Falling in Love with the King of Beasts

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*****

ELIA – Human World

After the conversation with the Gahrye the night before she had thought she would feel better. She usually felt more grounded when she'd made a plan, and felt like she knew what to do. But instead, she'd been haunted by some nameless, faceless terror hanging over her head for the entire time she'd stayed awake.

As if something inside her was real and aware, scared and clawing to get out.

To distract herself, she'd eaten, started to unpack her bag—realized that most of the clothes she'd brought from Anima would draw too much attention here at home, and made a mental note to ask for help with more—and abandoned that idea and decided to show Gahrye what a television was.

"Come take a look at this." She'd forced a smile. She did look forward to showing him so many new things. But this tension within her didn't want to let her enjoy anything. She rolled her shoulders as he came to join her in the sitting room.

Then she clicked the on button, and the screen lit up with a news cast. Lines of text scrolled at top and bottom, and the screen was split over two panels as commentators argued over their respective political positions.

Watching Gahrye's eyes go so wide and his body tense at the sounds that came from the flatscreen hidden behind a painting over the fireplace had made her give the first smile she thought she'd truly meant since she'd woken up the morning Reth was supposed to go to the Bears.

Gahrye was fascinated and terrified.

"Are they… in there? Is it magic?"

"No," she laughed. "It's like… the histories. Except we can record them as they happen, then show them to people later."

He'd looked very disturbed. Worried this might stop him from sleeping, she'd only left the television on for a few minutes, then urged him to go to bed. And she'd followed suit. She'd surprised herself by being able to sleep almost as soon as she crawled beneath the covers.

She was awake with dawn, though. Accustomed as she'd become to the pitch-darkness of the cave, all night she'd been half-aware of light in the room. And as soon as the windows began to glow behind the heavy curtains, she was awake. Re-energized, if not refreshed.

Gahrye was already up and watching her door when she dressed and walked out to the sitting room. He still had that slightly hunted look he'd had the evening before when she'd woken to find him watching her. She almost asked again, but he spoke first.

"Kalle is going to be waiting for to show us the library in an hour. And there's breakfast downstairs."

"Good morning to you, too," she said, but the tension coiling in her stomach made it sound sharper than she'd intended. She sighed and shook her head. "I'm sorry, Gahrye, that sounded like I was angry. I'm not. I don't know what's wrong with me."

"I can make you a list," he muttered.

She tried to chuckle but that didn't really work either.

Gahrye stayed at her shoulder as they walked downstairs. When they got to the dining room several plates had been laid out with covers to keep the food warm. Elia smiled as Gahrye sniffed the bacon with a great deal of suspicion, but managed to eat enough of it, along with some fruit, to keep himself going until lunch.

They were just finishing when Kalle walked into the room and Gahrye froze, like a deer in the headlights. Elia gave him a look. She'd never seen him look more… animalistic than that moment. Like at any moment he might leap into flight.

"You must be the Queen," Kalle said, smiling. Just a few years younger than Elia herself, Elia found herself feeling suddenly… old. She hadn't really thought about her age since she'd been in Anima. She supposed she was twenty… five now? Kalle couldn't be more than twenty, but she had the air about her of someone who understood themselves. Elia liked her immediately.

"Good morning Gah-Ree," she said softly, smiling at him.

Gahrye's eyes widened and he swallowed a piece of bacon hole. His eyes watered, but he nodded. "Good morning," he rasped.

Oh dear.

Elia had known he'd be attractive to humans. She hadn't thought about the fact that he might not know how to act around them.

Giving him an encouraging look from behind Kalle, she tapped the girl on the shoulder. "I hear that you can show us the library here at the house?"

"Yes, and another at the University if you'd like to go check out your old stomping grounds," Kalle said softly.

She had lovely, fair skin with deep brown hair, almost mahogany color. With pink pinched into her cheeks by the chill air outside, and hazel eyes that looked green with the sweater she was wearing, Elia thought she was beautiful—which meant most humans would probably see her as somewhat unpolished.

That was one thing about the Anima, they liked their women natural. No make-up. No high heels, thank the Creator. No clothing sometimes, too, of course. Which Elia was less excited about.

She blinked, realizing Kalle had asked her a question. She had to scan back to remember what it was. Oh, right. The University.

Elia gave her a sad smile. "I think for me it would be better to stick close to home, at least for now. Technically I'm a missing person. I don't want to draw attention—"

"No, you aren't," Kalle said carefully, glancing at Gahrye, who was frowning in confusion.

Elia blinked. "I'm not?"

"No. It's part of our role to provide cover for the Anima when it's necessary to take a sacrifice. When you were taken we arranged for you to leave several notes and send a few emails that all checked out."

All at once, the slight bubble of peace Elia had felt, popped. And that flame she'd fought the night before ignited in her chest. "Can I ask… what I said? And to whom?"

Whom? She'd never used the word whom in her entire life.

Kalle blinked. "I could get all the records for you while we're in the library if you'd like to read all of them. But I believe we indicated you… were having an affair and you'd decided the guy wasn't worth it and you were leaving to start fresh."

"WHAT?" Elia yelled. "YOU SAID I DID WHAT?"

"Elia—" Gahrye started, getting to his feet to circle the table to where they stood. But Elia put a hand up towards him and stepped into Kalle.

"You told people I had an affair? Like, a relationship with a married man?" she snarled.

"Elia," Gahrye warned her, coming to stand next to her.

"Yes, but only—"

"What the hell is wrong with you people?!"

Kalle's jaw tightened. "I'm sorry if it displeases you, Elia, but the truth is, we had to give everyone a reason to believe you would leave when there'd been no hints—"

"And that's another thing! Where do you get off kidnapping women—"

"We did not kidnap anyone," Kalle said, low and hard. "That was the wolves."

Elia glared and Kalle glared back.

"I am sorry," the younger woman said. "I know this has been a difficult journey for you—but it is you, your people that we're protecting, Elia. Sometimes that means using deception."

"There was no need to turn me into a homewrecker to do it!"

"Actually, there was every need—there was very little in your life for us to work with except extensive hours alone at the University library!"

"I can't believe we're even arguing this—you aided and abetted a kidnapping, and then turned me into a mistress?"

"We protected the world of Anima, the people of Anima, and your mate!"

"No one from the university was going to guess I was KIDNAPPED BY ANIMAL-PEOPLE!"

It was instinctive to growl, to reach for the woman who held her eyes in a challenge and wouldn't back down. But as she did, Gahrye caught her wrist and snapped, "Elia, stop," and pushed between her and Kalle. She hadn't realized how close she'd gotten, pushing herself into the woman's face, until Gahrye pried her away.

Holding her wrists, he blocked her view of the woman and muttered, "What is going on with you?" as he stepped her back, away from Kalle. "You can't keep attacking the Guardians. We need their help."

"I think they need to figure out a better way to help us! This isn't okay!"

"No one said we enjoyed deceiving others about you, Elia," Kalle said quietly from behind Gahrye. "It was a necessary evil."

"A WHAT?"

"Elia!" Gahrye hissed. "Calm down!" His tone was angry and alarmed, but Elia couldn't even look at him, she was too busy trying to wrestle his grip off her wrists and get past him. But he was far too fast, and far too strong.

Then that fat little beetle of a man stepped into the room and clasped his hands at his chest. "Is there something I can help with? Oh, she has become one of you, hasn't she?"

"I DIDN'T HAVE A CHOICE!" Elia screamed and her entire body shook as Gahrye eye's flew wide.

**** 

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