Taming the Queen of Beasts

<strong>ELRETH</strong>

While Gar sucked Rika's face off—or at least, seemed like he was going to make an attempt at it—Elreth turned to look at Aaryn, only to find him already smiling down at her.

He leaned down and kissed her briefly, his eyes twinkling.

"I wish they didn't have to do everything so quickly," Elreth whispered to him, remembering their ritual—and their honeymoon. Still the best memories of her life. "I'm sad that everything they do is going to be so rushed."

Aaryn chuckled. "I remember wishing we could have got to ours a lot quicker. Maybe it's  not a curse?"

Elreth smiled and shrugged, but her smile faded quickly. "I just feel like they should have had time, you know? In two days we'll be leaving and Gar's going to have to be a part of that. The humans are coming. Maybe war… I just feel bad for them. They're never going to get time."

Aaryn looked at them. Gar had finally put Rika back on her feet, and his parents were there, talking excitedly with them, Elia peeling Rika out of Gar's grip to give her a hug of her own.

Aaryn nodded. She knew she was right. It was all going to be rushed for them. And no guarantees they'd get through it. "So give them their chance," he said quietly.

Elreth blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Well, tomorrow's a feast day. Let them go now. Tonight. They can come back the next morning and still be in time to help us get through the portal. It's only one day, but the Protectors will understand. Finding a True Mate is a priority in our tribe," he said.

Hearing those words was somehow strange on his tongue, and yet perfect at the same time. Hearing him own his tribe was a joy. Elreth wanted to beam. But what he was saying…

"But… the humans and…"

Aaryn looked down at her, his eyes narrowed. "What good is being Queen if you can't just… decide stuff?"

Elreth blinked. He was right.

He was right.

"You're right," she said.

"I usually am."

She slapped his arm, but they both smiled. Elreth turned back to her brother and his mate. The human traditions were strange—all words. But it had been touching because she could tell that they both meant them. And Rika was obviously giving up on her fear.

Elreth prayed silently that that would continue.

A day alone would probably help.

She nodded to herself. "You're right."

"I told you—"

She cut him off with a growl and he laughed, but she strode forward to tap Gar on the shoulder so her brother turned, his eyes dancing, but a hint of wariness when he saw her face.

Oh, she should probably smile when she said this.

"Congratulations," she said, then turned to Rika and made sure she was smiling. She was still a little uncertain of her reception with the woman, but she supposed she couldn't blame Rika for being hesitant with her. She had accused her of being a traitor. "I want you to know that I'm really glad it's you, Rika. And I meant what I said, I know I was hard on you, but we're sisters now. You can trust that I won't put you up in front of a council again—unless you hurt Gar. Then all bets are off."

"El," Gar growled.

But El was winking and Rika smiled, if a little hesitantly. They were going to be fine, Elreth thought.

"So, I had an idea," she said, turning back to her brother. "I want to give you a present, to celebrate."

"Oh?" Gar was skeptical. Some of Elreth's presents in their childhood hadn't been of the fun variety.

"Tomorrow's a feast day," she said. "For the people, anyway. The rest of us will be busy. But… why don't you two leave tonight, go to Dad's fishing cave like Aaryn and I did. You can come to meet us on the trail the second morning when we're headed to the portal. As long as you're there for that, Gar, then once we're through, you can come back here and start with the Protectors. I imagine they'll be having a slow start that day anyway."

"But…" Gar stumbled on the word, because he very clearly wanted to say yes. "Tarkyn's organizing the Protectors to go meet the humans and—"

"And if you talk to them tonight before you go, they can all handle that without you. You weren't going on that mission anyway."

"El, this isn't training—"

"I know," she said firmly. "That's my whole point. This might be your only chance, Gar, and I want you guys to have that. If you want to go, I'm saying it's a priority. And we can work the rest out. In an emergency, we know where you are. We'll send a bird. I think…. I really think you should do it."

Gar turned to Rika, his eyes shining with hope. "What do you think?"

"I think I'm really grateful that your sister is so thoughtful," Rika said, smiling. "I'd love to have some time alone."

"Well then, that's decided. You tell the Protectors what you're doing. Aaryn can handle things here tomorrow. And you meet us on the trail half an hour after dawn the following day."

Gar shook his head. "Thank you, El."

He threw his arms around her then, and Elreth laughed, then started slamming her fists into her brother back when he picked her up and turned her around.

"Gar! Don't make me dominate you!"

Everyone chuckled, and Elreth tried to pretend she'd been joking as he set her back down on her feet.

"Thank you, El, seriously," he murmured, below the level of her mother congratulating Rika and Aaryn talking to Reth about what the next day was going to look like.

Fear crept in under her joy as everyone kept their focus on the happy mates, but Elreth's head turned back to what was to come. To the reason she'd brought the Veneration forward.

Everything had worked out, she reminded herself. Clearly it was all in the Creator's plan. And at least Gar and Rika would have this time. Because who knew what was on the horizon?

But as her parents circled the four of them and kept hugging them, Elreth had to force herself to smile and show her joy for Gar and Rika. Because in the back of her mind, like a storm cloud pressing in from the East, the darkness of the humans was approaching.

And she didn't know what her world—what her family—would look like in the aftermath.

Keep them safe, please, she prayed as she hugged her father and mother, then Rika and Gar again. Keep them all safe. Bring us all through this. Please.