Falling in Love with the King of Beasts

ELIA

Elia blinked and shushed Aymora, confused. What had happened? What was Aymora talking about?

"I… I thought there was peace now?" she said nervously. Was Reth still fighting this war?

But Aymora growled in her throat, her tears seeming to dry in the face of her rage. "As long as that wolf lives, this war simmers beneath the surface," she said, her voice low and dark, rough with tears. "From the beginning we have learned that some from the tribes left believing that, if they found they were wrong to go with the wolves, they would be received back by their merciful King. Reth has… he has had to harden himself, Elia. And he is right to do it.. You have to see it. You have to encourage him to be strong!"

Elia stroked her hair and shushed her again, still confused and uncertain. But seeing that Aymora was genuinely frightened… of Reth's mercy?

"Reth is good and strong and wise," she whispered. "I'm sure he wouldn't—"

"He already has! He already does! He didn't kill Lerrin, Elia. Do you know that? The wolf lives because Reth took pity on him. Because… because he showed remorse! Even if he is right and Lerrin doesn't desire the Alpha anymore, Reth has to see that he is equipping his enemies again. His soft heart, his willingness to see the broken redeemed… it will only hurt Reth—and you! Elia, you have a daughter coming into this world. You have to be strong, and you have to tell Reth to be strong. Don't let him… Don't let him be defeated by his own, pure heart!"

Elia gaped and her own fear ratcheted higher. Reth was being too softhearted on the wolves?

Lerrin was still alive?

"Y-you said there was peace. Reth said there was peace," Elia stammered.

Aymora sucked in a deep breath and rubbed her eyes, clearing them. "I'm sorry, daughter. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you. There is peace. You're safe. I'm sorry. You're right. There is peace. Right now the tribes are reunited. The wolves that survived returned to the Tree City yesterday. There is an uncertain peace here. The people want it, but… but we can't know what forces are at work among the wolves.

"Reth must be ruthless. He must give them no room to believe anything but complete obedience will be tolerated. He cannot let the wolf live! I don't trust him—or his people. Even with this… this mind meld they claim. How can we know? The only Anima who know it occurred are also wolves. I for one will not trust a wolf until I have watched them—and their children—remain in peace. How can we know if this isn't a trick? Their reunion was too quick, too easy to me. They must prove they are allies, and their children as well."

Elia stroked her hair nervously. "That's… that's a long time away, Aymora," she said carefully.

"Yes, it is." Aymora was unapologetic. "But I have learned through the hottest of trials, that trust must be earned. It cannot be assumed. No matter who you believe yourself, or your opponent to be." Then her face hardened. "You will not lose your mate to this, Elia. You will not make the mistake that I made. Your mate will remove his enemies and stay safe. All of you will. All of us. It's the only way."

Elia gaped. Aymora had always been harder than Reth, always a little faster to dismiss people, or to mistrust. But she'd never seen this… fierce aggression in her before.

She stroked her adoptive mother's hair and stared at her, both their eyes still bright with tears.

"I don't like seeing you like this," she said honestly. "You seem… hurt."

Aymora snorted. "I am beyond hurt, girl. I am traumatized. This war has… it has dredged up ghosts I believed were long buried. But do not let yourself believe the same isn't true for your mate, for Behryn, for all of us who were present last time. And now? Now the enemy is our friend, our tribesman. This is… this is horrific."

Elia had to agree, but perhaps not for the same reasons. She adored Reth's mercy, his gentleness, his willingness to see the good in others—or believe it could be drawn out. Was she wrong? Was he wrong?

She looked at Aymora again, whose mouth was set in a frown, her jaw jutting out. She was utterly certain that Reth was being too soft letting Lerrin live.

Was she right?

"Tell me, Elia."

Elia blinked. "Tell you what?"

"Tell me that you won't let Reth make the same mistake my Dhrake did. He cannot walk into danger believing himself immune to it. He can't embrace his enemies and not expect a knife in his ribs."

"I don't think Reth—"

"Don't believe it, my love," Aymora said firmly. "He has become harder when it was needed, it's true. And I grieve for him where that has required… ugliness of him. But he is strong and has walked into it as he should. But now, with you here, with your cub on the way… I fear he will lose his focus, that his love for you will soften his resolve. You cannot let it happen, Elia. Tell me!"

Elia stared at her, opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say. She'd never seen Aymora like this before—but no wonder.

They'd just walked through something that brought her worst nightmare back to life.

"Tell me, Elia! Please! I cannot see you go the same way as my mate!"

Oh. Oh, Elia thought she understood then. "I never will, Aymora. I promise. I will never leave you to… to try to fix this, or to invite our enemies close."

"Good. Now promise me you won't allow your mate—"

The door swung open and they both turned to find Reth standing in the doorway, one hand on the handle, his eyes scanning Elia from crown to toe. His breath made his chest rise and fall visibly.

"Love," he rasped, "You're awake. Are you okay? What's wrong?"

"Nothing, Reth," Elia said, her heart singing and her body relaxing for the first time since she'd woken up. "Now that you're here… nothing."

***** PRIVILEGE WARNING *****

Don't forget: Don't buy any expensive privilege tiers now, because the whole system resets on 1 November (31 October if you're in the USA) and then will require you to re-purchase! So save your money until Halloween to buy privilege ONCE and enjoy your advance reading all month!