Taming the Queen of Beasts

AARYN

He ushered her back to the cave. Some of the guards would likely hear them anyway, but he wanted her to feel safe, to be able to think without distraction. Keeping one hand at her back, he led her back to the Great Room, then turned to her. But Elreth had her arms folded and was beginning to pace. She stared at the stone floor of the cave as she crossed back and forth in front of one of the couches.

"No, Aaryn. You're King. You can't. We can't risk you."

"We'll have no Kingdom if this doesn't work, El. I need to go. And I need to go now."

"Absolutely not!" she snapped, fire in her eyes and her hair whipping when she snapped her head to turn on him, stalking to him, one finger leveled at his chest. "I forbid it! We will scent the others for truth, and—"

"El, there's no time. You know that. I don't want to. You know I don't want to!"

"No!" she cried, her face crumpling. "We agreed, Aaryn! We agreed that you would stay with me. That I need your help! Everyone else is gone, I can't do this alone!"

Aaryn rushed to her, pulling her into his chest and she came gratefully, throwing her arms around him and pulling him in so tightly he grunted. But he covered her head, held her under his chin.

They were both shaking.

"Just listen," he whispered, stroking one hand up and down her back. She tensed but didn't speak.

Aaryn swallowed. "I'll go now. I'll go fast. We'll get the Protectors out of the way and I'll come back. I'll cross back before they close it. If I go now, there's time. There's still hours, El."

"It'll take an hour just to get there!"

"I'll have one of the Equine run me," Aaryn said, clutching at her so she wouldn't pull away. "I'll get back, El. I will. I have to go. You know I have to. We can't trust anyone else."

"But you promised!" Elreth sobbed and pulled out of his chest, her eyes wet and broken. "Aaryn, you promised."

He held her by the shoulders and fought his own tears. The idea of leaving her here, knowing there were traitors among them….

But he swallowed back the fear and stared at her.

Under that gaze, the resistance in her, the hard jaw, the clenched fists… they dissolved. Her forehead wrinkled and her eyes went so sad. She swallowed between sobs.

"I have to go, El," he whispered.

A sob cracked out of her throat and her tears spilled over, but she nodded, so slowly. "I know. I know. I just…"

"I can't wait. There won't be time."

"I know."

They stared at each other and he cupped her face. "I'll come back to you. You know I will. I will be back for you, Elreth, or die trying."

Her face crumpled and she fisted his shirt in her hands, pulling him into a hug that left no space between their bodies.

Her body shook and shuddered with her cries, but she was silent and Aaryn swallowed and swallowed to keep his own at bay, his blood fizzing in his veins, tingling with dread and resolve and… too much.

He pulled back to put his forehead against hers and force her to meet his eyes. "I love you, El. I love only you. And I will do anything to keep you safe. This will keep you safe, and the rest of them, too." He swallowed convulsively.

"I love you, Aaryn!"

They clasped each other in a frantic kiss, a desperate goodbye, salty with tears and broken by sobs. But when they broke apart, they were both moving.

Elreth ran from the cave, wiping her tears as she ran, bellowing for the guards. "A bird! I need a bird—now!" Aaryn's heart swelled with love for her, with admiration for how she put herself aside once the decision was made.

For the way she looked love at him in between barking orders and snapping instructions.

It was a matter of minutes. There had been four birds left for Elreth's use in exactly this kind of event. The strongest, fastest pair arrived at the meadow with a hammock before the moon had barely moved.

Then it was time. Far too quickly. He wasn't ready.

When the birds stood at either end of the hammock, and the guards were posted around the meadow, patrols ensuring there'd be no arrows to take them down, Elreth turned to him, her eyes wide.

"Promise you'll come back."

He clung to her hands. "I vow it. I do."

​ She squeezed his hands until his fingers wanted to crack. "Creator bless you and keep you safe. Come back to me, Aaryn. Come back to me."

Then he kissed her, then crawled into the hammock, cursing that he couldn't see her from within its depths as the birds lifted off, pulling him into the air with long, powerful flaps.

******

ELRETH

She stood in the clearing, watching the birds, silhouetted by the moon, leap into the air and take Aaryn away from her, and for a long moment, she couldn't even draw a breath.

It had all happened so quickly, and he'd been so sure. And she'd known he was right the moment he said it, and still…

Her entire body shook, but she forced herself to stay upright, to turn to the guards at her shoulders.

"I won't be sleeping now," she said with as much dignity and Alpha power as she could muster. "Anything new—even the slightest crumb—you bring it directly to me. Do not hesitate."

They both saluted.

"And make sure that the rest of the guards are informed. Keep the Protectors from the human world together and watched. Don't let them know that we know—we don't know what plans are afoot here. Set guards at the trail and the cave mouth. Don't let them leave. Get patrols around the cave. Bring a handful in from the boundaries if we have to. We have a known threat among us now. We can't let it infect our people. If they ask, tell them that we have a known threat and the entire City is now under lockdown until after… after the sunrise and we know… when we know…"

The guards nodded sympathetically. Elreth thanked them for their help, turned on her heel, and walked back to the cave, leaving the sentries at the door and stepping inside, closing it quietly behind her.

Then she walked through the cave, down the tunnel to the bedchambers, and into their room…

She could smell him here.

Her heart fluttered, then exploded in pain and fear.

Elreth clapped a hand over her mouth to stifle her cries, but fell onto the furs, pulling them around her and sucking in his scent between her cries.

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