Falling in Love with the King of Beasts

RETH

They laid in bed for another hour, dozing and talking. At one point Elia frowned.

"What about when she isn't a baby anymore?" she asked. "Where will she sleep?"

"Well… here," Reth said, blinking. "Why?"

"Here? In our bed?"

He'd huffed. "Where else? Where do you think I slept?"

"You slept in your parents room? When you were a… a child? A teenager?"

"Well, I'll admit there were times I found my own space when I was older, but as a child, yes. Do humans not sleep that way?"

"NO!" Elia recoiled, pushing away from him. "Reth, I'm not having sex with you in a room where our child is sleeping!"

He pulled his head back, his initial reaction was to fight her, after all, Anima had slept in family groups for millennia. But she looked so horrified… and as he thought about it, when they were children she'd had her own room. All of the human's he'd met had.

"Well, okay," he said rubbing his chin. "I hope you won't put her out too early. She'll need to be close to us while you're nursing. But I can speak to the masters about making another bedroom… or two."

Her eyes widened. "Two?"

Reth cleared his throat. "Just in case."

Her face softened and she threw herself back into his chest. "Wouldn't that be wonderful, Reth? If we could have a baby in a normal way? I mean, just… you know, be living our lives and…"

"Yes, Love. I'd like that." He felt the wetness of her tears on his collarbones again and held her close knowing her mind had tripped back to the dangers, just as his had. "Please don't cry, Elia," he murmured, holding her.

"It's just stupid pregnancy hormones," she sniffed, though they both knew it was more than that. "I'm excited to hold her, Reth. And so excited to see you with her. I mean… there'd be nothing better in this world. In any world. I just want to be with you and her and safe, that's all. Nothing else is important."

"I know, Love." He wanted to talk to her about everything, but like her, he didn't want to poke the bubble they had made that morning. The simple easiness of it. "How are you feeling?" he asked gently. "Any pain or… anything?"

She shook her head. "No, I really am fine. I'm feeling better today than I've felt in weeks—even before I came back."

Reth took a deep breath with relief—and his heart constricted at the same time. Aymora was due to check her in an hour. If Elia was feeling so well and had no pain… he imagined this would be the day she'd decide that Elia needed to shift for the people. They'd had a couple of whispered conversations about it in the last couple of days, but Elia hadn't been strong enough, even Aymora saw that.

But the elders were impatient. And that meant he didn't have any time to waste with Lerrin, either. He prayed the male was healing quickly with the help Suhle called for him.

"Elia," he started hesitantly. "Today might—"

They both heard the cave door open. It had been left unlocked for Aymora and Jayah to come and go. Elia looked up at him and sighed, rolling over and reaching for the nightdress that she'd been leaving on the side of the sleeping platform for whenever she had visitors.

Reth assumed it would be Aymora, but as the footsteps continued through the Cave, they were too heavy, then he caught the scent of Gahrye when he turned into the tunnel.

Reth's jaw tightened, but he knew the male had been giving Elia space. If he was here now, there was likely a reason.

"Gahrye?" Elia said as she obviously caught his scent too.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," he said, his voice pinched and hesitant. He didn't open the door when he reached the other side of it. "Are you dressed, Elia? Can we speak? It's… it's important."

"Just a minute!" she sang nervously, sitting up and throwing the nightdress over her head. She pulled it down to find Reth watching her, regretful that the day and their responsibilities were finally invading. But so glad that she seemed so much stronger to meet it.

He took her hand and kissed the back of it, then twined their fingers. "I'll go get some food and check in with Aymora," he said quietly.

She nodded, then leaned forward to kiss him before he rolled out of the furs and crossed to the closet to get dressed.

A minute later he opened the door to find Gahrye looking tense and uncertain, on the other side.

"I'm going to get some food for us and to speak with the elders," he said solemnly. "Can you stay with her for an hour or two?"

"Of course," Gahrye said, nodding quickly. But he kept peering past Reth to where Elia sat in the bed.

"You don't put pressure on her for any reason, do you hear me?" he growled.

"Reth!" Elia snapped. "He's fine. Stop being overprotective."

But Reth held Gahrye's eyes until the male nodded.

"I want to watch for her, to help her, not push her," Gahrye said tightly.

"If she has any cramps, or any pain, you send a messenger for Aymora and Jayah immediately, and then for me, do you understand?"

"Sure."

"And if she gets frightened or tired, you send them for me. The things I do are not important enough to stay away when she's unwell."

"I hear you," Gahrye said, patting his arm like he thought Reth was the one who needed comforting. "I'll make sure she doesn't do anything but sit there."

Reth huffed, but looked at Elia over his shoulder and winked, then slipped out of the room as Gahrye walked in.

As he hurried down the tunnel and into the main cave, he shook his head. He knew his feelings of jealousy towards the male were unreasonable. Gahrye was happily mated apparently, and Elia certainly denied any idea that she had any eyes for anyone but Reth. He knew it for truth. But something within him never stopped feeling uneasy about a male who was so close to her at all times—and knowing they shared experiences Reth had missed. It… chafed.

But he couldn't deny that he felt better knowing she was in the company of the male if she did begin to tire or feel pain. Reth would get the few things he needed to do this day while she was watched over by Gahrye, then hopefully they could enjoy more time alone later, after lunch.

Reth nodded. Yes. This was good. He would hurry to Aymora and tell her to watch for messengers, but not hurry her here so she wouldn't call for Elia to shift. And he'd check in on Lerrin and Suhle. Because it looked like it needed to be their time.

He threw a hurried prayer skyward that Lerrin was healed enough to travel, and then, as he broke out of the darkness of the cave and into the bright sunlight of the meadow, he shifted to his beast and began to run.

He wouldn't spend a second longer away from Elia than was necessary. Not a single second.