Falling in Love with the King of Beasts

YOU DID IT! You hit the 1,000 Golden Tickets overnight (give a special thanks to reader Benees_mae_basiga who gave 28 of the 60+ needed!!!), so I'm going to release FIVE chapters TOMORROW! (That's Sunday evening for those in the USA, Monday morning for those in Asia.) Thank you so much for all your support again this month. I am truly touched. And we are still counting Golden Tickets for the last half of the month, and for every 200, there will be another chapter added to the mass release on 30 September!

*****

RETH

He'd hated locking Suhle in, but he knew, if anyone did, the draw of the True Mate. He hadn't been able to risk her running after Lerrin and getting herself killed to be close to him. She'd understood, but been very unhappy. He'd made her as comfortable as possible in a tree by herself and left a minimum of guards. 

The moment he walked in after the challenge, careful to be alone so the guards wouldn't frighten her, she leapt off the bed they'd made for her and ran to him. "What happened. You have blood on you—where's Lerrin?!" she cried, grabbing at his vest. 

Reth took her wrists gently and pried her hands off. "He's safe, for now. And he's here. I need your help with him."

"Anything! Does he need tending? I can—"

"No, Suhle, listen to me, I need your help. And it's help that Lerrin has agreed to."

She blinked, her bright eyes wide and liquid. "What is it?"

She didn't have her hood—had lost it somewhere in her travels—and they'd provided her some clean leathers and a shirt. She looked more… normal than Reth had ever seen her. Her hair was down, fallen out of its braid and swinging around her shoulders. 

"I need some information from him, but I need it with some… reassurance," he said quietly, knowing she wouldn't approve of what he was about to do, but hoping that her desire for peace would urge her to agree. "He has agreed to open his mind and allow himself to be read—to allow another, trustworthy wolf to find the answers for me."

"He knows I'm—"

"No," Reth said quickly. "I needed to know that his answer to the question was genuine. He was already uncomfortable with me knowing about the mind link. I needed to make sure he was coming into this without expecting special treatment. But I know he'll trust you, Suhle. And I know you won't breach his privacy. I give you permission to tell me only what is pertinent to the actual issue. If you find more… keep it to yourself."

She blinked, then blinked again, took a step back, her mouth turning down. "This isn't right, Reth. The mind link… it is for trusted members of the tribe."

Reth nodded. "And I will respect that. No one else will be in the room with us. I will not speak of it to anyone else. Not even my mate. Suhle, this is purely to help me determine what I can and can't do with Lerrin—how far he can be trusted."

"He can be trusted as I am trusted!" she said, indignant.

Reth gave her a look. She shoved her jaw forward and folded her arms, unwilling to give. 

"Suhle," he sighed, "he has just led a rebellion. We've lost lives. I cannot… I cannot just take your word for the goodness in him."

"You have seen it yourself—you said so! You offered him peace because you knew of it!"

Reth nodded. "And then he tried to kill me, my Second, and successfully killed dozens of our allies. He is a powerful male, Suhle, and I cannot risk more lives for him."

Her lips pursed. "He has agreed to this? Or was he coerced"

"He agreed. I have even said he can refuse if he doesn't trust the wolf I choose for the role. I know he does trust you, Suhle, so that won't be an issue."

For the first time, he saw uncertainty in her eyes. Her entire stance became wary, her eyes darting to the door. "You may find… once he understands our connection, he is not so trusting of me."

"You are his True Mate, Suhle. It would take a will of steel to deny the bond. It will already be calling him—I heard him call for you when he thought he was about to die. You are his heart, rest in that. He may be angry, but he will move past it. We always do."

She eyed him with a look that said she wasn't so sure, but then shook her head and looked away again. "I do not like this, Reth. It feels like a violation."

"I know. And I give you my oath I will make it no more of one than it has to be."

Suhle sighed heavily, but nodded. "Very well," she said finally. "But if he chooses not to allow me in, I will not use my influence to persuade him."

Reth nodded and scratched the back of his neck. I can live with that, I suppose. You're a good female, Suhle."

She snorted, then looked at the door. "Can we go now? How far is he?"

"Yes, and he's just two trees up," Reth said, then smiled when her face lit up. As they turned for the door, his grief and ache for his own mate cut him. But it somehow felt… right to bring these two together. He would have to consider where Suhle would be housed after this. Likely she would wish to be with Lerrin. But he wasn't sure what he was doing with Lerrin yet.

He would cross that bridge after they got through this. 

He'd never seen Suhle excited before—not really. But she was practically bouncing on her toes as they left the tree and started around it, to another just a hundred feet away. 

She kept her pace with Reth's, but she kept peering forward as if she might see him, her hands clasped at her waist, her thumbs rubbing together to soothe herself.

Yes, he was doing the right thing to bring them together. And if he could, he'd allow them to house together tonight. They would both sleep better for it.

Thoughts of his beautiful mate, where she might be, where she might sleep, flashed through his head and he had to push them away to focus as he made the motion for the guards to precede them into the tree, one of them stepping in first and checking around the door to make sure Lerrin wasn't waiting to ambush them. 

Suhle was trying to peer around them, but they were all so much taller than her, she made a little growl of frustration. Reth made her go after him, just to be certain of her safety. The wolf stood in the center of the floor eyeing them warily. But as Reth stood aside and Suhle stepped in, he saw the moment Lerrin recognized her scent—the joy and pain, thrill and fear that entered his eyes. Then he led Suhle through who was suddenly very nervous and looked up at him with a small, pleading smile. He nodded to reassure her, then turned to face Lerrin, whose face had gone deathly pale.

"So... I'll ask again: Do you trust her motives, Lerrin?" he asked quietly.