Falling in Love with the King of Beasts

LERRIN

Suhle was, frankly, magnificent.

He'd brought her out into a small clearing in the forest, near the ravine. Far enough away from camp to be to themselves so no one else would know. But close enough to hear if the horns were called, or there was any kind of disturbance.

Suhle had tied her hair back—the first time he'd see her bare her neck, and he kept having to look away because it was making his body respond. Her face was covered in sweat, and it dampened the hair at her temples. But her jaw was tight and she was fierce. Even if she didn't want to do this, she did it with everything she had.

He adjusted her stance, then held his palms in front of her. "Again," he said in a quick, low command.

She gave him a glowering look. "I told you, I do not need this."

"The time will come, Suhle, when you don't have warning and can't sneak out. When you're under the eyes of an enemy before you know you need to flee. When that happens, I will not have you ill-equipped to deal with it. Now, do the punches again."

"Yes, Sire," she snipped sarcastically.

He smiled. "Sir is fine. That's what we use when we're training."

Her eyebrows arched, but she did the punches, shoving the words out between them. "Very well… Sir. Yes… sir."

"Next time, like you mean it," Lerrin grinned.

Something spiked in her scent a split second before she grasped his wrist, whirled herself so her back was into his chest, then snapped her hips back, pulling him diagonally over her leg.

He was strong enough and practiced enough to brace correctly so he didn't lose his feet. But he pitched forward. In the half-second it took him to catch his balance, she whirled again and was gone, disappearing into the trees.

In the second it took him to his feet under him and turned, she was gone from sight. "Very good, Suhle," he called.

Do you believe me yet, that I do not need this training? She sent.

"No," he said, folding his arms across his chest. "When you were caught off guard and defensive against me, you hesitated."

"That is because it was you," she said from behind him and he was the one to startle and whirl into a defensive stance.

It took him a second to clear his mind of the initial shock and register what she'd said.

He blinked. "Your enemy is your enemy, no matter who they are," he said quietly.

"You are not my enemy, Lerrin," she said softly. She stood two feet away, no longer defensive, her hands clasped at her waist. "Not unless… not unless you are going to go along with this."

She was referring to the violence, assault, and—he feared—rape that was occurring at the hands of some of the wolves in the encampment.

"You know I am not," he growled.

"It has been two days. What are you waiting for?" she asked, and the expression on her face was so vulnerable, it made his gut clench.

"I am planning," he growled. "I have to sniff them out without making them suspicious. Or any of the wolves that would support them. We cannot… I cannot accuse falsely. If they can prove I did so it would provide room for escape for all of them. I have to catch them in the act and bring discipline there and then. But that means I have to identify them and try to infiltrate—"

She went very still and her eyes widened. But her scent was guarded, not afraid.

What is it? he sent, looking around. Are we being watched?

Her hearing was uncanny, he'd learned since sharing a tent with her. She said it helped her in her duties.

"We are alone," she said softly. "I only… What if I told you I had already identified some of them. That… that I knew where the leaders meet. And when?"

Lerrin froze, staring at her. "How?"

"I cannot sleep if I do not know I am safe. It was in my interests to identify who might be a threat. And on the nights when safety could not be found, I may have… used my skill to listen around the encampment."

"Why didn't you tell me when we spoke of this the other night?"

"You didn't seem ready. You were still trying to accept. And… and you will not like who you find. I did… I do not want to be blamed for revealing them to you," she said hurriedly, her eyes dropping to her hands—now blistered from the training they'd been doing. "I was going to lead you to them the next time they met and hope… hope I could make it look like I just discovered them."

"You would have lied."

Her eyes snapped up to meet his, flaring with the anger that eased his heart. He hated seeing her fearful. "I may choose not to tell you all of my truth," she whispered. "But I will never lead you astray. I will not deceive you." Then she blinked and looked down again. "Perhaps that is why I am telling you now?"

He should warn her against hiding things from him, demand that she share anything she knew. He was her Alpha and King! But… somehow he knew that would only make her retreat. He blew out a breath. "Thank you for telling me," he said. "If you would lead me to them, that would be very helpful."

She nodded without meeting his eyes again. "When I hear of their next meeting I will tell you. Until you see them for yourself and know… do not trust anyone. You cannot give wind of this to anyone. They are unaware that I know of their meetings."

"You promise you'll take me to them?"

"I vow it."

"Then I won't speak to anyone else about it yet. But I will discipline anything I witness until we can find the root of this darkness to dig out and kill."

Neither of them spoke for a moment.

She seemed fragile again, all of the sudden. He supposed thinking of these males and what they'd done after what she had been through must have been sickening to her.

"Suhle," he said softly, taking a step toward her. She tensed but didn't flee. He held his breath and took another step so they were toe-to-toe. "I want you to know something," he whispered.

She lifted her chin to meet his eyes, wary, but curious.

Lerrin cleared his throat. "Any help you offer, it is your choice. Any secrets you reveal, it is because you trust me. I will never demand it of you. I want you to know that. I… I trust you. Which puts you in very limited company. So, anything you bring me, you bring to Lerrin the male, not Lerrin the King. And anything you offer, I receive it as a male, not a ruler. Do you understand what I mean?"

The tiniest of smiles lifted her lips. "Yes, I understand," she murmured. "Thank you."

Then she met his gaze again and something within him broke open, twirling and twisting through his veins—a shivering thrill that he couldn't quite place. He blinked as the sensation increased, spreading throughout his body, raising the tiny hairs on his arms and neck. A call surged in his throat and he stifled it—uncertain why. But something… something pressed from inside him, yearning to release. And instinct told him not to give in.

But as he looked at her, and she at him, it seemed to Lerrin that something within her called to him, dragging at his skin, his blood—pulling him towards her.

Suddenly the urge to touch her was not merely a desire, but an aching need. His weight shifted towards her. His breathing sped up and he was forced to grip the thigh of his leathers to keep himself from reaching for her.

It was overwhelming.

"Suhle, can you feel that?" he whispered, brows pinched with the effort restrain himself.

Her eyes went wide and her jaw slackened.

"Suhle?"

She blinked once, then again. Her mouth opened and he prickled with anticipation of what she would say. But then she blinked again and tore her eyes from him. "I… I have to go," she cried suddenly, her voice shaking.

And then she fled.

Instinctively, Lerrin took a step after her, but caught himself, his hands trembling as that fizzing heat that had been furling in his veins suddenly died, fading out in him as she ran and the distance between them increased.

*****

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