulder edged between them, and he took Harth¡¯s gaze with a weary, warning light in his own.

 Chapter 158 - 158 Lesson Learned

    158 Lesson Learned


    ~ HARTH ~


    Elreth did roll her eyes at her brother and shoved him aside to face Harth without his bulk hanging between them.


    ¡°Here¡¯s the thing, Harth¡­ no matter what¡¯s happened up to this point, right now we¡¯re walking a really fine line, right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d say so,¡± Harth muttered.


    Elreth sighed. ¡°I need your help. And I understand why you might not want to give it to me. But¡­ I¡¯m not just asking for me. I¡¯m asking for you, and your people, and mine, and¡­ and Tarkyn and¡­ even Zev. I think I understand what¡¯s driving him. I know what I¡¯ve done to contribute to that. And I know I missed my window to solve this with him. So now, I¡¯m asking¡­ asking for your help to create an opportunity that I should have taken advantage of before. I take responsibility for that. So I¡¯m asking¡­ not ordering.¡± She said the words like they hurt her, but Harth had to admire that she didn¡¯t try to use her alpha authority. Harth suspected it was powerful.


    ¡°What exactly are you asking?¡± she asked carefully. ¡°Be specific, please.¡±


    Elreth and Gar shared a look, then the Queen met Harth¡¯s gaze, and Harth was reminded why she¡¯d found this woman intimidating. Young, she might be. But she possessed a spine of steel, and a gaze that seemed to slice through Harth like a de.


    ¡°I want to reach out to Zev and offer a peace treaty¡ªone Alpha to another. Give him a chance to speak his peace without being¡­ under my control. I will answer his charges as well as present my own. I want to see if we can negotiate so none of our people are hurt. Not a single one.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re asking him toe meet you at an agreed ce¡­ when you outnumber him and possess the better knowledge of thend and¡ª¡±


    .....


    ¡°I¡¯ll meet where he would choose. I¡¯ll agree to terms that make us even in our numbers if he wants. I¡¯ll give him an official truce.¡±


    ¡°But he has to believe that you¡¯d actually keep your word.¡±


    ¡°Yes, he will. I believe I¡¯ve demonstrated that I would do that already¡ªI may have been slow, but I have done what I¡¯ve said I would do. And if he prefers to speak directly with someone who isn¡¯t me, I¡¯ll consider letting him deal with someone else. Tarkyn. Or Aaryn. Gar. But I¡¯m guessing¡ª¡±


    ¡°He isn¡¯t afraid of you, Elreth. He¡¯ll want to face you directly. I can almost guarantee it.¡±


    Elreth nodded. ¡°Just as I would if I were in his shoes. So¡­ the help I need from you is to go back to your people and to bring this proposition to him in a way that you believe he might actually hear it. And to take a message to Sasha for me.¡±


    Harth sucked in a breath. Return to her people with no conflict with Elreth? It was almost too good to be true. Except¡­


    ¡°Will you do it?¡± Elreth asked.


    ¡°Yes, I will,¡± Harth said. ¡°On one condition.¡±


    Elreth¡¯s jaw tightened. ¡°Which is?¡±


    ¡°Let me take Tarkyn with me.¡±


    Elreth either wasn¡¯t surprised, or was very good at hiding it. She did fold her arms, though. ¡°I need my Captain. In the event that these talks are unsessful¡ª¡±


    ¡°Your talks have a far better likelihood of seeding if Tarkyn is a part of them,¡± Harth muttered. ¡°He already has Zev¡¯s reluctant respect¡ªand he knows how to talk to¡­ people like Zev. I don¡¯t. There¡¯s something different about warriors. He¡¯s helping me see that. Sometimes¡­ sometimes the only one a fighter will listen to is someone who¡¯s walked the same road. That sounds simple to me, but Tarkyn¡¯s showing me¡­ it¡¯s not simple for these males and females who have dedicated their lives to this kind of conflict.


    ¡°I trust my mate¡ªand you do too, I think?¡± Harth said, letting the edge of challenge creep into her tone. ¡°He¡¯s the right male for the job. I¡¯d go so far as to say if he doesn¡¯te with me, I think you can kiss your peace treaty goodbye.¡±


    Gar was nodding along as she spoke, which was gratifying. But Harth was under no deception that Elreth was the one calling the shots.


    ¡°I did tell you I think he¡¯ll make a great Emissary,¡± Gar said to her quietly. For a moment Harth was surprised he hadn¡¯t spoken it through a link¡ªuntil she realized that they didn¡¯t have one. That they couldn¡¯t talk silently, out of the hearing of other sharp ears.


    Her respect for the Anima leaders reluctantly rose. They did all this without being able to speak secretly. How?


    ¡°And if we lose him?¡± Elreth said bluntly to her brother, turning away from Harth entirely. ¡°Then, not only do we lose what he brings, but his blood is on my hands as well.¡±


    Harth snorted her contempt at that.


    Elreth turned to look at her, one eyebrow up, her eyes fierce. ¡°You have something to say?¡±


    ¡°His blood is already on your hands if this goes wrong on any level. They all are. We told you we weren¡¯t the enemy. You wouldn¡¯t listen.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m aware,¡± Elreth said, but then she stepped right up, toe-to-toe with Harth. Elreth topped her by a few inches and was clearly stronger, but Harth knew she held the higher moral position and didn¡¯t give ground. ¡°I¡¯m also aware that until you have carried an entire people through invasion and war, then been faced with the enemy you thought you¡¯d routed, you will not judge me,¡± she hissed. ¡°I may recognize my faults¡ªbut you do not recognize my strengths.¡±


    ¡°Maybe not,¡± Harth said with a casual shrug she didn¡¯t feel. ¡°But Tarkyn does. He¡¯s been standing in your defense. I wonder if you deserve it, honestly. Is it because he¡¯s so good that he thinks you are too? Or does that just make him a more reliable judge of your character?¡±


    Elreth blinked, but didn¡¯t back away either. ¡°I pray it¡¯s thetter,¡± she said through her teeth.


    They stood there, almost nose-to-nose, for several seconds, neither of them giving ground, until finally Gar cleared his throat. ¡°I think we all agree that Tarkyn is a¡­ very good male,¡± he said dryly. ¡°The question is, is he of more powerful use to his people as an Emissary, or as our Captain?¡±


    To Harth¡¯s surprise, Elreth took a deep breath, then was the one to take a step back and give Harth more room¡ªa form of submission that put her at a disadvantage if Harth chose to press it.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said tly. ¡°That¡¯s exactly the question.¡± Then she looked away from Harth and to her brother. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Gar looked like he wanted to hug her, but he didn¡¯t move. ¡°I think that we can¡¯t win without risking loss,¡± he said very gently, which confused Harth, until he added. ¡°Dad taught us that.¡±


    Elreth looked suddenly stricken and turnedpletely away, giving both of them her back, putting her hands on her hips and dropping her head. Clearly fighting some kind of internal battle.


    Harth didn¡¯t know whether to feel bad for her, or pleased that the woman wasn¡¯t walking through this unscathed.


    She looked up at Gar, but he was watching his sister, his brow furrowed and his mouth turned down¡ªin grief, or frustration, she wasn¡¯t sure. His scent was a confusing mix she couldn¡¯t untangle, even this close.


    What must he be thinking to create such a knot of emotions?


    Harth wasn¡¯t sure¡­ but she was grateful that things were far clearer for her. So, alongside the male who seemed twisted up from the inside out, she waited silently for Elreth to make a decision.

 Chapter 159 - 159 Alarm, Alert

    159 rm, Alert


    ~ TARKYN ~


    Within his beast, the world was separate. Something he viewed, rather than experienced. But there was a moment as his beast got closer to the basin, that Tarkyn was pushed closer to the surface.


    His beast had caught another scent. Simr to the one they¡¯d caught at thegoon when they first arrived. Something odd¡ªanimalistic, and yet human. Something different. Not Anima. Not a Chimeran shifter.


    Harth thought the scent they¡¯d caught at thegoon was one of the Creatures¡ªthose poor souls whose bodies were stuck somewhere halfway between a human and an animal. She said some of them hade through the same gateway as the rest of the Chimera, including Harth. But they hadn¡¯t seen any of them, so Tarkyn wasn¡¯t sure.


    But when he crossed the trail of¡­ something and his instincts rmed, he shifted back to his human form for just a moment.


    Whatever it was, the thing had weight. Its scent put Tarkyn in mind of cattle¡ªthough not the same as those they raised for beef. He turned to make certain he was facing the wind and inhaled deeply, but the scent carried little other information.


    Whatever it was, it was stressed, but not injured. There was a tang of adrenaline on its scent. And when he found a leaf it had brushed against, the pungent stench of sweat.


    Whatever the thing was, it was either moving quickly, or under extreme stress.


    But it was alone, and therefore¡ªTarkyn hoped¡ªnot a serious threat.


    .....


    He wondered briefly if the Anima patrols hade across any of these things. He hadn¡¯t heard anything from the ranks before they¡¯d left. But it was possible the more inexperienced soldiers would just assume it was Chimeran scent and not look deeper¡ªtreat it as a possible rm for the enemy, rather than some other creature altogether.


    But whatever it was, he didn¡¯t have time to find out now. His mate was waiting for him back at thegoon, and Tarkyn ached for her.


    ¡®Are you well, my love?¡¯ he sent lightly as he prepared to shift back to his lion form.


    ¡®Yes, Tarkyn. Just¡­e back quickly.¡¯ There was something oddly distant about her¡ªas if she was holding herself back from the bond. Tarkyn paused. Something about her tone didn¡¯t sit well, but he figured that, like him, she was probably just anxious to be reunited. Like him, she didn¡¯t like these hours when he was in his beast and they were forced to bepletely apart.


    ¡®I¡¯ll see you as soon as I can,¡¯ he vowed, then leaped back into his lion and returned to the most direct route back to her.


    An hour after he¡¯dst spoken to Harth, Tarkyn shifted back from his lion to reach out with his mind¡ªbut was suddenly overwhelmed with such a jumble of anger and fear that it stole his breath.


    ¡®Harth! What¡¯s wrong?¡¯


    ¡®I didn¡¯t want to worry you, but you need to know¡­ We have visitors,¡¯ she responded simply. Wearily. And then his mind was flooded with an image from Harth¡¯s eyes¡ªGar standing near, frowning and dark, looking intimidating, but also a little broken. And Elreth next to him, but turned away, her back to both of them, her arms folded like a pouting child.


    ¡®What the hell is going on?¡¯


    ¡®Your Queen hase for you, Tarkyn. Please hurry. Please.¡¯


    His blood chilled and he threw himself into a sprint. ¡®Are you safe, Love?¡¯


    ¡®Yes. She¡¯s not attacking me. At least, not yet.¡¯


    ¡®Not yet?!¡¯


    But his mate sighed through the bond. ¡®Ignore me, I¡¯m just tired and tense. She¡¯s not hurting me, Tarkyn. She¡¯s¡­ being quite humble actually. I still don¡¯t like her, though.¡¯


    ¡®And Gar?¡¯


    ¡®He seems¡­ worried.¡¯


    Tarkyn wasn¡¯t surprised. If they¡¯de together, something serious had happened. ¡®I assume this means Zev¡¯s gotten free?¡¯


    ¡®Yes. There¡¯s a lot. How far away are you?¡¯


    ¡®Forty minutes,¡¯ he said, praying he wasn¡¯t lying. ¡®Less if I can manage it.¡¯


    ¡®Don¡¯t kill yourself,¡¯ she said with a rush of concern. ¡®But do hurry. I need you here, Tarkyn.¡¯


    Those words stabbed between his ribs like a thrust knife. ¡®Harth, are you¡ª¡¯


    ¡®Just get here. Please. As fast as you can.¡¯


    ¡®As fast as I can is in my beast.¡¯


    ¡®I know,¡¯ she said with another sigh. ¡®Just do it.¡¯


    Tarkyn nodded, his jaw clenched, and sent her an image of himself holding her hand, standing at her side. ¡®I¡¯ll be there the first second I can.¡¯


    ¡®Thank you. I love you, Tarkyn.¡¯ She sounded like she was on the verge of tears!


    ¡®Harth, what¡ª¡¯


    ¡®Nothing, like I said. She wants you. She¡¯s¡­ making decisions. She needs our help. Just get here, please.¡¯


    He sent her one final, mental embrace, then leaped into his lion and galloped towards the basin.


    *****


    When he finally made it and caught sight of Harth standing on the shore of thegoon, arms folded and shoulders tense, facing down both Elreth and Gar, even in his lion rage lit in his chest.


    He shifted back, but continued at a run, snarling at Harth to get back, that he was there.


    She looked over her shoulder, surprised¡ªbut his eyes were all on Elreth, ring and sullen.


    He slid to a halt just in front of his queen, yanking Harth behind him. ¡°You don¡¯t hold her ountable for my actions!¡± he snapped. ¡°You let me answer for what you see as my crimes and¡ª¡±


    ¡°For fuck¡¯s sake, take a breath, Tark,¡± Gar said ndly. ¡°El¡¯s only stinking because she¡¯s mad at me. And no one¡¯s holding Harth ountable for crimes.¡±


    Chest heaving with the running, body humming with adrenaline, it took him a minute to blink and realize that Elreth looked surprised¡ªnot angry¡ªand Harth had groaned quietly when he¡¯d pulled her back.


    Gar didn¡¯t look tense or aggressive. He looked weary.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Tarkyn asked in a low growl. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    They all looked at him uneasily and his stomach went cold. But Elreth stared like he¡¯d appeared with a second head on his shoulders.


    ¡°What¡¯s. Going. On?¡± he growled.

 Chapter 160 - 160 The Job to Do

    160 The Job to Do


    ~ TARKYN ~


    He¡¯d stepped too close and gotten too pushy. Elreth did raise her brows at that.


    ¡°You ask me like you have a say in whether I can be here, Tarkyn,¡± she snapped.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t,¡± he ground out. ¡°I just¡­ tell me what¡¯s going on? Why does my mate smell afraid?¡±


    But Elreth just rolled her eyes. ¡°What¡¯s going on is that my brother admitted to his role in getting Zev loose¡ªthanks for not trusting me with that, by the way,¡± she said tly. Tarkyn shot Gar an rmed look¡ªhad Gar told Elreth that he was involved? But the male just gave a little shake of his head that Elreth either didn¡¯t notice, or ignored. ¡°But it looks like there were others at work, too. Someone helped Zev get loose, and took Jayah. We still aren¡¯t sure whether she was hurt, or just taken prisoner. But the fact that the Chimera got inside our patrols is terrifying.¡±


    Tarkyn¡¯s breath stopped. The Chimera had broken through? But the patrols¡­ He¡¯d staggered them and given them inconsistent routes¡ªnot to mention the hidden border guards. How could any Chimera without knowledge of the Tree City have reached all the way to the prison trees without being identified¡ªunless someone from within the Tree City had helped? Or had someone managed to share information through the link?


    But then, how had they gotten out? Even if they knew thend, to move with a human and child which would slow them¡­ and no one even catching their scent?


    Either this Zev was the most skilled and highly sensed tracker Tarkyn had ever met, or someone had helped them. And they¡¯d taken Jayah? Why Jayah? No one was less of a threat. Unless they had need of a healer¡­ was Zev hurt in ways they didn¡¯t know? Or was it just for their son¡ª


    But then Elreth¡¯s words broke through. ¡°¡­the bigger problem we have now is how we deal with it. I wanted to send your mate back to her people to plead for peace¡ªbut Harth is making the argument for you to go with her, and despite myself, I¡¯m considering it,¡± Elreth finished.


    .....


    Tarkyn just about lost his feet in shock. ¡°You¡¯d¡­ trust me to do that?¡±


    Elreth frowned. ¡°Why is everyone suddenly convinced that I¡¯ve lost everyst brain cell in my head? I was afraid. I¡¯m still afraid. But I¡¯m not blind. I know that we need to fix it, and fix it now. I know that you protected your mate just like my mate would protect me. And even though I don¡¯t like it, I ept that it means there¡¯s little left to decide here other than whether or not you will be allowed to go to the Chimera as our emissary, or asked to stay back and help us n in case things go¡­ wrong.¡±


    Tarkyn barely took it in¡ªeverything except the emissary part. They were sending Harth in?


    ¡°Send me,¡± he said immediately, stepping closer so that Elreth raised her brows again and he was forced to straighten and give her more room. ¡°Please,¡± he amended. ¡°Send me. I know I can reach Zev. I did it in the prison¡ªand it can¡¯t get harder than that. We¡¯ll find it. Whatever he needs to feel¡­fortable. We¡¯ll find it. I know soldiers¡ªand that male is a fighter if I ever met one.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, your mate has already made your case on that,¡± Elreth muttered with a nce at Gar, then Harth before turning her attention back to Tarkyn. ¡°So that was the final question: Do you want to go with your mate to meet her people, despite the danger there? Do you want to try to forge peace between our people, even though you risk being taken prisoner yourself?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said without hesitation. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Elreth huffed and shook her head. She looked desperately sad. ¡°Well, then, it seems like there isn¡¯t much of a decision to make. Before you both go, Tarkyn, I¡¯ll take your advice on what our strategy should be to ensure that our people are as safe as possible in traveling and preparing to meet the wol¡ªZev on whatever ground he chooses. And then I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll ask you to pray that I haven¡¯t broken this beyond repair.¡±


    Tarkyn blinked. ¡°You¡ª¡±


    ¡°I understand that I have created most of this conflict,¡± Elreth ground out. ¡°And I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry I kept you two from each other. I¡¯m not sorry for treating Zev like a potential threat¡ªbut I am sorry that I reacted so aggressively in the first instance. I¡¯ve seen¡­ seen that there was another way to handle that. Now I¡¯m praying that Zev will give me a chance to tell him that and try to offer reconciliation.¡±


    Tarkyn didn¡¯t like the chances of that, but he was so d, so relieved to hear that Elreth had finally seen her role in this he couldn¡¯t be very angry with her.


    His mate on the other hand¡­ her scent prickled with stifled, but barely restrained rage.


    ¡°Okay. Great. Where do we start?¡± Tarkyn said, putting a hand to Harth¡¯s back to remind her he was there.


    Elreth looked at Gar, then sighed again. ¡°We start with the messages I¡¯m going to ask you two to take to Zev and Sasha. And our strategies for their potential responses. Because ording to Harth, I¡¯ve got three days to fix this.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s happening in three days?¡± Tarkyn asked, looking between the three of them.


    It was Harth who answered. ¡°Zev linked with me when they were passing close enough to reach. He¡¯s on his way back to the Chimera, and he¡¯s¡­ gathering them to¡­ to defend. In three days if something doesn¡¯t change, he¡¯s going to do something. I don¡¯t know what. He didn¡¯t tell me, but whatever it is¡­ he¡¯s very, very angry,¡± Harth said reluctantly.


    Tarkyn¡¯s heart sank. ¡°That¡¯s understandable, I suppose.¡±


    But Harth was holding his eyes, a warning shing in hers. ¡®No, Tarkyn,¡¯ she sent through the link. ¡®I don¡¯t want to tell her because I don¡¯t want her to give up on peace, but¡­ Zev told me that unless youe with me back to them, and we¡¯re there within three days¡­ it will be toote. Because he¡¯s leading the Chimera against this Queen.¡¯ She took a breath and her entire body tensed. ¡®He¡¯s not going to forgive, or try for peace, Tarkyn. He wants war. He wants Elreth¡¯s head.¡¯


    Tarkyn¡¯s blood ran cold.

 Chapter 161 - 161 The Last Detail

    161 The Last Detail


    ~ TARKYN ~


    ¡°It¡¯s the right decision, El,¡± he said, his lips and tongue feeling too thick because his head was spinning. ¡°With me there the chance of Zev being pushed to violence is a lot less, I think. I have forged a connection of sorts. He trusts Harth to bring us together so I can show him the truth. And¡­ and if I can get him to agree to peace¡ªat least as long as we negotiate¡ªthen you don¡¯t need me on the other side to help you in the event of battle, because there won¡¯t be one.¡±


    He said it much more confidently than he felt.


    ¡°I agree,¡± Elreth said, though her face was stern. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean we can ignore the risk¡­¡±


    Tarkyn listened numbly, his head spinning¡ªshould he tell El? Or, as Harth had correctly identified, was the risk too great that she would give up on peace.


    He knew his Queen and admired her spirit. She remained afraid¡ªhe could scent it on her¡ªbut she wanted to push forward and try to fix her own mistakes. Yet¡­ she was a leader, and a strong one. If she deduced that the risk of attack on her people was too great, she would do whatever she felt was needed to save them.


    She¡¯d been prepared to give up her mate to save the peoplest time. How far would she go now?


    But his own indecision made the choice for him, because Elreth, having made the choice to send him, was now an arrow on track for the target. Single-minded and wasting no time.


    ¡°¡­we¡¯ll keep the patrols wide, on the WildWood side of the ravine to give them plenty of space. I can¡¯t imagine that he¡¯ll want to meet on this side of it, but if he indicates that he does, just send a messenger. We¡¯ll tell the patrols to give safe passage to anyone carrying a white g¡ªbut be certain they won¡¯t be given freedom to spy. They will be held at the border of the Tree City and I wille to them personally. Tell him that, Tarkyn. Tell Sasha that¡ªwe will not harm a messenger whoes in peace, and we will send our messages back by them.¡±


    .....


    Tarkyn nodded, rubbing a hand up and down Harth¡¯s back more to soothe himself with the touch of her, than the other way around.


    His mate didn¡¯t smell scared. She didn¡¯t feel weak. She was quivering with anticipation¡ªand strength.


    And that simmering anger that she was trying to tamp down.


    He could hardly me her. If he¡¯d been separated from his people for this many days and under threat, he would have been anxious to get back too. And yet, he found a simmering tension of his own in his chest. Bubbling nerves. Fear of the unknown, or more?


    It urred to him that he hadn¡¯t had topete for his mate¡¯s attention since they met.


    Would that remain the case when they were among her people?


    ¡°Tarkyn?¡±


    He blinked to find all three of them staring at him and realized with a whoosh of breath that he¡¯d tuned out.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m thinking and got¡­ what did you say?¡±


    ¡°I said, you carry your vows with you. You carry the pride of the Anima with you. I send you willingly, Tarkyn, but I am trusting you to¡­ to seek the best for all of us. Not just you and your mate.¡±


    Harth bristled and he pressed his fingers into her back when she took a breath like she might speak.


    ¡°What is best for our people is best for me and my mate,¡± he said quietly, doing his best not to show his irritation that Elreth would even think she needed to ask.


    Elreth gave a short nod. ¡°Then¡­ then I beg you to please¡­e back safely, Tarkyn. I know this has been a rough week. I know I¡¯ve failed you¡ªall of you,¡± she said with tight eyes that scanned both Harth and Gar as well. ¡°But it has been that simple. I failed. I am¡­ not perfect. I am wed. And I failed. Now I rely on you to help me correct my failure. I will do anything I can to bring our people together in peace. I will listen. I will own my responsibility. I hate¡­ hate that I have to send you both into this on my behalf¡ª¡±


    ¡°That is for the best,¡± Harth jumped in quickly as if she were afraid Elreth might try to move in a new direction. ¡°Zev needs time to¡­ cool down.¡±


    Elreth nodded again, though her face got tighter. ¡°Please¡­ show him that I mean what I say: I will bring personal reconciliation. I will own my role in this. And I will do whatever I can to make amends, to show him¡ªthem¡ªthat we truly do want peace. To live as brothers, not enemies. Peace. Not merely truce. I offer peace.¡±


    Harth nodded, though Tarkyn could feel through the bond that she was skeptical and anxious¡ªand still angry.


    He rubbed her back again. ¡°I¡¯ll show them, El. Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll find a way.¡±


    They discussed means ofmunication and timing for the meeting. They set a date three days from then and Elreth had Tarkyn walk her back through all the details they¡¯d decided to ensure he was taking what she would agree to.


    But something niggled at Tarkyn, an aspect to all of this that kept nudging the back of his mind. A need for more allies.


    Was it simply his fear of being surrounded? He didn¡¯t think so. He was in no denial about the risk that Zev might take a form of revenge on him by imprisoning him to give him a taste of what Zev had been through. He prayed he could navigate that bravely. But that wasn¡¯t what was bothering him.


    He felt like there was a need for¡­


    Then it dawned on him.


    ¡°Suhle,¡± he murmured.


    Harth turned quickly, looking at him, startled. Elreth¡¯s mouth snapped shut. Gar grunted.


    Tarkyn turned it all over in his mind, but yes, it madeplete sense. ¡°Suhle and Lerrin,¡± he said with a look at Elreth. ¡°Send them, too.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡±


    ¡°Suhle is¡­ wonderful,¡± Harth said, startled. ¡°But why¡ª¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ve been through this. They can empathize with outsiders¡ªbut they have the maturity and wisdom not to simply throw in their lot. They can¡­ testify to the peace that¡¯s worth pursuing.¡±


    Elreth¡¯s mouth fell open a little bit. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± she said a momentter. ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right.¡±


    Tarkyn nodded. ¡°Tell them toe as quickly as they can. Tomorrow, if possible. We¡¯ll introduce them¡ªthey never met Sasha and Zev, right? They¡¯ll be an asset if they¡¯ll do it.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll do it,¡± Gar muttered.


    Tarkyn shot a warning nce at Gar. Lerrin had barely softened with age. He was incredibly strong and independent. If he measured the risk as too high to his pack, he would tly refuse¡ªand likely leave WildWood if it was required to do so.


    Suhle though¡­ the female was both soft-hearted and yearning to serve, and as steely-spined as he had ever met.


    He prayed for the quiet wisdom the female already possessed. She would see the vision, he was certain. It was why he¡¯d asked to have her visit Harth. He wasn¡¯t surprised she¡¯d made an impression on his mate.


    ¡°Send them only if they go willingly,¡± he said, careful not to make it an order to his Queen. ¡°But if they are, send them quickly.¡±


    Elreth nodded again and Tarkyn breathed easier.

 Chapter 162 - 162 Family

    162 Family


    ~ ZEV ~


    It wasn¡¯t fair, and not the way Zev usually handled himself, but he ordered the packs to provide a cave for his family. He knew that likely meant a lower-ranked Alpha had been sent to the tents. But after what they¡¯d been through, Zev needed something solid at his back if he was going to be able to rest.


    He didn¡¯t feel like sleeping at all, of course. But giving himself the best chance was wise. And Sasha¡­ Sasha was exhausted. Swaying on her feet by the time they¡¯d finished eating dinner. She sighed with relief when they were shown to a small, but warm cave on the edge of the encampment, near where Lhars and Kyelle bedded. It was twenty feet up a path that followed the foot of a rise, and positioned in such a way that it couldn¡¯t be seen until you were almost standing in front of it, which gave Zev added relief.


    He ordered guards at the base of the trail that led to it, and others positioned above them, hoping that might help him rest, too.


    Sasha almost wept when they walked inside to find a small fire already crackling merrily in a hollow at its center, and thick furs on the stone floor at its back.


    For the first time since high moon the night before, she took Zan out of the sling and curled him into a fur nest near where they wouldy.


    But the moment he was taken from her chest, he started to stir and make small cries, even when his eyes never opened.


    At first he was undisturbed¡ªthis had happened a lot in the past few days and nights that had been so stressful.


    But as he stood there in the glow of the fire and watched his matey next to their son, humming to him andying a hand on his chest so he¡¯d know she was there, Zev was all of the sudden stunned.


    .....


    This was his family, he realized. His pack. This was his mate. His son. Forever.


    Everything they¡¯d done, everything they¡¯d endured¡­ it had all been for this. And here they were, finally among their own people, with their son¡ªsafe enough to be heavy on his mate¡¯s weaker body, and strong enough to bellow a wail when he felt the loss of her warmth.


    He stumbled towards them, his knees giving way as he dropped to the stone next to the furs, his breathing too fast.


    Family. He had a family.


    ¡°Sash,¡± he breathed. ¡°He¡¯s our son. We have a son.¡± It was a stupid thing to say. So obvious¡ªand something they¡¯d been discussing and fighting for for months. But in that moment, watching her with Zan¡­ it hit him like a boulder crashing down a hill.


    He had a son.


    Sasha, obviously hearing the awe in his tone, looked up at him, tears making hershes shine, and his heart clenched.


    ¡°I know,¡± she said, smiling despite her quivering chin. ¡°I just wish¡­ I just wish we could focus on that instead of¡­ everything else. I just want you to be able to rest, Zev.¡±


    A thin whine curled out of his throat. His mate was haggard. Her hair dim andnk. Dark shadows smudged under her eyes making her look like she¡¯d been punched. The tears made those same eyes shine, but they were bloodshot, her skin dry and dull too.


    She was at the end of her ability to cope, yet she wasn¡¯tining¡ªshe was worried about him?


    He reached over their son to cup her face. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± he said, ignoring theughing voice in the back of his head, mocking him for the lie. ¡°I think you¡¯re the one who needs a rest, babe.¡±


    She rolled her eyes, but the tears welled up and her face crumpled in a way that broke his heart.


    Zev growled and quickly got up to move around to sit behind her, on the furs, and pull her into his arms.


    Zan protested the loss of his mother¡¯sforting hand, but Zev shushed him¡ªor maybe shushed them both. Because Sasha didn¡¯t argue when he gathered her up, but turned to face him and sank into his chest, clinging to him, shivering.


    ¡°Shhhhhh, babe, it¡¯s okay. We made it. We finally made it,¡± he whispered, stroking her hair and rocking her.


    But Sasha just threw her arms around his neck, buried her face in the hollow where his neck met his shoulder and cried, the heart-rending sobs shuddering through her entire body.


    Behind her, Zan began to wail too, and for a moment, Zev¡¯s heart beat too fast¡ªwho tofort first?


    But Sasha only sniffed, then turned quickly to gather up their son, and then pressed both of them into Zev¡¯s chest.


    Swallowing a lump in his throat, Zev turned her so that he cradled her in hisp, and Zan in hers, then held them both as tightly as he dared, letting his lips press to Sasha¡¯s forehead while with one arm, he held Zan close and cupped Sasha¡¯s ass to hold her against him.


    Zan settled almost immediately, curled into the warm pocket between his mother and father, and Zev almost wept himself, staring down at their son while he held his mate until her sobs passed and she slumped into his embrace.


    ¡°He¡¯s so handsome. He¡¯s going to look just like you,¡± she whispered, one arm tightening on Zev¡¯s back, while she stroked their son¡¯s thick hair with the other hand.


    ¡°Lhars will be so pissed,¡± he joked, then sobered quickly when he realized his brother, mated to Kyelle who¡¯d been sterilized by the humans, would never experience this moment that still had him swallowing a lump that wanted to close his throat.


    Sasha sighed heavily, obviously having the same thought. But neither of them voiced it. To Zev it was just one more reason to be grateful for what he had.


    And one more reason to defend his family to hisst breath.


    That thought took him back to the conflicts they faced, which made him tense. But Sasha must have heard his thoughts, because she lifted the hand from the now-sleeping Zan and cupped Zev¡¯s chin, forcing him to meet her eyes.


    ¡°Not tonight,¡± she said, her eyes shining and red and shadowed. ¡°Tonight it¡¯s just us. Let¡¯s just focus on that, okay?¡±


    Zev nodded, though the weight of a lie settled on his chest as she sighed wearily and let her head drop back against his shoulder again.


    ¡°I love you, Zev,¡± she murmured.


    ¡°I love you too, Sash,¡± he replied, his voice thick again. And even though the tears that threatened were painful, they were also a relief. Because they meant he could still feel. She did still reach him. And Zan too.


    He wasn¡¯t cold, he thought with relief. Notpletely.

 Chapter 163 - 163 Dark Hours

    163 Dark Hours


    Good news! To celebrate the new year, and because we only have a couple months of updates left before our story ends, I¡¯m going to try to get more content to you this month¡ªlonger chapters, and double-chapters when I can (starting tonight!) I hope you enjoy them! Happy 2023!


    *****


    ~ TARKYN ~


    El and Gar left them in the evening after the decisions were made. She wanted to get back to the Tree City and find Lerrin and Suhle before they bedded down for the night.


    Before they left, Gar sped Tarkyn¡¯s arm and pped him on the shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re seeing clearly brother,¡± he murmured, both of them ncing at Elreth and Harth speaking quietly off to the side. ¡°I¡¯ll pray for your safe return.¡±


    Tarkyn thanked him, but the truth was¡­ what he truly, deeply wanted was for himself and his mate to exist together safely. Wherever, or however that could be achieved. Whatever it took.


    He prayed for peace¡ªfor all of them.


    When Elreth was finished speaking with Harth, Tarkyn could feel his mate¡¯s unease tempered with growing hope. That was good. He¡¯d have to ask what Elreth had told her. But first his Queen approached him.


    For a moment he wasn¡¯t sure whether to embrace her like the old friend and near-family that she was, or bow to the Queen and ruler as she deserved. But she solved the problem for him by throwing herself into his chest.


    .....


    Ah, this was the Elreth he¡¯d known since her childhood¡ªwho¡¯d crawled over him when he was a teen and a soldier, and tried to y games with him when he¡¯d met with her father. And who¡¯d mimicked him when he was in training.


    He held her tightly, surprised at first that she didn¡¯t speak.


    He should have known she was only preparing herself.


    When she stepped out of his arms, her eyes were shining and her face clouded with self doubt. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Tark,¡± she whispered, swallowing hard. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t listen, and I¡¯m sorry that I have to send you now. I¡¯m d¡­ I¡¯m so d you found your mate. And every time I get too afraid, I¡¯m remembering that. The Creator put you together. There has to be a reason for that.¡±


    He nodded, relieved that she¡¯d finally absorbed that, and all it had to mean. ¡°We¡¯re going to get through this, El. All of us.¡±


    She gave a watery smile and shrugged. ¡°Well, I hope you¡¯re right.¡±


    Then she put a hand to his chest, ttening her palm there, and staring at it, instead of meeting his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m just¡­ it hit me, you know? You¡¯ve been there for all of us, Tark. My mom. My dad. Me and Aaryn¡­ Gar. The people. You¡¯ve always been there for us, as long as I can remember. So please¡­ please¡­e back safe. Please don¡¯t leave.¡±


    His breath caught when her chin trembled, but she cut a nce at her brother whose face was a nk mask¡ªhis scent a turmoil of confidence and fear, relief and hope¡­ and an underlying sadness that matched his sisters, and yet somehow didn¡¯t.


    Tarkyn cleared his throat, doing his best to keep them both buoyed. ¡°It¡¯s been my honor to be there for you, just like I was for your parents, El,¡± he said softly, fighting his own roiling emotions. ¡°Reth and Elia gave me a lot more than I ever gave them. So it¡¯s my¡­ my life¡¯s purpose to be here for you and Aaryn. I¡¯m not going anywhere¡­ You know that. You can trust me with this.¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± she said with a wry smile. ¡°What I don¡¯t trust is myself to¡­ see the way without you.¡±


    Tarkyn¡¯s brows popped up in surprise. But El didn¡¯t let him explore that. With an awkward shrug, she patted his arm then turned immediately, tipping her head to Gar. ¡°We need to get moving.¡±


    Gar nodded. He cut a nce at Tarkyn, but only waved at Harth before following his sister off into the darkening night.


    Elreth didn¡¯t look back before they were enveloped by the shadows, and Tarkyn couldn¡¯t decide whether that was a blessing or a curse.


    What he did know was that as the Queen and her brother were slowly swallowed by the night, his mate appeared at his side, hugging his arm, and nothing felt as right as that.


    They both watched the space where the two most powerful Anima disappeared for a long moment. Tarkyn uncertain how to even think about that conversation, but eager to try and solve the problems they were facing.


    ¡°Harth, when you said Zev¡ª¡±


    ¡°Do we have to leave tonight, Tarkyn?¡± Harth said, her voice high and thin with apprehension.


    Tarkyn understood the real question. He nced at the sky and the progress of the moon, considered the hours of travel ahead, then shook his head. ¡°I think we would be better to rest tonight, then leave early in the morning, don¡¯t you? If we¡¯re careful, we could be in their territory by high sun tomorrow.


    Harth¡¯s entire body slumped with relief. ¡°I think that¡¯s perfect,¡± she said, then turned her lovely face up to smile at him in the dark. ¡°I think you¡¯re perfect, too. You handled that really well.¡±


    He shrugged, though herpliment made him want to puff his chest and see if El and Gar were close enough to hear it.


    ¡°And I think,¡± he said with a smile at his mate, ¡°that I got very sweaty during my travels and I would dearly love the help of my mate to¡­ get clean. Especially if we¡¯re traveling early.¡±


    The nervous expression fell from Harth¡¯s features, to be reced with a sly smile and dancing light in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯d love to help you¡­ get clean,¡± she said, biting her lip when he waggled his eyebrows at her.


    ¡°I missed you, mate,¡± he murmured, pulling her into his side. ¡°Even just a few hours¡­ I missed you.¡±


    She beamed and leaned into him. ¡°I missed you too. Especially when you were in your beast. I don¡¯t like that¡­¡± she said, shuddering. For a moment her smile was gone, the light gone from her eyes.


    But Tarkyn pulled her closer, tipping up her chin to kiss her and bring the light back. And with a happy sigh and a soft kiss, she did smile again. And her body went loose,nguid, leaning into his.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go get clean,¡± he growled. ¡°Together.¡±


    She shed a wicked grin, then reached around to tweak his ass beforeughing when he jumped, and running away from him, towards the trail.


    ¡°Vixen!¡± he hissed.


    But she just shrieked when she heard him sprint after her.


    *****


    GRAB YOUR ZEV LETTER! If you¡¯re in the USA and reading this on 1 January 2023, you have purchased the top tier of privilege and earned yourself a physical copy of Zev¡¯s love letter! To im itment on this chapter TODAY (it¡¯s the only way for me to confirm that you¡¯ve purchased ess) then email me on with your webnovel name and mailing name/address! THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

 Chapter 164 - 164 Squeaky Clean

    164 Squeaky Clean


    ~ HARTH ~


    She¡¯d thought the ¡°cleaning¡± Tarkyn talked about was a euphemism, so she was surprised when, even though he¡¯d caught her at the base of the trail and kissed her, walked her backwards almost the entire way to the cave, teasing and touching the whole way, he released her when they got to the cave.


    She just watched him, a little confused at first, while he first made a fire, then as it grew hotter, gathered thergest pot from a cupboard near the fire and held it to the waterfall curtain to fill it, before cing it over the mes, careful not to crush the new embers and burning wood.


    When he straightened from that task, he immediately reached back to grab the back of his shirt and tug it forward over his head, curling himself, his abs crunched together and shadowed in the warm glow of the mes.


    Harth¡¯s mouth went dry.


    He¡¯d just grasped the buckle of his belt when he hesitated and turned, looking for her¡ªfinding her still standing near the entrance to the cave.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asked suddenly.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she said¡ªand it was mostly true.


    Sure, nerves fluttered in her stomach. There was still a difficult conversation to have about Tarkyn¡¯s loyalty to his Queen and what Zev had told her. But for this moment¡­ for these few hours before they prepared to leave¡­ for now, she would put all of that aside and simply enjoy her mate.


    .....


    That little voice in the back of her head screamed that this might be herst chance to do so, but she shook it away, refusing to believe it.


    They would do this. They would find a way. He would find a way through to Zev, she was sure of it. And Elreth¡­ Elreth seemed to have finally found her humility and rity.


    If only she¡¯d done that a few days earlier.


    But that was the moment that Tarkyn smiled and tugged his belt open, letting the strap fall against his thigh as he unbuttoned his leathers, and the rest of Harth¡¯s thoughts fled as he shoved them off his hips so they slumped around his ankles and she was treated to the sight of her mate¡ªevery chiseled inch of him glowing near-orange in the flickering light of the mes nearby.


    She wanted to throw herself at him, but she forced herself to take a moment to drink in the sight of him¡ªhis long, muscr legs, and strong thighs, the little divots at his hips¡ªthat plunging V line that started above them and drew her eye down to the part of him that was already waking up to seek her.


    And only her.


    That thought made her take a deep breath. Because Tarkyn started towards her, still smiling, but his gaze shadowed with worry as well because she wasn¡¯t moving.


    She needed to reassure him, but first she would watch the way his muscles rippled when he moved, those long strides eating up the space between them. The broad, t nes of his chest, and the solid rounds of his shoulders¡ªone dark and dangerous with the tattoos that covered that pec and bicep, the other warm skin¡ªslightly lighter than his arms.


    As he reached her, she lifted her hands to the buttons of her own shirt, suddenly desperate to have his skin against hers with no barriers.


    ¡°Harth?¡± he graveled, taking her face in his hands and searching her eyes.


    ¡°I can¡¯t take my eyes off of you,¡± she whispered so that he wouldn¡¯t say anything that might break the spell and force her to think about everything that they wouldn¡¯t be able to avoid in a few hours. ¡°Seeing you¡­ it feeds something in me, Tarkyn.¡±


    He growled his approval at that and pulled her into a kiss, his hands trailing down to help her undress, even as they continued kissing, until Harth stopped trying to get naked and just let him do it, instead exploring his beautiful body and marveling when he shivered under her touch.


    But to her surprise, once he had her naked, he didn¡¯t immediately leap on her, or pull her against him¡ªthough his body was leaping for her.


    No, instead, leaving her clothing in a pile on the floor there, he took her hand and led her back to the cupboard where he¡¯d gotten therge pot, and selected two towels, and two smaller pieces of thick, felted cotton.


    Harth frowned when he handed a towel and cloth to her. ¡°What are these for?¡±


    Tarkyn paused, his head jerked back slightly. ¡°I told you¡­ we¡¯re getting clean. Who knows how long it will be before we can bathe again?¡±


    ¡°You were serious?¡± she squeaked.


    ¡°Yes!¡± he sounded surprised. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if you find it disappointing, Harth. But every soldier knows when battle is imminent, cleanliness is the first step to preparation. Care for your body and it will carry you strong and healthy through the fight.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ I thought we were trying for peace!¡±


    Tarkyn hesitated, his eyes locked on hers and his face serious. ¡°Oh, we are. But make no mistake, we¡¯re facing battle, Harth.¡± He reached a hand up to cup her cheek, his eyes searching hers. Then to her surprise again, he chuckled. ¡°But don¡¯t worry, love. I know how to make this part fun.¡±


    And he did.


    It was a treat, a memory that Harth did everything in her power to fix in her mind at every step, as he led her back towards the entrance to the cave,ying their towels over a small frame there which must have been made for the purpose. But he kept the cloth in his hand, and urged her to do the same, as he led her back to the pot on the mes.


    There were several minutes as he tested the water again and again, until it was steaming, but not simmering and he deemed it ¡°ready.¡±


    Then, he used both cloths to protect his hands as he grasped the handles on either side and carried the pot back towards the sheet of Waterfall at the front of the cave, cing it carefully on the ground where the spray from the water made the stones slick and shining.


    Then he dropped both cloths into the warm water and turned to where Harth had still been admiring his body, and he smiled.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡± he asked, his voice low and rough as he extended a hand towards her.


    Harth nodded and took it without hesitation, letting him pull her close and kiss her, sighing into it¡­


    Then shrieking when he lifted her and whipped them both straight into the frigid, powerful spray of the waterfall.

 Chapter 165 - 165 Hot & Cold – Part 1*

    165 Hot & Cold ¨C Part 1*


    If you like music while you read, try ¡°Forever and Always¡± by Written by Wolves and Beck. It¡¯s what I listened to while writing this scene!


    *****


    ~ TARKYN ~


    Tarkyn knew it was mischievous to shock her that way, but as he gathered her in and thrust them both into the cold spray, he half-hoped to settle his own body. He wanted her desperately, but he wanted to take his time. Even though he yed calm and confident, the truth was, his bones quivered with fear.


    Not fear of the battle they faced, or the potential for harm. Tarkyn knew he could withstand physical pain. No¡­ What made his knees quiver and his heart squeeze, was knowing that he might be taken from her. That while he hadn¡¯t given up hope, he¡¯d seen enough war and politics to know¡­ this might be theirst chance.


    He nned to make the most of it, even as he did prepare his body just as he would if he were walking into war.


    And so he plunged them both into the freezing water of the waterfall. Harth shrieked and struggled, at first stunned and angry, thenughing when he held her tightly and didn¡¯t let her escape, but buried his nose in her neck from behind and let the water buffet them both.


    When he did turn and step out of the frigid stream to ce her back on her feet, she wasughing and cursing and turned to p his arm the moment she was free.


    ¡°What the hell!¡± she gasped, breathlessly, her eyes twinkling.


    .....


    ¡°We needed to get it over with. We don¡¯t have enough water to do the rinsing as well,¡± he said, chuckling and defending himself when she pped his arm again.


    ¡°Tarkyn, that¡¯s freezing!¡± she said, her teeth chattering.


    He was going to offer to pull her in and warm her up, but then she moved and her breast jiggled, and her nipples¡­ her nipples were shrunk and tight, tiny buds, hard as nails because of the cold.


    And because of him, he hoped.


    So he picked up the small cake of soap that he left on a ledge at the edge of the waterfall for moments when he needed to wash quickly, stepped towards her, smiling.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make it better,¡± he said, his voice rough and deep.


    Her eyes shed at his tone and she smiled, but she had her head turned¡ªnot quite trusting that he wouldn¡¯t plunge her back into the cold.


    He showed her the soap in his palm. ¡°Let me make it up to you,¡± he said, rubbing his own chest with it to prove that it really was to clean them.


    She watched him swipe at his own chest and abdomen, her eyes following the path of his hand and the lines of suds left behind. Her gaze grew heated enough to remove his chill as she watched the soapy trails slide down his body and her tongue darted out to her lips, catching a bead of moisture there that made his cock twitch.


    Despite her own cold, she didn¡¯t move when he lifted first one leg, then the other to soap each of those efficiently¡ªthen slowed as he drew the bar up his thigh, his breath growing harsher as her eyes widened and he twitched under that gaze.


    There was a moment when he debated washing himself quickly so that he could begin on her, but when hethered up his hands then reached for himself, Harth¡¯s jaw ckened and her heart began to pound so hard he could hear it.


    ¡°Harth¡­¡± he rasped, but then trailed off because her eyes never left his hands.


    With a low, rumbling growl of pleasure he took himself in hand and pumped once tother himself, trying to ignore the pleasure of it for the greater sweetness of watching desire sh in her eyes.


    Harth¡¯s throat bobbed and she took a single step closer.


    He did it again, his breathing already harsh and quick.


    Harth made a small, high whine in her throat, then staggered to him, first running her hands over his chest, then taking his hands in hers and removing them from him, then recing his grip with her own¡ªsofter¡ªshe stroked him with both hands.


    Tarkyn groaned and leaned back to press himself into her hands, but watched her touch him, his body dancing with pleasure. Her hands were slick with the soap from his skin, her eyes bright and heart pounding.


    Then she slowed her stroking and reached down to cup his balls. His breath shuddered out of him as she looked up to meet his eyes, measuring him.


    ¡°The older females told me to always to be very careful there,¡± she whispered.


    He nodded quickly, still watching her, avid, as she palmed his balls with one hand and stroked him with the other. But the pleasure of watching her touch him was so acute he worried he would burst right there.


    With a desperate groan, he reached for her wrists, holding her tightly, battling with himself between letting her continue¡ªafter all, he could love her again soon, he was sure of it. But then he shook his head. ¡°You need to stop,¡± he croaked.


    Harth¡¯s lips twisted, but she let him go, turning first to wash the soap from her hands in the waterfall¡ªits spray sttering her breasts and chest so that she shivered again and her nipples, already hard, turned to rivets.


    Then, with a heated nce at him, she stepped over to the big pot of water he¡¯d warmed and reached for one of the cloths.


    He hadn¡¯t moved, so was watching her over his shoulder when she pulled the dripping cloth out of the pot, then turned, pping it to his shoulder and wringing it out against his skin so that the warm wash of water rushed down his chest and back.


    ¡°You¡¯re still very soapy,¡± she said breathlessly. But she didn¡¯t wait for him to answer, just turned to dunk the cloth in the water again, then brought it back up to his other shoulder. He shuddered as the streams from it ran down his body and she followed one of them with her fingers, tracing the line down his back.


    But then she was gone again, and he heard the grind and scrape of her pulling the pot across the stone floor.


    He stood there, trembling with need, but fascinated to see what she would do.


    But instead of bringing the cloth up again, or leaning into him, there was nothing but the cold space between them. And when she spoke, it was a single, uncertain syble.


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Tarkyn froze. ¡°What? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    He started to turn, but she caught his shoulders with a giggle. ¡°I just realized¡­ I¡¯m not soapy yet,¡± she murmured yfully.


    Tarkyn groaned and broke her grip, whirling to reach for her, cupping one hand to the back of her neck and pulling her into his kiss, the other that still held the soap at the back of her hip, to hold her close, pressing himself against her, rubbing against her, sighing happily when she dropped the cloth and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.


    His skin was slick as an eel against hers, their bodies sliding and easy together so that every part of him was teased with every breath. Tarkyn gave a guttural groan when Harth ran her fingers from his temple, down his scalp, to his back, goosebumps chasing themselves from her touch, all the way down his spine.


    ¡°That feels amazing,¡± he rasped.


    ¡°You feel amazing,¡± she countered, rolling her hips so that he slid against her belly and his breath shuddered out of him.


    For a long moment they pressed together, rolling, their bodies slick and prickled with goosebumps. Tarkyn trembled, his free hand wing over her, barely able to contain himself, kissing her neck, her jaw, letting his teeth y along the cord of her neck, rubbing himself against her, his breath thundering from him to flutter in her damp hair.


    Harth¡¯s breathing was quick and shallow, her body quivering. If he didn¡¯t do something quickly, he was going to take her like this and that wasn¡¯t in the n. He was determined to make thisst, to draw out everyst second of their joining¡ªto worship at the altar of her. So even though taking his mouth from her was tearing off his own skin, he forced himself to straighten, one hand ttered at her back between her shoulder des to take her weight. Then, using the soap, he began to slowly, very slowly, paint her skin in its slick suds, starting at her corbones.


    ¡°Fuck, Harth,¡± he graveled when she dropped her head back and to the side to give him more room, her chest rising and falling quickly with his touch. But then he reached her breasts and she arched as he soaped up that soft skin.


    When his knuckles brushed her nipples she shivered. ¡°I love it when you touch me,¡± she whispered, lifting one leg to hook it around his waist so she could arch back further.


    Tarkyn growled. ¡°That makes two of us.¡±


    *****


    DO NOT FEAR! There will be a double-release tomorrow so you get the whole scene in one go. Enjoy!

 Chapter 166 - 166 Hot & Cold – Part 2*

    166 Hot & Cold ¨C Part 2*


    ~ HARTH ~


    Being bathed by Tarkyn was the most erotic thing Harth had ever experienced. As he yed that soap over her skin, her chest heaved and her hands trembled as much from desire as cold.


    His massive, burnished body gleamed in the low light of the fire, and his eyes glowed with a fierce heat as he watched himself run the soap over her body, shivering asionally and gripping her when she rubbed herself against him.


    But after a few minutes of that, with both of them trembling, both their drives pressed to breaking point¡ªand fueled by their sense of the others¡ªTarkyn made her stand on her own two feet as he quickly, efficiently, soaped up her legs.


    There was a moment though, when he squatted at her feet, that he looked up at her, his eyes shing the gold of his lion. Before she could say anything, he ran his fingers up the inside of her thigh, to the apex and found her with his fingers¡ªslick and soapy against her softest skin.


    She gasped and grabbed for his shoulders, but he was only teasing her.


    ¡°Almost done,¡± he rasped as he stood, tossing the soap aside and taking her by the hips. For a moment she thought he would douse her under that waterfall again and she tensed, sucking in a breath to protest, but instead, he just tugged her against him and held her there, kissing her deeply, his tongue delving and swirling against hers until he stole her breath as well as weakened her knees.


    He met her eyes then, his own hooded and bright, and growled, ¡°All clean.¡±


    Her belly clenched so that she thought she might actually climax


    .....


    Then with a low growl, he dropped to retrieve the cloth from the warm water in the pot. When she started to turn, he snarled and gripped the back of her neck, holding her there, arched back in front of him as he didn¡¯t even bother wringing the cloth, but trailed it over her body, then squeezed it with one hand so that it trailed water over her chest and stomach.


    Again, and again.


    Then he reluctantly turned her around and urged her to lift her hair while he used both cloths to trail water over her skin, over and over, the pattering and dripping somehow making those warm, tingling trails down her skin even more thrilling.


    But Harth was growing impatient, her body clenching and trilling with desire. So when he plunged the cloths into the warm water again, she dropped, crouching, to grab his wrists.


    ¡°I¡¯m rinsed,¡± she said. ¡°My turn.¡±


    ¡°One more,¡± he growled so that Harth¡¯s breath caught.


    And then, when she stood, he grasped the cloth and pressed it between her legs to rinse her there. And when she sucked in a breath and bit her lip, he did it again, but this time, bringing only his hand up to ssh water over her, then touch and tease.


    ¡°Have to make sure you¡¯re clean and rinsed¡­pletely,¡± he croaked.


    Harth was barely breathing, her head dropped back as he slid first one finger into her, then a second, teasing and kneading, while her knees trembled and threatened to give out.


    When he finally withdrew with a curse, she didn¡¯t give him a chance to stop her again, but leaned over to grab the cloths from the water and turned to p them against his chest, squeezing them, drawing them across his pecs and down his belly.


    Tarkyn stared at her, his mouth loose, breath hot, but he didn¡¯t stop her.


    Her movements were slightly crazed, her fingers wed around the cloths so that her nails caught his skin at times, but he only hissed with pleasure when she drew them down his body again and again.


    At some point she lost sight of rinsing him, and just enjoyed the sight of him dripping with water, steam rising from his shining skin, following the trails of droplets that ran down from his chest, to his narrow stomach to catch in the dips between his muscles and be drawn away.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what I did to deserve a mate who¡¯s so hot,¡± she panted, ¡°But dear God, thank you.¡±


    Tarkyn gave a breathlessugh, then grabbed the cloths from her and tossed them into the pot, before snaking an arm around her waist and pulling her over to the side where their towels hung.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move,¡± he muttered as he ced her with her back to the cave and reached for the closest one, then began to dry her, rubbing her skin in rough circles.


    His breath tore in and out of his throat, and his movements were jerky and rough, but she didn¡¯t care, grabbing the towel still on the rack and using it on his body as much as she could reach while he dried her.


    Then, when he stood¡ªshe still hadn¡¯t dried his back or legs¡ªhe grabbed the towel from her hands and threw it aside, lifting her before she could protest.


    ¡°I¡¯ll air-dry,¡± he grated out as he swept her up and carried her deeper into the cave.


    Harthughed, but not for long, because Tarkyn was a male with a mission. Effortlessly, he carried her across the cave then threw her onto the sleeping tform, leaping up to crawl over her as she scooted herself up towards the pillows, sucking in a breath when first the slick furs rubbed against her at the back, then Tarkyn slid up her body from the front.


    She opened her arms and knees to wee him as he found her, slid her fingers into his hair and took his head in her hands, pulling him into a desperate kiss.


    But she¡¯d barely found him when he plunged into her and her head fell back, an involuntary cry rising from her throat.


    ¡°Harth¡­ my love¡­¡± he moaned, both hands fisted into the furs at either side of her head.


    Harth couldn¡¯t breath as he moved within her in desperate, frantic thrusts.

 Chapter 167 - 167 Hot & Cold – Part 3*

    167 Hot & Cold ¨C Part 3*


    ~ HARTH ~


    Normally that first joining was a singr pleasure, a slow rush that she felt from her scalp to her toes, but this time, as he growled her name and took her, over and over, each thrust harder and faster than the one before, the rush didn¡¯t stop. She was climbing, already climbing towards that peak, that glittering wave.


    ¡°Tark¡­. Tarkyn¡­¡± her voice was high, quavering, but she couldn¡¯t care. She gripped him, one hand fisted in his hair, the other curled around his bicep to give her leverage to arch against him.


    ¡°I need you,¡± he groaned, his jaw tight and eyes fierce on her. ¡°I can¡¯t stop, Harth¡ªI will¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t stop¡­ don¡¯t stop!¡± she gasped, her body clenching around him, her breath tearing in and out of her throat, her skin pebbled from her neck to her knees. ¡°Don¡¯t stop Tarkyn!¡±


    Her cry was desperate and frail, her body shaking with pleasure and the anguish of beckoning desire.


    With a growl so deep it seemed toe from the stones beneath them, Tarkyn locked eyes with her, then dragged one hand down, over her breast to her waist, first pinning her down as he thrust, then sliding his hand around to lift her hip to meet his next thrust.


    When the angle changed, Harth¡¯s body¡ªalready shivering and tingling with pleasure¡ªcame alive in a whole new way. She pped one hand to his back as she arched, her mouth open and breath sawing.


    ¡°Mine¡­ my mate¡­¡± Harth snarled.


    .....


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Only mine¡ªforever, Harth, promise me!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± she clenched again, the fire in his eyes¡ªpossessive, demandingshing her like a whip as he raked his gaze from her face, down her body, to watch them join, picking up the pace until she could do nothing but cling and cry, her body quivering under the assault of him as he shoved her over the edge of pleasure and plummeted her down into freefall, crying his name, her nails digging into his back.


    Then, with a guttural roar he plunged into her one more time, his body rigid and trembling, slick marble in the firelight as he came apart in her arms.


    Both of them were frozen in the moment, waves of pleasure coursing through Harth¡¯s blood, the matebond singing with joy. It was a vision of her mate that she would never forget, his skin lit from behind by the glow of the fire so that he seemedced in gold, his head thrown back, the cords on his neck standing proud, chest and arms rippling with the tension of holding himself in check so he didn¡¯t hurt her, their bodies joined in heat and love¡ªthe sheer pleasure of it all so overwhelming it threatened to bring tears.


    Then they crashed, groaning, as Tarkyn slumped over her, catching his weight on one elbow so he didn¡¯t crush her, but panting so hard his breath thundered in her ear.


    Harth, trembling, wrapped her arms around his great shoulders, and her legs around his waist and pulled him down so that he covered herpletely.


    ¡°Just rest¡­ please¡­ rest on me,¡± she whispered, kissing his stubbled jaw and blinking back tears.


    He growled like he might protest, but then cupped one hand over her hair, sliding the other under her neck so that he cradled her head, then resting his forehead against her temple so his breath washed over her cheek.


    ¡°I love you, Harth¡­ so much¡­¡± he rasped. ¡°I can¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°I know¡­ me too,¡± she said, tightening her grip on him and burying her face in his shoulder.


    Theyy that way for a long time, but it was Tarkyn who finally drew back far enough to look at her, stroking trembling fingers through her hair.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    She smiled sadly. ¡°Yes. Just¡­ sad it¡¯s over.¡±


    He shed her a grin. ¡°We have a long night ahead.¡±


    Harth smiled and stroked his face. ¡°Just as long as you get enough rest. I¡¯m¡­ nervous about tomorrow. And we have to start early.¡±


    He sighed heavily, but nodded. ¡°Are you¡­ how are you feeling about going back?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just really, really d you¡¯re going with me. But it¡¯s not going to be easy, Tarkyn. He wants you toe without your vows. He wants you to¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t. Just¡­ don¡¯t think about it yet,¡± he said,ying a finger to her lips to stop her. ¡°In the morning when we¡¯re walking, we¡¯ll figure it all out. But for now¡­ For now let¡¯s just be here.¡±


    Harth sighed, but nodded. And when hey over her again, she pushed away the fears and worries of the day toe, and instead just focused on the warm strength of him, pressing her into the furs.


    Eventually they had to move, but Tarkyn finally rolled off of her reluctantly, then immediately pulled her against his side so that hey on his back with her curled against him, using his bicep as a pillow, her knee over his thigh, and one arm extended over his chest.


    He trailed his fingers on the skin of her upper arm, staring at the ceiling of the cave, his face serious.


    ¡°Are you afraid?¡± she asked finally, whispering because she was.


    He shook his head. ¡°Not of the Chimera. Not even of Zev. I¡¯m just¡­ I fear being taken from you,¡± he said, with a rough clear of his throat as if it had cost him to admit it.


    But Harth just nodded. That was exactly what she feared too. And she knew it was selfish. She knew that what they were going to do was important. So important. She should have felt honored¡ªor at least, single minded about it.


    And yet, as she yed her fingers over his pec, teasing a finger over one nipple, then tracing his corbone, it wasn¡¯t fear of Zev that made her stomach tighten.


    It was the warm, solid certainty that she was there in the arms of the male who had been made for her¡ªand she for him. Knowing she¡¯d never felt more content, or more loved.


    It was the best feeling in the world.


    And the most terrifying. Because she knew what life without that was like.


    And she never wanted to go back.

 Chapter 168 - 168 Uncertain

    168 Uncertain


    ~ HARTH ~


    Harth had never imagined that she would be so grateful for the months she¡¯d spent fleeing the Chimeran guards and borders set by Kyelle and Lhars. She never imagined that those weeks she¡¯d spent trying to work past the guards without calling rm or attention would provide such an... education of the terrain around the encampment.


    Although the route she and Tarkyn took to reach the penins was much longer and more arduous because they were climbing through the mountain foothills above the ravine¡ªthey soon found the trail Zev and the others had used and were able to follow it, though it faded in ces since they¡¯d passed the day before and there had been some rain overnight.


    But as they began to descend towards the valley bowl and the distant coastline, they were discussing their n for approaching Zev.


    Harth had exined to Tarkyn what Zev required¡ªthat he disavow his Queen. And while she¡¯d known he wouldn¡¯t, she was surprised to find Tarkyn far more thoughtful on the issue of potentially deceiving Zev than she might have thought.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to lie to him, but if I can find a way to phrase my position so that he hears what he wants to hear¡­¡± Tarkyn said thoughtfully.


    Harth was uneasy at the idea, and the closer they drew to the Chimeran territory, the more tense she became. Something about his hope to trick Zev didn¡¯t sit well at all.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you should do it. I think¡­ I think you should just be honest with him,¡± she said quickly. ¡°He¡¯s already so tense¡ªI could feel how cold he was, Tarkyn. It was chilling. I¡¯ve never seen him like that before. He¡¯s not a violent male, not usually. But he had three months hunted by the humans, then came here and got locked up. I think it loosened something in his mind. He¡¯s already unpredictable. If he learns you lied to him¡ª¡±


    Tarkyn shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t want to lie to him outright. He¡¯d smell it on me. I¡¯ve never been good at it unless it was to an enemy. That¡¯s not what I mean.¡±


    .....


    Harth¡¯s heart warmed that he didn¡¯t even seem to realize he spoke of her people not as enemies, but she didn¡¯t interrupt him.


    ¡°I just¡­ I just need time with him and I¡¯m trying to figure out how to get it,¡± Tarkyn said, frowning.


    Theyy on their bellies on an outcropping of rock, looking for a way down the final hundred feet to the forest below. Tarkyn warned her not to stand or even crouch¡ªthat their silhouettes might be caught by sharp eyes if there were Chimeran guards or patrols out this way. Even at a distance, he said the bright, sunny sky behind them would make them visible.


    So theyy there, scanning the terrain below while he measured it.


    But Harth¡¯s eyes caught on a promontory, a spot where the foothills extended into the forest, towards the coastline, with jagged, rocky cliffs and hills.


    She knew that part of thend. It was almost sheer on the side opposing them, and it pressed deep enough into the forest that she¡¯d used it twice in an effort to hide her movements when she¡¯d had to get outside the boundaries.


    There was a cave at the base of those cliffs¡ªand a trail that led directly to the eastern side of the encampment where her tent was located.


    Harth blinked. ¡°I have an idea,¡± she whispered.


    Tarkyn looked at her, then began to press his long body back, away from the edge, back towards the cover from below¡ªrocks and trees that would hide their passage from prying eyes.


    When they reached the shadows, he turned to her and waited patiently until she got her thoughts clear.


    ¡°I think¡­ I think that there¡¯s two parts to this thing with Zev,¡± she said. ¡°The first is that he wants to feel safe with you¡ªlike you¡¯re on our side.¡±


    Tarkyn nodded. ¡°And the second?¡±


    ¡°The second is that there¡¯s safety in numbers. And the others haven¡¯t had Zev¡¯s experience with the Anima. They¡¯ll be¡­ more open to peace than he is, I think,¡± she said¡ªsure that she was right about the Chimeran attitudes, but uncertain whether Zev might have had time to sway them before she reached her people.


    Tarkyn nodded again. ¡°So, what¡¯s your idea?¡±


    ¡°I think that we take the risk of waiting for nightfall, when it¡¯ste, to get to the encampment. We can get in around the guards¡ªI know a path through that I used to use to get out¡­ unless they¡¯ve changed their patrols. But regardless, I think if we can get into camp¡ªyou¡¯re my mate, no one would think twice about you bedding down with me¡ªthen when we confront Zev, it¡¯s when you¡¯re already there. already there with me¡ªmaybe we¡¯re at the breakfast fire, or maybe¡­ I don¡¯t know. I just know that if you meet other Chimera before you have to speak to him there¡¯s a sense of safety thates with that.¡±


    ¡°And ountability,¡± Tarkyn said, his voice warm with approval. ¡°That¡¯s very sneaky, though, Harth,¡± he grinned.


    She shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t want to mess with his head, but I think¡­ I hope that being back with his people and safe will make him rx more. And I think¡­ just like he did with Elreth¡ªhe needs to see that you could have caused trouble, and didn¡¯t. That you¡¯re safe to be free. And with the Chimera, mates are sacred. When they learn we have an ardent bond, they¡¯re going to help me protect that, whether Zev¡¯s there or not.¡±


    Tarkyn¡¯s expression went very serious. ¡°Because if they hurt me¡­¡±


    ¡°It will hurt me,¡± she said, nodding. He seemed far more disturbed by that idea than she was. For her, it was simply normal.


    But the longer they discussed it, the clearer it became, until they were agreed.


    So, they crept no further towards the encampment than Harth was certain would be outside their normal borders, then waited for night to fall.


    *****


    ~ ZEV ~


    Zev and Sasha curled together on the furs in the warm glow of the dying fire for a long time, Zev holding his family as they slowly drifted off.


    Zan fell asleep first, then Sasha¡¯s breath slowed and evened.


    Zev would have held her all night, but she started to stir, her body looking for afortable position. So he turned andid them both gently down on the furs, intending toy with them. But as Zan settled onto the fur in the crook of Sasha¡¯s arm, he startled away and wailed, his voice thin and demanding, echoing in the cave.


    Sasha came away with a start, but Zev put a hand to her shoulder and waited for her to blink, then look up at him.


    ¡°Let me take him,¡± Zev said softly, leaning down to kiss her forehead. ¡°You sleep. I¡¯ll get him asleep again, then I¡¯lle back.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª¡±


    ¡°Let me do it, Sash. I haven¡¯t had time with him when I could think straight. Just rx. I¡¯ll handle him, okay?¡±


    Sasha gave a soft smile and reached up to cup his face again. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    When she sighed and let herself settle back down into the furs, Zev scooped up his son, along with the smaller fur they¡¯d made the nest from to keep him in position and then, cradling his son in his arms, wrapped in the warm furs, he walked to the mouth of the cave and stood there, looking out at the thick forest, the distant coastline, and the twinkling lights and glowing tents below.


    He should have smiled, he knew. He should have breathed deep and felt satisfaction to be there, holding his son, in and where the Creator had said they would be safe.


    But instead, all he could feel was a fierce sense of protectiveness for his tiny, fragile son, for his weak-in-body, but so strong in mind, mate. And for his people.


    When he lifted his head towards the darkness to the east, knowing his enemies were out there, nning¡­ waiting¡­ he had to swallow a growl.


    He gathered Zan closer, higher on his chest, inhaling deeply of his milky, soft scent.


    ¡°I will keep you safe, son,¡± he whispered, never taking his eyes from that midnight dark in the distance, knowing it hid the lights and shadows and resources of those that would take him down if they could. ¡°I will keep you safe, even if it means giving my life for you. I vow it.¡±


    And as his son squirmed in his arms, but didn¡¯t open his eyes, Zev nodded to himself.


    The vow wasn¡¯t hard to make, though it might cost him everything to keep. But he would do it.


    He would not bring his son here to die at the hands of a female who couldn¡¯t see beyond her own muzzle.


    The Creator had brought them here to make his people safe. And Zev would achieve that, no matter what it cost.

 Chapter 169 - 169 Simple Certainty

    169 Simple Certainty


    ~ HARTH ~


    Harth sessfully navigated Tarkyn through the forest to her tent which was on the edge of camp.


    More than sessfully. Easily.


    They met no patrols. Hid from no known borders or guards. They slipped into the encampment when most of the Chimera were asleep, and didn¡¯t even risk running into anyone.


    What the hell was going on?


    Tarkyn was troubled¡ªwas this the state of Chimeran defense? But Harth assured him it wasn¡¯t. But why they¡¯d found no one¡­


    And then as they crept closer to the tent, they passed several others that were empty and cold. No fresh scent. No dying fires. As if some of the Chimera had left or moved. There seemed to be very few on this side of the tent-vige at all.


    They spoke through the bond for the rest of the trip, even after they reached her tent and bedded down. Even knowing there was no one else close-by.


    Harth had been concerned that someone would cross their trail and raise the rm, but as they finally came to a rest in her tent, and Tarkyn curled himself against her back, spooning her, his back to the tent door, to keep himself between her and threat, Harth¡¯s teeth were clenched.


    .....


    What was going on? Why hadn¡¯t there been guards? And why were some of the outer tents now empty?


    But she had no answers, and no way to find them during the night without raising rm. So she did her best to keep herself at ease so that Tarkyn would rx.


    Yet, sleep was a long timeing. And when she did finally sink into it, it was to broken dreams full of a nameless dread, and tension¡­


    *****


    ~ ZEV ~


    In the dream, Zev screamed so hard his voice cracked.


    Formless bonds held him pinned against a pole that pressed all the way up his spine, his wrists and ankles bound and unmoving. There was no enemy holding him that he could strike, no force he could apply to break them. The bonds simply existed and were apparently unbreakable. Zev twisted and jerked within them, muscles burning and his throat a fiery ache from all the screaming, but no matter how much force he applied, no matter how he jerked and pulled with every ounce of his formidable strength, no matter what he did, he was bound.


    Bound with his arms behind him so that if he shifted his chest would split and bare his heart and he would die.


    His entire body thrummed with thebination of rage and abject terror that had haunted him since they¡¯d arrived in Anima and been taken by the Queen.


    But there was nothing he could do.


    And so, he watched, helpless, as Elreth held his son like a doll. She gripped his neck at the base of his skull, and lifted him high to the chorus of her people singing her praises.


    Swinging in her grip, Zan screamed, the piercing wail of a baby in acute distress, his limbs iling. But all around them, the Anima lifted a roar of joy and victory.


    ¡°This child is now mine to do with as I please!¡± Elreth dered to her people, her eyes burning with zealous glee. ¡°These invaders have brought their human spawn in an attempt to take us, but I have not let it happen. I have protected you, my people! And you are my witness that this human will die just like the rest of them!¡±


    Then, as her people roared their delight, the Queen turned to face Zev and smiled the smile of a predator, her teeth gleaming in the sun as she squeezed his son¡¯s throat until Zan¡¯s cry choked off, and his face turned purple, his tiny hands and feet paddling the air as he fought an impossible battle against an adult foe.


    ¡°NOOOOOOOOOOO!¡± Zev screamed¡ª


    ¡°ZEV, IT¡¯S A DREAM! WAKE UP!¡±


    Zev sucked in a huge breath, scrambling. There was a weight on his chest, and another on his shoulder. He swung wildly and connected with something warm, that made a soft, ¡°oof.¡±


    ¡°Zev, it¡¯s me. Open your eyes.¡±


    He blinked and pushed up to sit, confused. He still heard Zan¡¯s cries, the sun still beamed down¡ªbut it seemed toe at him from a doorway or¡­ there was a solid mass underneath him, and walls all around¡­ Zev blinked and blinked again, until Sasha¡¯s face became clear, leaning over him, her eyes wide and scared.


    ¡°Are you awake? Zev, are you awake?¡± she whispered frantically.


    ¡°I¡­ yes¡­¡± he scrambled to sit up straight, clinging to his son, who was still bundled in the furs he¡¯d used the night before to make sure Zan wouldn¡¯t roll in the night.


    His son screamed.


    ¡°Let him go, Zev. Let me take him. He¡¯s safe. He¡¯s just hungry and startled. You¡¯re fine. You¡¯re safe. You¡¯re here. It was a dream. Please¡­. Please, Zev.¡±


    Trembling, but remembering that they¡¯d been through this before, Zev handed his mate their son as he blinked and shook his head, trying desperately to clear his thoughts.


    He was with the Chimera atst. In a cave¡ªnot a building. A cave. And that scene with Elreth¡­ it was a dream. Just a dream.


    A dream he¡¯d had over and over and over again¡­ but just a dream.


    Elreth wasn¡¯t here.


    Zan was safe.


    As Sasha stood, holding Zan close to her chest and bobbing up and down, whispering to him to soothe him, Zev swung his legs over the side of the sleeping tform and sat forward with his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands, blowing out long breaths, then forcing himself to inhale slowly, trying to calm his heart.


    It had only been a dream.


    *****


    Some timeter, Zan strapped to her chest, Sasha appeared again and put a hand to his shoulder. ¡°Did you sleep at all?¡± she asked worriedly.


    Zev shrugged. He was still sitting in the cave on the sleeping tform. He hadn¡¯t been able to find the courage to leave yet, which was piss poor from him. But the shrug was the truth. He wasn¡¯t sure if he¡¯d slept at all beyond that dream. It seemed like his mind had run all night, yet he felt a little more rested than he had. Perhaps he¡¯d nodded off at some point. ¡°I¡¯m d you slept,¡± he said simply, because it was true.


    Sasha sighed, then urged Zev to get himself food. ¡°You¡¯ll need something to keep you going today.¡±


    He was grateful for her care, but she didn¡¯t quite meet his eyes as she turned to carry Zan down the trail towards the encampment and to the healers who¡¯d told her they wanted to talk through the feedings for the day.


    Still trembling slightly, Zev changed into a new set of clothes that Lhars had offered. They needed to wash. All of them. Though the Anima had allowed them water to wipe their skins, it wasn¡¯t the same as submerging in water and donning clean clothing afterwards.


    Zev hoped his friends had found warm pools for the cold season, but there wasn¡¯t time to find out now. After he¡¯d changed, he trotted down the trail to the meal fires where he was greeted with great enthusiasm and he could eat ravenously¡ªusing the food as an excuse not to be embraced, or to talk too much.


    He wasn¡¯t sure why he still felt so wary of his own pack, but it was a relief when Lhars approached and the others fell back.


    ¡°I hope you rested,¡± his brother said, his warm smile belied by the concern in his eyes. ¡°We¡¯re looking forward to hearing everything you¡¯ve learned and¡ª¡±


    ¡°What I¡¯ve learned,¡± Zev said around a mouthful of fried bread, ¡°is that we have one more enemy to fight before any of us can really rest.¡± There was a sh in his head of that dream, of Elreth holding Zan like a prize pelt, but he pushed it away. ¡°Once we ovee them, this ce will offer real freedom. It¡¯s a lushnd¡ªplentiful¡ªalready supporting a poption much higher than ours. We won¡¯t be restricted to the winter season here. It¡¯s a ce worth fighting for.¡±


    The mood around the fire, which had been cheery and upbeat, deted around him. He felt the weight of his words drag the others down¡ªsmiles turning to t mouths, then frowns. And it saddened him.


    But it was unavoidable.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s unpleasant to think that we still have a fight ahead of us. But I¡¯ve learned a lot about these people, and I¡¯ll share it with all of you,¡± he said, opening the corner of his mind that was the hunter¡ªstrategic, observant. ¡°They may have greater numbers than us, but we¡¯re stronger one on one. So it¡¯s time for the wolves to use the strength we have. We¡¯ve always been able to pull down an enemy when we work together,¡± he said with the smile of a predator.


    A few of the younger males cheered, or howled. But those like Lhars who¡¯d fought to survive, none of them smiled.


    Zev pushed away the irritation that rose at theirck of enthusiasm.


    ¡°Spread the word,¡± he said curtly. ¡°I¡¯ll meet with the hunters and collect their knowledge, then at high sun, the pack will gather. And I¡¯ll show you how we¡¯re going to fight¡­ and win. How we¡¯ll finally be free.¡±


    *****

 Chapter 170 - 170 Culture Clash

    170 Culture sh


    ~ HARTH ~


    Harth woke first the next morning, which was rare. Tarkyn must be truly exhausted.


    Shey there for a moment, hugging his back that rose and fell slowly and evenly, watching the tent sides flutter in the slight breeze, glowing from the rising sun behind them.


    Her tent was looking sad. She needed to tighten the lines and¡­ she pushed the thoughts away. Today held much, much more important things than the state of her tent.


    Rolling slowly away so she wouldn¡¯t disturb her mate, she rose, still dressed, and crept out of the tent to allow Tarkyn to continue to rest. If she could find some friends and tell them, let them scent her, then they could bring Tarkyn in¡ª


    ¡°Harth?!¡±


    She¡¯d just passed out of the cluster of mostly-empty tents and into one of the central areas where fires and resources were gathered for everyone¡¯s use.


    Despite the early hour there were several Chimera gathered around the fire. Harth looked up and blinked, smiling when one of the female wolves leaped to her feet and rushed towards her.


    She barely had time to think before a dozen wolves were advancing, some huffing, some howling, all of them rushing with joy to greet her¡ªapproaching with eyes wide, then piling against her when they were certain of her scent, rubbing on her, sharing scents, and calling for others.


    .....


    The pack link came alive with voices.


    ¡®Our sister is back and she¡¯s safe!¡¯


    ¡®Harth is returned!¡¯


    ¡®Come see,e see!¡¯


    ¡®She¡¯s really here!¡¯


    Harthughed, her chest zing with warmth and joy at the greeting of her pack mates, even as nerves threaded through her veins, because as soon as the greetings were done she would have to introduce them to Tarkyn. But at least there would be plenty of them gathered to wee him and face Zev when he appeared. It was unlikely he¡¯d be cut off from the pack mind¡ª


    A heavy weight mmed against Harth¡¯s shoulder¡ªone of the young males growing over-excited and leaping across the pile of females to rub his face against her, but it caught her off guard. Already off bnce because of the bodies rushing her, Harth stumbled and when the females gave way from her movement, fell to her side, her elbow barking with pain when shended, and the air rushing out of her.


    Harth tried to suck in, tough, and to warn them back as several of the wolves piled over her, huffing with joy.


    ¡°Get off, you¡¯re heavy!¡± she gasped, stillughing, but her breath still short from the thud to the ground. ¡°I want to see all of you¡ª¡±


    An unholy roar echoed across the valley, rolling off into a vicious snarl. It shook the ground and made Harth¡¯s breath stop.


    The wolves scrambled forward and aside, whipping around to meet the unknown predator, as Tarkyn leaped to stand over Harth, half-crouched, hands open at his sides ready to strike, that growl still rolling in his chest like thend under their feet.


    ¡°Tarkyn, no!¡± Harth gasped, scrambling to her feet. But her mate growled again when one of the female wolves bared her teeth, and his back rippled.


    ¡°Stay away¡­ from my mate¡­¡± he snarled, his chest heaving and hands twitching.


    ¡°Tarkyn!¡± Harth rushed to touch him, to break through the defensive instincts that were clearly overwhelming him as he stared down the pack of wolves that had surrounded her. ¡°They were just greeting me! It¡¯s what we do¡ªI¡¯m not hurt, see?¡±


    Tarkyn wouldn¡¯t take his eyes off the line of wolves that had scattered at his roar, but none of them had fled, only instinctively moved to give themselves space to turn and fight.


    To Harth¡¯s dismay, the females made a semi-circle around them, all of them with heads lowered defensively and hackles up, eyes locked on Tarkyn, while the males¡ªmostly the younger, but more arriving every second, began to pace back and forth behind them.


    Shit. Shit! The wolves were most effective when they hunted as packs. If Tarkyn shifted, they¡¯d all turn too and then¡ª


    ¡°He¡¯s my mate!¡± Harth cried, shoving past Tarkyn to stand in front of him. ¡°Don¡¯t hurt him! He¡¯s my mate! Scent me! The bond isplete¡ªit¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s unique because he¡¯s Anima, but it¡¯s there, please! Don¡¯t hurt him!¡±


    Tarkyn¡¯s growl ripped into a snarl when she passed him, and he grabbed for her wrist, trying to pull her back behind him, but Harth fought him, shaking her head, sending to him through the bond.


    ¡®You don¡¯t need to protect me from my people, Tarkyn. Open your eyes. They were greeting me¡ªit¡¯s you who¡¯s unsafe right now!¡¯


    ¡°Please!¡± she called to her brothers and sisters who were watching her warily, but hadn¡¯t stopped pacing and defending. ¡°Please, we¡¯re ar¡ª¡±


    ¡°Your mate is a cat?¡± one of the stronger females asked, her voice t and cautious.


    ¡°Oh, he¡¯s so much more than that.¡± The voice, deep and cold, chilled Harth¡¯s blood.


    The wolves fell back immediately, submitting as Zev appeared at the back of the pack, Lhars and Skhal at his shoulders. Harth¡¯s breath stopped.


    Zev stood behind the other wolves, his eyes fierce and upper lip curling back from his teeth, a predator on the edge of attack. Then, when the others gave room and he prowled forward, it was with jaw set, and chin low. His bright blue eyes as cold as ice¡ªnot on Harth, but on Tarkyn.


    Harth wasn¡¯t sure whether to be relieved or terrified. ¡°Zev! Zev, you can tell them¡ªhe¡¯s my mate¡ª¡±


    ¡°Stand down,¡± Zev growled, and the pack immediately backed away¡ªincluding Lhars and Skhal, obeying the order to stop advancing.


    Harth could finally breathe, but as she straightened, putting one arm back to find Tarkyn, Zev didn¡¯t slow, but stalked towards them, his face a dark mask, eyes fierce.


    ¡°He¡¯s a cat?!¡± Lhars called from behind him. ¡°One of theirs?¡±


    ¡°Worse,¡± Zev answered through his teeth,ing to a prickling halt in front of Harth, his eyes still locked on Tarkyn over her shoulder. ¡°He¡¯s that bitch Queen¡¯s Captain of Arms. The question is¡­ does hee as an ally, or a spy?¡±


    Behind him, growls rose in a cloud from the pack.

 Chapter 171 - 171 Meet Again

    171 Meet Again


    ~ HARTH ~


    Harth felt the shift in Tarkyn. She¡¯d been starting to break through to him, he had beening back to himself, beginning to think instead of just reacting. But as Zev prowled towards them, every inch the predator Alpha, the hair on Harth¡¯s neck stood up, and she felt Tarkyn tense in an entirely new way.


    ¡®Leave him to me, love,¡¯ he sent through the bond, his voice calmer than it had been a moment ago, but still quivering with tension. She could smell her mate¡¯s defensive strength¡ªhis instincts still screamed at him to protect. But he was a mature male, and a soldier. He possessed discipline stricter than Harth had ever seen even among the older wolves.


    She could feel him gathering himself to restraint¡ªeven as Zev descended on them, fierce and angry.


    ¡°Hees as a friend, Zev,¡± she insisted as her Alpha reached her, his eyes narrowed and fierce on Tarkyn. Harth¡¯s heart pounded painfully. Zev was cold, a picture of barely restrained rage.


    ¡°We¡¯ll see,¡± Zev growled.


    ¡°Please,¡± she breathed. But neither her mate, nor her Alpha, was listening.


    Tarkyn shifted his weight behind her. Harth couldn¡¯t turn to see what he was doing, but she felt him bncing himself¡ªto defend, or to create calm?


    ¡°One bite, Tarkyn. One swipe, and we will take you down. You can¡¯t fight all of us,¡± Zev muttered. ¡°So if you¡¯re as wise as your mate seems to think, you¡¯lle along without a fight.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Come where?!¡± Harth gasped.


    Zev never took his eyes from Tarkyn. ¡°I have some questions for your mate.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª¡±


    ¡®Don¡¯t fight him, love,¡¯ Tarkyn breathed in her head. ¡®I expected this. It¡¯s fine. Exactly what I would have done if our roles were reversed. I know how to handle him.¡¯


    ¡®Don¡¯t lie to him¡ªhe¡¯ll see through it!¡¯ she pleaded as Tarkyn stepped up beside her shoulder, his posture loose, but at the ready.


    ¡®I won¡¯t,¡¯ he said. ¡®It¡¯s toote for that anyway. This isn¡¯t how I nned to let him know I was here. But the Creator knows what¡¯s needed. Just be calm, Harth. I¡¯m sorry I reacted¡ªI felt your pain and it scared me. But don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m going to be fine.¡¯


    ¡®Please, be careful,¡¯ she whispered in his head as Tarkyn nodded to Zev and stepped forward.


    Zev¡¯s upper lip pulled away from his teeth as Tarkyn approached, head low but eyes locked with Zev¡¯s.


    Harth¡¯s heart hammered in her chest as the wolves circled them, and Tarkyn allowed it, holding one hand back to keep her from following him when the males rushed him.


    But true to his word, he didn¡¯t fight. He let them pull his arms behind him and circle him, six or seven strong wolves, all of them ranked males and all of them stinking of aggression.


    Harth¡¯s heart sank and she tried to follow, but Zev whirled on her. ¡°You¡¯ll stay here.¡±


    Harth blinked in shock. ¡°But¡­ but he¡¯s my mate!¡±


    The little muscles at the back of Zev¡¯s jaw flexed. ¡°He is a part of the enemy until I determine otherwise, and I won¡¯t have the guards forced to split their attentions between you. If hees as an ally, he¡¯ll be returned to you.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª¡±


    ¡°Harth, don¡¯t make me suspect you too, please,¡± Zev said through his teeth¡ªthe plea seemed real, but it was snarled. His eyes zing with anger and aggression. ¡°Hees from a people who would split mates, attack females with a babe in arms, and bind predators¡ª¡±


    ¡°And he fought for you!¡± Harth insisted. Tarkyn hissed and shook his head slowly from behind the circle of guards, but she ignored him, knowing he was just trying to protect her. She didn¡¯t need protection from her own alpha! ¡°He proved that he held respect for you¡ª¡±


    ¡°So let him prove that he walks what he talks,¡± Zev growled, cutting a nce towards Tarkyn, who met his gaze evenly. ¡°If he does, he¡¯ll be returned to you.¡±


    ¡°Zev, please¡ª¡± Harth started, but her Alpha whirled on her.


    ¡°Enough, Harth! You¡¯ve been heard. Back the fuck down and leave this to me. You did as I asked, and I¡¯m grateful. Now¡­ please. Just wait.¡±


    ¡®I love you, Harth, but stop. You¡¯ll only anger him,¡¯ Tarkyn sent softly, his tone firm. ¡®Don¡¯t worry. I know how to handle this. I promise.¡¯


    Harth froze, uncertain what to do, but a part of her still hoping, pleading for Zev to free Tarkyn. Her mouth dropped open when, instead, Zev turned on his heel, jerking his head towards the circle of guards and led them all out of the circle, Lhars and Skhal falling in beside him again when he passed.


    Harth stared after them, her heart sinking, all the joy and warmth she¡¯d felt at the greetings from her pack gone. A cold wind whistled between her ribs, because her first instinct hearing him yesterday had been right. Zev hadn¡¯t rxed at all. He wasn¡¯t feeling better for being back with his people. If anything he seemed even more angry than he had been back in the prison tree.


    And now he had a target for that rage.


    Harth took a step after them, but a calloused hand caught her arm.


    She whirled, pulling away, to find Kyelle staring at her, the former Alpha¡¯s eyes soft and empathetic. ¡°It¡¯s good that you stand in defense of your mate,¡± she said quietly. As an owl she couldn¡¯t use the mindlink. ¡°But you really do need to leave this up to them.¡±


    ¡°But what if he¡ª¡±


    ¡°Trust his heart. And trust your mate. If he¡¯s true, they¡¯ll get through this.¡±


    Harth bristled at the question of her mate¡¯s integrity, but Kyelle only smiled, her eyes warming. ¡°Wee back, by the way.¡± She leaned in for a slightly stiff hug. Kyelle had never been overly demonstrative. But being mated herself, and finding their freedom¡ªof a sort¡ªhere had softened her. ¡°And for what it¡¯s worth, I¡¯m sorry that we held you back¡ªclearly there was something bigger calling you away,¡± Kyelle smiled dryly.

 Chapter 172 - 172 The Conclave

    172 The Conve


    ~ HARTH ~


    Watching Tarkyn led away under guard felt like it tore her heart from her chest, but to her surprise, Kyelle didn¡¯t follow the males. She stayed next to Harth, talking quietly with a couple of other female wolves, all of them watching the cluster of males march away, taking Harth¡¯s heart and safety with it.


    ¡°I think you¡¯ll be d to hear, we removed the borders, Harth¡ªeven before we learned we¡¯d been discovered. Everyone is free to move as they want¡­ well, obviously not against our neighbors. But you understand,¡± Kyelle said a momentter. Harth felt like the woman was trying to distract her from her anguish at her mate¡¯s treatment. It wouldn¡¯t work, but she appreciated the thought.


    Then she thought about what Kyelle had said. No guards? No boundaries for the Chimera? That exined why they hadn¡¯t hit border guards on the eastern side of the encampment. Harth sighed with relief. She wouldn¡¯t be punished for running, and for starting this entire chain of events.


    She hadn¡¯t been sure. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s good,¡± she said uncertainly, her eyes still following the males now weaving between the tents. They¡¯d be out of sight among the trees soon. She took a step forward, but Kyelle caught her arm again.


    ¡°You can¡¯t help that way,¡± she whispered. ¡°Zev is¡­ uneasy. Trying to intervene is only going to make him more suspicious.¡±


    Harth knew she was right, but it still stung, having to stand there watching them take her mate away, especially knowing that Zev might punish Tarkyn for Elreth¡¯s crimes.


    ¡°But¡­ they might need me¡­ I have the mindlink with him¡ªwe used it before. I can show Zev the truth¡ª¡±


    Kyelle blinked. ¡°You have the mindlink¡­ with an Anima?¡±


    .....


    Harth nodded quickly. ¡°And so much more. You¡¯ve got no idea, Kyelle. This bond it¡¯s¡­ more somehow.¡±


    Kyelle looked shocked. ¡°You¡¯re Ardent?¡±


    Suddenly another warm presence arrived at her other elbow, and Harth was surprised to find Sasha standing next to her, also watching the now empty space where the males had disappeared. She nced at Harth with a sad smile, but didn¡¯t speak.


    Harth couldn¡¯t help but smile back. ¡°I¡¯m so d you¡¯re here and safe,¡± she said to Sasha who nodded, but didn¡¯t respond. Harth frowned¡ªSasha¡¯s eyes were still deeply shadowed, her skin pale and cheeks beginning to sink in. ¡°Are you¡ª¡±


    ¡°Harth, answer me. Are you and that male ardent?¡± Kyelle said quickly, tugging at Harth¡¯s other sleeve.


    Harth nodded and returned her attention to Sasha¡¯s second. ¡°Yes,¡± she said with quiet pride. ¡°Even more than Ardent somehow, I think. But yes, we¡¯re¡ª¡± She cut off, eyes bulging and mouth wide, as pain suddenly jolted through her body and she fell to the ground, curling up like a child, unable to breathe as her body screamed like she¡¯d been cut in two.


    The shock stole her wits and she could barely think¡ªnot even breathe. But as everything around her clouded, it all became clear.


    The pain was hitting through the bond.


    They were hurting Tarkyn.


    *****


    ~ ZEV ~


    The lion male rolled on the ground, arms curled around his middle, groaning and coughing. But even as he shuddered with the pain, he didn¡¯t plead or spit. He didn¡¯t even growl. His face, screwed tight with pain, was shadowed, the sunlight growing brighter outside and making the sides of therge tent glow.


    The tent was supposed to be a gathering ce for cooks and servers, but Zev had asked for the space to be cleared and used for council. They were going to need a central space to work from as they prepared to take out that fucking Queen.


    It just happened to be a handy spot to interrogate the prisoner, too.


    Fucking lions. No wonder they called it a ¡°pride,¡± Zev huffed humorlessly to himself.


    But this fucker wasn¡¯t fighting back. He was taking the hits, which felt to Zev like punching underwater. There was no¡­ release.


    ¡°Zev, this isn¡¯t the way to get a clear answer from him.¡± Lhars said darkly.


    ¡°Shut up,¡± Zev growled at his brother. ¡°I know how these people function. Mercy will get us nowhere.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not asking for mercy,¡± Tarkyn croaked. ¡°I¡¯m here to help.¡±


    Zev plowed his booted foot into the male¡¯s back. ¡°Bullshit,¡± he growled, leaning over him. ¡°Have you disavowed your Queen? Surrendered your loyalty to your matebond?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need to¡ª¡±


    Zev let out a snarl of rage and wound back, preparing to light into the male again when the tent p suddenly snapped back, and a female voice, humming with Alpha authority ordered, ¡°STOP!¡±


    Every male in the tent froze, and the lower-ranked wolves submitted as Sasha-don stalked into the space, her eyes zing.


    Their son was still slung across her chest, and her skin was still too pale. But her hair snapped around her face as she strode into the circle, looking at each of the males in turn, then to Zev.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch him again.¡±


    Zev¡¯s lips curled back from his teeth. ¡°You think he¡¯s just going to offer you the information¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, Zev! But I know that every blow you¡¯re throwing isnding on his mate. She¡¯s out there among our people, curled on the ground and trying not to weep with the pain of it¡ªis that the leadership we¡¯re showing now? Is that what our people need to fear? That we¡¯ll use their bonds against them? Is that what you¡¯d do to your own pack?¡±


    Zev hesitated, his stomach sinking. Harth was being harmed? He¡¯d never intended¡­


    He turned to look at the lion, still curled on the ground, panting with the pain, but rolling onto his side and trying to push up with one arm, while holding his probably broken ribs with the other.


    Zev hadn¡¯t been kind in his aim.


    For a moment, he wavered. Remorse and the smatterings of fear prickling through his veins. Was he really at the point where he wanted to hurt his own? No, of course not. He didn¡¯t want to hurt anyone.


    But then the image of Elreth swam into his head, her fierce eyes and heartless orders.


    What would that bitch do?


    Zev had just tensed, gritting his teeth and preparing for another kick to the lion, when Lhars leaped forward.


    ¡°Are you fucking insane, Zev?¡± he growled. He didn¡¯t even sound angry¡ªmore shocked. But Zev whipped around to face his brother.


    ¡°No I¡¯m not insane¡ªI just know what those creatures are going to do to us if we allow it! And I will not allow it, Lhars! We can¡¯t give an inch with them!¡±


    But his brother only stepped in, eyes zing, positioning himself between Zev and the prisoner. ¡°You don¡¯t attack them when you hurt him¡ªyou attack our own!¡±


    ¡°Our own that are bonded to one of them! How do we know that they don¡¯t forge those bonds by choice¡ªthat they haven¡¯t pushed these two together just to control us in this way!¡±


    ¡°No one chooses a soulbond except the Creator,¡± Skhal growled from behind Lhars.


    Zev sneered at him. ¡°Spoken like a male under the thrall of his mate¡ªhow do we know, Skhal? Answer me that! How do we actually know?¡±


    Lhars gave him a little push at his shoulder and Zev growled, but his brother didn¡¯t back down. ¡°Whether or not the bond was created by God, or by them, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that there¡¯s a female out there feeling every kick and blow yound. You can¡¯t tell me you¡¯re okay with that?¡±


    ¡°Of course not!¡± Zev snarled. ¡°But I¡¯m also not okay with those fuckers controlling us. I don¡¯t care if they do it for science, or to protect their own asses¡ªthe cage feels the same¡ªand I can tell you that I know THAT!¡±


    Lhars tipped his head, the sympathy in his eyes shadowed by an unspoken warning. ¡°They have not attacked us, Zev. They have left us entirely alone. They haven¡¯t moved on us despite their greater numbers. They haven¡¯t even sent¡ª¡±


    ¡°Because they were too busy torturing me and my mate! Almost killing my son!¡± Zev roared.


    Skhal tensed and stepped up to Lhars¡¯ shoulder. Zev almost growled at him¡ªhe was going to protect Lhars, the Second, over Zev, his Alpha?


    But Lhars¡¯ eyes narrowed and he shook his head. Through the link he sent an order to the rest of the wolves.


    ¡®Leave us. Except Skhal and Sasha-don. Everyone else leave. Now.¡¯


    Rage tore through Zev¡¯s bloodstream. ¡°They aren¡¯t yours tomand anymore!¡±


    But Lhars just nodded to the other wolves who were looking back and forth between them, then turned to face him again, wary but stern.


    Zev would have ignored him, would have demanded the wolves return, but as he took a step forward and inhaled, preparing to bark the order and stop them all in their tracks, his brother grabbed his arm.


    Zev whirled, snarling, to find his brother standing right at his toes.


    And even when Zev let the growl putter in his throat, Lhars didn¡¯t move.


    The bastard was smiling.

 Chapter 173 - 173 Take That

    173 Take That


    If you like music while you read, try ¡°Rainy Day¡± by Ice Nine Kills. It¡¯s what I was listening to while writing this chapter!


    *****


    ~ ZEV ~


    ¡°Get away from me,¡± Zev growled at his brother.


    But Lhars only shook his head and sighed. ¡°Zev, listen. You¡¯re here. Your mate is here. Your son, too. You¡¯re all safe now. We won¡¯t allow anyone to hurt you. I understand that it was awful¡ªand we will address it. But¡­ is there any chance, brother, that your aggression is¡­ misced? Skhal said¡ª¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t give a flying fuck what Skhal said!¡± Zev snarled, his hands darting out right to his brother¡¯s chest, shoving Lhars back to gain space. Lhars took one stumbling step, but then caught himself.


    His eyes still held that twinkle.


    ¡°Skhal isn¡¯t Alpha,¡± Zev growled. ¡°Skhal isn¡¯t me¡ªand he wasn¡¯t imprisoned by them. His mate wasn¡¯t attacked while she held his child¡ªdon¡¯t talk to me about misced aggression, you fuck!¡±


    But his brother just tilted his head and gave him a smug smile. ¡°Temper, temper brother. I¡¯m not challenging you¡ªunless you want me to. Is that what¡¯s got you so tense? Are you scared I¡¯ll win?¡±


    .....


    ¡°Shut. Your. Mouth.¡±


    ¡°Why? Are you worried I¡¯ve stolen the loyalty of the ns?¡± The smile fell off of Lhars¡¯ face. ¡°Is that why you¡¯re POUNDING ON A FUCKING PRISONER AND LETTING ONE OF OUR OWN TAKE THE BEATING?¡±


    Zev stepped closer, hands clenched to fists. ¡°Back. The fuck. Up.¡±


    ¡°Either you¡¯ve lost your mind, or you¡¯ve lost your self-control. Which is it, Zev?¡±


    ¡°BACK OFF!¡± They red at each other, both their chests rising and falling too quickly. He caught the threads in Lhars¡¯ scent¡ªboth the anger, and the fear. ¡°You don¡¯t want to fight me,¡± Zev growled.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I don¡¯t.¡± Zev almost rxed, but then Lhars stepped in again, one finger leveled down at the ground where they stood. ¡°But I¡¯ve been here bringing our people through this safely, and you¡¯re treating me like some fucking upstart pup. So take your swing, Zev, let¡¯s get this over with. You know you want to pound me.¡±


    Zev quivered with the desire to do exactly that, but Lhars had just used him of losing self control. How could he¡ª


    ¡°Apparently that Queen smacked you with the stupid-stick, so let me knock some sense back into y¡ª¡±


    Zev didn¡¯t even think. It was instinct. Brother or not. Second or not. Lhars was challenging his authority and in front of his pack.


    ¡°Zev! No!¡± Sasha gasped behind him, but it was toote. He¡¯d alreadyunched straight for his brother¡¯s throat.


    *****


    ~ SASHA ~


    It was instinct to throw herself towards her mate, to try to grab him back, to pull him away from the mistake he was making. But she¡¯d barely twitched toward him when warm, thick arms circled her and Zan and gently swung them aside and out of the way of any potentially lethal males.


    ¡°But¡ª¡± she cried.


    ¡°Let them go,¡± Skhal muttered in her ear. ¡°Lhars knows what he¡¯s doing.¡± The older male pressed her to the side of the tent, putting himself between her and the two furious wolves now snarling and throwing themselves at each other, their limbs flying and thudding as they threw and blocked blow after blow.


    It was arge tent, but they wererge males. Skhal made sure she wasn¡¯t going to move close to them in case one of them moved suddenly in this direction.


    Sasha¡¯s heart broke watching them. Zev was a dark blur, hands and legs moving so quickly, he blurred, while Lhars shifted and turned just as quickly, blocking most of Zev¡¯s punches and kicks, but by a bare margin that stole Sasha¡¯s breath.


    She had seen Zev fight before, and she never ceased to be awed by the strength and speed he showed when he truly unleashed¡ªbut it was terrifying here, when he was fighting his own brother.


    ¡°Lhars and I talked about it,¡± Skhal murmured. ¡°He was always going to provoke Zev. We think he needs to¡­ blow off some steam.¡± Skhal never quite faced her, always keeping himself watching the brothers whirl and fight, growling and snapping. ¡°He¡¯s taken too much. He needs to get rid of some of the rage¡ª¡±


    She gasped as Zev swept a leg and almost took Lhars down¡ªbut thankfully Lhars managed to leap the swing and catch his own weight before he toppled and Zev was on him again.


    Sasha reminded herself to be grateful neither of them shifted. At least Zev had that much control.


    ¡°But Lhars?¡± Sasha breathed. ¡°He¡¯s been helping!¡±


    Skhal shrugged. ¡°He¡¯s the only one fast enough and that we¡¯re confident Zev feels connected to.¡± Skhal looked at her closely. ¡°Zev¡¯s losing his boundaries. He¡¯s walking on shifting sand. Until he finds his way back¡­ this is the lowest risk. We can¡¯t have him letting go on one of the kids who gets mouthy.¡±


    Sasha shook her head. Alpha or not, Chimeran she might be¡ªnow. But she still was shocked at times by the more¡­ animalistic needs of her people. Of her mate.


    Watching the two of them hurt her¡ªknowing that they not only bruised each other¡¯s bodies, but also wounded their hearts.


    She bit her lip as Zev managed to get his arms around Lhars¡¯ belly and lift him off his feet, throwing him to the ground with a thud that shook the ground under her feet. Sasha gasped and clutched Zan to her chest, her vision beginning to blur with tears.


    ¡°I can¡¯t¡­ why does he have to do this?¡± she breathed, shaking her head.


    Skhal sighed. ¡°He¡¯s been hurt and afraid for too long,¡± the older male said, his voice heavy with regret. ¡°Sometimes a male needs to release all of that. Sometimes it¡¯s the only way to get past it enough to heal. And sometimes¡­ sometimes we have to take that from each other to help.¡±


    ¡°Kyelle¡¯s going to be so angry,¡± Sasha sighed, every molecule within her aching, wishing that Zev could find his way back without destroying himself or anyone else.


    But Skhal gave a little chuckle. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Lhars won¡¯t hold this against him. I¡¯d let Zev pound me, but I think¡­ I think he¡¯s getting too far beyond me now. I think he¡¯d beat me too easily these days.¡±


    Sasha gave the older male a nk look. Skhal was as tall as Zev and easily as broad. Though he didn¡¯t have Zev¡¯s bulk, there was a gnarled, imprable strength to him. Like an old tree that had already defied the worst of the storms. If he thought Zev could beat him too easily¡­ That was a terrifying thought.


    When they¡¯d realized what was happening to Harth, she¡¯d rushed in here certain that she could save the poor female from any further harm¡ªsure that learning she was hurting was all it would take to snap Zev out of this darkness.


    It¡¯s all it would have taken a few weeks ago.


    What was happening to her mate? He had a heart! He hadpassion! He fought for those that were weaker than him, not against them!


    ¡°What¡¯s happened to him?¡± she breathed, shaking her head again.


    Tarkyn, the Queen¡¯s Defender, watched the two fighting warily. He¡¯d pulled himself aside, out of the way, sitting on the ground with one arm held across his ribs, but he didn¡¯t try to flee.


    He also didn¡¯t seem to take any joy in watching Zev and Lhars fight.


    Sasha was so grateful¡ªand hopeful that was a measure of the man¡¯s nature, that he truly didn¡¯t want to see anyone destroyed, either.


    And that thought gave her an idea. ¡°I need to talk to him,¡± she said quietly to Skhal, nodding towards the lion on the ground when Skhal raised an eyebrow. ¡°Can we move over there while these two are¡­ distracted?¡±


    Skhal blew out a breath, but gestured for her to go first, then followed her as she crossed the tent to squat at Tarkyn¡¯s side.


    The lion nced at her from the side, but kept his body and attention squarely on the fighting males. He wasn¡¯t stupid; he knew if Zev took this without spending all his rage, he¡¯d be the next target.


    ¡°I think we need to talk,¡± Sasha said quietly but firmly.


    Tarkyn nodded slowly, but returned his gaze to Zev and Lhars. ¡°That¡¯s all I want to do,¡± he said.


    Sasha sighed. ¡°I hope that¡¯s true, Tarkyn. Because if we don¡¯t do something, and quickly, this isn¡¯t going to end well for any of us.¡±


    The lion went very still, then looked at her from the side again. ¡°Aren¡¯t you their Alpha?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Then, if you foresee a problem, why are you allowing him to continue?¡± His tone wasn¡¯t aggressive, which Sasha appreciated. She¡¯d appreciated most of what she¡¯d seen the male offer to this situation so far. Though, like Zev, he clearly had his breaking point, he seemed more¡­ centered. So she decided to tell him the truth.

 Chapter 174 - 174 Not So Little Brother

    174 Not So Little Brother


    ~ ELRETH ~


    Elreth sat in her chair in the Security Council building, sighing heavily. Aaryn was seated at her right, his eyes bright and fixed on her, Gar at her left¡ªand he wouldn¡¯t stop makingments. Scratch that, both of them were beingpletely insufferable.


    They both knew she was pregnant and even though she¡¯d sworn them to secrecy and neither of them had broken her confidence, they were both doing everything in their power to be overprotective asses.


    She was pregnant, not dying.


    Though, she supposed, they were trying to make certain that was true.


    She pressed her lips thin as Gar leaned forward, shaking his head and looking just like their father when he was irritated¡ªa thought that sent a pang of grief through El¡¯s chest and brought tears to prickle at the back of her eyes and throat.


    Cursed pregnancy. It was turning her soft!


    She cleared her throat to smooth the lump there, and blinked away the threatening tears, forcing herself to focus on the issues at hand: How to prepare for both a peace treaty, and to fortify the city in the event that the treaty didn¡¯t seed.


    ¡°No!¡± Gar was growling at her. ¡°The patrols were already stopped. They¡¯repletely free to move around on that penins beyond the ravine. The guards won¡¯t even encroach if they scent them¡ªunless they move beyond that boundary. We can¡¯t give them any more leeway than that.¡±


    .....


    ¡°But you know Zev¡¯s over there now hammering the imprisonment point. You know he¡¯s telling them that they¡¯re still caged¡ª¡±


    ¡°And you know you have Tarkyn there, and Lerrin and Suhle will arrive to offer the counterpoint. These are talks, Elreth¡ªwe can¡¯t afford to just set them loose in Anima. Assassins of that caliber¡­ no! There¡¯s already been a couple of unidentifiable scent trails reported, so it seems like a handful of them might have gotten past our guards as it is¡ªhell, somehow they busted him out of the prison tree! I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re even considering¡ª¡±


    ¡°I just¡­ I have to give something,¡± Elreth muttered, frustrated. ¡°I have to find a way to demonstrate to all of them that I¡¯m serious about forming an alliance¡­ somehow.¡±


    ¡°What you do is trust your Captain and your allies to find their way through the negotiations and get them to the table,¡± Aaryn said quietly. ¡°Then you make your¡­ overtures. Your responsibility is first and foremost to the Anima, El.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m aware!¡± she snapped at her mate. ¡°That¡¯s my point¡ªI can¡¯t ask the people to potentially pay for the mistakes I made. I have to¡­ make it right for them. If Tarkyn is right about their natures, if he¡¯s right that they¡¯re running scared from the humans, not aggressive¡­ then we¡¯ve got to forge that bond so that they can feel safe here. Keeping them penned is only going to make it worse. And besides¡­ what if there are more matebonds to discover between our people? What if letting them be more free will essentially force connections¡ª¡±


    ¡°You do realize these are the arguments we were making days ago¡ª¡± Gar growled.


    ¡°Yes, Gar! And now that I¡¯m agreeing with you, you¡¯ve got another opinion. What a shocker!¡±


    Gar narrowed his eyes at her. ¡°I am not the enemy here.¡±


    ¡°No, but you are fucking annoying, little brother.¡±


    He growled and Aaryn cleared his throat to get both their attention.


    Elreth looked away from him, her cheeks heating. They¡¯d talked before they came and she wasn¡¯t holding up her end of the bargain. She wasn¡¯t doing a good job of keeping her personal feelings out of this discussion. She hadn¡¯t been doing a good job of keeping her personal feelings out of¡­ well, anythingtely.


    Was it pregnancy doing that to her? Or fear? Or grief? Or¡­ all of the above?


    She felt helpless and heartless and¡­ like a failure. And now that she scrambled for answers, considering everything in case they found the salutation in the unexpected, now they wanted to fight her on that too?


    ¡°I think that your efforts have been noticed already,¡± Jayah said carefully from her ce against the wall. She¡¯d been so quiet, Elreth had forgotten she was there. They all turned to look at the healer who¡¯d sworn she was taken, but not harmed. They¡¯d all noticed how much space she was giving¡ªtaking for herself. But Gar encouraged all of them to just let her have it. That when she was ready their friend would return to her normal self. Being kidnapped¡ªeven unharmed¡ªwas traumatic for anyone. Jayah cleared her throat. ¡°The Chimera who helped Zev get away indicated that¡­ the people were relieved when the Anima moved further west.¡±


    Elreth sighed. ¡°I hope it¡¯s enough.¡±


    ¡°I believe it will be. Especially if you¡¯re able to open talks. I do, however, think that allowing the people to mix¡ªto see if there are other pairs¡­ that could be of use also. Perhaps there is a way, while the talks ur among leaders, to bring the different tribes together?¡±


    Elreth nodded. ¡°I would be happy to allow it, but it¡¯s easy for me to say. I hold the greater poption. In the event of conflict, having our peoples mixed will be an advantage to me¡ªat least, that¡¯s how he¡¯ll see it.¡±


    Jayah shrugged. ¡°Perhaps consider not bringing all of the Anima to the meeting if they agree to it? Even the numbers.¡±


    Elreth nodded again. Tarkyn had raised that too, and again, she was happy toply. But she knew¡ªand so did Zev¡ªthat she did that from a position of strength. Even allowing them to determine the meeting ce, they both knew it couldn¡¯t be more than a few hours travel from the Tree City. Not unless they were calling the Anima beyond their own vige. And no leader in their right mind would open themselves up to that kind of scrutiny in the middle of peace talks. Especially one Elreth suspected held even fewer warriors than they imed.


    Elreth sighed wearily. If only she¡¯d freed him a day earlier! How could she possibly convince him that she¡¯d intended it now?


    Aaryn¡¯s hand appeared on her thigh and Elreth looked up to find her mate staring at her, concerned. He didn¡¯t need to sign, she knew what worried him.


    ¡®I¡¯m fine, just tired of turning circles in my head,¡¯ she signed quickly. Before he could respond, or anyone else could raise anything else, Elreth turned back to her friends.


    ¡°It¡¯s pointless to specte about anything. Lerrin and Suhle will be arriving there today. Tarkyn¡¯s already there. We just need to wait until we hear that they¡¯ll meet and go from there. But in the meantime¡­ we need responsible measures in ce just in case¡­ in case it goes wrong,¡± she said sadly.


    The others sighed too, then. But no one argued.


    For once, Elreth wished they¡¯d had reason to.


    *****


    ~ SASHA ~


    The sight of two fully-grown male Chimera fighting was terrifying, and awe-inspiring. It was also exhausting.


    Sasha winced, her heart pounding in grief as a blow from Lhars connected and Zev grunted, pitching forward¡ªbut used the movement to grab for his brother¡¯s arm and twist to throw him.


    But Tarkyn was still waiting for her to exin why she wasn¡¯t taking Alpha back from Zev.


    She wondered what he would think.


    ¡°When I took Alpha, it should have been his,¡± she said genuinely. ¡°He was the one who¡¯d earned it. He¡¯d fought his way through the ranks¡ªand even though he was injured, he was winning his final fight, against the then King. But¡­ unexpected events urred.


    ¡°When the others called me Sasha-don, Zev was so proud and he wanted for them to ept me so badly, he submitted to me. I argued about it with him, but the conflict then was with the humans. I had knowledge and understanding that he didn¡¯t. And I was female¡ªwhile it was the females who had been kidnapped. It was right for me to lead our people through that. But I¡¯m not a physical fighter. I can¡¯t do this,¡± she said, tipping her head towards Zev and Lhars, both grunting with their efforts to reach each other. ¡°Zev and I always agreed that when the timing was right, we would give each other submission. While we were fleeing the humans, saving our son¡­ I needed to follow him. It was right that he take control¡ªhe understood what was needed and had the skill and strength to fight. Just like this.¡±


    They both looked at the two wolves, now wrestling, cursing each other.


    ¡°I can¡¯t lead our people in war,¡± Sasha said quietly. Sadly. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to¡ªbut I couldn¡¯t even if I needed to. I don¡¯t have the knowledge. And I can¡¯t¡­ even if I would have handled this differently, I can¡¯t deny the risk that you and your people pose.¡±


    She turned back to Tarkyn then and waited for him to meet her eyes. ¡°I may not hold the depth of anger that my mate holds, but make no mistake, I do not believe that you¡¯re harmless. And your Queen¡­ I hope she has a good heart. I hope what she told me before it all went to shit was true. But no, Tarkyn. I won¡¯t remove him from this. Because when pushes to shove, he needs to lead the people through this.¡±


    Tarkyn sighed, nodding slowly. ¡°Then I think we are both praying for the same thing¡ªand we had better hope the Creator shares our desire for peace.¡±

 Chapter 175 - 175 [Bonus chapter] Seeking Freedom - Part 1

    175 [Bonus chapter] Seeking Freedom ¨C Part DOUBLE CHAPTER TONIGHT!


    If you like music while you read, try ¡°Louder than a Lion¡± by Halsey. It¡¯s what I listened to while writing this chapter!


    *****


    ~ TARKYN ~


    Tarkyn did his best not to reveal that he was analyzing as much of thebat of these two wolves as he could. Granted, they were in human form and would have other tricks and skills in their beast forms. But even this was eye-opening.


    Tarkyn found himself humbled, suddenly grateful that he wasn¡¯t required to fight Zev one-on-one.


    He couldn¡¯t quite bring himself to certainty that he would win.


    When Zev¡¯s mate, Sasha, approached, he¡¯d been wary. But she¡¯d proven thoughtful and far more open than he might have hoped.


    He knew Elreth hoped for her to be instrumental in bringing peace, so he took the risk of splitting his attention between the fight and what he could learn there, and discussing the issues with her¡ªbut he asked pointed questions.


    .....


    When they¡¯d appeared in Anima, Harth had been insistent that it was actually Sasha at the top of their hierarchy. Yet it was clear here that Zev was leading¡ªat least publicly.


    To learn that the submission between them was so¡­ fluid was a shock to Tarkyn. And yet, it made sense.


    He shifted his position, wincing against the pain in his ribs and back. That fucking wolf really hadn¡¯t held back. But Tarkyn had been injured before. That wasn¡¯t what made his skin feel too tight, and his heart scream.


    No. That was the sense of his mate, curled somewhere nearby on the cold ground, fighting tears of pain.


    She felt everything he felt, and her soft heart¡­


    Tarkyn blinked and sucked in as deep a breath as he could afford with the broken ribs, praying that she¡¯d sense his calm and be eased by it.


    She was beside herself¡ªfrom the pain, and out of fear for him.


    ¡®I am well, love. Don¡¯t worry.¡¯


    ¡®I can feel the pain in you, Tarkyn. Stop lying to me.¡¯ Even in his head her voice was tight with the pain.


    Sasha had stopped talking to consider his words, and he was using the time to watch the two wolves¡ªnow, finally, tiring, but still vicious in their attempts to force each other to submit.


    It was only another minute, while Sasha squatted silently at his side, and Skhal hovered at hers, before Zev finally managed to pin his brother to the ground, one hand gripping his brother¡¯s chin and jaw to bare his throat.


    ¡°Submit,¡± he snarled. ¡°Don¡¯t make me hurt you further. Submit!¡±


    Lhars growled and struggled one final time¡ªZev¡¯s arm trembling with the force it took to keep him under control. But then finally, his brother slumped and turned his head, submitting. He¡¯d turned away from them, so Tarkyn couldn¡¯t see his face, but he wondered what expression the male had on his face now.


    It was clear he¡¯d provoked Zev to the fight¡ªan attempt to let him exert some control and spend some of that pent-up energy. Tarkyn had approved, especially when it had stopped Zev from spending that energy beating him. But would it work?


    It would depend how deeply down the rage-hole Zev had gone.


    Was this a vent to his rage? Or only fuel to the fire.


    When Zev finally pushed to his feet, panting heavily, and offered a hand to his brother, Tarkyn tensed. He was about to find out.


    Sasha also stood as the two of them faced each other, Lhars¡¯ jaw set and flexing, though he didn¡¯t drop Zev¡¯s gaze.


    He wasn¡¯t ashamed of the loss.


    Strong male.


    ¡°Keep your mouth shut,¡± Zev muttered.


    ¡°Keep your head on your shoulders,¡± Lhars muttered back.


    Tarkyn held his breath waiting to see if that would set Zev off again. But though the male growled, he turned away leaving his brother at his back.


    The ultimate show of trust.


    So the male knew he¡¯d been baited?


    Tarkyn was intrigued.


    But then Zev turned toward him and Tarkyn tensed, waiting for the verdict. When Zev¡¯s face tightened as he approached, Tarkyn made a quick decision.


    ¡°I will not fight. ¡°I do not fight,¡± he said quickly, dropping his eyes to the dirt between them in obvious submission. ¡°Ie to forge peace¡ªto bring our people together, not to forward my own gain, or my Queen¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Not this bullshit again,¡± Zev spat. ¡°You can¡¯t do anything but forward your Queen¡¯s gain by putting a leash on me!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t seek to leash you, or the Alpha of the Chimera. Ie to seek freedom¡ª¡±


    ¡°Youe because I broke out of your prison and now you find yourself with a wild wolf on your doorstep.¡±


    Tarkyn did lift his eyes then, holding the male¡¯s gaze. ¡°You broke free in part because I aided you.¡±


    That stopped Zev in his tracks. ¡°Which is the only reason you were able to enter our territory and remain alive without cutting all ties to your Queen. My debt to you is paid.¡±


    Tarkyn narrowed his eyes. ¡°You bind and beat me, and call your debt paid?¡±


    Zev sneered. ¡°You dare talk about imprisoning as if you don¡¯t deserve it?¡±


    ¡°I spoke against your caging from the start. I acknowledged you as a warrior, and urged the Queen the free you, to soothe¡ª¡±


    ¡°There was no soothing at that point, she¡¯d already threatened my life and the life of my mate and child. You want me to believe you wouldn¡¯t have done exactly the same thing in my shoes?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I do.¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯re stupid.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m suiting my words.¡±


    Zev squinted at him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ but what?¡±


    Tarkyn took as deep a breath as he could. ¡°I came in peace. Even when you took me, even when you harmed me, I remained in peace. I am proving to you that my reason for being here has nothing to do with aggression or a desire to¡ª¡±


    ¡°Enough of the fucking circles about peace¡ªyou fully acknowledge your loyalty to a Queen who clearly doesn¡¯t share your self-control or strength, so while I¡¯ll happily give you my respect as a warrior¡ªas you put it¡ªyou are living in a dreamworld if you think I¡¯m just going to let you walk among my people trying to tell them that your Queen is anything other than a fascist, narcissistic bitch!¡±


    The offense at Elreth¡¯s position alone made Tarkyn¡¯s teeth clench. But he understood that he was dealing with a male who¡¯d been pressed to his limits, and snarling was only going to get him beaten further¡ªand poor Harth battered with him.


    So, groaning against the pain of the quick movement, he pushed forward so that he knelt facing Zev, sping one hand to his chest, his words tight through the pain.


    ¡°I came for peace. I do not disavow my Queen, but I do submit myself to the Alpha of this tribe while I stand on her ground, within the boundaries of her purvey.¡±


    Zev stopped advancing on him. ¡°What did you say?¡±


    Tarkyn looked up, first at Zev, then at Sasha, who¡¯d started moving towards her mate, but turned now, her face pinched with confusion.


    ¡°I submit to the Alpha. To Sasha-don,¡± he said, ducking his head again. ¡°My Queen recognizes her dominance over the Chimeran people, and so do I.¡±

 Chapter 176 - 176 Seeking Freedom – Part 2

    176 Seeking Freedom ¨C Part ~ SASHA ~


    Sasha gaped at the warrior on his knees before her clearly¡ªstrategically¡ªoffering himself. And for a moment his wisdom and cunning stole her breath. He¡¯d measured correctly that his respect for her would rmend him to the others¡­


    Or would it.


    She nced at Zev to find him quivering with anger. But he was fighting it. Maybe Lhars had been right to give him a chance to get rid of some of that rage in a fight.


    But she didn¡¯t have time to figure that out. Whether that had helped or not, the truth was she stood there torn between her mate¡¯s feelings of fear and rage, and her own deep desire for peace.


    And that was when she remembered the conversation she and Elreth had had at the ¡°peace table¡± before Zev had woken and everything had gone to shit.


    They¡¯d sat together in that room, facing each other, and Elreth had sat back in her chair¡­


    ¡°I don¡¯t want another war,¡± the red-haired Queen had said, as if she was conceding something.


    Sasha had wanted to cheer, but she¡¯d stayed very still. ¡°Neither do I.¡±


    .....


    And there in that moment both of them had rxed slightly. Sasha had had to fight a smile when the Queen gave a slow grin and said, very dryly, ¡°You know, if the males were here no one would have admitted that. They¡¯d all be too busy beating their chests and telling each other how they¡¯d drag them into hell.¡±


    Sasha had snorted, imagining the moment clearly. ¡°True. Though, my second is a female, so¡­¡±


    Elreth had been surprised. ¡°The males follow two females?¡±


    Sasha had shrugged. ¡°Like I said, until now, Zev and I have¡­ kind of done it together. He submits to me, though. I wish he wouldn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Why would you wish that?¡±


    ¡°Because none of us would be here¡ªincluding me¡ªwithout him.¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°So, he earned his strength the hardest way. It should be acknowledged¡ªand it is. I just¡­ look, it doesn¡¯t matter. The point is, I agree with you. The guys¡­ they have a tendency to jump into fighting. I prefer¡­ negotiation.¡±


    Elreth had measured her then. ¡°If you and I barter peace¡­ will your males follow you?¡±


    ¡°They will,¡± Sasha had said confidently. ¡°But if you remove me? My mate¡­¡± she¡¯d trailed off, swallowing. If she was killed, Zev would be too because of their Ardent bond, but she¡¯d been unwilling to share that at the time knowing how vulnerable it made both of them to the malice of others. So she¡¯d continued the conversation.


    ¡°As you¡¯ve observed, the men are much more willing to fight. I fear if you harm me, or Zev, they might jump into aggression before there¡¯s a chance to achieve anything else. The difference between us is that I don¡¯t have that luxury. I¡¯m fully aware that I can¡¯tpete physically, so I don¡¯t fight with my body, I fight with my mind.¡±


    Elreth had nodded like she agreed, though she seemed as fierce as the men to Sasha¡¯s eyes. Then Elreth went still. ¡°So, if neither of us wants war, and if both our peoples will jump to it if we are harmed¡­ how do we avoid it?¡±


    Sasha blinked and came back to the present, suddenly very aware that Tarkyn waited on her response, and Zev still trembled next to her, clearly trying to figure out how to respond to this development.


    But those words echoed in Sasha¡¯s head.


    If neither of us wants war, and if both our peoples will jump to it if we are harmed¡­ how do we avoid it?


    She looked at Zev and Lhars, both bruised and still panting from their fight. Skhal next to her, more settled than the younger males, but still humming with his own tension and fear. And Tarkyn¡­ on his knees¡­ pleading.


    But very, very clearly equipped to fight.


    ¡°Let me handle the prisoner,¡± she blurted suddenly. ¡°You focus on the¡­ the rest of it.¡±


    Zev snapped his gaze from Tarkyn, to look at her. Sasha swallowed. She had to walk so carefully so he knew she wasn¡¯t trying to undermine him. ¡°I don¡¯t knowbat, Zev.¡± The males around her tensed at the word, but she kept her gaze on her mate. ¡°I pray it won¡¯te to that, but you all need to do the nning and¡­ positioning for that. So, let me focus on our¡­ visitor. I¡¯ll talk to him and figure out if he¡¯s going to be useful or we need to¡­ contain him.¡±


    Zev¡¯s eyes shed. ¡°He can¡¯t be left to just run loose when he¡¯s not¡ª¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t. Not unless you and I agree. But I need to feed Zan again soon and you need to deal with the packs¡­ this makes sense, Zev. You know it does. And it keeps Harth safe, too.¡±


    He searched her eyes for a moment and she felt the sh of fear in him¡ªworry for her motive, or for her safety? But whatever it was, he stifled it quickly. Lifting a hand to her face, he nodded slowly. ¡°Fine. You deal with¡­ him. I¡¯ll figure out the rest.¡±


    Sasha almostughed with relief.


    ¡°What¡¯s happened? What¡¯s going on? Lhars?!¡± Kyelle darted into the tent then, rushing towards them, her eyes wide and face tight with fear for her mate.


    Lhars moved past Zev, towards her, to reassure her and Sasha took a deep breath, using the interruption to turn to Skhal.


    ¡°Can I have Skhal for an hour¡ªthen send him back to you? I want to get a feel for¡­ the bond between the peoples and¡ª¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no time,¡± Kyelle said, holding Lhar¡¯s hand, but turning quickly to Sasha. ¡°I only took this long to reach you because there¡¯s two more prisonersing in.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The Anima, they¡¯ve sent emissaries. They came surrendered. No weapons. But they¡¯re asking for you¡­ specifically,¡± Kyelle said, her eyes flickering to Zev.


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°A mated pair. They¡¯re older and¡ª¡±


    ¡°Lerrin and Suhle,¡± Tarkyn breathed.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Kyelle said, her eyes sharpening on him. ¡°You knew?¡±


    ¡°I asked for them, but I wasn¡¯t sure¡ª¡±


    ¡°You asked for more of yours to invade¡ª¡± Zev tensed, pulling Sasha aside, away from Tarkyn.


    ¡°No,¡± Tarkyn growled. ¡°Their situation is¡­ unique. They¡¯ll empathize with you.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    Tarkyn gave her mate a t look. ¡°Because years ago they were banished by the Queen¡¯s father. They have recently rejoined our people after decades of istion. Trust me¡­ of the Anima their ties to Elreth are the¡­ loosest.¡±


    Zev blinked and Tarkyn sighed.


    ¡°I was true when I told you that I came for peace¡ªto help you. I know my mate¡¯s heart. I saw yours when we¡­ connected. I am not here to thwart you, Zev. I am submitted and working my ass off to keep all of us safe.¡±


    Zev¡¯s upper lip curled back and Sasha felt his anger fire again. It was instinct then to step between them. The male on the ground¡ªhumbled and pleading¡ªhad submitted to her. Zev needed to remember that.


    ¡°I¡¯ll handle this,¡± she said quickly. Too quickly. It sounded like an order, more than the insistence she¡¯d intended.


    Zev blinked, then frowned at her.


    Everyone in the tent went still.


    Sasha prayed that Zev would feel the ache in her chest, her pleading with him to trust her. ¡°Let me handle the¡­ emissaries. Let me figure out if they can be trusted. You need to meet with the hunters. Figure out how we do this if things go wrong.¡±


    Zev¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Is that an order?¡±


    Sasha sighed, but she didn¡¯t look away. ¡°Yes.¡±

 Chapter 177 - 177 A Moment of Honesty

    177 A Moment of Honesty


    ~ ZEV ~


    A few minutester, body humming with a strange, roiling mix of pride and embarrassment, Zev stormed out of the tent and towards the central fires of the encampment. The sun was high in the sky now. They¡¯d spent far more of the morning dealing with all that shit than he¡¯d intended.


    Sasha was right. He did need to meet with the hunters and trackers. He needed to gather what they knew, make sure all the fighters knew it too. Start to make a n to take out Elreth¡­ Sasha was right to suggest that they split their time and energy to different tasks.


    Except, it hadn¡¯t been a suggestion. And that was what made the heat and tension in his chest near-unbearable. He walked away torn¡ªhalf of him wishing to submit to his mate andmend her, to follow. The other half wanting to dominate and strike down her orders.


    His hands were fists as he strode through the camp to the ce where he knew the others would be waiting, but before he reached the line of tents where the clearing had been made for a central meeting area, he knew he couldn¡¯t do it. He turned sharply, instinctively, shifted, and ran.


    There was a shout behind him, but he ignored it, darting through the tents as fast as four legs could carry him, ignoring the bruises and aches from his fight with Lhars. And when he broke through thest row of tents, sprinting north, for the trees, and the foothills and¡­ solitude.


    The fight with Lhars had helped him calm a little. But it wasn¡¯t enough. He still felt like the slightest shock might tip him over the edge.


    He needed to get his head clear before he tried to make strategy with the hunters.


    ¡®You stay at Sasha¡¯s side until I¡¯m back,¡¯ he sent to Skhal in snap. A pang in his chest reminded him that Skhal was upset with him, but his friend could be trusted, he knew. He was one of the only ones Zev was sure of anymore.


    .....


    ¡®Done,¡¯ Skhal returned in a low growl.


    Zev sighed with relief and closed his mind. And then he ran.


    *****


    It wasn¡¯t long after he found a small clearing and began to pace that he heard the footsteps approaching.


    Adrenaline shocked his system, but either his brother scented it, or just knew him well enough.


    ¡®It¡¯s only me, and I¡¯m not here to fight this time,¡¯ he sent through the link, his tone hesitant in a way that set Zev¡¯s teeth on edge. Why was everyone giving him such a wide berth?! He¡¯s been imprisoned, not reprogrammed. He was still himself!


    Wasn¡¯t he?


    He didn¡¯t respond to Lhars, but went back to his pacing, letting his brother approach slowly, creeping out of the shadows under the trees and only stopping when he made it to the center of the small clearing, just ten feet or so from Zev.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Zev growled.


    ¡°I want you to tell me what happened, Zev,¡± Lhars said gently. ¡°It¡¯s been months. Hard months. I¡¯m so d you¡¯re safe¡ª¡±


    Zev cut him an incredulous look, but didn¡¯t stop pacing.


    ¡°¡ªbut it¡¯s clear you¡¯re carrying something. And I think it might help to talk¡ª¡±


    ¡°Reliving nightmares doesn¡¯t help them fade,¡± Zev scowled.


    ¡°Nightmares aren¡¯t memories,¡± Lhars said sadly. ¡°Kyelle and I... we spend nights sometimes talking about the things that happened. The ways they changed us. It was her idea. I was resistant at first. But... I¡¯m starting to understand. Sometimes we have to share a burden to lighten it.¡±


    ¡°I talk to my mate plenty.¡±


    ¡°About the ways you were taken from her, or the ways she¡¯s been taken from you?¡±


    Zev growled and red again. ¡°Three months as Alpha and you¡¯re suddenly an expert? I had years and I still¡ª¡±


    ¡°This has nothing to do with Alphas, Zev. This is being a mate. A male in love and... connected. It¡¯s wonderful. But it¡¯s risky, too. And terrifying in a whole new way. I didn¡¯t understand a lot of what you were dealing with back in Thana. Especially at the beginning. I think I understand better now.¡±


    Zev was aware of Lhars¡¯ eyes on him, watching him pace. But he couldn¡¯t bring himself to meet his brother¡¯s soft gaze. He didn¡¯t want sympathy right now. He wanted strength!


    But Lhars had never been one to indulge Zev¡¯s desires. So why would he start now?


    When Zev didn¡¯t answer¡ªbecause he didn¡¯t know what to say¡ªLhars scratched at his mind and when Zev opened to him reluctantly, Lhars started talking, and as he spoke, he showed Zev all of it through the link.


    ¡°I knew going in, when I fought to be Xar¡¯s Second, that I was going in to protect things. To be at the center of it all so I¡¯d know and be able to give it back to you when you came back. Because I knew you¡¯de back. But it was a long time, Zev. After a while, after the Team started showing up all the time and¡­ controlling all of us, I got mad at you. Did I ever tell you about that?¡±


    Lhars took a deep breath. ¡°I med you when they hurt me,¡± he said bluntly. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t left, I would have been your second, not Xar¡¯s. And it was obvious Xar was¡­ losing his grip. The grief was getting to him. The twins were out of control. And he was¡­ less and less reliable. More and more ridiculous. But it all happened slowly. And it was deceptive because the humans woulde, and they¡¯d separate all of us and he¡¯d always be a little bit better for a while after they came, so I¡¯d tell myself that they were helping him. But his descent towards madness got steeper and faster every time.¡±


    Zev gritted his teeth. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I told you, I was deceived¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not telling you this to make you feel bad. Listen to me. I think¡­ I think we share a lot more experiences than you think. Kyelle told me what it was like being in the sanctuary. And even though I know it was different for you¡­ there¡¯s somemon threads, yeah?¡±


    Zev shrugged, shying away from thinking about his time with Nick and the humans, and the way they twisted everything in his mind until he was bing what they wanted without even realizing it¡­


    ¡°They torture you¡ªmess with your body and twist your mind until you want things you didn¡¯t want before, and you don¡¯t fight things you would have fought, and¡­ and you start trusting them, even though they¡¯re the ones hurting you,¡± Lhars said softly. He swallowed audibly. ¡°They take things from you and convince you that it¡¯s for your own good.¡±


    Zev¡¯s breath rushed out of him.


    ¡°And they make it impossible to trust,¡± Lhars said, his voice t and dead. ¡°They make you think that the people you love the most don¡¯t understand you¡ªcan¡¯t understand you. And that the only ones you can trust are them. Because they¡¯ve been there for all the dark parts and they still treat you like you¡¯re important. So they aren¡¯t rejecting you for it.¡±


    Zev stopped pacing, staggered to a shocked halt to look at his brother. ¡°How¡­ how did you know that?¡±


    Lhars¡¯ eyes were pinched and sad. ¡°Because I did things for them in Thana, Zev. It started easy and got worse and became¡­ by the end, when you finally came back, I was holding on by a thread. I was getting desperate. Trying to prepare the wolves to flee because I wasn¡¯t sure how much longer I could hold out before they broke me. I was so confused sometimes, and other times it was all really clear. But it was scary because it made me wonder, when it was clear¡­ was that me seeing the truth? Or seeing what they wanted me to see?¡±


    Zev wed a hand through his hair, gaping at his brother. ¡°What did they do to you?¡±


    ¡°They made me an enemy of my own people without even realizing it,¡± he said without hesitation. ¡°And they stole my confidence in anything other than what they taught me, and what I was supposed to do for them.¡±


    A tiny, strangled noise broke in Zev¡¯s throat. He shook his head and turned away, pushing away the memories that rose, those confusing years, those days when he barely recognized himself. ¡°Stop.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t make you say it, Zev. I just want you to know you aren¡¯t alone.¡±


    ¡°Stop. They¡¯re sick. Our enemies are sick¡ªthey aren¡¯t worth thinking about anymore.¡±


    ¡°Except¡­ except if we don¡¯t think about it, I wonder¡­ are we risking turning into them?¡± Lhars said, his voice barely above a whisper¡ªand then he dropped it into Zev¡¯s mind: All the ways the humans had controlled their movements and corralled them, set them against each other, made them paranoid¡ªfighting within their own ranks so they wouldn¡¯t fight the Team¡­


    Zev growled and flinched, mming his mind closed.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m doing.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not,¡± Lhars said firmly. ¡°But I think¡­ if we pretend we aren¡¯t capable of it, we¡¯re lying to ourselves. I know I am. I know what I did, Zev. And I think I¡¯ve got a pretty good hunch about what they did with you, too. We can¡¯t ignore the capacity we have for¡­ evil.¡±


    ¡°I am not like them!¡± Zev snarled, turning to face his brother again and locking eyes so there¡¯d be no question. ¡°I will never do that to Chimera. Never.¡±


    ¡°I believe you. But that¡¯s not what I¡¯m talking about.¡±


    ¡°Then what are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Will you do it to our enemies? Because I catch it in myself, Zev. When I learned that the Anima had their hands on you, that you were in a cage¡­ I almost came for you. If it hadn¡¯t been for Kyelle, I would have. I would have burned that ce to the ground¡ªand anyone in it¡ªto get you and your family out of there. But if I had¡­ if I had, I would have been no better than the humans I hated for doing that to us.¡±


    Zev flinched.


    ¡°Just think about it. That¡¯s all I¡¯m asking,¡± Lhars said. Then after a moment¡¯s hesitation, he turned and walked away, leaving Zev alone.

 Chapter 178 - 178 Who Goes There

    178 Who Goes There


    ~ TARKYN ~


    Later, he stood in the tent, though watched by half a dozen sets of eyes.


    Sasha had been back and forth, at times needing to tend to her son, or answer questions for other Chimera. Lhars had disappeared for some time and returned very preupied to pull Sasha aside for a while. Tarkyn had tried to hear their whispered conversation outside the tent, but between Skhal and Kyelle, he wasn¡¯t allowed the quiet that would make their voices discernable.


    Not surprising, he supposed.


    But Tarkyn¡¯s own tension rose with every passing minute. He could feel Harth out there, still aching with his pain. She was moving now, though not nearby. She¡¯d obviously been ordered away¡ªor kept away. It set Tarkyn¡¯s teeth on edge, wondering. But he knew if he pushed, he would likely just be kept apart from her even longer.


    So he patiently waited and consistently answered the questions put to him. He took the food and drink offered, praying that none of it had beenced. And asking for the Creator¡¯s hand in helping him heal quickly so that he could move with confidence when the peace talks came.


    He hoped they woulde. And he prayed for his mate¡¯s pain to ease.


    It was hours before they were all gathered again¡ªKyelle the owl female, Lhars who was Zev¡¯s brother, Skhal who¡¯d hovered over Sasha like a shadow all day¡ªand who was now Jayah¡¯s mate, apparently. That had been a shock.


    And Sasha herself. She looked exhausted, but determined. Tarkyn prayed her resolution worked in the favor of peace.


    .....


    He was careful to give her very obvious submission whenever she was present. Though he caught Lhars eyeing him with suspicion more than once. At least the wolf¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t hold the malice of Zev¡¯s.


    The male was skeptical. Not seeking vengeance. At least, not yet.


    Was it possible that Zev¡¯s attendants¡ªjust like Elreth¡¯s¡ªwould fight for peace? He prayed so.


    Then finally, Sasha¡ªher sleeping son still strapped to her chest¡ªturned to Tarkyn while the others watched them.


    ¡°Lhars,¡± Sasha said, watching Tarkyn like she was trying to figure out a puzzle, ¡°I want to talk to our¡­ visitor. I¡¯ll trust you to let me know if at any point you sense any issues with what he¡¯s sharing?¡±


    Tarkyn¡¯s heart beat faster in anticipation. Could the Chimera scent for truth also? Or was she merely using a human¡¯s perception of their senses.


    The former Queen, Elia, had exined to him that it was harder to lie to a shifter of any species than it was to a human. Because they picked up far more of what Elia had called ¡°bodynguage.¡±


    Tarkyn waited to see.


    ¡°You im to be here to call for peace,¡± Sasha said clearly. Tarkyn nodded. ¡°I appreciate that you didn¡¯t goad my mate, or fight back when he came for you. But I can¡¯t imagine that you¡¯re happy to just sit here as a prisoner, either.¡±


    Tarkyn shook his head. That was only pure truth.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s your n?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here to ask you and Zev to select a ce for us to meet¡ªthe Anima and the Chimera¡ªto discuss the opportunities for peace.¡±


    Sasha raised an eyebrow. ¡°She fought even her own people to keep us imprisoned, but now she wants peace,¡± she said tly.


    Tarkyn let her see his dissatisfaction. ¡°She was already softening, already changing her approach¡ªyou didn¡¯t get to see it in thosest days because she took time away to think and pray and¡­ she¡¯d already decided that morning that she was going to bring you to the table again¡ªas you two spoke earlier. Then, if Zev would agree to stay calm, speak with him there as well. She wanted to create an¡­ agreement. Boundaries. Rules that both sides would abide by. To see if we could live in peace.¡±


    Sasha¡¯s lips tightened. ¡°I know before things went to hell she didn¡¯t want to fight. At least, that¡¯s what she said.¡±


    ¡°I assure you, Elreth is as honest as theye. Shecks the¡­ patience for subterfuge.¡±


    Sasha snorted. ¡°That makes her unique among women.¡±


    Tarkyn smiled indulgently. ¡°She is definitely that.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t apliment, Tarkyn.¡±


    ¡°It should have been. The thing with Elreth is, you always know where you stand. I think you could have seen that quite clearly over the past week.¡±


    Sasha nodded slowly, but she didn¡¯t look happy about it.


    Tarkyn met each of their eyes in turn, grateful that Zev and the heat of his anger weren¡¯t there to obscure him to the others. ¡°I will help in any way that I can. I¡¯ll offer myself as a messenger, or as a prisoner. Whatever it would take to keep youfortable that I am working to bring our people together. I¡¯m confident this doesn¡¯t have to be a fight. Our peoples are different, but simr. We could live in harmony.¡±


    Lhars sighed, but Tarkyn shook his head. ¡°This isn¡¯t simple ideology. My mate is Chimera. I deeply yearn for our people to be at peace. If we are blessed with offspring, I don¡¯t wish for them to be forced to¡­ guard against family.¡±


    Everyone in the tent went very still at that. Tarkyn was reminded about Harth¡¯s concerns about any potential children. ¡°She has told me,¡± he said quietly. ¡°I¡¯m aware of the¡­ risks. But our bond¡­ it runs so deeply. It is so clear. I can¡¯t believe the Creator brought us together only to wreak destruction. There has to be a purpose¡ªand hopefully victory. Whether we can have a family or not¡­ I don¡¯t want there to be separation between the people we love.¡±


    Sasha turned to Lhars then, a question in her eyes.


    The wolf still looked stern, but Tarkyn could scent his thoughtfulness. ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s lying,¡± he said finally. Reluctantly.


    ¡°I¡¯m not.¡±


    ¡°I believe you¡­ at least, I believe that¡¯s your intention,¡± Sasha said quietly, but then she sighed, her handsing up to hold her son with the thoughtlessfort Tarkyn had seen countless mothers use before with their young.


    He had a sh for a moment, an image of Harth holding their child simrly¡ªher body attuned to her offspring, while her mind was elsewhere, and it stole his breath.


    Please, he prayed silently. Please let our lives alle to a point of peace. Please. I don¡¯t want to spend the rest of my life fighting. Or being fought.


    Please.

 Chapter 179 - 179 Tentative Empathy

    179 Tentative Empathy


    ~ SASHA ~


    Sasha chewed her lip as she swayed to keep Zan quiet for a few more minutes. He was beginning to stir and would want feeding again soon. He wasn¡¯t settling as well on the milk from the mountain goats that Jayah had rmended. Sasha prayed it was enough.


    But in that moment, she had a decision to make. She¡¯d been putting it off all afternoon.


    There was a male in front of her that all her instincts, all her judgments measured as honest. A male of integrity. The kind of male she¡¯d want on her side in any conflict. A male of the same uprightness as her mate, and Lhars, and Skhal¡­


    They should have been friends. She could see it, if she allowed herself: See Tarkyn right in the middle of this circle that she trusted so much¡ªand that Zev did too.


    But suddenly, the vision blurred. The moment she thought of her mate, it seemed impossible to put Tarkyn among them.


    Even the thought felt like a betrayal of Zev who was storming around the camp like a cat whose tail had been stood on.


    He wouldn¡¯t appreciate the metaphor.


    So, what to do when her judgment conflicted with her mate¡¯s?


    .....


    It was Skhal who seemed to sense her thoughts. While the others waited, watching her, he leaned into her ear.


    ¡°What would you do if you weren¡¯t sharing the leadership? What if this was happening in the human world?¡± he murmured.


    ¡°I¡¯d let him be here with his mate. I¡¯d bring him to council and see if we could all find a way through it together.¡±


    ¡°Then that has to be your answer,¡± Skhal said quietly. And even as it was a balm, Sasha¡¯s mind also filled with the arguments she knew Zev would give: Skhal was also motivated to see peace, to believe for it, even if it wasn¡¯t possible. Skhal also had a mate and a loyalty that was¡­ nudged toward this.


    ¡°I agree,¡± Kyelle offered quietly, looking at each of them in turn.


    Lhars blew out a breath and raked his hand through his hair, ncing warily at his mate. ¡°I don¡¯t know about freedom to move around¡­ but I do think there¡¯s value in talking. Letting him approach the councils.¡±


    ¡°We freed everyone else,¡± Kyelle reminded him.


    Sasha frowned. ¡°What do you mean? Who else?¡±


    Kyelle exined then¡ªthey¡¯d been keeping the Chimera closed within boundaries, just like they used to at the vige for the sake of the humans. But after the freedom everyone had hoped for it had been¡­ a bad idea. Created tension and fear.


    When Harth disappeared, they¡¯d realized that if they kept doing this, they were forcing people to flee. ¡°So we let them all go. We warned as many as we could when the Anima appeared. But some had already left before that. That¡¯s why our numbers¡­¡± she nced at Tarkyn and swallowed. ¡°That¡¯s why we have less than left Thana. Some were really suffering about being restrained. They¡¯ve scattered. We know many are still nearby. We¡¯re praying they¡¯lle back into the tents.¡±


    ¡°What about the creatures?¡± Sasha asked quickly.


    ¡°We¡¯ve found trails and scat, but the creatures have been avoiding us even more than they did in Thana.¡±


    Sasha wasn¡¯t sure if that was a good thing or bad news. The creatures hadn¡¯t congregated with the rest of the Chimera even in Thana. That they might spread out further in this newnd wasn¡¯t surprising.


    Then she caught Tarkyn watching her and realized he didn¡¯t look as if he was confused by this line of questioning.


    ¡°You know about the creatures?¡± she asked him.


    He shrugged. ¡°A little. Harth exined how they were created, and what the differences are. Also about the potential for offspring between us,¡± he said carefully. He looked uneasy. Sasha almost asked, but supposed that if she¡¯d been told that their children might be strange, human-animal mixes, she¡¯d probably feel uneasy too.


    And then it struck her¡­ She knew how Tarkyn felt. Walking into this strange people and being uncertain, but wanting to be at peace with them.


    In that, at least, they shared an experience. Zev would hate her for seeing it that way, but it was only true.


    She sighed and they all looked at her.


    ¡°Tarkyn¡­ if I allow you to return to Harth, will you agree to guards? Watchers? If I allow you freedom of movement with her¡­ within certain boundaries?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have expected anything else,¡± Tarkyn said, ducking his head for a moment, though he didn¡¯t lower his eyes. ¡°As long as I can have privacy with my mate¡ªno other males hands on her, or eyes on her that she doesn¡¯t choose¡ªI¡¯ll only reach out among the people as you say is allowed. I¡¯m not here to spread dissension, Sasha-don. Or false trust. I want to see all of us seed and be able to rest.¡±


    Sasha ached for that to be true¡ªand for Zev to be able to believe it. ¡°Kyelle, have any of the caves been left empty by those who left?¡±


    ¡°A couple of the more distant ones. One is being used for storage, but we¡¯ve kept the other quiet¡ª¡±


    ¡°Give that cave to Tarkyn and Harth. Post guards at the mouth of it. They can join the fires for meals. And if me, Skhal, or one of you is nearby, Tarkyn is free to move around the encampment. But only when an Alpha is nearby.¡±


    Tarkyn¡¯s brows rose in surprise, but he ducked his head again¡ªthis time dropping his eyes too. ¡°Thank you,¡± he murmured.


    Sasha sighed again. ¡°I want this to be real, Tarkyn. I want you to be telling me the truth.¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± he said, emphatic.


    She nodded once. ¡°I guess we¡¯ll find out.¡± Before he could answer, she went on. ¡°I know how it feels to bended among this people because you found your mate. I know how confusing it can be, and I know that you¡¯re probably going to handle it a lot better than I did. But I¡¯m also going to warn you¡ªyou are not one of us. Not yet. No matter how your heart might want to see Chimera and Anima together¡­ you aren¡¯t trusted yet. I¡¯m begging you: Don¡¯t give my mate any reason to fear you.¡±


    Tarkyn nodded, unsmiling. ¡°I won¡¯t.¡±


    Sasha wasn¡¯t nearly as confident as he seemed to be. ¡°When we get some guards, go find your mate. You¡¯ll be given furs and food and time. Beyond that, pray. Because it sounds like we have two days to make this happen. And I don¡¯t know about you, but that doesn¡¯t seem like enough time to me.¡±


    Tarkyn blessed her, the relief in his voice apparent now that she¡¯d said he could go back to Harth.


    Sasha found herself both warmed by his obvious devotion to Harth, and nervous.


    She knew how far a male would go in defense of his own mate when the bond was real. She just prayed that Tarkyn would give Zev no reason to mistrust him further, and that Zev would give Tarkyn no reason to fight.


    Because Sasha knew first hand what happened to a male who saw the female he loved at risk.


    After all, that was what had gotten them to this pickle in the first ce.

 Chapter 180 - 180 Together Again

    180 Together Again


    ~ TARKYN ~


    In the end, the guards took him to the cave while Kyelle went in search of Harth. Tarkyn kept his mind open, but didn¡¯t reach for her because he had to concentrate and make certain that there was no ploy in giving them space. After all, they were still separated. Had these guards been given quiet orders to take him?


    He wouldn¡¯t allow Harth to feel that if it happened. He¡¯d close the link in his mind so that she didn¡¯t hear him die.


    But then¡­ what if she died too?


    He shook off the terrifying thought and kept walking, circled by three,rge wolves and another male, broad and muscr, who smelled like a goat, though not the goats of the Anima tribes.


    As deeply as he wanted to find peace, he was also exhausted, and in pain. So it was something of a relief to find that he was being led out of the main encampment to a small wood to the east where tents were scattered and isted.


    Then they followed the curve of a rise in thend to a small cave and he was ushered inside.


    It was instinct to brace when the males opened their hands to urge him to precede them inside.


    Was it a trap?


    .....


    He prayed for courage¡ªand for strength despite his wounds¡ªif he was attacked. The hair on the back of his neck stood up as he led them inside.


    But when he turned, the guards had only stepped into the mouth of the cave, and one of them¡ªthe goat¡ªwas pointing out the basic amenities there.


    ¡°The roof slopes up to the opening, so it will vent, but keep the smoke as minimal as you can. There are furs at the back. If you need more, you can ask¡­¡±


    He kept waiting for the surprise. The ambush. The glinting eyes. But after he¡¯d been shown where to find the kindling and flint to start a fire, the guards filed out. ¡°We¡¯ll be in sight and sound, but as long as you stay here, there won¡¯t be a problem.¡±


    Tarkyn nodded and watched, surprised, when they all walked out, brushing through the ferns and underbrush at the opening, until he couldn¡¯t see them anymore.


    ¡®Are you safe?¡¯ His mate¡¯s voice was thin and worried, but such a relief to hear.


    ¡®Yes. They¡¯ve given us a cave. I don¡¯t quite know what to¡ª¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯ll be there in five.¡¯


    He saw her in his mind then, hurrying towards him, holding her ribs and wincing against the pain in her back¡ªhis pain. But she was rushing, and his heart squeezed.


    As quickly as he could, he made a small fire so that it was crackling merrily when the entrance to the cave darkened.


    ¡°Tarkyn, thank the Creator!¡± Her voice was choked and she threw herself at him, straight into his chest.


    He grunted at the impact, but wouldn¡¯t let her go when she gasped and apologized and tried to pull away.


    ¡°No, stay here with me,¡± he whispered. ¡°Let me hold you.¡±


    So they stood there for several minutes, just holding on.


    She cried a little, but more from relief than pain, he thought. Then they spent half an hour where she sternly made himy on the furs while she checked and treated his wounds. Or tried to. One of the healers had been kind and sent her with a pack and some food. Tarkyn was relieved they didn¡¯t have to go back out yet. He wanted some time with her, to reassure himself that she was only feeling his pain secondhand, not carrying her own.


    Her eyes were bright, though, and her skin flushed, not pale, as she made him roll over and she tsked at his bruises, touching them so lightly he barely noticed the pain.


    She poulticed the two open wounds on his ribs where the skin had split, and one ce at his back where the bruising was significant enough to indicate a broken bone. But there was little else she could do. His eye needed a steak that they didn¡¯t have, and the rest of his body was just¡­ weary.


    He couldn¡¯t stop touching her. Her arm when she examined his ribs. Her knee when she made himy on his stomach. Her hands when he finally sat up, then all of her when he pulled her into an embrace.


    And even though he knew that this journey had only just begun, he found himself overwhelmed with gratitude. They had gotten this far. They would make it. They would bring their loved ones together. He was certain of it.


    *****


    They ventured carefully out of the cave as thete afternoon sun slowly disappeared behind the mountains, and the light near the cave became darkness under the trees.


    Tarkyn found himself oddly separate¡ªas if his mind observed where his body went, rather than experiencing it all in one piece.


    A part of him was always on the defense¡ªwatching the guards that circled them because Harth walked at his side. Watching the other Chimera when they made it to the small fires. Watching himself. Watching for Zev.


    There was a tension in this ce. He¡¯d thought at first that it was just his own tension, his awareness of the danger. But when he¡¯d settled next to the fire and Harth insisted on making their evening meal, Tarkyn had a chance to watch the others that moved around them. None of the Chimera that greeted Harth came to join them. There were several fires, and many friend groupsing and going. Tarkyn supposed that he shouldn¡¯t have expected them to feel friendly towards him. Of course they¡¯d want to watch him for a while, measure him. That was only natural.


    So he did his best to rx and wait. To keep his posture submissive and show that he posed no threat in case any of them did want to approach.


    He found himself fascinated by the many and varied scents of the Chimera, and when Harth had prepared them each a rabbit, along with greens and something simr to a potato cooked in its skin in the coals of the fire, she sat close to him, both of their backs against a thick log that had been ced there to sit on or lean against.


    He asked in her mind about the different scents, the different tribes¡ªns, she called them.


    There were mostly wolves nearby, but Harth confirmed that one of their guards was a goat, though a species she called an Ibex. A mountain goat. Larger and more aggressive than the Anima goats, he understood.


    And even though they were eating rabbit, she smiled as she pointed out the hares clustered near a fire within sight.


    ¡®Whatever you do, don¡¯t call them bunnies. They¡¯ll kill you for it.¡¯


    He couldn¡¯t immediately tell if she was joking. ¡®The hares?¡¯


    ¡®Their Alpha¡ªOska¡ªis a lovely male, but a bit pompous. He¡¯s smaller than most of them, though still one of their fastest runners. Anyway, I guess he was teased a lot as a kitten and now he¡¯s¡­ a little touchy about it.¡¯


    Tarkyn couldn¡¯t help but smile as Harth showed him a few interactions through the link in which the male had made a scene when someone called him or one of his n a ¡°bunny.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind,¡± he muttered, trying not to grin.


    But Harth beamed. ¡°Honestly, if we get through this, I¡¯d love to see you trigger him. He¡¯d be no match for you¡ªexcept maybe to run away¡ªand it would be kind of hrious to see him try to fight you and you just¡­ hold him off.¡±


    ¡°My mate has a vindictive streak,¡± Tarkyn smiled, though he was a little surprised.


    ¡°No, just an immature reaction to watching males fight¡ªwhen it¡¯s not serious,¡± she added hurriedly, her smile falling away quickly.


    She went back to her food then, but picking at it, no longer grinning.


    ¡®Harth, I¡¯m going to be fine. I¡¯ve taken worse wounds in training.¡¯


    ¡®Not when you¡¯re still surrounded by people who might add to them,¡¯ she said, her eyes scanning the fires around them and her jaw going tight.


    He put one hand to her thigh, and they sat together quietly for a long time.


    But the longer they sat there, the more concerned Tarkyn became.


    It was an unspoken agreement that they would enjoy the freedom of the meal fires¡ªthough they were watched, they were at least out in the open air and choosing their movements.


    But because they were quiet, and no one had joined them, it was also a chance for Tarkyn to watch the others nearby. And the more he saw, the more his senses prickled with the intuition of a fighter and leader.


    The tension he¡¯d felt in this ce, among these people, didn¡¯t juste from his own precarious position.


    The uneasiness in those around the fires¡ªthe more submissive of them hunched over meals or huddled together. The more brazen walking with purpose, chins jutting out.


    He would have put it down to his presence, that they were all aware of, even if they didn¡¯t speak to him.


    But it wasn¡¯t him that they watched.


    As Tarkyn sat with his mate, holding her hand and resting, letting his body heal, he observed the Chimera acting like children whose father was angry.


    Whispered conversations.


    Wary or nervous nces in the direction from which those in power might emerge.


    Twitching movements, and fastidious cleaning even among those who weren¡¯t soldiers.


    Something crackled in the air in this camp, and it wasn¡¯t just the presence of an unknown male.


    No.


    The Chimera were scared. Not of Tarkyn. But of their own.


    And that was never, ever good.

 Chapter 181 - 181 Share the Fire

    181 Share the Fire


    ~ TARKYN ~


    ¡°Why don¡¯t they approach me?¡± he asked Harth as they sat. She¡¯d prepared tea for them and Tarkyn found himself somehow warmed by the strange, floral mixture. Harth was finding reasons for them to stay at the fire and he couldn¡¯t tell if it was because she wanted to talk to her pack, or if she just wanted to stay out of the cave.


    ¡°They don¡¯t know what to make of you,¡± she whispered. ¡°You confuse them.¡±


    ¡°Confuse them?¡±


    ¡°Your position in the hierarchy confuses them. Because they¡¯re my kin, the wolves should be leading to show the others how to treat you. But they can¡¯t decide what you are, or where you fit. You¡¯re mated to a low-level wolf who stayed among the humans¡ªwe¡¯re all still working out how we fit together after being apart for so long¡ªbut you also have that Alpha strength. They can sense it in you. So they aren¡¯t sure whether to throw their own weight around, or submit.¡±


    Tarkyn frowned. ¡°I¡¯m making myself as submissive as possible. I haven¡¯t been¡ª¡±


    Harth snorted. ¡°Tarkyn, I love you, but you¡¯re about as submissive as a bull being stung on its belly. The Chimera aren¡¯t watching your posture, they¡¯re¡­ measuring you. urately.¡±


    Tarkyn¡¯s lips twisted. He knew what she meant. He¡¯d been in leadership long enough to spot an Alpha at a quarter-mile spread. They were the ones he was always looking for, the young who carried themselves with presence. Whose confidence usually outstripped their achievements, but wouldn¡¯t for long.


    He knew what she was saying, but he¡¯d been actively working to make himself¡­ unthreatening. He wasn¡¯t sure whether to be frustrated or ttered that he hadn¡¯t seeded.


    .....


    ¡°It¡¯s a mark of your Queen¡¯s inexperience that you¡¯re the one she chose to send,¡± Harth said with a wry smile.


    ¡°Why? I¡¯m in the perfect position to¡ª¡±


    ¡°Sure, but you¡¯re¡­ intimidating, Tarkyn. You must know that?¡±


    He frowned. ¡°Do the Chimera use their power so forcefully that no one can possess it without being trusted?¡± he rumbled.


    Harth shook her head. ¡°No, but you¡¯re a cat amongst the pigeons. Just like Zev was among you.¡±


    Tarkyn tipped his head. He supposed that was true. But before he could explore it with her further, dark shadows and footsteps rose nearby and they both looked past the fire to see two forms approaching, silhouetted at first by the fires further away, but then they stepped into the glow.


    Harth tensed when Kyelle and Lhars were revealed. But Tarkyn was relieved. At least he had a measure of these two.


    ¡®Give them warmth,¡¯ Harth hurriedly whispered in his head. ¡®Them sharing a fire gives you¡­ credibility. As long as it goes smoothly.¡±


    Tarkyn nodded and squeezed her hand. He kept his chin low when the pair greeted them, and smiled, thanking them for their greeting.


    Kyelle smiled at Harth and moved to sit at her other side, while Lhars kept more space, sitting on the other side of the fire, facing Tarkyn.


    It was a joy to see his mate pleased by the attention of her leaders, and beaming at Kyelle. But Tarkyn had to watch Lhars carefully, trying to follow the male¡¯s lead.


    While the females caught up quietly and happily, Tarkyn waited. But Lhars didn¡¯t say anything immediately, just watched him. Tarkyn could smell his apparent confusion.


    ¡°Is there something you¡¯d like to ask me?¡± Tarkyn offered gently.


    ¡°What are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ what?¡±


    ¡°What animal do you shift into?¡±


    Ah. So that was it. ¡°My beast is a lion,¡± he said easily, assuming they¡¯d already heard this about the Anima.


    But Lhars tensed immediately and Harth went quiet at his side.


    Tarkyn looked between them¡ªsurely this wasn¡¯t a surprise?


    ¡°The Chimeran wolves have an¡­ ongoing tension with the tigers,¡± Harth exined quietly. ¡°Our predator groups naturallypete for territory and food¡­ and our Alphas often conflict.¡±


    Tarkyn nodded. ¡°I can understand that. We have had a simr dynamic in the past¡ªthe wolves led differently, and some years ago those in leadership began to resent the difference in the approach of the pride.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡± Lhars asked, sounding genuinely interested.


    ¡°We went to war. The pride won¡ªbut we were led by a lion of great strength. The father of our current Queen. She doesn¡¯te by her Alpha power identally.¡±


    Lhars nodded, rubbing his jaw. ¡°You live at peace now?¡±


    Tarkyn nodded. ¡°There was a time when it was difficult and the wolf numbers were¡­ reduced by the conflict. But we learned that the wolves¡¯ leadership had been tainted by powers brought into our world by the humans. Those of us who remained live in peace, and we worked together to beat the humans.¡±


    Lhars¡¯ expression didn¡¯t lighten. ¡°And now the lions remain rulers? Alpha of all?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°So¡­ You bring with you the Queen¡¯s authority.¡±


    ¡°Yes. She wants peace.¡± When Lhars looked skeptical, Tarkyn pushed on. ¡°I¡¯ve known Elreth since she was born. She is strong, and can be headstrong. But once she understands a problem and her role in it, she always seeks true solution. She agreed to meing with Harth despite my role in her court because she deeply wants to exin herself and try to forge connections. Build bridges rather than conflict¡ª¡±


    ¡°Of course she does. Now that she¡¯s losing control.¡± The voice was dark and cold.


    Tarkyn startled. How had the wolf approached without him even knowing it? But sure enough, a momentter, Zev stepped into the glow of the fire, his eyes alight with fierce warning, his body tense.


    And suddenly that sense Tarkyn had had, of tension rippling through the people atrge was front and center¡ªthe tang of fear or unease in themunal scents.


    At the presence of their Alpha? His presence should bring greater security, not greater fear!


    Tarkyn filed that away forter scrutiny and turned his mind to stepping very carefully, because he clearly had Zev¡¯s attention, but there was also the potential for this to blow up in his face.


    Shifting his weight so that he sat rxed, but in a position of strength, he held the wolf Alpha¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°Elreth nned to bring you to the peace table the day you escaped. She was going to speak with Sasha first, then bring you into the talks if you agreed to non-violent means.¡±


    ¡°Sure she was,¡± Zev scoffed.


    Tarkyn didn¡¯t waver. ¡°Scent me for truth.¡±


    Zev¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°You blindly follow that bitch. If you¡¯re stupid enough to believe her, that isn¡¯t a measure of her honesty, but your naivete.¡±


    Tarkyn¡¯s teeth gritted. If Zev had been among his ranks, he would have cuffed him and given him reason to try his strength¡ªbe reminded who had held power and strength for longer.


    But that wasn¡¯t his ce here, so he swallowed back the disrespect, and only held Zev¡¯s gaze. ¡°I worked to free you¡ªyou know that. We spoke. We saw each other¡¯s lives. We shared pains.¡±


    Zev growled. ¡°My pains were never truly shared by a male who¡¯s been free and powerful his entire life.¡±


    Tarkyn had to give him that point. ¡°Perhaps you could consider, though, that my freedom has allowed me to see the beauty of peace. The reason it¡¯s worth fighting for.¡±


    ¡°Fighting for peace?¡± Zev asked dismissively.


    ¡°Struggling for it. Sacrificing for it.¡±


    ¡°Let me guess who¡¯s going to be doing the sacrificing.¡±


    ¡°Zev,¡± Lhars said quietly. Kyelle was staring at him too, and even though Tarkyn appreciated that they were trying to stifle Zev¡¯s clear anger, he was ufortable, too. These Chimera were all very young, and he knew that if an already aggressive wolf perceived that his allies were shifting alliance, it wouldn¡¯t go well for any of them.


    Tarkyn pushed to his feet, drawing all their attention back to him, opening his arms to offer himself for scrutiny. ¡°I may not have endured all the pains you have, Zev¡ªand I don¡¯t envy you yours, believe me. But I have lived as a warrior since I was adolescent¡ªa true soldier. Every day given to the service and defense of others. And I can tell you, from that perspective, war suits no one. It benefits no one¡ªI told you that. No one truly wins when war is the result. I showed you the truth of that, and I believe you saw it. So¡­ do you really want to put your people through that unnecessarily?¡±


    Zev¡¯s lips twisted, but his tone of voice was less aggressive when he spoke. ¡°You¡¯ll forgive me if your measure of ¡°necessary¡± force isn¡¯t my first guide.¡±


    Tarkyn huffed as if they shared a joke, but his guts twisted, and he instinctively began to measure how he¡¯d need to move to put himself between his mate and this male who simmered with such rage.


    ¡°I hope that we can find a way to¡­ be closer to one mind,¡± he said carefully. The male was obviously tired. This wasn¡¯t the time to try to shift his mind.


    But then Lhars got to his feet and took Zev¡¯s elbow. ¡°Let¡¯s go for a walk.¡±


    Tarkyn shifted while neither of them were watching him, putting himself in the best stance to defend his mate, who remained on the ground behind him.


    ¡°Fine. I only came to find you anyway. I¡¯ve been with the other Anima who arrived, and I¡¯d like to get your opinion on them.¡±


    Tarkyn watched the brothers turn and walk away together¡ªthankful that Zev didn¡¯t look back. That he¡¯d clearly turned his attention from Tarkyn. And had left him free, too, he realized. That was¡­ significant. Though the wolf was clearly resentful of the fact.


    Then it hit him what Zev had said.


    Suhle and Lerrin. They were here. Zev had spoken with them¡ªbeen with them for some time it would seem. And he wasn¡¯t crowing about killing them or imprisoning them. He¡¯de to find his brother to help assess them.


    That was a good sign, right?


    Tarkyn prayed fervently that it was.

 Chapter 182 - 182 Emissaries Among Us

    182 Emissaries Among Us


    ~ ZEV ~


    Zev stood to the side, arms folded and weight settled evenly on the balls of his feet. He knew he looked annoyed, but disengaged. That was his goal. Because he had a n. He was a wolf, and a wolf always had a n. No matter how desperate he might be.


    Zev wrinkled his nose and shook off the word. He wasn¡¯t desperate. Not yet. He was¡­ calcting what was needed. And where the true threaty. Although tension still ran up and down his spine like fingers on a piano, the truth was that his sparring with Lhars that morning had been useful. His head was a little clearer, even if his anger still simmered.


    He suspected if these two had arrived a day earlier, he wouldn¡¯t have been so quick to hear them. That thought gave him a niggle of worry, but he pushed that away too. He wasn¡¯t just trusting himself to figure this out. He¡¯d brought Lhars.


    These two were an enigma to him, so he wanted Lhars¡¯ opinion. His brother had always been good at sniffing out a rat.


    Against his natural instincts, Zev didn¡¯t think this pair were a threat. And it was pissing him off. He didn¡¯t know why these two irritated him so much, but he recognized that deep down, he wanted Lhars to perceive something he¡¯d missed¡ªto see danger in them. Particrly in the male, Lerrin, a dark-haired wolf with intense eyes and weathered skin, whose hair was beginning to turn. The wings at his temples peppered with gray.


    But the truth was, while Zev¡¯s Alpha instincts definitely sensed the strength in the male¡ªand the inherent threat that posed in the event their goals didn¡¯t align¡ªthere was no indication that these two came for any reason beyond what theymunicated: They¡¯d once been rejected by the Anima themselves. And they no longer were.


    They understood both the difficulties of defying a lion ruler, and the benefits of aligning with them. And they wanted to share encouragement to the Chimera that they¡¯d been sent as a show of trust. But also, empathy.


    It pissed Zev off that he believed them. He recognized the thought for the pettiness it held. But it didn¡¯t change the feelings twisting in his chest.


    .....


    They weren¡¯t helped by the fact that he could feel Sasha out there in there in the evening dark, so tired, but also growing in stress. Not because of the Anima, but because of Zan.


    He wasn¡¯t feeding well.


    That was to be expected. Jayah had even raised it when they were traveling. That the shift in vor and texture might cause problems for a few days. But that didn¡¯t change the fact that his mate had been on the edge of tears when he¡¯d gone in search of her, to bring her a meal because he knew she had barely eaten that day.


    And that even though she¡¯d rested in the crook of his arm when he¡¯d put himself next to her, her attention had been almost entirely on their son.


    That was good, and right, and true. But Zev had had to stifle the urge to bite about it.


    He wasn¡¯t used to sharing his mate¡¯s attention. It didn¡¯t sit well.


    And yet, as he stared down at their son, all he could do was pray gratitude that Zan was there and safe in her arms and¡­ and how he would burn the world down to make sure that remained to be the case.


    ¡°¡­we are blessed with three children¡ªall adults now, though new to it. It was hard to leave them, but when we heard¡­ we wanted to be here. We want to help you see¡­ the Anima are a strong people. And not wless. But we are people of love and peace, as well as strength. You¡¯ve found us at a time in our history that we¡¯re still recovering from blows suffered. But as we understand it, that¡¯s true of you,¡± the male said calmly.


    He stood surrounded by several guards¡ªan entire pack to pull him down if needed. And he was clearly a fighter himself. Strong and a leader. Yet he spoke to them as if they¡¯d invited him in for a meal.


    Zev couldn¡¯t decide if the male was incredibly courageous, or simply arrogant. But he couldn¡¯t fault that the two were open and willing to talk without creating greater tension.


    The perfect emissaries.


    A little too perfect.


    He wondered if Lhars felt the same way. His brother was eyeing them with a touch of uncertainty. ¡°How did your people assimte after so many years in istion?¡±


    Lerrin shrugged. ¡°We were thrown together when the humans came into Anima¡ªwe discovered them. Suhle and our daughter traveled ahead to warn the Tree City Anima while the rest of us stayed to dy and fight. Afterwards we were heralded and weed back. It wasn¡¯t difficult to be part of the Tree City¡ªat least, not for them. They knew that we¡¯d helped them. It was much harder for us, I think. It has only been a year. We¡¯re still getting used to it.¡±


    Zev¡¯s ears perked and his instincts tingled. He hhadn¡¯t heard that part. There was a world of stories behind those simple statements, yet the male stood there, waiting for the next question, his face benign.


    ¡°You truly want me to believe that you have been the Alpha of your family group and followers for two decades and you just¡­ gave that up?¡± Zev asked, his tone sharper than he¡¯d intended, though the male didn¡¯t seem flustered by it.


    ¡°I was never eager to hold power.¡± Behind him, his mate rolled her lips closed. Zev sensed she stopped herself rolling her eyes. ¡°Coming back here wasn¡¯t difficult from that perspective. What¡¯s been harder is¡­ changing our ways to fit. I know the leadership of the Anima can be trusted¡ªand we have kept our pack to ourselves. We¡¯re a mixed bag. A few went back to join family groups, but most of us have remained together, and Elreth allows it. I¡¯m treated as any other Alpha¡ªrespected, heard, but also held ountable.¡±


    Zev tensed and growled, and every wolf in the room tensed with him¡ªexcept the two who didn¡¯t belong there. Were they brave? Or stupid?


    ¡°Held ountable¡ªfor people she never led?¡± Zev muttered.


    ¡°Held ountable for my example as an Alpha and wolf of standing,¡± Lerrin said firmly. ¡°Frankly, any leader who would reject that isn¡¯t much of a leader, in my opinion.¡± He said the words baldly and Zev found himself reluctantly appreciating the male. He held himself with the same gruff distance as Skhal, who Zev had always trusted. Though this male seemed far more¡­ polished? Zev wasn¡¯t sure what the correct word was. Only that the male was strong and sure of himself in a way that even Skhal didn¡¯t carry.


    He supposed twenty years in istion might do that to a male. For a moment he let himself go there in his head¡ªwhat if that¡¯s what he was offered? What if Elreth suggested that he keep the territory they had imed and they simply kept their peoples to themselves?


    His ns had survived so far. Would he trust that female Alpha not to bring her greater resources against him when it suited her? Definitely not.


    Yet this male had? He¡¯d taken his people out of easy reach, to be sure¡ªacross long distance, a desert, an impassable range of mountains. They¡¯d struggled, he¡¯d said, especially in those early years. Thend they¡¯d chosen was rugged and cold¡ªit sounded very simr to Thana, though a much smaller territory.


    The more Zev thought about it, the more cynical he became.


    Assimtion with the greater resources of the Tree City Anima had probably been a relief to these people.


    ¡°So you don¡¯t find the leash too tight¡­ but what about the structure? How do the Anima established dominance? Did you have to fight for your ce?¡±


    Lerrin nced at his mate and something passed between them that Zev didn¡¯t understand, but he knew those looks¡ªshared them with Sasha. They were the wealth of shared experience and secrets beingmunicated in a nce.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t fight to be assimted, no. We were¡­ already aware of our position¡ªboth its strengths and weaknesses, but we were happy with it. I don¡¯t wish to climb the ranks higher than I am. And so far, none beneath me have chosen to challenge me. But truly¡­ the Anima rarely fight for dominance. It happens more among the young males, or Alpha females as they work to find their ce in their own tribes.


    ¡°Usually by the time an Anima is old enough to take true leadership, they¡¯ve already proven their¡­ suitability. It¡¯s understood by those around them that they¡¯re going to step into the Alpha role¡ªor wherever they might fit.¡±


    ¡°So you don¡¯t fight?¡± Zev was surprised.


    Lerrin gave a low chuckle. ¡°Oh no, we do. But only at times. Usually when a strong Alphaes into adulthood while an older Alpha remains healthy and vital. asionally dominance changes hands after an informal conflict between Alphas¡ªwhen the defeated one submits publicly. But more often when someone believes they should be leading, they will issue a formal challenge, before witnesses¡ªwho will then attend the fight. And because they all knew it wasing, the tribe, or family will respect the leader when it¡¯s won¡ªregardless of who wins the fight. The Anima don¡¯t shy away from change when an Alpha¡¯s strength is proven. But session isn¡¯t umon¡ªand neither is submission. Our former King was¡­ an example.¡±


    ¡°Of what, stubbornness?¡± Zev muttered.


    For the first time, the new wolves bristled.

 Chapter 183 - 183 Under the Surface

    183 Under the Surface


    ~ ZEV ~


    Lerrin, who¡¯d been sharing his attention between Zev and Lhars, turned to face Zev, his expression t and dark for the first time.


    For a moment, Zev¡¯s wolf rose¡ªhe could see in those eyes, alight with both strength and confidence, in the older wolf¡¯s way of moving, that this was not a male to be trifled with. He offered no challenge, posed no intentional threat, yet Zev¡¯s instincts jangled caution.


    He would not be easily beaten.


    ¡°I understand that there¡¯s been¡­ conflict with Elreth,¡± Lerrin growled, unaware of Zev¡¯s thoughts. ¡°And you¡¯re right to say that she has a very strong will¡ªthat she¡¯s not always immediately willing to listen when you¡¯re at odds. But I speak from experience when I say she was raised and groomed for Alpha by the single best and strongest male I have had the pleasure to know¡ªnot a bully, or a power-monger. A male who¡­ gave himself to his people, and his family. Who gave himself to anyone who needed him. He was a better example of Alpha than my own father, and I wouldn¡¯t stand here today if it weren¡¯t for his wisdom and strength. Elreth is young, but her strength is¡­ formidable. However, any leader has to mature into their strength. I¡¯m guessing you did too,¡± he said dryly.


    Before Zev could answer, he continued. ¡°It¡¯s my observation¡ªof myself, and of others that I admire¡ªthat a self-reliant Alpha will always be guilty at times of not listening when they should¡ªI certainly was, when I was probably about your age, too,¡± he said, raising one brow. ¡°But the test of a true leader is what we do when our ws be¡­ apparent to us. And how we treat others when they express remorse because their ws have be apparent to them.¡±


    Zev had to roll his jaw. He didn¡¯t miss the implication. ¡°That¡¯s a lovely moral to a children¡¯s story,¡± he growled. ¡°And often true. But we aren¡¯t talking about skipping responsibility or letting down a friend. I faced torment and imprisonment at the hands of your ¡°strong young leader¡± despite the arguments from those around her who were more urate in their measure. My son and mate were threatened and harmed in the name of ¡°caution.¡± And even when I proved to her that I could have killed her and didn¡¯t¡­ even then she didn¡¯t let me free.¡±


    Lerrin tipped his head. ¡°You¡¯re a strong wolf yourself.¡±


    ¡°I am.¡±


    .....


    ¡°I take it you¡¯ve led since you were very young?¡±


    ¡°I have.¡±


    Lerrin nodded. ¡°I wonder if, in the first year or so of your rule, you made any mistakes that you now regret?¡±


    Zev didn¡¯t move. He didn¡¯t even breathe. He held the male¡¯s gaze for a long moment, then forced himself to nod. ¡°The difference is, my ¡®mistake¡¯ didn¡¯t imprison my enemies. It was the other way around. I gave them too much credit. I paid¡ªmy people paid¡ªbecause I allowed someone who shouldn¡¯t have been trusted to remain in leadership. And just as you¡¯ve suggested, I learned from that mistake. It won¡¯t happen again,¡± he said emphatically.


    Lerrin nodded. ¡°I meant no offense,¡± he said finally. ¡°I only want you to know that we are a real people. With real feelings and ws. But we love and we lead. And our Queen admits her wrong. She sent us to reassure you of that. To tell you our own experience with herpassion and gratitude. And to, hopefully, find a way to avoid war.¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Zev muttered. ¡°But if I were you, I wouldn¡¯t hold my breath.¡±


    *****


    ~ TARKYN ~


    After the wolves left their fire, Harth and Tarkyn had spent a pleasant hour sitting before the mes and just¡­ being. The guards had stayed far enough back not to intrude, so it had been, for Tarkyn, a blessed relief to simply sit with his mate and not have to navigate any other conflicts¡ªor suspicions. Though he¡¯d felt the eyes of the other Chimera nearby, most had seemed to settle more after Zev left, and those who had passed close enough to be seen, seemed less concerned by Tarkyn after he¡¯d been speaking with both Zev and Lhars and had remained free. But they still didn¡¯t approach.


    Tarkyn wondered if it was only as Harth said¡ªthat they weren¡¯t sure where Tarkyn fit in their hierarchy and so didn¡¯t want to engage. Or whether there was something greater afoot.


    Sadly, there were no answers to be found in the slowly dying mes.


    The walk back to the cave¡ªsurrounded by the guards, who¡¯d given them space around the fire, but hovered close when they were moving¡ªwas quiet.


    It wasn¡¯t until they got back to the cave and were readying to sleep that Harth finally spoke up.


    ¡°You handled that well. Both Lhars and Zev.¡±


    Tarkyn smiled at his mate as he pulled back the furs and crawled in, beckoning her toe join him.


    They¡¯d both undressed, but with their awareness of the guards outside, Tarkyn didn¡¯t think he¡¯d take her tonight. He prayed they¡¯d receive more freedom and privacy in theing days.


    ¡°I was surprised Zev let me stay free, honestly. I don¡¯t think he wanted to,¡± he said quietly, keeping his voice rxed and calm. Let the guards hear him understand his position, but not be worried about it.


    Harth frowned, sliding into the furs and turning to face him,ying on her side with her hand under her cheek, her eyes worried and fixed on him. ¡°I don¡¯t think he wanted to either, but he¡¯s always submitted to Sasha when she¡¯s made a direct instruction to the people so¡­ I guess he¡¯s still doing that.¡±


    Tarkyn didn¡¯t respond. Sasha¡¯s description of their sharing of the Alpha decisions¡­ he admired it. Could see value in it. But the tension and anger in Zev¡ªthe male was so on edge he made Tarkyn¡¯s teeth clench¡ªdidn¡¯t bode well. The way the people all around them had be more alert when Zev showed up¡­


    It wasn¡¯t healthy.


    A good and healthy Alpha made their people feel stronger, safer. The packs, prides, and herds of the Anima were generally more rxed, not less, when Elreth was present. Because in the back of their minds they knew their leader would handle any danger or conflict that arose.


    It happened on a smaller scale within the groups and families as well.


    Tarkyn had been blessed to be close enough to see Elreth¡¯s father, Reth, carry the weight of the Anima for twenty years. When that male had walked the trails, Anima smiles grew broader. When he sat at market, all the tribes were happier¡ªuntil the conflict with the wolves. But even after it¡­


    This was the side of Elreth that the Chimeran leaders had never seen, he realized. Elreth¡¯s fierce defense of the Protectors. Her willingness¡ªsince childhood¡ªto stand in the gap for those who were weaker, or less valued.


    When her stubborn strength was thrown behind a cause or group who needed her, they fell at her feet because she did not waver.


    He hadn¡¯t really ever thought of what might happen if she took that strength against a weaker group. Hadn¡¯t expected to see the day, because he knew his Queen¡¯s heart.


    ¡°Tarkyn?¡± Harth whispered, putting a hand to his chest.


    He blinked and pulled her into an embrace, sighing. ¡°Sorry, I got lost in my thoughts.¡±


    ¡°About Zev?¡±


    ¡°Yes, some. About leadership. And its impacts on the people.¡±


    Harth sighed. ¡°Everyone¡¯s very tense. We couldn¡¯t talk about it properly, but I did talk around it a bit with Kyelle. She¡¯s worried, even though she didn¡¯t say it outright, I could tell. They¡¯re all worried.¡±


    ¡°They have reason to be. That wolf is a bow string under too much tension. The weapon might be effective, but the wrong pressure and it¡¯ll snap.¡±


    Harth nodded. ¡°I could feel it when he came to the fire, could you?¡±


    ¡°Yes. If that had been Elreth among my people, I would have pulled her aside immediately, spoken to her and Aaryn, warned them how the people were feeling. But somehow I don¡¯t think Zev would hear my caution,¡± he said dryly.


    ¡°No, he definitely wouldn¡¯t. I¡¯ll try to talk to Kyelle again tomorrow. Maybe even get a chance to see Sasha. I¡¯m sure they know it, but¡­ let¡¯s just pray that he can rx now. He¡¯s only juste back and his family is here for the first time¡­ hopefully he¡¯ll settle down over the next couple of days.¡±


    Tarkyn didn¡¯t believe so, but he didn¡¯t want to discourage his mate. It was good that she¡¯d speak with the females and try to soothe the tension. A people under stress because of their leader would begin tosh out and be aggressive themselves¡ªto each other, or others they perceived as a threat.


    Not the right mood for peace talks. Not at all.


    Tarkyn sighed.


    Harth¡¯s arms tightened around him and she kissed his corbones as they bothy quietly.


    But as Harth¡¯s breathing slowed and her grip on him rxed, as she drifted into sleep, Tarkyn found himself wide awake, his mind turning the entire picture over and over. Anding up with the same answer every time.


    Something had to change, or this would not end well.

 Chapter 184 - 184 Don’t Hurt Baby

    184 Don¡¯t Hurt Baby


    If you read a different chapter earlier, please ept my apologies. Ater chapter (supposed to publish in February) was identally published tonight!


    *****


    ~ SASHA ~


    Sasha had a rough night. And it only got rougher.


    Zan had woken every hour or two, fussy and wailing, but rarely wanting to feed. At first Sasha thought he¡¯d just picked up on the tension between her and Zev. But when he woke for the third time and didn¡¯t eat she started to worry.


    At that point Zev was asleep, sprawled in the furs, his back bare, head turned and one hand reached across towards her.


    Sasha¡¯s heart squeezed. He¡¯d stayed outte talking to the wolf emissaries sent by the Anima.


    She¡¯d tried to wait up for him, to be awake to talk to him when he got to the cave. She wanted to try to soothe his pride about her orders around Tarkyn and taking control there. But she was exhausted. When Zan slept, she couldn¡¯t keep her eyes open.


    She¡¯d been vaguely aware of Zev returning at some point, veryte, when the camp was dark and quiet. But she was so tired, she¡¯d just rolled into his arms, sighed and slept again. For an hour, at least. Until Zan cried again.


    .....


    The fourth time their son woke, just as the sky was turning a pale pink with theing dawn, Sasha almost cried. Her entire body cried out for more sleep, but her son didn¡¯t just fuss this time. He twisted in his swaddling, his little fists punching out of the cloths and his face screwed tight in unhappiness. His little cries and wails were ramping up towards a full blown scream. And even if it was hard, Sasha knew she¡¯d had more sleep than Zev. She needed to get their son out and away so Zev would rest. He desperately needed sleep. She worried it was half the reason he was so tense.


    So, praying that Zan was just growing and hungry¡ªJayah had warned her that there would be disruption to his sleeping probably for months yet, though she felt he was, perhaps, weeks older in his development than Sasha had initially believed¡ªSasha slid out of the warm furs and dressed quickly, sweeping Zan up in her arms and carrying him at her shoulder while she looked for the feeding skin that she¡¯d been promised would be left at the mouth of the cave.


    Relieved when she found it, she took Zan just out of the cave¡ªshe didn¡¯t want to take his crying out to the tent vige and wake more of the people¡ªsettled into a hollow with a tree to her back, and tried to feed.


    At first Zan fought, screwing his little face up and turning away. But when she got the false nipple of the skin¡ªlittle more than a leather nub with a small hole¡ªhe sucked at it hungrily. Sasha sighed, relieved.


    She let her head and shoulders sink back against the tree and watched the sun rise over the trees on the other side of the encampment, but she was so drowsy and tired, her eyes began to droop.


    She was startled awake a few minutester by Zan jerking and wailing again, pushing the skin away with a little fist. His cheeks red and teary.


    ¡°Hey, hey, shhhhhh,¡± she tried to soothe him. He hadn¡¯t even taken half of the meal, but she lifted him to her shoulder, rubbing and patting his back. Maybe he needed to burp? His stomach did feel a little tense against her shoulder.


    ¡°Come on, buddy,¡± she whispered, getting to her feet so she could bounce him a little, rubbing his back from the bottom of his little spine to up between his shoulders the way Jayah had shown her. But the pressure on his back only seemed to make him squirm and cry harder.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong¡­ oh sweetheart, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    For the first time since they¡¯dnded in this world it hit her how few resources they had. How little they could do¡ªhow little information they had.


    The Chimera had healers, and most of them seemed to have made it through the gateway. But the Chimeran healers were far more ustomed to dealing with traumatic injuries and illnesses than they were with the birth and growth of babies.


    Few offspring were born naturally among the Chimera, she knew¡ªand none in the past three or four years. Usually the females had been impregnated through the human scientists and their sick experiments. But even among those who¡¯d found mates in Thana and gotten pregnant naturally, most had been taken back to the human world to deliver in past years.


    It had, apparently, been years since there had been a true newborn among the Chimera. The healers had some knowledge, but nothing like the Anima.


    If Zan was getting sick, she needed Jayah. She needed the support of the Anima healers, and that wet nurse!


    Zan¡¯s wail eased then, though he still arched his back and squirmed against her shoulder as if he was ufortable.


    Sasha bit her lip, tears prickling the back of her eyes from abination of both guilt and anger at Zev and his insistence that Jayah not be allowed into the encampment. He¡¯d removed her only¡ª


    ¡°Can I help you, Sasha-don?¡±


    Sasha whirled with a gasp to find one of the Chimeran healers standing just a few feet away, her chin low and shoulders rolled in submission.


    ¡°Yes! Please! I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong! He woke up fussy, but then he fed, but he didn¡¯t even finish it before¡ª¡±


    ¡°His cry¡­ I think his stomach is troubling him,¡± the female¡ªan owl Sasha thought¡ªsaid carefully. ¡°I have some herbs. But could I examine him first?¡±


    Sasha handed her son over to the woman gratefully, though her stomach clenched when his cry rose, high and thin, indignant and afraid.


    He was going to wake the entire camp.


    Sasha got busy swallowing tears and reminding herself that he was a baby and didn¡¯t know any other way tomunicate, but the stress of knowing he would be disturbing the sleep of so many kept tension across the back of her neck and shoulders as the healer held Zan in one arm, unwrapping him to look at his little body¡ªwhich only made him wail harder when the cold morning air rushed in over his pink skin.


    The healer seemed most interested in his belly, pressing gently and paying attention when Zan squirmed or twitched, when his cries rose, and when they steadied. Sasha watched, sweating, praying, pleading with God to keep him safe.


    ¡°He¡¯s definitely ufortable. Though it may be only gas,¡± the healer said after a moment, quickly wrapping him again and handing him back to Sasha, bundled in his fur.


    His cries shuddered to hups and he pressed his face into Sasha¡¯s neck as she held him close, watching while the healer opened a small bag at her hip and sorted through it, pulling a small, leather pouch from inside it, smelling it and nodding. ¡°I¡¯ll show you this time,¡± she said, but I¡¯ll leave this with you so that you can do it anytime he struggles to feed.


    Then she proceeded to measure out a few dried leaves, put them in her mouth and chewed them until they made a sickening yellow-green paste which she hooked out of her mouth with one finger, then painted onto Zan¡¯s tongue.


    He spluttered and cried, fighting the taste, which the healer said was a little bitter, ¡°but simr to grass.¡± But he was forced to swallow it, his little tongue and lips working because the paste wasn¡¯t thick enough to spit out.


    As the healer exined what the leaves did, and how to measure them, Sasha kept swinging him and rubbing his back, and to her relief, he slowly settled.


    A few minutester, as Sasha answered the healers well-intentioned, but not very wee questions about her own sleep and rest, her son sighed and rxed against her shoulder, then promptly filled his diaper.


    The healer¡¯s eyes brightened and she smiled. ¡°See? Sometimes, especially with a new food, their little bodies just need some assistance to¡­ move things along. He should be fine. Bute to me if you run out of the leaves¡ªor tell one of the others. We all carry it. Just be certain not to use more than three leaves at a time, and not more than twelve in a day.


    Sasha thanked the female, her eyes blurring with tears, then hurried back to the cave to find Zev sitting up in the furs, frowning at the entrance, his shoulders slumping when she walked in carrying Zan.


    ¡°I was starting to worry,¡± he said, his eyes puffy with sleep, his hair tousled. The furs had fallen to his waist so that she could see his abs and shoulders¡­ and as Sasha watched him slowly push the furs back and get to his feet, her mouth dried.


    She watched her mate¡ªso handsome and fit, so strong and protective¡ªslowly dress himself, muttering about needing to gather the hunters again because he¡¯d been distracted the day before, and they only had one more day before the Anima wanted to meet and he still didn¡¯t know if he was going to allow that.


    ¡°Wait¡­¡± Sasha blinked, all thought of desire or her mate¡¯s body forgotten. ¡°You aren¡¯t sure?¡±

 Chapter 185 - 185 Miss You

    185 Miss You


    ~ SASHA ~


    Zev turned from pulling on his leathers, still buckling his belt. ¡°No,¡± he said shortly. ¡°That bitch is scrambling because we got loose and now she knows she¡¯s got a problem. I¡¯m not buying any of this shit about remorse and how she was going to free us herself¡ª¡±


    ¡°But what if it¡¯s true!?¡± Sasha said abruptly. ¡°Zev¡­ please¡­ I know this has been rough, but I talked to her before things got crazy. I told you, she thought you were going to sleep for hours yet.¡±


    ¡°So she told you¡ªbut what if it was just a n to make sure I was alone when I woke up?¡±


    ¡°No, Zev, you don¡¯t understand, the conversation we had by ourselves before things got out of hand¡­ We were already talking about ways to find peace¡ª¡±


    Zev growled. ¡°Everyone throws that word around like we can just pluck it out of the air. Like it¡¯s nothing but a simple decision¡ª¡±


    ¡°It is!¡± Her heart thudded in her ears. Sasha hurried forward, Zan still hugged to her shoulder, but now drifting off to sleep. She needed to change him, but by the time she had that done¡ªshe was still struggling to learn how to tie the cloths so they were secure¡ªZev would be gone, already prowling the encampment and riling himself up again. ¡°Zev, please,¡± she breathed as she hurried across the cave to him. ¡°Please¡­ it doesn¡¯t have to be like this.¡±


    Zev went very still, his eyes locked on hers and zing. ¡°Like what?¡± he snapped.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have to n for war! We can talk to these people¡ªwhat do we lose by talking?! We wished they¡¯d talked to us when we showed up.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Exactly. You want to talk to people who didn¡¯t have the decency¡ª¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ve done a lot of things that were decent, too!¡± she insisted. ¡°They never kept Zan away from us¡ªthey cared for him. They gave me advice¡­ Jayah would be here if¡ª¡±


    Zev¡¯s eyes shed with a warning and she cut off, but didn¡¯t submit. They both stood there, staring warnings at each other, and a little part of Sasha¡¯s heart died.


    She needed her mate. She needed Zan¡¯s father. She needed¡­ she just needed to feel loved again and like¡­ like the entire world wasn¡¯t out to get them.


    Which was what Zev needed, too, she realized.


    With a heavy sigh, she turned toy the now-sleeping Zan on the furs, praying the messy diaper wouldn¡¯t wake him, then returned to her mate with empty arms.


    Zev watched her warily, his jaw was rolling.


    Sasha shook her head. ¡°Do you feel like I¡¯m the enemy as well?¡± she breathed, tears threatening again.


    ¡°Of course not,¡± he said immediately, and his voice was softer than it had been. Gentler. But his expression didn¡¯t rx. ¡°I just think you¡¯re too quick to forgive and¡­ trust.¡±


    ¡°Zev¡­ not every person is out to destroy you.¡±


    ¡°I know that,¡± he snarled. ¡°I already left two Anima wolves wandering around our camp free because everyone thinks they can be trusted but me, and I¡­¡± he trailed off, shaking his head. ¡°Sasha¡­ You always said we had different strengths. You said when we had a physical problem, it was mine to fight.¡±


    ¡°And it is. It will be. I just¡­ I¡¯m not convinced this is that problem, Zev,¡± she breathed, stepping right up to him, wrapping her arms around his waist and leaning against him. ¡°If they want peace, if they¡¯ll agree to it¡­ isn¡¯t that what we want?¡±


    He brought his hands up to her face, cupping her jaw on both sides, staring down at her, his forehead furrowed like she was a book he was having trouble reading.


    ¡°Peace,¡± he murmured, his eyes still locked on hers. ¡°True peace? Freedom? Yes. Yes, that¡¯s what we want,¡± he said, his voice dark and thick. ¡°But how do we get it, Sash? If I walk out there tomorrow and tell that female that sure, fine, let¡¯s all just live like one big happy family, what happens next?


    ¡°She outnumbers us four to one. She¡¯s established. She¡¯s got shelter, resources, weapons¡­ so much that we don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°If she¡¯s offering peace¡ª¡±


    ¡°How do we know she isn¡¯t just offering it to get us to rx so she can split us up? Or kill us? Or enve us¡ª¡±


    Sasha groaned. ¡°They don¡¯t have ves, Zev.¡±


    ¡°How do you know?¡±


    ¡°Look at Jayah and the other healers! Look at how Tarkyn tried to help us get out¡ªyou really think those people have been living in a society that just¡­ enves people?¡±


    ¡°No. But they¡¯ve been fucked up by the humans just like us! At least, their Queen has. I told you, get Elreth out of the way and I¡¯ll talk to the rest of them. But don¡¯t tell me to trust that bitch. She¡¯s strong and cruel and selfish, and I¡¯m not putting anyone¡ªleast of all my son¡ªin her hands!¡±


    ¡°But¡­ if she¡¯s admitting she was wrong¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s easy to say you were wrong when it¡¯s been proven to you,¡± Zev growled, letting her go and turning away to pick up his shirt and pull it on. ¡°Show me a leader who¡¯s willing to admit they¡¯re wrong while they¡¯re neck-deep in their own pride¡­ then I might listen.¡±


    ¡°Like you, Zev?¡± she said softly.


    Zev froze in the act of tugging his shirt down over his abs. He stared at her, not breathing. Like she¡¯d drawn a weapon on him.


    ¡°You saying I¡¯m prideful, Sash?¡± he asked so quietly, so carefully, she couldn¡¯t tell if he was hurt or angry.


    Sasha swallowed and shook her head. ¡°No. I¡¯m saying¡­ I¡¯m saying it¡¯s really hard when you¡¯re certain you¡¯re right to look at things a different way. But sometimes¡­ sometimes we have to, Zev. Please. I¡ª¡±


    She reached for him, but he jerked out of her grip, staring at her like he¡¯d never seen her before. ¡°Seriously? You saw what they did to me. You know!¡±


    Her tears flooded then, blurring her vision and stealing away the sight of her mate staring at her like she¡¯d just plunged a knife into his back.


    ¡°I do know, Zev. I do. And I begged for you. I pleaded for you. I did everything I could so they¡¯d let you out of those bonds. They didn¡¯t know¡ªnot what you¡¯d been through¡ª¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t give a flying fuck about what else they knew! They tied me that way because they knew it would stop me from shifting. Stop me from protecting you and Zan and¡­ I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re taking their side on this.¡± He backed away from her, towards the door, shaking his head. But Sasha hurried after him.


    ¡°I¡¯m not! Zev! I¡¯m not! Please, don¡¯t leave¡ª¡±


    ¡°I need to go for a walk.¡±


    ¡°No! I¡¯m sorry, I just wanted to talk to you when no one else was¡ªZev, please¡ª¡±


    ¡°I need a break.¡±


    ¡°Zev! Don¡¯t!¡± she leaped after him, grabbing his arm and Zev turned into a whirlwind, throwing himself around with a guttural snarl, whipping his arm high and wide to break her grip, and almost backhanding her as he did. The air of the swing rushed across her cheek and her hair fluttered in the wind of it.


    Sasha froze, wide-eyed, and Zev did too.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t¡­ that wasn¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°I know, Zev. I know. It was a reaction. Reflex. I know. I get it,¡± she said, swallowing back the fear that was suddenly creeping into her throat. ¡°But that¡¯s the thing¡­ we all have those. Even¡­ even our enemies. We all have stuff that makes us just react where we can¡¯t even think. And if that¡¯s all anyone ever judged us by¡­ we¡¯d all look like enemies.¡±


    He blinked, staring at her, the muscles at the back of his jaw flexing and twitching. Sasha stood right at his toes, staring back, pleading with him in her mind to hear her. To soften.


    He cursed under his breath and turned away, ring at the side of the cave, those muscles still flexing as he ground his teeth.


    ¡°Fine,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°What¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll agree to the talks,¡± he said. Relief rushed through her chest, though his brows were shoved down into a V over his nose, and he hadn¡¯t met her eyes again yet. Then he finally turned back to meet her gaze again. ¡°But you let me lead this, Sasha. If we¡¯re going to meet them face to face¡­ we¡¯re prepared to take them down if we have to.¡±


    Sasha nodded, then threw herself into his chest, hugging him and stroking his back.


    It took him a second, but he soon wrapped his arms around her and even stroked her hair.


    They both stood there for a long minute, just breathing and holding each other. She felt the hitch of his breath and wondered if he felt like crying too.


    But when she squeezed him tighter he sighed. ¡°If I¡¯m going to do this, I have to go find Lhars and Skhal. They need to get all the fighters together and¡­ it¡¯s going to be a long day, Sash.¡±


    ¡°I know. I know. I just¡­ I miss you, Zev. I miss us.¡±


    He took a deep breath that expanded his chest. ¡°Me too, babe. Me too.¡±

 Chapter 186 - 186 Breakfast Fire

    186 Breakfast Fire


    If you like music while you read, try ¡°Demons at the Door¡± by Written by Wolves. It¡¯s what I listened to while writing this chapter!


    *****


    ~ HARTH ~


    Harth had gone ahead to the breakfast fire. She wanted to see if she could find some extra meat for Tarkyn before he got there¡ªsurrounded by guards¡ªbecause she knew he wouldn¡¯t ask for it for himself. And she was worried if he was there, the others might be difficult about it.


    She shouldn¡¯t have worried. Her pack greeted her warmly and were happy to provide for her and her mate.


    She was already setting up at the fire, an extra b of the venison from one of the forest deer on the spit, when a soft hand touched her shoulder.


    She turned, then leaped to her feet. ¡°Suhle! You¡¯re here! How?!¡±


    She didn¡¯t even think, just leaped to throw her arms around the older female, whoughed softly and hugged her back just as enthusiastically. ¡°We were given freedomst night,¡± she said softly, smiling when they pulled out of each other¡¯s arms. ¡°I think Zev would like to have us shadowed, but they all agreed¡­ it¡¯s good to see you, Harth. I was so d when I learned that you were here safely.¡±


    Harth nodded. ¡°We only made it yesterday as well. I¡¯m so d they let you go free.¡±


    .....


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure it was a popr decision, but I will take advantage while I can. I¡¯m so d I found you.¡±


    They settled down next to the fire, adding Suhle¡¯s breakfast rations to the spit so Harth could cook for both couples while they caught up.


    ¡°You¡¯re very brave toe here, but I¡¯m so d it¡¯s you. I know that they¡¯ll listen to you, Suhle. I know they will.¡±


    Suhle didn¡¯t look as certain, but she shrugged. ¡°It was clear that we were the right pair to offer reassurance,¡± she said. ¡°Though I¡¯m not certain it will be heard. Zev is¡­ very angry.¡±


    Harth snorted. ¡°You have no idea.¡±


    ¡°I think I have some.¡±


    That was sobering. Harth nodded and poked at the fire to keep the embers close together. ¡®Did you learn anything¡­ usefulst night?¡¯ she asked quietly, through the link.


    Suhle shook her head. ¡®Zev was very careful to ask all the questions and offer very little. He and Lerrin are a little too simr to be entirelyfortable with each other, I think. But he did seem to respect Lerrin¡¯s strength. I suspect we have shadows following us that we haven¡¯t perceived yet, though,¡¯ Suhle added dryly.


    ¡®Probably,¡¯ Harth sighed in the link. ¡®I¡¯m d he wasn¡¯t so hard on you, though. He was¡­ very hard on Tarkyn when he arrived without disavowing Elreth.¡¯


    Suhle tsked, shaking her head and looked away over the encampment, her beautiful eyes dark and worried. ¡®The feeling here is very tense. I can understand it. I don¡¯t envy Zev the position he finds himself in. But that male is on a hair-trigger. I am far less confident of our ability here than I was before we spoke with him. But I do think he heard us¡ªheard our story. Whether he sees the corrtion for himself though, I don¡¯t know.¡¯


    Harth sighed. ¡®At least he didn¡¯t try to split you two up.¡¯


    ¡®I wouldn¡¯t allow it,¡¯ Suhle replied simply, but the strength of will and certainty echoed in her words.


    Harth gave a small smile. ¡®I¡¯ll be sure to warn Zev.¡¯


    Suhle snorted, but then her face went thoughtful again before she looked at Harth. ¡®And how are you? Is it good to be back among your own?¡¯


    ¡®Of course! I just¡­ everything still feels so uncertain. I thought when Zev got loose things would get better, but he¡¯s so angry. I¡¯m afraid of what will happen if he doesn¡¯t agree to the peace talks.¡¯


    Suhle nodded. ¡®It¡¯s a very hard thing when the life you know is upended by your mate.¡¯


    Harth gave her a searching look. ¡®You said that you and Lerrin were kept apart for a long time at first as well. What happened when you epted the bond?¡¯


    ¡°It was the most wonderful night of my life,¡± she said out loud, with a quiet, distant smile. ¡°There was nowhere I wanted to be, except in his arms.¡±


    Harth nodded. She knew that feeling. And how torturous it had been until they couldplete the bond. ¡°But you had to leave, right? To stay with him?¡±


    Suhle nodded and nced at her from the side. ¡°I thought that might be something we should speak about¡ªthe decision you may still be left to make.¡±


    Harth bit her lip. ¡°I hope there won¡¯t be a need¡ª¡±


    ¡®If you had asked me what I thought before we arrived here, Harth, I was utterly confident that it would only take time to bring our peoples together. But on seeing Zevst night, feeling his tension and anger¡­ I am no longer certain. I pray¡ªI will be praying fervently¡ªthat he can find forgiveness and hope. But it was clear to mest night that without the staying hand of his trusted advisors, he would never have epted us among your ranks. He is not seeking peace. He¡¯s seeking¡­ victory.¡¯


    Harth closed her eyes for a moment. It was exactly how she¡¯d been feeling too. And it was so frightening. ¡®I worry about that, as well.¡¯


    Suhle nodded. ¡®You should follow your heart, Harth,¡¯ she said simply.


    Harth¡¯s eyes flew open and she turned her head to stare at Suhle, who looked back at her calmly. ¡®I¡­ what?¡¯


    ¡®I can tell you, as someone who had to leave pack and home to stay in the arms of my mate, I never regretted it a day. Not once. When you have found your One¡­ nothing else is worth as much. Nothing else willfort you for losing them, or even being separated.¡¯


    Harth swallowed and nodded. ¡°I know. I never wanted to leave, even when things were¡­ hard with the others. But I wondered about bringing him here¡­¡±


    Suhle watched her carefully, her expression cautious for the first time. ¡®I¡¯d tell you something that could be¡­ unpopr.¡¯


    ¡®Please, just say it. I don¡¯t know anyone who¡¯s been through something like this the way you have.¡¯


    Suhle took a deep breath and looked into the fire as she spoke, not leaving her eyes on Harth, letting Harth examine what she said.


    ¡®My mate is a strong male,¡¯ she said carefully. ¡®Whether he wants to admit it or not, he was created to lead¡ªand he doesn¡¯t feel right in himself when he isn¡¯t.¡¯


    Harth nodded. ¡®I mentioned that to Tarkynst night¡ªhe said he was trying to be submissive. I could haveughed!¡¯


    Suhle smiled, but still kept her eyes on the fire. ¡°Our mates have much inmon, Harth,¡¯ she said, then nced at Harth from the side.


    Harth nodded. ¡®I agree.¡¯


    Suhle licked her lip and looked at the fire again. ¡®Do you see that¡­ Tarkyn has the humility to lower himself¡ªand I¡¯m certain he would do it for you. He adores you.¡¯


    Harth smiled, her cheeks warming. ¡®I adore him too.¡¯


    ¡®Which is as it should be,¡¯ Suhle said warmly. ¡®But¡­ it seems to me¡­ you mentioned that you are not a high ranking wolf in your pack. Yet you¡¯re very strong. Did you not seek it, or¡ª¡¯


    ¡®It¡¯s abination of factors¡ªthe humans kept me away from the packs from the age that I might have started pursuing a position in the hierarchy. So I never found my ce. But also I find¡­ I want to have the choice about where I put my energy and time. And the more I watch leaders, the more I realize they¡¯re always sort of¡­ corralled.¡¯


    Suhle let out a big breath, nodding. ¡®That is certainly true. Pursuing leadership is pursuing responsibility. And that never leaves you free to just¡­ choose.¡¯


    Harth nodded. ¡®I¡¯m happy to be where I am and to just¡­ influence what I can.¡¯


    ¡®Do you see that your mate isn¡¯t so¡­ flexible?¡¯ Suhle asked very slowly.


    Harth nced at her, but the older wolf just kept staring at the fire. ¡®I think so?¡¯ she said.


    ¡®I¡¯ve known of Tarkyn since he was very young¡ªstill adolescent. And although we spent most of that time apart¡­ watching him over the past year or so it wouldn¡¯t have mattered if I¡¯d known him when he was young, I would have seen it¡­ he is a very strong male, Harth. He is an Anima who truly stepped into what he was made to be.¡¯


    ¡®I agree.¡¯ She sensed that Suhle was working towards something, but she wasn¡¯t sure what it was.


    ¡®So¡­ I think that your mate, like mine, will never be fully satisfied to simply sit back and allow events to y out around him. He was Created to lead, to push, to influence.¡¯ Then Suhle did turn to look at her. ¡®Harth, Tarkyn is very humble and I think for that reason, doesn¡¯t always see himself clearly. But¡­ he will never be himself¡­ not his true self¡­ in a ce that would stifle that in him.¡¯


    Harth tilted her head because for a moment she wasn¡¯t sure why Suhle seemed to think this was such a big deal. But then she grasped it, and her heart sank.


    *****


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 Chapter 187 - 187 Making the Most of Now - Part 1*

    187 Making the Most of Now ¨C Part 1*


    ~ HARTH ~


    Harth got it. Oh, but how she wished she didn¡¯t.


    She couldn¡¯t be right, could she?


    Harth swallowed hard.


    Suhle believed Tarkyn would never be happy among the Chimera because Zev would never trust him to carry the same kind of leadership that he did in the Anima.


    And even as a little wail of pain pierced her heart at the thought, it settled deep in her guts¡­ because she knew it was right.


    She could see it, suddenly, how Tarkyn would stay here for her¡ªif she asked him to. How he¡¯d mold himself to this new people, this different way of life. And he¡¯d devote himself to Harth, and stifle his own nature and¡­ be less. For her, he would be less.


    She met Suhle¡¯s eyes and the woman nodded. ¡°Giving the life I knew for my mate, to be with him, to let him be as he should be¡­ I never regretted it, Harth. I want you to hear that: I never regretted it. Not once¡ª¡± she cut off as Tarkyn emerged from between tents, surrounded by guards, at the edge of the fire circle.


    ¡°Suhle?¡± he murmured, shocked.


    .....


    Suhle turned, beaming, and threw herself into a hug with Tarkyn as well.


    Harth had to stifle a burst of jealousy when she saw Tarkyn¡¯s smile for the woman¡ªwhich was ridiculous. But as the two caught up and shared joy at seeing each other safe, Harth¡¯s thoughts were drawn back to what Suhle had said and the choice she might be forced to make if things didn¡¯t progress in the next day or two.


    And as she looked at her mate, tall and strong, and he caught her eye over Suhle¡¯s shoulder, she knew there was really no choice to make at all.


    *****


    ~ TARKYN ~


    It had been a very pleasant surprise to find Suhle at the breakfast fire when he went to join Harth¡ªand even more so when Lerrin stopped by as well and they were able to embrace. Tarkyn tried hard not to resent the fact that Zev had allowed the pair to walk free¡ªthough, like them, he suspected they were being watched.


    But he and Lerrin had barely sped forearms and greeted each other when a murmur rippled through the camp around them. They looked up to find Chimera at other fires all getting to their feet, looking North.


    Tarkyn reached for Harth as they both stood, so their hands were sped when Zev came into view, prowling through the camp. At first Tarkyn¡¯s body tensed¡ªhe must being for them. But then the wolf stopped and turned, raising his voice and turning slowly, making an announcement to his people.


    ¡°I want you all to know that tomorrow we will be heading west to meet the Anima and the Queen for¡­ peace talks¡­¡± he growled in a tone so dry it would have dehydrated leaves. Tarkyn¡¯s breath stopped. Then Zev¡¯s eyes lit with a fire that sank his stomach to his toes. ¡°We will entertain this pageant in case my neighboring Alpha carries more integrity than I thought. But we will walk to that table unwilling to yield, and prepared to fight for our lives. I will not let you be caged again! I vow it!¡±


    There was a smattering of gasps and apuse, but it was clear most of the Chimera weren¡¯t sure what to make of this. Zev, still turning circles, slowly came to face them and his eyesnded on Tarkyn¡¯s. Even from the distance, Tarkyn could feel the crackling rage in the male.


    ¡°Make certain everyone hears. Everyone: The Chimera will never be bound. Never be caged again. I will stake my life on it.¡±


    And then, as a few howls rose and the people sucked in towards him, Zev prowled away again, obviously off to make his announcement to the other fires.


    When Harth turned her face up to look at him, her eyes alight with the same nervous fear guing him, Tarkyn felt the familiar tension in his limbs¡ªthe way his body felt when he was preparing to fight. He wanted to shake it off. Didn¡¯t want to believe this was hopeless, but deep in his gut¡­


    ¡°Suhle,¡± Lerrin muttered. ¡°We need to get out there¡­ tell them¡­ show them that we¡¯re not here to harm.¡±


    Tarkyn and Harth both waved them away when the pair made apologies, then hurried away. Then Tarkyn looked down at his mate again, and everything else faded away.


    She stared up at him, her eyes bright and wide, liquid with both love and fear. His mate. His precious, beautiful mate whom he¡¯d known for a time he could still count in days¡­ and tomorrow they were going to walk into discussions with his people that could save hundreds of lives¡­ or remove them from each other forever.


    The thought stole his breath.


    Need mmed into him like he¡¯d been taken down by a hunting lion.


    ¡°Harth¡ª¡±


    She nodded and started walking. He¡¯d almost forgotten the guards, and he growled when he saw them, all hovering, frowning, clearly preparing to keep an even closer eye on him than they had been.


    But Harth only shook her head and tugged at his hand.


    He could feel the knot of desire in her as well¡ªshe was tamping it down, keeping it wrapped until they were alone. His instincts snarled because they were surrounded by males who would all scent her. But she yanked on his arm and dragged him forward, plowing through the camp towards the trail that would take them out of the tent vige and into the trees, towards their cave.


    Tarkyn followed her example and kept himself in check, watching the guards. But none of them touched her, or approached inappropriately.


    ¡°Leave us, please!¡± she snapped at them as they rounded the final corner towards the entrance to the cave. ¡°Keep your patrol. Keep your eyes on the cave, but please¡­ give us some space. We need to talk.¡±


    Tarkyn almostughed¡ªif the situation hadn¡¯t been so tense, he would have.


    Talk. There would be little talking.


    The fist leader looked at each of them in turn, then pursed his lips. But when they stepped into the dark mouth of the cave, the guards were spreading out, rather than clustering around it.


    Seeing that, Tarkyn gave up on stifling anything. He strode past Harth, pulling her with him as he led her as far back into the cave as possible, ignoring the fire at its center that was slowly burning out.


    When he was certain the cave was empty and they wouldn¡¯t be disturbed, he pulled her to him and took her mouth, his fingers wed into her hair as he walked her backwards towards the furs.


    Tarkyn cautioned himself¡ªthe kiss was deep and brutal¡ªbut Harth clung to him, and devoured him right back, her breath sucking in when she stumbled and almost went down.


    He gripped her arms to keep her on her feet, straightening enough to meet her eyes, but didn¡¯t let her go.


    They stared at each other. ¡°I can¡¯t fathom¡­ if this doesn¡¯t go well¡­ I need you, Harth,¡± he said hoarsely.


    She gulped a breath and nodded. ¡°Me too,¡± she gasped and threw herself at him.


    They struggled against buttons, wrestled with belts, tugged at slick leather and tore away barriers, but Tarkyn was lost. There was no thought in his head beyond her. Beyond the screaming between his temples that he hadn¡¯t taken her the night before. That he¡¯d wasted such precious hours and now¡­


    ¡°Tarkyn, please,¡± she gasped, taking his hands and sinking to the furs. ¡°Please¡ª¡±


    He followed her down, crawling over her on all fours, devouring her with tongue, teeth, lips. Harth¡¯s breath was already heavy¡ªhis own echoed around them. She arched and tried to pull him down to cover her, but he shuddered, then opened his mouth to suck deeply on the iming mark.


    Harth gasped and went rigid, her hands stilling on his shoulders as he tasted that precious skin, now healed, but still red and tender.


    He dropped his hips to grind against her, sucking at that skin. Harth whimpered as he did it again, but then pulled away, back up onto his knees, straddling her.


    ¡°What¡ª¡± she breathed.


    ¡°Hold on,¡± he growled, then flipped her over onto her belly.


    ¡°Oh,¡± she said, her voice a lovely, warm shiver as she arched her back¡ªbut this time to press her ass up, rubbing herself against him.


    ¡°Vixen,¡± he rasped. Sheughed, but then gasped again when he leaned down, sliding his hand up from her hip to her stomach, then her breast, pulling her back into his chest as he covered her from behind. Then he opened his mouth on the iming mark again, and this time pinched it between his teeth.


    Harth shuddered, her entire body trembling. She pressed her breast into his kneading palm, but threw her head back against his shoulder, both of them moving slowly, but firmly, rubbing, breath shaking.


    *****


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 Chapter 188 - 188 Making the Most of Now - Part 2*

    188 Making the Most of Now ¨C Part 2*


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    *****


    ~ TARKYN ~


    Tarkyn couldn¡¯t stop. He knew he should take his time, but the drive to take her, to possess her, knowing their time might be short, was so undeniable¡­ Thoughtless with need, he slid his hand up to grab her chin and turn her head, taking her mouth even as he curled over her, nudged her knees apart, then plunged into her with a roar that shook the air in the cave.


    ¡°Tarkyn!¡± she cried, shivering, her skin goosebumping all the way down her back.


    ¡°I¡ª¡±


    But then she pushed herself back hard against him so his thighs pped against hers and Tarkyn was so turned on, he almost came.


    ¡°Holy shit, Harth,¡± he growled, letting her brace to take the weight of his chest on her shoulders as he reached for her breasts with both hands.


    For a long, breathless moment they rocked, Harth arched and pressing into his hands, his breath hot on her shoulder.


    .....


    But it wasn¡¯t enough. It was never enough.


    Rearing back, he grasped her hip in one hand, pressed the other palm to her spine, then thrust into her so hard her knees lifted from the furs.


    He gave a long, shuddering groan as she clenched around him, then thrust again. And again, pulling her back onto him, pressing her down against his thrust, moaning her name, his blood racing and heating with her cries that started small, bare gasps, but rose with every thigh pping thrust, until her voice was breaking on his name.


    Seeing her body ripple with the force of him entering her, he gave a strangled groan and had to bend over her, catching his own weight, stop moving for a moment, or he would havee already and it was too soon. Far too soon.


    But even as he blinked and gasped, leaning over her, bracing both arms on either side of hers, she leaned back and whimpered his name again.


    In an attempt to soothe her, he kissed the back of her neck¡ªbut she moaned, then reached back with one hand to pull his jaw as she turned her head and took his mouth, their tongues tangling¡ªand when he groaned, she tightened around him.


    ¡°Harth¡­ I need you¡­ more¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes. Don¡¯t stop. Don¡¯t stop,¡± she breathed, dropping her head back against his shoulder again as he gathered himself, banking the terror that wed at the back of his mind with the sheer fire of his need for her.


    ¡°My mate¡­¡± he groaned as he began to move again, first slowly, writhing against her. ¡°My beautiful mate¡­¡± But it wasn¡¯t enough¡ªfor either of them.


    As Harth muttered a curse, he reared back again, let his hands drag up her thighs, then along her sides. And when she shivered, he grasped her waist and pumped into her, again, again, again, until his derations of love and need became strangled cries.


    With her thighs shaking, she panted and whimpered, pushing back against him, his name torn from her throat over and over.


    They were both ovee, the world forgotten¡­ both so desperate that Tarkyn feared he might actually shift. And it still wasn¡¯t enough. He needed her closer.


    ¡°Hold on,¡± he gasped, then grasped both her hips as he leaned backwards, arching himself, and pulling her up onto him until her back came up hard against his chest and she straddled his thighs.


    She was helpless there in hisp, able to do nothing but bnce herself and reach back, one hand pped to the back of his neck, the other gripping his forearm as he pounded into her.


    The echoes of the iming sent him over the edge. The mating call echoed through the cave as he


    ¡°Tarkyn! Tarkyn!¡± she sounded panicked, but she was arching, crying, searching for her peak, frantic for it.


    ¡°I have you. I¡¯ll always have you,¡± he rasped, his lips against her ear.


    The tiny hairs on her neck rose, her skin pebbling, then washing down her back as he stroked one hand from her hip, across her belly, then down, down to find where they joined, where she was spread, but so slick, he was forced to use multiple fingers to make sure he found her pleasure.


    He knew he¡¯d found the spot when she tensed, clenching around him, her fingers wed into his other arm and her breath stopped.


    ¡°I love you, Harth,¡± he rasped as he stroked again.


    ¡°Love you so much.¡± Again.


    ¡°Don¡¯t leave me¡­ don¡¯t ever leave me.¡± Again, and again, and again.


    Harth was silent, her breath holding with each thrust, then rushing out when he eased back, sucking in to hold again when he thrust, until suddenly she shuddered.


    ¡°Tarkyn!¡± her voice was high and thin as her body gripped him and her entire body jolted. She cried out, her hips twitching as she rode that over the edge of ecstasy, tumbling into freefall on the other side.


    She went loose in his arms, her body rippling and jerking, but Tarkyn buried his face into the hollow of her neck and clung, pressing her against him as he followed her, groaning her name against her salty skin as the world seemed to implode with pleasure.


    *****


    ~ HARTH ~


    Tarkyn slowly lowered her to the furs, then curled up behind her, sliding one arm under her head, the other over her waist, his knees bent behind hers, curling himself around her. There wasn¡¯t a part of her that he didn¡¯t touch, his breath heaving and still hot in her hair.


    But neither of them spoke for several minutes as theyy there together, blinking anding back to the world.


    At one point she shifted her weight and his arm over her tightened as if he was afraid she would leave.


    He was trembling.


    Harth frowned and hugged his arm to her, his fingers syed just under her breasts, on her ribs.


    ¡°Tarkyn, what is it¡­ what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Nothing I just¡­ I just need you close right now.¡±


    Harth swallowed, staring at the wall of the cave and letting the events of the past few minutes y back in her head, desire fluttering in her again already as she thought about that moment when he¡¯d entered her.


    He groaned when her skin prickled under his touch, then kissed her neck again. ¡°I¡¯d take you again¡­ right now.¡±


    ¡°What is this?¡± she whispered. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡±


    He sighed heavily, his breath rushing across the sensitive skin at the nape of her neck. He curled even tighter around her and pulled her against him. And when he spoke his lips brushed against her skin.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to call it, but I¡¯ve experienced it before¡­ heard from others¡­ it¡¯s a kind of¡­ panic, I guess,¡± he said, his voice a little self-deprecating, a little embarrassed. ¡°There¡¯s a feeling that always happens on the eve of battle¡­ as if everything might be taken from you. As if there¡¯s a need to ensure there¡¯s no regrets. Nothing you¡¯d look back on and wish for. I just¡­ Harth I just can¡¯t lose you yet. That¡¯s all. Don¡¯t worry. It will pass.¡±


    ¡°No, no, don¡¯t¡­ don¡¯t be silly. I felt it too. I just wasn¡¯t sure if what you were feeling was the same thing I was feeling. I felt it before as well, but it was different. When we were leaving Thana and we didn¡¯t know if¡­ if we were going to make it. There was this kind of¡­ energy I had. I kept hugging people and¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± He sagged a little at her back as if he was relieved. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here, Tarkyn,¡± she whispered, letting her fingers slide between his. He tightened his grip, keeping her there. ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡±


    ¡°I pray to the Creator that¡¯s true,¡± he said baldly. ¡°But if I have learned anything in my life Harth it¡¯s that we can take nothing for granted. So¡­ justy here with me before we need to go, okay?¡±


    ¡°Go? Where?¡±


    ¡°I need to speak with Sasha if possible. I need to¡­ do what the Creator put me here to do.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Harth tensed, her eyes wide. What was he going to do? Was that why he was suddenly frightened?


    ¡°I submitted to her yesterday,¡± he said slowly. ¡°And I¡¯m praying that means she¡¯ll receive me. I thought about it all night, Harth. And I realized¡­ If I was in her shoes, I would want to know what I know. I have to try and tell her. And leave it up to the Creator whether she listens or not.¡±


    ¡°Tell her what?¡±


    He sighed so deeply that she was pressed forward by his chest. ¡°I have to tell her that her people are on the verge of revolt. If she doesn¡¯t lead them to peace¡­ Zev may not lead them at all after tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Wait.. what?¡±


    ¡°That tension you can feel out there, Harth. I know it. I¡¯ve felt it before, though for different reasons. Clearly the Chimera have been waiting for their Alpha to return, assuming that that is what would make them feel safe here. But they¡¯vee back¡­ frightened and aggressive. No predators respond well to that. A fearful leader is an unstable one.


    ¡°If Sasha doesn¡¯t stand up and take control of this, Zev will find himself overrun by his own people.¡±


    ¡°Overrun?¡± Harth asked, her voice thin.


    ¡®They might go to the Anima without him¡­ or her if she remains loyal.¡¯


    ¡®Loyal?! Tarkyn, they¡¯re ardent. She¡¯s not leaving him for anything?¡¯


    ¡®Even for the safety of her child?¡¯ he asked carefully.


    Harth froze.

 Chapter 189 - 189 Discipline isn’t Punishment

    189 Discipline isn¡¯t Punishment


    ~ TARKYN ~


    Harth turned slowly to meet his eyes. ¡°You think¡­ No, Tarkyn, You can¡¯t know¡­ Zev and Sasha got us out of the grip of the humans. They trust them¡ªbelieve in them.¡±


    ¡°Them, or Sasha?¡± Tarkyn said, his face grim. He traced the hair back from her temples, behind her ear. ¡°Harth, there is real fear out there. Fear of Zev. He¡¯s looking¡­ erratic. Unwise. Aggressive. If we go meet Elreth tomorrow and she responds as I think she will¡ªwith calm and dignity and humility¡ªand Zev continues to spit hate and aggression¡­ If Sasha pushes for peace and Zev for war¡­ who do you think they¡¯ll follow? And where will that leave the pair of them?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Harth said, shaking her head as if to push the thought away. ¡°It can¡¯t be that bad. They¡¯re just nervous.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re more than nervous, Harth. They came expecting a new life. They¡¯ve been held too tightly since they arrived, and now that they¡¯re finally able to see a future¡­ now Zev wants to make them fight again?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s showing the wolves what was done to him¡­ he¡¯s sharing memories. Some of them. They don¡¯t like seeing what happened to him¡ªespecially when Elreth attacked Sasha.¡±


    ¡°And yet, when he walked into the circle today, their scent rose in fear at his arrival, not at his announcement. Did you hear how uncertain they were in their response to what he said? He was rallying them¡ªor trying to. But those with some experience, some years under their furs¡­ they can scent how on edge he is. Harth, they aren¡¯t going to let him lead them to death if they measure that they won¡¯t face it without him.¡± He frowned, holding her face as if he might press the truth into her skin. ¡°Who do you think they¡¯d rather face¡ªthe wrath of Zev and whatever handful of support he can scrape together, or the wrath of the bigger, stronger Anima? Whoe offering peace, and with it, ess to an established society and all the resources it enjoys? These people are ready to be free, Harth. And if they measure that Zev is the only barrier to that¡­ it isn¡¯t Elreth who will pay.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ but they¡¯re ardent!¡±


    ¡°Which is why I need to speak with Sasha. I need to tell her what my experience is showing me and pray she can find a way to lead, or get through to Zev. Mark my words, Harth. If your people see strong, steady leaders across the negotiation table tomorrow, if they measure Zev as¡­ unstable. They will throw him to the wolves¡­ no pun intended.¡±


    .....


    Harth searched his eyes and asked herself¡­ if she¡¯d seen nothing but Zev¡¯s arrival after three months and this¡­ aggression and tension in him, what might she have thought?


    It was very clear, in the end. ¡°You¡¯re right. At least¡­ you¡¯re right that it¡¯s a risk. We need to talk to Sasha.¡±


    Tarkyn nodded sadly. ¡°But stay here with me for just a little longer¡­ please.¡±


    Harth didn¡¯t have any trouble granting that request. She would have dly stayed there in his arms forever, and to hell with everyone else.


    *****


    They found Sasha an hourter¡ªor rather, the tent in which her scent was strong. Harth had to exin to the guards who were reluctant to allow Tarkyn entrance when he hadn¡¯t been invited¡ªand his guards weren¡¯t going to help them.


    But thankfully, just as Harth was getting ready to go find Kyelle and see if Kyelle could get them to her, Sasha pushed through the tent p and stepped out, surprise on her face when she saw them all standing there¡ªtwo guards for the tent, four for Tarkyn, plus Harth and her mate.


    But Tarkyn was even more startled by Sasha¡¯s appearance. The shadows under her eyes were so dark they looked like bruises. She had her son slung across her chest again so she could walk with her hands free, but she didn¡¯t look like a strong, vibrant Alpha. She looked like a weak, exhausted human.


    Tarkyn¡¯s heart sank¡ªboth for her, and for what they needed to add to her burden.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± she asked more sharply than he¡¯d seen from her before.


    ¡°I was asking to speak with you, Sasha. It¡¯s important. Tarkyn¡­ Tarkyn has information for you.¡±


    Sasha looked at him, her forehead furrowed. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me yesterday?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know for sure yesterday,¡± he said, careful to be submissive in his attitude. ¡°But it¡¯s be¡­ urgent.¡±


    She looked back and forth between them, Skhal hovering at her back. Zev must not have been in the tent. Tarkyn was certain if the wolf had scented him he wouldn¡¯t have allowed her to speak to them without his presence.


    ¡°What is it?¡± she asked bluntly.


    Tarkyn looked around at all the ears and eyes on them. ¡°It would be better if I shared it with you more privately, so you could choose who else might learn of it,¡± he said carefully.


    Sasha sighed. ¡°I have to walk to the other edge of the encampment. You can walk with me if you want to.¡±


    Then she started walking, so that Tarkyn and Harth hurried after her. Skhal caught his eye, frowning¡ªthough not in aggression, apparently. But concern. Tarkyn nodded. He appreciated the steadiness of the male who was even older than himself. He continued to pray that he would be reunited with his mate. He couldn¡¯t imagine walking through all this knowing Harth was on the other side of it.


    As soon as they passed out of the main encampment and onto the trails where the tents were more scattered, Sasha looked at Tarkyn. ¡°Tell me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to bring this to you, I know you have a lot¡ª¡±


    ¡°Just tell me, Tarkyn. I don¡¯t have time or energy to go through the social niceties, okay? I believe you wouldn¡¯t press to talk to me without good reason. So let¡¯s just get this done.¡±


    She was looking down at her son in the sling, the lines in her forehead deepening as he squirmed and gave a little squeak.


    ¡°I need to tell you that I¡¯ve been in the middle of a war that was fomented by a tribe within the tribes,¡± he said as quietly as he was sure she would hear. ¡°And the feeling I get, the tension I see when I walk through the camps here¡­ they are the same, Sasha. Exactly the same.¡±


    She looked up at him, frowning. ¡°The same as?¡±


    ¡°When the wolves were considering an attempt to overthrow the Pride.¡±


    They were on a trail in the shadows under the trees, the guards hovering just feet away. Sasha stopped walking and turned abruptly to face him. ¡°What?¡±


    As quickly and as quietly as he could, he outlined for her exactly what he¡¯d seen, what he perceived¡ªwhat his instincts as a soldier, leader, and fighter told him.


    Sasha ran a hand through her hair and sighed. ¡°The war stuff, the soldiers, Tarkyn that¡¯s not my area of¡­ experience. I really think you need to talk to Zev¡­ or maybe Lhars.¡±


    ¡°I would but¡­ I think we both know Zev wouldn¡¯t listen to me. And Lhars¡­ Lhars is following his brother. Sasha, this needs you. Your people love you. They follow you¡ªand I can see why. This needs you to stand as Alpha.¡±


    She looked irritated. The baby squalled and she started to sway, patting his back. ¡°Why?¡±


    Tarkyn told her about the risk he sawing for Zev. ¡°If they don¡¯t feel sure under him¡­ they will turn to you, or they will turn away. I don¡¯t bring this to you as any ploy, Sasha. If I had desire for the Anima to overrun you, I would have hidden it from you and told Elreth how to exploit it. But I want peace. I want the freedom to be with my mate, and she with her pack. Please¡­ You are Alpha as well, yes?¡± he said pointedly.


    Sasha¡¯s face dragged towards the dirt and she started walking again. ¡°I¡¯m not¡­ I mean¡­ I am, but we have different aspects to this. He submitted to me with the humans because I understood things he didn¡¯t. Now he understands what I don¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t understand this. He¡¯s always been manipted and led. He hasn¡¯t led his soldiers to war¡ªnot like this. I have, Sasha. I¡¯m telling you, this risk is present and real. Your people want real freedom. And I fear they¡¯ll follow whoever presents it to them.¡±


    Sasha dropped her face into both hands. ¡°What is it you think I can do? I can talk to the people, but I can¡¯t dominate them, Tarkyn. That¡¯s been my entire point through all of this¡ªI lead by¡­ heart. I can¡¯t make an adolescent Chimera bend to me physically if they don¡¯t want to.¡±


    ¡°This doesn¡¯t need yourbat, Sasha. It needs your will. Your vision. The people need to be¡­ inspired. Disciplined.¡±


    She jerked her head back. ¡°My people have been through enough, I¡¯m not going to try and control them by¡ª¡±


    ¡°Discipline isn¡¯t punishment,¡± Tarkyn rushed in. ¡°It isn¡¯t even dominance. It¡¯s simply identifying what is incorrect among your people and addressing it. When young hearts that feel insecure see discipline they learn that they can rest in that ce. Because if something is wrong they¡¯ll be¡­ corrected. And, perhaps more importantly, if they see someone in leadership being wrong they can rest that that person will be disciplined as well.¡±


    He took a breath when her frown deepened. ¡°I don¡¯t want to add to your burden, Sasha. I truly don¡¯t, but if I were in your ce I would want to know: Your people are at risk of overthrowing your mate if he doesn¡¯t handle this in a way that makes them feel safe. There is war on the horizon¡­ but I fear it may not be with the Anima.¡±

 Chapter 190 - 190 Gathering Clouds

    190 Gathering Clouds


    If you like music while you read, try ¡°A Grave Mistake¡± by Ice Nine Kills. It¡¯s what I listened to while writing this chapter!


    *****


    ~ ZEV ~


    Zev hated that as he approached the cave that afternoon looking for Sasha his stomach twisted with nerves. Things hadn¡¯t ended well that morning and he knew it was his fault. He could feel Sasha¡¯s weariness and fear and it twisted his guts. So as he stalked towards the cave¡ªinsisting that the others left him alone with his mate¡ªhe tamped down the simmering anger and frustration of the day and rolled his shoulders, trying desperately to rx.


    He needed to remind her that she and Zan were the primary reasons he did this. That nothing else was as important to him as them.


    Nothing.


    Her scent strengthened as he approached the cave and he was relieved. She¡¯d been busy all morning, carting Zan with her as she handled more than she should have to, but he hadn¡¯t even caught a glimpse of her for hours. And now the sun was high and they were rolling relentlessly towards these talks with the Anima, and Zev found he needed to see her as much as he felt she needed to see him.


    ¡°Sash?¡± he said gently as he stepped into the cave. ¡°I¡¯m sorry this morning was¡ª¡±


    ¡®Quiet!¡¯ Sasha hissed in his head with such force that he physically froze.


    .....


    He blinked, looking through the cave to find her.


    Sasha sat curled on the furs at the back of the cave in the light of only a low fire. But when she looked up at him, her face was haggard and pale. Her hair hung limply around her face, and her eyes were red like she¡¯d been crying.


    ¡®He only settled a few minutes ago. It¡¯s getting worse, Zev. The herbs help him for a little while, but then he wakes up crying, and his tummy is sticking out and¡­ I don¡¯t know what to do and the healers don¡¯t either!¡¯


    She sounded so afraid, so tense, so exhausted, Zev mentally smacked himself for not paying better attention.


    Hurrying through the cave¡ªsilently¡ªhe lowered himself to the furs and put an arm around her to look down on their son who was asleep in her arms.


    At first he wondered what the problem was. But then Zan¡¯s face screwed up and he let out a little cry, squirming in Sasha¡¯s arms.


    He felt her tense, smelled the fear and stress that washed through her¡ªso strong. But then Zan¡¯s face rxed and he went back to sleep.


    Was it Zev¡¯s imagination, or did his son breathe too quickly? He knew young breathed faster than adults¡­ but was this normal?


    ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯ he asked as calmly as he could.


    ¡®I think the milk is hurting his stomach, or something,¡¯ she wailed in his head. ¡®Or he¡¯s sick. I don¡¯t know, Zev. And neither do the healers. Nhell went to find one of the males who used to work at the sanctuary to see if he knows more about human physiology but¡­ Zev, I¡¯m scared. He¡¯s not sleeping right, he¡¯s not feeding right, he¡¯s crying all the time¡ªeven when we were in the prison it wasn¡¯t like this!¡¯


    Zev shushed her and pulled her into his side, kissing her hair. She trembled, holding herself in check tightly, but he could smell her fear.


    This was only the second day. Perhaps it wasn¡¯t the milk at all? Maybe¡ª


    ¡®They¡¯re all saying they can tell his stomach is dis¡­ distended and he¡¯s in pain. He¡¯s in pain, Zev, and he can¡¯t talk about it and he can¡¯t tell us, and I don¡¯t know what to do!¡¯


    He wrapped his arms around both of them and held them to him, but resting his chin on the top of her head and holding her while she fought not to cry only broke through the control he¡¯d been so carefully building as he sought her. The anger, the frustration, the fear, all of it bubbled into his throat.


    He gritted his teeth and prayed for wisdom and¡­ something.


    They just needed something to go right.


    Anything.


    The hunters were scattered. The young wolves were goading each other towards the fight. The older wolves kept counseling caution. And even though Skhal hadn¡¯t said a word, his eyes followed Zev every time they passed, shadowed with usation and¡­ something Zev didn¡¯t want to see.


    A shiver rocked through him, a wave of anger and injustice and¡­ he needed to fight something. He needed something to bite! He needed¡ª


    ¡®Please, Zev¡­ please¡­¡¯


    ¡®What babe? Anything.¡¯


    ¡®We need the wet nurse. If he takes that milk and this is still happening then we know he¡¯s sick. And if he isn¡¯t then¡­ then that¡¯s what he needs and we don¡¯t have anyone¡ª¡¯


    Zev went very still, swallowing back the snarl that wanted to rise in his throat.


    ¡®Sasha¡­¡¯


    ¡®Please, Zev. Please. I¡¯m terrified. The healers said a baby can dehydrate and die in like three days and he¡¯s taking less and less every time I try to feed him and¡ª¡¯


    She broke down, crying¡ªdesperately trying to keep herself quiet so their son could sleep, but he was disturbed by the shaking and began to stir.


    Zev held her, too tightly, he was sure. But Sasha didn¡¯t seem to notice. And neither did Zan.


    He¡¯d never felt so useless, so helpless in his entire life.


    What good was beating the Anima if his son died?


    But what if it was only a short bug¡ªthey¡¯d been through so much in the past few days, their son removed from a sterile environment for the first time. It was entirely possible he¡¯d gotten a cold, or a stomach bug, or¡­ something. Something that was unaffected by¡ª


    Sasha lifted her head and pulled back far enough to meet his eyes with her own, shining and welling with tears. There were lines down her pale, gaunt cheeks, and dark smudges under her eyes. She lifted one hand to Zev¡¯s cheek and held his eyes, hers shing and fading and¡­


    She was hurting. So much.


    Zev had barely looked at her, but he looked at her now and it broke his heart.


    ¡®Please, Zev. We can¡¯t¡­ we can¡¯t do this the way we¡¯re doing it. We have to soften. Our son needs us to soften. Our people need us to soften. I don¡¯t want to fight with you, Zev. I don¡¯t have the energy. I don¡¯t want to undermine you. Please¡­ please. I need help.¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll handle it,¡± he murmured, then staggered to his feet, stroking her hair with a trembling hand, his mind spinning, twisting, his anger boiling, his fear a screaming demand in the back of his head.


    No matter which way he turned, it was wrong. Everything was wrong and he didn¡¯t know how to fix it.


    For a moment, as he stormed out of the cave and back towards the encampment, he shook with an overwhelming sense of failure. He couldn¡¯t see. He couldn¡¯t know.


    He couldn¡¯t fight¡ªnot yet.


    He¡¯d never felt so trapped in his entire life.


    ¡®Skhal,¡¯ he sent, searching for his advisor and friend and brother and betrayer and¡­


    ¡®I¡¯m here. What¡¯s wrong?¡¯


    When he¡¯d been meeting with the hunters and Alphas, he¡¯d ordered Skhal to monitor the Anima emissaries, to make sure they weren¡¯t interfering or close enough to overhear his nning.


    ¡®Something¡¯s wrong with Zan,¡¯ he sent, unable to narrow the link enough to hide his fear.


    Skhal was very quiet and very calm. ¡®What is it?¡¯


    Zev hesitated, then hated himself for the hesitation. Because no matter how much he wanted to, he couldn¡¯t choose the future¡ªcouldn¡¯t make things happen the way he wished them. Only prepare for the many and varied possibilities. But this¡­ getting help for Zan. This he could do.


    ¡®We need your mate,¡¯ he said stiffly through the link and felt Skhal¡¯s immediate relief¡ªand anger. Relief because Skhal needed his mate too. Anger because Zev hadn¡¯t felt that was enough to justify her being there. ¡®We need her expertise and¡­ Sasha trusts her. But I don¡¯t, Skhal,¡¯ he growled. ¡®If shees, she is under guard, and she sticks to Sasha¡ªor you¡ªand we watch her. Always.¡¯


    ¡®You believe I¡¯d allow my mate to¡ª¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯ll argue the details with youter, man. I¡¯m telling you please¡­ go get her. Now.¡¯


    Skhal didn¡¯t even hesitate. Zev felt him shift and begin to run.


    He wished he could do the same. Just run. And run. And run. Away. Take Sasha and Zan and disappear and forget any of this had happened.


    ¡®This was supposed to be safety,¡¯ he prayed bitterly, striding into the encampment to find a healer to speak to himself. ¡®This was supposed to be the ce we came to stop fighting. And you¡¯d take my son from me?!¡¯


    The Chimera that he passed among the tents shied away from the fire in his eyes and the growl that puttered in his throat.


    Good. Good.


    It was better that they know.


    It was better that they all fucking know what a knife-edge he was walking. There was no more room for error.

 Chapter 191 - 191 [Bonus chapter] Run

    191 [Bonus chapter] Run


    Here on Webnovel it¡¯s the end of the month! Remember, privilege will COMPLETELY refresh on Tuesday at 8:30am PST / 11:30am EST ¨Cso you can buy all new chapters, or bow out and still receive daily chapters. THANK YOU for all your support!


    *****


    ~ JAYAH ~


    Jayah sat in the far corner of the security building breathing carefully¡ªa five count as she inhaled, and a four count as she exhaled, training her body to rx and focus.


    She hadn¡¯t been able to focus since she¡¯d returned. Except for the moment when Elreth had taken her aside to admit what Jayah had already suspected¡ªthat Elreth was already a mother, though still months from delivery.


    It was the only time she¡¯d allowed one of the Anima to touch her¡ªshe¡¯d been unable to control the impulse to draw Elreth into her arms and hold her as Elreth, with fragile, shuddering words, admitted that she was bing a mother, and missing her own mother terribly in it.


    They¡¯d wept together¡ªa relief, because Elreth¡¯s nose had been quickly blocked by her tears so she couldn¡¯t scent Jayah.


    But she¡¯d been quick and insistent to swear Jayah to secrecy. Elreth admitted she¡¯d only told her because her own mate was beside himself that Elreth was working normally, traveling, staying upte¡­


    Jayah had been pleased to reassure the King¡ªand to share a smile with him when they were done covering the risks, orck thereof.


    .....


    Elreth was strong and healthy. Theck of sleep and travel wasn¡¯t ideal, but her body was made for this. As long as she continued to eat healthily and stopped any kind of training that might impact her stomach, she would be fine.


    Jayah was happy for them. So happy. And desperately reminded of her own mate¡ªand this very unique, very special part of the bond that they would never enjoy, so that she¡¯d had to walk away after the conversation to weep.


    But once that initial drama had passed, Elreth was still looking at Jayah askance about her disappearance, though she¡¯d told the truth. Or most of it: The Chimeran Alphas had taken her to help with Zan, then released her to return before they reached the Chimeran territory so that she wouldn¡¯t know anything about it.


    Yes, she¡¯d been frightened, but no they hadn¡¯t hurt her. Zev had only used her as leverage to get them away when they were discovered. She¡¯d never been under true threat¡­


    Jayah was shown again how much trust she enjoyed. How little suspicion. She was washed in shame as deep as her relief when they epted her exnation and allowed her to just¡­ go about her business.


    She¡¯d been keeping as much space between her and the others as she could, always cing herself downwind, or amongst a crowd that didn¡¯t know her well. So far no one had done more than hurriedly ask her if she was okay. But the entire WildWood was alight with the news that there were people¡ªpeople with links to the humans¡ªinhabiting the eastern penins.


    She knew more than she told, but nothing that could hurt or help, and so she kept her mouth shut. And everyone assumed she was dealing with the fear of having been taken by this threat. They were respecting her space.


    She could haveughed.


    They had no idea. No idea how her body pulled at her. How quickly she would drop everything and leave. No idea how very, very important these ¡®strangers¡¯ were to her.


    She scanned the room again, breathing slowly to settle her heart which was beginning to race with her thoughts. Elreth and her court were deep in discussion¡ªproposition, negotiation, risk containment¡­ none of them were paying attention to her. Including Gar, who Jayah suspected might have a clue. But Gar was acting strangely too. If she hadn¡¯t known better she¡¯d have thought he was avoiding everyone as much as her. If he hadn¡¯t already been mated to his soul, she might have wondered if he¡¯d found a mate among the Chimera as well.


    His eyes found her¡ªsearching, curious, wary¡ªmore often than she wanted to let him know she¡¯d noticed. And yet¡­ he seemed to wish to avoid eyes¡ªand noses¡ªas much as she did.


    If it hadn¡¯t been so scary, Jayah might haveughed as she stood back from the cluster of powerful Anima, watching thergest among them¡ªGar¡ªtry to shrink from notice.


    The healer in her wanted to reach for him. Would have, just a week ago. If she was in her right mind, her normal heart, she would have pulled him aside and not stopped questioning until he told her what was wrong.


    She¡¯d promised her dear friend, Gar¡¯s mother, that she would always watch over her children. And Gar clearly had something going on.


    But Jayah was a pragmatist at heart. And she knew herself.


    She carried her limit already. She could be of little use to others if she broke her own mind. And so, she sat on the floor with her back to the wall, praying no one would search her scent, and Gar sat in the circle of chairs, his eyes darting for the door and his attention clearly divided. Which made sense¡ªhis mate hadn¡¯t been seen in the Tree City for days. And his story about a friend who needed help was wearing thin.


    In any other circumstances, Jayah wouldn¡¯t have been the only one to notice. But as it was, Elreth was relieved that Gar¡¯s human mate wasn¡¯t there toplicate things with the Chimera, and everyone else was too busy catching up on what had been hidden from them and making ns for these talks they were still waiting to hear would happen tomorrow.


    So, both she and Gar avoided talking to the other. But she had noticed.


    And she was pretty certain he had too.


    She bit her lip and kept counting her breaths, willing her heart to settle.


    But it hammered to a gallop when that echoing space in her mind suddenly came alive.


    ¡®Jayah? Beautiful¡­¡¯ her mate¡¯s voice, warm and heavy with relief.


    She almost leaped to her feet on the spot. She tensed sopletely, she jolted.


    ¡®Skhal?!¡¯


    ¡®We need you. I need you¡ª¡¯ He sounded so weary, so tormented¡ªexactly as her heart felt, though it fluttered and flew now, just for hearing him.


    ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯ve been asked to bring you back¡­ for Zan.¡¯ His voice¡ªthe best sound in the world¡ªwas so dark on thatst statement¡­ he was hurting. Angry and bitter and terrified that his brother wolf hadn¡¯t seen fit to bring her for himself. For his need.


    Jayah put her elbows on her knees and her face in her hands and just sat in the presence of her mate, letting her heart ease. But her mind ran circles.


    She was called to her mate¡ªbut not for her mate. Called to help their potential enemy keep his baby safe¡­ when she had a Queen here, growing her own offspring. Andcking a mother to help her through it.


    Guilt wracked through her. But even so, her heart sang, because her mate¡­ her mate was here. Close enough to reach with her mind and it fed a part of her soul that had been shriveling without him.


    Through the link she showed him herself, wrapping him in an embrace, pressing her face to his chest¡­ and he returned the image¡ªhis arms around her, his breath against her temple when heid a gentle kiss on her hair.


    ¡®Can youe, my love? Can you leave?¡¯


    Could she. She could. Should she?


    Should she choose El¡¯s baby over Zevs?


    That was the decision she had to make.

 Chapter 192 - 192 The Rolling Stone

    192 The Rolling Stone


    ~ ELRETH ~


    When the security council broke, Elreth made a beeline for her brother.


    Gar was acting strangely, and Rika was still nowhere to be seen. Elreth smelled a rat¡ªarge, broad, lying rat that looked more like her father every day so that it was tempting to ignore him, just to avoid being reminded.


    But if the pressure of the Chimera had convinced her of anything, it was that they couldn¡¯t assume anything.


    Something was wrong with her brother¡ªor more likely, with his mate. And Elreth was going to find out what it was and what they needed to do to help before she went to meet the chimera. She wouldn¡¯t allow any reason for regret. For herself, or for Gar.


    She had to answer a few questions from Tobe, the equine who¡¯d stepped into Tarkyn¡¯s role while her Captain was absent, and then, working hard to catch Gar who¡¯d been talking to Behryn, but kept shooting nces at the door like he wanted to flee, she¡¯d had to fend off Aaryn who had been watching her sternly every moment and was now insisting that she needed to eat because it was dinnertime, and he could see her setting herself up to skip the market meal again.


    ¡°I need to talk to Gar,¡± she growled when Aaryn stood in front of her, eyes zing, signing ¡®Eat. Now.¡¯


    She sighed and signed back because she was still insisting on not clouding the issue of her ability to lead the Anima through this by announcing her pregnancy. It was far too early. She might still lose it.


    ¡®You go prepare a te,¡¯ she signed. ¡®I will eat everything on it after I¡¯ve talked to Gar.¡¯ Her sign for her brother was a vaguely rude gesture towards her crotch¡ªa joke she¡¯d started when they developed thenguage as children that had stuck.


    .....


    But it had be such an inherent part of theirnguage, Aaryn didn¡¯t even crack a smile.


    He leaned into her ear to murmur, ¡°Do you give me your word?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said firmly, though irritation simmered in her chest. She wasn¡¯t a child! She was just carrying one.


    Her mother had talked at length about how stupid and bossy her father had been when her mother was pregnant with Gar¡ªbecause he¡¯d missed her pregnancy with Elreth, separated as they had been during those brief months.


    ¡°Absolutely insufferable. Alpha Male Bullshit at its best¡ªhe didn¡¯t have a clue, but he insisted on wrapping me in cotton wool and growling anytime I didn¡¯t jump to his ridiculous demands. You¡¯d think no female had ever borne a child before¡ªlet alone a second one.¡±


    Elreth hadn¡¯t known what ¡°cotton wool¡± was¡ªthey were two different threads and harvested very differently, as far as she was concerned. But she had enjoyed seeing her mother¡¯s eyes sh with humor underlined by residual anger, and her father¡¯s grumbled, childish protests that he¡¯d done no such thing.


    And every time Elreth had a memory like that, she¡¯d catch herself smiling, then her stomach would sink with gut-wrenching grief.


    ¡°Elreth, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Aaryn¡¯s eyes were fierce and locked on hers.


    ¡°Nothing, I just thought of something. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Aaryn opened his mouth, but she brushed past him, squeezing his hand. ¡°Get the food, I¡¯ll join you soon.¡±


    She heard the rumble of a growl that rolled in his chest, but she didn¡¯t look back and thankfully he didn¡¯t follow as she hurried across the room to catch Gar¡¯s hand just as he was turning away from Behryn.


    Her brother¡¯s eyes tightened as he was forced to stop¡ªagain¡ªand turned to face her. ¡°What is it, El?¡± he asked, rubbing a hand over his face wearily.


    She looked left and right to make sure no one was paying attention, then leaned in. ¡°Tell me what¡¯s going on with Rika¡ªand you.¡±


    Gar rolled his eyes¡ªbut he wasn¡¯t meeting her gaze. His only tell for when he was lying. ¡°I told you, Rika has a friend who¡¯s struggling and she needed¡ª¡±


    ¡°Now, Gar? Really? I bought that a week ago, but now? With all of this going on? You want me to believe you¡¯re happy for your mate to be trotting off on some adventure while this is happening?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not on an adventure,¡± Gar growled, his eyes shing, snapping to hers and his jaw tightened. But then he looked away. ¡°I thought it was better that she not be here¡­ as a human. When Zev was¡­¡±


    Elreth took a deep breath. That was probably wise. And one of the reasons she hadn¡¯t pushed before now. But the Chimera hadn¡¯t been here for two days and Rika was still gone?


    Gar hadn¡¯t roared all week, so Elreth knew something was up. But this had happened once before that Rika had just disappeared, and Gar had acted like a cat with his tail stuck in a fence, but then she¡¯d been back and everything had been normal.


    Elreth folded her arms and nted herself in front of her brother so he couldn¡¯t dart past. ¡°There¡¯s no way¡ªespecially with all this going on¡ªthat you¡¯ve let her be out there by herself, Gar. I¡¯m not stupid. So, who¡¯s she with?¡±


    He frowned, irritated. He raked a hand through his hair then looked around as if he, too, was making sure there was no one listening. ¡°She¡¯s with Pegg.¡±


    ¡°The horse?¡± Elreth was genuinely surprised.


    ¡°He¡¯s a Pegasus, actually,¡± Gar snapped.


    ¡°Why?! What does he need from Rika?¡±


    Gar¡¯s lips thinned. ¡°She needed a break from all this talk about humans, and Pegg needed her¡ªthey used to live in each other¡¯s pockets, El. They miss each other sometimes.¡±


    ¡°I told her he could live here¡ª¡±


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t work. And besides, he¡¯s not interested.¡±


    ¡°So¡­ you¡¯re just letting Rika¡­ hang out with him?¡±


    Gar gave her a t look. ¡°They¡¯re staying off to the southwest. They won¡¯t interfere with the Chimera at all. They¡¯repletely safe. Pegg can¡¯t stand being surrounded by people anyway.¡±


    El watched her brother, saw a shadow pass behind his eyes, and her irritation and pride just¡­ dissolved. Her chest panged.


    ¡°Gar, what aren¡¯t you telling me?¡±


    Gar didn¡¯t even meet her eyes, just stared at the door, his jaw flexing as he obviously worked toe up with an excuse she¡¯d ept¡ªbut he was saved from answering like the lucky bastard he was, by an interruption.


    They both turned¡ªGar relieved, El irritated¡ªwhen a soft voice rose at Elreth¡¯s back.


    ¡°Elreth¡­ Sire¡­ I plead an audience.¡±


    Elreth frowned. That voice sounded familiar, but¡­ she turned and her mouth dropped open. ¡°Jayah, what the hell? You don¡¯t need to plead an audience to talk to me. What¡ª¡±


    Jayah¡¯s throat bobbed and her eyes were earnest on Elreth¡¯s. ¡°For this¡­ yes, I do.¡±


    Elreth¡¯s blood ran cold. What had happened? What had¡ª


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave you two to talk¡ª¡± Gar started, but it was Jayah whose hand shot out to catch his arm. Under different circumstances, Elreth would haveughed at the thwarted relief on her brother¡¯s face.


    ¡°No,¡± Jayah said, gently, her fingers tightening on his broad forearm. ¡°We might need you for this.¡±


    It was Gar¡¯s turn to frown. ¡°Why?¡±


    Jayah took a deep breath, then blew it out. ¡°To scent me for truth, so that Elreth can be certain I haven¡¯t done anything to harm her.¡±


    They both froze.

 Chapter 193 - 193 Humbled

    193 Humbled


    ~ JAYAH ~


    Jayah watched Elreth pace the now-empty security building, her footsteps hollow on the wooden nks of the floor.


    Only the Queen and Gar remained there with Jayah, though she knew there were guards posted outside. The King had insisted that until they had certain peace, the Queen was never to be left entirely alone, though Elreth had growled enough at the soldiers to ensure they gave her a very wide berth when she was walking the trails or the City, and she made certain they stayed outside any building or cave she entered.


    ¡°How the hell did you hide a Chimeran mate?¡± Elreth whisper-screamed, her eyes wide and lips tight with frustration.


    Jayah ducked her head. She didn¡¯t feel shame, exactly. She was humbled by how trusted she¡¯d been in the past few days. She¡¯d had no malicious intent to take advantage of that, but she couldn¡¯t deny that it had been her position and respect among the tribes¡ªand specifically their leaders that had given her the freedom to get this far undetected.


    ¡°No one was testing my scent,¡± she said quietly. ¡°They trust me, I suppose. I just¡­ kept my distance.¡±


    Elreth¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯ve been sitting so far away, and always moving?¡±


    Jayah nodded.


    Then Elreth blinked. ¡°Wait, that¡¯s why they took you?¡±


    .....


    Jayah nodded again and regret painted her face so Elreth wouldn¡¯t mistake how remorseful she was for the deception. ¡°I truly wasn¡¯t sure what would happen. I didn¡¯t want you to worry about me, to think that I might¡ª¡±


    But Elreth cut her off, waving a hand to stop her. ¡°Jayah, I would never doubt you. I would never¡ª¡±


    ¡°You doubted Tarkyn.¡± The words were out before Jayah could think. She held her breath, but didn¡¯t take them back.


    If she¡¯d been asked before all of this who Elreth trusted most beyond her mate and family, Jayah would have picked herself and Tarkyn. And yet¡­


    Elreth stopped dead, blinking, staring at her, apparently shocked. She stared right at Jayah, her mouth slightly open, but she didn¡¯t say a word.


    There was an awkward moment in which Jayah wasn¡¯t sure if El had heard the statement as a challenge and was growing angry, or had simply been shocked by the observation. Was Elreth angry, or just thinking?


    But Gar cleared his throat to break the moment and when they both looked at him, he gave a smile that didn¡¯t reach his eyes.


    ¡°I knew something was up.¡±


    Elreth snapped a re at him. ¡°And you didn¡¯t think to tell me? Seriously, Gar?¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°I figured she¡¯d tell us when she was ready.¡±


    ¡°You knew about the mating?!¡± Elreth gaped.


    ¡°No. But I knew something was off. I just¡­ I couldn¡¯t quite put my finger on it. I caught a scent a few days ago, but then we were interrupted and I got distracted after that. Honestly, this didn¡¯t ur to me. I thought maybe she was pregnant, but she never let me get close enough to be sure, and I didn¡¯t want to pry.¡±


    Jayah spluttered. ¡°I am not¡­ I couldn¡¯t¡­ That is¡­ no. No, I¡¯m not pregnant,¡± she said, flustered.


    Gar gave her lopsided smile. ¡°Never say never,¡± he said quietly.


    Jayah raised an eyebrow. It was an effort not to nt her hips on her fists. ¡°Clearly we haven¡¯tpleted your education on female reproduction, Gar. I pray your mother forgives me. I will rectify that at the earliest convenience. But for now, please trust me: I have no offspring, and will not have a child. My body is no longer capable of it.¡±


    Gar¡¯s face looked pained and his forehead furrowed. ¡°Jayah¡­ I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    She¡¯d been about tough it off¡ªshe¡¯d known this for years! So why did her eyes suddenly pinch and her chest ache now? She took a long deep breath to steady herself and remind herself of her blessings.


    She had a mate¡ªa mate she¡¯d never expected, and could now embrace openly. She would not grieve this!


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she insisted quietly, dropping her eyes away to blink back the tears that wanted toe. ¡°That isn¡¯t why I¡¯m here. That¡¯s not why I¡¯ve been keeping my distance. I simply didn¡¯t want anyone to scent him on me and be concerned that I was somehow¡­ disloyal. Or a threat.¡±


    Elreth¡¯s eyes sharpened on that word, but her face had softened at the talk of babies, and she obviously chose not to share the words that had made her look like a bird of prey for a moment. Instead of jumping on Jayah, she took a moment of her own, licking her lips and blinking a few times.


    ¡°I still can¡¯t believe you¡¯ve hidden this sessfully. I feel as if we are somehow losing our edge,¡± Elreth growled, though she looked at Gar, not Jayah.


    He shrugged again, but Jayah shook her head. ¡°No, El. This is¡­ no one expected me to¡­ I am trusted¡ªand I value that. I¡¯m grateful. Very grateful. It¡¯s humbling to have seen how everyone has just taken my word for¡­ all of it. It¡¯s why when he called for me today I wanted to tell you, rather than just run. I don¡¯t want to hide this. I don¡¯t want to leave. I want¡­ I want to submit myself and ask for your mercy¡ªand assure you that if you allow me to go I will carry your best interests, and your orders. Because I¡¯m very aware that this decision affects you.¡±


    Elreth looked at her warily. ¡°What decision?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ve asked for me to join them¡­ to help them with Zan. There¡¯s obviously a problem. I don¡¯t know what it is for certain, though I have some theories, but the Chimera don¡¯t have the resources or the expertise with babies. The information I have so far is too little. I can¡¯t know if this is something that can be rectified in days, or weeks, or¡­ never.¡±


    ¡°Well, of course you¡¯d have to go¡ª¡± Elreth started, then cut herself off, her eyes suddenly clouded. ¡°Wait¡­ they want your help permanently?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Jayah said honestly. ¡°I only know that my mate is there and it¡¯s been very hard, Elreth. I¡¯m sorry, but¡­ it¡¯s been very hard to stay away.¡± She let her eyes linger on Elreth¡¯s then, let her Queen see the pain and weariness in her from fighting this for these days. She knew Elreth had fought her bond early on. But even more so, she knew that Elreth understood the toll it took to be separated from your mate against your will.


    It had almost ended Elreth when she¡¯d been forced to endure it.


    Rather than responding¡ªand probably unwilling to be taken back to that ce she so despised in her memories¡ªElreth stalked to the door of the building, yanked it open and leaned outside. ¡°Send for the King please. He¡¯ll be at the market. Tell him to bring the meal I requested here to the security building, something¡¯se up,¡± she said through her teeth. Then she sighed. ¡°And when he grumbles, tell him this is a very new thing I didn¡¯t know when we spoke before. And that I¡¯ll exin when he gets here. Now, run.¡±


    The sound of footsteps turned into hoofbeats that faded a few secondster as Elreth turned back to join them.


    ¡°Your mate, what¡¯s his name and position in their tribe?¡±


    ¡°They call them ns, but his name is Skhal. He¡¯s¡­¡± Jayah hesitated, uncertain how Elreth would take it. ¡°He¡¯s an Advisor to Zev, and one of his chosen-family. A wolf.¡±


    Elreth¡¯s eyes were locked on hers. ¡°He¡¯s powerful?¡±


    ¡°Not in his own right, but¡­ Zev values him.¡±


    Elreth¡¯s lips twisted like she¡¯d tasted a sour fruit. ¡°I will only ask this once, Jayah, and I want to assure you I will ept your answer, but I have to ask: Are you certain, utterly certain that this male is your Creator-chosen mate? That there¡¯s nothing¡­ deceitful in their bonds?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m certain,¡± Jayah said simply.


    ¡°El, their scents entwined,¡± Gar added quietly.


    ¡°I know. But I have to ask. Nothing about these people is as we expected and¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure. He calls to me,¡± Jayah murmured. ¡°We both felt it the moment we found each other. It was a shock to both of us.¡±


    ¡°And you alreadypleted the bond,¡± Elreth said dryly. ¡°Wasting no time.¡± There was an edge of humor in the statement, as well as a question, so Jayah smiled.


    ¡°It was¡­ difficult to resist.¡±


    Gar snorted and Elreth rolled her eyes, but her cheeks pinked slightly. The Queen had always been more like her human mother in these matters, and far less overt about sexuality and reproduction than most of the Anima. But the war with the humans and everything they¡¯d been through had grown her. She was less prickly about these things than she used to be.


    Not about the Chimera, though.


    Elreth¡¯s face went very somber then and she began to pace again. ¡°So¡­ he¡¯s close to Zev, an older, respected wolf. And your mate. And now he¡¯s close enough to call for you toe. I assume he¡¯s the one who assisted Zev in his escape.¡±


    Jayah nodded slowly. ¡°I was¡ª¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to know. Please, Jayah. My brother has already admitted his own treason and I¡¯m just letting that slide. So just¡­ don¡¯t tell me. There¡¯s nothing we can do now except figure this out.¡±


    Jayah was stunned. But Elreth just strode back and forth one more time chewing on her lip, before she sighed and stopped, turning to face Jayah. ¡°Well, it¡¯s pretty clear¡­ It sounds like I need to meet this Skhal.¡±

 Chapter 194 - 194 The Olive Branch

    194 The Olive Branch


    ~ ELRETH ~


    Elreth sat in the security building, one hand to her stomach not because she felt the need to protect her growing young, but because she¡¯d given her mate her word that she would eat the te he prepared¡­ but he hadn¡¯t prepared a te. He¡¯d prepared fucking tter, then stood over her like a mother hen, staring with fierce eyes, until she fulfilled her word and ate every bite.


    Now her stomach threatened to revolt not because she was pregnant, but because she was stuffed to the gills¡ªshe¡¯d consumed a Gar-sized meal.


    She would be very careful with what shemitted to in future.


    But she kept her mouth shut because her mate¡¯s hackles were up. Aaryn was not happy that she¡¯d called for this strange wolf to be brought to her without speaking to him first. But he had finally admitted that he likely would have made the same decision.


    Now, here they were.


    Skhal was older than she expected¡ªclearly older than Jayah, though not by more than a decade, perhaps less. But he was handsome. Weathered. Gnarled like an old tree, though the kind that became more beautiful. And incredibly strong.


    There were roots on this male that would not be shifted in a storm. Elreth could feel the sheer¡­ solidness of him.


    The part of her that was simply female, celebrated for her friend who was really more than a friend. Her chosen aunt. Her mother¡¯s friend who¡¯d given her life in service to El and Gar, and their people, without being asked.


    .....


    She¡¯d been a simple, solid presence in their lives, literally since the day they were born. Elreth was so grateful, especially in this past year.


    But that also meant that the part of her that was still a child, and still desperately missing her parents, wanted to stamp and scream and demand that Jayah not be taken from her.


    First Tarkyn, now this?


    Elreth felt as if the Creator was tearing everyone she depended on away from her. And that thought brought the always glittering fear of Gar or worse, Aaryn and¡­


    She couldn¡¯t let herself think about that.


    She watched, careful to keep her face expressionless, as Skhal first submitted to her, then positioned himself at Jayah¡¯s shoulder, standing over her like some kind of protective guard-dog, his eyes scanning the room, and ears clearly perked for threat.


    But his attention was all on keeping her safe, not himself.


    Elreth was reminded of how Aaryn stood over her. And how her brother stood over Rika¡ªwhich reminded her that she still hadn¡¯t gotten to the bottom of whatever that was and¡­ Elreth had to push it all away, because every thought led to a fear, and every fear to a new fear and she couldn¡¯t keep her head straight if she tried to hold it all at once.


    Right now she had to measure this male and his connection with Jayah, and Jayah¡¯s request to leave them to join the Chimera.


    Right now that was the only thing her mind and body had room for. The rest would have to wait.


    ¡°Why Jayah, specifically?¡± she asked Skhal after he¡¯d outlined what he knew of the problems they were having with Zan.¡±


    ¡°Because Sasha trusts her. Sasha asked for her. Zev is¡­ on edge as you know. And he, too, trusts her more than he would a stranger. So¡­ he asked me to bring her.¡±


    ¡°Asked you. Not me.¡±


    Skhal¡¯s jaw went tight. ¡°Honestly, I doubt it would have urred to him. He¡¯s too focused on your meeting tomorrow.¡±


    Elreth let her eyebrows rise. ¡°So, he does n to meet?¡±


    ¡°Yes. You should be receiving a message soon with specifics on the location. I had to leave before they¡¯d figured that out.¡±


    Elreth stared at the male, his hands clenched at his sides. ¡°You don¡¯t seem excited or relieved about the fact that we¡¯re entering peace talks tomorrow.¡±


    Skhal gave a little huff. ¡°I¡¯m old enough to know that talking is a far cry from peace,¡± he muttered.


    Elreth gave a little huff of her own, then dropped her eyes to think. If it weren¡¯t Jayah, if it were any other healer, she wouldn¡¯t even question. She¡¯d send whatever was needed because it would be proof that she was trying to offer an olive branch.


    But Jayah¡­ losing Jayah¡­ Elreth sighed. Then she caught the flickering of Aaryn¡¯s fingers in the corner of her eyes and turned to look at her mate.


    ¡®If it were you and our babe, I would beg mercy,¡¯ he signed discreetly.


    She nodded slowly as if she was just thinking to herself. ¡®A ploy?¡¯


    ¡®No. An arrogant bastard who assumes nothinges from the weakness of asking mercy.¡¯


    Elreth would have huffed again, but it was too chillingly likely to be true.


    ¡®I will be without Jayah. Possibly for my own birth.¡¯


    Her sign for Jayah was usually a swipe over the back of her head¡ªsignifying the female¡¯s ubiquitous braid. But she made the signs low, in herp, so the others were less likely to notice.


    Aaryn¡¯s face went sad. ¡®Yes. The choice is yours.¡¯


    She bit her lip, cursing the tears that wanted to rise and blur her vision again. This cursed pregnancy was turning her into a hot mess¡ªshaking with fear one moment, fighting tears the next. She didn¡¯t know how her mother had done it, separated from her father for the first, then terrified of the second because of everything that had gone wrong in Elreth¡¯s birth.


    At least Elreth could shift if she needed to.


    She would shift. She would do anything she needed to, to make certain her child was safe and healthy.


    And she imagined Sasha would too.


    Elreth¡¯s heart sparked at that thought. For a moment she hated herself for the calcting nature of her excitement. But then she moved on, because the truth was, it was only smart.


    ¡°You may take your mate, Skhal,¡± she said quietly as if she was bestowing a gift. ¡°But we¡¯ll send you with more than that. I¡¯d send a¡­ peace offering if you¡¯ll agree to take it.¡±


    Skhal¡¯s brows rose. ¡°What would you send?¡±


    ¡°Resources. Jayah and her knowledge. A wet nurse. Any supplies Jayah believes might be needed if the child is sick. And perhaps¡­ perhaps herbs or supplies for general health. Things your people haven¡¯t had time yet to prepare or find. I offer them¡ªI¡¯ll let Jayah choose what they might be. She¡¯d know more than me. But don¡¯t hold back, Jayah. Take anything you¡¯d take if it was me you were running to aid. I won¡¯t ce restrictions on you. But you,¡± she said eyeing the startled Skhal sternly, ¡°You make certain that Sasha knows I sent this for her. This is my offering to her¡ªAlpha to Alpha, female to female, moth¡ªI mean, provider to mother,¡± she said, her heart fluttering because she¡¯d almost named herself mother too.¡±


    Skhal murmured a heavy, breathless gratitude, but Gar stiffened.


    ¡°And if the wolf is going to call war?¡± he muttered. ¡°You¡¯re sending supplies that might help him.¡±


    Elreth sighed. ¡°That¡¯s the difference between males and females, Gar. I want to soothe, not intimidate. Sasha and I spoke of this, and I hope she¡¯ll remember that when the timees. Skhal, you¡¯ll remind her, please, that we spoke. Tell her that I said my words were true¡ªand remain so.¡±


    Skhal nodded, though he looked uncertain. ¡°And to Zev,¡± she said reluctantly, ¡°please tell him that I send these things to demonstrate my remorse. Remind him that I provided them to him personally when he was in our¡­ care. And that I will dly offer more¡ªanything they need¡ªif we can find a way to bridge this conflict and bring our people to peace.¡±


    Skhal looked stunned. Elreth felt a sh of smug satisfaction, but it didn¡¯tst longer than the time it took to turn to Jayah. ¡°You have my permission, Jayah¡­ even if this ends in war¡­ you can cross lines. You can take anything you need at any time. And anything you can offer to them, from us, that might bring peace, do it. Anything. I will stand by you.


    Elreth sighed with frustration. ¡°I wish I could take these things and offer them myself. Serve their child myself so he¡¯d know I mean it¡­¡± she trailed, shaking her head. ¡°But I can¡¯t. Because I also know that I will not give my people to him. I will offer whatever is needed to help the Chimera, but I will not give my people to his care. You both can make that clear: I repent for how I harmed Zev. I do not repent of protecting my people.¡± She held the eyes of Skhal whose face had gone nk, though he nodded. ¡°I pray the day wille that I can see you two asfortable among us as among them. Both of you. But if I am given no choice, I will fight to the death for the safety of my people. And any Alpha that would ask me to do otherwise denies their own heart.¡±


    Jayah put her hands to her mouth, swallowing tears of relief. ¡°Thank you, El. Thank you.¡±


    Elreth sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t thank me. I¡¯m the one who put us in this position in the first ce. I promise you¡ªand you can pass this on¡ªthat I will do anything in my power to make it right. To reconcile, if Zev will allow it. But regardless¡­ regardless of the oue of our talks tomorrow, Jayah, I trust you. And I want them to know that I trust you¡ªthat they can trust you. I understand why Sasha asked for you. So go. Go with my blessing¡­ just know that I will miss you greatly.¡±

 Chapter 195 - 195 Another Emissary

    195 Another Emissary


    ~ JAYAH ~


    Jayah was immediately humbled, and filled with guilt that she hadn¡¯t been utterly clear on her role in freeing Zev.


    She wondered if Elreth would still have said those wonderful things if she knew?


    But, as if he sensed her temptation to offer the information, Skhal took one step forward and drew Elreth¡¯s attention to him. As he offered gruff, but genuine gratitude and assurance to Elreth that he would pass on everything she¡¯d said, he spoke to Jayah through the bond.


    ¡®Is this for my benefit? Is this a ruse? Is she offering so much because she¡¯s trying to lower our defenses?¡¯


    Jayah sighed. ¡®No. She¡¯s always been this way¡ªstubborn and headstrong. Prone to pride. But she was raised in strength and humility. When her eyes open and she recognizes her fault, when she sees that she¡¯s hurt or harmed¡­ she always turns around. And she means it. She¡¯ll stay the course. She won¡¯t give up the Anima for the Chimera, but she will do anything she can to smooth the road between them.¡¯


    She felt the hope rise in Skhal¡¯s heart, the way his body lightened with it. She only hoped that Zev had found a lightening of his own load since he¡¯d returned to his people. Skhal¡¯s earlier reports on him had not been good.


    ¡°I will let you both go to make your preparations soon, but tell me, Skhal,¡± Elreth said, ¡°I understand that you are close to Zev and Sasha, is that true?¡±


    Skhal nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve known Zev and treated him as family since he was a pup.¡±


    .....


    Elreth nodded too. ¡°Then tell me, what can we do to make Zev more likely to listen? More specifically, what can I do to make him hear me?¡±


    Skhal opened his hands. ¡°Save his son.¡± He said simply. ¡°I don¡¯t know of anything else that would convince him. He¡¯s¡­ steeped in rage right now. His experiences before arriving here and the things that were done to restrain him here¡­ they¡¯ve dredged up pain and fear he¡¯s never really dealt with. He doesn¡¯t have the wisdom of age that some of us do, to understand how to let go. So he¡¯s carrying that. Blinded by it. but his mate¡­ his son¡­ they¡¯re precious to him. Providing for them, saving them¡­ I think that¡¯ll open his eyes.¡±


    Elreth nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s hope so,¡± she said quietly, then smiled at Jayah. ¡°Okay, you can go. I¡¯ll just leave you to it. Take whatever you need. But tell him¡­ he only needs to name the time and ce and I¡¯ll be there. I just need his signal.¡±


    Elreth hurried forward to hug Elreth, grateful that finally she didn¡¯t need to hide her scent. Then she hugged Gar for good measure, and whispered in his ear, ¡°Whatever it is, I¡¯m praying. And I wish I could help. Truly.¡±


    Gar¡¯s arms tightened around her back in a squeeze, but he didn¡¯t speak, and didn¡¯t meet her eyes as she pulled out of his massive arms and turned back to her mate who immediately drew her against his side.


    Her mate.


    The male she prayed she would never be separated from again.


    *****


    ~ GAR ~


    Gar darted out of his and Rika¡¯s home in the Great Tree across the meadow from the Royal Cave, watching over his shoulder to ensure no one was nearby or watching.


    He was already an hourter than he¡¯d wanted to be. It had taken forever to get away after the security council meeting and then Jayah¡¯s revtion.


    Rika didn¡¯t know he wasing¡ªhe wasn¡¯t supposed to being. But he needed her. He needed to be close and just¡­ know. The pressure in his chest was growing with every hour that passed, and if he didn¡¯t get out to see her now, he wasn¡¯t going to before the peace talks.


    Thoughts of leaving her tomorrow so that he could be there made him want to vomit. But he knew it was unavoidable.


    Rika was as safe as she could be, and as far from the potential conflict as he could possibly ce herfortably. She was going to be fine, either way, he reminded himself. But guilt squeezed his chest as he darted into the shadows of the WildWood behind his home and headed south and slightly west.


    It was a direction, a road he¡¯d taken more times than he could count before the war, though for an entirely different destination. This was only the second time he¡¯d headed this way since, and his skin crawled, his body pulling at him to remain back and safe in the WildWood, while his heart and soul tugged him forward towards his mate.


    It was a terrible time to leave and he knew it. But he thought he¡¯d covered everything that was needed from him before morning, and just in case, he¡¯d left a note for Elreth in their secret hiding ce that they¡¯d had since they were teens.


    No matter how things had been between them, Elreth had insisted that they have a spot where, if one of them ran or got up to trouble, they would tell the other where they were and when they¡¯d left, so that if anything happened to them they¡¯d know where to search.


    Gar knew she¡¯d established it for him, because Elreth had been sickeningly responsible since the day she left their mother¡¯s womb. But no matter how annoyingly reliable his sister may have been before, he was grateful for the backup n now. He didn¡¯t want Elreth thinking he¡¯d been taken or attacked and roaring into the Chimera while he was snuggling with his mate.


    His mate¡­ dear god. The moment he was certain to be far enough out from the City to make it unlikely he¡¯d run into anyone he knew, he strapped his bag around his chest and shifted, running as fast as four legs could take him, urging his beast forward, forward, forward.


    It normally took an hour and a half to walk to his father¡¯s fishing cave in his human form. He ran it in barely forty minutes, racing into the little clearing in the shadow of the mountain, with the river to his right and that wide cave mouth in the foot of the mountainside at its western edge.


    His mate was here, and now he was too. And that was the way it should be¡­ no matter what was happening.


    The fishing cave was nestled in the mountains not too far from the old portal where the Anima used to cross into the human world. It was no longer essible to them, and yet, most of the poption who¡¯d known of its existence still avoided this entire area where so much had happened¡ªand been lost¡ªin the previous years.


    Gar blew out a breath and shook himself. He wasn¡¯t going to the portal. He was here. The fishing cave was where he and Rika had had their honeymoon. It was a special ce, he reminded himself. The cave had a master-fitted door that looked like the thick bark of a tree had grown to perfectly fit the mouth. His father had asked the masters to make it in his early years as King¡ªone of his few personal indulgences, he imed.


    And that thought led to the image of the twinkle in his father¡¯s eye when he¡¯d spoken of the fishing cave when Gar was young, which sent a pang of grief to his guts. Even in his beast, Gar flinched.


    Shoving the difficult memories away, he wrestled back control and made himself stop in the clearing for just a moment, just to catch his breath. He was already going to surprise Rika when he arrived. He didn¡¯t want to frighten her.


    Night was falling in the WildWood and Gar took a moment to stand there, watching the sky turn purple, then indigo behind the mountain peak high overhead, his heart pounding in his chest¡ªand pulling him towards the cave.


    She was in there, waiting. She might have sensed him approaching. Their bond was odd that way, sometimes allowing them greater ess to each other. Especially when emotions ran high.


    High emotions.


    Right.


    Gar nodded to himself, and watched the stars above begin to blink into existence as true dark fell.


    He would find out soon. And then¡­ then he would be strong. No matter what. No matter where this took them or¡­ anything. He would be there for her and he would take care of them both and she needed to know that. He just needed a second to prepare. That was all.


    He¡¯d been doing his best, putting aside his worry and fear and hope and¡­ everything else to keep his eyes on what was happening back at the Tree City. Rika had wanted privacy, and frankly, he wasn¡¯t ready to talk about it yet, either. Especially now.


    That thought, quavering in his bowels, almost had him turning on his heel and running back home. But he wouldn¡¯t. Of course he wouldn¡¯t. Rika was strong. He would tell her the news here, where she could¡­ do whatever she needed to do with it, and then when she came home and thisplete clusterfuck with the Chimera was solved¡­ then¡­ well, he didn¡¯t know what then. Only the Creator did. So he would just deal with it. But he would be strong. He wouldn¡¯t put more on his mate than she was already dealing with.


    Nodding to himself and shoving down the tangled, fizzing feelings that wanted to eat underneath his skin, he took a deep breath, then walked quickly to the cave, swinging the door open to the warm glow of a fire and pasting a mischievous smile on his face.

 Chapter 196 - 196 A Different Kind of Sh*tShow – Part 1

    196 A Different Kind of Sh*tShow ¨C Part If you like music while you read, try ¡°What a Wonderful World¡± by Reuben and the Dark, and AG. It¡¯s what I was listening to while writing this chapter (and the next two!)


    *****


    ~ GAR ~


    Rika was sitting up in therge sleeping tform at the end of the cave, beyond the fire, her knees up and a book leaned on them. There was a split second before she registered that she wasn¡¯t alone and he used it to drink in the sight of her.


    Her brown hair, longer now than when she¡¯d arrived in Anima, was greasy and her eyes shadowed with dark smudges that made them look sunken. But her skin glowed with the low, warm light of the fire, and she hadn¡¯t lost weight this time, thank God.


    She must have felt his eyes on her then because she got a strange, thoughtful look, then her eyes dragged up from the book in herp. Her eyes went wide and her mouth dropped open, her heart mming against her ribs.


    ¡°Gar?¡± Her voice was tiny and broken and hushed and it sucked the wind out of his sails. The smile he¡¯d pasted on fell from his face and he froze two steps inside the door. Oh God, help him. What had¡ª


    ¡°Gar?¡± Her face crumpled and his heart cracked clean in two at the simultaneous wash of joy and grief that shone in her eyes. Then there was no more shining because Rika threw back the furs and leaped out of bed, racing through the cave to quite-literally throw herself into his arms, already sobbing before she¡¯d even reached him.


    He caught her in the air and pulled her against him, tight, one hand around her back, the other in her hair, hushing her, holding her, burying his nose in her hair and inhaling the scent of her, thanking God that she was there and safe and¡ª


    .....


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± she wailed. ¡°You aren¡¯t supposed to be here!¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t stay away any longer. Are you¡­ are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± she cried, pulling back to stroke his face and kiss his lips.


    ¡°She¡¯s lying.¡± Gar didn¡¯t even look away from Rika as Pegg¡¯s voice rose behind him.


    Pegg¡­ Gar sighed. The male had arrived in ARenima with Rika¡ªa friend, apanion she¡¯d made in the human world. Or at least, in one of the worlds the human scientists used for their experiments.


    He was an ancient¡ªa creature that had existed before the humans discovered them. He was a Pegasus, a winged horse. Yet he could speak. He¡¯d decided that Rika was his best friend, and so when she¡¯d been sent to Anima, he¡¯d followed, despite the danger of the traverse and the voices¡­


    Now he lived here too, though not among the Anima. He and Rika had signals and ways of locating each other. When Gar had known she needed to be out here, he¡¯d asked the male to go with her, to protect her¡­


    He must have been out grazing.


    All of this shed through his head as he held his mate, but Pegg, never one to pull a punch, spoke again.


    ¡°She lost it and refused to let me go tell you. This is the first time she¡¯s gotten out of bed since.¡±


    Pushing down the pain that speared through him at those words¡ªeven though it wasn¡¯t a surprise, it still hurt like a motherfucker¡ªGar gently set his mate on her feet and took her face in his hands.


    ¡°Rika¡­ Why didn¡¯t you let him tell me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± she said, and her entire face twisted in grief so heavy, Gar couldn¡¯t breathe.


    ¡°Babe, don¡¯t apologize, I¡¯d never be upset with you¡ª¡±


    ¡°I told her that, but she didn¡¯t believe me,¡± Pegg said dryly.


    ¡°You had much bigger things to think about,¡± Rika said through the sobs breaking in her throat.


    Gar almost swore. ¡°Rika¡­ what could be bigger than losing a child?¡± As soon as the words were out of his mouth, his throat closed and he trembled, eyes burning and throat afire with the ache of tears that would not be denied.


    ¡°Don¡¯t, don¡¯t, don¡¯t¡­¡± Rika¡¯s own tears spilled over again. ¡°Gar, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m so sorry¡ª¡±


    ¡°Why are you apologizing?¡±


    ¡°Because I can¡¯t¡­ because I¡¯m not¡ª¡±


    ¡°Rika, you¡¯re everything. You¡¯re everything. Don¡¯t¡­ don¡¯t carry what you don¡¯t control.¡±


    She stared up at him, her eyes swimming in tears¡ªand more tracking down her cheeks. But she grasped his face and pulled him down into a kiss, burying her fingers in his hair and crying against his lips.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she whispered in his ear before kissing his neck, then releasing him so he could straighten and look at her again. ¡°I¡¯m so d that you¡¯re here,¡± she said, swallowing even as more tears trickled from her eyes.


    ¡°Why? Do you need help? Are you hurting¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, no, nothing like that. Nothing to do with me. It¡¯s just good that you¡¯re here because¡­¡±


    Gar frowned. ¡°Because what¡ª?¡±


    But Rika just wiped her eyes and leaned around him. ¡°Show him,¡± she said to Pegg in the low, threatening voice Gar had learned the hard way meant his mate would not be denied.


    There was a heavy sigh behind him and Gar frowned at his mate, reluctant to take his eyes from her. ¡°Show me what?¡± he said, finally tearing his gaze from her and turning to look at Pegg¡­


    His jaw promptly fell to his toes and everything he¡¯d been thinking fled.


    Pegg stood in front of him. At least, Gar assumed it was Pegg.


    The Pegg he knew was a horse, tall and broad, with beautifully feathered wings, and a mouth so smart it could cauterize a wound.


    But this Pegg¡­


    ¡°Pegg?¡± he breathed.


    The man that stood in front of him was tall¡ªthough not as tall as Gar, still easily six feet or more. His hair was brown and thick, and needed a cut, his beard, too. But he was muscr and fit and when he stepped forward, his face grim and eyes warning Gar to watch his tongue, he had the same elegant grace in human form that he carried as a horse¡ªa Pegasus, Gar reminded himself.


    ¡°How the fu¡ª¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a protector, Gar,¡± Rika said, her voice awed and only catching once. ¡°So he can shift now.¡±


    *****


    Here on Webnovel it¡¯s the end of the month! Remember, privilege will COMPLETELY refresh on Tuesday at 8:30am PST / 11:30am EST ¨Cso you can buy all new chapters, or bow out and still receive daily chapters. THANK YOU for all your support!

 Chapter 197 - 197 A Different Kind of Sh*tshow – Part 2

    197 A Different Kind of Sh*tshow ¨C Part ~ GAR ~


    Late that night as the fire died and the Cave grew ever darker, Gary in the bed, staring at the ceiling, Rika cuddled into his side.


    It felt like the room was spinning. But it wasn¡¯t. It was just his head.


    Rika had lost the baby. Again.


    This was the second time she¡¯d gotten pregnant, and the second time she¡¯d started to feel ill and off and then she¡¯d started to bleed.


    He¡¯d known immediately when she was pregnant, both times¡ªthank you, Dad for passing that little gift on. And both times, she¡¯d gotten really nervous about other people finding out.


    Rika came from a world where losing pregnancies wasmon. In her world women often didn¡¯t even tell people until they were twelve or thirteen weeks into the pregnancy, when the chances of a child surviving were much higher.


    The Anima had much better rates of survival, but much lower rates of pregnancy. When she¡¯d gotten pregnant the first time, Gar had almost exploded with the pressure of having to keep the secret. But then when she¡¯d started bleeding, he¡¯d understood why she¡¯d kept it so quiet.


    He suddenly didn¡¯t want to talk about it either.


    .....


    She¡¯d known she was losing itst time¡ªbeen certain. It had happened pretty quickly. He¡¯d wanted to get a healer to her, but she¡¯d insisted that she just needed time to heal. She was medically trained for survival. She¡¯d known her body.


    Against his better judgment, he¡¯d given her what she wished¡ªsilence, and time.


    The Anima would have scented her, so the moment she was certain she was losing it, she¡¯d begged him to take her to his cave so she could have a break away from everyone until her body was back to normal.


    He¡¯d done that for her, though he¡¯d insisted they go to the Fishing Cave because it had felt safer to him. He¡¯d taken a couple days away himself, then left her with Pegg while he reluctantly returned to the Tree City and his duties without telling a soul.


    Rika had been adamant about that. She didn¡¯t want to get home to sympathy and concern and advice and¡­


    And when he went home, a part of him hated that. A part of him wanted to hear from the other males about what they¡¯d been through¡ªespecially Behryn, who Gar knew had been through this himself. Though he now realized how utterly unaware he¡¯d been of the pain the male carried. How flippant he¡¯d been when the subject hade up briefly throughout his life.


    He owed the male an apology.


    But as Rika returned and their lives returned to normal, she¡¯d begged him not to talk to anyone. Not yet. And eventually he¡¯d felt relieved. He still fielded frequent, worried-but-loving queries about how he was doing since losing his parents. And there were days he wanted nothing more than to swear at people who brought him that when he¡¯d just had an hour without thinking about it.


    But also¡­ also¡­ there was a human saying¡­ a burden shared is a burden halved. He knew it was true, and a piece of him was a little bit desperate to share this one.


    Then she got pregnant again. And she¡¯d gotten a few weeks in this timete enough they were beginning to wait for someone to notice it on her scent. But just as Tarkyn disappeared and the Chimeran mess began, she awakened one morning and grabbed his arm, jolting him from sleep.


    He¡¯d known the minute he saw her face. But it hadn¡¯t been as bad. There had been a chance¡­ but she¡¯d insisted on getting away again. She didn¡¯t want anyone asking questions. She didn¡¯t want anything to do with the Chimera and violence and the human world and¡­


    So he¡¯d covered for her. dly. A part of him thinking it might actually be better for her not to be there when the humans were such an integral and difficult part of this.


    But it had also been very, very lonely. Isting, trying to think about cultural bridges and strategies for Zev when his mind was wracked with questions about his mate and their possible family. There¡¯d been no time, no space to get back to her. She¡¯d sworn she would send Pegg when there was news. Told him to remember that no news was good news¡­


    He¡¯d almost spoken to Behryn twice in the past week as his hope grew. But when he¡¯d learned that they would definitely be meeting the Chimera, he¡¯d refused to not see her beforehand, no matter what. Just in case. But he¡¯d hoped. Even knowing how much more pressure he¡¯d feel about leaving her, he¡¯d hoped¡­


    He sighed heavily. The embers of the fire crackled, and the dull orange glow of them seeped out of the firece and across the floor at the end of the bed. Pegg had given them space, taken his equine form¡ªwas that what you called a horse with wings?¡ªand insisted that he was happier that way anyway. His beast coat would keep him warm enough outside.


    But before he¡¯d gone, he and Rika had dropped another bombshell. And now, Gar didn¡¯t know which crisis to think about first¡ªso his mind spun from Rika to the Creatures, and from the Creatures back to Rika¡­


    Because Pegg had learned that he could now shift, which meant he was like the Protectors of Anima, but in reverse. The Protectors¡ªformerly called the disformed¡ªhad been utterly unable to shift out of their human forms. Beasts had inhabited their hearts, but never taken their bodies.


    Then the Anima fought the humans¡ªand Gar¡¯s loved ones fought the Portals, those dark, evil caverns between the worlds. While Gar and Tarkyn led the battle against humans here in Anima, his parents and their friends had taken the war to the traverses¡­ They¡¯d fought the voices there¡ªthose evil fucks that tried to steal any Anima or Human heart and body that passed through between worlds.


    The Protectors had been shields against those fuckers. And when they were gone¡­ defeated¡­ suddenly they could shift. Anima who¡¯d never had a beast form before soon discovered they now did.


    Pegg, on the other hand, had always lived in a beast form¡ªabination of horse and bird. He¡¯d never known any different. But a month ago he¡¯d suffered a shock greater than any he¡¯d had since he arrived in Anima.


    And he¡¯d shifted on the spot.

 Chapter 198 - 198 A Different Kind of Sh*tshow – Part 3

    198 A Different Kind of Sh*tshow ¨C Part ~ GAR ~


    Gar sighed and pulled Rika in tighter against his ribs, stroking a strand of hair from her face, half-hoping that she¡¯d wake up and pull his thoughts away from impossible problems that he couldn¡¯t solve. But she was exhausted. Had barely slept while they¡¯d been apart. And now with him thereying in his ¡°big, manly arms¡± as she put it¡ªshe¡¯d gone out like a light.


    So Gar stared at the ceiling and set his mind to the problem that he could bear to think about.


    Pegg could shift. That, in and of itself, would have been a massive revtion. But the reason Pegg had been shocked¡­ that was an earthquake that threatened to shift the tes under this entire conflict with the Chimera.


    Something was killing the Creatures.


    Creatures, the Chimera who lived in twisted, half-human, half-beast forms, who were supposedly the human ¡°idents¡±¡ªnever able to shift, never able to reproduce, always male and always one of a kind¡­


    Some of them had heard the call when Sasha and Zev told the Chimera about the n to move to Anima. Some of them hade through¡ªat least, that¡¯s what Sasha and Harth believed. They¡¯d had to take the journey alone. And apparently many had chosen to stay in Thana and fight the human team.


    The Creatures were loners, and had always kept to themselves even in Thana. So when they avoided the other Chimera here in Anima, no one had thought twice. That¡¯s what Harth told Tarkyn.


    But now, Pegg was saying that the Creatures were here. In numbers. At least, enough numbers that Pegg didn¡¯t find just one of them dead. He¡¯d found several¡ªtheir bodies torn apart. Not eaten. Not destroyed by rot. This wasn¡¯t the Silent Ones, animals attacking bodies of the already dead. No.


    .....


    The Creatures were being murdered. And when they died, they were in human form.


    That was the impossible part. That was what had shocked Pegg so badly.


    A creature he¡¯d met and befriended had been killed. Pegg had followed the trail to the body, only to find his friend twisted and tormented, clearly wracked with pain just before his death.


    The scent was right. And the moment Pegg realized his friend had shifted to human form¡ªand was now dead¡ªhe¡¯d been startled into his own.


    He¡¯d rushed to find Rika, to show her¡ªonly to discover that she was once again heading for the cave to hide from the Anima noses, and he had rightly measured that it wasn¡¯t the right time tond this little bomb on them.


    But he hadn¡¯t known about Zev, and Harth and that whole conundrum. When they¡¯d been there at the Cave, Rika had filled him in.


    The only reason he hadn¡¯t rushed to tell Gar was because Rika had been scared to be alone.


    Gar¡¯s stomach clenched at that thought, and he pushed away the mental image of his mate curled up here on the bed, bleeding and crying without him.


    He threatened to shift himself at that.


    Shaking it off, he turned his mind back. The Creatures. They could shift. They were Protectors¡ªclearly.


    But in that case, who would want them dead?


    Gar wasn¡¯t aware of anyone going missing from the Tree City¡ªand even if he had been¡­ did he really think an Anima had gone crazy and started murdering the Creatures that most of them didn¡¯t even know existed?


    It seemed highly improbable. Though not as improbable as Pegg shifting, he had to remind himself.


    Gar raked a hand through his hair and sighed again.


    How was he going to figure this out in the middle of this Chimera showdown? How was he going to tell El¡ªshould he tell El? Could there be a connection? With Zev?


    It seemed unlikely¡ªbut again, none of this seemed predictable.


    And Rika¡­ how was he going to tell her about Elreth? She¡¯d been so sad about the baby¡ªand so happy to see him¡ªhe hadn¡¯t been willing to mar what little joy she had by telling her, though he knew he needed to do it before he left in the morning. Because it wouldn¡¯t be fair for Rika to return to WildWood and be shocked to learn it after what she¡¯d been through.


    A tremble shuddered through him and he blew out a pinched breath.


    How the hell was he going to do this?


    How the hell was he going to find the energy to do any of this?


    He looked down at his mate, her head curled against his ribs in exactly the same way Gar knew he used to curl into his father¡¯s side when he was a cub. It was a singr kind of safety, curling your body up while someone bigger and stronger held you. He knew that feeling. Still remembered it.


    And now felt like he¡¯d never feel it again.


    For a minute he tried to imagine if his father was there, right then. What he would do. Apart from shit himself because ghosts were apparently real.


    Gar swallowed and blinked.


    In his mind¡¯s eye he stood in the Royal cave, right at its center, in the Great Room, in front of the fire. And then the door opened and his father¡¯s boomingughter could be heard echoing through the cave.


    It used to annoy Gar how much his fatherughed. Now he¡¯d have given anything to hear it again.


    He swallowed the ache in his throat and let his mind y it out.


    His father, Reth, big and strong¡ªbigger and stronger than Gar himself¡ªwalking into the cave. His face would get serious when he saw Gar standing there. He¡¯d know immediately that something was wrong. If anyone who wasn¡¯t family was with him, he¡¯d tell them that he needed a minute and send them on some errand, or ask for their mercy to simply leave him to his family.


    Then he¡¯d close and bar the door and when he turned to Gar, his shoulders would be back and his chin up.


    ¡°What is it, son? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s losing babies, dad. And we don¡¯t know why.¡±


    He¡¯d see his own grief reflected in his father¡¯s eyes then¡ªhis father loved children. Always had. Even before he and El were born.


    Gar was sure his father would cry more easily than he did about it. But whether he cried or not, Gar knew what he would do next. Because it was what he¡¯d always done when something had gone truly wrong.


    He would look Gar square in the eye as he walked toward him. ¡°It¡¯s going to be okay, Son. The Creator knows. It¡¯s going to be okay.¡±


    And then he¡¯d fold Gar into his chest, squeezing him until he almost couldn¡¯t breath.


    He¡¯d grip the back of Gar¡¯s head and hold him close while Gar cried, or didn¡¯t. And the whole time he¡¯d keep whispering that.


    It¡¯s going to be okay.


    The Creator knows.


    It¡¯s going to be okay.


    And somehow, he always managed to make Gar believe it. Always.


    At least, he had.


    Gar blinked and he was back in the fishing cave, Rika curled into his side, the fire dying, and the echo of his father¡¯s voice in his ears.


    His vision blurred, the light of the fire stretching in lines across the room as his eyes welled. Swallowing, swallowing, swallowing the lump in his throat, Gar turned towards Rika to wrap both arms around her and hold her.


    She came half away and sucked in a breath. ¡°What is it, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    But he just growled at her to go back to sleep. Because in this moment, he was his father. He knew that. In this moment, thefort was his to give, not receive. So he stroked her hair and held her close, and he whispered those words to her.


    It¡¯s going to be okay.


    The Creator knows.


    It¡¯s going to be okay.


    And even though her shoulders hitched once, she also sank into him, her breathing heavy, but even. And then slowly soft.


    And as his mate drifted back off to sleep, Gar was d that he was there. So d. So d he could do something.


    But he also found that he¡¯d never missed his parents more.


    He missed his mother¡¯s patient smile¡ªand impatient warning re. He missed his father¡¯sughter, and those thudding back-pats. He missed how both of them were disgustingly in love right up to the veryst minute. And he missed that they weren¡¯t there to tell him to be grateful that he could learn how to love that way.


    He missed not being the strongest male in the room¡ªand that took his breath a little too.


    He never would have admitted it to anyone else, least of all his father who he¡¯d snarled at and shoved away since he was fifteen¡­ until thosest few months. Just thest few. When he¡¯d started to glimpse that maybe¡­ just maybe¡­ he did want to be like his dad after all.


    God help him¡­ that brought the tears too.


    ¡°Hug them from me,¡± he prayed softly, still stroking Rika¡¯s hair. ¡°Tell them that I get it now, and I¡¯m sorry. Tell them I miss them¡­ I just miss them.¡±


    Then he curled himself around his mate andy with her until sleep finally stole him away too. But just as he drifted off, he would have sworn he felt the weight of arge, warm hand resting at the back of his shoulder. Just pressing there so he wasn¡¯t alone. And a deep, soft voice telling him that the Creator knows.


    And it was going to be okay.

 Chapter 199 - 199 Is There Anybody Out There? Part 1

    199 Is There Anybody Out There? Part If you like music while you read, try ¡°Anyone¡± by Corvyx. It¡¯s what I listened to while writing and sets the perfect tone for Zev¡¯s heart here!


    *****


    ~ ZEV ~


    It was midnight and Sasha was falling apart. Something had shifted during the course of the day. Zev¡¯s heart mmed against his ribs in panic¡ªhis mate was falling apart, and his baby¡­ his son¡­ something was wrong.


    ¡°Let me take him,¡± Zev said quietly, reaching for the tiny bundle. Their son whose cry was growing weaker. He was exhausted, only sleeping twenty minutes at a time, and feeding less and less.


    Sasha¡¯s eyes had gone hollow and she was barely talking. Zev had sent Skhal to get Jayah hours earlier, but there was no news. Nothing. Skhal was out of the range of the mindlink. And who knew if he¡¯d even be able to bring her back? What if he was caught trying to find her? They didn¡¯t know who he was to Jayah. They might kill him on sight.


    Zev growled and shook his head. He couldn¡¯t think like that¡­ there had to be hope that Jayah woulde and would have some answers, something¡­ but even if she did, what if it wasn¡¯t the milk? Or what if it was and the wet nurse couldn¡¯t¡ª


    He swallowed, shutting off that train of thought and looking down at Sasha, but her eyes were dark, vacant pools. Something had happened during the day. She kept looking at him as if he was a walking ghost. But every time he asked, she just shook her head. ¡°I just need to sleep. I need Zan to eat, and I need to sleep.¡±


    She¡¯d said it so many times that day, and she was right. She was human¡ªmore frail, far less physically robust than him or the other Chimera, and not a soldier.


    .....


    She insisted Zan was, too. That he could go downhill faster too, because of it. But Zev wasn¡¯t as sure.


    ¡°Let me take him,¡± he said again, his hands extended. ¡°Just for an hour. I¡¯ll walk him around. He seems to do better then, right? You sleep.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll bring him back, Sasha.¡±


    ¡°I know. Of course you will, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°Sasha¡­ let me do this. Let me have him.¡±


    Her forehead pinched to lines, but she lifted the swaddled bundle of their son up to Zev from the furs, nodding, though she looked like she was on the verge of tears. Again.


    And yet, the moment Zan was in his arms, sheid down.


    She was asleep before Zev had made it out of the cave.


    Zan gave a little cry and Zev held him to his chest, shushing quietly in his ear. ¡°Just a little while, buddy. Let¡¯s let mom sleep okay?¡± he whispered.


    Either Zan understood, or he was soothed by the movement, because he sighed heavily, but didn¡¯t immediately cry out again.


    Zev swallowed hard, but set his jaw. Determined.


    He knew what Zan needed. He was certain. He just... he wasn¡¯t sure he could¡­ if he knew how¡­


    Gulping at the air and ring at anyone who was still awake and caught his eye, Zev put his son to his shoulder and stalked through the camp until they finally broke out of the line of the northernmost tents and into the forest.


    He could breathe easier out here where there were no signs of anything except trees and the wind. His shoulders loosened a hair.


    Zan made another little cry and squirmed against his shoulder, but Zev let him. He wasn¡¯t going to disturb anyone out here. He strode into the dark, formting a n.


    When he made it to the clearing where they¡¯d met the Chimera when they returned and saw that it was, indeed, empty, he heaved a sigh of relief.


    It was stupid, he knew. But he wanted to be alone for this, in case he failed.


    His hand tightened instinctively on Zan¡¯s back and his son sighed again, but nuzzled into his neck¡ªlooking for milk that he wouldn¡¯t take when it was presented to him. Zev wanted to weep.


    He turned circles looking for the perfect spot, and chose a massive, t tree-stump over to the eastern side of the clearing.


    When he reached it, it nted slightly, but was mostly t. Zev took a deep breath andid the bundle of Zan down on the stump, then leaned over him.


    Zan arched and gave a little cry, and then another, each a little stronger than the one before. But Zev knew this was necessary, so he steeled himself against his son¡¯s wails and began to unwrap him until his little body was bare to the night, the small fur t around him, and nothing on his tiny frame except the diaper Sasha had fashioned for him.


    Zan fisted his hands and screamed as the cold air reached his warm, pink skin.


    ¡°Shhhhhhh, listen to me son, please¡­¡±


    But Zan was inconsble. Tears filling his little eyes that blinked and screwed tight, then opened again, pleading with Zev to warm him.


    Heart breaking, Zev cupped a hand over his skull, humbled and moved almost to tears by how tiny his son was.


    He could crush him with the wrong move¡ªsnuff out his life. But his son reached for him, wailing, already certain that safety,fort was in his arms. How was that possible?


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, son,¡± Zev whispered, trying to time his words when Zan was inhaling so he¡¯d hear them. ¡°But I want to help you. And sometimes¡­ sometimes help is ufortable.¡±


    Zan¡¯s cries caught as he inhaled deeply and choked on his own saliva. There was a very nervous second for Zev when his son¡¯s eyes went wide and he didn¡¯t make a sound at all, then suddenly, Zan¡¯s full-throated scream pierced the night.


    Zev leaned over him, swallowing back tears, cupped both hands over his head, stroking with his thumbs and talking to him.


    ¡°You need to shift, Zan. If you shift, you can eat something else. We can give you meat or different milk or¡­ something. Please¡­ I know it¡¯s in you¡ªthere¡¯s an animal in there somewhere, a wolf. Something. Feel it, buddy¡­ please¡­ feel it. It¡¯s like¡­ like a shield inside you. A body that¡¯s yours, but not like this one. It¡¯s inside you. It¡¯s probably angry right now and wants to bite me, and that¡¯s okay, son. If you need to do that, you can. I promise I won¡¯t be mad¡­ please¡­ Zan, please¡­¡±


    Over and over again, everything he could think of to describe his earliest memories of his wolf¡ªhow it felt, how he knew it, where it was. He even massaged that spot on Zan¡¯s chest where Zev felt his wolf the strongest¡­ Right under his heart.


    But Zan just cried, and cried, and cried¡­ until his wails grew weaker, and he started to leave gaps between his cries.


    ¡°Please, Zan¡­ please!¡± Zev pleaded his hands clenched to desperate fists now, but his son just stared at him through shining eyes.


    ¡°Please, Zan¡ªwe can¡¯t lose you. It will kill us. You¡¯re¡­ you¡¯re too precious. It will break us, son.¡±


    But his son only gave a feeble, pathetic little wail that broke thest of Zev¡¯s heart that was still beating normally.

 Chapter 200 - 200 Is There Anybody Out There? Part 2

    200 Is There Anybody Out There? Part Here on Webnovel it¡¯s the end of the month! Remember, privilege will COMPLETELY refresh on Tuesday at 8:30am PST / 11:30am EST ¨Cso you can buy all new chapters, or bow out and still receive daily chapters. THANK YOU for all your support!


    *****


    ~ ZEV ~


    With a little sob, he gathered Zan up, pulling him to his chest. His little body was freezing, and Zev cursed himself for not thinking about that¡ªbut he¡¯d thought maybe his son needed to feel the freedom to be bigger and stronger. Needed¡­ he needed so much. So much they didn¡¯t understand.


    Zev opened his shirt so that his chest was bare andid Zan against it. His son curled into a little ball, sticking his tiny bottom out, fists and knees curled up, and face pressed into Zev¡¯s corbone. His back rose and fell quickly¡ªtoo quickly. But he¡¯d stopped crying at least.


    Zev wrapped the fur over his back and cradled him,ying his head against his sons and trying desperately to swallow the bellow that wanted to tear out of his throat.


    ¡°He needs to be a shifter,¡± he whispered to God. ¡°He needs that strength and that¡­ help. Why would you keep that from him? From us? Do you even care? We did everything¡­ we took it all. We broke for this. We got him here. Why would you get us this far only to let him die?¡±


    A shudder of fear rocked through Zev, and Zan gave a little fuss, but Zev just rubbed his back and shushed him until he settled again. But his jaw was hardening. His body trembling with rage as much as fear.


    ¡°You did this,¡± he hissed at God. ¡°You led us here¡ªyou said this was safety! But there¡¯s been nothing but danger and death. Why?!¡±


    .....


    Images shed in Zev¡¯s head¡ªthat moment when Sasha had been thrown to the ground while she held his son to her chest. The fear that had rocketed through him in that second¡ªand the pure, unadulterated rage.


    He could see it in his head, had been able to since he¡¯d woken from the drugs they¡¯d given him after that fight.


    He would tear them limb from limb for this. Anyone¡ªanyone who stood in his way.


    The anger stole his breath and made him strong, and for a second he smiled, enjoying the idea of finally unleashing on these smug cowards.


    But then Zan sighed under his hand, and his little face nuzzled at Zev¡¯s throat and¡­


    Something in his chest cracked. Something bigger than his heart.


    And then different images yed through his mind¡­ images of himself hurting others. Memories of the way his people were beginning to cower¡ªto watch him warily when he passed them on the walks between the tents.


    It made him angrier seeing them look at him like that.


    The way they used to look at Xar. Or the humans.


    No.


    No.


    He would never be that leader. Never. He was doing this for them!


    The images he¡¯d had in his mind just moments before echoed to taunt him. Daydreams of closing his teeth on that bitch Queen. Smug pleasure in kicking Tarkyn¡¯s ass in front of his mate so they¡¯d all know who was stronger.


    His willingness to put his brother in the dirt.


    Despair hovered over him like a cloud. He¡¯d always sworn he would never be that kind of Alpha. And he¡¯d done it too¡ªusing words and persuasion more than aggression to keep the wolves in line and lead the people¡­ for years.


    And Sasha¡­ Sasha would be bested by an adolescent if they fought, yet they all adored her. Followed her when she led because her will was strong¡ªand because they knew she loved them. They knew she was smart and¡­ and they trusted Zev. He submitted to her, so they did.


    What would happen if they didn¡¯t trust him anymore?


    What would happen if they decided Zev was a threat? Or Sasha was weak?


    A growl puttered in his throat for a moment, then Zev froze.


    He would growl at his own people now?


    Suddenly, he couldn¡¯t breathe. He held his son to him and started to walk, to move, before his body shut down on himpletely.


    Of course he wouldn¡¯t. He didn¡¯t. He¡¯d been angry and aggressive, but that was because their enemy was so close and he feared that unless they fought, he was only leading his people into danger.


    In Thana they¡¯d been under direct threat, but they¡¯d known the terrain better and they¡¯d had Sasha to show them how the humans thought.


    He didn¡¯t have that choice here!


    He¡¯d seen what these people would do, how they¡¯d react. He couldn¡¯t put his son through that! These people would kill him¡ªkill his family, kill his people¡ªthe moment they decided the threat was too great.


    ¡°Please,¡± he murmured, closing his eyes and lifting his face to the sky, humbling himself, holding his son against his skin and feeling his heartbeat. ¡°Please. I¡¯ll do anything, just please¡­ save us. Save my son. Save my mate. Save us all¡­¡±


    But of course, there was no answer.


    And then his son began to cry again¡ªquietly. Thinly. Far too weakly. Zev wrapped his arms around him and sank to the dirt, letting himself lean back against the stump and holding his son, and praying. Just praying, until they both slowly drifted into the dark of sleep.


    *****


    ¡®Zev¡­ Zev?¡¯


    Skhal¡¯s voice broke through his light sleep and Zev startled, then froze. Zan was sleeping, his little back rising and falling slowly.


    ¡®Skhal?¡¯


    ¡®Where are you?¡¯


    ¡®In the clearing where the ns greeted us when we came back.¡¯


    ¡®We¡¯reing, Zev. I have Jayah, and a wet nurse and¡­ they sent a lot, Zev. They want to help. They really do. Don¡¯t move. We¡¯lle to you.¡¯


    Zev tensed and must not have guarded the link because Skhal growled through the link.


    ¡®She¡¯s my heart, Zev. Jayah will never hurt you any more than I would. Stay where you are, and I¡¯ll prove it.¡¯


    To Zev¡¯s relief, it was only minutes before Skhal broke through the trees and began to trot across the clearing towards him, Jayah right on his heels.


    ¡°We were slow because we had a lot to bring,¡± Skhal said, rushing towards him. Zev couldn¡¯t answer them, he didn¡¯t know what to say.


    Jayah beelined for him, her arms outstretched. ¡°Let me see him. Now.¡±


    Zev didn¡¯t even think, just handed her his son, then stood there, trembling, when she took him to the same stump Zev had used and unwrapped him.


    Zan immediately began to cry again¡ªbut so much weaker than before, Zev¡¯s heart thundered painfully in his chest.


    Skhal gripped his shoulder as Jayah leaned over the baby, shushing and touching, prodding him and cooing to him when it hurt. Soon, she gathered him up in her arms and turned.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t illness. His body is rejecting the goat milk. You¡¯re needed now!¡± she snapped, and for a moment Zev thought she was talking to him. But then Skhal turned and Zev followed his gaze to find two more figures appearing from the shadows of the trees behind them.


    Zev tensed, his body bracing, but Skhal¡¯s grip tightened on him and he muttered for Zev to stand down.


    ¡°They came to help. They¡¯re here to help¡ªyour son, Zev.¡± He kept murmuring it as the two crossed the clearing, until Zev blinked and realized one of the figures was the wet nurse who¡¯d fed Zan before.


    ¡°She came¡­ here?¡± Zev breathed.


    Skhal nodded. ¡°They both came for him, Zev. Treat them well. They¡¯re scared, but they want your son to be well. We told them they¡¯d be safe.¡±


    Zev nodded, his heart pounding painfully as Jayah bundled Zan into the arms of the wet nurse who immediately turned and settled on the ground where he¡¯d sat just moments earlier, and began to feed.


    And his son gave a little cry and struggled for a moment that stole Zev¡¯s breath. Then hetched on and went quiet, eating hungrily.


    The wet nurse smiled down at him and rxed back against the stump. Zev turned away from them, sucking at the air, his entire body trembling until he had to lean down and brace on his knees until his head stopped spinning.


    Skhal gripped his shoulder the entire time and never stopped telling him that they were going to get through this.


    ¡°Everything happens for a reason, Zev. The Creator understands things we don¡¯t. You¡¯re going to be fine¡ªyour whole family is going to be fine.¡±


    Zev wed his hands into his hair and prayed that his friend was right.

 Chapter 201 - 201 Into the Woods

    201 Into the Woods


    SPECIAL PRIVILEGE REWARD THIS MONTH! To celebrate thest full month of Warrior Beast publishing, if you purchase the top tier of privilege in February you¡¯ll receive an unpublished scene from this world! Those in the USA will receive it in physical copy, international readers will receive it digitally (in the first week of March because it contains spoilers.) Just follow instructions on the chapters in the top tier!


    (This message was added after publication so you aren¡¯t charged for the words.)


    *****


    ~ JAYAH ~


    Jayah stood over the wet nurse, breathing more easily when the babytched and began to feed, but her heart still fluttered with nerves and her body hummed with tension.


    Little Zan was lethargic and dehydrated. Losing strength. And even though he was feeding now¡ªwhich would help¡ªhis stomach was distended and painful when touched.


    His body had not responded well to the goat milk, which meant it could have damaged his little system.


    Had he been Anima, Jayah might have been less concerned. The Anima were robust¡ªcertainly stronger than human children¡ªplus they could shift into their animals whose development was faster and stronger. But all signs were that Zan was not even Chimera, but human. His scent held nothing of an animal¡ªpresumably there would have been at least a hint of a wolf on him if he could shift.


    While Jayah held no prejudice for a human child who had no control over his birth, her concerns ran high.


    .....


    Humans didn¡¯t always respond to the herbs and tinctures of the Anima in the same way. Sometimes their treatments were more effective on humans. But others could be anything from toxic, to simply unhelpful.


    Jayah had learned a great deal from the former queen, Elia, who¡¯d been human, and moretely from some of the human mates of the Anima¡ªRika, and some of the Protector¡¯s mates who were purely human. But they were all adults. None of the human females had had human babies here in Anima yet. And that meant Jayah was very, very uncertain what risks to take, or not.


    Quite aside from the life of the child, which was the highest priority, Zev¡¯s reaction if something were to go wrong added ayer ofplication that Jayah decided she would have to ignore, or it might create too many pressures for her to objectively treat the boy.


    As she watched the son feed¡ªweakly, but steadily¡ªand she watched her matefort his father, Jayah prayed for wisdom and guidance and strength¡­ and that this extra stress wouldn¡¯t push Zev over the edgepletely.


    When the baby was full¡ªhe hadn¡¯t taken as much as he used to, but his stomach was still very clearly hurting him¡ªZev carried him back to the camp silently¡ªafter thanking Jayah and the wet nurses foring. But his eyes were distant and shadowed.


    When they reached the cave and Zev woke Sasha, she was rmed, but Jayah was there to exin and Sasha, still bleary from sleep, cried with relief.


    ¡°Thank you, Jayah. Thank you!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Sasha. I¡¯m d that I could be here to help¡ªand the others as well. We¡¯re here for you and for Zan. Just rx. We¡¯ll do the best that we can for all of you.¡±


    With Zan clearly exhausted and sleeping, the wet nurses left to be shown to tents by Zev and Skhal, agreeing to take shifts ande for Zan again in three hours.


    Skhal gave Jayah a lingering look before he walked out of the cave with the others and her heart squeezed. She was eager to reunite with her mate¡ªthey¡¯d had no time alone since he arrived at the Tree City¡ªbut she also was there with a job to do. And the impending threat of the baby¡¯s father if she didn¡¯t do it correctly.


    Her hands tingled, but she shook them out and turned back to Sasha, who was sitting in the furs, staring down at her son who¡¯d dropped into a deep sleep.


    ¡°It¡¯s not going to be that easy, is it?¡± Sasha whispered a momentter.


    Jayah raised her brows, but kept her voice as soft and gentle as she could. ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± she said honestly. ¡°His body didn¡¯t like the milk. It depends whether it only made him ill and will pass after a time, or whether it¡¯s a more serious reaction.¡±


    ¡°Allergies,¡± Sasha said, nodding her head, her eyes shadowed and fixed on her son¡¯s face. ¡°It didn¡¯t even ur to me¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t let yourself grow stressed, Sasha. You have enough to think about without recriminations. You are a first time mother¡ªwith no time to prepare. You¡¯re doing remarkably well.¡±


    Sasha shook her head. ¡°Thank you, but¡­ I never thought¡­ I never imagined when I thought about having a family that it would happen like this. And I guess I never thought I¡¯d have to rely on others so much just to keep my son alive, let alone thriving.¡± Her voice broke and she screwed her eyes closed. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ hard.¡±


    Jayah put a hand to her shoulder, rubbing across her back. ¡°I have never been a mother,¡± she said quietly, ¡°but I have helped dozens and I can tell you, I have never met a mother who was truly sessful doing it utterly alone. We need each other, Sasha, whether our children are ill or not. Don¡¯t¡­ don¡¯t see it as a failing to allow others to help you.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t, it¡¯s just that¡­¡± she looked up at Jayah, her eyes red and shining. ¡°If he only had me he would literally die. I didn¡¯t even know how to tie these diapers¡ªand I¡¯m still getting them too loose sometimes. And this? I can¡¯t feed him¡ªmy body¡­ I can¡¯t! But I can¡¯t give him this milk either¡­ I can¡¯t be what he needs!¡±


    Jayahbed her sweaty hair back from her face and tried to smile. ¡°You are exactly what he needs. He cannot thrive without you¡­ and Zev,¡± she said softly. ¡°His health¡­ his health may be dependent on others, but his heart needs you. We all do¡ªwe all need love. We need our Creator. We need our mates, our tribes, our families¡ªchosen or assigned to us¡­ we all need, Sasha. That is just a simple truth. Don¡¯t turn your need into a moral failing.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ my child can¡¯t be whole because of me.¡±


    ¡°The fact that he was stolen from you is not your fault!¡± Jayah said sternly.


    ¡°Not that¡ªI know I couldn¡¯t do anything about that. I¡¯m talking about¡­ I¡¯m human. And he¡¯s clearly taken after me. We are where we are because of others like me¡ªhe was taken by others like me. Even if he gets through this, what¡¯s going to happen to him when he¡¯s grown? He¡¯ll never be Chimera. Never be strong enough. What female will want to take him as a mate if he can¡¯t even fight for his ce?¡±


    Jayah was stunned. She wouldn¡¯t have expected the young woman to have thought so far ahead when there was so much else going on.


    But, on second thought, it was a natural extension of their position, she supposed. The conflict between humans and the other species¡­


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about your people specifically,¡± Jayah said carefully, ¡°but I can tell you that there are a few humans among the Anima¡ªthose whose mates were revealed to be in our people. Perhaps¡­ perhaps there will be a mate for him among the offspring there?¡±


    Their eyes met and Sasha¡¯s slowly shifted from pleading to determined. ¡°Just one more reason to find a way to peace,¡± she said.


    Jayah nodded.


    She opened her mouth again¡ªthe words on the tip of her tongue¡ªthat this might not be Zan¡¯s only chance¡­ that there were ways to make him more Anima¡­


    But the woman looked away, down at her son, and Jayah saw the set of her shoulders and jaw.


    It could do no harm, she decided, to give Sasha another reason to fight for the side of peace. No harm to any of them.


    Least of all her son.


    Jayah filed away the information to be shared at ater time¡ªif the boy lived, and if it might help move Sasha and Zev into closer rtionship with the Anima.


    When Zev and Skhal returned¡ªthe former worried and haggard, Skhal just looking weary¡ªJayah and her mate left to give the Alphas the space to be alone and rest as a family.


    Jayah followed Skhal into the night, promising Sasha that she would return at dawn to check Zan and speak with them both.


    Sasha thanked her profusely, tears still in her eyes, and Zev added his quieter, but no less emphatic, gratitude as well.


    Jayah prayed their relief wasn¡¯t to soon. And then she wondered if it came down to it, whether she¡¯d be brave enough to share the inkling of an idea she¡¯d had.


    Because that weak little human boy was not out of the woods yet.


    The question was, how far would his parents be willing to go to save him if it was necessary¡ªand would the Anima agree?


    ¡®What gues your mind, my mate?¡¯ Skhal¡¯s warm rumble in her head made her entire body shiver with relief and delight.


    She hugged his arm to her side as they walked and she smiled. ¡®I was just thinking about all the ways the little choices now¡­ the things we see¡­ how they can have such massive impacts on the future.¡¯


    Skhal tipped his head. ¡®That¡¯s true, but¡­ what are you thinking about specifically?¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯m thinking¡­ I¡¯m thinking that if that boy was somehow tied to the Anima¡­ it we were necessary for his survival¡­ that might help pave the way for peace.¡¯


    ¡®I think you may already be necessary for him¡ª¡¯


    ¡®No, I mean, even when he¡¯s older. If being a part of the Anima could benefit him¡­ it might help break through Zev¡¯s resistance. Unless you think he¡¯s already softening?¡¯


    ¡®Sadly, no,¡¯ Skhal muttered in her head. ¡®He¡¯s incredibly grateful, but he¡¯s still walking around like someone stood on his tail. And the stress¡­ his anger is just beneath the surface.¡¯


    Jayah sighed, that was what she thought. ¡®Then maybe my idea has merit. I¡¯ll tell you and then you can tell me if you think it would be useful or dangerous to propose.¡¯


    ¡®Propose? Propose what?¡¯


    Jayah looked at him from the side and tried not to smile. ¡®I think I know how to make Zan into an Anima.¡¯


    Skhal stopped dead in his tracks, gaping at her.

 Chapter 202 - 202 [Bonus chapter] Heartbeat of the Day – Part 1

    202 [Bonus chapter] Heartbeat of the Day ¨C Part If you like music while you read, try ¡°Forever and Always¡± by Written by Wolves and Becks. It¡¯s what I was listening to while writing the next two chapters!


    *****


    ~ HARTH ~


    Harth woke the morning of the peace talks exhausted and exhrated and confused.


    The news of Zev¡¯s announcement and the impending meeting with the Anima had spread like wildfire. Even the hunters and others who¡¯d been out of the encampment knew what wasing within minutes of returning home.


    The Chimera buzzed with anticipation that swung quickly between fear and hope. No one seemed to know what to think.


    On the one hand, Zev was incredibly tense and aggressive, which led them towards fear. And yet, there were Anima among them acting peaceably and proving to be unthreatening. They were strong, but personable.


    And they¡¯d all suddenly heard of Harth and Skhal¡¯s mates¡ªwhich sent the young Chimera buzzing. Could there be mates for them among the Anima?


    No one knew what to think. Including Harth. She and Tarkyn had discussed itte into the night, one minute her mind full of images of peace finally attained¡ªAnima and Chimera findingmon ground, smiling at each other¡­ happy. Rxed.


    .....


    Yet, the next, she¡¯d see Zev going for Elreth¡¯s throat and the hell that would break loose in that moment if he did.


    Lerrin and Suhle had assured Zev and Skhal that Elreth nned to bring only three hundred Anima with her, to keep the numbers mostly even. But apparently Zev hadn¡¯t been able to decide if that was a good thing¡ªindecisive about whether he wanted eyes on the Anima, or the less-threatening gathering in which neither side was greatly out-popted.


    Swings and roundabouts. Indecision and hope. No one seemed to know how to feel.


    Including Harth.


    But Tarkyn¡­ Tarkyn worried her. From the moment he¡¯d seen Zev announce the meeting, his demeanor had changed. He¡¯d taken her with such savage desperation after that. She¡¯d loved it, careless that the guards would be able to hear them unless they turned their ears away. But she hadn¡¯t cared. She¡¯d found herself suddenly desperate too.


    Except¡­ except neither of them was satisfied. Their roller coaster night had included sudden, vicious need¡­ sated only to dissolve into emotional clinging¡­ only to be fear, and then more vicious need.


    Exhausted. Exhrated. Confused.


    Shey there in the furs unwilling to move because Tarkyn was actually sleeping. She didn¡¯t dare wake him. And the morbid piece of her, the part that recognized the danger of this day, wanted to crystallize the memory in her mind of Tarkyn leaning on her side, his thick arm thrown across her stomach and his lips resting on her shoulder.


    She was warm and protected and loved.


    She¡¯d spent most of her life wishing for this kind of moment¡ªyet when it happened, she found the joy it brought was shadowed by the threat of what mighte. That made her sad. She¡¯d imagined this moment, or some like it, so many times. To have it tainted¡­


    Harth sighed, but stayed still, turning only her head to examine her mate, his strong, fierce face softened in sleep.


    Following the lines of his cheekbones, the sharp cut of his stubbled jaw with her eyes, she ached to touch it. To wake him slowly, to take his lips, then his tongue, to w her fingers across his scalp, then down his back¡ª


    ¡°Gar tells me that what you¡¯re doing is called stalking in the human world, and considered a perversion,¡± Tarkyn rumbled, his arm tightening across her middle.


    Harth snorted. ¡°Gar doesn¡¯t know what he¡¯s talking about. It¡¯s only stalking if I stare at you when you don¡¯t know that I¡¯m there. And usually through a window, or I¡¯ve broken and entered and¡ª¡±


    ¡°Harth?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Shut up,¡± he growled, pulling himself up and over her, nudging her knees wide so he could settle between her thighs, pressing himself against her as he let his lips trace over hers.


    Harth¡¯s heart immediately began to flutter and race. She wrapped her arms around his muscr back and smiled into his kiss, locking her ankles behind his waist as he nudged her.


    She gave a happy sigh and let her head drop back as Tarkyn, growling about being woken by his very own, God-given pervert, kissed his way down her neck.


    She snorted, but as his body came alive and his kisses grew more heated, as her own body began to tingle and pebble under his touch, she could feel her mate tensing, his grip on her bing tighter, his movements more aggressive¡ªnot out of anger, but fear.


    As he kissed his way under her throat and around to that space under her other ear, Harth let her head sink back and her fingers w into his hair.


    ¡°Tarkyn, are you okay?¡±


    He froze in the act of licking the shell of her ear, then lifted his head to meet her eyes¡ªhis own puffy and shadowed withck of sleep, but also bright and fixed on her.


    ¡°Of course I¡¯m not¡ªare you?¡± he muttered.


    Harth shook her head. ¡°But you seem¡­ tenser. I¡¯m nervous. But I have hope. Are you¡­ don¡¯t you have hope?¡±


    Tarkyn blew out a breath and rolled off of her, pulling his hands up to rub his face.


    Harth¡¯s heart sank as she rolled to push up on her elbow and lean over him. She shouldn¡¯t have said anything. But she¡¯d been able to feel him going tense and they only had a few hours¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry. I just¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Harth. I just¡­¡± he sighed again and let his hands drop, then looked up at her, his eyes sad and tight. ¡°I was present when the rebel wolves met with the former King,¡± he said slowly. ¡°I was young, but I was there. I walked into that day confident and excited¡ªnervous, of course, but¡­ in my youth and vigor I¡¯d had no doubt that Reth would be victorious. And he was.¡±


    Harth frowned. ¡°That makes you sad?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°I saw two Alphas humble themselves that day,¡± he said softly, lifting a finger to push back a strand of hair from her face. ¡°And if the story ended there it would have been such a wonderful thing to have seen. But it didn¡¯t. Harth, the people¡­ the people fought. They could not put aside their egos long enough to find peace, even when it was offered to them. That was the day I learned the truth about pride. Not the lion pride¡ªthe pride in our hearts. That was the day I learned that even when we do the right thing, the correct thing, others may destroy what we have achieved through nothing more than an unwillingness to be seen defeated.¡±


    He pushed up on his elbow too, then, taller than her, so higher. He cupped her face and searched her eyes. ¡°I had nothing to lose but my own life that day¡­ I have not metbat with anything to lose but my own life before. Today¡­ today if this goes wrong I will lose so much more. And I find I am¡­ not prepared. Harth, love, I am not equipped for this. The thought of losing you¡­ it eviscerates me.¡±

 Chapter 203 - 203 Heartbeat of the Day – Part 2

    203 Heartbeat of the Day ¨C Part ~ TARKYN ~


    He¡¯d woken feeling as if a de were buried in his stomach. He¡¯d tried to ignore it, to push it away, to bury himself in his mate and forget, even for just a few minutes, the risk they faced that day. But bless her or curse her, his mate wouldn¡¯t allow him to ignore it.


    Tarkyn wed a hand through his hair, then twisted the lengths into a tight, functional bun that he secured with a leather strap. He needed to face this day with clear sight.


    His belly quivered at the thought.


    But once he was moving, he found every time his eyes strayed to his mate¡¯s soft skin, to her uncertain smile, every time her sweet voice reached his ears, the tension only increased.


    He¡¯d slept, but only barely. His night gued by dreams of losing her.


    Her.


    Not his people.


    Not his queen.


    .....


    Not a war, or a moral victory.


    Her.


    He was Defender. He was Captain. He was Emissary.


    But his heart was male. Was lover. Was mate.


    He¡¯d fought it from the very first day she appeared, this tension within him. This undeniable call to protect at any cost.


    It stole his breath.


    He was capable. He was strong. He could get her out of this and keep her safe, bury her in the far-reaches of the unknownnds. He could have her, guarantee himself his mate and her safety¡­ and all at the low, simple cost of his integrity.


    That was the battle he¡¯d been fighting since she arrived. And he¡¯d thought he was winning, finding the way to bnce the two. He¡¯d thought himself sessful at walking that tightrope.


    He was a fool.


    Twice in the night he¡¯d found himself strategizing, nning how he might incapacitate the four guards outside of their cave, knock them senseless in the dark, then steal her away.


    He¡¯d shied from it when he¡¯d realized what he was doing¡­ but the thought hadn¡¯t left him. He¡¯d been forced to examine himself and admit¡­


    He was a faithless, selfish traitor at his core.


    And that had made him angry.


    While Harth slept, he¡¯d mentally wrestled resentment, fear, bitterness, and selfish ambition¡ªnot for power, but for her.


    At some point he¡¯d finally slept, but he¡¯d woken angry¡ªhis very first thought a smile because he smelled her and felt her warmth, felt her eyes on him¡­ and the very next a volcano of rage because she might be taken from him today.


    And he was expected to walk into that willingly?


    At times in his life and career he¡¯d woken afraid. He¡¯d woken angry. He¡¯d woken having to wrestle his will into control.


    He¡¯d never woken before wanting out. He¡¯d never woken wishing himself to be someone else. A nameless, faceless male who could take his mate and never look back. Set eyes on a future and pursue it without thought for anyone else.


    He¡¯d never imagined another person could mean enough to him that he would want to forget his own integrity. Just throw it aside like unwanted weight.


    What had be of his heart?


    His eyesnded on Harth¡¯s face to answer the question, and the mating call had rolled in his throat.


    Their coupling was fast, breathless, thrilling¡­ and terrifying.


    He¡¯d grabbed for her, taken her in the purest sense of the word. She¡¯d smiled and called to him, surrendered herself¡ªand it only made him take more, press harder, with teeth shing kisses and nails in her skin. He¡¯d roared his climax with his teeth at her throat as she shuddered and clenched around him.


    And when they¡¯d both slumped, sweaty and breathless, he¡¯d held her so tightly she¡¯d struggled to breathe.


    ¡°Tarkyn, rx. I¡¯m here¡ª¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not you I¡¯m worried about.¡±


    Lies. All lies.


    It was only her that he worried about, and that was the problem.


    He¡¯d failed in his life¡ªit was impossible to seed, to grow without losing and failing. He knew that. Taught it. Coached others towards it.


    He¡¯d failed. He¡¯d lost. And he¡¯d been weak.


    He had never despised himself before.


    And he couldn¡¯t remember a day he¡¯d ever wished to close his teeth on the throat of his Queen¡­ or the Creator.


    He¡¯d had to leave Harth. Had to force himself to do it. He¡¯d made excuses for needing to speak with Lhars, but he thought she knew, because her eyes were too round, too tense when he finally kissed her and turned his back, walking in stiff, jolting strides from the cave because if he didn¡¯t leave, right then, he never would.


    He would shift and defend.


    A single lion in the mouth of this small cave¡ªespecially a desperate one¡ªcould defend against an entire legion.


    They¡¯d never touch her. He wouldn¡¯t let them.


    He shuddered, growling as he stalked through the wood¡ªnot following any trail, but rather cutting through the wood as the crow flies¡ªthe four guards who were tasked with following him, shadowing him through the trees.


    None of them spoke and Tarkyn thought they knew.


    They, too, were soldiers. Fighters.


    He¡¯d shown each of them nothing but respect and understanding¡­ and they returned it in kind.


    Barely able to breathe, Tarkyn turned his head slightly to find the male to his left¡ªa tall, strong wolf that held the leadership of this little fist.


    Tarkyn would have named him Sergeant, though he gathered the Chimera didn¡¯t hold with military rank.


    When their eyes met, the male nodded once, his jaw tight. Tarkyn returned it. Then abruptly stopped walking.


    Around him, the four stopped too, a question in their eyes, but Tarkyn only watched their leader.


    ¡°I mean not harm to you, or any Chimera,¡± he said without preamble.


    The male¡¯s brows rose and his handnded on his spear, but he nodded.


    ¡°I want no harm for the Chimera¡ªI pray that we will leave this day brothers in arms.¡±


    ¡°So do I,¡± the male growled.


    ¡°I ask for your mercy.¡±


    The male¡¯s gaze ttened. ¡°Tarkyn, we can¡¯t leave you¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, no. That¡¯s not what I meant.¡± He raised his hands to soothe. ¡°I¡­ I need time to face my Creator. To face the future. To find¡­ to find my strength again.¡±


    The male gave one simple huff. ¡°You¡¯ll have no interference from us,¡± he said dryly.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Tarkyn said with another nod, and then he began walking again.


    Not towards camp. Not towards Harth. Not even towards Elreth.


    He walked with brisk, determined steps, towards privacy. Because he was a fighter, but no one could win in a battle with the Creator. And so¡­ as he walked to face his God, he epted that they may be thest steps he would ever take. Because he had faced his Creator in sacrifice to find her¡­ but he could not, would not, surrender her this soon.

 Chapter 204 - 204 Heartbeat of the Day – Part 3

    204 Heartbeat of the Day ¨C Part If you like music while you¡¯re reading, try ¡°My Love Will Never Die¡± by AG and ire Wyndham. It¡¯s what I listened to while writing!


    *****


    ~ TARKYN ~


    Tarkyn found a clearing a few minutester. It took only a nce at the sergeant¡ªwho whistled and made a hand gesture¡ªfor the guards to spread out and leave him to himself. Oh, they would hover at the points of thepass, watching. They would follow their orders. But they wouldn¡¯t interfere. And that was what was important.


    Body humming with tension, mind spinning, rage roiling in his chest, Tarkyn walked slowly to the middle of the small clearing, hands fisted tightly at his sides.


    He didn¡¯t have a blindfold, so he closed his eyes. He didn¡¯t have a scarf to block his ears, so he took a moment to breathe and tune his senses to nothing but his own heartbeat¡­ and the power and might of the Creator watching.


    And then he began to move.


    He hadn¡¯t been allowed a weapon, so he imagined it between his palms, the weight of the wooden handle smoothed by years of use, and the weight of the death that bnced on its de, so benign when left alone, but shining and predatory in his hands.


    He breathed deeply, feeling the swell of his chest, then positioned the imaginary spear with unflinching strength.


    .....


    Dead grass and twigs snapped under his feet as he took one step outward to nt his feet, bncing his weight, but he ignored the distraction as he raised his chin and brought the spear upright to the guard position and breathed deeply five times before widening his stance and beginning the familiar forms.


    The ritual traditions were clear.


    When Tarkyn had entered the Hallowed Grounds all those days ago, he had brought his plea to the feet of God, and he sacrificed himself for the answer.


    And the Creator had answered. He had answered in the form of a soft-yet-strong she-wolf. A delight. A weapon. And a joy to him.


    He had answered with the warmth of her body and smile, with the sharp intellect of her mind, and with the heart she was named for¡ªso open and ready, brimming with love and eptance.


    The Creator had answered better than Tarkyn could even have hoped.


    And now he threatened her?


    Tarkyn growled.


    He had entered the ritual in submission and surrender¡ªwilling to give himself, his well being, his life into the hands of the Creator that had held her away from him for all those years. Decades. He had epted that. Submitted to his fate.


    But now¡­


    Now he would fight.


    ¡°No blindfold,¡± he muttered through his teeth, ¡°because I was blind, but now I see,¡± he panted as he stepped to the right and swung the spear as if clearing a path through enemies. ¡°My ears unblocked because I am no longer deaf¡ªI hear the song of her soul,¡± he grunted, thrusting, then twisting it as if an enemy died under the de of it. ¡°Every ounce of breath and sweat because my efforts cannot be for naught.¡±


    He turned, swinging the spear back up to the defensive position, then thrust again, ¡°I was nothing¡­¡± then turning his head as if to hear something behind him, yanked the butt of the spear sharply back as if to catch an ambusher. ¡°But now I am male. I am lover. I am mate.


    ¡°I came willing to bleed myself dry and you showed me the other half of my soul¡­ and you would hold her so lightly? Ask me to hold her so lightly?¡± he seethed.


    Tarkyn was the greatest living warrior in a people of warriors. The Captain of the Queen¡¯s guard. Aplished, strong and fit even among the Anima people. But he was still mortal. And for the first time in his life, he didn¡¯t give a flying shit about what he could or couldn¡¯t aplish¡ªexcept where it might affect her.


    ¡°You asked me to humble myself, and I did,¡± he hissed as he drew himself upright again. ¡°Was it a joke? A trick? Were you taunting me?¡±


    The wood was quiet and green around him, but as hepleted the forms again and again, asking the question over and over, it began to fade.


    To Tarkyn¡¯s eyes, he had returned to the Hallowed Grounds.


    To the feet of the Creator.


    And to the discipline of the Ritual.


    He hade to plead for his mate.


    No, to demand her life, her safety¡ªand their bond.


    And as he did, his mind turned back to those days in which he¡¯d sought her, when, as the ritual continued with no answer, he¡¯d been gued.


    Perhaps his solitude was the Creator¡¯s n? Perhaps the Creator had always intended for him to spend this life alone?


    Despair, thick and choking had crawled into his throat at the thought.


    Now he wanted to spew it back out.


    He had been faithful! He had given himself endlessly, asking nothing in return until this. And now¡­ now he was given days?


    His teeth gritted with rage as he thrust and turned, swung and thrust again, seeing not enemies before him, but promises. Convictions.


    Hope.


    He had done everything asked of him. Everything! Why would the Creator give him his mate only to deny him time with her?


    Why should Tarkyn risk being deprived of thatfort in his aged years when he had been so faithful?


    Why should he continue to risk himself, life and limb¡ªwhy should he ce himself and his mate in the hands of his enemies, when all the Creator did was continue to hold them both in peril?


    Why should he defend his people and his Queen at risk of the heart that held his soul?


    A tidal wave of rage, injustice, frustration, and fear tore through him and Tarkyn snarled, throwing himself into the forms again and again, roaring his rage.


    ¡°Why? Why would you threaten her this way? Why would you give her to me then hold this sword against her throat?! ANSWER ME YOU MOTHERFU¡ª¡±


    The root of a tree caught his heel and he tumbled¡ªthe warrior sent reeling tond on his ass in the dirt.


    Hard.

 Chapter 205 - 205 Heartbeat of the Day – Part 4

    205 Heartbeat of the Day ¨C Part ~ TARKYN ~


    Pridees before a fall.


    The echo of the Creator¡¯s voice¡ªthe one that spoke not to ears, but to the heart¡ªonly made his rage climb.


    Tarkyn mmed his fists into the dirt and dead leaves, roaring again as he leaped to his feet and threw himself back into the forms. ¡°Answer me! WHY SHOULD I CARE WHAT YOU THINK, WHY SHOULD I DO WHAT YOU ASK WHEN¡ª¡±


    He misjudged his step and squawked as a tree branch pped him in the eyes when he turned.


    He cried out, whipping himself away from the sh of light and pain in his vulnerable eyes, his toe hooking on an unnoticed clod of dirt and sending him off his feet again.


    He didn¡¯t spring back up this time, but sat there, blinking, eyes screaming, vision blurred, and he panicked¡ªhad he stupidly, pridefully blinded himself on the morning of potential battle?


    He covered his eyes with his palms and sucked in a deep, horrified breath, pleas for mercy and healing automatically rising in his mind and heart¡ªuntil he caught himself, and froze, everything still ck because he had the heels of his hands pressed into his eyes.


    He¡¯de here to confront the Creator. To demand justice. To question every ounce of loyalty he¡¯d given and the value of every drop of sweat and blood he had shed.


    .....


    She was mine first, and I gave her to you.


    The voice spoke not in his ears, but in his mind. His heart. It echoed in his soul.


    She was mine first, and I trusted her to you.


    She finds no danger I do not choose.


    She faces no enemy I have not bested.


    And she deserves no male who believes otherwise.


    Tarkyn sat in the dirt, hands on his stinging eyes, his chest heaving. His head spun. His heart was a tangle of emotions¡ªstill angry, but fearful too. Still determined, but beginning to question himself.


    And under it all¡­ still so deeply in love. And so, so terrified of what might happen that day.


    He had fallen. An embarrassment. But it was no matter. Soldiers fell often. They just got back to their feet and pressed on...


    But he had no spear.


    You have your strength that I gave you¡ªthe body you use to fight. The mind that solves problems. And the heart that seeks good.


    You do still have that, don¡¯t you, Tarkyn?


    Tarkyn sighed and let himself roll back so hey on the ground, hands still on his eyes¡ªheart still fluttering in fear that, just maybe, he¡¯d actually done himself harm.


    That the Creator was punishing him for¡ª


    Discipline is not punishment. Discipline corrects. It brings security. It brings rity. It cautions correctly. It develops wisdom.


    Punishment is intended for harm.


    Tarkyn blew out a breath, a shiver rocking through him.


    ¡°I gave so much¡­¡± he murmured. ¡°I was willing to give so much.¡±


    Did you not mean it? Was your sacrifice offered only to receive?


    ¡°No.¡± He hated to admit it, but he was losing his fight. ¡°No, I meant it.¡±


    Do you regret your vows?


    ¡°No! But¡­¡±


    But?


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know¡­ I didn¡¯t know how it would feel. I didn¡¯t know how much it would hurt. How frightening it would be. I didn¡¯t understand what I wasmitting to.¡±


    There was no immediate answering thought or conviction. No rolling voice in his mind, or idea in his heart.


    Tarkyn considered hisst thought.


    I didn¡¯t understand what I wasmitting to.


    He hadn¡¯t understood when he was seventeen and recruited to protect the Queen¡ªElreth¡¯s mother¡ªwhat we was getting into. But he¡¯d thrived.


    He hadn¡¯t understood when they walked to war with the wolves, what would happen and how many people would be harmed in it. And yet, his people had been better, stronger in its wake.


    He hadn¡¯t understood when he was twenty-five and offered his first leadership, how deeply he would care for the soldiers under him, and how heavily he¡¯d carry the weight of their safety. But he¡¯d grown stronger as a result¡ªcapable of more, until the weight didn¡¯t sit so heavily anymore. Until he began to wee it.


    He hadn¡¯t understood when his eye had been caught by the newly dominant Queen that it was his body and her strength that drew him towards her, not anything to do with his soul. Yet he knew now that she was not for him, and he was utterly grateful she hadn¡¯t returned his interest.


    He hadn¡¯t understood when Elreth offered him the position of Captain how deeply consuming that responsibility would be. How wholly it would devour his life. Yet he wouldn¡¯t have trusted it to anyone else better than himself.


    And he hadn¡¯t known when he walked to the Hallowed Grounds and began the Rite, whether the Creator would answer his plea. Yet, even now¡­ even knowing the struggle they would face, the challenges, and the threats¡­ he wouldn¡¯t change it.


    She was the other half of his heart and soul, and he would carry the weight of loving her into hell itself.


    dly.


    He sighed and dropped his hands from his face, though he didn¡¯t yet try to open his eyes.


    Hey there in the dirt, examining his own heart and his life and everything that he faced that day¡­ every risk and fear.


    Will you submit, Tarkyn? Would you trust me to know what muste¡­ for you to reach your very best?


    He didn¡¯t answer immediately. It was not a question to answer flippantly¡ªhe did know that.


    Would he submit?


    What would happen if he didn¡¯t?


    If he didn¡¯t, he would be free to choose. To steal his mate away, to leave the Anima and the Chimera to follow whatever fateful path wasid out for them today. And it wouldn¡¯t be his concern.


    Tarkyn swallowed hard and tried to imagine taking Harth away to be alone somewhere in the wilds of Anima.


    For a moment, his heart sang¡ªfree to sleep, free to eat, free to love¡­ free to just be. No fighting. Nobat. No enemies.


    The kind of freedom they both sought.


    But was it?


    Knowing he had abandoned those he¡¯d vowed to protect¡­ knowing he was followed and his example would have deep and unpredictable effects on others¡­ knowing that he understood both sides of this coin in a way that no others did¡ªexcept perhaps Skhal¡ªbecause their hearts weren¡¯t entwined both with the Chimera, and with the Anima.


    Will you submit, Tarkyn?


    Tarkyn held his breath as the sensation of a broad, warm hand rested on his forehead, trailing down to press over his eyes¡­ and thest of the stinging lifted.


    Will you trust me and my goals for you?


    Grief, heavy and dragging, choked him, but Tarkyn nodded, blinking back tears as his eyes flinched at the sunlight above creeping through the trees, but slowly cleared.


    ¡°I will,¡± he whispered. ¡°But I¡¯ll never stop being afraid for my love.¡±


    Yes, you will. Because perfect love drives out fear. Trust me. I know.


    With a groan and a final shudder to release thest of his anger, Tarkyn pushed to his feet and started back across the clearing in the direction of the encampment, to find his mate.


    Because whatever this day might bring, he would never leave her side.

 Chapter 206 - 206 Draw the Line

    206 Draw the Line


    ~ TARKYN ~


    Tarkyn found her in a cluster of females near the tent the Alphas were using as a central hub. She stood in a huddle listening intently to another female whose face was unremarkable, but something in her spoke of strength and the kind of unsinkable nature that Tarkyn looked for in leaders.


    In any other circumstances he might have stood back and taken time to observe, but there was no time. No time at all.


    The guards¡ªwho¡¯d given him more space as he went in search of Harth¡ªspread wide, not interfering as Tarkyn approached his mate and tugged at her sleeve.


    She turned, her eyes widening, then beamed a smile. ¡°Tarkyn! I¡¯m so d you¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to interrupt but I need you.¡±


    Harth blinked, her smile faltering, then she nodded. ¡°Yes, yes, sure. Just¡­ Tarkyn this is Mae. I think I told you¡ª¡±


    Tarkyn nodded at the female quickly, something in the back of his head niggling on that name. Harth had mentioned her¡­ something to do with the human prison.


    ¡°It¡¯s very good to meet you, Mae. I¡¯m very sorry¡ª¡±


    .....


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Mae said, her eyes wary on him, but not unfriendly. ¡°We were all d to hear that Harth had found her mate.¡±


    Broad smiles rose around the little handful of females. Had there been more time, Tarkyn would have fussed over his mate, given her reason to blush in front of her friends, but there was no time. They had no time!


    ¡°I¡­ thank you all for being alongside Harth until we found each other. I¡¯m grateful. And very sorry, but I have to steal her¡ª¡±


    The females smiled and chuckled, urging him to take her, closing ranks in their little huddle as soon as Harth stepped away. Tarkyn cupped her elbow and led her quickly away.


    ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯ she asked in his mind, her tone nervous. ¡®What¡¯s happened?¡¯


    ¡®Nothing¡ªat least, nothing new. Except¡­ I have more rity, Harth. And I need to talk with you.¡¯


    He was rushing her through the tent vige, towards the wood on the other side where the cave squatted that they¡¯d been assigned. He swept up a waterskin on the way, eyeing the guards who were being kind, walking rows away from them to give them space. The one he would have called a sergeant caught his eye, but only smiled. Tarkyn nodded his gratitude. The male winked, but Tarkyn didn¡¯t smile in return. His heart was too desperate. Too dark.


    The moment they made it to the cave, he released Harth¡¯s arm, but only until they reached the back of the dark space.


    ¡°Tarkyn, what¡ª¡±


    ¡°Let me speak,¡± he whispered. Tucking the waterskin under his elbow, he was already reaching for her buttons, his fingers trembling. She let him¡ªeven reached for his, but her forehead was furrowed, her face pinched with worry.


    Tarkyn swallowed hard, praying she wouldn¡¯t interrupt him. He feared he might break down if she did, and he wanted to show her his strength this morning, not his weakness.


    But before he did, it was crucial¡ªimperative¡ªthat he remind her of hismitment. If he were to die today, or be separated from her, he needed her to remember.


    ¡°Harth,¡± he whispered, his voice shaking. Her grip tightened on the buttons of his shirt.


    ¡°Tarkyn, please, what¡¯s¡ª¡±


    ¡°Love, you are my True Heart¡¯s Call, the one the Creator chose for me,¡± he rasped then pulled the cork on the waterskin, turning it to ssh over his palm¡ªfirst one, then the other. Harth¡¯s eyes widened and she went still. ¡°We belong together,¡± he croaked. ¡°Tied together by the One True God, who bonds us in water to cleanse. And by that bond, I vow to you that I will never see your sin. When your heart is dark, when life soils you, you need onlye to me, and in my eyes you will always be clean.¡±


    ¡°Tarkyn,¡± she breathed, her eyes welling. She cupped a hand to the back of his neck, pulling him down to lean his forehead on hers, staring at him as he kept his gaze on his hands, his voice hushed and shaking.


    Then he tossed the waterskin aside and turned his hand palm up. They both looked at it, at the healed but still reddened skin of the scar on his palm. He took her free hand and used her finger to trace the line he¡¯d cut there when they were alone in the disformed cave and he¡¯d given this vow the first time. ¡°We belong together, bonded by blood,¡± he rasped. Then he turned her hand over and traced the matching line on her palm with a tiny, choked sob.


    ¡°We belong together, bonded by the One True God, who takes my heart and yours, and mingles them.¡± He took her scarred hand in his, sping them as soldiers would, his forehead still pressed against her. ¡°And by that bond I vow to you that I will shed my blood for you to show my heart true. When danger shadows you, I will put myself, body and soul, in its path to protect you.¡±


    Her smaller hand tightened so hard on his, the bones in his hand pressed against each other. He weed the pain of it, felt her feeling him. Felt her overwhelmed with love¡ªand reflected it back to her.


    Then he buried his other hand in her hair and lifted his eyes to meet hers, so closely that they couldn¡¯t focus, but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to put space between them.


    His voice barely shook as hepleted the vow. ¡°We belong together, bound by the One True God, who gives us to each other, tested by fire, but tested to heal.¡± He hesitated, but she had to know. ¡°Tested by fire, Harth. Tested, and refined.¡± He swallowed the lump in his throat, his fingers tightening in her hair as he demanded control from himself. ¡°I¡­ I will walk through any fire He presents for you, Harth,¡± he whispered fiercely. ¡°And by that bond I vow to you that I will endure any wound to hold you, and hold safe any wound you earn on my behalf. Where you are hurt, I will soothe. Where you break, I will be your strength. I will hold the fire to heal, or give myself to it to save you, until myst breath.¡±

 Chapter 207 - 207 Just This Moment*

    207 Just This Moment*


    ~ TARKYN ~


    ¡°Oh, Tarkyn¡ª¡± Harth whispered, staring at him wide-eyed, pain and joy braided together in her gaze.


    ¡°It¡¯s only the truth, Harth. I can¡¯t¡­¡± He was forced to clear his throat. ¡°I didn¡¯t think I could face this day. I¡­ I questioned the Creator because it might part us. But I see now¡­ I see and I will do it. Because I understand that¡­ that there has always been a n, and this has always been part of it. I don¡¯t know where we¡¯ll be tonight my love, and that terrifies me. Yet I have to submit to His n, Harth. I must¡ªit¡¯s what I was made to do. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Tarkyn¡­ I do. I¡­¡± Her face crumpled, but he caught her chin, staring fiercely into her eyes.


    ¡°I must submit,¡± he growled, ¡°and I will. No matter what we may face. My purpose is and always has been clear and I was at peace¡­ I would be at peace about all of it, except for you.¡±


    Her forehead furrowed and she pulled her head back, confusion entering her gaze. ¡°What¡ª?¡±


    ¡°Indulge me, Love,¡± he whispered. ¡°Please. I do battle with my own soul today, because I fear losing you. So, please¡­ mercy¡­ give me these moments, Harth. Let me show you how I love you.¡±


    Tears, already trembling on hershes, spilled over and she threw herself into his chest. ¡°Yes, Tarkyn. Of course. I¡­ yes.¡±


    Then, with a groan of relief and of torment, he tipped up her chin and took her mouth and fell into her headlong.


    .....


    They both sucked in deep breaths, then stopped breathingpletely.


    From the first moment their lips touched, he was swept away into the silk of her hair, the soft pillows of her lips, the heat of her breath, her skin, her heart.


    With trembling hands they undressed each other silently, but with hurried breaths, and he was consumed.


    Then, when his beautiful mate finally stood bare in the circle of his arms, he groaned and descended on her.


    Open mouths, grasping hands, bodies alight, they sought each other and every other thought was pushed from his mind. Except her.


    Every taste of her skin was sweet as honey straight from theb.


    Every stroke and w of her hands on his skin, as wee and delicious as the Winter Festival feast.


    Every breath that fluttered over his cheek and in the air was as precious and treasured as the touch of a rare butterfly and left him washed in joy.


    Every kiss she gavended directly on the raw, beating heart in his chest that mmed, threatening to break his ribs. And yet, echoed painlessly.


    Then, when neither of them could wait longer, when they found each other in truth and Harth cried out as he possessed her, his senses were assaulted by the choir of his soul as it poured out in song.


    Harth, his beautiful Harth¡ªher skin pebbled and rising to his touch. His own shivering with his need.


    More.


    Her mouth, plump and red, lips trembling, the velvet warmth that spoke to him and called him and could end him¡­ but didn¡¯t.


    More.


    Her eyes shining pools, washing him in love until he brimmed with it, it saturated him, spilling out of him with every touch, and back to her.


    More.


    More. More. More.


    ¡°Harth¡­ my love¡­¡±


    Mouth open and hovering against his, she gave a small sob as he pressed into her, against her, within her¡ªdemanding, pleading¡ªhe took her again. Her hands drew up his back leaving trails to sear his skin like heated coals. He should be burned alive, and he was, but the heat that took him was born from within.


    It could not be doused.


    ¡°Tarkyn¡­¡±


    And as they continued to move together, the beast within him groaning, aching for release, hers calling¡­ the rest of the world melted away. They were leaves in a warm wind. They were waves in the summer sea. They were a symphony on the air¡ªmelody and harmony, rising in perfect unison.


    The mating call breaking in his throat, Tarkyn grasped at her, holding her to him, unable to find words but only to let his body speak.


    And in the perfect rity of that, Tarkyn opened his mind to her and he was lost. Utterly lost.


    They were one. Two bodies fed by one pulse. Two consciousnesses owned by one soul.


    Their hearts beat in time, bodies united and undting together, souls entwined as surely as their limbs.


    They were not he and she, not Tarkyn and Harth, they were not a pair¡­ they were Mated. Standing as one in the light of the Creator¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Holy¡­ Harth¡­ do you feel that?¡± his voice graveled, his breath gulping, his lips brushing hers as he struggled to find the words.


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    He moaned her name and gave over, no longer sure where he ended and she began¡ªno longer certain if he touched or was touched, prickled or was sought.


    Her, here, with him in this moment¡ªthe melding of mind, body and soul¡­ This was the best of him, of this life.


    Loving her. Knowing her. Being united with her¡­


    It was everything he¡¯d ever dreamed or prayed to possess.


    As her head fell back and he tasted her throat again, she pulled him to her and they moved together again, he thanked the Creator for her. For this purpose. For this rity.


    For this. For her. The rest was worth it.


    And as she cried out, her body trembling, tightening, as they tumbled together over that final crest, their bodies peaking as one, Tarkyn couldn¡¯t untangle his own pleasure from hers. They were whipped and turned, tumbled and joined.


    He curled himself over her, arms around her, face in her neck, his body to cushion her, her shield.


    He would give himself. To the end, he would put himself between her and¡­ anything.


    That was his purpose. That was the fate he would ept. The n to which he submitted.


    Within himself he dropped his head and rolled his shoulders in the posture of submission, and he prayed.


    Whatever came¡­ whatever the Creator chose¡­ he, Tarkyn, would walk into danger¡ªany danger¡ªbecause it meant she would walk out.


    And finally his heart was at peace.

 Chapter 208 - 208 Feed Me

    208 Feed Me


    ~ JAYAH ~


    Jayah stepped away from the cave where Sasha and Zev were settled, heaving a sigh.


    Zan had both slept and fed again¡ªwhich was good. But though he¡¯d slept more deeply, his rest was still broken, and though he¡¯d eaten, it wasn¡¯t enough.


    When Jayah examined the small boy his wail of protest was still weak, his iling still jerky andcking strength. And his stomach still distended.


    He braced against pain when it was touched. His skin and eyes still dull.


    But he was alive. Alive and stronger than he¡¯d been the day before, Sasha was certain of it.


    ¡°Thank you, thank you,¡± the woman whispered endlessly as Jayah did her best to ensure that there were no wounds to the boy. She hated to even think it, but was it possible his father had hurt him¡ªeven identally¡ªin a rage?


    Babies were hard, especially sick ones. The constant crying and broken¡ªor non-existent¡ªsleep. But when she¡¯d tip-toed towards the question, she¡¯d been greeted by the shing indignation of a lioness in human skin.


    ¡°My mate loves him!¡± Sasha snarled. ¡°No matter how stressed he is, no matter how far he would go to fight¡­ he¡¯d never hurt our son!¡±


    .....


    Jayah raised her hands to soothe the woman¡¯s anger, praying she was right.


    Sasha didn¡¯t calm immediately, cursing under her breath and turning away to re at the cave wall, but when she calmed, she did broach it again with Jayah.


    ¡°I know how it all looks. I do. But you saw him with Elreth, right? Were you there? He could have killed her¡ªhe was at his worst then¡ªand he didn¡¯t. I know why you¡¯re asking and¡­ and it¡¯s right that you ask I suppose. But no, Jayah. Don¡¯t¡­ don¡¯t even think it. He hasn¡¯t been hurt. If there¡¯s something happening, he¡¯s sick. Something has harmed him. But it wasn¡¯t Zev. Or anyone else here. He¡¯s¡­ treasured.¡±


    Jayah nodded, her heart soothed by the woman¡¯s conviction. She understood it too¡ªoffspring were simrly cherished by the Anima.


    ¡°Then we can only watch and wait and continue to feed and sleep him as he needs. His reaction to the milk was severe. But with time and help¡­ I pray we¡¯ll get him back to full health.¡±


    Sasha¡¯s eyes shone. ¡°Thank you. Thank you, Jayah. Thank you for helping me and foring here and¡­ I just feel so much safer with you here. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wee, Sasha,¡± she said with a smile. ¡°But don¡¯t forget, I¡¯m here at Elreth¡¯s instruction. All of us are¡ªand the extra resources were her idea. She wanted you all to know her remorse and be certain she sought to help, not harm. An olive branch extended. That was how she put it.¡±


    Sasha nodded, but looked away, obviously troubled.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Jayah asked her softly.


    But Sasha only shook her head. ¡°Nothing. I mean, not nothing. But nothing we can do anything about, I don¡¯t think. There¡¯s just¡­ too many things, all at once. There has been for too long.¡±


    The woman looked so worn down, so defeated, Jayah found herself moved.


    She understood.


    Reaching for Sasha¡¯s arm, she didn¡¯t speak, but rubbed up and down, a gentle touch. An extension of hope.


    Sasha met her gaze, her eyes shining with tears. ¡°Thank you for being a friend, Jayah,¡± she murmured.


    Jayah pulled her into a brief hug, then let the woman rest by leaving the emotional subjects behind.


    Sasha should rest before lunch if she could. Zan definitely needed to sleep before trying feeding again¡ªsomething they should do before they began to move towards the meeting ce. And Sasha must eat¡ªas heartily as she could, as much fruit and meat as possible.


    ¡°I¡¯ll check in with you again while we¡¯re traveling, or if you have any issues with the next feed, send someone to find me.¡±


    Sasha nodded, cradling her son and looking down at him, her eyes shining with love and worry. ¡°I will,¡± she said absently, tracing his soft forehead with a finger. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    *****


    Jayah was at the tent in which the Alphas met and issued orders within minutes, her own heart fragile and pulling for her mate.


    But before she could pull back the tent p and enter to find him, Skhal appeared outside, taking her arm and turning her to tug her back towards the encampment and away from the gathering inside.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Nothing¡ªI mean, everything of course,¡± he growled, then stopped abruptly to turn and pull her against him, to kiss her deeply, slowly¡ªbut far too briefly¡ªbefore pulling away and beginning to walk again, her hand in his. ¡°There¡¯s just no privacy here. And I have a meal for us back at the cave.¡±


    Jayah¡¯s heart did a little flip. She remembered the moment she¡¯d pulled the fur over his shoulders and how he¡¯d seemed so stunned. She understood the feeling¡ªit washed over her every time he thought of something she might need, anticipated it before she¡¯d had a chance to think of it herself.


    When they reached the cave, he hurried to a little table at the side to show her¡ªhe¡¯d prepared a meal ahead, anticipating that she¡¯d be there and it might be their only chance to be alone.


    ¡°I have to return to that clusterfuck back there before it¡¯s time to travel,¡± he said. ¡°Zev¡¯s stress is getting the others agitated. Lhars is doing a good job of keeping them calm, but¡­¡± he ran a hand through his hair, his weathered face turned down in a frown. ¡°We walk a very fine line, Jayah. He isn¡¯t talking like a male aiming for peace.¡±


    Jayah¡¯s stomach clenched with fear. But Skhal wasn¡¯t looking at her, he was transferring fruit and dried meat to a te, frowning over a grape, examining it as if it had offended him.


    Jayah reached out and put a hand to his arm. ¡°Skhal?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± He went still, looking at her.


    ¡°Skhal I¡¯m hungry¡­ but not for food,¡± she said, feeling the slight flush in her cheeks. She never thought anyone would be able to make her blush again¡ªbut being so open with her mate still warmed her with delight, and a touch of embarrassment.


    Funny. She¡¯d never felt nervous approaching a male before him. Not once she¡¯d understood the way of things.


    But Skhal¡­ Skhal never looked at her as he would the furniture or a tree¡­ his eyes never passed over her as if she were marked and logged and nothing to worry about. His gaze on her was alwaysser focused. Intent.


    And heated. Like now.


    There was a second in which they stared at each other¡ªher pleading with him to hear her, him startled. Then the te simply dropped to the cave floor, turning on its rim as the fruit and meat tumbled around their feet.


    Then, as Jayah gave a breathlessugh, Skhal pulled her into his chest, cupping her jaw and leaning in as if he would kiss her¡ªbut pausing just before their lips touched, his eyes zing.


    ¡°Jayah?¡± he rumbled, his chest vibrating under her hand.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Always tell me. When you¡¯re hungry, always tell me,¡± he said, his voice honeyed gravel. ¡°There is nothing I would rather do in this world than feed you.¡±


    Sheughed quietly, but not for long as he took her mouth.

 Chapter 209 - 209 Take the Time – Part 1*

    209 Take the Time ¨C Part 1*


    If you like music while you read, try ¡°Come to Me¡± by Sebastian Ekstrand. It¡¯s Jayah and Skhal¡¯s song!


    *****


    ~ JAYAH ~


    Skhal had been mostly quiet but intense, but when he took her in his arms, his kiss was deep and slow, and his hands, when he reached for the buttons on her shirt, were shaking.


    She almost broke the kiss, almost made him talk to her¡ªhe must be truly fearful if he was trembling!


    But then his hands slid inside her shirt, his fingers drawing softly up her side before cupping her breasts and taking the weight of them, while he thumbed her nipples slowly, but firmly.


    Jayah¡¯s breath came faster and she leaned into his touch, working on his buttons first, then sliding her hands under the sides of it to push it from his broad shoulders. When it hung off his elbows, without breaking the kiss he took his hands away just for a moment, just to let it slide to the floor behind him, heedless of the food spilled there. But even those brief seconds made Jayah ache to have him back.


    Then he was, his fingers starting in her hair, then dragging slowly down her neck, her shoulder des, then resting at the base of her spine, pulling her against him and his growing arousal.


    He dropped his chin to kiss his way under her jaw, and Jayah let her head fall back to give him more room, but began working on the buckle of his belt. He couldn¡¯t befortable still restrained in that unforgiving prison.


    .....


    He groaned when she got his fly open and immediately reached for him. His teeth grazed her throat and his breathing got harsh. But after she¡¯d stroked him a few times, he caught her wrists and pulled her hands up to his chest, pulling out of the kiss enough to meet her eyes for a moment and speaking in that deep, rough gravel that always made her skin shiver.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just¡­ take our time,¡± he said hoarsely, tracing the line of her jaw. ¡°Forget about everything and just¡­ take the time. We haven¡¯t had enough time,¡± he said, his voice suddenly tight and his expression darkening. ¡°I will make the most of this.¡±


    Jayah lifted a hand to his precious, unshaven face, staring her adoration at him, searching for the right words.


    But he gave a little growl and kissed her again, sucking in a deep breath when she met his kiss with her tongue.


    His hands trailed up and down her sides as he walked her backwards, then he ran his fingers along the inside of her waistband until he found the buttons and began to free her from thest of her clothing.


    Jayah sighed happily, eyes closed, reveling in his touch. When heid her down on the furs, she lifted her arms to call him to her, relieved when he followed immediately and crawling over her with his big, weathered body, his hands gentle but firm.


    But to her surprise he didn¡¯t immediately lower himself between her thighs, or rub himself against her. Instead, he stayed on all fours¡ªfirst cupping the back of her neck to pull her up into his kiss, then letting hery back as he watched himself stroke her.


    His fingers were rough, calloused, but he used them so tenderly, the texture of his skin only added to her shivers.


    He traced fingers down the cord of her neck, then along her corbone, his eyes fixed and bright, his mouth slightly open, his breathing harsh. Then he dragged those fingers down to circle first one breast, then the other, growling when her nipples hardened further, rising to meet him¡ªthe ache in her only partly soothed when he finally touched those puckered points. She arched into his touch and closed her eyes, frustrated by the hollow ache at her core¡ªbut tantalized by it too.


    ¡°So beautiful,¡± he rasped. ¡°So simple and so beautiful.¡±


    Unable toy still as he continued to stroke and trace the lines of her stomach and sides, returning to her breasts between each exploration, she stroked her hands up his chest, over his shoulders, gripped his biceps, then cupped hands at his neck, tempted to pull him down.


    But she barely tightened her grip when he dropped his shoulders and leaned down with an approving growl to tease first one nipple, then the other with his tongue.


    ¡°Skhal,¡± she gasped, her hips pressing upwards, seeking him. ¡°Please.¡±


    He chuckled, but didn¡¯t move faster, only opened his mouth over one of those peaks and sucked deeply, humming at the taste of her while she breathed and rippled against him. But he was relentless, keeping his ass in the air and away from her, but dragging his kisses down, tasting the underside of her breast, then the skin over her ribs, dipping his tongue in the hollow of her navel.


    And then, as his breathing harshened he slid his entire body against hers, drawing himself back up, his firm, muscr chest drawing friction against her skin, her breasts, her nipples, raising goosebumps as he finally dropped his hips and pressed against her, hard, giving a small moan as she arched and they held together, bodies shaking, before he eased away, to kiss her neck again.


    Again, and again in a tantalizing slide that grew ever more desperate, he rocked against her, his mouth open, breath hot on her neck, her shoulder, in her hair, his hands exploring, teasing, tracing the lines of her body.


    Jayah began to shake with the pure tension of holding herself back. Then, on the next roll, Skhal lifted his head and locked eyes with her, opening his mouth as if he would speak, but Jayah bit her lip and lifted her hips so that he entered her shockingly, gloriously, and they both groaned.


    A shudder rocked down his spine as they joined and Jayah could have wept with the light that zed in his eyes¡ªpure, unadulterated love and desire only for her.


    But she put a finger to his mouth when he looked like he might speak, then pulled herself up to kiss him, rocking her hips slowly, taking him, feeling every inch as he eased slowly in, then out.


    Then Skhal slid his fingers to the nape of her neck, gripping her there as he arched, tilting his head to deepen the kiss, but drawing slowly, inexorably in and out of her until she quivered with need.

 Chapter 210 - 210 Take the Time – Part 2*

    210 Take the Time ¨C Part 2*


    ~ JAYAH ~


    Jayah was a mass of sensation, a bundle of raw nerves, a shuddering, shivering ball of pleasure.


    Skhal wouldn¡¯t be denied. Murmuring her name through heavy, hitching breaths, he resisted any attempt she made to snap his leash and speed things up.


    His hips pressed her into the furs, his hands teased and touched, stroked and soothed, and always he took her slowly, slowly, slowly so that the small hairs raised all over her body until every touch was a tingling ripple of pleasure in her skin.


    Breath harsh and tearing, her chest heaved, which only pressed her nipples harder against his chest, or his hand, or his tongue.


    She couldn¡¯t stop trembling, the quiversing from deep within her, vibrating out through her veins¡ªa fire that zed hot and cold until she could barely think.


    And still he wouldn¡¯t stop¡ªor speed up.


    As he entered her again¡ªstill so slowly, his hips gave a quick, sharp thrust right at her limits. Her breath came in a tiny cry as he dragged a hand down to follow the round of her ass, then drew his fingers up the back of her thigh¡ªso slowly, tracing just with fingertips so that her skin rose in goosebumps and he chuckled when she whimpered.


    Then he did it again, but this time traced the line inside her thigh, almost where they joined.


    .....


    Thebination of him filling her and teasing her together made her clench¡ªwhich only made that slow draw even more pleasurable¡ªbut finally, finally threatened to break Skhal¡¯s control.


    As she tightened around him, he made a small, strangled noise and dropped to one elbow braced over her shoulder. His next thrust was slightly faster, and Jayah smiled, her head still back, neck arched and throat open to him.


    He did not disappoint.


    Breathing her name, he started at that hollow between her corbones, using just the tip of his tongue to draw a cold line up to the point of her throat¡ªjust as he thrust into her again.


    He continued to ease back slowly, forcing her to wait for him, but now he took her quickly, a tiny grunt each time, his breath holding, then rushing out when he pulled back.


    Jayah gripped him, hands wed in his back, her fingers following the lines of his shoulder des, and that dip that traveled the length of his spine. She tried to tease him as he had her¡ªletting just the tips of her fingers trace along his skin. But when he thrust into her, her fingers wed and dug and he gave a little growl of pleasure.


    ¡°Skhal,¡± she gasped. ¡°This is¡­ I need¡­¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± he rumbled, his deep voice warm with pleasure, but tight with his restraint as well. ¡°I just want it tost.¡±


    She sighed and dragged both hands up to his hair, gripping it and pulling his head back so she could lift hers to kiss his throat, sucking and teasing with her tongue as he gasped and shuddered and his hips began to pump against his will.


    ¡°Take your time,¡± she whispered against his Adam¡¯s apple. He growled and Jayah gave a smallugh¡ªuntil he slid a hand to her lower back and pulled her hard against him when he thrust the next time.


    Her breath stopped.


    He did it again.


    And again.


    Suddenly, they were moving¡ªstill not quickly, but steadily, barely breathing, their skins pebbled and tight. He always drew back slowly, but not as far now. He trembled with need and Jayah trembled with frustration and together they began to shake.


    Curling his hand into her hair, cupping it over her head, he kissed her deeply, his tongue demanding, insistent. Then he finally raised his head and met her eyes, his zing.


    ¡°Hold onto me, beautiful.¡±


    Jayah nodded quickly and gripped his shoulders as he groaned, then braced both elbows above her shoulders, and with a final line of kisses down her jaw, then her chin, then her throat, he opened his teeth over that sensitive, vulnerable skin¡­ then let himself go.


    It was an assault, a pounding demand, and Jayah was lost. Unable to do anything but hold on, she clung to his shoulders, locked her ankles behind his back and did her best to meet him, thrust for thrust, but soon, as a resonant call echoed in his chest and he threw his head back to press her hips into the furs, there was nothing she could do but hold on and give him resistance.


    He gasped and groaned, calling her name, cursing, pleading with the Creator as they moved together, both mindless beyond the pleasurepletely unaware of the world.


    Sparks flew at the edge of Jayah¡¯s vision. She trembled with delight and shock, her body glittering and tingling, reaching. She couldn¡¯t breathe, couldn¡¯t move, couldn¡¯t think. But her body was still reaching, stretching for that release that was clearly so close for him.


    She pleaded for it silently, willing her body toe with her on this ride of joy¡ªthen sucked in a shocked breath when Skhal cupped that hand behind her knee, tugging to urge her to unlock her ankles then pulling that knee up almost to her chest, he arched back to shift the angle, and Jayah¡ªinvaded, assaulted, overwhelmed in pleasure, broke like a ripe melon, her body¡¯s pleasure a wave crashing on the shore of him.


    She called to him, trembling and arched, rigid as her body spiraled in pleasure¡­ then slumped, clinging to him, her mouth open on his neck as he followed her over the edge with a tortured moan and shuddering, twitching breaths.


    They rolled together, both panting, sheened in sweat, blinking and trying to find their bearings as their bodies slowly eased down from the peaks of pleasure.


    There was a long moment of simply smiling¡ªenjoying the weight of him pressing her into the furs, enjoying the fluttering afterglow of pleasure¡ªbefore they moved again.


    Eventually, when he¡¯d caught his breath, Skhal rolled her onto her side so they faced each other, trailing his fingers up and down her back. ¡°I meant to make thatst longer,¡± he growled.


    Sheughed. ¡°I think you would have driven me mad if you did,¡± she smiled, letting her fingers y in the rough stubble on his cheek.


    ¡°You would have been in goodpany if I had,¡± Skhal said, his tone suddenly dark.


    Jayah tensed. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    Skhal sighed and shook his head, his eyes searching hers. ¡°I¡¯m talking about our Alpha who is¡­ losing his mind. I fear, Jayah. I fear where he¡¯ll lead us¡ªand I fear what he might do if someone tries to take the reins of power from him to stop him. I fear¡­ a great deal.¡±


    Jayah sighed heavily. ¡°He won¡¯t lose his mind. You won¡¯t let him. And others¡ªthere must be others close by who can advise him¡ª¡±


    ¡°The problem isn¡¯t getting good advice. The problem is whether he¡¯ll listen.¡±


    Jayah held her mate, breathing slowly, doing her best to let her heart slow rather than race. ¡°The Creator brought us here for this time, Skhal. There has to be a reason for that. Don¡¯t give up.¡±


    Skhal sighed, then pushed up on his elbow to lean over her, searching her eyes. ¡°Yes, He did. And¡­ I fear, Jayah. I fear that it will be taken from us far too soon. But I want you to know¡­ If this is the only time we¡¯ve been given, if you are only mine for so short a time¡­ I do not wish it away. I¡¯ll take it. Whatever is left to us, whatever I¡¯m allowed, to have you in my heart¡­ I¡¯ll take it.¡±

 Chapter 211 - 211 Come Back

    211 Come Back


    ~ ZEV ~


    It had been an insane night. And an insane few months. An insane lifetime. And it was alling to a head in just a few hours.


    At some point as the others all scattered to eat, to find their mates, to prepare, as Sasha sat with the wet nurse to watch over Zan for his meal, Zev found the tension of being under eyes almost unbearable.


    He started to walk at first just to move, to try and relieve some of the tension in his body. But he found himself soon turning with a purpose¡­ and eventually stepped into the small clearing where Skhal had found him and Zan the night before.


    The never-silence of the forest around them¡ªbird calls, the rustle of the breeze in the trees overhead, the scratch and skitter of wildlife¡ªcalled him like the truest quiet. It was the sound of his soul, and for a while he simply sat in it and tried to breathe.


    He quivered with tension, from head to toe. It felt as if there was too much body inside his skin and he might burst with the pressure of it at any moment. He wanted to weep. He wanted to rage. He wanted to bite something.


    And he wanted to sleep. He wanted to turn his back on everyone and everything but his mate and son and simply disappear.


    Fat chance.


    He shook his head and took a deep breath, trying desperately to ease some of the pressure in his chest. But only seeded in making his head spin.


    .....


    What was he going to do? He would meet the Anima Queen in mere hours. He¡¯d spent the morning feeling the eyes of the Alphas and advisors on him. Feeling them watching him like ws scraped down his back.


    They were scared. They had reason to be. He knew better than any of them.


    And yet¡­


    Something deep inside still cried. For calm. For¡­ peace¡­ no matter the cost.


    He shook it off. That was not how he would bring his people through this.


    Attendance. Analysis. Critical thinking. Strategy. Wariness. Willingness to fight¡­ those instincts would bring him through this without a mistake.


    He knew it for truth, and yet something still sat heavily on his shoulders. Something he couldn¡¯t shake free.


    When he heard a twig snap deep in the trees, he tensed, suddenly very aware of being alone¡ªthe Anima knew where they were!


    But as he scrambled to his feet, it was a dark head and worried eyes that emerged from the trees, searching for him. And the most precious heart in creation that suddenly called to his, relief washing over her.


    Sasha.


    But she was alone. Her arms empty.


    Fear speared through him and his breath stopped. ¡°Sash? What¡¯s wrong?! Where¡¯s Zan¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. He¡¯s fine, Zev. Don¡¯t worry. He¡¯s sleeping. And sleeping better than he has in days,¡± she said softly as she trotted across the grass to him.


    Washed in overwhelming relief, he opened his arms to take her in when she reached him, pulling her close and burying his nose in her hair.


    For a long moment they just held each other. Zev realized then that it had been days¡ªweeks?¡ªsince they¡¯d been truly alone. His heart ached with the relief of simply being with her.


    If only they had time¡­


    He sighed heavily, trailing his hands through her hair and nuzzling her neck. She smelled like tears¡ªrecently shed, and still threatening.


    ¡°Shhhhhh,¡± he murmured against her neck. ¡°Stop worrying. I¡¯m going to protect you. Protect us. All of us,¡± he whispered.


    Her tears dide then, her shoulders shaking. He held her more tightly. ¡°I won¡¯t let them take him, Sasha, don¡¯t worry. Jayah¡¯s here now, and the wet nurses. We can¡­ we can get through this no matter what happens with¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, Zev¡­¡± she whispered against his chest, clinging to him. ¡°That¡¯s not why I¡¯m crying.¡±


    Zev blinked. ¡°Then¡­ what is it? Did something happen? Did someone touch you?!¡±


    ¡°No!¡± She squeezed the word through gritted teeth and tight lips, her forehead lined, and she pulled back to look at him, her eyes searching his.


    ¡°Then¡­ what is it?¡±


    She shook her head slowly, her eyes still shining with tears, but her expression almost nk. ¡°Zev¡­ it¡¯s you.¡±


    He blinked, waiting. ¡°I¡­ what?¡±


    ¡°Come back, please, Zev.¡±


    He frowned. ¡°Sash, I¡¯m right here. What are you talking about?¡±


    She cupped his face with both hands and stared at him, her eyes pleading. ¡°Come back, please Zev. You left me when the humans were hunting us, then you came back. I thought it was the end of that when we got Zan back, but now¡­ you¡¯re out of reach. Even for me.


    ¡°Zan needs you, Zev. I need you.¡±


    He braced, prickling. ¡°I know. I¡¯m here,¡± he said, frustrated. ¡°I¡¯m doing everything I can¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, Zev, you aren¡¯t. You aren¡¯t.¡±


    The pressure in his chest threatened to burst through his ribs¡ªshe wanted more? How the fuck did she expect him to carry more¡ª


    ¡°Forgive, Zev. You have to forgive. Forgive her.¡±


    Zev froze, gaping at his mate, every instinct in him screaming that the enemy was near, even as he took in the image of his mate, broken and pleading. ¡°Forgive who?¡± he asked carefully, wishing his voice didn¡¯t sound so cold.


    Sasha¡¯s forehead crinkled at his tone, but she didn¡¯t move away. ¡°Elreth,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°That bitch¡ª¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s human, Zev. I mean, a person. Just like us. She¡¯s reaching out. She¡¯s trying¡ª¡±


    ¡°Because she¡¯s losing!¡±


    ¡°No. She sent help for Zan. Help for the rest of us too¡ªsupplies and medical stuff we don¡¯t have. She¡¯s trying to bridge the gap¡ª¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s a trick, Sasha. A seduction¡ª¡±


    ¡°Zev, our son was dying¡ªdo you understand that? If it weren¡¯t for the Anima, if we hadn¡¯t gotten taken, if they hadn¡¯t nursed him, he would have died within days of our arrival. Wake up! What just happened now would have happenedst week¡ªand we would have had zero answers. None! We would have stood here helpless and watched our son die because we don¡¯t have what he needs!¡±


    Zev stared at her, every word pelting him like a stone thrown with all her strength, ttering against his skin, threatening to pierce it.


    His mate¡­ his mate was turning on him now?

 Chapter 212 - 212 Call Me Fighter

    212 Call Me Fighter


    ~ ZEV ~


    Sasha stared at him, her eyes wide and pleading. Her face was pale, her eyes deeply shadowed withck of sleep, and heavy with grief. The look on her face¡­ it called to him. Begged him to hear her, and everything in him fought.


    She thought they needed the Anima? That they couldn¡¯t get through this without them? He wanted to snap his teeth at the thought!


    ¡°But¡­ that¡¯s not what happened,¡± he growled. ¡°Zan didn¡¯t die. We did get what he needed¡ª¡±


    Sasha¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°Exactly my point! Can¡¯t you see¡ªit had to happen this way! If we hadn¡¯t met them when we arrived¡­¡± her face crumpled and she covered it in her hands. ¡°It was the n, Zev. The Creator¡¯s n. It had to happen that way. And I¡¯m so sorry. So sorry that it hurt you¡ªI wish we could have found them in a more¡­ peaceful way. But the truth is we know now¡­ we need them. Zev, Zan needs them.¡±


    Zev let her go like her skin burned. He stepped back, shaking his head. ¡°What are you saying?¡±


    She dropped her hands, but didn¡¯t step up to him again. Left the space between them. ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to like her, or even trust her. Just¡­ forgive her,¡± she whispered. ¡°See what happens. See if we can do this. Just¡­ try.¡±


    ¡°You think I haven¡¯t been trying?!¡±


    ¡°No, Zev¡ª¡±


    .....


    ¡°No, Sasha. No. I will not¡­ I¡¯m not going to ignore what she did just because she helped our son.¡±


    ¡°Zev, please, you have to listen. The people¡ªour people¡ªthey want unity. They want harmony¡ª¡±


    ¡°No. I can¡¯t. Sasha¡­ I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re asking me to do this¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to do anything except listen and hope!¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Zev said, everything in him recoiling from the mental image of his people surrounded and infiltrated by these Anima. ¡°No.¡±


    He turned on his heel. It was instinct. If he didn¡¯t get away, if he didn¡¯t get rid of some of this tension he was going to explode.


    ¡°Zev! Please! Don¡¯t¡ªjust talk to me¡ª¡±


    But he shifted and ran. Fled.


    He fled his mate. Fled the sound of her cries crawling through the forest behind him.


    *****


    Skhal found him an hourter, his old friend had always been the best tracker he knew. Sasha sent him in a panic, he said.


    He¡¯d run from her at a time when she couldn¡¯t risk the time or space to follow him. When she couldn¡¯t leave their son unattended. He knew that. She did too.


    He owed her an apology.


    But that was between him and his mate. Not him and Skhal.


    ¡°I¡¯m not talking about it.¡± Zev stood on an outcropping of rock, his eyes following the terrain of thend¡ªbeyond the forest below, the coastline to the east, following thend west to the valley he¡¯d chosen for their meeting¡ªa wide bowl of a clearing at the base of the northern range. It was this side of the ravine. If they had to, they could block the more difficult route through the mountains and control how easily the Anima could join them by defending the ravine.


    They were prepared for that. He¡¯d insisted.


    ¡°Zev¡ª¡± Skhal sighed, his voice deep and weary.


    ¡°I said, I¡¯m not talking about it! I¡¯m not even thinking about it¡ªthere¡¯s too much still to do¡ª¡±


    Skhal growled. ¡°Bullshit. What are you going to do, kill me for talking?¡±


    Zev snapped his head to look at his old brother, his friend, his advisor and trusted guide. ¡°Don¡¯t let yourself believe that I haven¡¯t been tempted over the years,¡± he said dryly.


    Skhal gave a chuckle. Zev huffed once, but the real humor was lost to him.


    He was too cold. Too afraid. And too fucking tired.


    Skhal took thest few steps to stand at his side, turning to look out over thend with him, and sighed.


    Zev shook his head. ¡°You don¡¯t need to do this, Skhal,¡± he said quietly. ¡°I¡¯m not disappearing. I just needed a minute. I¡¯ll be back before the horns get blown¡ª¡±


    ¡°My Alpha gave me an order,¡± he replied.


    Zev huffed again, grimacing against the prickle in his conscience about Sasha and ignoring her. ¡°Okay, then, fine¡­ I already know what you¡¯re going to say. So you can go ahead and tell her I know. Let me talk to her about itter.¡±


    ¡°Oh? What is it you know, Zev?¡±


    He gave his friend a t look from the side, but then turned back to the view and raised his chin.


    He did know. And he had heard. But he¡¯d decided it was incorrect. His people, his friends, even his mate, were seduced by this ce. Seekingfort over ultimate safety. A mentality the humans had used against them in the past.


    Zev wouldn¡¯t let it happen again.


    He clenched his jaw and spoke firmly. ¡°I¡¯ve heard you say that there is potential here. That the Creator brought us here to be safe. That we shouldn¡¯t fight unless they bring the fight to us. That revenge isn¡¯t victory.¡± He hesitated, then took a deep breath. ¡°And I¡¯ve heard you say everyone is worried about me, and I need to let more people carry this with me, so it¡¯s not all on my shoulders. Sound about right?¡± he asked pointedly.


    Skhal nodded slowly. ¡°Pretty good. But you missed one thing.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    Skhal turned to look at him and didn¡¯t speak until Zev was forced to turn and meet his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re forgetting that you left.¡±


    Zev¡¯s breath stopped. ¡°What¡ª¡±


    ¡°You were Alpha, and you left. And because of you, humans took over in a way they¡¯d never been able to before. We lost our females. We lost¡­ our lives.¡±


    Zev was stunned, his chest screaming for air. ¡°I was deceived!¡± he hissed.


    Skhal nodded. ¡°By who? Who put your mind in such a fucking twist that you couldn¡¯t see straight?¡±


    ¡°The humans. Their schemes and maniptions. They tricked me, Skhal!¡±


    His friend¡ªone of his oldest friends. The friend who¡¯d been as much big brother or uncle as anything else just met his eyes sadly and nodded.


    ¡°Know your enemy, Zev,¡± he said quietly, then pped him on the shoulder and turned to walk away, leaving Zev gaping in his wake.

 Chapter 213 - 213 On the Way to War – Part 1

    213 On the Way to War ¨C Part ~ ELRETH ~


    They¡¯d closed ranks around her as they passed through that ravine, the guards holding shields overhead just in case snipers had been ced in the trees or on the cliffs above.


    Just in case.


    It was a phrase that, Elreth could see, had turned them inside out in the past week or two. And one that wasing between her and her mate now.


    She sighed to herself.


    Aaryn walked at her right, but slightly behind, his silence tense and pointed. Gar strode along at her left, his eyes vacant and distant, his face tense. This was weighing more heavily on him than he admitted.


    Elreth had already assured him more than once that she understood why he¡¯d tried to break Zev free. She hated it, but she understood. That¡¯s what had be clear to her in the past day¡ªthat those around her acted in the best interests of everyone, including her. And it was time she pulled up her big girl pants and did the same.


    She¡¯d warned him never to tell anyone what he¡¯d done, but that as long as he kept it a secret, she¡¯d never punish him for it either.


    She¡¯d thought he might be a little more grateful, but her brother was exhausted. He¡¯d clearly not been sleeping. With his mate away, that wasn¡¯t a surprise.


    .....


    Which immediately made her think of her own mate, less than an arm¡¯s length away, and yet he felt like he stood on the other side of the valley.


    Here she was walking into peace talks, but feeling as if she walked into war.


    But this wasn¡¯t like thest war where she¡¯d been the one to stay and stand, to make decisions and lead by heart.


    No.


    She was walking to face down an enemy, toe-to-toe.


    Elreth had never thought she was a fearful person. Had never seen her femaleness as a reason to submit. But now¡­ now as she walked to face a male that even Tarkyn watched warily, her stomach fluttered with more than fear.


    She was terrified.


    She put a hand to her belly to try and settle it¡ªand her mind bloomed with the image, warm and thrilling¡ªof her mate kissing her there in the early hours of that morning.


    They¡¯d both woken early, and Aaryn had loved her well, painting her entire skin with lips and tongue, making her shudder and beg before he took her.


    But then, afterward, when theyy in each other¡¯s arms, he¡¯d started talking. Stroking gentle fingers through her hair, his lips brushing her forehead because she wasying on his shoulder, he started saying all the things that didn¡¯t help. That only increased her fear.


    Gar was War Chief, and a Captain of sorts with Tarkyn gone. The point was, he was a warrior. A fighter. And he held a presence. He could walk forward in this to carry the Anima.


    Aaryn himself could shift now. If these talks dissolved into war, he was better ced than Elreth to take down a Chimeran male.


    And they had the might of the soldiers and protectors behind them. Elreth had only brought three hundred bodies with her, but two hundred and fifty of them were trained fighters and guards, scouts and trackers.


    She should let them handle it.


    She¡¯d tensed in her mates arms and not looked up to meet his eyes, because she knew.


    ¡°I made this mess¡­ I have to fix it. It won¡¯t be worth anything unless ites from me.¡±


    But Aaryn¡¯s tone switched immediately from patient advisor, to terrified mate.


    ¡°Tell them you¡¯re pregnant, El.¡±


    ¡°No. It only makes me more vulnerable in their eyes¡ªand gives them leverage. We can¡¯t let them know.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª¡±


    ¡°Aaryn, don¡¯t you remember when my dad talked about the wolves taking mom when she was pregnant with me? They tried to cut me out¡ªto kill me¡ªbecause they knew it would hurt them more. We can¡¯t give them that kind of ammunition. You know I¡¯m right.¡±


    Elreth had shivered a little herself. She didn¡¯t remember the altercation, obviously. But she¡¯d heard the story more than once.


    It was the only time she¡¯d ever seen her fierce, confident father visibly pale from a memory.


    It had always been an unsettling story¡ªa moral lesson for taking care who you trusted with information. But Elreth understood it even better now. She was desperately aware of her vulnerability¡ªand she understood Aaryn¡¯s fear as a result of it. She shared it.


    But she had to stop letting fear rule her. She knew that. He did too. He just didn¡¯t want to ept it.


    That morning, in the near-dark of the cave at dawn, Aaryn had pushed up on his elbow and leaned over her, his eyes fierce and locked on hers.


    ¡°Promise me you¡¯ll run if hees for you,¡± he¡¯d hissed. ¡°Promise me, El.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t run. But I will do everything I can to keep myself safe.¡±


    ¡°And our baby, El. OUR baby¡ªit¡¯s OURS.¡±


    She nodded, reaching for his face, trying to get him to see. ¡°I know. I know, Aaryn. I¡¯m not going to look for trouble. I promise. I will do anything in my power to make certain I¡¯m not¡ªwe¡¯re not¡ªin harm¡¯s way.¡±


    Aaryn had growled and shaken his head, because they both knew, Elreth¡¯s best might not be enough.


    Aaryn had gotten more and more aggravated¡ªmore pushy, more angry¡ªthe longer she refused to promise to flee.


    ¡°If I run, the Anima run¡ªwhere does that leave us against an aggressive foe?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t give a flying fuck about the foe¡ªleave them to me and Gar and the soldiers. I¡¯m talking about you, El!¡±


    ¡°I am the Anima, Aaryn,¡± she¡¯d said firmly. ¡°I won¡¯t put myself in a fight. I won¡¯t seek it, and I¡¯ll avoid it if I can. But I cannot just¡­ run with my tail between my legs. You know I can¡¯t.¡±


    Aaryn had bared his teeth and Elreth had been shocked. He was so rarely angry¡ªand even when he did burn, it was usually a quiet, controlled kind of rage. To see him shake with it, to show her posture and signals was so strange, it almost shook her loose and made her rethink.


    But then word had arrived. Lerrin had gotten a message out. There was dissension among the Chimeran ranks. Concerns about Zev¡¯s bnce in this.


    The people wanted peace. Only Zev was the true barrier.


    Elreth had been even more certain then. She could show no vulnerability except that required for remorse.


    They couldn¡¯t know. No one could.


    And Aaryn had spat a curse and stormed ahead of her out of the cave. It had broken Elreth¡¯s heart that on this morning when they faced such risk, he¡¯d been so quiet. So aloof. But they¡¯d never had another chance to be alone.


    She had to pray that when all was said and done, that she¡¯d be proven correct. And that he¡¯d forgive her if she wasn¡¯t.

 Chapter 214 - 214 On the Way to War – Part 2

    214 On the Way to War ¨C Part ~ GAR ~


    They reached the valley ahead of schedule, but Gar¡¯s hair was already standing on end. As per tradition when a rite was held, or there was need for negotiation, the Alpha followed drummers who pounded a steady beat¡ªto announce the arrival of the King, or in this case Queen¡ªand to acknowledge the importance of the day. When they reached the valley the drums didn¡¯t stop. Instead, the drummers spread out in the trees of the wood, their deep, rolling bass setting a rhythm in the air that prickled his skin and raised his hackles.


    It sucked at him, drew at him¡ªwhich was probably good. Without something to snap fingers in front of his face he was only halfway present. Everything in him yearned to be back at the fishing cave, holding his mate and grieving with her.


    He¡¯d woken her early¡ªbefore dawn, because he needed to leave. And after holding her and whispering his promises, he¡¯d told her.


    Elreth was pregnant. It was early. Very early. But there was no doubt.


    Rika had tensed in the circle of his arms, biting her lip. ¡°I¡¯m happy for her.¡±


    Gar had flushed, disappointed in himself, because that wasn¡¯t the response he¡¯d had when he scented that flicker of richness underlying his sister¡¯s scent.


    But he hadn¡¯t missed the spear of grief that shot through his mate¡¯s chest¡ªor the ache she carried, even as they said goodbye and she kissed him and pleaded with him to be safe.


    He hadn¡¯t missed the salt and tears in her scent, the shivering fear, or the rage¡­ the burning, simmering rage that bubbled in his mate¡¯s chest at the injustice of it all.


    .....


    Running back to the Tree City had been fleeing, if he was honest with himself. Fleeing his mate¡¯s emotion¡ªand his own.


    He didn¡¯t have time for that right now. No space to give it room to breathe. It was right that he put that aside and focus.


    But his mind didn¡¯t want to. And his heart had never left Rika.


    So it was good, he decided when they stood on the edge of the valley where they¡¯d been told to position. It was good, and right that he give his attention to this conflict, here and now.


    He was one of the lucky ones. His mate was far away in a ce entirely unknown to the Chimera. Even if this went horribly wrong, she would be safe until he could get to her.


    He was blessed. He should have been grateful.


    Instead, his skin itched.


    Elreth stood at his left, scanning the valley for the moment the Chimera appeared.


    But her scent, usually so solid¡ªtoo solid¡ªwas wavering today as well.


    What was wrong with all of them.


    Oh, that¡¯s right. They were all still fucking children, but now their toys were the life and death of their people.


    After they¡¯d made it to the valley, Aaryn turned away from Elreth and disappeared into the trees behind them. Which must mean the time was approaching.


    Aaryn¡¯s role today was to stay at the back, behind defenses, far enough away that he could return to the Tree City at any moment if it became clear that this day wouldn¡¯t end in peace, but in conflict. Then even if the others were harmed in the fight, he would remain back to lead the people in the event that Elreth was lost.


    And he was pissed about it.


    But Elreth hadn¡¯t seemed to notice him go. Her brow was furrowed, her eyes scanning the valley below. They stood that way, both of them examining this space that was surrounded by trees, but wide and long enough that neither party could approach the other without being seen.


    There would be no covert attacks today. Gar wasn¡¯t sure whether to be relieved, or terrified.


    Had Elreth made the right decision ining to these talks? For the first time, Gar second guessed the decisions they¡¯d made.


    But as they stood there for close to an hour, nothing changed. No one appeared, and he told himself over and over, there was no point examining the what-ifs. They were just his fear talking.


    The sun had moved in the sky before Elreth sighed.


    ¡°What should I do, Gar?¡± she breathed so quietly, only he was close enough to hear her. ¡°How the hell are we going to do this? I can¡¯t see any way¡­ What¡­ what do you think Dad would do now?¡±


    Gar¡¯s breath whooshed out of him and he almost broke. Almost turned on his sister and told her, point nk, that if their father had been here, they never would have reached this point.


    But he knew that thought for the bitter, pointless attack that it was.


    Still¡­ what should he say?


    His mind turned back over all the endless¡ªusually irritating¡ªmoments his father had given unsolicited advice. To all the moments he¡¯d spoken about leadership and choices and¡­


    And hended on the day when he was fourteen years old and just beginning to truly resent his father.


    They¡¯d been training¡ªhis father putting him in the dirt effortlessly, again and again.


    He never had believed in going easy on someone who asked to be trained.


    But after eating dust for the dozenth time, Gar had leapt to his feet, blushing and embarrassed by his father¡¯s taunts, and spat something about perfection.


    Something about his dad being the only one who could attain it, so it wasn¡¯t a fair measure.


    His father had been stunned, his eyebrows crawling high¡ªand so had Behryn who was also there giving advice and poking at Gar as well.


    Then Behryn had burst outughing.


    ¡°Your father? Perfect? Holy shit, Gar¡ªthat¡¯s a good one.¡±


    His father¡¯s lips had thinned and he¡¯d grimaced, though there was a hint of amusement in it, too.


    While Behryn held his stomach, he¡¯d spluttered about all the times Reth had been wrong¡ªall the times. Over and over again.


    ¡°Ha ha, yes, Behr, thank you.¡±


    But uncle Behryn hadn¡¯t stopped crowing until Dad finally ankle hooked him and dumped him on the ground.


    Then, while Behryn protested and leaped back to his feet, Gar watched his dad¡¯s face go entirely serious.


    ¡°Gar, don¡¯t misunderstand, I¡¯m deeply touched that you think I know everything and do everything right¡ªhey, maybe next time I tell you something, you might listen?¡±


    Behryn snorted again, but Gar only folded his arms. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean you are perfect. I meant that everyone else thinks you are.¡±


    His father had raised an eyebrow and shot Behryn a nce, who¡¯d finally straightened his face. Then his dad had turned back to him and put a hand to his shoulder in a gesture Gar wasing to realize he used both to connect with people, and to press something in when he felt it was important.


    ¡°Son, you know¡ªand everyone else does too, especially your mother¡ªthat I¡¯m far from perfect. But I am a damn good leader. The Creator made me with the capacity for that¡ªjust like He¡¯s done with you. But being truly good as an Alpha¡­ well, I can tell you what I learned the hard way when I was just a few years older than you: The best leaders are the best listeners. The best leaders are willing to see when someone else has a strength or quality that they don¡¯t¡ªand has the humility to rely on them for it.


    ¡°If you really want to be strong, Gar, if you want to seed in the hierarchy, you¡¯ll have to stop trying to do everything yourself. Lean into your strengths and bring others along with you who can be trusted, not only to help you, but to fill the gaps that exist in you. Because we all have them.¡±


    Gar had grimaced. His father was forever spewing this kind of advice, and even though he knew there was probably some truth to it, it didn¡¯t help him as an adolescent trying to find his strength in the first ce.


    But then Behryn cleared his throat. ¡°And don¡¯t try to fight what you can¡¯t control,¡± he said. ¡°The Creator didn¡¯t allow it without a purpose.¡±


    Jolted suddenly, Gar shoved the memory away, along with the pain of missing his father, and the relevance of that advice to his own situation. His and Rika¡¯s.


    He couldn¡¯t focus on that now. He had to figure out how to help his sister get through to that fucking wolf.


    While Elreth waited¡ªshe knew him well enough to know when he was thinking through something¡ªGar cleared his throat and tried to get his thoughts in order.


    What were their strengths? And what did they need? What could they control about this situation that would help them?


    Then he blinked and took a deep breath.


    He turned to El with a simmering mix of dread and hope. ¡°I need to tell you something,¡± he said quietly.

 Chapter 215 - 215 Truth that Tears

    215 Truth that Tears


    ~ ELRETH ~


    Elreth was shocked at herself when she suddenly asked Gar what he thought Dad would do if he were there. She hadn¡¯t meant to blurt the words, because even though she wondered about it, she felt too highly strung to consider the options. But those cursed drums keep thudding in her head, making the air around them shake. They were hammering at her, lowering her defenses.


    It was a question she and Aaryn asked themselves at times, as they led and tried to be the Alphas her parents would have admired.


    But it was hard thinking about her parents. And Elreth didn¡¯t need anything else to be hard just then.


    Yet, it was also curious to watch Gar¡¯s face after she said the words¡ªthe way he seemed to get lost in a thought or a memory. And suddenly, she desperately wanted to know what was going through his head. Was it a memory she shared? Advice she¡¯d already know?


    Was it what she needed to stop feeling like the ground was about to roll right out from under her feet?


    ¡°Gar¡ª¡±


    Gar blinked and took a deep breath. Then he turned to her, his face zing with a strange light. ¡°I need to tell you something,¡± he said quietly.


    Elreth¡¯s stomach went cold at that tone¡ªwhatever he had to say, he thought she wouldn¡¯t want to hear it. ¡°Okay.¡±


    .....


    She braced, waiting.


    Gar raked a hand through his hair and looked around, measuring how close the others were¡ªwhich was, not close¡ªand how quietly he needed to speak to keep the conversation private.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t tell you sooner, but I thought this wasn¡¯t the time, and I wanted to talk to Rika first and¡­ it¡¯s just been a lot. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Elreth¡¯s stomach clenched. What was he talking about. ¡°Gar, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°I just realized that this might be thest chance and I don¡¯t want you hearing this from anyone else or¡ª¡±


    ¡°Gar, just tell me.¡±


    She balled her hands to fists when her brother¡¯s face¡ªusually cocky, or amused¡ªsuddenly crumpled. It was like watching a cliff give way.


    ¡°Gar¡ª¡±


    ¡°Rika lost a baby,¡± he said, his voice tight through a clenched jaw.


    Elreth froze.


    ¡°Another one,¡± he said abruptly.


    ¡°Wait¡­ what?!¡±


    Gar blinked, his eyes beginning to shine. His jaw was tight, flexing. His expression stern. But she didn¡¯t miss that he was swallowing. Over and over again. ¡°Rika got pregnant. Twice. And now she¡¯s lost both of them and¡­ and now I¡¯m afraid. But she didn¡¯t want people asking her about it, and I didn¡¯t want you to be scared, so we didn¡¯t tell you.¡±


    Elreth gaped at her brother, her heart broken and weeping.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, El,¡± he said, his voice rough and trembling. ¡°I should have¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t. Don¡¯t be stupid, Gar. It¡¯s fine. I mean¡­ it¡¯s not fine, obviously. I¡¯m just sorry you had to go through that by yourself.¡±


    He shrugged, clearly ufortable with her sympathy. She wanted to reach out, but suspected he would flinch away if she did.


    ¡°We had each other,¡± he said, swallowing again. ¡°But it¡¯s made me realize something. That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s not the important part of what I was going to say¡ª¡±


    ¡°Not important? Gar, it doesn¡¯t get more important than that.¡±


    He blew out a breath. ¡°I meant¡­ I didn¡¯t want to distract from what I was going to say. That¡¯s the personal part, but this is bigger. Right now. What we¡¯re doing. What you¡¯re doing. It just made me realize that¡­ none of us is big enough for this alone, El. I mean,st year showed us that, right?¡± he said and she thought he¡¯d meant to be dry about it, half-humorous. But his voice shook.


    ¡°What I meant was¡­ None of us. Not us, not them. None of us.¡±


    ¡°I guess not,¡± Elreth said, trying to keep her voice soft for her brother¡¯s pain.


    He shook his head and turned to finally meet her eyes. ¡°No, El. I mean this¡­ now¡­ these people. We can¡¯t know, right? We can talk about what we¡¯ve been through. We can assume we understand. But neither of us really gets it, do we? Do you really think they grasp what we enduredst year? Do we really think we understand what they¡¯ve been through for¡­ who knows how many years?¡±


    Elreth shook her head. ¡°No. No, we don¡¯t. You¡¯re right.¡± And as she thought about that¡ªabout her frustration with herself for her reactions to all this, and her anger with Zev for his¡­ Her anger with the Creator for the fact that any of this had even happened, even her grief for her parents¡ªand now Gar, too¡ªthings started to shift in her mind.


    Turning.


    Perspective.


    And something clicked.


    ¡°Thank you, Gar,¡± she breathed a momentter, struggling to catch her breath.


    ¡°What? But I haven¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yes, you have,¡± she said, blinking and turning around to look. ¡°I¡¯ve been praying to understand, to gain some kind of rity and it¡¯s been eluding me, but that¡­ you just helped me see this differently. Thank you.¡± She leaned in quickly to give her brother a hug, closing her eyes just for a second when he squeezed her.


    ¡°What are you going to do?¡± he asked quietly, rumbling in her ear.


    ¡°Nothing. That¡¯s the point,¡± Elreth said, fear and hope both fluttering in her chest. ¡°Now,¡± she said as they let go and before he could jump in, ¡°I need Aaryn. Where¡¯d he go?¡±


    She looked over her shoulder the bass of those booming drums now pounding in her head, right alongside her heart.


    ¡°He was backing off¡ªhe¡¯s supposed to stay at the back, right?¡± Gar said, tipping his head towards the forest behind them.


    ¡°He left without saying goodbye?¡± Had he really? Her mate? Her endlessly thoughtful and patient mate had left her side on this day of all days, without saying goodbye?


    The thought stole her breath, anger and hurt and fear twisting up her insides.


    ¡°I need to find him and talk to him quickly before¡ª¡±


    But it was toote.


    The drums stopped without warning, and the valley was suddenly eerily quiet.


    Gar grabbed her arm and she turned, looking over her shoulder, to see Zev and his entourage, walking out from under the trees on the valley¡¯s other side.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s time, El,¡± Gar breathed.


    She nodded as her stomach tied itself in a knot.

 Chapter 216 - 216 Talk of Peace

    216 Talk of Peace


    If you like music when you read, try ¡°Animal¡± by AG and MOONZz. It¡¯s the perfect apaniment for Zev¡¯s feelings here.


    *****


    ~ ZEV ~


    Zev¡¯s entire body hummed with tension as he prowled across the grass towards the center of the valley. He was bracketed by Lhars, Skhal, Kyelle, and Sasha. After some discussion, they¡¯d left Jayah back in the trees with Zan. And Skhal with her, watching over both of them.


    Zev hadn¡¯t said it out loud, but if things went the direction he suspected they would today, he wanted Jayah stuck with Skhal on their side. Sasha would lose her mind if the healer wasn¡¯t there at the end of the day.


    Tarkyn and Harth were strangely absent and at first he¡¯d let it bother him, but then he realized it only meant that Tarkyn was returning to his favorite Queen, and Harth had decided to go with him. And Zev realized that was just good riddance.


    The day he and Sasha ruled Anima the two would find themselves treated to the same imprisonment which Zev had endured¡ªand asked for their patience, just as he had been.


    He pushed away the inevitable thoughts and fears for their son that always rose when Zev thought about being caged and shook his head. They had resources now. Help. Zan was going to be fine. Even if it took some time.


    What he needed to focus on was these people gathered on the other side of the valley. The red-haired Queen now approaching with her massive brother at her side, along with an older advisor Zev hadn¡¯t met but had scented when he was among them, and another male Zev didn¡¯t recognize who seemed very young to be alongside the Queen.


    .....


    No mate, bitch Queen? Interesting.


    He smiled. His advisors outnumbered hers.


    It would take a couple of minutes for each party to reach the middle where they¡¯d agreed to meet. But their people were each spread out through the trees and at the valley¡¯s edge in the meantime to see and hear everything that urred.


    Zev smiled. There would be no hiding anything from anyone here. Even if the Anima wanted to attack, they¡¯d have to cross the space between peoples to do so. And after very recent events, Zev was confident he now had a brake to apply to keep the bitch Queen from advancing.


    He prayed it was so.


    It depended on just how ruthless she truly was.


    The shaky, quiet voice that had been echoing in his head ever since his conversation with Skhal insisted that ruthlessness was measured by the circumstances in which it was applied¡ªjust as Zev had had to¡­ but he didn¡¯t have time to analyze that.


    When they finally reached the center of the valley, Zev stopped, his friends and mate behind him and they waited seconds for Elreth and her advisors to reach them.


    ¡°You¡¯re outnumbered,¡± he pointed out as soon as she joined them.


    Elreth raised an eyebrow, though he could see her bristling.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need numbers behind me to humble myself,¡± she said quietly. Zev caught the nce that her brother shot her¡ªseemed the idea of humility was surprising in their family.


    Shocking.


    But he had to admit to himself it wasn¡¯t the response he¡¯d expected from her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe we¡¯ll find a lot of value in rehashing old events, but I wanted to thank you for leaving without hurting any of my people significantly,¡± she added a momentter when he didn¡¯t speak.


    Zev narrowed his eyes. What was she up to? ¡°Contrary to popr belief, I don¡¯t enjoy killing¡ªor harming¡ªanyone who¡¯s done nothing to hurt me or my family.¡±


    Elreth gave him a t look. ¡°Well, I¡¯m grateful. I mean it. And for that reason, I didn¡¯te here to use or even negotiate. I¡¯m well aware that I started this. I see that I need to be the one to stop it.¡±


    In any other tone, those words would have raised Zev¡¯s hackles, they ran so close to a threat. But the female didn¡¯t look threatening. She looked tired and¡­ disappointed?


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry that it took so long for you to be returned to your people,¡± she said, eyeing Zev. ¡°I know you will struggle to believe it, but I had nned to free you the very day that you escaped.¡±


    Zev huffed and shook his head. ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t want to rehash old events?¡± he said through his teeth.


    Elreth¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. ¡°I just want you to understand that my heart has changed¡ªwas already changed. Had we had one more opportunity to speak, I don¡¯t believe we¡¯d be here today. But again, I¡¯m grateful that you agreed toe. Because¡­ I believe I know the answer to our issues here today. I¡¯ve been praying for rity for some time and¡­ I think I finally understand.


    ¡°You see, we fought amon enemy. I wish I had understood that clearly right at the start, because I know the truth that the Creator doesn¡¯t allow events to ur without purpose. To bring our peoples together when we both fought such a cunning enemy to such¡­ cost¡­ It can¡¯t be coincidence.¡±


    ¡°No, it can¡¯t,¡± Zev growled.


    Elreth nodded. ¡°We keep learning and growing¡ªall of us. We keep seeing new things and understanding new things. We¡¯re all just children at the end of this. Children of the Creator, all of us growing and developing, right? Like our own offspring¡ª¡±


    ¡°Can you get to your point, please?¡± Zev snapped.


    Elreth sighed. ¡°My point is that I can see that what is needed here is¡­ humility. And willingness to give¡ª¡±


    ¡°You have to be fucking kidding me,¡± Zev muttered.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡±


    Zev shook his head. ¡°Humility? Your humility is sudden¡ªand very obviously attached to the remorse that urred when you were suddenly outmaneuvered. Beaten. Defeated. That¡¯s not humility, Elreth, that¡¯s being humiliated. Which is different.


    ¡°And you talk about giving? Where was that idea when you attacked my mate with our son in her arms, and abused me for protecting her?¡±


    To his surprise, Elreth didn¡¯t snap back. Her eyes didn¡¯t sh. She didn¡¯t shove out her lower jaw, or raise her chin to look at him down her nose as she had in the past.


    She slumped. Her head went down, her shoulders forward. ¡°You¡¯re making my point for me,¡± she said quietly.


    Her brother gaped at her, and the other two seemed simrly shocked.


    ¡°I admit it,¡± she said, her head still low, but eyes lifted to meet Zev¡¯s, one hand up in surrender. ¡°I was wrong,¡± she said clearly. Then she looked around at those who stood behind him. ¡°I was wrong,¡± she repeated. ¡°I created more conflict than was needed. I did not look at¡­ any of this from any perspective except my own¡ªand I made decisions in fear that cost your leaders in pain and¡­¡± She trailed off, swallowing, then turned back to Zev, locking eyes with him¡ªnot angrily. There was no heat in her. But her sudden softness was disarming. Zev scrambled to pull the defensive wall around his heart that he¡¯d found so easily for these past few days.


    ¡°I would never have hurt your son¡ªnot on purpose,¡± she said distinctly. ¡°When I smelled Sasha and Zan, when I saw them, I didn¡¯t see them. I saw¡ªand smelled¡ªthe people who had taken my family from me. Who almost stole my life, my mate, and my people. They came so close, Zev. So close. I am still not recovered. I assure you, had her scent not been that of a pure human¡­ but it doesn¡¯t matter. The reality is, I didn¡¯t take time to think or pray or consider. I reacted, and in doing so, you¡¯re right, I put Sasha and Zan both in danger.¡±


    Elreth stopped speaking and drew herself up, not with pride, but determination. She took one step closer to Zev, still focusing all her energy on him. ¡°You need to know that there is nothing in our world more precious than our offspring. Nothing. That is a¡­ a cord that binds our people. I suspect the deeper we dig, the more we will find.


    ¡°But I realized that you will never have a chance to discover those, as I¡¯m beginning to, as long as I remain a barrier between you and peace.¡±


    Zev¡¯s adrenaline shot up. Where was she going with this? What was she going to offer?


    He was so stunned he was forgetting his anger¡ªbut he reminded himself of it quickly.


    It was very convenient timing for her to suddenly see all of this so clearly.


    ¡°What are you saying?¡± he asked through his teeth.


    Sasha gripped his arm and sent, ¡®Zev! Listen to her. Listen to what she¡¯s saying!¡¯


    He was relieved to feel his mate¡¯s touch¡ªthey¡¯d embraced before walking here, but not spoken in any depth about their earlier argument. Zev had been far too busy getting everyone ready. But he couldn¡¯t let himself be distracted from this.


    He was beginning to scent victory.


    Elreth looked at him, unimpressed, but pleading. ¡°I¡¯m saying¡­ don¡¯t punish my people for my mistake¡ªmy failure,¡± she corrected herself. ¡°Don¡¯t punish your people for the harm I did. I¡¯m certain if we can discuss this, I can find some way to make amends, or offer safety in a way that will show you that my remorse is true, and my heart for peace is real.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you can, too,¡± Zev said, inwardly cheering.


    Elreth took a slow breath, her eyes pinched, but relief ying on her features. ¡°Good. Please, tell me. What will it take, Zev? How can we walk away today in the unity of peace?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s very simple,¡± he said, his heart pounding. ¡°You¡¯re Alpha of your people, I¡¯m Alpha of mine. We both use the same hierarchical structures and basicws. So here, Elreth, Queen of the Anima, in front of your people and mine, I challenge you formally for dominance.¡±


    A gasp rippled around the valley from both sides.


    Elreth¡¯s eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. ¡°But¡ª¡±


    ¡°You said you want to make amends. You said you don¡¯t want me to punish your people¡ªand I won¡¯t. I am not a hateful leader, Elreth. I am not a ruthless tormentor. Fight me. If you win, my people will submit to you because I will submit to you.¡± Then he shed a warning smile. ¡°Can you say the same?¡±

 Chapter 217 - 217 Hear Me Roar

    217 Hear Me Roar


    ~ ELRETH ~


    Elreth felt as if the very earth beneath her had been ripped out from under her feet.


    Stunned silent, mentally scrambling, she was frozen, unable to do anything but stare at Zev and try to process what he¡¯d just said.


    The fact that one Alpha would challenge another for dominance wasn¡¯t without precedent¡ªit might even have been a course Elreth might have taken under other circumstances. But she couldn¡¯t fight him. Not now.


    This male who stood in front of her, his entire body rigid with rage, who¡¯d issued the challenge¡­. He hated her. She was certain of it. Could smell it on him.


    Her father had spoken to her in her early years when she¡¯d struggled in rtionships with her peers at times. He¡¯d warned her that leaders tended to be the face of a person¡¯s pain. That when an Anima reached their limit, the straw that broke the camel¡¯s back would inevitably be the one they saw as having authority over them.


    He¡¯d warned her clearly to expect it.


    And even more clearly never to lord it over others.


    ¡°There¡¯s no faster way to leave a bitter taste in the mouth of a person than to throw your power around, El,¡± he¡¯d said sternly.


    .....


    She was only twelve and he¡¯d caught her ordering Aaryn to do something for her because she was the King¡¯s daughter.


    Elreth was already mortified. She never did that to anyone, let alone Aaryn, but he¡¯d gotten irritated with her and told her she couldn¡¯t do something because she was too young, and it had pricked her pride. So she¡¯d returned the favor.


    When her father heard her, he¡¯d growled so loudly it was almost a roar, and dragged her back to the cave by her elbow, then practically shoved her into a seat and stood over her, his hands on his hips.


    ¡°Is this the way you carry your Alpha, El?¡± he¡¯d snarled. ¡°shing your power, using it against people?¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°Do you want to know what it feels like?¡± he¡¯d growled menacing, bending over her, and he was so huge¡­ she¡¯d so rarely seen her father angry, when his lion¡¯s eyes shed, she¡¯d jerked back in the seat.


    ¡°No! Dad! I wasn¡¯t¡ªI don¡¯t! I was mad at Aaryn¡ª¡±


    ¡°And this is how you deal with it?¡±


    ¡°No! I mean, yes, today, but not usually. I just¡ª¡±


    ¡°You just thought you would lord yourself over your best friend¡ªdear God, what do you do with the little pissant serpents when they get going?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t, Dad, I promise!¡± she¡¯d been near tears¡ªhalf out of embarrassment, and half in sheer fear of disappointing him. She hated nothing more than when her father looked at her sadly.


    ¡°What the hell, El? How many times have I told you, holding power, especially power you were created with, is a massive responsibility?¡±


    ¡°I know!¡±


    ¡°Clearly you don¡¯t! Clearly you see it as a weapon to be wielded¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, Dad, I promise.¡±


    He¡¯d stared at her long and hard then, his jaw twitching, then he¡¯d blown out a long breath and raked a hand through his hair, before kneeling down in front of her so they were on the same level.


    ¡°You listen to me¡ª¡±


    ¡°Dad, I know. I do listen. I know, I just¡ª¡±


    ¡°I SAID LISTEN!¡±


    She¡¯d been shocked. Her father had cursed and looked away from her for a moment, clearly fighting for his own control. But when he found it, he leveled the gaze on her that made Alphas quail.


    ¡°When you have power, Elreth, it provides great privilege. More often than not, your power feeds itself¡ªand the very things you earn by being strong make you even stronger. It can easily fall into the trap of believing that you deserve that. That it makes you¡­ special,¡± he muttered. ¡°And while there is truth to the fact that you are, indeed, greatly gifted by the Creator, there are two sides to the power coin.


    ¡°Power brings privilege and¡­?¡±


    ¡°Responsibility,¡± she whispered.


    He nodded. ¡°Now, hear me, El, because clearly you are now old enough to hear it: Responsibility isn¡¯t simply jobs you do not want to do. It isn¡¯t only the weight of decisions you do not want to make. It is also carrying blood on your hands.¡±


    She blinked. This was new. She looked up at him tentatively. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°When you are in power, El¡ªtrue power¡ªthere wille times when you fail. It is unavoidable. The only thing that is one hundred percent guaranteed in your life is that you will fail. Do you hear me?¡±


    She nodded hurriedly.


    Her father took a breath again, dropping his voice when he continued. ¡°Understand that when you are in power your decisions affect others because it is by your word that they act. And that means the day wille when your choices cost others. Pain, heartache. Even their lives. It is unavoidable that this will ur¡ªwhat you can do is minimize it. Make as certain as you are able that you are not flippant with the lives of others. Make as certain as you are able that you do not y with pain that will cost someone else. Do you hear me?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she¡¯d breathed, her guts twisting in anguish. ¡°I do, Dad. I do.¡±


    ¡°Good, then your final lesson for today: When you know you were wrong, you own it. Do you hear me? You do not pass me. When you are in power and given every privilege and every right, then you take your lumps when theye. You show true strength¡ªyou stand in the face of your critics and you say yes. Yes, I did get it wrong. And then you do everything in your power to rectify it. Everything!¡±


    She¡¯d cried and nodded, reached for her father who was scaring her. Something she¡¯d felt so rarely with him, it was as if she was suddenly several years younger again.


    And true to his nature, he¡¯d sighed and scooped her up into his chest, then turned and sunk into the chair himself, letting her cry on his shoulder.


    He¡¯d stroked her hair and waited until she stopped crying. Then he¡¯d set her on her feet and made her go apologize to Aaryn.


    Aaryn who was invited to dinner and given dessert that Elreth didn¡¯t receive.


    And who¡¯d poked his tongue out at her when her parents weren¡¯t looking¡­


    She¡¯d been so angry at the time. But the lesson had always stuck.


    Power was responsibility. And true responsibility didn¡¯t want to carry others into failure with them.


    Elreth didn¡¯t. She never had¡ªand even more since the war, she was so highly aware of the effects of her decisions.


    They had almost cost her her mate.


    So now¡­ here she stood, facing a male who hated her power. Who had been broken by her failure, and now he wanted her to fight for it. He wanted to take her power because he believed she had used it wrong. He was convinced he would win.


    And more and more as Elreth reconsidered all that had happened in the war and the things she¡¯d seen, she tended to agree with him. In the previous months she¡¯d already been convinced that the males in her life had never truly unleashed on her in a fight. Notpletely.


    She could beat Tarkyn in challenges for speed, or specific moves. But in a fight to the death? She was not confident of that at all¡ªand Tarkyn had admitted he wasn¡¯t entirely certain he could beat Zev.


    So where did that leave her?


    She looked Zev in the eyes and saw his rage burning. Felt his hate.


    Her father¡¯s voice echoed again.


    ¡°You feel like their hate is for you, El, but in truth, it¡¯s the burn of injustice¡­ or envy¡­ or pride. You simply be the target for the feelings they¡¯ve found no other outlet for.¡±


    Zev was definitely a male who needed an outlet.


    And here he was, asking for one¡ªasking for the chance to take her throat, or her people. Because she suspected she knew his strategy.


    He knew he could beat her. But he didn¡¯t expect her to fight. He expected her to submit¡ªor call her people in to fight for her.


    Which meant she had a decision to make. An impossible, painful, terrifying decision.


    And meanwhile, the stink of aggression was rising beside and behind her. She¡¯d brought Behryn and Reece alongside to read the winds during what she hoped would be talks for peace, or better yet, a treaty of agreement. But she¡¯d brought Gar because Gar was fucking terrifying. And if there was need for any standover tactics, he was the male to do it.


    And he¡¯d already found his mental bnce enough to begin.


    She could smell the tension leaching off him in waves¡ªthe sheer threat as he watched his pregnant sister be challenged by a male warrior who was possibly the best and fastest fighter they¡¯d ever seen.


    She put a hand back, gripped Gar¡¯s wrist to hold him in ce, knowing it would take physical contact to break through if his Alpha was getting ready to attack. And she prepared to defend her people. To the death if need be.

 Chapter 218 - 218 Ripple Effect

    218 Ripple Effect


    ~ ELRETH ~


    ¡°I¡­ I hear your challenge,¡± she said breathlessly, pressing the words between her teeth. ¡°But I would hope that we could find a peaceful way to¡ª¡±


    ¡°I was told that you Anima respected the traditions. That you fought when fighting was necessary to determine dominance,¡± Zev said, his lips curling up in warning.


    ¡°We do. I do!¡± Elreth said, her voice growing stronger, even as her heart pounded so hard she could barely hear anything else. ¡°But we have traditions that must be¡­ I cannot fight you right now. My second isn¡¯t here,¡± she said, grasping at straws¡ªAaryn was likely still nearby, though she¡¯d asked him to position himself well beyond the reach of an advancing Chimeran horde.


    But to her surprise, Zev didn¡¯t argue, or get annoyed.


    He smiled.


    He was very handsome when he smiled.


    And very coldly terrifying.


    ¡°Oh, but he is,¡± he said quietly. Then turned to look at the woods behind him and gave a sharp, piercing whistle.


    .....


    Sasha looked at her mate, her expression confused.


    Zev caught Sasha¡¯s eye. Elreth wasn¡¯t sure what passed between them, but Sasha¡¯s face paled right before Zev gestured to his right¡ªand Elreth¡¯s left¡ªwhere four Chimera were emerging from between the trees, poles over their shoulders and some kind of box or¡­


    Cage. It was a cage.


    And within it, lips peeled back to bare his teeth, all four legs braced for action, and silver eyes fierce, was a wolf.


    A beautiful, strong, very familiar wolf.


    ¡°Aaryn?¡± Elreth whispered as every molecule in her body screamed. And then snarled.


    Her body went rigid as Aaryn¡¯s eyes snapped to hers and a whine broke from his chest as Zev looked back and forth between them.


    ¡°Zev, what have you done?¡± Sasha breathed, her tone terrified and angry and so, so sad.


    ¡°I¡¯ve done nothing,¡± Zev growled. ¡°I agreed toe for peace talks and I did. But this male broke through our ranks and was brought to me. I wasn¡¯t the one to break ranks¡ªhe was. And yet, I didn¡¯t kill him!¡± he snarled. ¡°Do you see, Elreth, that I am not the loose screw or hair-trigger you think I am. I¡¯m standing here at your request, I¡¯m ying by your rules¡ªand I¡¯m not even hurting your mate when hees after me.¡±


    ¡°He would never have¡ª¡± but she broke off, because Aaryn had been so angry this morning. So upset that she wouldn¡¯t allow them to know she was pregnant. So scared for her¡ªand with good reason, it would seem. Was that¡­ Had he really done this to try and draw attention away from her? Or to remove Zev?


    Had her mate tried to kill him? She prayed not.


    ¡°So, you see,¡± Zev continued, everyone staring at him in shock, ¡°Your second is here. You can take a challenge. You are witnessed and supported¡ªjust like I am. Our people will all watch, and whoever wins takes all¡­ isn¡¯t that how you do it?¡±


    Elreth swallowed, her head spinning and gut twisted with a tornado of rage and fear as Zev stared at her, and everyone else looked back and forth between them. Waiting.


    She couldn¡¯t let herself go. Not by a hair. If she did¡­


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said faintly. ¡°That is¡­ that is how we do it.¡±


    Aaryn¡¯s wolf snarled, leaping for the bars of the cage, his pure rage echoing across the valley and piercing her heart.


    She turned and met his eye, pleading with him, and signed, ¡®I will free you.¡¯


    ¡°But she can¡¯t!¡± a voice rose from behind Zev, in among the trees.


    A murmur rippled through the people across the valley and everyone turned to see who¡¯d spoken.


    To Elreth¡¯s surprise, it was Harth, rushing out from beneath the trees, sweat on her brow making her hair stick to her skin, and Tarkyn right behind her, his face stern and angry¡ªhis eyes locked on Zev.


    Elreth¡¯s breath caught. She knew that face. Knew that posture.


    Tarkyn was on the verge of violence. He must have learned about Aaryn.


    Aaryn, dear God. Elreth closed her eyes for the briefest moment, throwing up a prayer for her mate. They had to let him go. Had to. She had to make certain they did. And she couldn¡¯t, under any circumstance, vent her rage until they had.


    She raised a hand to stop Harth, but the female rushed forward, sprinting to Zev¡¯s side, her breath heaving, her chest rising and falling, swallowing hard as she tried to speak.


    ¡°You can¡¯t fight her. You can¡¯t. She¡¯s pregnant.¡±


    A new gasp¡ªthis time on both sides of the valley¡ªrushed through the valley, threatening to ripple the grass with its force.


    Elreth¡¯s heart sank as Zev turned his eyes back to her, his brows pinched to a V, and his eyes fierce.


    She met his gaze evenly. But neither of them had a chance to speak, because it was Sasha who gasped, ¡°What?!¡± then turned to face her mate.


    When he didn¡¯t immediately look at her, she stepped between him and Elreth, putting herself with her back to Elreth.


    Elreth was humbled and a little scandalized. Did this woman know nothing aboutbat and risk? She turned her back to El who could have kicked her legs out from under her and had her back in a chokehold before Sasha even knew what happened.


    A low growl began, so quiet and soft, at first Elreth didn¡¯t register it, until she closed her hand to a fist, and Zev was snarling.


    Elreth looked up from Sasha¡¯s vulnerable back to meet his eyes and shook her head.


    She might see the vulnerability. It didn¡¯t mean she would exploit it.


    His eyes narrowed, but then he looked down at his mate who was gesturing with both hands.


    ¡°No! Zev! No! No more! This is done! You cannot fight her!¡±


    Zev¡¯s lips went tight, but Sasha shook her head vehemently. ¡°Done. This is over¡ªhalf the reason you¡¯re angry at her is because of her potentially hurting Zan¡ªyou said it, you said that was unforgivable. Well, live by your own rules, Zev! If she can¡¯t harm your child, you can¡¯t harm hers.¡±


    Elreth¡¯s brows popped up¡ªher enemy¡¯s mate standing in the gap for her? The woman should have been Anima.


    ¡°I would never have hurt her if she¡¯s pregnant,¡± Zev growled. ¡°That is¡­ new information,¡± he said bluntly, his expression sullen.


    Sasha¡¯s shoulders rose and fell once. ¡°Well thank God for that much, at least.¡± She had her hands on his chest to hold him back, but Zev just leaned around her to meet Elreth¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°But that doesn¡¯t solve our problem,¡± he said, leveling a finger at Elreth¡¯s chest.


    El nodded, and sighed. She could certainly see that that was true.


    ¡°So, choose your Champion,¡± he growled. ¡°And I¡¯ll fight him¡ªsince it will obviously be a him.¡±


    Elreth froze at the same time Sasha gasped, ¡°No! Zev¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    There was a still moment where it seemed even the air in the valley didn¡¯t move, then all eyes and ears turned¡ªincluding Elreth¡¯s.


    Tarkyn stood at his mate¡¯s side, Harth who was bent forward, panting heavily, obviously panicked at the idea of Zev attacking a pregnant woman.


    He put his hand on his mate¡¯s shoulder who was staring at him in confusion, but he just locked eyes with Zev.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it. I¡¯ll represent the Anima on Elreth¡¯s behalf. I¡¯ll ept your challenge.¡±


    ¡°Tarkyn, NO!¡± Harth shrieked, grabbing for his arm.


    Murmurs and conversation bubbled around the valley on both sides, punctuated by Harth¡¯s pleas.


    But the two males only stared at each other, tension crackling between them. And Elreth¡¯s heart sank. Because Tarkyn was right. He was absolutely the right male to stand in her stead.


    For more reasons that he would probably ever realize.

 Chapter 219 - 219 A Different Kind of Queen

    219 A Different Kind of Queen


    ~ HARTH ~


    The moment Tarkyn stepped forward Harth¡¯s heart leaped into her throat. She grabbed for his arm, her body in a whole new panic, as if he might jump into the fight then and there.


    He and Zev stared at each other, Alpha power crackling between them, despair spearing through Harth as her mind conjured everything that was about to happen.


    She¡¯d seen males fight before, seen session of Alpha power¡ªbut never between those who saw themselves as enemies.


    The only fighting she¡¯d ever seen was between Chimera and humans¡ªto the death. Her head screamed and her heart sobbed.


    No, no no no! He couldn¡¯t do this! She couldn¡¯t lose him that way!


    ¡®Tarkyn please¡­ please¡­ don¡¯t do this!¡¯ He tore his eyes from Zev to hers, his jaw set with determination, but his eyes clouded. She didn¡¯t even try to cover the fear in her voice. ¡®You can¡¯t, Tarkyn. Please. He is lethal when he wants to be¡ªand he¡¯s so out of bnce right now¡ª¡¯


    ¡°No.¡±


    The word was quiet and feminine, but so brimming with Alpha certainty that it was instinct to submit.


    .....


    Harth and Tarkyn both snapped their heads to find Sasha standing in front of Zev, her hands now at her sides and her chin high and eyes shining.


    ¡°No, Zev. No,¡± she spat through her teeth.


    Zev hadn¡¯t moved from his posture of challenge to Tarkyn, but his eyes had dropped to meet hers.


    She was so small next to him, so frail byparison. He could have lifted her in one arm, thrown her aside bodily if he wished. To the eyes, it seemed there was no way she could stand him down. But he eyed her warily, his jaw flexing as his mate nted her feet and red up at him.


    ¡°This is over. Right now. You cannot burn the world that hurt you, Zev. You can¡¯t. Beating Elreth, beating Tarkyn¡ªit doesn¡¯t matter who you destroy, it won¡¯t change what¡¯s happened to you. To us.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been letting you work through this, I thought this should be your fight after what they did to you¡ªbut I was wrong. So¡­ no, Zev. Just no.¡±


    His eyes widened. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ challenging me?¡± he asked, his voice an eerie mix of breathless fear and simmering rage.


    She took one step closer so she stood between his feet and put her hand back on his chest. ¡°Are you going to kill me, Zev?¡± she asked softly. ¡°Will you burn me down, too? Where does it end?¡±


    His eyes bulged and a shudder rocked through his entire body, but Sasha was relentless, staring at him¡ªprobably speaking to him through the bond as well.


    Harth¡¯s heart rose with hope this time. She clung to Tarkyn, but like her, he could scent the anger and disbelief rising in Zev. He took a step forward, putting himself between Harth and the wolf¡ªever the protector.


    Harth clung to his arm and prayed like she never had before, urging Sasha on¡ªand silently pleading with Zev to hear her.


    ¡°She kept our son alive,¡± Sasha said through our teeth. ¡°She gave our people space instead of just killing us all. She could have done it, and she didn¡¯t.


    ¡°Tarkyn pleaded your case. He helped you¡ªand gave you respect even when you were bound. He¡¯s stepping up because he¡¯s trying to take care of others¡ªexactly the same way you do. Can¡¯t you see it? Are you that blinded?¡±


    A strange, huffing growl rolled out of Zev¡¯s chest, but Sasha didn¡¯t even blink.


    ¡°When is it enough, Zev? When will you ept that they aren¡¯t the enemy? When will you ept that we need help?¡±


    He leaned down, spitting through bared teeth. ¡°She almost killed you.¡±


    ¡°But she didn¡¯t,¡± Sasha pushed him, relentlessly. ¡°And now she¡¯s here seeking peace and you¡¯re the one who wants to fight.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re human! You don¡¯t understand!¡±


    ¡°I understand this better than any of you!¡± she snarled. ¡°It was my people who created this problem in the first ce! My people who had to be defeated¡ªand yet she¡¯s still treating me like I have earned my ce. Don¡¯t tell me I don¡¯t understand this, Zev, you¡¯re wrong. You¡¯re just fucking wrong!¡±


    Tension zinged through the valley, the gathered crowds holding their collective breaths waiting to see what would happen.


    ¡°Our son, Zev¡­ our son needs them and you know it.¡±


    ¡°Is that why you¡¯re¡ª¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to do this¡ªswore I would never undermine you in front of them. But you have gone too far. You¡¯re fighting a demon that isn¡¯t here, and you¡¯re going to kill innocent people in the process. I can¡¯t let you do it¡ªnot for our son¡¯s sake, not for their sake, and not for yours.¡±


    Harth was vaguely aware of movement around them¡ªLhars and Kyelle positioning themselves to the sides of the couple, hovering by Zev¡¯s shoulder¡­ but everyone¡¯s attention was on Zev. As if he were the threat.


    Harth wanted to weep with the impossible mix of hope and fear that had her heart pounding.


    ¡®He¡¯s fighting demons, alright,¡¯ Tarkyn breathed in her head. ¡®Creator help us. Help him.¡¯


    Harth added her amen to the prayer, but her mind was spinning. Among the Chimera when an Alpha was challenged publicly like this, he had to submit, or fight. There would be no middle ground here¡ªthe hierarchy had to be sustained. Either Sasha would walk away from this moment the sole Alpha of the Chimera, or Zev would be forced to dominate his own mate. His Ardent mate.


    Harth held his breath¡­ how deeply into the darkness had he descended? How far would he go?


    Then Sasha nodded once. Zev didn¡¯t say anything else¡ªeither it was all said through the bond, or he simply remained silent. But Sasha turned her back on him¡ªand the entire gathering gasped when his eyes widened, ring with rage, as his mate gave him her back as if he¡¯d already submitted to her.


    Harth instinctively raised a hand toward Sasha to warn her as Zev¡¯s body trembled and he almost shifted.


    But Sasha strode up to Elreth. ¡°We want peace,¡± she said firmly. ¡°We want peace and¡­ whatever it takes, none of us wants to fight anymore. Ever,¡± she said.

 Chapter 220 - 220 Negotiating Terms

    220 Negotiating Terms


    ~ TARKYN ~


    Hope burned in Tarkyn¡¯s chest like the spice of a winter pepper. He could barely breathe for holding himself back because what if it didn¡¯t work?


    Sasha and Elreth faced each other, Elreth eyeing her warily, but Tarkyn could smell hope on his Queen as well.


    Yet, she trembled and he didn¡¯t me her. Her mate was caged.


    Tarkyn¡¯s own rage bubbled up again at that thought. He was forced to keep his eyes on the wolf instead of letting them wander back to Aaryn.


    They¡¯d been following the Chimera to this meeting. They were supposed to be just behind Zev and Sasha, ready and essible to assist in smoothing lines ofmunication. But they¡¯d beente joining the crowd and so were walking quickly, trying to catch up with the leaders at the front.


    But an hour earlier, when they stillgged out of sight of those in the front, Harth had suddenly stopped walking, grabbing for Tarkyn¡¯s arm, her eyes wide and afraid.


    ¡°There¡¯s a wolf¡­ a wolf¡­ an Anima wolf¡ª¡± she¡¯d cast around to look for him, confused as the sparse crowds of Chimera passed them.


    She¡¯d taken his hand and run north, hissing to him in the bond that an Anima was here and in danger.


    .....


    When they¡¯d reached the edge of the Chimera who were traveling, Tarkyn had taken over, running through the trees to scout ahead¡ªuntil he¡¯d finally found a cluster of Chimera deep in the forest, off the path to the valley.


    And he¡¯d known¡­ as soon as he¡¯d caught the scents he¡¯d known.


    Aaryn. Aaryn was here, trying to save Elreth¡ªand the Chimera weren¡¯t giving an inch.


    Or at least, Zev wasn¡¯t.


    As they hid behind a roll ofnd, Harth had sought the link with him¡ªhe¡¯d been reaching out, trying to connect with other wolves, but his link was different and required trust. As far as Harth could tell, none of the other Chimera had heard him.


    But Harth had¡­ and she¡¯d whispered what she could learn to Tarkyn.


    Aaryn hade, was desperate and willing to face Zev himself. Because Elreth¡­


    Harth sucked in a gasp. ¡°Elreth¡¯s pregnant!¡± she whisper-squeaked.


    Tarkyn¡¯s heart had risen and sunk in the same moment¡ªhigh and thrilled for his old friend and Alpha and the joy that wasing to her and Aaryn.


    And sunk into the much and darkness under his toes because¡­ no wonder she¡¯d been so afraid. No wonder she¡¯d struggled to separate from her emotions.


    And she was facing an assassin wolf with his mind on vengeance today?


    Tarkyn¡¯s blood had run cold. But there¡¯d been no time to think.


    One of the Chimeran guards ahead must have heard a whisper of Harth¡¯s exmation, because he¡¯d turned, frowning at the trees.


    They¡¯d been forced to duck and slink away, to run in the wrong direction to keep themselves hidden, to draw up the rear of the Chimeran ranks as Harth tried desperately to maintain the link with Aaryn¡ªbut the distance was too great when they knew each other so little.


    So when they finally made it to the valley, it was to find the leaders facing off and Zev dering a challenge.


    He¡¯d felt his mate¡¯s tender heart scream in fear because there was Aaryn, in his wolf and caged¡­ and there was Elreth, facing Zev with dignity that belied her shock and fear.


    It had been instinct to step into defense of her when the opportunity arose. He hadn¡¯t even had to think. It was his role¡ªthe role he had always yed. And in truth, with the possible exception of Gar, he was the most likely Anima to be able to take the wolf in directbat.


    But Garcked refinement.


    Tarkyn had watched Zev move like a watersnake in the prison. He¡¯d seen the trembling strength of the male, and his whip-fast reflexes.


    His ruthlessness, too.


    The male had walked a razor-wire that day he¡¯d held a de to Elreth¡¯s throat¡ªand that was with bars and guards between them.


    How impossible would it be for her to take him, even warned ahead, when they were both free like this?


    She couldn¡¯t do it¡ªshe would lose. And worse¡­ her baby would lose, too.


    So he hadn¡¯t even thought, just offered himself, and seen the affirmation and gratitude in Elreth¡¯s gaze.


    But his mate¡­ his mate snarled at him through the bond, pleaded with him¡­ feared all of it.


    When Sasha stood up to Zev, Tarkyn¡¯s hope had risen again¡ªbut he had seen the threat, tensed with the others when Sasha turned her back on her mate.


    Tarkyn didn¡¯t know if the Chimera had the same¡­ restraints with their mates that the Anima did. Something in Tarkyn¡¯s soul would die if he physically hurt Harth. But Zev¡­ Zev stank like a serpent about to strike.


    Tarkyn had stepped forward instinctively, Harth pleading with him not to move¡­


    Then Sasha¡¯s beautiful, beautiful words.


    ¡°We want peace,¡± she said firmly. ¡°We want peace and¡­ whatever it takes, none of us wants to fight anymore. Ever.¡±


    Tarkyn was torn¡ªhis Queen was there, facing another female Alpha, facing the loss of her own offspring, facing the caging of her mate.


    But that male¡­ the most present threat, was storming away, rage and bitterness painting every inch of his body¡ªand now with humiliation added to the mix.


    Tarkyn couldn¡¯t breathe as he looked back and forth between Elreth and the now-retreating Zev, growling as Chimera made way to let him through.


    The tension in the valley rose like a slowly tightened bowstring in the people around him.


    This could all end in war.


    He had to do something.


    Sending a wash of reassurance through the bond to his mate who was so frightened she physically shook, Tarkyn turned and slipped to the edge of the crowd who were all zeroed in on Sasha and Elreth and the drama ying out there.


    Even those who noticed Zev were avoiding his wrath, so only hurried to make space for him to pass, then turned their attention back to the females.


    It wasn¡¯t safe. It couldn¡¯t be safe.


    That male was quivering with tension and rage¡­ He couldn¡¯t be left¡ªbecause which way would he turn?


    Would he finally surrender? Let himself be dominated for the good of his people?


    Or would he turn and fight.


    Or worse¡­ fight dirty?


    Whichever it was, Tarkyn would be there to ensure that the people were safe. To ensure that his mate was safe.


    ¡®Tarkyn! Please!¡¯ Harth pleaded in his head.


    ¡®I¡¯m just watching him. Just guarding, Harth. Stay there. Help Sasha and Elreth find their way. Everything hinges on what happens this day.¡¯

 Chapter 221 - 221 Walking the Tightrope

    221 Walking the Tightrope


    Added after publication so you aren¡¯t charged: Sorry I¡¯m behind onments! I¡¯m travelling internationally soon and working like crazy on chapters to publish when I¡¯m gone. Forgive me!


    There¡¯s a faces book live for the end of Warrior on 12 March! Join my reader group on linktr.ee/authoraimee!


    *****


    ~ ELRETH ~


    Elreth trembled and stared at Sasha in shock as the woman faced her mate down publicly. Hope, impossible hope rose to war with despair.


    Her mate¡­ her poor, desperate mate, was caged. Even seeing him there behind those bars, behind the bodies of the males that had been set to transport him, to watch over and make sure he didn¡¯t escape¡­ her heart despaired, and her head rang.


    She had to focus, had to listen. But how?


    Her mate was in a cage!


    For one, shining second, Elreth had a moment of crystal-clear rity on how Sasha must have felt when Zev woke up in that prison, bound.


    .....


    Elreth¡¯s entire world felt like the foundations were shaking when she saw her mate under threat like this. She was scrambling, unable to think about anything else. And yet she had to. She must! She had to get him free!


    Then Sasha turned to walk towards her, and again Elreth¡¯s body tensed at the trust the woman showed¡ªturning her back on an Alpha male when he trembled with rage, even her own mate, took balls of solid rock.


    Elreth made herself focus as the woman strode up to stand just feet from her, her eyes fierce and pleading.


    ¡°We want peace,¡± Sasha said firmly, raising her voice so it would echo around the valley and everyone would hear. ¡°We want peace and¡­ whatever it takes, none of us wants to fight anymore. Ever,¡± she said.


    Elreth¡¯s hope rose to choke her. Her hands were shaking, but she closed her fingers so they wouldn¡¯t show.


    As Sasha¡¯s hands clenched to tense fists, Elreth had the distinct impression that the woman fought not to look over her shoulder at her mate who snarled and turned on his heel, storming away through the crowd of startled Chimera.


    But despite the sudden wash of grief that rocked through her scent, Sasha didn¡¯t waver. ¡°We acknowledge the risk¡ªfor us, and for you. And¡­ I want to ask you to negotiate terms that will give us some¡­ some autonomy here. A truce. A time in which we both live our normal lives and¡­ get to know each other. Find out if we really are allies.¡±


    Elreth sucked in a breath. Truce was a start. A very positive start. But it wasn¡¯t a solution. Truce was enforced peace between enemies. Having two separate peoples in Anima would never work in the long run.


    How to bring them together?


    She nced at her brother, then looked for Tarkyn in the crowd of Chimera, but she couldn¡¯t find him. Harth was there, her eyes red and shining like she despaired, but when Elreth caught her eyes she raised her chin and stepped forward.


    ¡°I am¡­ grateful for your decision,¡± she told Sasha carefully. ¡°And I agree we should negotiate a way to¡­ let our people live in peace. I only want to step forward in wisdom and¡­ without adversaries¡­¡±


    She cut a look at her mate in the cage and her stomach twisted so it stole her breath. She had to stay strong.


    Sasha followed her gaze, nodding. ¡°I¡¯m listening,¡± she said carefully.


    ¡°Mates,¡± Harth burst out¡ªwhich was a betrayal of every line of the hierarchy and rank.


    Elreth bristled, but Sasha frowned. ¡°What did you say, Harth?¡±


    ¡°Mates¡ªwhat if there are more mates between the people? I found mine in the Anima, and so did Skhal. Let the people mix¡ªmaybe there¡¯s more. The more links we have, the more everyone is going to feelfortable that we¡¯re allies. The Creator wouldn¡¯t put us together unless were supposed to be¡ª¡±


    Elreth and Sasha looked at each other.


    She was right.


    But how to get the people to trust each other enough to actually mingle? How would anyone find ease, let alone a matebond, among an unknown people?


    ¡°Free my mate, and I¡¯ll give youplete ess to our healers and¡­ and anything you need for Zan,¡± Elreth said quickly. ¡°No restrictions. They¡¯ll be under orders to aid you exactly as they would any Anima. We have a wealth of experience and knowledge here, Sasha. Let us help you.¡±


    Sasha¡¯s brow furrowed and she looked aside, at Aaryn in the cage. Elreth nced at him too, her chest burning, her hands tightening with rage when Aaryn snarled and snapped at the bars. But she couldn¡¯t break. She couldn¡¯t¡ª


    ¡°No more guard patrols. At all,¡± Sasha said, licking her lips. ¡°No more monitoring where we go or¡­ restricting our movements.¡±


    El balked. She should just let these people circle the Tree City, or position themselves anywhere? With the right cement, even their smaller numbers could lead to a siege of the Tree City¡ª


    Then, for a bare second, Aaryn shifted to his human form. Crouched in the cage and eyes wild, every muscle trembling, he still managed to lift his hands to sign.


    ¡®Trust. Demonstrate trust to earn trust.¡¯


    Elreth almost sobbed. He was quoting her father¡ªa lesson he¡¯d taught when they¡¯d discussed how to deal with the bears.


    But her father¡¯s confidence had always been borderline ignorant. He had trusted himself so fully to meet any challenge, to eradicate any enemy, he¡¯d walkedughing and careless into the presence of anyone or anything¡ªbecause he¡¯d been so sure he would win.


    Elreth¡­ Elreth didn¡¯t have his confidence. Not in this moment.


    But then her brother blew out a breath. ¡°You should do it, El. I think¡­ I think she means it. They don¡¯t want war.¡±


    Behryn cleared his throat behind her. Despite Sasha¡¯s much weaker physical presence, it still made Elreth¡¯s skin crawl to turn her back on the woman, but she did it.


    Demonstrate trust to earn trust.


    Meeting her uncle¡¯s eyes was like looking into the past¡ªher heart half-expected to see her father, hovering over his shoulder, eyes twinkling with pride, or jaw set with determination.


    He¡¯d trusted Behryn implicitly and always joked that if anything should happen to him, Elreth should keep the male nearby as a surrogate.


    ¡°What do you read in the winds?¡± she asked him carefully.


    Behryn, taller than all of them except Gar, let his gray eyes scan the valley. He inhaled deeply and his shoulders slumped.


    ¡°I won¡¯t say there isn¡¯t risk,¡± he said quietly. ¡°There are defensive hearts here, and defensive hearts are always at risk ofshing out. But it¡¯s true that the core of people want peace. They yearn for it, just like we do.¡±


    Elreth nodded, that was reassuring. Mostly.


    But Behryn wasn¡¯t done. He locked eyes with her then, his face somber. ¡°None of us can get there, El, unless someone is willing to take the risk first. And you¡¯re strong enough to do it, I think.¡±


    Elreth sighed as everyone turned to look at her, eyes hopeful and expectant.


    No pressure.

 Chapter 222 - 222 Growth Needed

    222 Growth Needed


    If you like music while you read, try ¡°Call Me Fighter¡± by Matt Beilis. It¡¯s a great reflection of Zev and Tarkyn¡¯s attitudes here.


    *****


    ~ TARKYN ~


    As soon as he was through the bulk of the Chimera, Tarkyn looked around and discovered that his guards had remained back with Sasha. Everyone was so out of sorts and fascinated by what was urring, they¡¯d obviously not noticed when he slipped away.


    It wouldn¡¯t be long until one of them realized, and they¡¯d be able to follow his scent. So he ducked his head, ran to the trees and skirted wide of the gathering, praying he got enough of a head start to approach Zev alone before the guards caught him.


    He¡¯d watched the dark wolf stride through his people, eyes fierce and body tense, been able to track his progress by the ripple of movement he made in the crowd¡ªlike a boulder in the river.


    But once Zev was free of the gathered Chimera, he disappeared into the forest behind them and it took every ounce of Tarkyn¡¯s skill and strength to stay on his trail.


    The wolf was silent, fast, and strong. He knew how to keep himself hidden from eyes¡ªand how to disrupt his surroundings as little as possible so as to leave as little scent as he could. Had it not been his job to subdue the male, Tarkyn would have admired his skill and strategized how to tempt the male into the ranks of the Guard.


    But this was Tarkyn¡¯snd, his people, and their future on the line. His mate was back there, still crying in his head, pleading for him toe back, to listen to the negotiations, to add his wisdom to them.


    .....


    But Tarkyn knew¡­ it was the instinct of decades of strategy and protection¡­ He knew he had a role to y in this, and it wasn¡¯t found back there with Elreth, who had her brother and her advisors. In this moment, oddly, it wasn¡¯t even alongside his mate.


    Zev had been publicly confronted with his own malice and foolishness. And he hadn¡¯t submitted¡ªnot truly. That meant the male was now on a journey that would take him either to hard won freedom, or to malevolence. And to give him the best chance ofnding on the right side of that line, Zev needed a male alongside him that would force him to confront his own darkness. That would understand it. Not judge it. But be strong enough not to give it rein, either.


    Tarkyn hadn¡¯t been ying when he¡¯d offered to be the one to face Zev. Though he wasn¡¯t entirely sure he could best the male in purebat, he knew of all of them, he had the best chance.


    The Chimera, he had noticed, were strong and courageous. But they were also young, their society still developing. After having endured so much, when faced with hardship now, they chose grace for each other, encouragement. Something that Tarkyn valued highly in normal situations. But he had been leading soldiers and navigating war since his teens.


    Sometimes, when things were dark, a warrior needed to be shown where his path was leading before he got there.


    Sometimes encouragement would only embolden a sickened heart.


    Sometimes a male needed a good kick to the proverbial balls to see his own stupidity.


    Tarkyn didn¡¯t dart after the wolf with any misconceptions about the danger that he was approaching. The confrontation he nned could very likely tip Zev into aggression.


    But it needed to happen. The male needed a target. He needed to exert himself. And he needed to choose peace for himself. He needed to escape the shackles of his pain and walk free, able to see his joy again.


    If he was going dark, better that he take Tarkyn alone to battle, than an entire people.


    And in truth, it did need to be Tarkyn. He didn¡¯t trust the other Anima males not to force retribution on the wolf.


    Young warriors like Gar were strong and driven by good hearts. But their pride¡­ sometimes their pride could push them forward when they should hesitate. And sometimes their bravery became foolishness.


    He¡¯d considered Lerrin for a while¡ªthe male was strong enough, and definitely had a unique perspective that might lower Zev¡¯s defenses. But Lerrin saw the world in ck and white. Though he¡¯d trust his own strength in the battle, he¡¯d give no room for Zev to step wrongly first. No grace for the moment until Zev saw himself clearly.


    The more he thought about it, the more Tarkyn realized he trusted no one else but Behryn to understand when to push and when to relent¡ªand Behryn had reached his twilight years. Even without his mate¡¯s concerns about his role in the Kingdom and insistence that Behryn remain in a role that put him off the frontline, he was no longer a fighter.


    The grief of losing his former King and best friend, Reth, Elreth¡¯s father, had changed the male.


    It was sad to Tarkyn to see Behryn hesitate, to lose confidence. But by now, havinge up through the ranks of soldiers, he knew that self-doubt came to all of them eventually. At some point the body was no longer as strong as the mind. And then¡­ then they needed peace.


    As Tarkyn slipped between the trees, keeping his human form to allow the male to gain ground on him and run off some of his frustration before Tarkyn confronted him, he turned the whole situation over in his mind, examining both the yers and the moments that had brought them here.


    His ritual. The discovery of his mate. The conflict between Zev and Elreth when the Chimeran Alpha first arrived¡­ the regrettable bondage they¡¯d used against him, and his subsequent unwillingness to trust¡­


    And yet, despite all the ways he could see that they might have taken this road more gently, Tarkyn could see the Creator¡¯s n ying out.


    Gar¡¯s willingness to see the male free. Tarkyn¡¯s willingness to sit in the dark with him. Even the needs of their son and the ways that had softened Sasha¡¯s heart¡­


    Yes, it was all happening for a reason. The only question was, where would they end?


    Tarkyn knew that the Creator¡¯s ns were rarely painless or without loss. So where would this road take them?


    He didn¡¯t know, but he prayed it was to a final, certain peace.


    *****


    He sensed, half an hourter, when the wolf became aware of his presence. Zev slowed his pace, and changed direction. He had clearly changed his destination, just as Tarkyn would have done in the same circumstance.


    If he¡¯d been pursued in this manner, expectingbat, he would have avoided any space that might bring his pursuer into contact with others for whom he felt responsible.


    Tarkyn wasn¡¯t sure if any of the Chimera had stayed back at the encampment¡ªhe doubted it. But he knew even if he¡¯d been certain to be alone, if he thought a predator was following, he would lead them as far from the home or presence of his loved ones as possible.


    He would choose a space that he felt he knew and could defend his back.


    And once he had chosen where he wanted to fight, he would have done his damnedest to take the predator by surprise.


    Tarkyn¡¯s instincts prickled, and he shifted, allowing his lion to pad through the forest, ears and eyes on high alert, his hackles up, though they couldn¡¯t be seen beneath the curtain of his mane.


    It wasn¡¯t until the trees began to thin and Tarkyn saw bigger patches of sunlight, that he slowed.


    Perhaps it was their destination, perhaps not. But he would be on guard. He wrestled back control to his human form, first slowing, then stoppingpletely when he suddenly realized he could hear nothing¡ªno passage at all from the wolf.


    The male was likely waiting for him ahead¡ªdrawing his scent to a spot where he¡¯d have the advantage.


    Tarkyn hesitated, creeping forward slowly and utterly silent. When he reached almost to the line of trees and could see the clearing ahead, he nodded to himself.


    Thend rose in the clearing¡ªan overhang of rock and scrub on the opposite side of it, though there was no sign of Zev. But if Tarkyn had been leading, it¡¯s exactly the type of spot he would have chosen to turn and face a perceived enemy.


    Clearly Zev had concealed himself somewhere nearby. The question was, did he hide to ambush, or to buy time?


    Tarkyn needed to build trust. Give the male a reason to consider his options beyond war.


    So he took a deep breath and prayed, then stood straight and raised his voice.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to fight you, Zev. I want to talk. But if fighting is what it takes¡­ I¡¯m not afraid of you.¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯re a fool.¡± The words were dark and spat through teeth from behind him and to his right.


    Adrenalin flooding his system as Tarkyn whirled, but it was toote.


    All he saw was a great, gaping maw of teeth before a dark weight plowed into him, growling and snapping, teeth closing a hairsbreadth from his throat.

 Chapter 223 - 223 Bare Your Teeth – Part 1

    223 Bare Your Teeth ¨C Part Added after publication so you aren¡¯t charged: Sorry I¡¯m behind onments! I¡¯m travelling internationally soon and working like crazy on chapters to publish when I¡¯m gone. Forgive me!


    There¡¯s a faces book live for the end of Warrior on 12 March! Join my reader group on linktr.ee/authoraimee!


    *****


    ~ TARKYN ~


    Tarkyn threw himself sideways, immediately catching his own weight and bracing so hard he slid as he tried to keep purchase and turn to face the attack. The instinct was there to shift, but he couldn¡¯t. He knew he couldn¡¯t. He needed to speak.


    Zev snarled and leaped again, but Tarkyn was prepared for him this time.


    What followed were mere seconds of Tarkyn turning, twisting, blocking to keep himself from the teeth of the wolf, but only barely seeding time and again.


    Sweat sheened his brow and his heart pounded, not only because of the exertion, but out of fear.


    This male was fast, strong, and determined.


    .....


    Then Zev feinted left and turned his head at thest possible moment, shifting his bulk impossibly quickly, snapping at Tarkyn¡¯s hamstring¡ªandying the muscle of his calf open so deep it immediately bled.


    Then they were facing each other again, Tarkyn¡¯s natural dominance and fight instinct roaring to the fore as he half-crouched, ready to defend again.


    The wolf growled, baring his fangs and creeping forward step by slow step.


    Tarkyn narrowed his eyes. ¡°Too scared to take me in your true form, Zev? Too uncertain how this will y out if we fight male to male?¡±


    Zev snarled, then a momentter, shifted back, his chin low and eyes piercing, ring out at Tarkyn from under heavy brows. ¡°You want me to wring your neck instead of bite through it? Sure.¡±


    Tarkyn huffed. ¡°No, I want you to let go of this rage and realize that I¡¯m on your side.¡±


    ¡°What bullshit. My mate might have fallen for your tripe, but I haven¡¯t. It¡¯s easy to look like you¡¯re giving when you know you hold the power.¡±


    Tarkyn gave a surprised little chuckle that wasn¡¯t faked. ¡°You really think I hold the power?¡±


    ¡°More than I do.¡±


    ¡°Now who¡¯s talking bullshit? You lead a people, Zev. I live to serve. And I¡¯d serve your stubborn ass if you¡¯d let me.¡±


    Zev¡¯s face twisted in rage and he leaped at Tarkyn again¡ªfast as a serpent and strong as a lion. The male was a whirlwind of limbs and wed fingers, kicks that threatened to break a bone if they connected.


    But Tarkyn had fought strong fighters his entire life. He¡¯d been humbled by the whip-quick Elreth for thest five.


    He may not be a fast as Zev, but he was a far more intelligent fighter¡ªand with much greater discipline.


    He was happy to let the wolfe at him, burning energy and oxygen as he unleashed, his attacks slightly unfinished, or overshot, because his anger was in control.


    Tarkyn weaved and ducked, blocked and waited until the moment when Zev took just a hairsbreadth too long to turn, then hended a solid blow on the male¡¯s ribs.


    Zev grunted, rage burning in his eyes, but he immediately brought up his guard and they circled each other again.


    ¡°Fight me if you have to,¡± Tarkyn muttered. ¡°Get rid of that rage that¡¯s burning you up inside. Throw yourself against me. Let me show you that I mean you no harm¡ªand neither does the Creator.¡±


    ¡°The Creator almost got all of us killed!¡± Zev spat.


    ¡°The Creator put you in a ce to get your son the help he needs. If you hadn¡¯t been taken by us when you arrived, your son would be dead.¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°Yes. Face it. Admit it. Admit that we made mistakes, but we were never intentionally cruel. No one knew what you¡¯d been through when you were bound, Zev. Your mate was already asking for your freedom¡ªand negotiations were about to be made to provide it.


    ¡°It¡¯s only the Creator¡¯s n that brought us together. Would you deny it¡ªyou said he brought you here!¡±


    ¡°He brought me here to die at the hands of power-hungry animals!¡±


    ¡°No, Zev,¡± Tarkyn growled. ¡°He brought you here to learn that strong allies are an asset, not a threat to you.¡±


    Zev snarled andunched again, but Tarkyn¡¯s heart was calm. He knew he was right¡ªand he could see the younger male growing looser and looser, more and more frantic.


    As they circled and dodged, as he blocked blow after blow, he grew more and more confident in himself, and recalled training he¡¯d had as a young male, back when Behryn was the Captain and even more influential than Tarkyn was now, because he was best friends with the King.


    Behryn had lined them up after an exercise, all of them panting,ining about each other¡¯s mercilessness in a training exercise. And he¡¯d been pissed that they¡ªthe young recruits¡ªwere letting their anger get the better of them.


    ¡°Your adversary will always scream the loudest right before they give up. Measure their desperation and you measure your effectiveness¡ªbut before you get cocky, don¡¯t forget¡­ you do the same. When you find yourself at your limit, when everything within you screams against whatever, or whoever you face¡­ your time hase. Either you will seed in your efforts, or your will will be broken.¡±


    The memory faded, affirming his sense of the wolf, just as Zev came at him again, limbs flying and face twisted in a desperate snarl.


    ¡°We don¡¯t need you! We will never need you!¡±


    ¡°Zev, you need us more than most. My Queen¡­ our people¡­ me¡­ I can show you the way. I can show you that life doesn¡¯t have to be a battle. I know you¡¯ve never lived without threat before, but it¡¯s only the pure truth. If you would trust, there would be no threat here for you. None.¡±


    ¡°LIAR!¡±


    ¡°Grow up.¡±


    Zev startled and stopped in his advance.


    Tarkyn hesitated, watching for a trick. But the male was standing there, his chest heaving, eyes narrowed and angry, but confused, too¡­


    Tarkyn decided to press the advantage. He dropped his guard, though he kept himself poised to return to defense at the first sign the wolf would advance again.


    ¡°Seriously, Zev. Grow up. The Chimera are not your lives to y with. This world isn¡¯t yours to take. You don¡¯t know everything. I¡¯m not saying you¡¯re not capable of learning it. But your people¡ªour people¡ªstand back in that valley right now, seeking peace. Seeking allies. Seeking to grow and thrive together, and you want to fight that? Wake up! Is your pride really worth that?¡±


    Zev¡¯s lip curled back from his teeth.

 Chapter 224 - 224 Bare Your Teeth – Part 2

    224 Bare Your Teeth ¨C Part ~ TARKYN ~


    Zev stabbed a finger towards the ground. ¡°I want to fight power that would take everything from me!¡±


    Tarkyn let those words hang in the air for a moment so Zev could hear them over and over. Then he nodded. ¡°I understand.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have a fucking clue.¡±


    Tarkyn took the two, quick strides that would bring him toe-to-toe with the wolf. ¡°I can count in days the time since my mate was almost taken from me,¡± he snarled. ¡°A person I knew and trusted had thrown herself headlong into fear and threatened to tear us apart. The mate I have waited my entire life to find. The only mate I will ever receive. The answer to all my prayers¡ªfor decades¡­ I¡¯d barely gotten my arms around her and she was pulled away from me.¡±


    They stared at each other, both ring, but Tarkyn took hold of himself. He wouldn¡¯t vent rage on this pup. He would teach him.


    ¡°You know¡­ if you were my son, do you know what I would have shown you?¡±


    Zev¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Enlighten me.¡±


    Tarkyn growled, but didn¡¯t drop his gaze. ¡°I would have shown you, without fail, that your pain is your pain. That no one else will ever truly know it and neither should they try to take it from you. That no one else will ever walk the same road, or experience the same pains, and no matter how another¡¯s pain measures against yours, it does not dismiss or marginalize your struggle¡­ But that their pain is equally their own¡ªand you cannot diminish theirs, either.


    .....


    ¡°So, yes, Zev, you¡¯re right, I don¡¯t understand everything you¡¯ve faced. Neither do you understand my life. But this isn¡¯t apetition. Whether you have hurt more than me or not, whether your wounds leaverger scars or not¡­ the point isn¡¯t who has hurt more, but how we would face the pain we carry now.


    ¡°You¡¯re here, son. You¡¯re finally here¡ªa ce where you can be safe. A ce where you and your family can grow and thrive without the constant threat. And yet, you bare your teeth at it, warning us away. Do you think you are the only warrior who has struggled to walk away from the fight?¡±


    Zev looked at him warily, but Tarkyn plowed on. ¡°That¡¯s a feeling I truly understand,¡± he said quietly. ¡°That feeling in your skin when all you know is the fight. That heart that shoves you forward, convinced there is an enemy watching. The body that only feels strong when it holds a weapon¡ªor wields one. That hollow, aching fear that this is all there is for you¡ªand the joy in that moment when you catch a glimpse that it isn¡¯t.


    ¡°You think I don¡¯t know you, Zev? How about this: I know that the moment you held Sasha as truly your own, you found your purpose. Am I right? That was the moment the world shifted. And I¡¯m willing to bet that as long as you¡¯re fighting for her, everything feels right. But right now, in this moment, it feels like she¡¯s abandoned you. And suddenly¡­ suddenly you don¡¯t know who you¡¯re fighting for anymore, because you need an enemy to fight and she can¡¯t be it. But she¡¯s the one who stood you down¡­. Right?¡±


    Zev remained silent. But for the first time, Tarkyn caught a thread of grief mingling with the simmering anger.


    ¡°So, you have a choice, Zev. You can hold onto that volcano of rage inside you and let it burn down everything and everyone around you¡ªincluding your mate. Or you can take one more risk. sp one more offered hand of friendship and give us a chance to show you that we don¡¯te to hurt you.¡±


    Zev huffed. ¡°You say that like it¡¯s simple. If you¡¯re lying it would be toote by the time I found out.¡± Then he blinked and shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m listening to you. This is ridiculous, I¡¯m listening to the very male that would kill me if I resist and you want to talk to me about trust?¡± He gave a desert dry, bitterugh.


    But Tarkyn¡¯s heart stopped. Because that simple statement made it all clear. He blinked.


    Zev was right.


    Tarkyn had told Elreth days ago that she needed to trust¡ªthe judgment of others, and the conviction of the Creator.


    He¡¯d told Harth that she needed to believe¡­ that he¡¯d never let her be hurt by the enemy, that she should rely on that.


    He was standing here telling Zev to take the final risk. That just one more risk would show him the truth.


    Yet¡­ was he willing to do that himself? Was he willing to put himself on the line to prove the truth?


    Heart pounding, adrenaline flowing in his veins, Tarkyn took a deep breath and threw a silent prayer up to the Creator for wisdom, strength, and safety.


    Keep my mate safe, please. No matter what.


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± he said softly.


    Zev blinked. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m telling you to take the risk, without taking it myself.¡±


    Zev wasn¡¯t a stupid male. His eyes lit and his lips twitched toward a cunning smile. ¡°Oh?¡±


    Tarkyn swallowed. ¡°Yes. So¡­ I will put myself in your hands, Zev. Whatever you wish. I¡¯m leverage, which means I¡¯m power. If you want to see the Anima Queen move, she¡¯ll do it for me, to save me. Or against you if you take me.


    ¡°If you want to prove to your people that she¡¯s a heartless enemy, kill me. She will bury you¡ªor try to. And then they¡¯ll all fight her¡ªSasha included.¡±


    Zev watched warily. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m surrendering,¡± he said slowly, pleading with the Creator that he wasn¡¯t a fool. ¡°My mate tells me that you are trustworthy. That you are strong. That you are not cruel. I¡¯ll be honest, I haven¡¯t seen more than glimpses of the male she describes. But I trust her. And just as much as you need reassurance, my Queen does too. I¡¯m willing to put myself in your hands to prove to you that Ie in peace¡ªand that I¡¯m the voice of my people. Of our heart.¡±


    Zev sneered. ¡°Surrender? Yet you call yourself a warrior?¡±


    ¡°I call myself a male of integrity who lives to his word.¡±


    ¡°I call you a fool.¡±


    Tarkyn nodded once. ¡°Your thought doesn¡¯t make it true,¡± he said simply. Then opened his arms. ¡°Take your shot, Zev. I won¡¯t fight you. Use me however you would. You win. But if I¡¯m right about you¡­ maybe that¡¯ll give you some confidence that I¡¯m right about us, too?¡±


    Zev¡¯s eyes lit with fierce light. He licked his lips, his mind clearly churning through everything. He watched Tarkyn for reaction when he moved, but Tarkyn left his arms open, his hands ck. His heart mmed in his chest, but he wouldn¡¯t fight.


    Zev watched him warily, backing up as if preparing to leap.


    Then he shifted.


    Sweat trickled down the side of Tarkyn¡¯s face from his temple as the wolf¡¯s paws shuffled to find his bnce. Then, stomach sinking, he threw another prayer skyward as Zev leaned back on his haunches with a menacing growl, gathered his strength, then leaped straight for Tarkyn¡¯s undefended throat.

 Chapter 225 - 225 [Bonus chapter] Careful Peace

    225 [Bonus chapter] Careful Peace


    ~ ELRETH ~


    Elreth stared at Sasha, anger for her mate¡ªand fear¡ªmade it hard to breathe. But she showed nothing. Sasha was human and couldn¡¯t hear her heart hammering, though the Chimera nearby likely did.


    So she kept her face nk and her hands nted on her hips to stop them from shaking.


    ¡°There¡¯s a tradition in our people,¡± she said quietly, eyes only on Sasha. ¡°When we reconcile or agree¡­ we offer¡ªand receive¡ªthe hand of peace.¡± Elreth took a deep breath. ¡°I wish to extend the hand of peace to you, Sasha. But I cannot do it while my mate is caged.


    ¡°If you release my mate, I will draw back the guard patrols to the boundaries of the Tree City territory¡ª¡± she hurried on as Sasha opened her mouth to speak. ¡°We keep watch at the boundaries of our territory for the bears, for Silent Ones, and for any other unknown threat. But as you know, those patrols do not extend into the outlying areas unless we have reason to travel. If you will release my mate, I will give you my word that we will not patrol the penins, we will not hamper Chimera in exploring Anima. And I will extend the hand of peace to you. We will share a feast and agree on further details as needed. You will be wee¡­ wee among my people, even within the territory of the Tree City. And I will make my healers and our knowledge avable to you as if you were our brothers.¡±


    Sasha blinked. She stared for a shocked moment, then turned to the guards at Aaryn¡¯s cage. ¡°Free him.¡±


    Relief washed through Elreth that Sasha hadn¡¯t even hesitated. But as the guards turned to work on the cage door, the woman turned back to her, and for the first time Elreth saw the true light of Alpha in her eyes.


    She stood before Elreth, utterly fearless. ¡°I am showing them, I¡¯m showing my mate¡ªeveryone¡ªthat you are good. Don¡¯t make me a liar, Elreth. We talked about the difference when we spoke alone. I am trusting that woman to be honest with me.¡±


    Elreth nodded. ¡°You won¡¯t regret it,¡± she said. She might normally have smiled or reached for the woman, but her entire body was rigid as she fought a war within herself not to simply be her lion and eat these people who had taken her mate¡ªwhether he¡¯d crossed their lines or not¡­


    .....


    But she couldn¡¯t. She knew she couldn¡¯t. She¡¯d jumped on a trigger weeks earlier and now they were here. If she did it again¡­


    There was a small scuffle as the guards opened the cage door, then rushed back when Aaryn leaped out¡ªstill in his wolf. But he tore straight to Elreth¡¯s side, shifting only when he was two steps away, then throwing himself at her.


    And she finally snapped, trembling in his arms, her face buried in his shoulder, breathing deeply so she wouldn¡¯t cry because there was still so much for her to do here today.


    When they pulled apart¡ªreluctantly¡ªher mate¡¯s silver eyes locked on her, shining with all the possession and strength of his wolf. ¡°Trust,¡± he whispered. ¡°You¡¯re doing good, El. Trust.¡±


    She nodded, her breathing too fast and shallow, but what could she do. This day had already been overwhelming and it was still barely past high sun.


    But then she turned back to Sasha¡ªneither of them had turned their backs on the Chimera, keeping them in peripheral vision. She swallowed hard and offered her arm to the woman to sp. ¡°For peace,¡± she said hoarsely.


    Sasha gave a grim smile and sped her arm in return, both of them nodding.


    Aaryn looked, but Zev was gone. Disappeared. He growled, but Elreth shot him a look.


    It wasn¡¯t ideal that this peace was struck only with one of the Alphas¡­ but as she and Sasha let go so Aaryn could sp her arm as well she breathed a little easier.


    The people around them were cheering lightly, watching with barely concealed hope¡ªand not a little fear.


    Elreth understood. They had seen so much and heard so much¡­ how to make them certain that she meant what she said?


    She turned to Gar. ¡°Go back. Tell the patrols they¡¯re on leave. The shiftmanders can draw backpletely, to the edges of the Tree City territory. No scouts or patrols beyond the trails to the bears unless Aaryn or I are notified of them first.


    Then she turned to face the Chimera who were slowly inching forward, away from the trees, clearly uncertain what would happen next.


    ¡°From this day on this ce will be called The Valley of the Drums. The Anima will mark this day on the calendar as a feast day¡ªto remember the day the drums beat for peace. You are invited to our City if you wish it. We will share a meal to demonstrate peace. There are some Anima among you already¡ªthey are wee to stay with you, or return to our home. And you are invited toe with them when they do. We will celebrate with music and dance. Tomorrow evening. But even before then¡­ you are wee. We will call you allies and friends.


    ¡°Already some among us have found True Mates within your people. I hope¡­ I pray that we will find more. I pray that we can look forward to the day when Anima and Chimera walk together, and our children y. But until then, please¡­ please be at ease. You are safe here.¡±


    A stronger cry went up from the people¡ªespecially the Anima.


    But El found herself struggling to smile.


    Because one very important wolf, and another very important lion were nowhere to be seen.


    She turned to Sasha. ¡°Will Zev agree?¡± she asked under the level of the murmur of discussion and hope rising around them. ¡°Can we rely on his¡­ discipline?¡±


    Sasha nodded, but it was once and tight. ¡°This isn¡¯t going to be easy. But I¡¯ll find him. We¡¯ll bring Zan over to the city. We¡¯ll¡­ be seen with you and Aaryn. Or whoever. We will make them see that this is real.¡±


    Elreth nodded. ¡°A good n,¡± she said shortly. ¡°When you enter the City limits, just tell a guard or messenger that you¡¯re there. They¡¯ll give you directions where you need to go, and make sure I¡¯m able to greet you.¡±


    Sasha smiled for the first time. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡±


    A strange tension descended then.


    What would happen? Neither of them knew. They both carefully avoided speaking about how their people might react if someoneshed out or got aggressive¡­ and if there were new females on both sides, the chances for that kind of conflict were rife.


    Trust, Elreth told herself. Demonstrate trust to receive trust.


    If their hearts were good, they would get through it.


    Now she just needed to see that wolf submit to his mate and sp hands.


    Then she would be able to breathe.

 Chapter 226 - 226 Close Call

    226 Close Call


    Added after publication so you aren¡¯t charged: Sorry I¡¯m behind onments! I¡¯m travelling internationally soon and working like crazy on chapters to publish when I¡¯m gone. Forgive me!


    There¡¯s a faces book live for the end of Warrior on 12 March! Join my reader group on linktr.ee/authoraimee!


    *****


    ~ TARKYN ~


    Tarkyn closed his eyes and prayed, closing his mind off from his mate, though it hurt him to do it, bracing for the pain he didn¡¯t want her to feel, his head spinning, heart flipping. He¡¯d misjudged. He¡¯d done wrong¡ªand his mate would pay for it. His heart sank in grief and self-loathing and as Zev gathered himself and leaped for his throat, Tarkyn pleaded with the Creator to save Harth¡ªto keep her safe and alive and¡­


    There was a horrific growl and the snap of deadly teeth closing with force¡ªso close to his throat the wind of their passing fluttered against his Adam¡¯s apple.


    Before he could register what had happened, a massive, heavy wolf hit him square in the chest, and they tumbled to the ground together.


    Tarkyn¡¯s reflex was to defend, to take hold and roll, to position himself to ovee¡ªbut he was surrendering.


    With a grunt when they impacted the ground, Tarkyn buried his fingers in the wolf¡¯s ruff, but forced himself not to move.


    .....


    Air sted his face as Zev gave a hot, derisive snort¡ªclearing the air from his nostrils to demonstrate just how little he thought of this.


    But then his weight changed. Tarkyn opened his eyes to find his hands clutching Zev¡¯s shoulders, the male braced over him, hands at his throat, but not squeezing.


    The younger man¡¯s teeth were bared, his nostrils ring and eyes alight with rage and confusion and¡­ despair?


    Tarkyn just watched him, bracing, still ready for the attack toe because Zev so clearly walked a line so fine, so brittle¡­


    Tarkyn prayed silently and waited, but kept himself still and didn¡¯t restrict Zev when he shoved off of his chest to stand in front of him, hands at his sides and chest heaving.


    ¡°I can¡¯t kill you,¡± he muttered, as if the fact pissed him off.


    ¡°That¡¯s debatable,¡± Tarkyn said dryly. He sat up slowly, watching Zev, letting the male see his hands were open and he wasn¡¯t moving to attack. When Zev just watched him, he got to his feet as well.


    They stood just three or four feet apart, and Tarkyn saw and smelled everything that passed through the young wolf¡¯s mind.


    He was moved.


    If Zev had been among his soldiers, Tarkyn knew exactly what he would have found¡ªbecause he¡¯d seen it a dozen times before.


    A youth full of strength and vigor, with a heart that fought injustice. But had experienced it, and so vented anger to make himself feel powerful.


    If they¡¯d had time, Tarkyn would have taken him aside, built a rtionship, taught him how to channel that strength and heat into something positive.


    It was, Tarkyn suspected, what the male had been trying to do on his own. But with the endless threat and such responsibility in his youth¡ªnot to mention a physically fragile mate and newborn son¡­


    Tarkyn sighed. He wished he could touch Zev. sp his shoulder or pat his back. Even embrace him. ¡°Son, you did the right thing. I meant what I said. I want to show you. You are not under threat from me. From us. Even from Elreth.¡±


    At that name, Zev trembled. But Tarkyn could see the clouds in his eyes.


    Being the aggressor, meeting no resistance had shaken him. He was seeing in himself things he didn¡¯t want to see.


    That was something Tarkyn understood too.


    ¡°We all have our breaking points,¡± he said quietly. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen a male with strength who hasn¡¯t reached his at some point. But the trick, I think, is to let yourself release it. To¡­ let yourself see. To trust the Creator¡¯s n. He will not ce more on you than you can bear, Zev.¡±


    ¡°And if I don¡¯t want to bear it?¡± Zev said through his teeth. ¡°If I¡¯m sick to death of bearing anything?¡±


    Tarkyn nodded. He knew that feeling too. ¡°Then you share an experience with every male¡ªhell, every heart and soul I¡¯ve ever known. That¡¯s why it¡¯s called a limit, Zev. The only question is what you¡¯ll do now. Let it go. Let others in? See where it takes you? Or¡­ fight? Because I can tell you, when you stop fighting an enemy and start fighting friends¡­ nothing works.¡±


    Zev stared at him, his eyes t and piercing.


    Tarkyn swallowed. ¡°Don¡¯t do it, Zev. Don¡¯t let the darkness take you. It will only break you. And your mate¡ª¡±


    ¡°I would never hurt her!¡± he hissed.


    Tarkyn shrugged. ¡°You will if you keep pushing her and your people to a war they don¡¯t want. Zev¡­ they won¡¯t follow you. The signs are all there. If you don¡¯t change something, they¡¯re going to turn on you. I¡¯m certain of it. They¡¯re tired. They want to stop fighting¡ª¡±


    ¡°Do NOT talk to me like you know my people better than I do!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not. I¡¯m talking to you, Alpha to Alpha. Open your eyes. Open your nose. Stop blinding yourself. Your people need rest and freedom. They ache for it. And they¡¯re willing to pay some cost to get it. If they think you¡¯re holding them back from it¡­ they¡¯ll fight you. Because fighting you is easier than fighting a war. Better the devil you know.¡±


    Zev blinked and sucked in a breath as if the words had hurt him. But the moment of vulnerability passed quickly. Zev raised his chin and narrowed his eyes, standing with his hands in fists at his sides.


    ¡°So, what now? If I¡¯m not killing you, and you¡¯re not killing me¡­ what are we doing?¡±


    Tarkyn shrugged and raised his hands towards Zev. ¡°I mean, I¡¯d love to go back and be a part of negotiating peace. But you tell me. I¡¯m putting myself in your hands, Zev. I¡¯ll follow.¡±


    Zev¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°I never asked you to follow me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not going dark, don¡¯t worry,¡± Tarkyn said, letting the male see the edge in his smile. ¡°But I¡¯m willing to be the bridge. I saw what you endured when we used Harth to link¡­ I feel for you, Zev. Most of the Anima will. When they learn what you all have been through¡­ you¡¯ll find no better brothers in the world than an Anima male whose heart is moved.¡±


    Zev turned his face away, the muscles in his jaw twitching. ¡°Fine. Fine. Let¡¯s go back. Let¡¯s¡­ see what they¡¯re all doing and¡­ I don¡¯t even know.¡±


    Tarkyn smiled. ¡°Good choice.¡±


    ¡°Stop trying to encourage me. You aren¡¯t my¡­ whatever. You aren¡¯t my Alpha.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to be. I¡¯m just a male who has a heart for you, Zev.¡± A heart that was, at that moment, flipping and mming against his chest, deeply aware of just how close they hade to certain death. He prayed Zev wouldn¡¯t notice how his hands trembled.


    But Zev¡¯s expression got wary. ¡°Don¡¯t get too pleased with yourself. I still don¡¯t trust you.¡±


    Tarkyn breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°That¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong, Zev. Trust isn¡¯t a feeling. It¡¯s not a bunch of well-intentioned words. Those things mean nothing if you can¡¯t act on them when the pressure is on. No, trust is action. And you just put feet on your faith.¡±


    Zev huffed and turned away, starting to walk back towards the valley, Tarkyn following in his wake, washed in gratitude that he was still there to see the sunlight filter through the trees¡­ and to see Zev shift again and run ahead.


    But Tarkyn let him run. He needed to spend a few minutes alone, to soothe his frantic mate who was screaming through the link, pleading with him to tell her why he felt so scared. And to remind her how much he loved her.

 Chapter 227 - 227 My Home, My Heart*

    227 My Home, My Heart*


    ~ JAYAH ~


    Jayah fluttered like an adolescent as she and Skhal approached her cave. She was thrilled to be able to bring him, to not have to hide him¡­ and yet, she was d her home was off the main thoroughfares of the Tree City. Slightly remote, nestled high up a trail that snaked up the side of the mountain foothills. They weren¡¯t going to identally run into anyone out there. Even so, when they¡¯d decided to travel, she¡¯d kept to the back trails and avoided as much attention as possible, because even though the Alphas had dered peace and several of the Chimera were making their way to the Tree City, they all knew that it was still so tenuous.


    When that impossible meeting for peace had urred, Jayah had stood back in trees holding Zan as requested, Skhal at her back, watching over her shoulder, one hand on her other shoulder as if he was afraid she might run off into the valley. But Jayah had no suchpunctions.


    The baby was¡­ restless. His cheeks flushed. He slept most of the time because he was feeding again, which was a positive step. But something was still very clearly wrong. If there hadn¡¯t been potential war on the horizon, she would have had eyes and ears for nothing else.


    Zev had had a strange look in his eyes when he¡¯d asked her and Skhal to guard Zan while they met with the Anima. But she¡¯d taken the role dly¡ªwell aware that if this went wrong she would be stuck here, in the Chimeran ranks. With her mate.


    It was a selfish decision, but Elreth had told her to go and to help the child. So Jayah didn¡¯t even argue.


    They¡¯d both listened over the course of the tense hour¡ªgasping with the others when Aaryn was revealed caged.


    Skhal had moved then, putting himself between her and the people. Jayah had found herself near tears, convinced there was no way through this. They¡¯d linked with other wolves to see and hear from those close-by.


    And they¡¯d both been stunned when Sasha stood up and dominated Zev publicly.


    .....


    It was a breathtaking risk, one Jayah wasn¡¯t sure she would have taken in the same shoes. And yet¡­ it worked. At least, for the people. Though Zev disappeared very obviously still angry, the female Alphas then faced each other and found their way through.


    Jayah cried when Aaryn was freed and they sped hands, her hope soaring.


    And even though the cheers had been frail. Even though there was still a lot of tension¡­ there was a knot from both peoples who stayed in the Valley, talking and learning each other. Mingling warily, but with purpose.


    And when Sasha had returned to take Zan, her eyes clouded, but holding less tension in her shoulders, she¡¯d told them that she was going to lead the way¡ªtake Zan to the healers center in the Tree City.


    ¡°Do you want an escort?¡± Skhal had asked carefully, reluctantly.


    Sasha¡¯s eyes had shadowed. ¡°I¡¯m going to find my mate and¡­ hopefully we¡¯ll do this together. You two should go and¡­ do whatever you want to do. If we need you, Jayah, we¡¯ll have the wolves find you.¡±


    Jayah¡¯s heart had soared, and that was how they¡¯d found themselves now, walking quietly beyond the Tree City together, towards her cave.


    When they were on the trail that climbed to her door, Jayah found herself suddenly nervous. Skhal¡¯s hand tightened on hers.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asked softly.


    Jayah smiled and nodded. ¡°I¡¯m excited. Just¡­ nervous.¡±


    Skhal snorted. ¡°I assure you, Jayah, you¡¯ve seen what my new home is like. You don¡¯t need to worry that I¡¯ll judge or¡­ anything. I just want to be close to you.¡±


    She smiled then and her heart fluttered again. That was what she wanted too.


    When they made it to the cave mouth and the heavy door made by the masters from the bark of a Great Tree, fitted perfectly so it looked as if it had grown there, Jayah took a deep breath and pushed it open, then led him inside.


    Inside, it was obvious her home wasn¡¯t only a home, but also a hub for the healers. The previous inhabitant had been Aymora¡ªa dear friend of Elreth¡¯s parents, and a wise woman and counselor. As a female who¡¯d lost a True Mate while she was still young, Aymora had preferred to keep instruction for young healers, and beds for patients there in her cave. There was a cage for any young adolescents who were struggling to dominate their beasts. Cots for the ill or injured. A massive table scattered mainly with mortar and pestles, jars of herbs, and texts that held recipes or instructions for certain medications.


    While Jayah kept a great deal more privacy in her cave than Aymora ever had¡ªthe location wasn¡¯t ideal for most patients being outside the main Tree City limits as it was¡ªshe¡¯d never had reason to keep her home free of the clutter of her work. Because she¡¯d never shared it.


    ¡°This is¡­ my home,¡± she said. But there was something oddly hollow about the word suddenly. As Skhal stood, scanning the cave curiously, Jayah turned to face him, wondering how it must appear to him.


    ¡°That¡¯s not entirely right,¡± she said suddenly.


    Skhal turned to look at her, his eyebrows high. ¡°This isn¡¯t your cave?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes it is, but¡­ Skhal¡­ I¡¯ve lived here for years. Yet I could turn my back on this ce in a heartbeat to be where you are. It is¡­ It¡¯s the ce where I live. But you¡­ you¡¯re my home now.¡±


    His eyes red with heat and love and locked on hers.


    And then he trembled.


    He was so quiet, her mate. So careful with his words most of the time. She¡¯d been shocked to sense the difference in him between the depth of what he felt, and what he expressed¡ªand so d that she could feel him, when he allowed it. Without that bond he might have been an enigma to her.


    But she could feel him now¡ªhe was letting her have all of it. The churning hope, the desperate fear that they hadn¡¯t yet summited the mountain of peace, the relief to be near her and without any immediate threat¡­ and the patience. The dying patience.


    He wanted her badly. He ached for her¡ªand felt he should wait.


    Jayah smiled at him and licked her lips. ¡°We won¡¯t be disturbed here unless¡­ unless there¡¯s a problem,¡± she said. ¡°Are you hungry?¡± she asked cheekily when his eyes red with a new rush of heat.


    ¡°Only for you,¡± he growled, and Jayahughed as he came for her, taking her face in his hands and kissing her, long and slow.


    They kissed for a long time, the cave silent of everything except the slowly deepening breaths, and the rustle of their clothing when they moved to touch each other.


    But then, Skhal found his way through the buttons of her shirt, finding her breasts immediately and Jayah¡¯s belly clenched and she reached for him as well, tugging at his belt to free him.


    ¡°Yes, Jayah, please,¡± he whispered against her lips. ¡°I want you.¡±


    She didn¡¯t stop kissing him, didn¡¯t rush her undressing of him, but she did tug him with her to walk back towards her sleeping tform¡ªwide and scattered with furs.


    When they were about to reach it she hesitated with her hands down the back of his pants, calcting whether she should have taken his shirt off first.


    But Skhal only gave a low growl of satisfaction and leaned down to swing an arm under her and lift her up to the tform. She gasped and clung to his shoulders. But he onlyid her down gently, shucked off his leathers, then tugged at hers, until Jayah lifted her hips and let him peel them off for her.


    It was all a little breathless, and Jayahughed when he didn¡¯t get her trousers down low enough, so when she slumped he growled with frustration because he had to peel them down more deliberately.


    But then when she was free, he crawled up and over her and they both sighed with relief when he settled his weight on her.


    And then he kissed her¡­ really kissed her. His hands explored and his body tightened against her, but his lips¡­ Jayah could have spent days just kissing him, reveling in the soft probe of his tongue, and gentle slide of his lips¡ªand the way his breath fluttered in her ear, her hair, when he grew aroused.


    He still had his shirt on, so she began on those buttons until she could slide her hands between the fabric and his skin, just as he¡¯d done for her.


    Then his touches grew more heated, more intentional¡ªrather than just exploring, he teased, stroking, finding the ces that made her shiver and goosebump¡ªand that sensitive nub that made her back arch and her breath stop.


    He¡¯d taken so long, ying and teasing, that she was beginning to ache inside, her arches bing more demanding, and her hands clinging to his back, pulling him against her. And still he didn¡¯t press himself against her, or enter her.


    As her breath became shallower, faster, she was tempted to growl at him, to demand him. But just as she tensed, readying herself to simply ask, he wrapped both arms around her and rolled them, flipping to his back and pulling her up and over him.

 Chapter 228 - 228 Beautiful*

    228 Beautiful*


    ~ JAYAH ~


    Jayah gave a small squeak of surprise, bracing on his stomach to find her bnce¡­ but she was straddling him.


    Hey beneath her, his eyes hooded and hazed with desire, his hands now climbing her thighs, her sides, his thumbs brushing her already hard nipples.


    Jayah smiled and arched into his touch¡ªthe movement taking her against him and over him so that they both hummed with pleasure. From here she could push back his shirt toy her hands on the t of his chest, following the lines of muscles down his sides¡­


    He twitched when she yed fingers along his ribs, then pulled her down into a kiss that brought her even harder against him.


    This time when she sat up, he tugged her forward so that she was open over him. And once she¡¯d found her bnce, she braced on his chest and began to roll her hips, rubbing herself slowly against him. Both of them began to breathe more deeply, more desperately.


    ¡°You are beautiful, Jayah,¡± he whispered,bing her hair back from her face. With her hands on his chest, her breasts were pressed together and towards him. His eyes stroked from her nipples up to meet her eyes, then back down, again and again, his jaw going slightly ck when she let herself sink down harder over him.


    Suddenly, he pulled her down, one hand behind her shoulder des, the other at her hip, grabbing, holding her against him, pulling her up his torso slightly, but bending her forward into a kiss.


    ¡°Skhal, I¡ªoh!¡±


    .....


    He¡¯d lifted his head, curling himself to reach her nipples with his mouth, and her breath stopped at the twin-pleasures of his hardness against her, and his soft, hot mouth on her nipple.


    Skhal hummed his approval as she let herself fall further forward so he could reach her more easily, bracing on the furs next to his head as she continued to rub on him.


    They moved together silently for a time, Jayah¡¯s pleasure rising, but she was unwilling to close her eyes, to lose that connection with him.


    The tenderness on his face made her want to weep. But then shadows began to creep into his eyes and he turned his head like he would look away.


    ¡°No,¡± she whispered, catching his chin in one hand to make him keep facing her. ¡°Don¡¯t think about it. We have been blessed, Skhal. At least for this moment, at least for this hour, we are free and together and¡­ we can¡¯t know what¡¯s going to happen, so just be here with me.¡±


    He called to her then, deep and resonant, the vibration of it under her hand making her want him even more. Then, unhurried, he wrapped her in his arms until she was cocooned by him, her arms around his neck, his around her shoulders, and at her lower back, and he rolled her again, tilting his hips and taking her in a single thrust.


    Jayah cried out with the sheer joy of it.


    ¡°My mate,¡± he whispered, kissing his way down her jaw, then thrusting into her again.


    Her breath caught and her mouth dropped open.


    ¡°My beautiful mate,¡± he rasped, and did it again.


    Jayah clung, tiny cries breaking in her throat that she couldn¡¯t stop. Her mind screaming at her that they couldn¡¯t take anything for granted, that they didn¡¯t know the future¡ªand so they had to make the most of this.


    She was desperate for him.


    So, as he rolled into her again, and again, groaning her name, her entire skin tingling with the pleasure of him, all she could do was cling to him, and call for him, over and over.


    Then, as her pleasure began to rise, as she couldn¡¯t resist closing her eyes and arching, tilting, seeking that elusive peak, Skhal growled his pleasure and slid his hand t to her lower back, then pulled up in the same moment he thrust and her pleasure climbed sharply, closer to her peak with every roll of his hips.


    And when she tightened on him, he sucked in a breath. His thrusts became insistent, demanding. He was close too.


    ¡°Jayah!¡± Skhal groaned. ¡°I can¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t stop!¡±


    With a bellowing growl, he curled a hand to the back of her neck, the other still under her back, then arched his back and thrust again and again, so hard, his hips pumping against her so that their skins pped. And just like that, something inside her broke open.


    Jayah arched back, calling for him, every hair on her body rising with her impending release. Goosebumps washed from where they were joined, to every limb, every muscle tense and tingling.


    And then it crashed over her and she cried out, her body arched and rigid as she rode wave after wave of pleasure, then slumped¡ªSkhal following her secondster, her breath fluttered into his hair as he buried his face in her neck and shattered right alongside her, his fingers clutching at her, his mouth on her neck.


    ¡°Jayah!¡±


    ¡°I love you, Skhal!¡± She clung to him as his entire body twitched and shook, and he moaned again, then copsed.


    Both of them were panting, their bodies still tensing and releasing in short bursts as the pleasure slowly faded.


    Jayah smiled and sucked in a deep breath as Skhal¡¯s weight finally came to rest fully on her, covering her in his love.


    Neither of them spoke.


    A few minutester he rolled off of her, but when sheined, he shushed her and turned onto his side, rolling her as well, until he could pull her back into his chest. He slid one arm under her head, the other over her waist and curled his knees under hers, so she waspletely wrapped in him.


    Jayah sighed happily as he nuzzled her neck.


    ¡°I love you, Skhal,¡± she whispered, ying with the fingers of his hand that was extended under her head¡ªthe tendons on his forearm calling to the core of her.


    Would she ever get enough of him? She doubted it.


    ¡°I love you too, beautiful,¡± he whispered, then kissed her hair.


    And even though they hadn¡¯t nned it, they both slept then, curled together in the safety of the cave.


    *****


    ~ ELRETH ~


    As they walked back into the Royal Cave together, Elreth felt¡­ disconnected. The past few hours¡ªthis entire day was a blur.


    She¡¯d stood there in that valley, facing the bold and unapologetically determined Sasha as they found peace. At least¡­ the beginning of it.


    Maybe that was the problem. Zev had never shown up again after their hand sp. Was it really peace if the male hadn¡¯t given his dominance to it?


    Elreth didn¡¯t know. She still didn¡¯t quite understand the dynamic between Sasha and Zev, but she also didn¡¯t have time or mental energy in that moment to figure it out.


    She¡¯d gone through the necessary details after that by rote.


    She¡¯d asked Lerrin and Suhle to take leadership of the neutral ground because people from both sides looked eager to stay. They were hesitant, but curious. She asked the pair to stay and offer support or guidance for any conflicts.


    She¡¯d made the guards leave¡ªher heart thundering as she gave the order.


    She told Gar to go to his mate, but asked him to return in time for the feast the next day.


    She¡¯d searched for Harth and Tarkyn, but they¡¯d both disappeared¡­ to celebrate, she hoped.


    She¡¯d made arrangements with Sasha for an escort in the City, to find whatever she needed, but the woman was distracted¡ªshe wanted her son, and her mate. So Elreth had let her go with assurances that they could send messengers to the Royal Cave at any time for assistance.


    The entire time Aaryn had stood silently at her side, always touching, his body trembling. With fear, or just tension? She wasn¡¯t sure.


    The fact that he¡¯d been able to stand there, at least outwardly calmly, after being caged¡­ she shook her head at his courage.


    And seethed at his stupidity.


    She couldn¡¯t believe he¡¯d done it.


    But their agreement had been the same from the very early days of their mating: They would support each other in public, and argue, when it was needed, in private. And so, she bit back her anger¡ªand the echoes of terror¡ªabout his awful decision to confront Zev alone, and continued issuing orders and discussing details with various alphas and leaders as they traveled back to the Tree City.


    Her body was at war. A part of her wanted nothing more than to grab her mate by his scruff, run back to the cave and ignore the world while she devoured him to reassure herself that he was unharmed.


    Another part of her wanted to take his throat herself.


    And thest piece was just¡­ broken.


    This day had ended well, under the circumstances. But she did feel free. She didn¡¯t feel relieved. And she feared that her body knew something she didn¡¯t. That this wasn¡¯t over, yet.

 Chapter 229 - 229 What Forever Means – Part 1*

    229 What Forever Means ¨C Part 1*


    If you like music while you read, try ¡°Hold Me Now¡± by Red. This has been Elreth and Aaryn¡¯s song since Taming the Queen of Beasts!


    *****


    ~ ELRETH ~


    Elreth¡¯s steps towards the Tree City were stilted. Though she and Aaryn stayed side by side, hands and arms brushing as they walked, though he interjected in her conversations at times, they weren¡¯t¡­ together. Not in the way she usually felt with him.


    She felt apart from him, and from everything. It was all surreal. What was wrong with her?


    But then, hourster, when they were finally back, most of the tasks and needs had been assigned. Everyone was either peeling off to go get something done, or to find their loved ones and celebrate¡ªhesitantly¡ªthat the talks had gone well.


    They weren¡¯t truly alone until they were on the trail to the Royal meadow. And suddenly¡­ Elreth couldn¡¯t look at him, terrified of what she might find.


    Aaryn took her hand, twining their fingers, but neither of them spoke until they were finally inside the cave.


    He turned and barred the door as Elreth strode into the Great Room, her teeth clenched so hard her jaw ached.


    .....


    She walked to the firece on the western wall, but it was cold, unlit. They hadn¡¯t been there all day. So she was just staring at ashes¡ªand praying it wasn¡¯t a metaphor for theing days.


    Then the warmth of her mate appeared at her back. Before she could speak, or turn, he wrapped himself around her from behind, his nose buried in her hair, his arms circling her, and all of him trembling.


    There was a sh of anger in Elreth¡¯s chest, but it was washed away by an equally powerful wave of relief so strong it brought tears to her eyes.


    She let her head drop back against his shoulder and closed her eyes, breathing. She couldn¡¯t find words to tell him how terrifying that had been¡­ how angry she was¡­ and how afraid now that something within her had broken.


    But he didn¡¯t speak either.


    They stood there together for a long minute, just breathing. And Elreth felt her tension slowly unwind. She leaned back into him, breathing quickly but smoothly, her body shaking, but humming too.


    Then he took a deep breath and straightened, turning her in his arms so that they faced each other and he stared down at her, his brow furrowed, and his silver eyes pinched, searching hers.


    She searched his right back.


    She was about to open her mouth, to ask him, to try and break through, when he shook his head.


    ¡°Just be with me, El, please. Just be here. I need you.¡±


    She blinked, arguments rising in her head. But her mouth wouldn¡¯t move to make them. And her heart just¡­ melted.


    She took his precious face in her hands, tears blurring her vision, and pulled him into a kiss that turned hot and desperate¡ªfrantic¡ªin seconds.


    And then, to her relief, Aaryn dropped one hand to her waist, to pull her against him, then used the other to explore every dip and valley of her body.


    Elreth soon found herself naked, still standing in the middle of the Great Room, eyes closed, leaning back into his hand as he worshipped her body, his mouth open and hot on her skin, her nipples, her breasts¡­ He devoured the skin at her throat, his tongue t against the hollow where her pulse had begun to throb.


    As both of them began to pant, bodies tense with need, Aaryn trailed wed fingers from the nape of her neck, down her spine, to cup her ass and pull her hard against him. Elreth opened herself to him, her body liquid and rippling in his hands, her mind empty of everything except that she¡¯d almost lost him, and now she needed to remember, to be close, to be sure of him.


    Aaryn touched and kissed, stroked andved, finding every sensitive piece of flesh that made her shiver, and every touch that made her pant, until she was undting in his arms, her eyes still closed and head dropped back to give him ess, seeking more.


    His breath rasped in his throat and his heart pounded so hard she could feel it in his chest under her hands. Both of their hands trembled as they pulled at each other, stroking, kneading, pleading¡­ Elreth suddenly yearned for him with such hunger she was afraid she might hurt him if he held back.


    Then he reached between her legs, groaning when he found her slick and ready, nipping at her neck as she shivered.


    ¡°El¡­¡± he groaned, but it was just his love. He wasn¡¯t asking for anything. Instead, he kissed his way up her neck and slid his hand down to lift one of her legs, hooking her knee over his hip so she was fully open to him.


    He pulled her hard against him, growling. They both gasped when their bodies found each other, hot and needy.


    They were still in the middle of the Great Room, one of his hands cupped under her knee, the other at the back of her neck, supporting her as she leaned back and he lifted his head to stare down at her. She had arched so her nipples pointed for the ceiling. She watched his eyes sh and then he smiled wickedly as he curled over her to take one in his mouth.


    Her breath caught and her body jolted, but he didn¡¯t give her a moment¡¯s peace, grinding against her, his breathing guttural and ragged.


    Elreth whispered his name as they rolled together, sping either side of his waist and pulling him harder against her, beginning to tremble and gasp with her rising need.


    He straightened a little then, and it added pressure where he threatened to take her. Elreth¡¯s breath caught again, then she shivered when he nipped at her breast.


    She couldn¡¯t wait. She needed him.


    She began to arch, to pull him towards her, trying desperately, shameless to get the angle right so he¡¯d take her. But Aaryn fought, a hoarse chuckle breaking in his throat, pressing himself against her, sliding over those tender nerves again and again, until she was crying out with every pass of his arousal over her most sensitive ces.


    ¡°Aaryn¡­ please! I need you.¡±


    ¡°I know exactly what you need,¡± he growled and dove for her throat again. Elreth sighed happily, certain he would take her¡ªthen gave a little cry of surprise when, instead of entering her, he flipped her in his arms so her back was to his chest.


    She was suddenly cold, almost falling forward because her center of bnce was off. But he caught her and flipped her hair aside toy his mouth open on the back of her neck.


    For a moment she just stood there, his steel heat at her back, his lips at her neck, his arms holding her as his chest heaved against her back. But then he rolled his hips again, pressing himself between her legs and Elreth froze at the invasion, so desperately close to what she ached for.


    ¡°Aaryn¡­ please¡­¡± she sounded frantic, and her mate chuckled. But she could hear the ragged edge to his breathing too.


    He didn¡¯t stop kissing her neck¡ªbut opened his mouth there to suck hard until goosebumps washed down her back.


    Then he slid one hand down from her breast to her stomach, and down to find the apex of her thighs.


    Dropping her head back against his shoulder, Elreth¡¯s breath rasped in and out of her throat. The skin on her back shivered deliciously at the sensation of him pressed against her, coupled with the warm press of his hand between her legs.


    She opened her knees slightly to give him better ess, sighing when he found that spot and let the t of his fingers y against her, just right. She groaned as every hair on her body stood up and that glittering wave of bliss began to beckon the horizon of her mind.


    ¡°Aaryn!¡± Lifting one hand up and back to cup around the back of his neck, it arched her further, and he growled his approval, finallying off her neck, to look down at her from over her shoulder, muttering to her all the ways she was beautiful, all the erotic things he wanted to do to her, and then groaning when her nipples stood up even higher.


    Barely breathing, she wed her hands on his arms as he continued to roll against her from the back, while his talented fingers probed and slid, and her entire skeleton seemed to vibrate to the frequency that only he could hear.


    Then, mouth open and breath hot, he huffed the mating call against her shoulder and she groaned it back as he urged her to open wider for him, trailing his fingers so lightly up the inside of her thigh that her skin trembled, before returning to her core.


    ¡°Yes¡­ please¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got you,¡± he rasped. ¡°Let me have you, El.¡±

 Chapter 230 - 230 What Forever Means – Part 2*

    230 What Forever Means ¨C Part 2*


    ~ ELRETH ~


    They had agreed, right at the beginning¡­ she held the power. When they were with others, she held dominance and he would support her in public, even if he didn¡¯t in private. But when they were alone¡­ when they were alone Aaryn¡¯s dominance led. He was her safe ce¡ªthe hands she could trust herself to, and the mind and heart that only ever sought her good.


    He was her ce to rest¡­ and to release.


    So as he growled the plea to her, Elreth nodded and let herself rx into his arms, because she knew there was nowhere in Creation that she was safer. Breathing in deeply, Elreth let Aaryn lever her knees wider and nip at her neck. Then, just as he slid his fingers from her core up to that bundle of nerves, he also took her breast in his hand, pinching her nipple between his thumb and forefinger.


    Elreth¡¯s breath rushed out of her and she tipped forward, almosting, her body trembling and breath heaving.


    Without missing a beat, Aaryn turned them both so she faced the nearby couch and then, as she continued to pant his name, he pressed her forward with his body so she was bent over the wide arm.


    Her heart spasmed¡ªthis was one of her favorite positions and even though she¡¯d thought after the day they¡¯d had that this might be a rather more¡­ gentle coupling, she couldn¡¯t deny that her body ached for him and the thrill that danced through her when he bent her forward was delicious.


    To her delight, Aaryn didn¡¯t pause, didn¡¯t even warn her, just gripped her shoulder in one hand and her hip in the other, then thrust into her with one, long guttural moan.


    Elreth cried out, her toes curling as her body bore in and down, holding him so tightly that she felt even the tiniest movement.


    .....


    And then he stroked her back, whispered his love, and began to take her. Leaning over her, he reached for her breast again, his hands trembling as he kneaded and rolled that nub between his thumb and forefinger, at the same time he thrust into her, harder, and harder.


    Soon her cries were involuntary¡ªtorn out of her each time he pounded into her, echoing off the walls of the cave and dancing in her ears to mock her. But she didn¡¯t care. She couldn¡¯t care. Her world had be nothing but love and pleasure¡ªher mate¡¯s skillful fingers wringing everyst ounce of bliss from her as she climbed that impossible cliff toward her peak.


    Then, amid her cries, hisrge hands gripped her hips so hard she felt the bite in her skin, and he became frantic, breath hissing through his teeth, groaning her name, pulling all the way out, then plunging back in until she felt every inch of him and her knees began to shake again.


    ¡°El¡­ fuck¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t stop touching her, drawing fingers down her spine, then reaching around to her stomach, her breasts, his fingers leaving pebbled trails of delicious goosebumps everywhere he touched.


    Elreth¡¯s entire skin throbbed, her body reaching, stretching for that ring sunlight of pleasure that was just out of reach. Then, without stopping, Aaryn gathered up her hair, twisted it around his hand, and pulled her head back until her throat was exposed.


    With a possessive growl, he dove for that tender, pale skin, nipping and licking, sucking, while still plunging into her with every-increasing intensity.


    Elreth could barely think. She needed him. Bracing on the couch, she began to resist, to give him leverage, shoving herself backwards against him, pleading with him.


    Aaryn¡¯s breath was a ragged rhythm on the back of her neck, his hands yed her like a musical instrument, and under his touch she felt the pressure rising.


    She was about to blow.


    ¡°Yes¡­ Aaryn¡­ please¡­ don¡¯t stop.¡± He¡¯d released her hair to slide his hand up her stomach again, so she dropped her head between her elbows and closed her eyes, feeling every inch of him as he thrust again. She could feel her body shaking¡ªand bouncing from their lovemaking¡ªbut she couldn¡¯t care.


    He loved her. She knew he loved her. And she loved him. They were True Mates. It didn¡¯t matter if she sounded like a howling cat¡ªshe was shuddering on that edge, deliciously, impossibly abandoned.


    ¡°Forever, El,¡± he rasped then, gripping her shoulder again and pulling her back against him. ¡°Forever. Never¡­ never¡­ anyone else¡­ mine. You¡¯re mine!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Then with a tormented groan he tightened his grip on her hip. No longer working for control, his thighs pped into her, harder and harder, and he began to shake, groaning the mating call over and over.


    Elreth¡¯s keening cry rose and fell as he reached the limits within her, deeper and harder than ever before. Her body tightened around him, pulling him to her, then Elreth screamed his name and lost herself.


    Waves and waves of prickling, fizzing pleasure yed up and down her back as she tumbled over the cliff of her orgasm and into the seemingly bottomless sea of bliss.


    ¡°Aaryn!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so beautiful,¡± he rasped. ¡°So fucking beautiful, El.¡±


    As her body cascaded in impossible joy, Aaryn ttened his hand between her shoulder des and used the leverage to pound even harder until he shattered too, growling her name, bellowing the mating call, body shuddering and jerking as he lost himself.


    When they finally slumped, it was with heaving chests and bodies shining with sweat. Elreth couldn¡¯t find her wits for a long moment. Instead shey there, boneless and warm, pressed over the arm of the couch by his weight.


    His mouth was open and he panted against the back of her neck, but his hands¡ªgrasping and frantic before, now tender and sweet¡ªstroked her like the cat that she was, following the lines of her skin and muscle, trailing his fingers until she tingled again, impossibly.


    But still neither of them moved.


    The only sound in the cave was both of them panting until Aaryn gave a small grunt and pushed himself up so he wouldn¡¯t crush her.


    But instead of immediately pulling out of her and leaving her cold, instead he whispered her name and kissed the back of her neck, then her shoulders, then down her spine¡­ and with every soft touch of his lips, he told her again how he loved her. How he could never lose her. And how deeply, deeply sorry he was that he had frightened her.


    Elreth stiffened at those words¡ªnot because she was still angry, she didn¡¯t have energy to be angry just then. But because the image shed in her mind again of him caged and snarling¡­ and the steel-cold chill she¡¯d felt. The utter certainty that she would have given anything for him.


    Anything.


    Thank you, she prayed to the Creator. Thank you that we¡¯re here again. Thank you.


    And even when Aaryn did pull away from her, it was only to turn her and lift her into his arms and carry her to the bathing pools, where he made very, very certain that every inch of her body was clean.


    *****


    Hourster, she thought he was asleep when theyy in the furs together.


    They¡¯d talked a little about the day¡ªabout the tentative peace and whether they could trust it. He¡¯dmended her for thinking clearly and moving ahead even when she was so frightened. And she¡¯d admitted her fear, even cried a little bit.


    But while Aaryn had nodded off easily when they¡¯d finally gotten into bed, Elreth found herselfying there on her side, watching him sleep, and staring at the cave wall over his shoulder.


    They¡¯d carefully stepped around the subject of him leaving her, taking action without her, crossing the lines when there was threat of war.


    And she knew why¡­ because they both knew he¡¯d acted as a mate, not as a King. In that moment¡­ he¡¯d failed his people. And her.


    He¡¯d lost his trust for her ability to handle what they were facing and taken things into his own hands. And he¡¯d almost gotten them to war.


    If it hadn¡¯t been for Sasha¡­


    Elreth shivered and Aaryn reached for her in his sleep, pulling her closer.


    She rxed into him, squeezing her eyes to keep back the tears. Because even though they hadn¡¯t talked about her anger on that point¡­ they also hadn¡¯t talked about her fear.


    Aaryn held her tightly, even in his sleep. She brushed the hair back from his face and let her lips trail across his shoulder. Her heart squeezed with relief and with fear. And with quite a bit of self-loathing.


    She had to figure this out. She had to get them through this.


    Because when shey here in the silent dark, she knew¡­ she knew with total rity that it was her fault. Even Zev¡¯s overzealous rage was a result of her actions.


    She¡¯d pushed everyone to the end of their limits¡ªincluding herself. And it had almost gone wrong.


    It could still go wrong.


    And there would be no one to me but herself if it did.

 Chapter 231 - 231 Too Much – Part 1

    231 Too Much ¨C Part Added after publication so you aren¡¯t charged: Sorry I¡¯m behind onments! I¡¯m travelling internationally soon and working like crazy on chapters to publish when I¡¯m gone. Forgive me!


    There¡¯s a faces book live for the end of Warrior on 12 March! Join my reader group on linktr.ee/authoraimee!


    *****


    ~ SASHA ~


    Sasha was holding Zan and organizing a search party when Zev melted out of the shadows of the trees to appear at her shoulder.


    She¡¯d stopped talking, gaping at him, but he¡¯d just reached for Zan, to take their son so her hands were free.


    Everyone stared for a long moment, but he just looked at their baby.


    Sasha had cleared her throat and changed the subject.


    She didn¡¯t want to humiliate him further, and there were still so many things to do.


    .....


    But she only had half a mind to do them with, because half of her was turned to Zev as surely as a flower opened to the sun. She had been terrified he was hurt¡ªor hurting someone else¡ªbut he showed up with eyes downcast and not carrying as much tension in his shoulders as he had before.


    What had he done? What was he thinking now?


    ¡®Are you okay?¡¯ she asked pathetically as she tried to listen to a report from some of the Chimera that a quick scout surrounding the valley showed that, at least in the immediate vicinity, the Anima Queen had been true to her word. There were no guards. No patrols.


    In fact, in the valley below the treeline, both Anima and Chimera were¡­ mingling. Carefully. Warily. But they were not avoiding each other.


    Sasha didn¡¯t know whether to celebrate, or brace for impact.


    ¡®I¡¯m fine. Focus on them. They need you right now.¡¯ Zev¡¯s voice in her head was a little t, but not entirely dead. And not simmering with the heat of rage as it had been before. He sounded¡­ tense. Unhappy. But in control of himself.


    And when he¡¯d checked over Zan and satisfied himself that their son was safe, he put himself right at Sasha¡¯s shoulder, just as he used to when she had been leading them against the humans¡ªwatching over her with piercing eyes, staying quiet, interjecting when he thought he had useful advice, but otherwise simply adding the strength of his support to her.


    If she hadn¡¯t just confronted him in front of all the Chimera and a good chunk of the Anima, she would have thought everything was fine. Better, even, than it had been.


    He didn¡¯t seem as closed off.


    But he also seemed¡­ low. A little bit dead in the eyes. And very, very quiet.


    But he hadn¡¯t run. He hadn¡¯t lost his temper. And even when a group of Chimera came to her, wanting release to visit the Tree City, even then Zev didn¡¯t growl or snap. He tensed behind her, but said nothing.


    She¡¯d wanted to make the journey to the Tree City alone with him so they could talk. But the questions and concerns of the Chimera were endless.


    Sasha was determined to get Zan to their healers to see if there was anything else they could do¡ªeven Zev agreed that was the priority for them. But every time one Chimera had a question answered, or checked in on the baby, another would appear almost immediately in their wake.


    So they¡¯d traveled¡ªexhausted, but hopeful¡ªwithout talking. Then Zan had needed to be fed, and one of the Anima healers had ushered Sasha to one of their Great Trees. It wasn¡¯t a prison, this time, though a cold chill swept through her as she entered, and Zev only poked his head in the door, then said he¡¯d wait outside.


    She almost said no¡ªworried that now with so many of the Anima were close, he might be triggered to anger again. But when she peered out the window, he¡¯d squatted just to the left of the door, his back to the tree, head tipped back against it and eyes closed.


    ¡°Let him breathe and think. That¡¯s what males need most,¡± the healer had said gently, putting a hand to Sasha¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Please,e sit over here¡ªI need to see him feed.¡±


    They had another type of milk for Zan to try. Sasha was nervous, but willing to take whatever help she could get.


    It didn¡¯t go well, but he did feed¡ªand almost as much as he should have. But it took almost an hour. So by the time she walked out the door, Zev was pacing the dirt in front of the Tree.


    He thanked the healer¡ªwhich was a good sign¡ªbut then took Zan from Sasha, insisting on being the one to carry him, and hurried Sasha away.


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± he asked her as soon as they were alone on the trail.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Just tired.¡±


    ¡°Do you think you¡¯re strong enough to head back to the camp tonight¡ª¡±


    ¡°Zev¡­ no,¡± Sasha said, stopping on the trail to turn and face him. He stopped too, reluctantly, Zan pressed against his shoulder. ¡°We have to be here. The healers¡ªthey have one who specializes as a midwife and she¡¯s delivering tonight, but she¡¯s going to be back in the morning and they think she might know exactly what¡¯s causing his problem. We can¡¯t leave.¡±


    Zev¡¯s jaw flexed and he looked darkly over her shoulder into the forest beyond, hissing at her to be quiet because there were peopleing.


    They stood there, staring at each other and tense as two tall, Anima females walked past them, greeting them.


    Sasha smiled at them, but Zev just nodded his head, watching them with eagle eyes until he was confident they were far enough away not to hear them. Then he finally looked back down at Sasha.


    He was about to say something, but Sasha shook her head. ¡°We need to talk,¡± she said gently. ¡°The nurse offered to take him for this sleep so they could monitor how often he¡¯s waking. Why don¡¯t we do that? Let them have him for a couple of hours and we go for a walk. Just us?¡±


    He argued at first¡ªbut she made the point that if they¡¯d truly wanted to hurt Zan they¡¯d had far better chances to do it. And he obviously did want to talk to her.


    So reluctantly, he lowered their son into a woven bass, warned the healer to get a wolf to link with him if there was a problem, then led Sasha out of the healing center.


    They walked silently, but together, for several minutes, until the trails became narrow and the trees thick, and Zev said there were no more sounds of others nearby.


    There was a thick, fallen tree trunk at the side of the trail. Sasha settled herself on it, trying not to let him see how exhausted she felt. She tilted her chin up to look at the midnight sky above them through the gap in the trees, and it made her smile.


    This world was beautiful.


    But Zev was pacing in front of her, and there was nothing beautiful about that.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you sit with me?¡± she asked him carefully.


    ¡°Because we¡¯re in the middle of the hive,¡± he said quietly. ¡°I feel like we¡¯re talking about bunking down in the middle of the sanctuary.¡±


    ¡°Zev. You know this isn¡¯t like that.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it?¡± he muttered.


    ¡°No, Zev, it¡¯s not.¡± She got to her feet and stepped in front of him so he was forced to stop pacing, or bowl her over. The fact that he jerked to a halt even in his anger just made her heart soften¡ªeven as broken as he felt, he still protected her.


    But the wary, bitter expression on his face was dark, and the light in his eyes wasn¡¯t heated for her, but because of the ¡°enemy.¡±


    As he waited for her to speak, she considered and discarded several different things¡ªthen realized she was getting tied in knots trying not to trigger him, and she just¡­ gave up.


    ¡°You¡¯re not thinking clearly,¡± she said quietly. ¡°You¡¯re not seeing this clearly. And I understand why. But Zev¡­ it has to stop.¡±


    ¡°What has to stop?¡± he asked through his teeth. ¡°Be specific.¡±


    She folded her arms. ¡°You have to stop looking for¡­ vengeance, or whatever it is that¡¯s driving you right now.¡±


    He gaped at her. ¡°You think I should just say, oh, hey, it¡¯s cool¡ªthat whole prison thing, it¡¯s no biggie¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, Zev, you know I don¡¯t think that. Would you stop? You know if Elreth or Tarkyn had suddenly showed up in Thana we would have had them under guard and asked questions and all kinds of things before we trusted them not to be nts for the humans! I want you to look me in the eye and tell me you really think that, Zev¡ªbecause if you do, you¡¯re lying to yourself.¡±


    He leaned in, his eyes sparking. ¡°Guards? Sure. Questions, definitely. Suspicion, yes. I never said otherwise. But this wasn¡¯t that.¡±


    ¡°Zev¡ª¡±


    ¡°These people are just like the human Team, Sasha¡ªthe ends justify the means¡ª¡±


    ¡°Bullshit!¡± she spat. ¡°There were two things that needed to be forgiven¡ªwhen Elreth came at me when I was holding Zan, and the way they bound you when they drugged you. I checked before we left the tree that day, Zev. I told you¡ªthey thought you¡¯d sleep longer. You burned through their drugs faster than they expected. Elreth and I were halfway through very useful discussions before you woke up, and I think if you¡¯d stayed asleep, when you did finally wake, you wouldn¡¯t have been bound.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re taking their side¡ª¡±


    ¡°I am doing no such thing! I am trying to look at this from the perspective of a leader and an Alpha instead¡­ instead of a mother and mate. You think it didn¡¯t kill me that they hurt you that way, Zev? You think it didn¡¯t break my heart? You think I wasn¡¯t terrified for our son?¡±


    Zev just stared at her, and her heart sank.

 Chapter 232 - 232 Too Much – Part 2

    232 Too Much ¨C Part ~ SASHA ~


    He raked a hand through his hair and turned away from her for a second. ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I was saying. Of course not.¡±


    ¡°Yes it is! You¡¯re so convinced that no one sees the darkness except you¡ªwake up! Can you imagine if we¡¯d gotten here and made a life, and then suddenly one day a human walked in? What would you have thought, because I know what I would have thought, Zev. I would have thought they¡¯d found us again¡ªand who knows, I might have jumped a woman with a baby too. I can¡¯t think of a single more terrifying moment. The whole reason we came here was to flee them¡ªand the whole reason they fought a war was to eradicate them. We¡¯re all fighting the same enemy!¡±


    She gripped his shirt then, pulling him down, making him meet her eyes. ¡°I get it, Zev. I really, really do. I know what they did to you¡ªthe humans. I know how it affected you. It affected both of us. I know you can¡¯t change that. I wish I could. But you told me you know the Creator brought us here. You said you saw the n¡ª¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°Then what changed?¡±


    ¡°What changed? Are you fucking serious?¡± Zev gaped at her, then yanked out of her grip and started pacing again, gesturing wildly as he spoke. ¡°I stepped foot in this fucking hellhole, that¡¯s what changed. I almost lost both of you!¡±


    ¡°But you didn¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°I still might!¡± he whirled on her.


    .....


    ¡°No, Zev, please¡­ don¡¯t you see? If we hadn¡¯te here, if we hadn¡¯t arrived right in the Anima¡¯sp just like we did, Zan would have died.¡±


    ¡°No. No. It might have happened differently, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, Zev. Stop refusing to hear the truth!¡± she screamed at him. When his eyes went wide she blinked back tears and stood her ground. ¡°We would have fed him the goat milk and not been able to do anything. He would have gotten sick and died and we wouldn¡¯t even have known why¡ªwe wouldn¡¯t have known there were people here we could ask. He¡¯s allergic to it, Zev. He would have died. Instead, they cared¡ªeven when they didn¡¯t trust us, they cared for him. Even when we escaped, they cared¡ªhell, they helped us escape! And then she came to you, repentant¡ª¡±


    ¡°Because she lost¡ª¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s bullshit, just STOP! If it was just about winning, letting our son die would have been the fastest way for her to win. She could have left us with our own people and no help and he wouldn¡¯t be here, Zev!¡±


    ¡°She was trying¡ª¡±


    ¡°HER MATE CAME TO YOU TO SAVE HER BECAUSE SHE¡¯S PREGNANT!¡± Sasha trembled with fear and anger. It was overwhelming. Zev stared at her, but she couldn¡¯t reach him. There was no light of recognition. No softening. He just stared, and it broke her heart. ¡°She was going to martyr herself to you so you¡¯d leave the rest of them safe, do you realize that, Zev? Just like you¡¯d put yourself in the way of the humans to take their attention from the ns¡­ she was doing the same thing. To you. And you can¡¯t see it. You can¡¯t see that she¡¯s just like you. You¡¯ve convinced yourself she¡¯s ruthless, and that somehow that makes it okay for you to be ruthless too¡­ which is exactly what you¡¯re saying she did. Can you see that, Zev? Is that the guy you want to be? Is that the leadership you¡¯re taking?¡±


    Zev swallowed, his throat bobbing. From anger or emotion, she couldn¡¯t tell.


    He shook his head. ¡°No, I¡¯m not. I wouldn¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°Zev, you were going to lead us to an unnecessary war. You were going to fight a pregnant woman. It isn¡¯t you¡ªit¡¯s not the guy I know. But it¡¯s who you¡¯re being now, can¡¯t you see?¡± She was crying, but she hadn¡¯t even realized it. ¡°¡±You¡¯re ruthless, Zev. And taking pleasure in the pain of others¡ªI¡¯ve never seen you that way before. Like you¡¯re¡­ you¡¯re smug when yound a blow. You used to hate that you knew how to hurt people¡ªyou were so ashamed you didn¡¯t even want to tell me. Now¡­ now you¡¯re walking around like a drawn sword and smiling about it! What happened to you? Where is the man I love? Are you going to turn on me now, because I defied you?¡±


    He blinked and sucked in, stepping forward to pull her into his chest. ¡°I¡¯m here¡­ Sash, I¡¯m here. I love you. I¡¯d never do that to you. Never.¡± He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her tightly against his chest.


    ¡°Until when, Zev? Where¡¯s the line? Until I make the wrong choice as Alpha and you can¡¯t forgive me? I was terrified today! I did what I know is right and I was terrified it would cost me you.¡±


    He grimaced, holding her face and shaking his head. ¡°No. Sasha, I¡¯d never¡­ Sasha, you¡¯re my heart.¡±


    ¡°Then listen to me. Please!¡± her voice shook with emotion. ¡°Listen to me instead of your body: These people are not our enemies, Zev. Forgive them. Forgive her. Please¡­ because if you don¡¯t¡ª¡±


    He went still. ¡°What?¡± he asked, his voice low and tight.


    Her tears spilled over, rolling down her cheeks and over his hands. ¡°I¡¯m afraid if you don¡¯t, you¡¯ll get us killed. Or you¡¯ll kill the good in you by killing all of them. Don¡¯t take my love away, don¡¯t kill my Zev. Please. I want my gorgeous, warm, thoughtful, noble Zev back¡­ please don¡¯t kill him. Please!¡±


    He stared at her, his eyes wide, stunned. And scared. But he didn¡¯t answer.


    Sasha put her hands over his on her face. ¡°Zev?¡±


    He let go of her like her skin had burned him and he stepped back. ¡°I have to go for a walk.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I need¡­ I need to think.¡±


    ¡°I could go with you¡ª¡±


    ¡°No. No. You go sleep. I¡¯ll get Zan and take him for a walk so he can sleep. You know he sleeps better when we¡¯re moving.¡±


    Sasha looked up at him, scared and sad. But he wasn¡¯t looking mad, or spitting curses. He looked scared and thoughtful and¡­


    ¡°Okay,¡± she said sadly. ¡°But you have to promise me you¡¯lle back to me, Zev. You have to give me your word.¡±


    He blew out a breath, then he nodded. ¡°I¡¯m never leaving you, Sasha. Even if you wanted me to. Never.¡±


    She wished his reassurance made her feel better.


    ¡°Okay, Zev. Okay.¡±


    *****


    ~ ZEV ~


    Zev stalked through the night holding his sleeping son in the crook of his arm, eyes and ears peeled for intruders. But it waste. And it had been a huge day. There was no one else moving through the night¡ªat least, not near him.


    Every few seconds he¡¯d look down at Zan¡¯s face, his cheeks cubby and warm, smushed up by the swaddling and Zev¡¯s arm and chest. A tiny burst of his ck hair sticking out from under the nket that wrapped him like a burrito.


    He was the most precious thing Zev had ever seen except for Sasha. And every time he looked at him, Zev was overwhelmed with a fierce sense of protectiveness.


    It stole his breath and made his head spin.


    Sasha¡¯s words kept echoing through his head, and he swung desperately between pushing them away, and hearing the ring of truth.


    He thought he¡¯d been protecting Zan. Was it possible he¡¯d been hurting him? Or them? Any of them?


    No¡­ but¡­


    He had been petty. He could admit that. He¡¯d panicked and not been willing to trust and somehow when he got free that turned into¡­ revenge.


    Zev swallowed, the anger still simmering in his chest.


    Why couldn¡¯t any of them see the risk?


    When the Anima King had broken through ranks, demanding to be taken to him, Zev had found himself begrudgingly admiring the male. If he¡¯d thought Sasha was pregnant and possibly about to be killed, he would have done the same thing.


    But he¡¯d told himself that Elreth didn¡¯t deserve that kind of loyalty or care.


    Was he wrong?


    He thought about Skhal¡¯s point. Something had softened in the male since he¡¯d be a mate. For Zev¡¯s entire life, Skhal had been the one who would shout him down, p his head, force him to see his ws.


    He¡¯d trusted the male for that reason.


    But thisst time¡­ when they talked about Zev¡¯s anger and fear and the Anima¡­


    Since when did Skhal leave something unsaid?


    He yed it all back over in his mind¡­


    ¡°You¡¯re forgetting that you left,¡± the older wolf had said quietly.


    ¡°What¡ª¡±


    ¡°You were Alpha, and you left. And because of you, humans took over in a way they¡¯d never been able to before. We lost our females. We lost¡­ our lives.¡±


    Zev was stunned, his chest screaming for air. ¡°I was deceived!¡± he hissed.


    Skhal had seemed untouched by his agitation. He just nodded. ¡°By who? Who put your mind in such a fucking twist that you couldn¡¯t see straight?¡±


    ¡°The humans. Their schemes and maniptions. They tricked me, Skhal!¡±


    And Skhal just met his eyes sadly and nodded. ¡°Know your enemy, Zev,¡± he¡¯d said quietly.


    Zev had thought he meant to turn his focus on the humans¡ªthat they were the true enemy. But Zev had never argued that point. Now he looked at the conversation again¡­


    Know your enemy.


    He did. He knew what fuckers the human scientists were, and how many they¡¯d hurt.


    And he knew how hard they were to beat.


    You left. You were Alpha and you left.


    I was deceived!


    By who? Who put your mind in such a fucking twist that you couldn¡¯t see straight?


    The humans. Their schemes and maniptions. They tricked me, Skhal!


    Know your enemy, Zev.


    And then¡­ it clicked. But the understanding only made him bare his teeth.


    The humans had frightened and deceived Zev until he believed things that weren¡¯t true, and done things he never would have done otherwise.


    He¡¯d been manipted, lied to, and brainwashed.


    And traumatized. Deeply, deeply wounded and frightened. So deeply that even when things were safe, he never really felt that way.


    Skhal was saying that these people had been hurt in that way too¡ªwere reacting in ways they wouldn¡¯t because of it, which was bullshit!


    Zev paced back and forth on the trail, a growl rolling in his chest.


    They¡¯d passed the Queen¡¯s scent earlier, walking through the Tree City. He knew the direction she¡¯d taken. He could follow her. Find her.


    Prove it to himself.


    .....


    Get to the bottom of this female¡¯s real nature once and for all.


    Either she was the ruthless bitch who needed to have her throat taken out, or he was wrong.


    Either way¡­ either way he was going to find out.


    Without another thought, Zev turned on the trail, darted through the night in hunt of her scent.


    This ended tonight.

 Chapter 233 - 233 In the Dark

    233 In the Dark


    ~ ELRETH ~


    She was almost asleep, just beginning to nod off when the pounding began at the door.


    Aaryn leaped out of sleep¡ªand out of the furs¡ªlike a cat with its tail on fire, sprinting before he¡¯d even left the room, still naked.


    Elreth¡¯s heart leaped into her chest as she threw back the covers, instinctively grabbing Aaryn¡¯s shirt and shoving her arms into the over-long sleeves, pulling it around her as she darted after him.


    ¡°El, let me handle this! We don¡¯t know¡ª¡±


    ¡°Just get the door!¡±


    It was happening. Whatever that heavy thundercloud had been hanging over them since the peace treaty, it was alreadying home to roost.


    As she and Aaryn threw themselves around the corner and into the Great Room, Elreth prayed that whatever it was it would end this, once and for all. No matter which way it took them. She needed this done. Finished.


    She¡¯d do anything to make it happen.


    .....


    They both slid to a halt near the door, but Aaryn turned to her, snarling a vicious warning when she tried to reach past him for the heavy beam, barring the door.


    Elreth gaped at him for a moment before he got himself under control. ¡°Please, El¡­¡± he said, wing a hand through his unbound hair. ¡°Let me protect you. Please.¡±


    She nodded once, pulling his shirt tight around her and waiting for him to lift the massive bar¡ªhis biceps flexing at the weight.


    The pounding stopped when the beam groaned against the steel braces that held it.


    Suddenly all El could hear was the pounding in her own skull.


    Aaryn quickly opened the door and peered around it, then his entire body went still¡ªas the scent of Zev wafted in the open door, and Elreth growled¡ªbut Aaryn was suddenly backing away, holding his arms back to block Elreth as Zev shoved into the room, eyes zing¡­ and his son in his arms?!


    ¡°Do you wake up with the cold sweats?¡± he demanded, standing just inside the door, his eyes fixed on Elreth over Aaryn¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Back the fuck off, Zev,¡± Aaryn growled, half-crouching, his body rippling towards the shift.


    ¡°I¡¯m holding my son¡ªdo you really think I¡¯m here to fight you?¡± Zev snarled, then immediately snapped his attention back to Elreth. ¡°Do you wake up at night in cold sweats? Do you have nightmares that repeat? Do you feel like the walls are closing in on you? Do you?!¡±


    Elreth waspletely confused, but she did register that Zev clearly wasn¡¯t trying toe at her physically.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said, shaking her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re¡ª¡±


    ¡°Just answer the fucking questions! Do you have bad things in your mind? Bad dreams, sweats, fear that has no source¡ªdo you suffer these things?¡±


    Elreth blinked, aware of Aaryn ring at the male, but also flicking his eyes towards her.


    She swallowed. ¡°I do, yes,¡± she said carefully. ¡°Not every day. And not always the same as what you¡¯re saying¡­ Just¡­ different.¡±


    ¡°Different how?¡± He waited, staring at her like her answer was thest question on earth. ¡°Different how?!¡±


    Aaryn growled again, but Elreth put a hand on his elbow to hold him back.


    ¡°I have trouble sleeping,¡± she said quickly. And when I do sleep I often dream¡­ I wake up thinking I¡¯m back in that time.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Right, yes!¡± Zev said, then cursed under his breath. ¡°It makes your skin too tight and your head buzzes.¡±


    Elreth nodded. ¡°I hear my pulse in my ears and my skin feels like¡­ like it¡¯s humming. I snap at people and lose my temper too easily.¡±


    Zev blew out a breath, finally turning away to look from her to the space around them, though she didn¡¯t think he was actually seeing any of it. Rather, he was seeing things in his mind. Memories. Of the things that had made him so unhappy? Or of these¡­ events?


    Then he swallowed audibly and turned back to her. ¡°When Sasha and I arrived¡­ when we saw you¡­¡± he said hoarsely.


    ¡°I thought you were the humansing back,¡± she said quickly, licking her lips because they were suddenly dry. ¡°I thought you¡¯d found a way back.¡±


    Zev nodded, his forehead furrowed, but his eyes angry. ¡°And him?¡± he insisted, raising his son higher, towards her.


    Elreth¡¯s heart sank. ¡°I didn¡¯t even register¡­ not really. I wasn¡¯t¡­ it wasn¡¯t until afterwards¡­ I wasn¡¯t thinking straight. In that moment, it felt like everything was a trick. Anything could be a trick.¡±


    Zev¡¯s jaw went tight. ¡°And now?¡±


    ¡°Now?¡± Elreth whispered, putting a hand instinctively to her belly. ¡°Now I¡¯d die to keep him safe. All of them.¡±


    Aaryn growled, but Elreth just looked at her mate. ¡°I mean it.¡±


    *****


    ~ JAYAH ~


    Jayah was woken suddenly, pulled from her mate¡¯s arms by the sound of a frantic, high voice in the mouth of the cave. She sat up quickly, grabbing a long tunic she always kept at her bedside for emergencies, but didn¡¯t even have it over her head before two silhouettes appeared in the now-open door.


    One of the healers and¡­ ¡°Sasha?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t find him, Jayah!¡± the woman wailed. ¡°Zev took Zan, said he would walk with him because Zan sleeps better that way, and I let him. I shouldn¡¯t have let him. He was upset. Now he¡¯s out there somewhere and I can¡¯t find him and Zan¡¯s supposed to be feeding and¡ª¡±


    ¡°Hold on, hold on¡­¡± Jayah hurried forward. Skhal had already risen on the other side of the bed and was dressing, strapping a knife to his hip and preparing to go out, no doubt to find Zev.


    ¡°He¡¯s closed his mind off,¡± Sasha said through tears. ¡°I thought it was safe¡ªbetter if he had Zan. He¡¯s protective. I thought¡­ I thought he¡¯d never hurt him, so¡­¡±


    ¡°You thought right,¡± Skhal muttered, his voice dark and rough. ¡°If he¡¯s not back, something¡¯s happened.¡±


    Jayah hurried over to put an arm around Sasha while the healer with her exined quickly.


    Sasha had returned to the healing center at high moon as agreed, to be there when they fed. But Zev had never returned the baby. So they¡¯d gone looking, but Sasha couldn¡¯t get Zev to answer their link, and none of the other wolves that were awake had seen him.


    ¡°I brought her here because I thought you might¡­ or Skhal¡­¡±


    ¡°You were right,¡± Skhal said, already at Jayah¡¯s side and fully dressed. ¡°I¡¯ll find him.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so afraid,¡± Sasha said, her entire body trembling. ¡°I¡¯m so scared that he¡¯s¡­ snapped. He was so on edge. I thought he was doing better, but I confronted him and¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Sasha. It¡¯s okay. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    The woman looked up at her with nothing but fear in her eyes.


    Skhal leaned in to kiss her cheek gently, then turned and disappeared silently out the door.


    ¡°Look, there you go,¡± Jayah said quickly. ¡°Skhal has known Zev even longer than you. He¡¯ll find him. He¡¯s an amazing tracker, and he knows Zev. He¡¯s going to figure this out. Then we¡¯ll bring Zan back¡ª¡±


    ¡°But he¡¯s not supposed to bete for a meal!¡±


    Jayah put her hands on Sasha¡¯s shoulders. ¡°We¡¯ll find him. Both of them,¡± she said. ¡°You go walk the trails and call for him. It¡¯s possible he just fell asleep somewhere. He doesn¡¯t know the trails. Or maybe he didn¡¯t want to use one of our beds¡ªin any case. I¡¯m guessing he¡¯s close. Skhal will find his trail. We¡¯ll figure this out.¡±


    Sasha nodded numbly. ¡°I¡¯ll keep calling through the link,¡± she said, her lips barely moving. Then she turned for the door, trotting before she¡¯d even gotten out of the room, the healer who¡¯d apanied her, on her heels.


    Jayah watched her go, worry whipping through her.


    She turned away to make kaf and mix up a sedative, just in case Zev was found and needed¡­ calming.


    But within thirty minutes, she¡¯d only heard from Skhal twice, both times to ask if Zev had shown up there.


    Jayah had prepared anything she could think of and put it all neatly into a bag in case she was called away, in case Zev had been injured or was sick, or Sasha¡­


    It was almost an hourter before Skhal¡¯s voice, fierce and solid, sounded in her head.


    ¡®I¡¯ve got him.¡±


    ¡®Thank the Creator. Where was he?¡¯


    ¡®With the King and Queen if you¡¯d believe it. But he was already on his way¡ª¡¯


    ¡®Wait, what?!¡¯


    ¡®I don¡¯t have the whole story yet, but it sounds like our Alphas have found a way to make peace,¡¯ Skhal said, and she could hear the smile in his voice.


    ¡®We¡¯re taking Zan to the healing center so he can be fed, but I¡¯ll bring Zev to you and we¡¯ll make sure Sasha knows toe there too¡ªZev can¡¯t find her in the link. She was so distraught, she must have cut off.¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll reach out again soon. She really was beside herself.¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯ll reassure him. We¡¯ll see you again in a little while.¡¯


    ¡®Does he need anything to¡­ calm him, or¡ª¡¯


    ¡®No,¡± Skhal said with the same conviction he¡¯d had about whether Sasha was right about Zev. ¡®He¡¯s calm. It¡¯s too early to be certain, but¡­ he seems like he¡¯s in the best ce I¡¯ve seen him in months.¡¯


    With a heavy sigh of relief, Jayah let herself drop into a chair at the table and put her face in her hands, her heart spiraling with both unease and joy.


    The males were on her doorstep just half an hourter¡ªZev almost zombielike in his tiredness, but also without that searing edge that had seemed ready to burn down the world.


    Jayah hoped.


    Zev didn¡¯t want to stay. He was checking that Sasha wasn¡¯t on the road to Jayah¡¯s cave. He was going to find her.


    ¡°Skhal, you stay here,¡± he said numbly. ¡°I¡¯ll call for you if I need you.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª¡±


    ¡°Stay,¡± Zev said, with the sudden depth and conviction of a true Alpha. ¡°Mates need to be together. Stay here. I¡¯ll let you know if I need you.¡±


    Then he was gone.


    .....

 Chapter 234 - 234 The Morning After – Part 1*

    234 The Morning After ¨C Part 1*


    If you like music while you read, try ¡°Hero ¨C Acoustic¡± by Beth. It¡¯s what I listened to while writing, and perfectly encapstes Harth¡¯s heart for her mate.


    *****


    ~ TARKYN ~


    Tarkyn woke to the softest flutter of a touch running down the center of his spine.


    For a moment, hovering in that space between asleep and awake, he thought a butterfly was brushing its wings on his skin, and he thanked the Creator for the beauty of it.


    But then the touch pressed, still gentle, but those tender fingers trailed up his back, over his waist, to reach for him and Tarkyn was suddenly, happily awake.


    Very firmly awake.


    He sucked in a breath as Harth began to y, first running the tips of her fingers up and down his length, and then holding him, stroking.


    He should roll over. He should take her in his arms and kiss her¡ª


    .....


    She closed her fingers around him and pumped once, slowly and a small, strangled noise broke in his throat.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± she whispered, her breath fluttering in his hair and the back of his neck so that prickling pleasure washed down his shoulders like water.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± he growled, his voice rough and ragged with sleep.


    They hadn¡¯t slept enough. Had fallen into each other¡¯s arms sometime around high moon and not left each other to sleep until hourster.


    He was exhausted and drowsy and exhrated.


    His hips flexed instinctively, pressing himself into her hand and he reached for her, intending to stop her, but instead found himself gripping her forearm and sighing, letting himself enjoy her touch.


    Harth¡¯s lips brushed the nape of his neck, her tongue darting to taste him, and his breath got faster. Harth pressed herself more firmly against his back and stroked him harder.


    For a long moment he onlyy there, his fingers on her arm, his body thrilling and tingling with the pleasure of her touch. But then he twined his fingers between hers, stroked himself with her once, then lifted her hand and turned, rolling to face her and pull her into a deep kiss.


    Harth arched into him, her kiss already seeking, demanding when he took her mouth. She already stank of desire, which only increased his own.


    His mate had been awake, it seemed. Thinking about him.


    He shivered when she wed her hands down his back¡ªno longer gentle¡ªand pulled him closer.


    When he reached for her, intending to return the favor, she opened to his touch, already slick and wanting, swollen from their lovemaking the night before. Tarkyn groaned.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you still want me,¡± he breathed against the skin just under her ear, nipping at the lobe, then chasing the goosebumps down her neck with his lips.


    ¡°I always want you¡ªespecially when your body is close,¡± she whispered, turning her head to give him better ess, her breasts rising and falling with her heaving breath.


    It was too fast, but Tarkyn had risen faster than the creeping sun outside, and he tasted the salt of his mate¡¯s skin and felt her shiver under his touch, his own breath became harsh.


    As she deepened the kiss and stroked her hand up his side, Tarkyn growled with approval and rolled her onto her back, then reared over her to press himself against her while he looked down on her.


    She was so fucking beautiful.


    Cheeks kissed with pink, eyes hooded and puffy from sleep, her hair messy and everywhere, like a wild halo.


    She bit her lower lip when he pressed hard against her and arched, her breath hitching, fingers digging into his ass to hold him there.


    ¡°God, Harth¡­¡± he groaned, sliding a hand over her breast where her nipples were already peaking. Then, as he teased and touched, it rose higher, rivet-hard under his palm.


    ¡°Never stop touching me, Tarkyn,¡± she breathed. ¡°Please.¡±


    Tarkyn dropped to kiss her desperately, one hand braced on the pillow, the other curling a hand over her head, opening his mouth, flicking with his tongue, but unable to kiss her properly because she tilted her hips and took him unexpectedly.


    As he slid into her warmth, Harth sighed and he gave a shuddering groan.


    His fingers tightened in her hair as they began to move¡­ slowly. At first, he barely entered her, teasing and slow, their bodies stered together, all their attention focused on the distinct, tingling pleasure of where they joined so slowly, so slightly.


    Harth¡¯s breathing caught when he pressed slightly further, but still so slowly. He stroked one hand down her side to find her thighs pebbled in bumps, the tiny hairs standing up to meet his touch.


    And still he didn¡¯t increase the pace.


    Lips hovering, breaths mingled, bodies undting together, every touch was electric, every movement raised prickling pleasure.


    Tarkyn could have stayed in that moment forever, wallowing in the joy and bliss of her touch, her body, her warmth, and the crackling pleasure of their slow joining. But then Harth dropped her hands to his thighs and drew her fingers up in that featherlight touch, over his thighs, the front of his hips, sliding her fingers along the seams where they pressed together, then up to his ribs.


    There was a strange moment where his entire body washed in pleasure¡ªand goosebumps¡ªand yet he twitched, spluttering, because she¡¯d found that ticklish spot on his ribs again.


    He caught her hand, mping down on it, pressing her into the mattress and opening his eyes to find her, watching him, her own eyes twinkling with mischief.


    ¡°Do you want to y, or love, Harth?¡± he growled, his chest rumbling against hers.


    ¡°Can¡¯t we do both?¡± she whispered, still holding his gaze¡­ then she bit her lip and smiled.


    With a mock-growl, Tarkyn grabbed her, rolling them until she was on top.


    Harth gave a little shriek and clung to his shoulders¡ªbecause he¡¯d pulled himself up to lean his back against the headboard of his bed.


    Then, with a gleam in his heart that he knew showed in his eyes, he grasped her hips and pulled her down on him as he thrust into her.


    Harth¡¯s eyes went wide and her fingers dug into the grooves of his shoulders.


    Leaning forward to kiss her, still gripping her hips so she could leave him, Tarkyn took her mouth, tilting his head and leaning her back, plunging with his tongue in a parody of his body.


    Harth wrapped her arms around his neck and giggled until he thrust hard again, then her breath caught, and then Tarkyn set to his task.


    ¡°Lean back,¡± he whispered. ¡°I¡¯ve got you.¡±


    Hips rolling, still gripping her so that she wouldn¡¯t move, he urged her to lean back and away from him until her hair tumbled, soft and sweet, over his knees.


    Her back was arched round, her breasts pressed high, her nipples rosy and pointing straight for the ceiling.


    Mouth open and breath hot, Tarkyn released one hip to reach for those soft, bouncing rounds that called his name.


    He wanted to taste them, but he also wanted to show his mate something.


    Still rocking into her, he stroked over her corbones with fingertips, then over each breast, before letting his hand y back down to her hip and taking hold of her there. Then he leaned back as well, still holding her.


    She grabbed for him, stiffening as she sought her bnce. ¡°No no, don¡¯t sit up. Hold my arms,¡± he rasped.


    Harth lifted her head for a moment, her eyes hooded and zed, but he urged her not to move, to rx, to let herself fall back because he wouldn¡¯t let her fall. And as she did, she brought her hands to his forearms, gripping to keep herself bnced.


    Tarkyn leaned slowly back again, changing the angle of how they met¡­ and then, when his shoulders came up against the headboard and hey almost t, he began to thrust in earnest.


    Harth cried out and tightened around him, her entire body shivering, her fingers wed into his arms.


    ¡°Tarkyn!¡±


    ¡°Just rx, beautiful, let me take you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s... it¡¯s...¡±


    ¡°I know, just give in... just give in.¡±


    He could feel her body responding to the new sensations that pressed him so high within her and gritted his teeth, praying that he could hold himself back until she reached her peak.


    But it would be a mammoth task. She was so stunningly beautiful,id back over his thighs and spread for him, her breasts bouncing, calling for his mouth, his touch. Her body gripping him, shuddering as she tried to amodate this new pleasure.


    For a while he was forced to close his eyes before the mere sight of her tipped him over the edge.


    Then Harth began to keen... her voice high and frail, breaking with every thrust, her arms trembling and breath shocked.


    She was close. So close.


    ¡°Come for me, beautiful, ¡± he rumbled through gritted teeth. ¡°Let yourself go.¡±


    ¡°Tarkyn.... Tark....¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here!¡±


    Her entire body quivered, shuddering and shaking, pleading for release as she arched, her nails wed into his forearms.


    Bracing for the incredible sight, Tarkyn opened his eyes, groaning as he watched her take him again and again.


    And as she quivered again he slipped one hand from her hip, pressing the pad of his thumb right where they joined, then sliding up with the next thrust.


    ¡°Tarkyn!¡±


    He bellowed and followed her into freefall as she clenched even more tightly around him and began to jerk, her body rigid one second, and loose the next, her nipples high and bouncing. And Tarkyn was overwhelmed... his entire body washed in a tidal wave of pleasure, gratitude, and love.


    Harth gave a final cry, then sucked in a huge breath as she pulled herself up and forward, copsing over his chest, her hands in his hair and gripping the back of his neck, while Tarkyn held her tightly against him.


    It took some time for both of them to find their breath. But eventually, Harth pushed up on one hand, raking her hair back with the other so she could stare at him, eyes shining and a smile beaming on her face.


    ¡°I love you, Tarkyn,¡± she said. ¡°I love you so much.¡±


    ¡°I love you, too, beautiful,¡± he whispered, unwilling to admit the tightness in his throat because he was so deeply moved by her. ¡°I love you, too.¡±

 Chapter 235 - 235 The Drums Still Beat

    235 The Drums Still Beat


    ~ TARKYN ~


    He¡¯d fallen back asleep, then woken sheepish and befuddled.


    He couldn¡¯t remember a single day of his career that he¡¯d stayed in bed and gone back to sleep when he knew there were tasks waiting for him. And yet, he was drugged.


    Even when he woke and realized the sun was growing bright outside, still he held Harth for a good deal longer, kissing her and murmuring all of the things he¡¯d like to do to her.


    Sheughed and touched his face and gave him such a wicked smile, he almost made good on his word.


    But he waste.


    Or at least¡­ remiss.


    He needed to check the Tree City, be certain there¡¯d been no violence overnight, no conflicts. And then hurry to the neutral ground where many had stayed and mingled the night before.


    Peace reigned¡ªfor now¡ªbut it was tenuous. Tarkyn needed to see Zev, to see if the male had bristled or softened overnight since their chat.


    .....


    And he needed to check in with Elreth as well.


    There were, in fact, fifty things to do. So he kissed Harth one final time, then groaned and forced himself to get up, dragging her with him.


    He hurried her through the market to get food before they began to move, but found Jayah and Skhal there, both looking as tired and happy as Tarkyn felt.


    And then he learned Zev and Elreth had spoken overnight.


    He felt Harth stiffen at his side at the same moment he froze. ¡°They¡­ what?¡±


    ¡°It was a good thing,¡± Skhal rumbled with a worshipful nce at his mate. ¡°They¡­ made peace, I think. Certain Zev did. He was a different male. Though I think he will still have demons to fight.¡±


    Well, of course. ¡°Where are they?¡± he asked, still stunned.


    ¡°They¡¯ve all headed to the Valley. There were dozens who stayed yesterday, shared fires and made food and¡­ Elreth is going to invite them back to the Tree City for a feast tonight.¡±


    ¡°I think she hopes Zev will too,¡± Jayah said quietly.


    Tarkyn¡¯s heart leaped.


    They all decided to travel together in beast form¡ªsomething Tarkyn wasn¡¯tfortable with because it closed him off from Harth. But at least they weren¡¯t leaving each other¡¯s presence. With her under his eyes, he could handle it.


    It was a rush to get to the Valley of the Drums, as Elreth had named it the day before. There were a dozen different fires burning and clusters of both Anima and Chimera around each.


    Tarkyn shifted back to human form when they were at the edge of the treeline, looking down into the valley. Harth shifted and took his hand as they looked down together.


    ¡°This is it,¡± she whispered. ¡°I think it¡¯s happening, Tarkyn. I think this is the beginning.¡±


    He was about to smile, to agree with her, but then he frowned and scanned the people below again.


    And again.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Harth asked quietly.


    He swallowed, and looked one more time, perhaps he¡¯d just missed her?


    Amid the clusters of people he saw Suhle and Lerrin talking with arge group around the central fire.


    Gar was there, the young Reece, still a touchnky in the way that equines were, at his side, both of them speaking with a handful of female Chimera.


    Elreth and Aaryn were there, looking very tired, but circting between the fires and clearly trying to keep spirits high.


    Kyelle and Lhars squatted near one fire, and those around them included both Anima and Chimera.


    Jayah and Skhal were walking down towards them, and he and Harth watched on.


    But where was Zev?


    And perhaps even more importantly, where was Sasha?


    *****


    Tarkyn and Harth hurried down into the valley, Tarkyn making a beeline for Gar and Reece. The young equine wasnky and handsome and clearly feeling out of his depth. But he was a good male to have around at a time like this. He¡¯d joined the Anima from the human world a year earlier and even though he¡¯d found his mate, he was still finding his feet in this new world.


    If anyone could rte to the culture shock the Chimera would be going through, it was him.


    And Gar, massive and swarthy, was watching over the crowds around them with a kind of reluctant smile.


    His mate had stayed out of sight all these days. Tarkyn was still unclear what exactly was happening. But he was d to see Gar there.


    Even so, Tarkyn barely took the time to greet Gar and pat his thick shoulder before turning to Reece. ¡°Can you read the winds for me? Right now?¡±


    Reece blinked and looked around nervously. Havinge from the human world, he was still ufortable about his spiritual gifts and often forgot how easily they were epted here.


    But he nodded and stepped away from the crowds a few feet, Tarkyn and Harth on his heels.


    When he turned to face the wind, his eyes scanning the fires and people, he sighed. ¡°The people are hopeful still,¡± he said distractedly. ¡°There¡¯s a feeling like¡­ humans would say they¡¯re expecting the other shoe to drop,¡± he said wryly. Tarkyn blinked. Humans had truly strange sayings at times. ¡°But they like what¡¯s happening and hope it will continue.¡±


    Tarkyn¡¯s heart, which had been pounding, eased a little. But then Reece lifted his eyes to the mountains overlooking the valley and frowned.


    ¡°What? What is it?¡± Tarkyn asked quickly.


    ¡°Danger,¡± Reece said, but his brows pinched over his nose, as if he were confused. ¡°There¡¯s no threat among the people¡ªjust nerves. But¡­ there¡¯s darkness to the north. I don¡¯t know how to say it. Something¡¯sing.¡±


    *****


    ~ HARTH ~


    She stood at Tarkyn¡¯s side, gripping his arm, her heart sinking.


    She¡¯d been sensing something all morning¡ªbut like Reece said, she¡¯d thought it was just that sense of insecurity. That something might go wrong.


    But when the young male lifted his eyes to the mountains behind them¡­ Harth¡¯s blood ran cold.


    Something wasn¡¯t right. She¡¯d stood next to Tarkyn at the top of the valley and looked down, her heart singing because she saw Chimera and Anima together¡ªin handfuls, mostly clustered with their own¡­ but alongside each other. Talking together. Sharing fires.


    It was exactly what she¡¯d been praying for. Yet she¡¯d kept looking and looking. Because¡­ something wasn¡¯t right. But she hadn¡¯t been able to put her finger on it.


    Then Reece said danger and she looked again.


    From down here on the same level as everyone else she couldn¡¯t clearly see all the fires, or all the groups. But her mind snagged on each that was nearby¡ªAnima and Chimera wolves at one fire. A few owls near Kyelle, and more wolves behind Lhars.


    The hares. She¡¯d seen Dunken with a few of his on the northern edge when they were above¡­


    Harth blinked, then looked again. And again.


    ¡°No,¡± she breathed.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Tarkyn asked, all of his attention suddenly turning to her.


    ¡°I can¡¯t¡­ I want to be sure, but¡­¡± scanning every body she could see from this vantage point, Harth shook her head. No. Why?


    ¡°Tarkyn, where are the Tigers?¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°The Tigers, Tarkyn. None of the Tigers are here. I can¡¯t see a single one.¡±


    Tarkyn looked out over the people, though he wouldn¡¯t know any of the faces she was looking for. Unless you knew them, Chimera species could really only be identified by scent.


    She felt the hair stand up on Tarkyn¡¯s arm and knew it wasn¡¯t desire that did it this time. Reece was still staring at the mountains above them, but they felt it, all of them. A weight. An ominous cloud.


    And then, just as Harth was going to ask Reece if he had any way of knowing if his danger came from a certain species, there was a murmur of surprised voices behind them.


    They turned and Harth¡¯s heart pounded as Zev, his wolf dark and frantic, galloped into the valley, then shifted mid-run, tearing straight for them.


    ¡°She¡¯s not there! She¡¯s not at the encampment or between there and here, Lhars! Where is she? She wouldn¡¯t have slept thiste! She wouldn¡¯t leave Zan this long¡ªWHERE IS SHE?!¡±


    Tarkyn braced, pulling Harth behind him because the wolf¡¯s voice descended into a snarl. But before they could even take a step, Reece whispered, ¡°Who¡¯s that?!¡±


    Harth assumed he¡¯d meant Zev¡ªwasn¡¯t he here the day before?


    She turned to tell him, but found his eyes fixed in a different direction¡ªstraight to the west¡ªthe direction they¡¯de from¡ªfrowning.


    Following his gaze, she saw another man, tall and graceful, sprinting towards them¡ªhe ran like the wind¡ªstraight into Gar¡¯s shocked arms, mming into the male as if he couldn¡¯t stop himself, so that Gar was forced to catch him and keep him on his feet.


    ¡°What is it, Pegg? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Gar said, his voice dark and demanding.


    The male could barely speak, his breath was so harsh and deep. But Gar demanded again and Harth¡¯s heart sank as the male swallowed and gripped at Gar, sucking in and shoving the words out around hisbored breathing.


    ¡°Rika¡­¡± he gasped. ¡°They have Rika and¡­ another woman. A human woman.¡±


    Gar froze. ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t know¡­ the hunters. Whoever¡¯s been¡­ killing the creatures¡­ I went scouting¡­ found another body¡­. Fresh¡­ followed the trail back¡­ they have Rika¡­¡± The male¡¯s face was anguished.


    Gar stared at him a moment, then roared to shake the entire valley.

 Chapter 236 - 236 Everything for You

    236 Everything for You


    Added after publication so you aren¡¯t charged: Sorry I¡¯m behind onments! I¡¯m travelling internationally soon and working like crazy on chapters to publish when I¡¯m gone. Forgive me!


    There¡¯s a faces book live for the end of Warrior on 12 March! Join my reader group on linktr.ee/authoraimee!


    *****


    ~ ZEV ~


    Zev stood next to a very concerned Lhars and Kyelle, Tarkyn, Gar¡ªthe Queen¡¯s brother¡ªElreth and Aaryn.


    He could barely follow what was being said because his head spun so violently, screaming at him to find his mate!


    But he was shaking too, struggling to control his wolf because the two Anima informing them were males he hadn¡¯t met, and his body still wanted him to tense. Not to trust. His wolf still wanted to attack. But he knew he couldn¡¯t.


    The scents raising among these people were impossible to fake.


    Warning. Danger. Rage. Offense.


    .....


    Terror¡­


    Gar, thergest male Zev had ever seen, quivered with it.


    And Zev felt it, because they were in this together now. The male¡¯s mate had been taken and Zev¡­ Zev was still waiting for the moment that would prove to him that Sasha wasn¡¯t the other woman they were talking about.


    Please¡­ please let her not be that.


    ¡°It has to be the Tigers,¡± Harth spoke up. Everyone looked at her. She raised her chin under the scrutiny of so many Alphas. ¡°I was telling Tarkyn¡­ none of the Tigers are here. Where are they? Why not? Unless they¡¯re causing trouble again?¡±


    Zev¡¯s pain wasplete. ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± he asked quietly. ¡°Why would the Tigers kill creatures?¡±


    But the new male he hadn¡¯t met¡ªnamed Pegg, apparently¡ªshook his head. ¡°They aren¡¯t. The scent isn¡¯t right. I think¡­ I think it¡¯s bears. I¡¯d never seen one before, so I can¡¯t be sure¡±


    ¡°Fuck.¡± Gar ran a shaking hand through his hair and his face paled. Every line in the male¡¯s body was tight with tension. He smelled the way Zev felt¡ªon the edge of violence¡­ and the edge of weeping.


    ¡°Bears?¡± Zev asked quickly.


    Elreth, standing on the other side of the group, her arms folded, was the one who answered. ¡°The bears are a tribe, but they keep to themselves. We¡¯ve always had some tensions with them. They can be¡­ erratic,¡± Elreth said with a twist to her lips that suggested she¡¯d understated the issues.


    But it was the young male who¡¯d been at her side the day before, Reece, a wind-talker or something like that, who looked grief stricken. ¡°They almost killed my father before, because he was a Protector. They thought¡­ they thought he was possessed by the voices.¡±


    Zev couldn¡¯t follow.


    ¡°In order to defeat the humans, we had to close the portals that they used to get into Anima,¡± Elreth exined, though her eyes were focused in the middle-distance and her face tense. ¡°The voices inhabited the portals and would¡­ possess anyone who gave in to their fear or temptation. They were¡­ pure evil. And we¡­ the Anima¡­ defeated them.¡±


    ¡°My mother defeated them,¡± Reece hissed through his teeth. ¡°And your mom too. Don¡¯t¡­ don¡¯t forget that.¡±


    Elreth nodded, but didn¡¯t look at the male.


    ¡°The Bears used to think that anyone who could pass through the portals safely must have given in to the voices and¡­ they imed to know things about them the rest of us don¡¯t,¡± Elreth sighed. ¡°It¡¯s possible they think the Creatures came through that way. That might be why they¡¯d¡ª¡±


    ¡°Why they¡¯d take my human mate who they know? They know her, El!¡±


    Elreth¡¯s look at her brother was in one moment quelling, and filled with sympathy. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she said. ¡°But if it¡¯s the bears¡­ we¡¯ll handle it, Gar. You know we will. Maybe it¡¯s time¡­ maybe it has to be time. If they¡¯re really the ones doing this.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know for sure if they are,¡± Pegg said. ¡°I mean, I think so. I would know if I could get close to one and see them¡­ be sure of the scent. But they weren¡¯t alone today. There were two scents. The one type I¡¯ve been running across since I arrived here, though always faintly. I never had a chance to meet the bears, so I didn¡¯t know. And then Rika said that the Chimera were here¡­ but when I followed the trail from the cave¡ªI wanted to show Gar where to look for her¡ªthey joined with others.¡±


    Everyone waited, Zev couldn¡¯t even breathe.


    The male looked around at them. ¡°I don¡¯t know who it is, but the scent reminds me of the lions¡­ just¡­ not. Some of them joined those who took Rika. I think I got close¡ªthe trail was getting stronger. But I knew Gar was over here and I had to decide whether to raise the rm, or find her¡­ I came here. I hope that was right.¡± He looked up at Gar, his eyes uneasy.


    Zev made himself swallow, made himself think. ¡°Did you¡­ did you catch the scent of the other female?¡± he asked hoarsely.


    Pegg nodded. ¡°She¡¯s human. Through and through. And not one that I¡¯ve scented around the Tree City before.¡±


    Trembling with fear, Zev pulled out the scarf he¡¯d picked up from their cave, desperately telling himself that Sasha was out there and might be cold in the early morning and¡­


    He shoved it at the male. ¡°Is that the scent?¡±


    Pegg took it hesitantly but lifted it to his nose, then met his eyes and nodded.


    Zev dropped his face into his hands as the pain of it crashed through him. Sasha. His precious mate¡­ she was alone in the hands of enemies that were killing Creatures¡­ did they want her to lead the Creatures to something? Or were they just¡­


    ¡°Fuckers,¡± Gar spat.


    Zev nodded.


    ¡°We still don¡¯t know why¡ªbut they¡¯ve moved over to this side of the WildWood you said, Pegg?¡± Elreth asked carefully.


    Pegg nodded. ¡°At least some of them. There¡¯s a lot of movement. I caught more than one cross trail, so I don¡¯t know if they¡¯re all in one ce. I left thest trail closer to the Hallowed Grounds than here. If it¡¯s the bears¡ª¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know who it is. But that doesn¡¯t matter. It doesn¡¯t matter at all. As long as they¡¯re alive, we¡¯ll hunt these fuckers. And we will find them¡ªhow many tigers were here? If they¡¯re with the bears, what kind of numbers do they have?¡±


    Zev looked straight at Lhars and Kyelle, who nced at each other. ¡°Um, about forty, maybe a few more,¡± Lhars said and Kyelle nodded. ¡°They aren¡¯t as numerous as the wolves, but one on one they¡¯re generally stronger.¡±


    Zev nodded, then he blinked. ¡°And they have our Alpha and your mate,¡± he said through his teeth to Gar. ¡°We will find them, and we will kill them, and we¡¯ll save our females.¡±


    Everyone stared at him as if they were wary. It took him a moment to realize, then he growled. ¡°Yes, she¡¯s still alive. If she wasn¡¯t, I wouldn¡¯t be here,¡± he snarled. His life was hope, he realized. That was¡­ a very strange kind of relief.


    If she was gone, he would be too.

 Chapter 237 - 237 Never Alone

    237 Never Alone


    If you like music while you read, try ¡°My Love Will Never Die¡± by AG and ire Wyndham. It¡¯s what I listened to while writing this chapter!


    *****


    ~ GAR ~


    They had Rika.


    Gar couldn¡¯t breathe. He couldn¡¯t think. He was having trouble moving.


    His entire body hummed, shaking. Cold sweat trickled down his spine. He could barely hear over his pulse thumping in his ears.


    He listened to Tarkyn get everyone focused and organized and he nodded and grunted and said something, he thought. But his movements were stiff and his responses robotic.


    They had Rika.


    He left her alone. She was bleeding and she was sad, and he left her.


    .....


    A shudder rocked through him. Tarkyn snapped something¡­ an order. He followed it, followed the male and his sister and Aaryn and others¡­ he could do as he was told. But he couldn¡¯t think, and in that moment he didn¡¯t think he could have issued an order to save his life.


    They had his mate. She was bleeding and alone. And it was his fault.


    He had to find her.


    It didn¡¯t matter if there was a baby or not¡ªnow or ever. What mattered was her. Only her.


    Then as they walked to gather some of the fighters, he caught sight of the forest and the hills, the direction Pegg had run from and he realized¡­ her scent was out there. She was out there.


    With a growl so low it seemed toe from the dirt under his feet, Gar looked at Pegg.


    Pegg who¡¯d left her.


    Pegg who knew where to find her.


    Pegg who he¡¯d left her with.


    Pegg who¡¯d promised to protect her.


    He stopped walking and Pegg did too, the question in his eyes. Elreth noticed first and stopped, turning, then the others one by one. There were too many of them, all spread out, all of them working together and who gave a fuck because that male had left her alone!


    Silent, heunched himself at Pegg, hands wed for the male¡¯s throat and a guttural snarl tearing from his own.


    ¡°You were supposed to stay with her!¡±


    There was a ripple of shouts and murmurs¡ªeveryone else realizing what was happening and moving¡ªsome to grab Gar, others just to back away.


    But he¡¯d given them all too much warning. No matter how he twisted, swung, or shook, he couldn¡¯t get a clear path to the male. Tarkyn, Aaryn, Reece, even Zev, they all danced between them, urging Gar not to hurt the male¡ªwho was backing away, his hands held high.


    Gar was still having trouble seeing mate¡¯s dear friend¡ªthe smart-mouthed, winged horse¡ªin this male¡¯s human body.


    But the eyes¡­ it was all in the eyes.


    He lunged again, and Tarkyn was the one to get an arm around his neck and swing him sideways, almost off his feet.


    ¡°You can¡¯t save her by hurting her friends, no matter what responsibility they hold!¡± he hissed in Gar¡¯s ear, levering him into a headlock.


    Such a simple thing. Gar never would have let it happen if he was thinking straight. But he wasn¡¯t. He wasn¡¯t.


    ¡°Focus, Gar,¡± Tarkyn growled, finally releasing him when he went ck and stopped fighting the headlock. But he kept Gar facing him, eye to eye. ¡°The best and fastest way to get her back to safety is to bring everyone along, anyone who can help. And he can definitely help,¡± the Captain said sternly.


    Gar¡¯s eyes slid sideways to find the horse-male again, but Tarkyn jerked at his shirt. ¡°Focus! You are needed¡ªto get her! Snap out of it, Gar. Focus.¡±


    It took a moment and several deep breaths, but he finally got himself under some kind of trembling control. Then Tarkyn nodded.


    ¡°We need Protectors. And Guards. We need Anima and Chimera. We need everyone to figure out how to fight together¡ªfast. You¡¯re the man for that, Gar. You don¡¯t get stuck in the rules like I do. Get out there, get your fighters together. Get the wolves from each people practicing linking with each other¡ªand give them signals to use. Get the owls and Ibex¡¯s in the mountains. Make this happen. We¡¯re going to find her, and then you¡¯re taking them in to get her right?¡±


    Gar stared at him.


    ¡°Right?!¡± Tarkyn shook him again.


    ¡°Right.¡±


    Tarkyn blew the air from his nose and nodded again. ¡°Don¡¯t forget it. He stays safe because he knows thest ce we found the trail. Do you hear me?¡±


    Gar nodded, but his stomach was bubbling with fear and disgust and confusion.


    His mate was out there.


    They had her.


    But Tarkyn was right, he realized, as he took a deep breath and tried to shake off the fog that wanted to steal his wits. He was needed here. He would keep her safe. And he would kill everyst one of them to do it.


    These cunts had picked the wrong fucking fight.


    *****


    ~ TARKYN ~


    Dealing with Gar was the only time he let Harth away from his side. It hadn¡¯t been a shock so much that the young male had lost his control for a moment¡ªwhat had surprised Tarkyn was how long it had taken him to get there.


    Gar was in shock. He needed to move, and eat, and focus.


    So he¡¯d intervened¡ªsomewhat roughly¡ªbut it had worked. Then, with a silent signal to Zev and Lerrin to stay between the two they¡¯d all marched forward, Tarkyn with his hand tightly gripping his mate¡¯s.


    He spent the next hours issuing orders, choosing gathering points, assigning roles and keeping a side-eye on Gar, just in case. But the further they got from the moment of his shock, the better the male coped, until he was brusquely issuing orders of his own and cuffing wolves back into line.


    They¡¯d already settled on several trackers and scouts. The Hares had been chosen as messengers¡ªto keep the slower pace with the trackers that weren¡¯t wolves and couldn¡¯t mind link to share information, then run back to give the message to a wolf, or the leaders here when they were close enough.


    They¡¯d kept their central gathering to the east, in the Valley of the Drums, since it seemed that the bears, or tigers, or whoever was behind this, had stayed on this side of the WildWood.


    They would likely anticipate alliesunching from the Tree City. Perhaps this location, further north and east, would give them some small advantage. And if they were watched or ambushed, their enemy would be forced to split forces between the Tree City and this location. They were hours walk from each other. Even a massive force couldn¡¯t cover both fronts at once.


    Tarkyn stopped walking then, tugging Harth to a halt too and turning to look around and get his own head on straight.


    Gar was running exercises with the rapidly growing ranks that kept arriving from both the Tree City and the Chimera.


    El had returned to a post just north of the Tree City to organize the resources and medical triage, and make certain that the Chimera who arrived were sent to the right leader to find their ce.


    Zev was¡­ an uncertain quantity. He¡¯d run halfway to the Tree City to get hold of his son¡ªthe wet nurse who¡¯d been caring for him had been brought towards the Valley under guard, rushing to be close to Zev now that they knew Sasha had been taken.


    Now that Zev had his son, he wouldn¡¯t let him go, muttering that he would keep him safe for Sasha.


    It wasn¡¯t a problem yet¡ªZev was happy to order his fighters and issue his directives while holding his son¡ªbut what happened when they learned the location of the females? He couldn¡¯t imagine Zev would sit back and not be a part of the battle to retrieve them.


    But that was a problem for ater moment¡ªwhen they knew where they were actually going.


    Right now, the lull was setting in, and Tarkyn wasn¡¯t sure what to do with himself.


    This almost always happened beforebat or a significant operation. The moment when everything that he could do was done.


    It always set in his skin like an itch. A quiver that insisted he had something important to be doing, but wouldn¡¯t leave him alone when he couldn¡¯t find it. It made energy vibrate in his bones and muscles, adrenaline shoot through his veins, and kept his heart hammering in his chest.


    It screamed at him that he was failing¡­ something! Someone! If only he could figure out what.


    He should be grateful it wasn¡¯t happening when it was time to sleep, he supposed. But as he stood there in the middle of therge clearing they¡¯d chosen for their central hub and turned around in a circle, he couldn¡¯t see a single thing he needed to do.


    Everyone was capable. Everyone was focused. Everyone was working.


    It was his job now to wait.


    And that was the hardest job of all.


    So when Harth tugged him away to the east, towards the treeline, he didn¡¯t immediately resist. Not until they¡¯d passed out of the clearing and into the shadow of the trees and she was picking up her pace.


    ¡°Harth, love, I can¡¯t go anywhere, I have to¡ª¡±


    ¡°You need to breathe, Tarkyn,¡± she said, tugging him along behind her as she leaned into his grip to keep him moving. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m linked with the wolves¡ªincluding Zev. Nothing¡¯s going to happen without us knowing it.¡±


    He opened his mouth to protest again, but realized he was still walking and¡­ he didn¡¯t want to. He didn¡¯t want to protest. He didn¡¯t want to return to the clearing.


    He didn¡¯t want to fight.


    The thought hit him like a lightning bolt from the sky, stealing his breath.


    Never in his life had Tarkyn run from a fight, but the jangling in his belly and that quivering energy in his bones¡­ that¡¯s what it was, he realized.


    Never before could he have been pulled away from his role in the hours before a fight. But now¡­ today¡­ he had a mate. And Creator forsake him, but he didn¡¯t want to fight. He didn¡¯t want to risk being taken from her. Not for a moment.

 Chapter 238 - 238 Be Safe My Heart

    238 Be Safe My Heart


    ADDED AFTER PUBLICATION SO YOU AREN¡¯T CHARGED: If you are reading this on the 18th-22nd of February, you are a Top Tier privilege reader and you have earned a copy of an UNPUBLISHED spin-off scene from this book. To receive you must do two things:


    1. Comment on this chapter before 22 Feb.


    2. Email including your Webnovel ount name, name, and address, EVEN IF YOU HAVE SENT BEFORE.


    Your content contains spoilers so will be mailed in March.


    *****


    ~ TARKYN ~


    All the nerves and apprehensions of that night before the peace talks came rushing back¡ªthat insidious conviction that they were about to face war and death and¡ª


    They¡¯d been trotting for twenty minutes¡ªnot a huge distance, he could make it back in his beast in five or six¡ªwhen Harth suddenly changed course. ¡°There¡¯s a little cave up here,¡± she murmured. ¡°I used to visit it sometimes when I needed to get away.¡±


    He¡¯d forgotten how much she¡¯d explored this area before they met. ¡°You came this far west?¡±


    .....


    ¡°Not all the time, but sometimes. I was¡­ restless,¡± she said dryly, then gave a sigh and pulled him forward again. ¡°Over here.¡± Then she threw a look at him over her shoulder¡ªfull of heat. But also of fear. His heart squeezed.


    ¡°Harth, love¡­ I want this time with you, but I can¡¯t be distracted¡ª¡±


    ¡°Stop it, Tarkyn.¡±


    ¡°I need to stay alert¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just up here¡ª¡±


    ¡°But I can¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°Tarkyn you¡¯re going to fight!¡± His mate turned on him, raising her voice, her eyes wide and frightened. And for the first time, he paid real attention to her scent.


    He¡¯d been so focused on keeping her close, on getting things done and keeping her safely close, that he hadn¡¯t actually studied her.


    She stood in front of him, her hands white¡ªprobably shaking if she let him go¡ªcheeks pale, eyes shining, but shadowed.


    She was terrified.


    ¡°Harth,¡± he breathed, and stepped up to cup her face. But whatfort could he give? He felt the same way¡ªthe same tremulous terror. Because he was going to fight. He had to.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t bring it up to make you talk about it. I don¡¯t even want to think about it,¡± she whispered. ¡°I just¡­ I just wanted some time with you. Just us. Just in case.¡±


    Tarkyn¡¯s heart broke at the look in her eyes then¡ªthe welling tears she blinked back, and the way her hand trembled in his.


    He pulled her into his chest and tried to breathe. Tried to be reassuring, to make his voice strong so that she¡¯d feelforted, not even more afraid.


    Not like him.


    ¡°Love¡­ I¡¯ve done this many times,¡± he said, wishing the words didn¡¯t sound so hollow. ¡°I know what I¡¯m doing and I can¡ª¡±


    ¡°Tarkyn, I¡¯m not a child. And I¡¯m not na?ve. If I had to go to war or fight, I¡¯d want you on my side. I¡¯d want you leading my side. I won¡¯t stop you. But right now, before you go¡­ I¡¯m so scared. And I can¡¯t bear it. I don¡¯t want to even think about what might¡ª¡±


    He pulled her closer, burying her head in his chest and curling himself around her so that she wouldn¡¯t speak, because he was afraid that the moment she said those words his courage would fail him.


    She cried then, and he held her, eyes screwed tightly shut, arms around her, his very heart breaking in two pieces at the sounds of the sobs she tried so hard to hold back.


    ¡°Love¡­ love¡­ He didn¡¯t bring us to each other just to take us away so quickly.¡±


    ¡°Tarkyn, that¡¯s bullshit. You can¡¯t know that. No one ever dies at a good time. No one ever dies when it suits them. Especially not in some kind of battle!¡±


    She pushed back out of his arms, her chin quivering. ¡°You are strong, Tarkyn. But you¡¯re not the Creator. You don¡¯t get to choose!¡± She sucked in a long, deep breath through her nose, clearly trying to stop crying¡ªthen she froze.


    Tarkyn immediately tensed. What had startled her?


    What had he missed?


    He looked around, pulling her behind him and studying the trees. ¡®What is it? What did you scent?¡¯


    ¡®Sasha. It was so faint and¡­ Tarkyn¡­¡¯ she pushed his arm away from blocking her and walked forward towards the hills, casting around, turning her head seeking a scent.


    She was a tracker, he remembered. She¡¯d been frustrated when he¡¯d been able to sneak up on her because she was known for her skill in staying silent and following a trail.


    So he left her to do what she knew best¡ªmoving slowly, silently, nose into the wind, but eyes on the ground, seeking, seeking, seeking.


    And as her sweeps grew smaller and her focus narrowed, he held his breath. Was it just an old trail? Had Sasha been out here in days past and so left the traces out here.


    ¡®Tigers,¡¯ Harth said suddenly in his head, her tone half-ted, half-horrified. ¡®I don¡¯t get it, Tarkyn. There were Tigers out here, and I keep getting the faintest whiff of her scent. But if she was with them, wouldn¡¯t she be as strong as them? And what were they doing out here? I thought she was taken from the Tree City?¡¯


    They¡¯d all assumed that¡ªRika had been taken from South-West of the Tree City. The assumption was that when Sasha went out looking for Zev in the night, she¡¯d been disturbed by the Bears¡ªor the Tigers¡ªand taken then.


    But what if she hadn¡¯t?


    ¡®Remind me, Love¡ªyou said our link is longer and broader than the others. What¡¯s usual? What distance do Sasha and Zev enjoy?¡¯


    ¡®I don¡¯t know for sure¡ªI know they could talk between the vige and the City¡­ that¡¯s an hour¡¯s travel in a beast, almost two on foot.¡¯


    Tarkyn frowned. Technically they were three hours from the Tree City, though closer than that in their beasts. What if she¡¯de this way, looking for Zev? What if the Tigers had taken her from this direction?


    He closed his eyes for a moment and tried to envision thend. He¡¯d seen it from the summit of the mountain more than once, and this area from the heights when they¡¯d been testing their bond from the Lagoon.


    If the bears came from the south and west, and the Tigers came from the north and east, were they going to simply meet in the middle? Or was there something else¡ª


    Tarkyn sucked in a breath.


    ¡°What?¡± Harth asked quickly.


    ¡°That scent we caught at the Lagoon.¡±


    Harth nodded.


    ¡°You thought that was a creature, correct?¡±


    She nodded again.


    ¡°I caught more when I was up in the mountains overlooking the valley, when we were testing the bond. Harth¡­ what if this is where the Creatures have gathered. What if they¡¯ve taken to the mountains¡ªthe higher altitude and cooler climate, like they¡¯re used to in Thana? Pegg said he was above the cave where he left Rika when he found the body¡ªhe can fly. He went much higher than you¡¯d walk. The bears prefer cold as well¡ªespecially this time of year. They¡¯re due to hibernate soon. What if¡­ what if the bears are killing the creatures, and the Tigers are going to protect the bears and they¡¯re all¡­ they¡¯re all¡­¡± He looked up to the mountains. ¡°What if they¡¯re all up there, watching us?¡± he breathed.


    Harth turned and looked up in the direction he was facing.


    ¡°I have to go find them,¡± she said.


    ¡°Wait, what?!¡±


    ¡°I have to follow the trail¡ªnone of the scouts went this way, Tarkyn! They¡¯re all headed north and west. That means the tigers are moving freely right now and they have Sasha! I have to follow this trail!¡±


    Tarkyn¡¯s heart thundered. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Tarkyn¡ª¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t let you go alone, and I can¡¯t go with you. Let¡¯s return to the valley¡ª¡±


    ¡°Tarkyn, stop! Don¡¯t be ridiculous! You know we can¡¯t afford to lose more time. Send the hares. Send a whole legion of soldiers after me. I don¡¯t care. They¡¯ll follow my scent easily. I leave it as much as I can. But I have to get in there and see where they are¡ªyou and I can link over this distance. I can show you exactly where to send people!¡±


    He knew she was right. Knew she was absolutely right. But he shook his head.


    ¡®Tarkyn!¡¯ she stepped up to him. ¡®I was going to let you fight! Now you have to let me do this!¡¯


    He stared at her, despair and pride twisting in his chest, tangling so that his heart fluttered then banged.


    But a momentter he opened his arms and she threw herself into them and they held each other so tightly, neither of them could breathe.


    ¡®I love you, my fierce, brave mate,¡¯ Tarkyn breathed in her head. ¡®I love you. Please¡­ please stay safe. Find the trail. Follow it. I will run in my beast but be out of the link only for minutes¡ªjust a handful of minutes until I can get soldiers and return to follow you. I promise. I won¡¯t let you down.¡¯


    ¡®I love you too, Tarkyn. And please¡­ don¡¯t pick a fight. Stay back. Teach and guide. Stay safe. Please.¡¯


    ¡®I will do my best, mate, but don¡¯t believe I won¡¯t be leading the force thates for you. Don¡¯t believe it for a moment.¡¯


    They embraced one more time, then both turned, leaping into their beasts and running for all they were worth.

 Chapter 239 - 239 Too Soon

    239 Too Soon


    If you like music while you read, try ¡°It Has Begun¡± by STARSET. It¡¯s what I listened to while writing this chapter!


    *****


    ~ HARTH ~


    It must have rained overnight. When they¡¯d been back, closer to the valley where the gaps between the trees wererger and the wind reached the ground, the trail had been very faint. Harth had had to stop to cast around and find it again twice¡ªonce when the tigers had leaped straight up and over a boulder, and once when they¡¯d found a creek and followed it for a minute.


    Harth was frustrated by the slow start, but d when the trail connected a deer trail, winding between rocks and trees as the ground began to climb into the foothills and overhung by the mountain¡¯s rocky sides above.


    And suddenly the trail was stronger. Much fresher than she¡¯d thought.


    So fresh, Harth slowed, pausing to peer carefully around curves in the rocky mountainside before advancing.


    She was only minutes from where she¡¯d left Tarkyn, yet she would have sworn that she was also only minutes from the sources of this trail.


    Sasha¡¯s scent was definitely among them, though thinner than the others and Harth couldn¡¯t figure out why. If she was walking with them, why would their scents be stronger than hers?


    .....


    Harth had a mental image then of Sasha not walking but being carried in some way, and her stomach turned over.


    Pushing away the frightening thoughts, Harth continued to creep carefully down the trail, even going as far as to slip into the crags and rocks above it as the scents became fresher still.


    Surely they couldn¡¯t be this close? Surely they hadn¡¯t been right here this whole time?


    Or perhaps they were moving really quickly and the trail had been sheltered here in the overhang¡­


    Harth rolled her eyes at herself. It didn¡¯t matter. What mattered was finding them.


    ¡®Tarkyn, are you there?¡¯


    She tried to ignore the flutter of nerves in her stomach when he didn¡¯t answer. But she knew he was fine. There was no way the Tigers or Bears were down there¡­ yet.


    Surely not?


    ¡®Tarkyn?¡¯ She needed him to know how close they might be. She needed him to get himself surrounded by¡ª


    Harth froze as a shadow moved between trees below her on the mountainside. She ducked below the shrub and rock at her feet, heart pounding.


    They really were here. Right here. Just minutes away. But how many of them?


    Harth was positioned on the side of the mountain, just above a deer trail that wound around the rocks below and then back down towards the valley.


    There was an area below that was almost t, a wide bowl in the foot of the mountain, full of trees and underbrush. But this was obviously the way they¡¯d essed it. She¡¯d only had to climb for a few minutes, yet they werepletely out of sight of the Valley of the Drums because of the trees¡ªit had to be only minutes away as the owls would fly. And yet, just as they¡¯d found in thegoon, the air flows seemed to run almost straight up the mountainside here, broken only by the trees.


    As Harth crouched she reached out for Tarkyn again. Why was it taking so long for him toe back to himself so she could reach him?


    Was she close enough to link with the other wo¡ª?


    A strange thunk sounded nearby and she froze. Was that an arrow flying into a tree? A rock dropping onto hollow earth?


    A small cry rose below and Harth barely breathed as she peered with only one eye around the boulders¡­ then crept oh-so-slowly forward, trying desperately to catch a glimpse of what was going on in that copse of trees.


    But the undergrowth was too thick, and the trees too tall. Very effective guardians over their evil wards.


    Harth wanted to growl.


    Instead she reached out through the link, stretching to find any wolf with whom she was familiar. But then a breeze rose, rippling up the side of the mountain and bringing with it a wash of scents and snippets of voices below.


    She caught the scents of tigers, raw meat, and something she couldn¡¯t identify¡ªa creature? The voices weren¡¯t intelligible, half-words and a patter ofughter. But it made Harth¡¯s skin go cold.


    The Tigers were here. They were right here. Right above the Valley. Even if they were out of sight and scent, she could have traveled there in less than half an hour in her wolf.


    That meant they could do the same.


    Tarkyn needed to know. They all needed to know.


    ¡®Tarkyn! Please!¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯m here. I¡¯m here.¡¯


    ¡®Thank the Creator, Tarkyn, listen to me, the tigers are right here. Only minutes away!¡¯


    ¡®They¡¯re¡­ what?¡¯


    ¡®When you reach where we were, it took me only ten minutes to find them.¡¯


    ¡®WHAT?! Harth, get out of there!¡¯


    ¡®I will. But I wanted to make sure Sasha¡¯s here and this isn¡¯t just a group of them traveling¡ªher scent is fainter than the rest. I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s because it¡¯s older or¡­ something else. I need to know if she¡¯s here, or if it¡¯s just them, because if they don¡¯t have her, we shouldn¡¯t let them know we know they¡¯re here, right?¡¯ She sent him an image then of what she could see¡ªwhich was virtually nothing. She showed him the sh of movement she¡¯d seen below, but then nothing. ¡®We need to know what we¡¯re dealing with¡ªand if you have too many peoplee up this trail when they¡¯re so close, it might raise the rm. As it is, if they travel the deer trail they¡¯re going to scent me.¡¯


    Tarkyn growled, then was silent in the bond for a moment, but she could feel him there, nervous and thinking hard.


    ¡®Harth¡­ you¡¯re right,¡¯ he said reluctantly. ¡®But I don¡¯t want you to get any closer to them.¡¯


    ¡®Tarkyn, I have to. I can¡¯t see them from up here.¡¯


    He hesitated again. She had the sense of that quick, efficient way he moved and spoke when he was taking charge. He must be informing the others, getting things ready. But they wouldn¡¯t know what to do unless she told them who was here!


    ¡®Tarkyn¡ª¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯ve told them what you¡¯ve found so far. We¡¯re getting some owls prepared, we¡¯ll see if they can fly up and catch a glimpse.¡¯


    ¡®Don¡¯t let them fly straight up the mountain, Tarkyn! They need to go around and up high, then circle back down¡ªif they skim the trees the Tigers might shoot them down! The trees aren¡¯t that tall here¡ªthey just look it because they¡¯re on the mountainside.¡¯


    He growled again. ¡®I do not like this, Harth. Not one bit.¡¯


    ¡®I know, I know,¡¯ she said softly. ¡®But imagine, Tarkyn. Imagine if we can get her back this quickly? Imagine if we can find out where Rika is too? Just¡­ give me a few minutes. I¡¯ll circle down as quietly as I can and try to get a better view.¡¯


    Tarkyn cursed, but she felt him waver. ¡®Please, Harth, be so very careful.¡¯


    ¡®I will. I¡¯ming home to you, Tarkyn. To our tree. I promise.¡¯


    *****


    ~ TARKYN ~


    As the wolves around him rushed to form fists, and Gar growled for everyone to move even faster, Tarkyn closed his eyes. That simple statement from his mate made him want to weep.


    I¡¯ming home to you, Tarkyn. To our tree. I promise.


    She¡¯d called it theirs¡­ his home was her home. Fuck that, she was his home. But he knew what she meant. They¡¯d so enjoyed being in that spacest night without an immediate threat. How was it possible they were already here?


    He answered questions and barked orders, striding through the ranks of those that would travel on foot the moment they knew what they were facing¡ªor where they needed to avoid. The owls, and a few Ibex who could scale a more direct route up the mountain sides if needed¡ªwere gathering just beyond the wolves and lions¡ªbecause Tarkyn had insisted the Anima and Chimera spread themselves evenly on both teams.


    No matter who they saved, no matter who they fought, they would fight together, and save each other.


    He nodded with grim satisfaction as he walked the ranks, checking for their marks and seeing that most already had the henna crosses.


    ¡®Harth?¡¯ he sent. If he¡¯d been speaking his voice would have shaken.


    ¡®I¡¯m just moving. I¡¯m going really slow, Tarkyn.¡¯


    She was tense. Frightened. And determined. God, he loved her so much. Don¡¯t let her be taken. Don¡¯t let her be harmed.


    ¡®Tarkyn! There! Look!¡¯


    He stopped mid-step as his mind¡¯s eye was flooded suddenly¡ªa copse of trees on the mountainside, the low dirt and grass underneath ttened by feet. Glimpses of a tent or two, and at least one fire.


    This was a camp¡ªand one that still had people in it.


    ¡®She¡¯s there!¡¯ Harth hissed through the bond, as if she could be overheard. ¡®Sasha¡¯s there! I can see her!¡¯


    She sent an image of the human woman¡ªTarkyn assumed it was Sasha. He couldn¡¯t see her face. Was seeing her from behind and above, her dark hair messy, clothing dirty. She was seated at the base of one of the trees. Her hands bound behind her, and vines circling her, keeping her pinned to its trunk.


    ¡®Send them, Tarkyn. She¡¯s here. I don¡¯t see Rika, but Sasha is here! And who knows who¡¯s in the tents?¡¯


    ¡®Well done, love,¡¯ he sent back quickly, giving a gesture to Gar to let him know to set the soldiers at the ready to move. ¡®Now please¡­ get out of there.¡¯


    ¡®I can¡¯t move without risking being seen. I¡¯ll just hide here until you all arrive.¡¯


    ¡®Harth¡ª¡¯


    ¡®Please, Tarkyn. I don¡¯t want to argue. Just get here, quickly. Please.¡¯


    There was tension in her voice¡ªtrue fear. He sighed heavily. ¡®Stay t on the ground. Don¡¯t move a muscle. Don¡¯t risk anything else. We¡¯reing.¡¯


    ¡®I love you, Tarkyn,¡¯ she said, whispering again as if she could be heard. ¡®I love you so much.¡¯


    He hated the darkness in her voice, the fear, but he kept himself strong, teeth gritted. ¡®I love you too. Now¡­ don¡¯t move!¡¯

 Chapter 240 - 240 Prowling

    240 Prowling


    ~ ZEV ~


    They were moving. They were moving soon. He was going to get Sasha and bring her back and she would be safe and Zan would be safe and for once, please, God, could they all just be fucking safe!


    His hands shook on his son¡¯s back, but he couldn¡¯t let him go. The nurse had already offered to stay close to him, to follow him, holding his son. The healer, as well. Even one of the guards.


    These guards he didn¡¯t mind. They were two Anima, two Chimeran wolves. And their sole purpose was to make sure his son¡ªand whoever held him¡ªweren¡¯t hurt if there was any kind of attack.


    Zev had barely been able to breathe when he¡¯d realized that he¡¯d left Zan with the healers in the Tree City while he¡¯d gone searching for Sasha¡ªhe¡¯d already beente for a meal, and Zev knew that wasn¡¯t okay with what their son was battling.


    He hadn¡¯t meant to go all the way to the Chimeran encampment. But the longer he¡¯d gone without being able to contact Sasha, the more panicked he¡¯d be. So he¡¯d finally broken, thrown himself into his wolf, and began to run.


    He¡¯d decided to trust that they really would keep his son safe. But it had burned in his gullet the entire time.


    Then, when they¡¯d learned that Sasha really had been taken, he¡¯d almost copsed. But as soon as they began to organize¡­ he hadn¡¯t been able to let the thought go.


    He needed to care for his son. He needed to hold him and keep him safe, so that when Sasha was back, their son was okay. He had to.


    .....


    Somehow in his mind, keeping Zan safe and getting Sasha back had be entwined.


    To his surprise, when he¡¯d insisted on heading back to the Tree City to get him, Elreth herself had urged him to travel with them¡ªshe¡¯d send runners to get him traveling back towards him.


    And so, Zev had found himself running with the Queen as she took messages, gave instructions and somehow managed to keep track of a dozen moving parts while they hurried through the forest.


    He¡¯d yearned to push faster, to run, to be in his wolf. But Elreth had warned him, unless he followed the specific path they¡¯d chosen beforehand, he might miss the nurse and guardsing to meet them. Then he¡¯d only be apart from his son longer.


    She¡¯d checked with him only once that he wanted to bring his son back to what amounted to little more than a warzone.


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep him safe. No one will watch him like me,¡± Zev had muttered. ¡°Sasha would never forgive me¡­¡± he¡¯d trailed off miserably, and Elreth had given him a moment.


    Her mate followed them. Zev could feel the male¡¯s eyes on his back. It made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. But after their conversation in the middle of the night, things had been easier between them.


    At least, Zev was uneasy with the male to his back, but he wasn¡¯t rippling towards the shift. It was a relief.


    ¡°You know¡­¡± Elreth had said, looking at him sideways and clearing her throat. ¡°I know how it feels to be separated from your mate¡­ against your will. Unable to¡­ connect.¡±


    Zev found himself baring his teeth¡ªwhy couldn¡¯t he link with Sasha? She was alive¡ªunless they¡¯d knocked her out¡­


    That thought made his stomach sick, so he¡¯d pushed it away, but it left a simmering unease in his gut.


    ¡°I just wanted you to know,¡± Elreth continued, sighing. ¡°We¡¯ll do everything we can to bring her back. Even if we find Rika this minute¡­ nothing will change. All our efforts. All our resources. We¡¯ll bring them to bear for Sasha. I promise you.¡±


    Zev blinked, his breath hitching. ¡°Thank you,¡± he said, feeling humbled. Then he swallowed. ¡°I guess that¡¯s something. At least they took Sasha, not me, right? I mean, she¡¯s gotta be easier to justify fighting for.¡± He was trying for humor, but couldn¡¯t even smile.


    Elreth had turned to look at him then, her clear blue eyes piercing and fixed. Unnerving.


    ¡°Any of you, Zev. We¡¯d do everything we could to bring any of you back safely. Whether it¡¯s bears, or Tigers¡­ we are allies. Any of you. Not just our own.¡±


    He¡¯d finally met her eyes for real then and taken his first deep breath since¡­ well, forever. Because he was looking into the eyes of an Alpha. Someone strong and determined, with the power and the resolve to make things happen.


    His own power seemed to have fled when he¡¯d thought about Sasha knocked out. Standing there in her gaze, feeling her simple certainty, Zev finally understood why anyone followed her.


    She made him feel like he was no longer alone.


    He shook his head. ¡°Thank you,¡± he muttered. ¡°I don¡¯t deserve that. I know. So¡­ thank you.¡±


    Elreth pped a hand. ¡°I think we can both use some forgiveness, right? I¡¯ll give you mine if you give me yours.¡±


    She was still looking at him. His anger shed, then faded¡­ just like that.


    He took another deep breath. ¡°You know, Sasha told me to forgive you. If I¡¯d listened, if I hadn¡¯t run from that, I wouldn¡¯t be here right now. She wouldn¡¯t be in their hands¡ª¡± his throat closed and he cut off. But he only swallowed and made himself plow on. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t left her, they wouldn¡¯t have her. But I did. I did because I hated you,¡± he admitted finally. ¡°I had so much hate for you, Elreth.¡±


    He turned and met her eyes again, finding her more curious than intimidated, but he felt her mate creeping closer up behind them.


    Elreth looked sad. ¡°Had? Or still have? I don¡¯t know if it helps, but¡­ I don¡¯t hate you,¡± she said quietly. ¡°I never did. I was afraid. I¡¯m still afraid, to be honest. But I know now¡­ I know we can do this together if you¡¯re willing. I¡¯m willing now. I wasn¡¯t before. But I am now. We can fight together. We can win. And then we can find real peace. Together.¡±


    The image that brought to mind made Zev want to whine in his throat. Could it really happen?


    He prayed so. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said then, his voice harsh and ragged. But finally, finally he felt a weight shift in his chest. Something fell away. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Elreth. And I¡­ I forgive you.¡±


    Elreth¡¯s face lit up. Without another word and without even breaking stride, she offered her arm for him to sp.


    The hand of peace. Sasha had told him.


    Taking a deep breath, he sped it. ¡°Peace,¡± he said dully, hopefully, still terrified.


    ¡°Peace,¡± she said.


    And when Jayah arrived with his son, and Skhal hovering at her shoulder, when Zan was returned to him, Elreth celebrated with him, and even touched his shoulder tofort.


    And when he turned with his son and the others in tow, returning to the front line, he found a part of him wished she¡¯d been able to stay¡­.


    ¡°Zev?!¡±


    Zev blinked and looked around. He was in the valley, rows and ranks of wolves around him¡ªboth Anima and Chimera. His son was sped to his shoulder, but Jayah stood in front of him, her hands extended for Zan and eyes sad, but kind.


    ¡°Sorry, what?¡± he asked.


    ¡°They¡¯re going to move. Gar¡¯s just called for readiness. The fighters and trackers¡­ they¡¯re getting ready to move. I¡­ I should take him. You can¡¯t carry him into battle. Sasha¡­ Sasha needs you.¡±


    Zev sucked in a breath, then looked down at his son. He swallowed hard and turned his back on the female for a moment, just holding his son¡¯s head, cupping his hand over him which was big enough to dwarf his skull, kissing his cheek, and blinking back tears.


    ¡°I¡¯lle back. I¡¯ll bring her back. We¡¯re going to be together,¡± he whispered, vowing. ¡°We¡¯re going to be a family. And we¡¯re¡­ we¡¯re going to live in peace. I promise you, Zan. You will grow up without having to fight. I vow it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll help.¡±


    Zev looked up quickly to find Tarkyn standing in front of him, his brow furrowed.


    Zev cleared his throat. ¡°Thank you, I¡ª¡±


    ¡°I want that too. Whether¡­ whether we have offspring or not. I have always had a heart for the young. Zev¡­ you don¡¯t have to do this alone. My mate is up there too. She¡¯s not even in chains, and I can barely breathe. So I can¡¯t imagine what you¡¯re feeling. But¡­ we¡¯re in this together. I promise you. We¡¯ll fight. And we¡¯ll keep fighting until everyst one of them is back and safe. And we¡¯ll guard him too. I promise.¡±


    Zev nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡± He felt so helpless. So¡­ stupid.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to rush you from your son, but the owls are about to take flight. We¡¯re going to the clearing where Harth found the trail and we¡¯re going to wait there. I¡¯ll ce you wherever you wish in the ranks.¡±


    He opened his mouth to demand to be ced at the front¡ªof course! Where else would he be? But then he hesitated. He took one final look at his son.


    He might lose both of his parents in the next hour. It was possible. Perhaps more than possible.


    And for the first time Zev could remember¡­ he feared the fight.


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    ¡°You will,¡± Tarkyn said gently. ¡°When the timees, you¡¯ll know.¡±


    Zev looked up at him. ¡°I hope so.¡±


    ¡°I know so. You have the heart of a warrior. Too much, I think. You¡¯ll have to learn when not to fight. But that day definitely isn¡¯t today. So hug your son and breathe, and ce him in those very capable hands. Thene with me. We¡¯re going to get our females.¡±


    And that was exactly what Zev did.


    Though the moment he handed his little boy to Jayah, Zan began to scream in protest.


    Zev almost snatched him back, but Jayah reassured him¨Cthey would care for him. They¡¯d make certain he was safe. And Skhal stood behind her, nodding.


    ¡®I¡¯ll watch over him,¡¯ Skhal sent, his voice deep with conviction.


    And so, even though it broke his heart. Zev turned away from his screaming son and walked away with Tarkyn¡­


    But his heart tore a little further with every cry that haunted him the further it drew away.

 Chapter 241 - 241 Predator

    241 Predator


    ~ TARKYN ~


    Word came back that the other trail¡ªthe bears and Rika¡ªhad been found. The decision was made for Gar to lead half the fighters to the ce where the trail split. They would wait there until the scouts and trackers found out which direction Rika had been taken.


    As a fist of Owls¡ªincluding Kyelleunched under strict instructions to give the area where Harth was a wide berth, to fly around and high up the mountain, then circle down slowly to try and catch sight of what was going on on the mountainside.


    Tarkyn, along with Zev, led a mixed bag of both Anima and Chimeran wolves, and several of the Ibex who were sure footed in the mountains and would be able to move off-trails easily, towards the clearing where he and Harth had started.


    ¡®We¡¯reing, Harth. Just stay still.¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯m moving,¡¯ she replied quickly, but even through the link her voice was tight with fear.


    Tarkyn¡¯s heart almost stopped. ¡®No, Harth! You can¡¯t¡ª¡¯


    ¡®I can hear voices, Tarkyn. I¡¯m afraid they¡¯ll walk straight over me¡ª¡¯


    She broke off and Tarkyn¡¯s heart flipped.


    .....


    ¡®Harth? HARTH!¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯m here! I¡¯m just... Tarkyn, I can hear them now.¡¯


    He blew out a breath and ran a hand over his face. ¡®What are they saying?¡¯


    ¡®It is the bears they¡¯re working with¡­¡¯ she trailed off and Tarkyn wanted to bite something.


    ¡®Harth, what¡¯s going on? What¡¯s wrong?¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯m just¡­ I¡¯m trying, Tarkyn. They¡¯re talking. I¡¯m¡­ they¡¯re nning to meet the bears. The bears are on their way from the southwest. They¡¯re all converging... And Rika¡ªthey¡¯ve got Rika. The bears¡ª¡¯


    ¡®Harth, stop moving now. Just hide! We¡¯re going to be there in half an hour. We¡¯ll get you out of there!¡¯


    ¡®I know you will, Tarkyn,¡¯ she said, whispering in the link again. ¡®I believe you.¡¯


    She sounded fainter. More frightened. It made Tarkyn rage. Gritting his teeth, he growled, pressing forward as fast as he could in his human form.


    He cursed the need to stay in this slower body, but it was the only way to stay in touch with her and gain any more news she might have as they traveled.


    Behind and beside him everyone jogged impatiently, especially Zev, who¡¯d shuddered after giving up his son as if he might shift¡ªor explode. But while he¡¯d stayed quiet, he was right at Tarkyn¡¯s shoulder, his eyes t and focused on the ground in front of them.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± the wolf muttered as they jogged side-by-side.


    ¡°She¡¯s afraid. But Sasha¡¯s definitely there, and it¡¯s definitely the bears they¡¯re working with. nning to meet them on this side of the WildWood.¡±


    ¡°Why did you growl?¡±


    ¡°Because my mate is getting too close¡ªshe¡¯s putting herself in danger to try and hear what they¡¯re saying and I¡¯m terrified if they find her before we get there, they¡¯ll¡­¡± Tarkyn trailed off, unwilling to finish the thought. Unwilling to let his mind envision it.


    Zev nodded, his face pale. ¡°I know the feeling.¡±


    Of course. Of course he did. Tarkyn could have smacked himself for the thoughtlessness.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to get there, Zev. And we¡¯re going to get them out of there. Both of them. And anyone else these fuckers have. I give you my word.¡±


    Zev turned to look at him, as if examining him, but didn¡¯t immediately speak. And when he did, his voice was a little less tight. ¡°I know you will,¡± he said. ¡°So do I.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t run into this in a blind rage¡ª¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Zev said through his teeth. ¡°I heard the n. I will follow. But I¡¯m a part of the fist moving for Sasha.¡±


    Tarkyn nodded. ¡°Of course.¡±


    Then they ran on, side by side, neither of them speaking anymore. Tarkyn was too busy trying to keep Harth talking, who kept being distracted by what she was hearing. And Zev too focused on whatever went on in his dark mind.


    Twenty minutes. That was all they needed was another twenty minutes.


    *****


    ~ HARTH ~


    As she slid past, Harth tried to reach for the underbrush, to grab it for traction, but her entire side went up in mes when she so much as breathed deeply.


    There was an arrow in her shoulder, and an enraged Tiger dragging her down the path.


    Stupid. She¡¯d been so stupid. That thunk had been an arrow, lobbed high to drop near her. They¡¯d known she was there since almost the moment she arrived. She should have known they wouldn¡¯t leave their nk so exposed. Not when the air blew up the mountain, so anyone who crossed above them would smell them.


    She should have known they had scouts on outcroppings overhead.


    She¡¯d already warned Tarkyn that there were sentries above, babbled her way through the warning so he wouldn¡¯t ask¡ªhe¡¯d assumed, as she¡¯d intended, that she had seen them before they¡¯d seen her.


    He wasing. He just kept repeating that. Stay down. Stay silent. He wasing.


    Tears pricked at Harth¡¯s eyes.


    She couldn¡¯t let him know she was hurt. Taken. He would¡­ she didn¡¯t know what he¡¯d do. And that was the problem. She needed his mind calm and his body focused. There were more Tigers here than she¡¯d expected¡ªthe camp much bigger than it looked from the small cluster of tents she¡¯d gotten sight of before they pinned her to the ground with an arrow.


    She groaned as she was dragged over a sharp rock and her good shoulder screamed. She tried again to kick the Tiger¡¯s grip off her ankle, but between the pain radiating through her body from the arrow, and the fucker¡¯s death-grip on her, dragging her along the ground so she could never get purchase, never raise more than her head, she wasn¡¯t going to make any progress until she could get her hand on something and dy his progress.


    She had to dy him, she was sure of it. Because while Sasha held some leverage for them, and was their former Alpha¡ªeven these idiot Tigers would have some concern about the retribution if they were to kill the much-beloved Sasha¡ªto them, Harth was a low-level wolf who meant nothing. Even if they knew she was mated to Tarkyn¡ªand they might not have heard if they¡¯d been separating from the wolf-pack¡ªshe held little interest for them, she was sure. And certainly no intimidation.


    She was surprised the male hadn¡¯t slit her throat on the spot when he¡¯d reached her, growling about nosey wolves.


    She¡¯d fought at the beginning, but without the use of that side of her body, with that arm slung useless at her side, she hadn¡¯t been a challenge for the powerful cat.


    ¡°Go ahead and scream,¡± he¡¯d muttered, before taking hold of her ankle and beginning to drag her. ¡°No one will hear you up here.¡±


    That was true¡­ if the only people who might have taken an interest were in the valley below. But what these tigers definitely didn¡¯t know was that Harth could link with her non-wolf mate from this distance, and that Tarkyn and the others were already so close.


    He wasing, and he¡¯d save her. She was sure of it. If she could just stay alive long enough.


    They took a hairpin turn in the path, Harth¡¯s temple taking a ncing blow from a boulder beside the trail. Then they¡¯d hit a shale slope. The Tiger kept his feet, effectively skating down it, but Harth simply fell, first sliding, then rolling¡ªthe arrow mmed deeper into her shoulder so that she screamed.


    She ended on a muddy patch of ground, trembling and trying not to cry, unable to move or even lift her head at first as she tried to keep herself under control so she could answer Tarkyn without letting him know the pain she was feeling.


    It was an immense mental exercise to keep him cut off from her body¡ªone she hadn¡¯t practiced much because she¡¯d so enjoyed the intimacy they¡¯d shared. But she couldn¡¯t cut him off entirely. He was feeling her adrenaline and fear. She had to keep him convinced that she remained hidden and unhurt so he could focus.


    ¡°What the fuck?¡± a growling voice muttered from just feet away.


    Heavy footsteps were followed by a pair of thick, male feet appearing just in front of her face. Harth tried to look up, to identify the male¡ªher nose didn¡¯t seem to want to work, suddenly¡ªbut when she tried to twist her neck, her shoulder screamed again, the arrow sticking out from her back, broken halfway down the shaft, but not snapped off. The almost-severed fletching dangling in her peripheral vision.


    ¡°She was hidden above the trail. She¡¯s a tracker. Must have been sent as a scout. That means they¡¯ll miss her in an hour or two.¡±


    ¡°Kill her.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s the Anima Captain¡¯s mate.¡±


    Well, shit, Harth thought with a grimace. They did know.


    The gruff male cursed. ¡°Tie her with the other.¡±


    Harth didn¡¯t have time to brace before rough hands hooked under arms and lifted her.


    She screamed with the pain of the arrow grinding in her shoulder.

 Chapter 242 - 242 Lor

    242 Lor


    Shout out to Patron Janell Gilders! Janell, thanks for suggesting the name ¡°Lor.¡± I love it! I hope you enjoy how it was used here!


    *****


    ~ HARTH ~


    Neither of the tigers seemed concerned about her pain. They certainly didn¡¯t pay much attention.


    The tiger who¡¯d found her, dumped her on her ass at the base of a narrow tree just feet from Sasha, and half-facing her. Harth tried to keep herself upright, but her body refused to listen, and she slumped to the side, her injured shoulder high as her entire body trembled.


    Through the haze of pain, Harth stared at Sasha, pleading with her to look, to see her, to find hope. But now, seeing her from the front, it was clear that Sasha was either knocked out, or drugged.


    What Harth had taken as Sasha looking down, perhaps keeping her eyes away from her captors so she wouldn¡¯t be seen to challenge them, was actually the slump of unconsciousness.


    The woman was pale, her skin almost gray. And her heart was slow¡­ too slow.


    Harth willed her body to respond, to let her press up and onto her feet¡ªto run! But every movement sent electric jolts of pain through her entire body and up the back of her neck.


    .....


    Then the Tiger leaned down, roughly picking Harth up by her hair and sitting her upright again. As Harth gritted her teeth and tried desperately not to scream, not to give them that satisfaction, the male leaned her against a tree¡ªthe arrow scraping on its bark and jangling pain through her again and again.


    ¡°Y-you won¡¯t win th-this,¡± she growled, eyes squinting against the pain. ¡°If you k-kill her¡­ he¡¯ll k-kill you.¡±


    The male didn¡¯t respond. Didn¡¯t even meet her eyes.


    But in her head, her mate¡¯s voice echoed, again and again. ¡®I¡¯ming, Harth. Just stay safe. I¡¯ming.¡¯


    Harth closed her eyes long enough to try and control the shivering. She recognized the signs: her body was going into shock. If she didn¡¯t calm, she would stop being able to think at all. And she needed a clear head to guide Tarkyn when he showed up to save them.


    He would show up. She knew he would. She only had to keep her head down and not cause trouble until¨C


    The guard who¡¯d found her and tied her had already walked away. She couldn¡¯t sit up straight, because whenever she did, the arrow sticking out of the back of her shoulder would hit on the tree, shoving pain and lightning through her entire body.


    So she was forced to sit hunched forward over her own legs. That made it more painful to look up. So when those heavy footsteps approached, she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply through her nose, trying desperately to catch the scent of the male so she could pass it on to Tarkyn through the bond, or other wolves when they were close enough. Though she was worried about that too.


    She didn¡¯t have an intimate rtionship with any of the wolves that were approaching that she knew of. Between that and the pain and stress, the ability to link was limited. Especially since the others couldn¡¯t form the link with Tarkyn. She had less of her mind to offer because she was working so hard to keep him away from her physical sensations. She should have practiced that more! But she had so enjoyed just giving herself to him sopletely... Until Zev had beaten Tarkyn and she¡¯d had to endure it, she¡¯d never imagined a scenario in which she wouldn¡¯t want Tarkyn to feel everything she felt.


    She¡¯d worked on her control a bit after that. But so much had been going on¡­


    With her slumped over, she could see when the heavy feet and thick legs came to a stop at her toes. But she didn¡¯t see the Tiger¡¯s face until he squatted down, elbows on his knees, and staring at her.


    Of course. She should have known.


    Lor was an older Tiger, well into his forties, perhaps even fifty. A peer of Skhal¡¯s, he¡¯d been around¡­ forever. Since before the humans were certain they were focusing on wolves.


    His dark hair was shaggy and wild, swirling around his face, ears, and just brushing his shoulders. Peppered in the beginnings of gray that was also just starting to creep into stubble on his square jaw, he stared at her, expressionless.


    He was strong¡ªhad been expected to fight for Alpha of All when Zev disappeared. But Xar had stepped forward and¡­ Harth hadn¡¯t really followed all that happened. All she knew was that the male was known. He was a presence. And yet, he kept to himself.


    She hadn¡¯t even known he was here in Anima. She should have known.


    He¡¯d always had a dark countenance¡ªbright, golden eyes that matched his cat¡¯s, and lines on his face that somehow only managed to make him look stronger.


    He was broad and muscr, though not as tall as Zev. Powerful, rather than fast.


    A typical tiger. One on one, they were a force to be reckoned with. But the wolves had always outnumbered them and stood behind their packs. The tigers were loners, sticking closely to their own families and so less likely to organize and support each other.


    At least, that¡¯s how it had been before Harth was taken to the human sanctuary.


    Clearly things had changed.


    ¡°You¡¯re a puzzle,¡± he said, his voice low and rough. t. He didn¡¯t smile.


    Harth, still hunched forward over her own knees, just waited to see what he would say.


    He didn¡¯t speak or move for several breaths. Then he reached for her. Harth flinched¡ªgroaning with the pain of it¡ªwhen he took her chin and raised it, forcing her head back so she¡¯d meet his eyes.


    Harth hissed through her teeth against the pain, but met his gaze, her own defiant. She would not choose trouble, but she would not submit, either.


    He didn¡¯t seem to take pleasure in her pain, but examined her eyes. ¡°Sit up.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± she snarled. ¡°There¡¯s an arrow in my back.¡±


    He didn¡¯t even blink.

 Chapter 243 - 243 Open Heart, Open Mind

    243 Open Heart, Open Mind


    ADDED AFTER PUBLICATION SO YOU AREN¡¯T CHARGED: If you are reading this on the 22-25th of February, you are a Top Tier privilege reader and you have earned a copy of an UNPUBLISHED spin-off scene from this book. To receive you must do two things:


    1. Comment on this chapter before 25 Feb.


    2. Email including your Webnovel ount name, name, and address, EVEN IF YOU HAVE SENT BEFORE.


    Your content contains spoilers so will be mailed in March.


    *****


    ~ HARTH ~


    Lor nced at the arrow in her shoulder, then back to her eyes. ¡°You create problems and I¡¯m not sure what to do with you.¡±


    ¡°So sorry to be an inconvenience¡ª¡± she cut off with a gasp as he dug his fingernail into her chin and his jaw flexed.


    ¡°Do not fuck with me, Harth.¡±


    .....


    ¡°I¡¯m not.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not ignorant. If you¡¯re here, that means they sent scouts this way¡ªwhich means they¡¯re at least smart enough to suspect we¡¯ve stayed this close. We didn¡¯t think they would.¡±


    She waited, but he¡¯d posed no question.


    When his fingers began to tighten again, she grunted, ¡°Do you really think I¡¯m going to tell you what they know?¡±


    ¡°I think I can¡¯t afford to have a wolf mind-linking with her packmates and informing on us. And yet, you¡¯re leverage. Your Captain is¡­ very loyal. When your packmates tell him you¡¯re here I think he will be¡­ motivated to speak with me.¡±


    ¡°Any mate would be,¡± she gasped.


    ¡°But he is a warrior too, and frankly, I don¡¯t have time for that. Has he already prepared a force, or would hee for you with a small number? I can¡¯t know. So¡­ you are a puzzle. A question that needs wisdom to answer.¡±


    She kept her eyes on his, burning, but didn¡¯t speak.


    He shook his head softly. ¡°I can¡¯t know which way to go, because I can¡¯t know the future. The Creator isn¡¯t kind enough to share that with me. Does the Creator share the future with you, Harth? Or your precious Captain?¡±


    Harth was confused. Where was he going with this? ¡°No. Of course not.¡±


    He huffed. ¡°At least you¡¯re honest. You know these creatures have males among them who think they talk to God? I have a feeling they¡¯re talking to someone¡ªor something¡ªquite different.¡±


    ¡®Harth, are you okay?¡¯ Tarkyn sent.


    She almost cried, but managed to reassure her mate without raising his suspicions about where she was¡ªor with whom. But her head spun, and her body screamed. She didn¡¯t have the mental energy to figure this fucker out.


    ¡°What do you want from me?¡± she spat finally.


    ¡°That¡¯s the problem,¡± he said quietly. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I know what to do with her,¡± he said dryly, tipping his head towards Sasha. ¡°She¡¯s here for a purpose that¡¯s clear to all of us. But you? Are you an asset, or danger? Are you led by the Creator, or¡­ something else?¡±


    It dawned on her then¡ªthe Anima had said that the Bears were zealots. Convinced that anyone who had anything to do with the gateways was possessed, or something. But if that was true, why would they work with the tigers? Unless the tigers had drunk the proverbial Kool-aid? She¡¯d heard enough before she was struck to be sure these males were working with the bears. But she¡¯d never heard of Chimera taking that extremist spiritual route. If anything, they were prone to dismiss the Creator at all. After all, when you¡¯d looked into the eyes of the evil fucker who was responsible for giving you life, it could be hard to believe there was anyone else who cared.


    Harth knew those Chimera were wrong. Bitter. Angry. And ming the God they imed didn¡¯t exist, or didn¡¯t care, for what had happened to them¡ªeven when the darkness of their own choices were involved.


    She knew she¡¯d been led here, to Tarkyn. She knew it. But she couldn¡¯t expect this guy to believe her.


    ¡°If you¡¯re listening to those fucking bears, you need to wake up,¡± she muttered. ¡°Those guys are borderline insane. They tried to kill Anima who were good. They have some screwy ideas. Don¡¯t get pulled into that shit.¡± The Tiger just blinked, so she pushed on. ¡°It¡¯s not toote, Lor. You could give Sasha back¡ªgive both of us back¡ªand still be a part of the Chimera.¡±


    It was bullshit of course¡ªZev would kill this male the moment he got his hands on him. But she couldn¡¯t think enough toe up with anything else.


    Lor stared at her for a long time then before he sighed. ¡°You know that we¡¯re¡­ engaging with the bears,¡± he said softly.


    Shit. Shit! What had she been thinking? She wasn¡¯t. That was the problem. She was too busy fighting the pain, keeping Tarkyn ignorant, and trying to figure this all out¡­


    A whimper wanted to crawl out of her throat. She swallowed it back and just held his gaze, but her shaking was getting worse.


    ¡°Perhaps more problem than asset, then,¡± he said finally, nodding once to himself as if he¡¯d received what he needed.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t even move. I¡¯m hardly a problem to you,¡± she muttered.


    ¡°Not to me, no. But to this n? And yet, we could use you to leverage your Captain¡­¡±


    He let go of her chin finally and stood up, but didn¡¯t move. ¡°I can¡¯t decide. But maybe that¡¯s the entire point,¡± Lor growled.


    Harth didn¡¯t respond. It was bing harder and harder to control her body, to think. She had to keep Tarkyn sane. Had to help him get here as quickly as possible. She¡¯d already shown him the route she took¡ªand the position of the Sentry who¡¯d shot her.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a faithless dog,¡± Lor muttered. ¡°I¡¯ll let the Creator decide.¡±


    Harth frowned. That sounded like reprieve. But his tone was dark. ¡°What does that¡ª?¡±


    He reached for her back, as if he were examining the wound. Harth did whimper when he pushed on her, the pain jolting through her again, but he muttered. ¡°You¡¯re in God¡¯s hands now.¡±


    Harth was about to ask when a searing, blinding, life-altering pain tore through her, starting in her shoulder and crackling out through every inch of her skin, every limb so that she gave a full-throated scream and her body spasmed, over and over again.


    The world disappeared. Her sight went ck. She couldn¡¯t see or think of anything except the pain and how desperate she was to retreat from it.


    When the worst of it passed, she was folded over her own knees, barely able to breathe, sobbing¡­ and utterly unprotected.


    The broken arrow that he¡¯d wrenched from her shoulder dropped to the dirt in front of her nose at the same moment Tarkyn screamed in her head, ¡°HARTH!¡±


    But she couldn¡¯t breathe, she couldn¡¯t think. She couldn¡¯t answer¡­


    There were only two things her fading, numbing mind held onto.


    The first was the warm spread on her back.


    The second was that she¡¯d always been taught never to remove something that had punctured deeply into the body until the person was in the presence of healers¡ªand preferably a human surgery¡­ because while something stabbed into the body did damage, its presence also stemmed blood flow.


    The flow now seeping shockingly quickly down her back and side.


    Harth couldn¡¯t breathe. She couldn¡¯t even answer Tarkyn¡¯s frantic cries.


    All she could think was that it hadn¡¯t been enough time. He wasn¡¯t there yet. He was still minutes away.


    But now she was bleeding out. And as the tiger turned on his heel and stalked away, muttering about the choice of what to do with her was now out of his hands, as her sight began to fade and she slumped forward, weak and unable to even sit up, the images came from Tarkyn¡ªhe was running, wing his way across the mountain, spitting orders.


    ¡®I¡¯ming, Harth.¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯ming.¡¯


    ¡®Don¡¯t move, beautiful¡­ just keep breathing. I¡¯m almost there.¡¯

 Chapter 244 - 244 Alpha Male

    244 Alpha Male


    ~ ZEV ~


    They were close enough to the Tiger camp to hear the bloodcurdling scream.


    Zev¡¯s first instinct was that it was Sasha¡¯s voice. His entire body convulsed.


    But then Tarkyn fell to his knees with a guttural roar, one hand pped to his opposing shoulder, writhing in the dirt, sightless with pain.


    It took them all a moment to understand what had happened.


    Tarkyn, sucking at the air, his face beet red with pain and tendons standing proud, gasped it.


    Harth. They had Harth.


    Zev¡¯s heart went out to the male who was breathing heavily, curled in the dirt and broken by the pain his mate was experiencing.


    ¡°She¡¯s fading¡­ she¡¯s fading¡­ shit¡­ Zev!¡± Tarkyn¡¯s whisper was hoarse and desperate, his face screwed up and eyes tightly shut and he hissed the things she was showing him¡ªimages of the camp, how to approach it, where she and Sasha had been tied¡­ but then the lion groaned and tears squeezed out from beneath his lids, trickling down his cheeks as he felt the feelings, groaning, whispering to his mate, unaware that he spoke because he was tormented¡ªtoo harrowed to even think straight.


    .....


    He couldn¡¯t hold it all.


    But as he hurriedly tried to advise Tarkyn on how to narrow the link, how to control the flow from his mate, Zev held onto the important fact: Both the females were there. Sasha and Harth were both in the tiger camp, in the hands of some fucker named Lor.


    Zev growled at that thought, and as Tarkyn blinked and slowly returned to himself, Zev quickly exined to him and the non-Chimeran wolves, who the tiger was.


    Tarkyn managed to sit up, his entire body trembling, face in his hands, fighting against the pain¡ªbut then his head snapped up, his cheeks pale and face aghast.


    ¡°She¡¯s fading. Fading fast. There¡¯s no more time,¡± he whispered hoarsely. ¡°We have to get there¡­ I have to get to her!¡± had to get there.


    Strangely, Zev¡¯s heart sang.


    As Tarkyn braced his hands on the ground, his body writhing, fighting the intense pain, the male closed his eyes and gave his orders for Zev to share with the wolves.


    No more creeping, no more caution.


    They were going full frontal assault.


    Tarkyn had already sent the Ibex up the mountain to find the sentries. But they had no mindlink. There was no way to know if or when they¡¯d all been found.


    Then Tarkyn opened his eyes and looked straight at Zev. ¡°I don¡¯t want to wait.¡±


    Neither did Zev.


    It was a matter of seconds. Zev offered a few short instructions on how to narrow the bond link¡ªbut Tarkyn only swallowed and shook his head. His entire body trembling.


    ¡°I can¡¯t. I might lose her. And when I shift, I won¡¯t hear her anymore. I can¡¯t¡­ I have to be with her right now,¡± he gasped.


    And so, Tarkyn was still sitting in the dirt as he gave the signal that Zev passed down the line. One of the Hares at the back blew the horn of war to alert the owls. Then Zev sped Tarkyn¡¯s hand to help him to his feet¡ªTarkyn¡¯s shaking like a leaf in the wind¡ªthen both of them took a breath, shifted and, with a fierce roar from Tarkyn, tore silently along the trail¡ªfollowed by the hundred wolves they¡¯d brought.


    Zev¡¯s mind was finally clear, finally certain of his purpose. And his body sang in anticipation of the kill.


    He didn¡¯t know if Sasha would hear him¡ªit seemed like she flickered at the back of his mind. But he kept sending anyway, just in case.


    I¡¯ming.


    I love you.


    I¡¯m almost there.


    I am going to burn these motherfuckers to the ground and bring you home. Forever.


    *****


    ~ TARKYN ~


    It was tradition among the Anima never to take beast form in battle unless you sought to kill.


    Anima duels and challenges could be fought to submission, to first blood, or to death. But always in human form.


    Any time an adult shifted for the challenge all bets were off.


    It had taken a moment for enough of the haze of pain to clear for Tarkyn to make the decision.


    He knew that by shifting he¡¯d be alone in his head, leaving Harth alone in hers while she slowly bled to death¡ªand that tore at him.


    What if he lost her while his mind was quiet?


    ¡®I¡¯ming, Harth,¡¯ he sent desperately.


    ¡®I¡¯ming.¡¯ No response except her heart¡ªher love for him.


    ¡®Don¡¯t move, beautiful¡­ just keep breathing. I¡¯m almost there.¡¯


    When she couldn¡¯t respond with words, when all he felt from her was intense pain, and fading awareness, instinct took over.


    The moment he leaped into his lion, his awareness of her¡ªthe pain she felt, the ckness creeping up on her mind¡ªwas gone. He could think again. His body didn¡¯t shake anymore.


    And he was a fucking fury.


    His mate was going to die unless he reached her. And he would. He would get her out of there. And if, by some horrific fate, these tigers seeded in killing his mate¡­ he would make certain they paid with theirst breath.


    I¡¯ming, Harth. I¡¯ming.


    Don¡¯t move, beautiful¡­ just keep breathing. I¡¯m almost there.


    The broken screams of dying men sounded from above them on the mountainside above them reached his lion-ears, and his heart lifted as he tore down the trail, Zev right on his heels.


    He slid around the final corner of the trail, the weight of his lion almost pulling him over the edge of the drop. But he made the turn and dove into the camp, a deluge of wolves pouring from over the side of the trail, down over the steep, shale sides of the mountain like a waterfall of death.


    Together, as if of one mind, Chimera and Anima descended on the camp full mostly of Tigers, but a few others as well. They¡¯d all been warned by the horn and turned for weapons.


    But they¡¯d only had seconds.


    Now they were all going to die.

 Chapter 245 - 245 War is Never Won

    245 War is Never Won


    ~ TARKYN ~


    Battle never ceases to be ugly. There was no world in which a male could live that war would not be little more than wanton destruction. But despite his grief for the necessity of war, it was with fierce satisfaction that Tarkyn observed that these fucking Tigers weren¡¯t prepared.


    They had arrogantly¡ªand almost rightly¡ªbelieved no one would expect them to quarter themselves so close to their chosen enemy. Full of their own cleverness, and likely lulled into a false sense of security by the bears who were powerful in a fight, they¡¯d let themselves believe they wouldn¡¯t be touched.


    Pridees before a fall.


    Or, perhaps, arrogancees before the pack.


    While they¡¯d intended to fight, it was soon clear that the Tigers weren¡¯t ustomed to fighting in numbers.


    Tarkyn understood on the face of it at least. While wolves, and to a certain degree lions, hunted and fought in packs and prides, Zev had exined while they prepared and waited for word from the scouts that the Tigers were solitary animals. ustomed to making unteral decisions, and receiving servitude from those weaker, the tigers had always relied on their sheer strength to win in a fight.


    For that reason, a single tiger could often win a one-on-one challenge. Their dominance in hierarchy wasn¡¯t disputed.


    But the Tigers had never been to war.


    .....


    They¡¯d had no training in how to meet an enemy that darted and dodged, distracted, and supported itself. They¡¯d never learned to meet a coordinated attack¡ªonly a fight.


    They were overwhelmed.


    Thanks to Harth¡¯sst, desperate sending, Tarkyn had known exactly where she and Sasha were positioned in the camp¡ªit was why he¡¯d insisted on running all the way to the end of the trail anding down that final hillside. The moment he¡¯d taken thatst corner, he¡¯d seen the trees and spaces and recognized the fading images from Harth. With Zev on his heels, he raced towards the trees where they were both tied, slumped, and Harth stinking of blood in a way that turned Tarkyn¡¯s stomach.


    But he was a soldier¡­ he knew. You couldn¡¯t save anyone else until you¡¯d fought the enemy off yourself. So, as the wolves poured over the edge of the trail above and flowed into camp, Tarkyn quickly positioned himself in front of his mate and crouched, turning, teeth bared and roaring, defying any enemy toe for him.


    Ande they did.


    But there was nothing they could do. There was no anger or intention in Creation that could meet his love for his mate, or his determination to save her.


    He fought as he had never fought before, barely feeling his beast¡¯s presence, almost fully-himself in the massive lion¡¯s body as the tigers came for them.


    Lion wsid ribs open to the bone and tore limbs loose from those stupid enough to keep human-form. Lion jaws broke tiger spines and tore out throats. Lion roars echoed across the mountain and called allies to arms¡­ Or fangs, as the case may be.


    For minutes, he held no thought except the next target, the next threat to his love. But it was a bloodbath¡ªeven in the midst of the fight he could see it was clear that the Tigers were outnumbered, overpowered, and outwitted.


    He might have felt the joy of that, might have let his heart sing even while he still fought, except he knew his mate was slowly fading behind him.


    He had to clear the path to get her out of here safely. And so, he did.


    Lions and wolves, Ibex and owls, good hearts, strong bodies, and minds fought for life, not death, flowed like a tidal wave over the encampment.


    Noble predators were unleashed and malicious predators brought death.


    And right alongside him, the wolf fought just as determinedly for his mate.


    Zev was magnificent. He would have stolen Tarkyn¡¯s breath.


    Just feet away from Tarkyn, the male was a blur of speed and strength, shing teeth, and silent rage. He slipped forms between wolf and man with ease, first using teeth to tear out throats, and in a blink, hands to snap spines. Zev moved so quickly it felt to Tarkyn as if the eye never truly followed him. Zev set to the task of killing tigers with the speed and efficiency of a master.


    A small, humble voice in the back of Tarkyn¡¯s head expressed relief that he¡¯d never been the target of that rage¡ªnot entirely. And prayed that he never would be.


    Under different circumstances, Tarkyn might have been breathless in the face of that¡ªeven intimidated. But he could only find relief. Praise. Gratitude. Because Zev was unleashed, but not uncontrolled.


    The wolf didn¡¯t give in to bloodlust¡ªhe wasn¡¯t killing for the joy of it. He was devouring an enemy.


    It was clear in the wolf¡¯s quick, efficient movements, in the darting of his eyes, and the careful positioning of his body¡­ he knew exactly who his enemy was, and kept his lethal focus on them.


    And the moment¡­ the very moment thest of the tigers fell into the dirt, his throat torn out and spilling his lifeblood to feed the trees, Zev stopped.


    Like a candle blown out, his wolf disappeared, leaving the heaving man in its wake.


    It was a bloodbath. A battle that passed so quickly, Tarkyn felt as if he blinked through killing, and suddenly the only sounds left were howls of triumph, and the moans of those being allowed to die slowly.


    A second after Zev returned to human form, his chest heaving and body still poised for attack, he caught eyes with Tarkyn.


    There was a moment then¡ªa sharing of relief and respect, when both of them knew and understood the other¡¯s strength. But it passed in a blink, because they were both scanning the space around them to make utterly certain they had victory.


    Tarkyn and Zev both, looking carefully, scenting the air, made certain that no more enemies were to be found, before each of them turned and rushed to their mate¡¯s sides.

 Chapter 246 - 246 Stay with Me – Part 1

    246 Stay with Me ¨C Part ~ TARKYN ~


    ¡°Harth¡­ Harth¡­ please, baby¡­ please.¡±


    He¡¯d rushed to her side, tearing at the bonds that tied her arms behind her lower back, and her stomach to the tree. But when he removed them, she only rolled forward, face-nting in the dirt.


    ¡°Harth!¡±


    Blood seeped in a huge patch down her back and side, making her linen shirt stick to her skin in horrific, almost ck ripples, while her face was so pale. A quick check confirmed she was still breathing, but her heartbeat was light and too fast. Shit.


    No.


    NO.


    ¡°Harth!¡± He was frantic, but didn¡¯t allow himself to think, only react.


    He was a soldier. He knew how to staunch a wound. But the positioning of this one didn¡¯t lend itself to a tourniquet, so heid her out on the ground on her left side, thankful that the arrow had entered her right shoulder. Positioning her arms and leg so that she wouldn¡¯t roll, he ripped off her shirt and balled it up to press to the wound, using pressure from his other hand to give resistance on the other side.


    .....


    ¡°Get a healer here! NOW!¡± he roared, his voice echoing up the mountain.


    ¡°Tark.¡± The voice was quiet and sharp. ¡°Enough announcing to the WildWood where we are. We still don¡¯t know how close the bears are.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t give a flying fuck. Get one of the hares back to the healers, fly one up here¡ªwhatever it takes¡ª¡±


    He hadn¡¯t even finished the sentence when an owl dropped from the sky, shifting to human form when she was still a few feet from the ground, butnding lightly, running to his side with a small bag.


    Tarkyn had shifted so swiftly, he didn¡¯t even have the basics on his belt. He almost wept when the woman dumped the bag at his side. ¡°The healers are already on their way¡ªwe¡¯re letting them know that the battle was a decisive victory. They can triage here. One of them gave me this¡ªsaid the powder will¡ª¡±


    But Tarkyn was already tearing the straps off one of the little leather packets with his teeth, spitting it out and pulling back the balled up shirt only long enough to pour the powder over the wound, praying he was close enough.


    ¡°How long?¡±


    ¡°Until what?¡±


    ¡°How long until the healers get her?¡±


    The woman bit her lip. ¡°Ten minutes if they¡¯re flown. Perhaps a few more¡ªwe were waiting to make certain¡ª¡±


    ¡®Stay with me, Harth. Please¡­ please¡­¡¯ Tarkyn pleaded, pressing with all his strength on her shoulder. It was a prayer and a mantra, reaching for her in his mind, desperate.


    He could feel her there, a presence. Like the air shift in a room when someone moved. But she wasn¡¯t responding¡ªnot even in pain. And she was so pale. Her hands were cold.


    This wasn¡¯t supposed to happen! He was the soldier! He was the fighter! If either of them came out of this day in danger, it was supposed to be him!


    His mate was dying. He could feel it. Like the me on amp where the oil grew low, slowly, dimming. So slowly you didn¡¯t notice for a minute or two, but then suddenly¡­


    ¡°What happens to Chimera when their lives are fading¡ªcan they shift? Or are their beasts lost to them?¡±


    ¡°I¡ªwhat?¡± the woman asked.


    ¡°TELL ME! Chimera who are dying¡ªdo they shift? Can they shift?¡±


    The woman blinked, then shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ I don¡¯t think so. It takes effort to shift. If we¡¯re weak¡­ no. No, I¡¯ve never seen a dying Chimera shift,¡± she said, licking her lips, her eyes darting to Harth¡¯s pale face, then back to his. ¡°What can I do to help you?¡±


    ¡°Go through the jars¡ªare any of them a bright, light green?¡± he asked quickly, ignoring the ping of rm in his own chest.


    Anima didn¡¯t shift when they were close to death. Couldn¡¯t. They lost connection with their beast¡ªwho was not themselves in a different form, but another entity somehow connected. It was as if, as the soul began to fade, so did the connection with the beast the Creator had given them.


    Tarkyn had always found itforting, knowing there was no risk he, or anyone he loved, would be lost like a Silent One, stuck in their beast.


    But the reality was, their beasts were stronger. Faster at healing. Better at anything physical. If he could force Harth to shift he might help her body survive longer, until the healers could reach her.


    Of course, taxing her body might kill her too.


    The owl hurried to sift through the little bottles and jars she¡¯d dumped out for him, then picked one up and held it to the light.


    ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± Tarkyn said, his voice a low rasp. ¡°Is there is a measuring spoon?¡±


    The female dug around and came up with one, and Tarkyn was faced with a choice.


    The tonic was one that would force the shift. It had been discovered by the wolves and used by them for years before the rest of the Anima learned about it after the war.


    But would it work on a Chimera whose shift was different?


    And if it did¡­ would it kill her?


    ¡°Harth¡­ love¡­ please¡­ I need to know¡­¡± he whispered, leaning over her.


    ¡°Do you want me to¡ª¡±


    ¡°Just give me a damn second!¡± he barked, then shook his head. He was losing control. That wasn¡¯t going to help her.


    So he closed his eyes and prayed. Prayed for her safety. Prayed for his wisdom. And prayed for forgiveness, because he feared if she died¡­ he wanted to go with her, no matter what the Creator thought.


    Shaking off the dark thoughts, he cleared his throat and opened his eyes, staring at her.


    What to do?


    He didn¡¯t know what to do. And every second he took to make the decision was another second weaker.


    He blinked. This was war. Battle.


    The fighter won. The stronger will won. Waiting and defending only served the weak.


    Taking a deep breath and praying as fervently as he ever had, he gave his instructions to the owl with a shaking voice.


    ¡°Turn her head up so that it won¡¯t slide out of her mouth,¡± he said quickly, his voice t and emotionless. The woman hurriedly sat, putting her thigh next to Harth¡¯s head so she could rest her cheek against it.


    ¡°She needs onerge spoonful, but¡­ trickle it into her mouth. Let her swallow naturally as it gathers on her tongue. Don¡¯t put it into her throat, do you understand?¡±


    The woman nodded, her eyes wide.


    Tarkyn was suddenly aware of a gathering crowd¡ªwolves mostly, but a few of the others as well, all standing near, watching.


    For a moment he wanted to tell them all to leave, to stop watching his mate die! But he knew enough of the wolves to know this was how the pack functioned.


    Everything together.


    It was part of why Harth had so struggled with being torn from her people.


    The woman measured out the spoonful with shaking hands, so slowly that Tarkyn almost shouted at her again, but he kept the pressure on Harth¡¯s wound and waited, teeth gritted, as the woman positioned Harth¡¯s jaw, then began to trickle the tonic onto her tongue.


    At first, nothing happened and Tarkyn¡¯s heart sank. Harth¡¯s throat didn¡¯t even bob.


    But then suddenly, she swallowed convulsively, then coughed¡ªhe thanked the Creator it hadn¡¯t happened the other way around. Harth¡¯s hand iled up from the ground, connecting with his thigh, then dropping again, toy on his foot.


    ¡°Harth¡­ love¡­¡± he whispered. ¡°I¡¯m here. Stay with me, baby. Stay with m¡ª¡±


    She shuddered, then shifted, what was left of her clothing tearing off, her wolf¡¯s paws paddling once, and a high whine piercing the air¡­ then she sighed and justy still.


    For a heart-breaking second, Tarkyn heard nothing. No heartbeat. No breathing. Nothing.


    ¡°Harth!¡± The word was an Alphamand¡ªarrogance at its highest, it demanded that she breathe. That she live.


    And then he heard it¡­ the thrub, thrub, thrub of her heart¡ªstill weak and pale, but stronger than it had been in her human form.


    And her chest began to rise and fall much more steadily than it had seconds earlier.


    Thank God. Thank the Creator. Thank Him¡­ Tarkyn leaned over her, curling his arm around her precious face, burying himself in her ruff for a moment.


    He still held the bundled shirt to her wolf¡¯s shoulder, he wouldn¡¯t let that pressure off¡­ but his heart¡­ his heart had lightened, just a hair.


    And then an eerie, mournful howl rose from behind him¡ªjoined immediately by dozens of others.


    The wolves were howling for her, calling her back. Offering their strength.


    Tarkyn let her fur absorb his tears as he swallowed and swallowed to regain control. And then, while they waited for the healer to show up, he murmured in her head.


    He wasn¡¯t sure if she could hear him¡ªshe still wasn¡¯t responding. But if she caught any of it, he would make sure she knew.


    I love you, beautiful.


    You are my heart.


    I am yours.


    Never leave me. Ever. Stay with me, love. Stay with me, mate. I love you.


    I love you.


    I love you.


    Forever.

 Chapter 247 - 247 Stay with Me – Part 2

    247 Stay with Me ¨C Part ~ ZEV ~


    Zev slid to Sasha¡¯s side the moment he was certain the enemy was finished¡ªdead, or dying, all of them. And he was d.


    But Sasha¡­ his dear Sasha¡­ his beautiful mate. She¡¯d been silent in his head since the night before. As he rushed to her, tearing at the bonds that kept her upright, tied to the tree, he cursed, growling as if the leather straps were enemies of their own.


    When he finally freed her, she slumped forward, but he leaped to catch her and pull her head up, cradling her upper body.


    ¡°Sasha, Sasha¡­ babe¡­ wake up.¡± He patted her cheek and ran his hand through her hair, checked her breathing and her pulse. Both seemed normal. She was a little pale, butpletely unresponsive.


    Drugged.


    He shoved his face into hers, inhaling her breath. He didn¡¯t know what he was smelling, but it was something with a bite. Something¡­ not normal.


    ¡®Sasha, please¡­ please¡­e back to me, babe. I¡¯m here. I¡¯m here. Zan is safe and I came for you. Please¡­¡¯


    Her head lolled against his arm, and his vision blurred.


    .....


    How could he have cut her off like thatst night? What if thest word he spoke to her was in anger¡ªwhat if herst memory of him was him cold and unwilling to listen. Unforgiving?


    What if she thought he wouldn¡¯t forgive her?


    Regret, thick and sticky as tar, coated his throat, his chest, his lungs.


    He was sitting in the dirt with his mate in his arms¡ªhis mate who was only taken because she was so desperately searching for him, believing him to have run with their son and¡­


    God, he¡¯d been such a fool. Why hadn¡¯t he been able to see it? Why had he been so blind.


    ¡°I get it, now, Sasha. I promise. I see it. I talked¡­ I talked to Elreth. Twice. And we¡­ we found what we have inmon. I¡­ I forgave her. I was always going to. I mean, not always¡ªbut I saw itst night when you said that. I did. I just¡­ I needed some time to ept it. I promise, babe¡­ please¡­ please hear me. Please wake up. Please.¡±


    He continued, whispering to her, exining everything that had happened. All the ways he¡¯d been afraid. All the ways he¡¯d felt like if anyone touched him¡ªeven her¡ªhe might explode. All the ways he¡¯d been protecting his heart and mind¡­ and all the ways he¡¯d been blind.


    ¡°We did this together. We beat them, Sash. You¡¯re going to be so proud when you see it.¡±


    A young male trotted up to him then and for a moment Zev didn¡¯t recognize him. He held Sasha to his chest more tightly, growling at the unexpected approach.


    But the male¡ªan owl, Zev remembered¡ªjust lifted his hands to show him a small leather satchel in them. ¡°This was sent by the healers. Just in case. Things to help. If there¡¯s any wounds or¡­ There¡¯s smelling salts in there. You could try them. We¡¯re flying the healers up now. They¡¯ll be here in a few minutes.¡±


    Then he backed off, leaving the satchel on the dirt in reach for Zev, who reached for it with his free arm, digging through it until he found the smelling salts and popped the cap off the little ss bottle, waving it under her nose.


    Sasha twitched and murmured his name¡ªwhich made his heart squeeze¡ªbut she didn¡¯t open her eyes. And the moment he removed the terrible smell, she rxed in his arms again.


    Drugged.


    She was drugged. She couldn¡¯t wake up.


    Then the wolves started howling. For Sasha or Harth¡ªor both¡ªhe didn¡¯t know. But his heart rose with their mournful cries. Tears blurred his vision, but he just sat there, holding her, shaking his head and reaching for her through the link.


    ¡®Please, Sasha. Please¡­ Stay with me.¡¯


    As the howls rose in the cool air, he was taken back, through everything they¡¯d endured. Through her fear and weakness¡­ through her strength. Through the smiles, the love, the unwavering loyalty. All the ways she¡¯d chosen him again and again¡­ and all the ways she¡¯d chosen his people.


    His people who now chose her.


    Then he lifted his chin and howled with them, honoring his Alpha, praying that she was only resting, not taken from them.


    And when, a few minutester, the healers arrived, one rushing to Harth, another to Sasha, and a third flitting through the ranks to see any injuries, he could breathe a little easier.


    The healer had himy Sasha on her side on the ground, then checked all her vitals.


    ¡°She¡¯s asleep. Drugged. I haven¡¯t found any injuries yet. Did you?¡±


    Zev shook his head, still stroking Sasha¡¯s hair as he hovered over her, unwilling to be parted.


    The healer did as he¡¯d done and leaned in to smell her breath, then sat back, frowning.


    ¡°Do you know what it is?¡±


    The male nodded. ¡°What I¡¯m not certain about is the antidote.¡±


    Then he got to his feet and pped his hands at the gathered wolves. ¡°Search the tents. Bring me any bottled liquids or herbs you find. Now.¡±


    A dozen wolves rushed away to search the tents and campsites and Zev prayed.


    He prayed harder than he ever had before.


    Over the next thirty minutes, as Tarkyn and Harth were flown away by the owls¡ªthe female still in her wolf form, oddly¡ªwolf after wolf trotted up toy a bottle or bag at the feet of the healer, who was sorting through them, uncorking bottles, sniffing them, and grimacing, or dipping a finger into the liquid¡ªor ground herbs.


    Finally he turned. ¡°I think this is it. And if I¡¯m right¡­ she wille awake naturally, but it could take some time. I don¡¯t have to give her this. We could wait to see¡­ just in case.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the risk?¡± he asked, his voice so t it was almost dead.


    The healer looked at the bottle. ¡°It¡¯s unlikely to be dangerous¡­ but there is some risk they¡¯ve used apound I¡¯m not familiar with, and this could¡­ interact.¡±


    Zev knew that word. It was something the humans used to use during their experiments. Medications. Sometimes they were harmless alone, but toxic together.


    ¡°And if we don¡¯t use it?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I believe she¡¯ll wake up in a couple of hours. If she¡¯s been given what this would be the antidote for, she¡¯d sleep for twelve hours or more, then wake slowly. She won¡¯t be herself for several hours.¡±


    Zev bit his lip, but he knew. He knew it wasn¡¯t worth the risk. ¡°You¡¯re sure she isn¡¯t harmed?¡±


    ¡°Her signs are all good¡ªheart, pulse, her skin, her nails aren¡¯t pale¡­ I really do think she¡¯s just asleep, not harmed. But¡­ I mean, I can¡¯t be certain. I can say that I could continue to watch her and warn you if there are any¡­ bad signs.¡±


    Zev sighed heavily, then looked down at his mate, wing a hand through his hair. ¡°Let¡¯s transport her asleep. Can you stay with us though? Please. If she starts to wake up, or there¡¯s any problems, I want to know the second you do.¡±


    The healer nodded and smiled, then pped Zev on the back. ¡°Absolutely.¡±


    It wasn¡¯tforting, but Zev understood that it was well-intended.


    So he prayed¡­ As they bundled her up in a canvas sling so the owls could transport her down to the Tree City where it had been determined they would take the hurt, because the healing center there had so much more avable.


    There was a tense moment when Zev thought they were going to make him travel on foot¡ªwhich meant she¡¯d be without him for hours. But in the end, there were enough owls to transport them both.


    Zev only had to endure thirty minutes of flying without being right alongside her¡ªonly two could fit in the sling, so the healer had to go with her to make certain she wasn¡¯t in danger.


    When theynded, Zev stumbled out of his sling and straight to hers, where the healer was just getting to his feet, smiling.


    ¡°Her eyelids fluttered while we werending. It could be another hour or two, but I think she¡¯lle out of it soon.¡±


    Zev groaned with relief and gathered her up into his arms, insisting on carrying her himself.


    And as she slumped, her face against his shoulder, her legs dangling over his arm, he held her so tightly¡­ so tightly as he walked her through the trees and down the trail towards the healing center, where he was assured Zan was already safely ensconced.


    Two hourster, when Sasha finally opened her eyes and was able to focus, it was both Zev and Zan who greeted her.


    She blinked as if she wasn¡¯t quite sure why she was smiling.


    ¡°Sash?¡± Zev whispered hopefully. ¡°Can you hear me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡­¡± she looked confused and turned her head, then frowned. ¡°Where am I?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re at the healing center. The Tree City,¡± he said quietly.


    She turned back, still blinking and squinting against the light, to eye him. Then she saw Zan in his arms, and she smiled. ¡°Hello, baby.¡±


    Zan was still sleeping, but Zev pulled his swaddle back so his chubby face was visible, thenid him in the crook of her arm.


    Sasha sighed and rolled onto her side, looking down at her son, then up at Zev, then back at Zan.


    ¡°Are you¡­?¡± she asked, but trailed off, as if she wasn¡¯t sure what she was asking.


    ¡°I forgave her and she forgave me,¡± Zev said, his voice choked and breathless.


    Sasha¡¯s eyes went wide and snapped up to meet his.


    ¡°And Sasha¡­ please¡­ Can you¡­ Can you forgive me too?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ what?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry I pulled away. I¡¯m sorry I stayed in that ce and didn¡¯t listen and¡­ all of it. I¡¯m sorry I made it worse instead of better. Please¡­ forgive me?¡±


    ¡°Zev!¡± she cried, reaching for him.


    He leaned over, burying his face in her neck, holding both her and Zan together, inhaling her scent and thanking God for her as she sobbed in his ear.


    ¡°Of course,¡± she whispered, stroking his hair and kissing his cheek. ¡°I love you, Zev. I love you. I¡¯m so sorry this has been so hard.¡±


    He broke then. She was well. She was awake. And she was immediately thinking of him.


    He didn¡¯t deserve it. But¡­ God, he loved her so much.


    She gave a little sob of her own, and her arm tightened around him. But then Zan, smothered by his parents¡¯ hugs, gave a little squawk of indignation, and they both eased back a little to quiet him.


    When he was settling back into sleep, Zev stroked her hair and held her eyes, and thanked God that she was still there. ¡°Sasha¡­ I love you, Sash. I love you more than my life.¡±


    When she spoke, it was with a small huff ofughter. ¡°I know, Zev. I know. I love you, too.¡±

 Chapter 248 - 248 Stay With Me - Part 3

    248 Stay With Me ¨C Part ~ HARTH ~


    The first time Harth came awake the room was so dark, she wasn¡¯t sure where she was. She tried to sit up, but pain ricocheted through her body and she gasped.


    ¡°Harth! Harth! Love, don¡¯t move.¡± Tarkyn¡¯s voice was ragged and desperate, his hands immediately appearing on her arm, pressing her down into the furs¡ªbut even that small movement hurt and she struggled to breathe.


    ¡°What¡ªwhere am I? Why can¡¯t I see¡ª¡±


    All at once the lights came on¡ªthere¡¯d been something over her eyes and he removed it, pulling back whatever scarf he¡¯d used, leaning over her, his face lined with worry, his eyes deeply shadowed and¡­ haunted.


    Hunted.


    Harth gazed on her mate, her pounding heart suddenly easing because he was there. but Tarkyn was still tense. He checked her pulse and searched her gaze, then called quietly over his shoulder for someone behind him toe, then turned back to her, stroking her hair back from her face. ¡°Don¡¯t move. You were hurt, Harth. Badly. Very badly. You almost¡­ we almost lost you. But you¡¯re here, thank the Creator that you¡¯re here.¡±


    There was an ufortable several minutes where Harth was poked and prodded by several healers¡ªthough mostly Jayah, who also looked very tired, but wearily happy¡ªand then finally, it seemed they were all satisfied.


    Finally, the others left, leaving themps on low, and it was only Tarkyn, kneeling next to the bed, holding her hand and stroking her hair.


    .....


    They were in his tree, she realized. How odd.


    ¡°We¡¯re at your house?¡±


    ¡°Our home,¡± he corrected gently. ¡°I believe everyone heals better at home. And¡­ I didn¡¯t want to be disturbed with you. If¡­ if this was going to be a journey¡­ I wanted you here.¡±


    She blinked, swallowing, as she realized what he¡¯d meant.


    If she was going to die, he¡¯d wanted her to do it at his home¡ªtheir home¡ªnot at the healing center, or somewhere else.


    Dear God, his strength.


    There was a long moment when they just stared at each other. Then she finally spoke.


    ¡°You¡¯re safe,¡± she said simply. She wanted to reach for him, but whenever she moved, even the slightest bit, her entire body lit up in fire that started in her shoulder and burned through the rest of her in a blink.


    He nodded. ¡°I came for you, Harth. I would have died rather than lost you to them¡ªand they knew it. They weren¡¯t getting through me. Not one.¡±


    She smiled. ¡°I love you.¡±


    ¡°I love you too.¡± He gave a small smile, but his eyes still looked haunted.


    ¡°What is it?¡± she asked, her heart beginning to beat faster. Something was making him sad. They weren¡¯t the only ones who¡¯d faced enemies.


    ¡°Things from the west have been¡­ silent so far. We haven¡¯t yet heard whether¡­ whether they defeated the bears to bring back Rika.¡±


    Harth closed her eyes for a moment and just felt the sadness that washed over her. Why couldn¡¯t anything be simple? Pleasant! Why couldn¡¯t they have just one win? Then she opened her eyes and saw her mate, healthy, strong, and safe¡­ and realized they did. They had a lot of wins.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± she asked him quietly.


    ¡°I told you, I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m wasn¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°Are you okay in your heart?¡±


    Tarkyn broke off. Then looked down, his fingers tightening on hers. ¡°Elreth is¡­ beside herself. Afraid that¡­ that her brother¡­ after she lost the rest of her family¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh no.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s way too early to give up hope. We¡¯re just¡­ there¡¯s been no messages, and no sending from the wolves. It¡¯s possible they¡¯re out of range, but we sent the hares with them for that purpose. So everyone is¡­ very tense.¡±


    Harth understood. When they¡¯d first arrived in Anima, they had all been somewhat scattered. It had taken days to be even partly sure who had made it. There were still missing faces among the Chimeran ns. The hardest part was not knowing if they¡¯d made it to Anima, but just to a different part of thend and were living happily and healthily¡­ or if they¡¯d been caught. Or if they¡¯d been taken to some strange world that wasn¡¯t safe¡­


    There was no way to know. Only trust in the Creator tofort them.


    But this? Knowing that people had gone to battle and now were silent? Harth felt sick.


    ¡°I¡¯m so d you¡¯re safe,¡± she whispered. ¡°I know it¡¯s selfish. But I¡¯m so d.¡±


    He nodded, his brows pinched together and eyes shining. ¡°Me too,¡± he murmured, then dropped his forehead to their sped hands. ¡°I¡¯ve never been so frightened in my life, Harth. I almost lost you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here. I¡¯m safe. I¡¯ll get better. I can feel it. I can feel that I¡¯m healing,¡± she said in an attempt to soothe him.


    But when he lifted his head, his eyes were red and shining, tears welling over hisshes. ¡°Harth I was¡­ I was not in a good ce when I thought I¡¯d lose you.¡±


    She swallowed, moved by his emotion. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be either, if I thought you were¡ª¡±


    ¡°I begged him to take me too if He was taking you. I begged him to make the bond Ardent, or whatever it is¡ªso that I¡¯d go too, if you died.¡±


    ¡°Tarkyn¡­ don¡¯t do that.¡±


    ¡°I wanted that. I couldn¡¯t imagine¡ª¡±


    ¡°This is your home! People love you here. They need you¡ªmy people need you too!¡±


    He sucked in a deep breath. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s one good thing that¡¯se out of this.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°True unity¡ªAnima and Chimera. Zev and I¡­ we fought alongside each other. The male is¡ª¡±


    ¡°Is Sasha okay?¡± Harth gasped, suddenly remembering.


    Tarkyn nodded. ¡°She was drugged. But she¡¯s over at the healing center, resting, and getting angry with them for keeping her there. She says she¡¯s uninjured. Just angry.¡± He finally smiled. ¡°And Zev is¡­ doting. Completely unconcerned about anything but her and their son. He¡¯s¡­ he¡¯s a different male, Harth.¡±


    ¡°Oh, good,¡± Harth said, smiling. ¡°I¡¯m d everyone will get to see the real heart inside him now.¡±


    Tarkyn shook his head, like he marveled at her. Then he reached up to cup her face, stroking her cheek with his hand. ¡°My Harth. My heart. You are¡­ the heart that beats for me, now, Harth. Please¡­ stay here. Forever. Don¡¯t ever leave me.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± she said immediately. ¡°And also¡ªditto.¡±


    Tarkyn frowned. ¡°Ditto? Is that a human word?¡±


    Harth snorted, but the contraction of muscles hurt so badly, so she groaned. There was a moment that she simplyy there breathing, while Tarkyn stroked her hair and prayed quietly. But when the worst of it had passed, she opened her eyes again to meet his.


    ¡°Ditto means the same. Whatever you said, I say. Whatever you do, I do. However you love, I love¡­ Ditto.¡±


    ¡°Ditto.¡±


    ¡°Ditto.¡±


    He smiled, then his eyes got thoughtful. ¡°Would that be a good name for our son?¡±


    Harth spluttered again, then grimaced against the pain. ¡°No, Tarkyn,¡± she wheezed finally. ¡°Ditto is not a good name for our future child.¡±


    Then she opened her eyes, about to tease him for how silly it sounded, but found him staring at her intently.


    She blinked. ¡°What? What is it?¡±


    He tightened his grip on her hand. ¡°You were given a blood transfer,¡± he whispered. ¡°A process the Anima have done in times of extreme injury for a long time¡ªdon¡¯t worry, it¡¯s perfectly safe. And we used a Chimeran wolf just to be sure we weren¡¯t giving you anything that might change you further.¡±


    ¡°A blood transfusion? You can do that here?¡±


    Tarkyn shrugged. ¡°It isn¡¯t easy, but yes. And you were¡­ you lost a lot of blood, Harth. They had to. Especially after¡­ after they figured out¡­¡± he blew out a breath and looked down, a strange expression on his face.


    ¡°Tarkyn, what¡¯s going on?!¡±


    He lifted his eyes, and they were red and bloodshot again, shining. But he was smiling. ¡°When they were helping you, one of the healers¡­ she noticed a shift in your scent. Too subtle even for me to pick up, but she swears it¡¯s there.¡±


    Harth¡¯s heart stopped. ¡°I¡­ what are you saying, Tarkyn?¡±


    He kissed her knuckles. ¡°Your son¡ªor daughter¡ªmay not be too distantly future, Harth. You¡¯re¡­ you¡¯re going to have a baby. They were worried at first that you¡¯d lost too much blood. But you were in your wolf. And after they gave you more¡­ so far everything seems okay. So far¡­ so far we¡¯re hopeful.¡±


    Harth sucked in such a breath, it hurt and her body froze. So she spoke through the bond because she couldn¡¯t wait.


    ¡®You¡¯re serious? You¡¯re truly serious? We¡¯re going to have a baby?¡±


    He beamed at her, stroking her face. ¡°I am so disgustingly happy to say yes, Harth. Yes. We¡¯re going to have a baby.¡±


    He leaned over her then, gathering her in so very carefully, trying desperately not to disturb her wound.


    He did, of course. She had to hold her breath until he¡¯d put his arm around her and buried his fingers in her hair, pressed his nose under her jaw, and whispered his love. She couldn¡¯t breathe for a short time, because of the pain. But then it was a battle not to weep with joy¡ªbecause the hitching of sobs would hurt too much too. So she swallowed and swallowed, and clung to him, thanking God that they¡¯d made it. That her mate was still here, and her people were at peace.


    No matter what else happened, that was something she would always, always be truly grateful for.

 Chapter 249 - 249 Prodigal Son Returns

    249 Prodigal Son Returns


    If you like music while you read, try ¡°We¡¯ll All Be Alright¡± by AG and Amy Stroup. It¡¯s what I was listening to while writing this chapter!


    *****


    ~ TARKYN ~


    Three days. Three days before they had news of those who¡¯d gone to face the bears. It had been a horrific, tense time of increased grieving. Because if their friends were safe, why weren¡¯t they hearing anything?


    But finally, finally the first hare arrived, buoyant, but exhausted.


    They were safe. They were all safe. They had defeated the zealot bears¡ªa faction of the Tribe who¡¯d abandoned the rest and were pursuing a startling mission to cleanse Anima of anything or anyone associated with the human world. And they had, indeed, been joined by some of the tigers and a handful of other disgruntled Chimera.


    But they were routed. Utterly destroyed.


    What the messenger didn¡¯t tell them was why it had taken so long for anyone to return¡ªeven a messenger.


    The first hare spoke of Gar¡¯s need to exin.


    .....


    And so, they waited.


    Harth was still very weary, but now out of bed and walking. The blood transfer¡ªa transfusion, Harth called it, though Tarkyn couldn¡¯t understand why all those extra sybles were needed¡ªalong with spending several hours each day in her wolf, was helping her heal quickly. And so far¡­ so far their babe had held on. So far, everything seemed healthy. But it was still so soon¡­


    They would have to wait and see. But all signs so far were good, ording to the healers.


    Tarkyn was in the market, watching Harth for signs that she needed to return to their Tree¡ªwhen the Bear beaters returned.


    There was a murmur of excitement just outside the market, audible because the market only had half-walls. And when everyone looked up¡ªTarkyn and Harth joining Elreth and Aaryn, Zev and Sasha at the head table on stage¡ªit was to find Gar walking in, face beaming, his arms full of a pale, but smiling Rika.


    Kyelle, who¡¯d been among those who helped Tarkyn and Zev in the north, literally shifted in her seat below them and flew through the market, to drop to the ground outside with a cry of joy.


    Lhars was also safe.


    Elreth leaped from her seat too, though she stayed in human form, running from the stage and through the aisles, tears in her eyes, to throw her arms around her massive brother¡ªwho¡¯d only just enough time to settle Rika down before turning to catch her.


    The two sped each other so tightly, and Gar buried his face in her neck, murmuring something they couldn¡¯t hear over the hubbub, but Tarkyn thought that was just right.


    She¡¯d been so terrified. And trying so hard not to show it. But he¡¯d seen the looks sh between her and Aaryn whenever talk of the others came up.


    She¡¯d thought she¡¯d lost thest of her family, and it had threatened to break her heart.


    He was so d, so d that the siblings were together again.


    At first, there was so much disruption, so much celebration, and so many questions, Tarkyn noticed nothing out of the ordinary. Only that there was a great crowd of people slowly entering the market, and it echoed with howls and calls of joy when families or tribes were reunited. The market, which was already much busier than usual now that the Chimera had joined them, some of whom were even talking of settling in the Tree City.


    Then when the siblings parted and Gar was carrying Rika towards the stage¡ªshe must have been injured since she didn¡¯t seem to be able to walk¡ªTarkyn saw the male who¡¯d warned them about the bears¡­ Pegg¡­ he approached from behind Gar, his clothing dirty and face haggard, leaning into Gar¡¯s ear and pointing back the way they¡¯de in.


    Gar nodded quickly and his face sobered.


    To Tarkyn¡¯s surprise, after he¡¯d settled Rika in a seat next to Harth, he turned to El and pulled her aside, to the back of the stage.


    The two spoke quickly and seriously for a moment, then Elreth¡¯s eyes widened.


    What had happened?


    Then Elreth looked back in the direction of the entrance they¡¯d used toe into the market and back at Gar, and he nodded.


    Elreth took a deep breath and then smiled and opened a hand, indicating that Gar should go first.


    Tarkyn was very curious when Gar stepped up to the table and raised his hands to get everyone¡¯s attention, then guards whistled for quiet.


    When the market had gone still¡ªstill many people standing in the entrance and all the way out to the trails outside, Gar finally dropped his hands. And then he spoke.


    ******


    ~ GAR ~


    ¡°Thank you, all of you, for your prayers and for your greeting. We are very, very d to be back.¡± He raised his voice, projecting as well as he could to ensure those outside would still hear him. His heart was hammering impossibly hard.


    He had been praying for this moment for two days, begging the Creator to let the people see. After everything they¡¯d been through¡­ please let them see.


    ¡°We are safe, and d to be home,¡± he said. ¡°But we do note alone. There are many, many stories to tell you about our travels and why we were dyed¡ªI apologize that you were worried for us. But the Creator brought us to¡­ the unexpected. So¡­ so I need to ask you all to listen very carefully, and to please stay very quiet.¡±


    He took a deep breath, looked down at Rika, who smiled up at him, her eyes shining, and took his hand to sp it. He hadn¡¯t been able to be away from her since he¡¯d found her again among those fucking mental bears. His heart still didn¡¯t believe she was safe. He cleared his throat and turned his attention back to the silent, gathered Anima and¡ªpleasantly surprising¡ªChimera who were there for the meal.


    ¡°We discovered a great deal while we were gone. And I promise we¡¯ll tell you the whole story, but the part that¡¯s important to know right now is that¡­ our people are connected in ways we didn¡¯t know or understand. Until now.


    He paused, and the entire market held its breath, waiting.


    ******


    I can¡¯t believe we¡¯re here. I can¡¯t believe it! THANK YOU for your support of this book, and me over the past five months. I can¡¯t believe we made it! I hope you love thesest couple chaptrs... and then I hope you REALLY enjoy our epilogues for the next few days. THANK YOU for being here with me. You bless my heart every day. Argh... here were goooooo

 Chapter 250 - 250 Victorious

    250 Victorious


    ADDED AFTER PUBLICATION SO YOU AREN¡¯T CHARGED:


    ** LAST CHANCE! ** If you are reading this in February, you are a Top Tier privilege reader and you have earned a copy of an UNPUBLISHED spin-off scene from this book. To receive you must do two things:


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    Your content contains spoilers so will be mailed in March after all thest chapters have published here on WN! THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT. You¡¯ve been incredible, and I am humbled.


    *****


    ~ GAR ~


    ¡°Here in Anima, until a year ago, there was a portion of our poption we called the disformed¡ªbecause they were unable to shift. They seemed¡­ different. But when we fought the humans and closed the portals to their world, the voices who¡¯d inhabited those evil spaces, the forces that had infected our people without our knowing, were killed. Eradicated.


    ¡°In the wake of their destruction, suddenly our disformed were revealed¡ªnot disformed at all. Protectors. Anima that God had given the gift of selfless protection. With the right will, and discipline, they could aid others in crossing between worlds safely, without risking infection by the voices.


    .....


    ¡°That was truly incredible. And I have been humbled and¡­ blessed to lead the Protectors as a tribe ever since. Protectors, I stand here as your Alpha and ask you to stand with me. Because this day we receive new tribe members.¡±


    Confused murmurs and gasps rippled around the market. Gar raised his hands again. ¡°Our friends¡ªour brothers¡ªthe Chimera¡­ they too have a people among them¡­ those who were unable to shift. Who appeared different. But we have learned¡­ we have learned that they are also Protectors. Like our Anima friends, they are not¡­ tainted. They are simply different. And since they came into ournd we know they are protectors¡­ because now they can shift.¡±


    The collective inhtion might have rippled his hair. But at least their faces were shocked rather than angry. He¡¯d worried.


    ¡°They were formerly called The Creatures. And it was believed they were human experiments gone wrong. But we learned¡­ when we defeated the bears who have taken such a pathological dislike to anyone or anything to do with the portals or voices or humans¡­ this group of bears were targeting the Creatures, because they¡¯d discovered their unique power, and feared them. Those bears are now dead. Their hideous legacy will go no further than this day. But something else does. Some good hase from this.


    ¡°Protectors¡­ please¡­ I ask you to stand and wee your new brothers. The Creatures will be sworn into our tribe one week from today. Because they have proven their hearts and strength, they have proven their discipline, and they have proven that the Creator gifted them uniquely. It¡¯s with great pride that I wee any one who wishes to join us, into the tribe of the Protectors.¡±


    And then, as the apuse, and the cries and calls of the Protectors rose to buffet the air of the Market, Gar threw his head back and roared. Rika wasughing-crying, and the Protectors rushed from their seats all over the market to find their new brothers¡ªfor they were all brothers.


    ¡°Eat my friends. Enjoy each other. Wee our new brothers and our Chimeran brothers and sisters. This day will go down in history!¡±


    A great cheer rose again, the relief of everyone who¡¯d been waiting for the bear-hunters to return, cascading into an outpouring of joy.


    *****


    ~ TARKYN ~


    Tarkyn might have thought that was the end of it¡ªbut after both Elreth and Zev had given speeches, recognizing the unification of their peoples, and the peace that would now reign¡ªpermanently¡ªbetween them, Gar continued to whisper with Rika and get strange looks¡ªsome impossible mix of disbelief,ugher, and shock¡ªfrom his sister.


    Finally, when things had settled down somewhat and the people were beginning to move the tables for dancing, and the musicians were warming up, Gar and Elreth huddled at the back of the stage again, Aaryn standing at El¡¯s shoulder.


    He caught Tarkyn watching and beckoned him over.


    Leaving Harth, urging her to stay seated since she was tiring, Tarkyn pushed out his chair and trotted over to join the others.


    ¡°¡­impossible! But¡­ you saw it?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no other exnation. Aaryn will tell you¡ªhe did it.¡±


    Elreth looked at her mate, but then saw Tarkyn join them and shook her head. ¡°You aren¡¯t going to believe this,¡± she said quietly, looking over his shoulder as if she was afraid someone would be eavesdropping. ¡°They really are Protectors. In the truest sense.¡±


    ¡°Because they can shift since they got here?¡± he asked, still confused.


    ¡°That too,¡± Gar said with a shrug. ¡°But that¡¯s not the only thing. That¡¯s not the reason the bears were freaking out.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ what is it?¡±


    Gar and Elreth nced at each other, then Gar turned to him. ¡°They can still cross. They can get through the portals to the human world¡ªand to Thana. That¡¯s where the second portal leads. Did you know that? The Chimera¡­ they were always only one portal away. We just didn¡¯t even know they were there.¡±


    Tarkyn¡¯s jaw dropped. Rika had proposed this¡ªor something like it. She¡¯d suggested that the Chimera who were here were¡­ descendants of anyone or anything the human scientists had been experimenting on when she¡¯de from their world. He¡¯d assumed she was probably right. But this?


    ¡°How can you be sure?¡±


    ¡°Pegg¡­ he¡¯s from Thana. No one had talked about the world in front of him, but he met some of the Creatures out there and one of them let it drop. Then on this trip¡­ the bears had caught a handful of Creatures returning to the WildWood. They¡¯d sensed the portal and gone to it¡ªknown its scent from Thana. A ce the humans had barred off for decades¡ªso they said.


    ¡°The bears caught the scent of the portal on them¡ªit doesn¡¯t even have voices anymore, stupid fuckers¡ªand they went crazy. This one Alpha leading the others¡ªthey were on a murder spree, trying to find any creature and remove them. Thinking they¡¯d brought the voices back.¡±


    Tarkyn shook his head. Was it really possible?


    But Gar just stood there, emphatic.


    ¡°So¡­ now?¡±


    ¡°Now they¡¯ll be one of us¡ªany of them that want it,¡± he said, an edge of warning in his voice. But he would get no argument from Tarkyn. Tarkyn was surprised, but pleased. If the Creatures all showed the strength and loyalty of Pegg, they would be a wee addition to the Anima¡­ or the Chimera. Whoever they chose, he supposed.


    ¡°Wait, wait¡­¡± he said, head spinning. ¡°This¡­ all of this¡­ You¡¯re saying they can still use the portals? Still get through to the human world?¡±


    Gar¡¯s face went serious. ¡°Yes. And now that they can shift into human form, they aren¡¯t even noticeable over there.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ but¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no voices anymore,¡± Aaryn said quietly from beside El. Tarkyn looked at him. He¡¯d known that Aaryn had made the trip since the portals were closed. But he¡¯d said they weren¡¯t going to be used again.


    Tarkyn looked at El. ¡°How do you feel about this?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to feel about this?¡±


    ¡°The humans can¡¯te through,¡± Gar said with a small growl. ¡°No one can even see or scent the portals except Protectors. And I¡¯ve been letting everyone assume they were closed to us now.¡±


    ¡°Everyone? Or everyone but the Protectors?¡± Elreth asked suspiciously.


    Gar scratched the back of his neck. ¡°Well¡­ speaking as a male who¡¯d heard rumors and might have gotten adventurous as a young male¡­ I thought it was important for the Protectors to know the truth so they weren¡¯t experimenting. But they all understand the importance,¡± he rushed on when Elreth looked livid. ¡°And no one has been going to them. So¡­¡±


    They all stood there, gaping at him.


    ¡°So? What are we going to do?¡± Tarkyn asked, his head spinning.


    They all looked at each other. Then finally, Elreth grabbed Aaryn¡¯s arm and smiled at her mate, holding him tightly, then took her brother¡¯s hand too. ¡°Tonight we¡¯re going to celebrate,¡± she said. ¡°And for the next little while we¡¯re going to be learning our new neighbors and friends and¡­ tribemates. And if or when it ever bes necessary¡­ then we¡¯ll talk about the Portals again. But for now¡­ for now, I¡¯m just thanking the Creator that we all got through this. So¡­ put it aside. We¡¯re here. We¡¯re safe. And the enemy is dead. That¡¯s enough.¡±


    ¡°Creator¡¯s Mane, yes,¡± Gar sighed. ¡°That is plenty. Can we please just live our lives now and forget about all this crap? Can we just be happy?¡±


    Tarkyn chuckled and pped his hand on Gar¡¯s back. But when he turned back to look at his mate, to find her eyes on him, concerned, but happy, he sighed.


    Yes¡­ Freedom. That¡¯s what they¡¯d been seeking. And now it looked as if it was within their grasp.


    Yes¡­ they could just be happy.


    He would do everything in his power to make certain that¡¯s all any of them ever were.


    *****


    THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE! I can¡¯t believe we made it! There¡¯s some fun epilogues toe, starting tomorrow. But If you¡¯re here, you must be in love with Anima as much as I am. So I want to invite you to a very special LIVE Author Q & A on this Sunday, 12 March at 1pm Pacific / 4pm Eastern! (That¡¯s USA date and time!) Come enjoy a ton of giveaways, behind the scenes extras, and a goodugh! We¡¯re talking about ALL THINGS ANIMA! I can¡¯t wait to see you there!


    If you aren¡¯t already in my faces book group, join me there or on other social media for information. You can find all my links at linktr.ee/authoraimee

 Chapter 251 - 251 EPILOGUE Part 1 (Gar & Rika)

    251 EPILOGUE Part 1 (Gar & Rika)


    ~ GAR ~


    The morning after their return from defeating the bears, Gar was woken by a sharp intake of breath and the thud of the furs being thrown onto his stomach by a surprisingly strong human hand.


    Rika hissed as she pushed herself up to sit and swung her legs over the side of the tform, but he simply reached back and caught her hand before she shoved off the high bed.


    ¡°Rx, I already added new coals an hour or so ago.¡±


    She took a deep breath, then her arm rxed under his hand. But she still didn¡¯ty down.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make me punish you, you aren¡¯t supposed to be walking on that knee,¡± he growled.


    Rika gave a softugh.


    She¡¯d twisted her knee trying to flee the bears at one point and almost gotten herself killed for her trouble. When he¡¯d heard the story, he hadn¡¯t been sure whether to be in awe of her courage, or call her an idiot and ground her.


    He had some ideas of ways to keep her busy if she was stuck in the treehouse for a month.


    .....


    ¡°Gar¡ª¡±


    ¡°I already added the new embers. There¡¯s no movement. Nothing. Just¡ª¡±


    ¡°But I think I need to talk to them.¡±


    Gar was forced to roll over to give her the full impact of hisbined confusion and irritation.


    Unfortunately, his mate was even less impressed by his disapproval than his sister was. She just stared at him, like he was missing something.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll regret asking this, but¡­ please tell me why you need to talk to a bunch of eggs?¡±


    ¡°Because! They¡¯re babies! If they were in a mother¡¯s tummy they¡¯d be carted around and stroked and listen to her voice all day long.¡±


    ¡°But, they¡¯re eggs. They don¡¯t get carted anywhere,¡± he said through his teeth.


    ¡°No, they just lost their mother and have been cared for by a bunch of ignorant males for the past week,¡± she snapped.


    Gar¡¯s brows shot up. Rika had a temper¡ªas did he¡ªand they weren¡¯t above arguing. But she didn¡¯t usually leap to anger.


    ¡°Babe, are you feeling okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡ªI just need to go to the bathroom and talk to the eggs!¡±


    He caught her wrist again as she was about to push off the bed, and when she snapped her head around, ring, he growled. ¡°Let me carry you¡ªthe healers said no weight on that knee for at least a week¡ªat least, Rika.¡±


    She folded her arms, shoving out her lower lip, but she waited for him to get out of the bed and walk around to sweep her up.


    He didn¡¯t miss the way her cheeks pinked when he lifted her. She¡¯d always liked it when he did that.


    He let a growl of approval rumble in his chest as he gazed down at her, carrying her to the water closet on the ground floor. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± he asked carefully, kindly.


    Her cheeks flushed a different kind of pink. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    He sighed and leaned in to kiss her neck softly. She tucked her chin down and giggled a little bit, ticklish from two days of stubble on his cheeks. ¡°You¡¯re more than fine,¡± he growled.


    ¡°Takes one to know one,¡± she smiled. But it faltered quickly. She sighed and stroked his shoulders, then turned her chin up to meet his eyes. ¡°Just a few more days, Gar. I¡¯m just¡­ I just need a few more days.¡±


    ¡°Babe, I wasn¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°I know, I just want you to know I¡¯m thinking about it too. I just¡­ I just need to rest a couple more days.¡±


    ¡°You can rest as long as you want, Rika,¡± he said gently.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± She leaned up and kissed him, slow, but sweetly. So sweetly he was sad when he had to let her down.


    He was insisting that she wouldn¡¯t go anywhere or do anything today. At all. And he¡¯d bite the throat out of any one who turned up or tried to say otherwise. But before they returned to the bedroom, he indulged her pleading look and used his thick leg to nudge one of the bigger chairs over in front of the firece, then settled her on it while he checked the eggs that ally in the ash and red-hot coal embers of the fire.


    There were three. There had been four. If the Creatures were to be believed, there had been six to start with, but two hadn¡¯t fertilized. Their mother was an unknown Chimera who¡¯d apparently never found¡ªor never joined¡ªthose on the penins. Instead she¡¯d wandered the Great ins and even into the desert, before meeting one of the creatures in their human form.


    The two were mates.


    An impossibility, the Chimera thought. No one had ever heard of a Creature having a true mate. But these had been a pair from the moment theyid eyes on each other.


    A pair who, it turned out, would have eggs.


    And a pair whose joy was short-lived. Because the bears found him, and when she¡¯d felt him dying, she¡¯d run to intervene.


    No one knew how she¡¯d known. Only that she¡¯d left the eggs that she¡¯d been tending so diligently, on the fire before she left. And when neither of them returned, the eggs were found by one of the other males.


    When Gar and the others came for Rika, when they learned the true depth of the way the bears had undertaken genocide against the Creatures, they¡¯d sent their trackers, scouts, and Chimeran messengers out to find them.


    And when they¡¯de to see for themselves if the bears were truly dead, they¡¯d brought the eggs with them, sadly breaking one on the way.


    Rika had taken one look and offered to take them.


    Now she sat on the chair staring into the glowing coals at the deeply speckled shells¡ªmostly bright blue, but burnt orange in spots, with veins of ck and gold that rippled through them, glowing brightly sometimes, and dying almostpletely at others, just like the hot coals they needed to stay warm. There was a brightness in her eyes that made Gar a touch nervous, and belied her casual tone when she spoke.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t tell them about the eggsst night.¡±


    ¡°I thought it might be a little too much after everything else. And¡­¡± He trailed off.


    She turned wary eyes on him. ¡°You don¡¯t think they¡¯ll survive.¡±


    He shrugged, but it was true, that was what made him nervous. She¡¯d only had the eggs for two days, but she was already so focused on them. He couldn¡¯t help wondering if she thought this was¡­ some kind of balm for their loss. And if he could be certain that healthy offspring would result, that they would indeed be surrogate parents for¡­ whatever these things were¡­ he might have been excited right along with her. But as it was, with these eggs so fragile, and unknown creatures within them¡­ he feared only more loss for his mate¡¯s soft, scarred heart.


    ¡°Rika¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not stupid, Gar. I get it.¡±


    He went quiet, looking down at her, Traced her jaw with a finger and tried to smile because she looked so stern.


    Her eyes closed for a moment at his touch, then her chin trembled. ¡°I¡¯m not¡­ unrealistic,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m a very logical person. I know we don¡¯t know what we¡¯re doing and we might kill them. I know they might just¡­ not live anyway. I get it. You don¡¯t have to worry. I¡¯m not going to¡­ fall apart if they don¡¯t make it. But I want to try. And I don¡¯t want to hide them. These¡­ I want to talk to them. And I want other people to talk to them, too. And I want¡­ I want them to know they¡¯re loved. So if they do make it, they don¡¯t feel like¡­ like creatures instead of Anima.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t humor me, please.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not. I just don¡¯t know what to say.¡±


    ¡°Say you love me, and say you won¡¯t make me hide them, and say that you¡¯ll still love me even if we can¡¯t have kids.¡±


    The fear that suddenly clouded her eyes shocked him.


    His brows flew up and he leaped forward to gather her to him. ¡°Rika¡­ babe¡­¡±


    ¡°I know you always wanted kids. And¡ª¡±


    ¡°Rika, it¡¯s just as likely to be my problem as yours¡ªthe Anima struggle¡ª¡±


    ¡°Your family didn¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°My father was an only son! And Behryn could never¡ª¡±


    ¡°And the wolves sometimes have three. The point is, we don¡¯t know, right? So just¡­ just¡­ don¡¯t stop loving me if¡­ if it doesn¡¯t happen for us. Please.¡±


    ¡°I never would.¡±


    ¡°I know, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, Rika. Look at me. Look at me!¡± he said, his voice rough with emotion. He¡¯d pulled her into hisp and settled them both on the chair. She was looking down, away, at the eggs, his chest, anywhere but at him.


    He tipped up her chin and made her meet his eyes. ¡°I love you today. I will love you tomorrow. And I will love you forever. No matter what. Children or not children. Eggs or no eggs. You are mine, Rika. Forever.¡±


    Her eyes welled, but she smiled and threw her arms around his neck.


    He held her tightly, heart pounding, but also lifting with joy.


    She believed him. Good. Good. She needed to believe him. Because it was only true.


    But as they sat there quietly together and she rested her head on his shoulder, her hands ying along the lines of his chest, Gar prayed. He prayed, for her sake, that the eggs would hatch. That they would contain¡­ persons. Anima, Chimera, Protector¡­ whatever. He just prayed that no matter what, she had the chance to give that sweet love of hers to someone other than him.


    And he prayed she¡¯d stay safe forever. That they would die old and in bed, both so weary that they were more than happy to shuffle off mortality and go to paradise with his other loved ones.


    Because looking into her beautiful eyes, he couldn¡¯t fathom facing a single day without her.


    When she buried her face under his jaw, he wrapped his arms around her and held her there, staring into the glowing coals, at the eggs.


    Live, he willed them. Live. For her. Live and love and¡­ whatever you are, just live. Please.


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