Falling in Love with the King of Beasts

LERRIN

Two days later, Lerrin woke early in the morning, blinking into the pink light casting beams of warn sunlight across the floor of the tree, and glittering on dust motes in the air. For a  moment, before he moved, he found himself at peace, and he had to examine his surroundings to understand why. There was no sound, and no intrusion from outside the tree. But there was a very, very beautiful smell.

Bracing, he rolled over—slowly. Very slowly. Wincing against pain—to find Suhle still curled on the blanket behind him.

He blinked, then smiled.

The Guards hadn't made her leave in the night.

With the exception of the afternoon she'd gone to speak with Reth, Suhle had spent almost every hour of the day with him since the night of his attack. But before, the guards had always insisted that she leave late in the evening, when their shift was changing.

Not last night, though. Last night, they'd remained quiet, speaking only in their minds. And the guard shift change had come and gone without interruption.

And now, here she was, sleep flushed and relaxed, laying next to him… on a hardwood floor with only a thin blanket as a mattress.

He growled in his throat. She needed better!

But she had been woken, either by his movement or his growl, and she stretched, her arms pressed high over her head. "Good morning," she whispered.

Unable to resist, Lerrin leaned in, cupping her chin and pulling her mouth to his.

It was a simple kiss, a chaste meeting. But her eyes flew open and her hands jumped to his face. She touched him, so gently, so carefully, so afraid of hurting his injuries. But her cool fingers on his skin were a balm.

He wished he had the strength to roll her onto her back and rest between her thighs, to hold her properly and bring them together—

He needed to stop. The one part of his anatomy that he'd instinctively protected during the attack was almost fully healed, and definitely awake this morning. He didn't want to scare her.

Pulling reluctantly out of the kiss, he used one long finger to push a strand of hair off her face. Extending his arm hurt, so he kept his elbow close to his side.

"Good morning," he rasped his voice rough with sleep.

Suhle smiled and touched his face again. "I love you, Lerrin."

He didn't deserve her, with her open declarations and willingness to fight to have him. He didn't deserve her making herself sleep so poorly and uncomfortably, just to be close to him. But fuck, he was thankful for it.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, her forehead pulling into worry lines as she scanned his body.

"Better. I'm healing," he said. "You're helping more than you know."

She tsked. "I wish I could do more. They insist on keeping you weak and do not understand that you will not use your strength against them, but to heal!"

He kissed her again for her fierce defense of him, then rested his forehead against hers. "You should go home and bathe, maybe sleep some more. Aren't you aching from the hard floor?"

"Aren't you?" she said pointedly.

He grunted. "The difference is that I have to be here, Suhle. You don't."

She gave him a dark look—they'd discussed this already. Lerrin believed she should spend less time with him, and more connecting with others.

She'd met the Queen's Advisor, Gharye, another disformed, and found him intriguing. He had asked to speak with her again, to introduce him to some of the others. She believed Reth was pointing her towards the possibility that Lerrin would be banished, but also allowed to take others with him who might also be disenfranchised, or perhaps, at risk. Vulnerable in the community.

It wasn't what he'd envisioned when he asked Suhle to propose a banishment to Reth, but he also couldn't deny the appeal of having travelling companions, and others to walk alongside as they made a new life.

Perhaps… perhaps there was something to it all. But Reth hadn't actually articulated this idea, and Lerrin was reluctant to get too attached to it until he did.

He did, however, think that Suhle should be building relationships with others, whether they were likely to come with them, or not. She needed to rest at times. But when she was with him, she continued to serve.

He was about to begin the conversation again, to urge her to go out today and relax, that he would be fine. But the door opened and a massive shadow appeared in it. Lerrin moved too quickly—his ribs and stomach screamed—pushing himself up and over Suhle to put himself between her and the threat.

His body still ached and jolted every time he moved. Though he could sit up now, and roll over, it wasn't without pain. If the wolves were coming for him again, he was in no state to fight. But Suhle… he didn't want to see her traumatized again, either. She could fight, he knew, but she didn't like to. If he could negotiate for them to put her outside before…

But then it was the Lieutenant that came through the door,  his lips pressed then, but fighting a smile.

Lerrin eyed him warily, but he was looking for Suhle.

"The King is coming for a visit after lunch," the male said gruffly, his eyes lined and tired. He had obviously taken the night shift. And been the one to allow them to stay together. "Your Mate will need to go and prepare a bath for you and some clean clothes."

Suhle put a hand to her chest. It was the first time someone else had referred to her that way, and Lerrin wanted to cheer at the blush that rose in her cheeks. But he swallowed the urge back. "What's Reth coming here for?" he asked.

The male raised an eyebrow. "The Security Council are deciding your fate today," he said. "And you're invited."

*** THE END IS NEAR - Got Questions? ***

I'm putting together a reader Q & A for the end of BEAST. If you have any burning questions about the characters, my writing, the process of telling the story, or me as an author, please ask them in the comments and I will add them to my list!