Falling in Love with the King of Beasts

GAHRYE

No amount of calling, pleading, or explaining to the beast had any effect. An hour later, Gharye and Kalle gathered up Elia's things and while Kalle placed them all carefully in the bag she'd brought from Anima, Gahrye moved slowly towards the bed.

Elia's beast watched him warily. She didn't show signs of aggression, but she was tense.

"You have to trust me," he said, carefully. "You have to let me near you. We might… we may have to travel together, or… Elia, please. If you're in there. Please! I need to know if you can't hear me!"

The lioness sprang to her feet suddenly and Gahrye flinched as she shoved the flat of her massive head into his chest. But she trembled—as if she wasn't even sure why she'd done it. They stood there a moment, no one breathing. Even Kalle had frozen, gaping. 

Then slowly, slowly, Gahrye lifted his hands to scratch behind her ears—something he imagined he would enjoy in beast form.

The lioness gave a groaning huff, then pulled away, sank onto her haunches and sat, staring at him, her tail flickering left and right.

"You're still in there," Gahrye said quietly.

The lioness blinked at him placidly, but didn't move again. 

"Okay. I'm not giving up," Gahrye told her. "I hope you can hear this. I'm going to say it more than once, just in case. But please… if you can hear me… please, Elia. Don't give up. Fight! You have to come back to us! I have to get you to Anima! Now! If you… If you come now, I will take you now. This minute! I'm serious! This isn't a ploy to get you to change or anything. I went back. I had to. I had to test something. Now I know I can get you there safely. And I know it's safe on the other side—at least the Portal cave is empty. We can get over there and get out and investigate the rest later. 

"I don't know what the hold up has been, why Reth hasn't sent anyone through. But you have to understand: I can take you to Anima tonight if you're here! We'll… we'll see your mate in hours!"

The lioness tensed and stood again. Gahrye stared. "Please, Elia," he breathed. "I read the winds in Anima. A great… a great storm is coming. I don't know what or who or when… but it's worse than what's happening there right now. It threatens  to destroy our entire people. And the thing standing in its way is us. You and me and Kalle and… and the disformed. I know you must know something. That must be what happened in the traverse, or your instincts—something has been pulling at you to go back, right? Well, this is it. You were right. We have to go back. Right now. Without us, Anima will die. All of them."

The lioness huffed and took a step towards him. Gahrye's eyes widened as she shook her head again, more violently this time. The entire bed shook under her weight. When she stopped her eyes flashed, and for a split second, Gahrye thought he saw them turn blue.

"Elia?!"

But the lioness growled and leaped off the side of the bed to pace the floor. Gahrye made himself stand still and not flee from her as she passed him, her eyes never leaving him, her mouth slightly open. She was panting and continued to shake her head as if her ears were being bothered by a fly. 

"Elia, please… fight. Keep fighting. I can get you over there. I can take you tonight."

Every time he said the words he felt Kalle tense and his own heart clenched. But they were true. He'd told her. She understood. If Elia shifted, he had to go. There was no choice.

A yawning chasm of pain opened in his chest when the lioness stalked to the other end of the room and he was able to look at Kalle.

She stood, a folded shirt clutched to her chest, her face pale, eyes on him, her mouth dragging down. It was instinct to hold her, to soothe her pain, but it was his pain too. 

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

She shook her head. "I love you, Gahrye."

"I love you too. This is impossible. I can't—"

"Don't!" Kalle said fiercely. "You can't fight this. If you fight it, she'll give up… you have to do this. She has to do this. We can… we'll find a way. I know we will. This isn't goodbye forever, it's… it's see you later. That's all!" But her eyes swam with tears and as she shook the shirt out and refolded it uselessly, they fell from her cheeks to splash on the bag in front of her. 

Gahrye decided he didn't give a fuck about the lioness. He flowed across the feet between them and pulled Kalle away from the bag, away from the packing, away from Elia. He took her in his arms and kissed her and begged her to forgive him for not finding a way through this. 

"Stop it! This isn't your fault!"

"I don't care. I wish it was. I wish there was a way I could change this. All of it. But this is what the Creator gave us and… I can't regret it, Kalle," he whispered, holding her face. "I can't regret it even if I die, or you do, even if I never see you again. I cannot regret finding you and having you and… you're my heart. It's going to kill me to leave. But I wouldn't change a thing."

She smiled through her tears and pulled him down for another kiss. "I wouldn't either," she breathed.

Gahrye sipped at her lips like they were honey, savoring the sweet softness of them, memorizing her scent, the texture of her tongue, and the soft sighs she gave when he kissed her.

He imprinted all of it on his mind to be held and cherished later, letting his hands drag down her back as—

"Can't… can't hold it."

Kalle froze and Gahrye whirled.

Elia crouched on the floor at the foot of the bed, her entire body trembling. Her eyes still the gold of the lion.

**** Privilege Warning & Mass Release ****

1. Don't forget: DO NOT buy expensive privilege tiers this late in the month, because privilege resets on 1 October (30 September for the USA) and you would have to pay again! Wait until the monthly reset and enjoy your privilege access for the full calendar month for a single charge! (And if you buy in October you'll be entered into the draw for a limited edition paperback of Volume 1!)

2. Your Golden Ticket support has earned an additional mass release chapter! But because I've been so touched by all your support--reading, commenting, gifts, and summoning pens--I'm going to release FOUR chapters on the last day of the month to say THANK YOU! (that's 30 September on NovelFull, 29 September in the USA.) 

Thank you again for everything you do to help me and Reth & Elia continue to thrive. You are a gift to me!