Falling in Love with the King of Beasts

LERRIN

In the end it was easier than Lerrin would have expected to bring the Lupine together. Once the decision had been made and the majority of the pack mind had agreed that it was the only way forward, the others were pulled into the current of their families and packs. Wolves on both sides of the clearing—for there were some that had stayed with Reth from the beginning—made their way to the center. 

It wasn't until they'd gathered as a tribe—from both sides of this conflict—that the emotion of the moment hit Lerrin. Suhle was in this crowd somewhere. And if things hadn't gone wrong he would have found her, called her to the front so that she would be part of his circle. For the melding required wolves to be touching each other, to align their bodies and hearts with their minds. 

As it was, she was deep somewhere in the crowd and Lerrin couldn't be close to her anyway. To have touched her in this moment, this time of joining and aligning, would have ruined him. 

He could never trust her again. How could he open himself to her during the melding?

How could he not?

Reth and Behryn ushered all the Anima that weren't wolves out of the center of the clearing, standing back with the Anima from the Tree City, and the serpents and birds allied to the rebellious wolves to watch, for the first time in known history, the wolves undertake the melding.

Although, as Lerrin had pointed out, historians had recorded the rumors, the understanding of the melding, in truth, the wolves had successfully hidden their unique talents from the other tribes almost completely, across time.

Many of the wolves—even those who agreed that the Melding was needed—looked on him with dark eyes of disapproval for speaking of it in front of the other tribes.

Perhaps it was just as well that he was bound and would not roam free.

Some of these wolves would hate him, not because he'd led a rebellion that had failed, or because he'd brought them back under Reth's dominance… but because he betrayed his own people by sharing one of their deepest secrets with all of Anima.

He shook the dark thoughts away and pushed his shoulders back. "Take the hands of those to either side, and make utterly certain that every wolf here is joined. Do not allow your neighbor to let go. Do not break the chain," he called.

The wolves did as he'd suggested, their eyes soft when they looked on each other, but wary when they fell on the other tribes. 

Lerrin wanted to growl. But he reminded himself that this melding would achieve what likely months of diplomacy could not.

When all the wolves had joined, he opened himself once more to the pack mind. His dominance had suffered as a result of his submission to Reth, and it was harder to be heard above some of the other males. But to his relief they all submitted when he spoke in, scanning those nearby with his eyes to back up the words he sent to their minds.

'Wolves are strong. We are certain. We are agile and intelligent. We are made to lead,' he sent.

There was a lot of nodding and murmurs of agreement around the crowd of wolves.

'But we do not live in isolation, and we do not desire to do so. Creator we come for the Melding of the minds. We, as a tribe, must be of one common goal, one common heart, one common ideal. We wish to thrive alongside our neighboring tribes. We wish to raise our young to recognize the value and strength of others, without denying our own. We wish to earn the loyalty of others by placing ourselves in a position of humility.'

Many wolves sighed or shifted on their feet. But the pack mind was of one accord on this—it was a sacrifice to make in order to see the wolves grow. 

'We submit, Creator, to your power. We submit to the unique joining you have offered us. And we ask you to bind us to this vow.'

The air almost seemed to hum, suddenly, the tension in the circle rose so sharply, some questioning whether they had been tricked, others yearning to return to their families who remained in the Tree City. 

'We are not yet one heart, Creator,' Lerrin sent. 'Show us the way. Show our minds the way to forward so that we might step into this future together, in harmony with each other, and all of Anima. Show us… please… show us…'

He thought he was still sending when an image suddenly bloomed, like a flower opening, into the pack mind. 

The wolves in their homes, sleeping peacefully and alongside other tribes. 

The wolves in the market taking positions both of leadership, and of service.

The wolves in Council—the elders, the security council, the women's council—in all areas, clasping arms with other tribes, greeting with smiles.

The pups gathered and excited to share their little lives with lions, sheep, and equine a like.

Lerrin's breath was stolen and the entire crowd rocked as they all saw it… the Tree City as a place of peace, not burden. Their lives centered not only on family, but also on the Anima as the larger pack. 

The tribe strengthened through alliance, not subterfuge. 

Their skills used to benefit not just the wolves, but the other tribes as well.

And other tribes holding wolves in high esteem.

It was a beautiful picture for a people who had felt targeted and oppressed for two generations. And as it faded on an image of Reth, raising a series of wolves to honor and status among the tribes, some of the wolf females had tears on their cheeks. And some of the males eyes were bright.

'You have seen what we can be. Do you agree that this is for all of us? For our good? For the good of our young?'

Lerrin held his breath.