Taming the Queen of Beasts

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AARYN</strong>

When Gar dumped him unceremoniously in the Royal Meadow, he stood up and brushed himself off. He didn't look back and Gar and knew his brother wouldn't be looking back at him. He'd stolen enough time from them already.

Grateful, but nervous, he scanned the meadow. The sun was high enough to break across the thin grasses, which meant the lanterns had been on for at least an hour, if not more. And El often woke before the lanterns anyway.

Chances of her not having discovered his little jaunt were next to nothing. He sighed.

She might not understand, but he knew he'd done the right thing. And look, now they didn't even have to cross. They had new information, and more coming when Gahrye arrived. She should be grateful!

Reminding himself that he was four years older, her mate and King, and that he'd only been gone a handful of hours, he opened the door into the cave, and walked silently in, just in case.

But as he followed the curving wall of the Great Room and the dining area came into view, he found Elreth, sitting at the table, papers spread out around her—including his note.

Her face was a stark mask of anger. And she was stark naked.

Aaryn stopped on the other side of the table, his hands lifted in surrender—and a little confusion. "I'm sorry, but I had to—"

"I woke up this morning, of all mornings, alone."

"I know, I wasn't—"

"I was TERRIFIED, Aaryn. Do you know my mother was kidnapped from this cave before I was born."

"Yes, but—"

"I ran out here, pleading with the Creator that I'd find you, just having trouble sleeping, or bathing or something… Then I found your note," she bit the words off with a snarl.

Aaryn held her eyes and refused to back down. "I had to, El. I couldn't risk it. And look, I'm back. Safe and sound. Just like I said I would be."

Her eyes widened slightly and she got to her feet, stabbing a finger down on the tabletop as she spoke. "What right did you have, Aaryn? What right?" She was furious. Her read hair blazing around her face, her eyes the gold of her lion, she was so close to shifting out of pure rage.

Aaryn frowned, confused. "What right for what?"

"What right did you have to go without me? I'm your Queen, not just your mate."

Aaryn had to swallow a growl. "Exactly, Sire," he snapped. "The whole point was to go without you, to make sure it was safe! I had to be certain I could protect you for the sake of everyone, not just you and me."

Elreth gaped. "By putting yourself at risk? Are you insane?"

"By making sure I was strong enough. And I didn't go alone, Gar took me."

"Gar? You interrupted his honeymoon?" Elreth stood back, folding her arms, shaking her head. "On the eve of war, my King and my War Chief went through the fucking traverse together… the day before I needed cross?!"

"No, your brother and your mate did. To make sure you could do it safely—which we now know you don't have to do at all, by the way. So we saved you a risk! Wake up, El. Get off your rage horse. No one cares about you more than we do."

"Funny way to show it," she shot back.

"Wait, what?" Aaryn's head jerked back like she'd slapped him. "How can you be angry with me for trying to protect you?"

"WHAT IF YOU HAD DIED WITHOUT ME?"

His own anger had been building, but he rocked back on his heels then as he realized what was really going on. He rubbed his face with one hand, breathing deeply to give himself time to calm down. "Oh, El… Baby. I didn't realize—"

"Don't you 'Oh, El' me!" she shrieked. "If we go, we go together. If this war is going to take us, it takes us fighting side by side," she said, pounding the tabletop with the flat of her hand.

Aaryn's heart wanted to break for her. "But El," he said quietly, calmly, "we can't control that—"

"We can absolutely control where we go, and with who—and you can I can do everything together. All of it. Every moment." Elreth's eyes were beginning to shine.

Aaryn walked around the table to take her in his arms, but she backed up a step when he reached her.

"El, I love you. I don't want to be without you. Ever."

"Then never do that again! Never! I command it!" Her alpha authority echoed through his chest and he fought the urge to submit, even while he swallowed back shock, and not a little bit of anger.

When he spoke, it was with quiet intensity. "You don't dominate me in private, remember, El?"

"I don't care." But her eyes were darting around, and her hand shook.

"Well, I do. Now listen to me: I went across the traverse because it needed to be done, and it was obviously the Creator's plan, because we learned that they're coming for us. You can't go across, El. It's too dangerous. This is happening. Gahrye's finding your answers, and he's coming here. To you. Tonight or tomorrow at the latest. So you don't move. You focus on security here. And I'm here with you. That's it. That's what we're doing."

He stepped carefully closer, afraid she might break away out of pure tension.

"Baby, please," he breathed as she stared at him, her eyes welling with tears. "I'm not going anywhere without you again. Not by choice."

Then he reached for her and she panicked. Her voice climbed high and she shoved at his hands, babbling about how she couldn't trust him, and she'd thought he was gone, and…

But Aaryn caught her wrists and pulled her into his chest, wrapping his arms around her, cradling her head as she began to cry in truth.

"I'm sorry, El. I never meant to scare you. But I know it was the right thing to do. Please… please relax. Breathe. I'm here, beautiful. Nothing happened to me. I'm here. I'm safe."

She sobbed into his chest for a moment, but then she pulled herself together enough to lean back and meet his eyes, her own red and shining. "But for how long?" she rasped, her voice faint. "How long, Aaryn? Tell me."

His heart broke at the fear in her gaze.