Falling in Love with the King of Beasts

RETH

Elia was exhausted. He could see it—but only after they finally broke out of their little bubble of love and became aware of the world again. It was then that he really saw her. The dullness of her hair. The shadows under her eyes. Her sunken cheeks—it all alarmed him.

"You need to rest," he growled, angry with himself for keeping her up.

"I don't want to," she sighed. "I want to just be with you."

"I'm not going anywhere," he said, gathering her up and standing. He wanted to growl again. She was far too light—even carrying the babe, somehow, impossibly, she was lighter than she'd been before she left. Reth wanted to scratch himself for ignoring it. "You need to eat, and then sleep," he said firmly.

She rolled her eyes, but didn't argue, he noticed. So, because he didn't want to do anything but be with her, either, he carried her into the kitchen and together, awkwardly, they collected fruit and a thick, fluffy scone that someone had brought for the meeting. Then, while she held the food, he held her, carrying her into the bedchamber and laying her gently down on the furs.

She didn't get underneath them, but rolled onto her side with the food next to her. Reth walked around the sleeping platform to join her on the other side. For a moment he watched her pick at the scone and pop berries into her mouth.

Her arms were far too thin. She needed more fat, reserves for her body to draw on in growing this cub. She made a mental note to speak to Aymora about what foods would be best. Resources were strained because of the war. But he was King. If he couldn't get his mate nutritious succulent food, they all had bigger problems.

She looked at him then, her eyes seeming even larger in her gaunt face, and with those smudges underneath. But she grinned wickedly and held out the berry in her fingers for him. He wasn't hungry, but he opened his mouth just for the joy of seeing her eyes spark as she placed the little fruit on his tongue. He let his teeth drag on her finger when she pulled back, and her scent spiked. He was going to have to be careful. She was as ready for him as he was for her. But he would not risk Elreth. Not even for that.

He cleared his throat, chewed and swallowed the berry, then searched his mind for something to talk about to get his mind off of the way her breasts pressed against his shirt—the neck of which was now gaping because she lay on her side.

But he couldn't think of anything to ask her that didn't potentially touch on painful or frightening events. He was dying to know how she felt in the beast. Her lioness was huge, a match for her huge heart. But she'd already said she was terrified of the beast. Something he prayed would pass if the shift was permanent.

He couldn't think of anything more fun than an afternoon spent running into the mountains with her, then loving each other in the heights of the mountains.

He was about to paint the picture, hoping he could convince her not to be afraid of the beast—to see the benefits of learning to work with it—when she froze and her eyes went wide.

His heart immediately thumped and adrenalin coursed through him. "What? Are you in pain? Should I—" he was already beginning to roll off the bed to go get Aymora when she caught his elbow.

"No, Reth, sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you. I just… I just remembered—where's Gahrye?"

Reth went still, half turned away from her.

His own beast snarled that his mate whom he had missed, and who consumed his world, was asking after another male. But he had to remind himself that to her, Gahrye was akin to Behryn.

Something just wasn't right when the person you trusted the most aside from your mate was absent… or angry.

He took a deep breath and rolled back to face her. "He slept here last night, but he was gone early this morning when I got up. I figured he would be reconnecting with his family and friends. I can have someone find him and bring him here. I need to speak with him, too," he said, trying not to let her see the way his teeth wanted to clench.

"You smell… jealous?" she said, blinking in surprise, then smiling a little. "Reth! Don't be ridiculous!"

"I'm not," he grumbled, and picked up another berry, just for something to do.

"Reth, I have no feelings for Gahrye, and trust me, he doesn't have any for me, either."

"I know. I said I'm not—"

"I really had no idea how competitive you are! What else have you been hiding from me?" she laughed quietly, though he could hear the tension underlying her lighthearted words. She leaned in, close to his neck and inhaled deeply. "Mmmmm," she said, tracing his collarbone with a finger, which made his skin prickle and his hand fist as he fought to keep his hands off of her. "Jealousy… and… you want me!" she said, pulling back to meet his eyes, smiling widely.

"Nothing new there," he mumbled, taking another berry. "And I'm not the only one," he pointed out, one eyebrow up as she grinned at him.

Her cheeks flushed. "It does feel like a long time, doesn't it?" she groaned. "Three weeks. And then after that, if Elreth is here…" she groaned and rolled onto her back.

Reth tore his eyes off her breasts, pushing against his shirt buttons and making them gape. On a normal day he would have reached for them, popping the buttons slowly, then letting his fingers slide under the soft cotton to take the weight of her breast. Peeling the shirt back only when he leaned in to take that peak in his mouth—

"Reth, stop!"

*****

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