Falling in Love with the King of Beasts

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*****

ELIA

Gahrye pursed his lips. "I will think about it," he said carefully. "But if I decide to go… I'm not going to tell you when. So that if I am caught, you can honestly say you didn't know."

Elia's lips twisted. "Thank you for trying to protect me, but—"

"No, Elia, listen… this is real. What we're doing isn't for fun. It has to be done. And that means that we have to protect each other. If something happens to one of us it can't happen to both of us. If I go, I only go on the agreement that you will not try to save me if he finds out. That you'll let him punish me, or… or whatever. Because someone has to be here to help the Protectors if I'm gone. Even only for a time."

She shook her head. "You're right, no, I hear you," she said when his face got firm. "You're right. Okay. You go when you think it's the right time to go. And you don't tell me ahead of time. But in the meantime, you spend as much time with the disformed—I mean, Protectors—as you can. And you pass on to me anything that you learn. Because if you do go away for a time, I will need to carry on whatever is needed."

They stared at each other and Elia could hear his heart pounding as loudly as hers was.

Was she really here, planning to hide something from her mate? For… who knew how long?

But she was being honest with Gahrye. She really did believe that if Reth knew what she k new—had seen what she saw in the Portal, had heard what Garhye read in the winds—that he would make the same plan.

Including not telling him about it. She was confident if he understood the stakes, he would take the action she was taking.

She hated hiding it from him, hated the idea of ever having to lie to him. But she had no choice.

This wasn't just for her, or even Gahrye and Kalle. This was for all of them. And the safety of all of Anima was far, far more important than whether or not she had a secret from her mate.

So she stared at her best friend and let him see her conviction. Because they were in this together—and Reth would have been too. She was sure of it.

"Okay," Gahrye said quietly a moment later. "Okay."

"You'll go?"

He gave her a disapproving look. "I don't know, and I certainly won't tell you if I decide to," he said flatly. "But you're right, I need to… equip you, too. Just in case."

She smiled at him for the first time since they'd started this conversation. "You know, didn't you say the voices called you a hero?"

Gahrye rolled his eyes. But she didn't let it go.

"Seems like they do tell the truth sometimes."

He went very pale then. "Don't say that," he said quickly.

Elia's smile dropped off her face immediately. "Why? What happened? What did they say to you? I thought they couldn't torment you when you were a Protector?"

His shoulders rose and fell slowly. "I was… weak coming back. And the blood began to dry. I just… they made it very clear that they could see Kalle now and would target her. And they suggested… they said that she would get back together with that stupid male at the library once I was gone—that he would find her and either win her back, or kill her."

He shuddered and Elia squeezed his hand again. "They aren't telling the truth about that," she said quietly. "Kalle's way too fierce to fall for that. And if he was trying to hurt her… I'd put my money on Eve any day of the week. Did you see how she reacted when Kalle told her Shaw was dead? I was in the beast and even I caught that. That woman has balls of steel."

Gahrye huffed a laugh. "Yes, she does."

Elia rubbed his hand and tried to smile. "Don't worry, Gahrye. She's fine. I'm certain of it. She's safe and missing you and she's going to be overjoyed when you show up."

"I hope so," he murmured. "I pray so."

*****

KALLE

Still standing in the entryway of the Big House, Kalle had folded her arms across her chest. The Detective stared at her pointedly, knowing he'd surprised her and waiting, giving her no distraction or way to avoid answering. But she couldn't respond. Her head was buzzing.

He knew about Gahrye? How?

Dillon.

Fucking asswipe!

"Detective," her grandmother started.

"Kalle?" the Detective said stubbornly. "A new man in your life? A failed marriage? I've been around a long time. I get it. That's tough. But if this guy had something to do with your uncle's death—"

"No!" Kalle protested immediately. "Gary had nothing to do with it! I didn't tell you about him because he left before Uncle Shaw got hurt."

"Oh?" The Detective asked, skeptical.

Kalle nodded, blinking back tears. "He… he'd been making noises for weeks and I thought he was just… I thought he was just being romantic about us needing to make the most of our time. But he left. He actually left me!" she said, fighting real tears, praying the Detective thought she was angry with it. "He never loved me. He was just… just trying to get to my money."

"Oh? What makes you say that?"

"Because the day he heard that I wasn't inheriting any of this, that I just got to live here, he left." She put her face in her hands and swallowed hard before looking up at the Detective again. "I mean, you aren't wrong about me avoiding it, but it wasn't because of Shaw. It's because… because it was embarrassing. I don't even think I know his real name. I think…"

"What my granddaughter is trying to say, Officer, is that her husband was a con. It's an episode we'd all rather forget, frankly. Overshadowed by the attack on my brother."

"Is that so? Where can I find him? I'd like to ask him some questions."

Kalle's face fell. "Gary Hieren," she said without thinking. She'd never heard the Anima name used here. It seemed unlikely they'd find anyone nearby with that name."

"Do you have a picture of him?"

Kalle's mouth dropped open. "No," she breathed… shocked. "I don't."

The Detective looked very skeptical at that, but made a note in his notebook. "Well, thank you for your time today, ladies. I'll let you rest now. But I will be back as soon as I find anything," he said, the words more threat than promise.

When he walked out, Kalle shoved out a breath. Her grandmother didn't make a sound, but her face was tight with tension and disapproval.

"Maybe it's good that Gahrye's gone," she said eventually, when Kalle just stood there, staring at the door. "I hadn't thought about them trying to pin it on him."

"Me either," Kalle breathed. And for the first time since he'd left, she was grateful he was gone. "It has to have been Dillon that told them. No one else knew."

"That's my guess, too."

"Come on," Kalle said, turning on her heel. "Sounds like I need to have a word with the asswipe."

Her grandmother rolled her eyes. Kalle couldn't have agreed more.

****** 

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