500 Chapters! Can you believe it?! Celebrate with me! This month there will be at least 2 chapters per day, EVERY DAY (and maybe even another mass release, we'll see.)

Thank you for all your support of me and these characters. I'm truly humbled by it. Thank you for sharing this journey! I hope you enjoy all the extra content this month as my gratitude to you!

*****

GAR

He'd dragged his feet a little bit, getting out of the cavea€”and almost took Rika again. But then he remembered the warning from Pegg that the humans had definitely lived and gotten out of the WildWood.

Everything was happening.

El needed to know.

He'd sighed heavily and helped Rika put the bag on her shoulders before kissing her then shifting so she could climb onto his back.

He was tired from so much travelling that day, but the adrenaline pumping through? his system kept even his beast moving quickly. So when they cut across the forest towards the royal meadow, he kept his beast form until they were breaking through the trees into the open.

Then he slowed quickly, Rika almost tipping forward over his head so he was forced to catch her from a stumble when he shifted. He was going to apologize, but she was laughing and he almost kissed her again.

But his father was just coming out of the royal cave, and the excitement mingled with confusion when he saw them made Gar come back to earth with a thump. Bad things were happening in the middle of the best things in his life and he was going to have to explain himself.

But before he could speak, as they started towards the cave, his father waved them back. "What are you two doing back already?"

"I need to talk to El," Gar called, trotting towards him.

But his father waved them back. "Unless the humans are literally in the WildWood, you don't go in there. At all. Under any circumstancesa€”do you hear me, Gar? No jokes this time."

It took Gar a second, but then he grinned. "Oh?"

"I'm serious, Gar." But he was grinning.

The mischief in Gar wanted to go knock on the door, just to piss of his sister, but then he thought about how he would have felt if someone had come to the cave last night when he and Rika were clenched together anda€|

His stomach dropped. "Okay, then, I guess we've got some time after all," he said, taking the bag from Rika's shoulders, then taking her hand and leading her towards the Tree. "We'll go get unpacked and maybe visit the disa€”Protectors."

"Not unless you want to get drunk. Humans or not, those kids know how to party. They started at breakfast. If your news can wait, my advice is to wait until your sister and Aaryn are free. If I see them, I'll let them know you're back."

Then his father gave a wicked smile and Gar's mouth dropped open. "You wouldn't!"

His father snorted. "Watch me. You deserve a taste of your own medicine."

"No, Dad, seriouslya€| don't."

The darkness in his voice hit and his father blinked, then glanced at Rika, understanding dawning on his face. "Oh, right. Well, okay. Buta€| you thank the Creator for my mercy, Gar. For Rika's sake, only because she deserves it, not because you do."

Gar nodded and tugged Rika back towards the Tree House, walking quickly in case his dad changed his mind.

"What was that about?"

"I'll explain later," he said, distracted. How urgent was his news? If Elreth was taking the day to spend with Aaryn, did that mean she wasn't training? Was she that confident? Had he come back for nothing? After all, Aaryn had already told her about Gahrye cominga€|

He was going to paint the walls blue with curses if they'd returned when they didn't need to, but for now he was going to get his mate back to the Tree House anda€| wella€|

He glanced down at Rika as he opened the door and pulled her in behind him, straight into his arms and a kiss that fluttered in his stomach.

historical

Rika hummed her approval and wrapped her arms around his waist, but then he broke it suddenly and let her go, turning to lock the front doora€”which he never dida€”and racing around to close the curtains in the living area.

"What is going on?" Rika asked, standing there, clearly uncertain whether to laugh or be worried.

"Nothing. I just don't want my past coming back to haunt us both," he said quickly and flashed her a grin. "Let's go upstairs anda€| find something to do."

Rika's brows rose, but she smiled and followed him.

*****

RIKA

She'd enjoyed seeing Gar and his father smilinga€”there hadn't been enough smiles since she'd arrived. But as they walked through the house and up the stairs into the bedchamber above, Rika's stomach fluttered with nerves.

It was different here, in the Tree House.

Back at the cave, she'd felt small, but with the looming ceiling and wide tunnel, it had seemed like Gar fit the space. Whereas herea€|

Here Gar looked hugea€”ducking his head to get through doors, the ceiling low enough that he could reach up and brush it without straightening his arm properly.

For a moment, as they stepped into the bedroom, her body wanted to react. He was huge and she was small and this space was closed in. He'd locked the door and closed the curtains anda€”

Rika shook her head to herself as Gar walked ahead of her, dropping the back to the floor under the window upstairsa€”which he didn't curtain here. She stopped just inside the door to watch him, bending over so his tight ass looked incredible in his leathers. He didn't notice her gaze, just reached down with his long armsa€”the arms she'd loved having around her back at the cavea€”to start pulling clothes and things out of the bag.

It was sad that they were back so quickly, buta€| but she felt the draw of him as she watched him move so easily, thoughtlessly, his big body swinging and strong.

But then Gar straightened, turning to look at question at her, his face worried.

She smiled to ease him. "Why don't we unpack later?" she asked carefully.

Gar raised one eyebrow, his mouth sliding up on that side in an uncertain smile. "Are you sure?"

"About you? Absolutely," she grinned, then started unbuttoning her shirt.