Falling in Love with the King of Beasts

LERRIN

The equine guards weren't rough on him, but they eyed him with cold disapproval and clearly restrained themselves. Lerrin was impressed. If he'd taken Reth he knew his guards wouldn't have been as kind. 

Yet another blow. How had he not seen the darkness infecting his people?

Memories of that black and gray wave of wolves, ignoring his direct order, rolling into the Hallowed Grounds to kill and destroy… it was only a small balm that many of his people had listened, but he would take the sun where it peered through the shadows. He didn't have any choice.

His people were cut adrift. He had to do everything he could to help Reth bring them back—wisely, carefully, but quickly—so that healing could begin. 

His shoulders ached from the binding on his wrists behind his back before they'd even left the Hallowed Ground. By the time they reached the Tree City, he could barely feel his hands. He was marched—by Reth himself, which Lerrin didn't know whether to take as a compliment or an insult—directly to a cluster of the Great Trees on the northern end of the City. They were once used for storage, but Lerrin gathered they'd become Reth's jail. When they passed the first tree there were guards at the doors and the only window was high in the wall. Too high to climb. 

Lerrin caught a hint of Suhle's scent as they approached and held his breath. He doubted Reth yet knew about their Mate status, and he didn't want to put her in deeper trouble with the lion. Not yet.

Then they rounded the next tree and Reth turned in and Lerrin stopped dead.

In the middle of the clearing between the trees was a pile of bodies. Wolf bodies. He'd smelled the rot faintly as they walked, but the wind was carrying the scents away from them. 

Rotting and bloated, the bodies had been thrown together like trash and Lerrin knew… he knew if he were to turn any of them over, to examine them, if he could see past the blackened skin and bloating, he would find faces he recognized. He shuddered, but the guards pulled him by his elbows, his shoulders screaming at the added tension. But Lerrin barely noticed.

This was mercy? 

This was peace?

This was honoring their fallen?

Reth followed Lerrin's gaze, then snorted. "They tried to kill me," he growled. "They were needed as a warning to those we took as prisoners."

Lerrin snapped his head to the side to meet Reth's eyes, but the leonine only stared back, his face blank and unapologetic.

Rage churned in his chest, but he swallowed it back. 

He'd done the same thing with the three guards they'd taken when Reth rescued Elia, he reminded himself. 

He'd done it for the same purpose. 

For the first time since the battle, Lerrin began to shake. But when the door into the tree was opened and he was ushered through, he didn't fight. His head was spinning though. He hadn't expected to make it this far, to face these atrocities. What else awaited him on this journey? 

Would he end in a pile like that? A warning to those who returned to the City?

What would he have done if he'd returned here triumphant?

He rolled his head on his aching shoulders as one of the guards gave him a slightly harder shove than was strictly necessary to get him deeper into the tree while they followed him inside. 

Reth slipped in too, his massive shoulders filling the door as he entered, then the guards, each with a weapon drawn.

Lerrin gave them both a flat look. He hadn't fought—had, in fact, given himself up, even though he was near-certain he might have beaten Reth one-on-one if he'd put all his might and power into it. Now they treated him like he might take a cheap shot at any of them?

He sighed. He had to keep reminding himself what he would have done in the same shoes. And there was no doubt he would have taken even greater precautions to keep Reth contained. Aching shoulders or not.

Reth stared a challenge at him and Lerrin met it—without challenging in return. So they were left there, glaring at each other, while the guards checked the door and window, inspected the tree for any attempts to create an opening, then finally, when they were done, Reth instructed one of them to return to Lerrin to slit the ties at his wrists with the blade of the spear.

His shoulders screamed again when the pressure was finally released, but he only sucked in, rolling his shoulders slowly, allowing his arms to relax at his sides, clenching and unclenching his hands to get the blood flowing properly into them again.

And always, holding Reth's gaze.

Reth, who remained expressionless throughout the entire silent exchange.

"Leave us," he rumbled eventually. 

The four guards hesitated. "Sire…"

"I said, leave us. Guard the door and the window. Ensure no one comes close. Do not enter unless you hear me give the command."

Lerrin tilted his head. "You don't need code words with me anymore, Reth," he growled.

"That remains to be seen."

Lerrin shook his head, but forced himself to break the gaze and look around the storage tree, giving Reth the dominance again.

His instincts might press him to challenge, but Lerrin really did desire peace for his people. If he had to keep licking the lion's fur to get it… well, he would.

They both waited until the guards had slipped out of the door, the last one checking behind him until the door clicked to lock and they were alone.

The thick walls of the tree shielded them from most of the noise outside, but Lerrin could hear the faint murmur of the guards discussing them outside. If he'd tried, he would have been able to make out the words. But he didn't. Instead he continued rolling his shoulders and working his wrists and hands. His arms trembled. He doubted he could hold a mug yet. Not that it mattered. When he turned back to face Reth the Leonine had widened his stance and had his fists at his sides.

Lerrin scanned him from toe to top, every inch the embattled warrior and furious King. When he made it to Reth's eyes—alight with rage and righteous fire—Lerrin took a slow breath. "What's on your mind, Reth?" he growled.

Reth leaned in until they were almost nose to nose. "I should kill you."