ELRETH

When they'd finished laughing, Elreth rubbed Rika's arm. "Look, I love that you're thinking about him and about us, and seriously, if you can deadpan like that you're going to fit in just fine. But.. please don't worry about Gar. I mean, I get it, he's huge. But he's like Dad—he's always been scary when he's mad, but you really can trust him. And with Gar, even when he was at his worst he was always self-destructive, never trying to hurt others.. though you could have fooled me at times," she growled at the end.

Rika nods. "I know," she said, smiling wider. "I thought Gar was silly about needing to get married before we slept together. But something shifted for me. I trust him, now. I can feel it."

Elreth's smile was tight. Because if that was true, what about the bond? But she didn't want to raise it if Gar though Rika didn't know. Or didn't want to talk about it. So she just shrugged and leaned forward to Rika what started as a stiff hug but somehow warmed up as they held each other.

Elreth was surprised to find herself tearing up. What the hell was wrong with her?

"I'm just really glad he found you before all this," she whispered to Rika. "The fact that we get to have you too is just a bonus."

Rika swallowed hard, as if there as a lump in her throat. When she sat back she looked like she might ask Elreth something, but then there was a bang in the Great Room as someone barged through the front door—someone very male, and Elreth rolled her eyes and said they better get out there. Her mother was going to need help protecting the food from grasping male hands.

Rika laughed and they left the bedroom.

But Elreth's tears never really subsided. Not as she found Aaryn already helping her mother in the kitchen. Not when her father and brother returned, both of them looking a little red-eyed. Not when her mother snapped a towel at Gar's hand when he tried to steal a crispy potato.

And not when they stood around the table and held hands while her father asked the Creator to bring them all through whatever was coming for them in the following days and weeks.

In fact, her tears spilled over then and Aaryn pulled her under his arm and kissed her hair. And no one mentioned that she was wiping her eyes when they broke apart to get their food.

And that was okay. Because even if she wanted to cry, she was happy. Grateful.

So grateful for her family.

And so grateful that she'd been trusted by the Creator to be a part of this loud, hilarious group of Anima and humans. Even more that she'd been trusted to lead them.

And so grateful that here, in the warm safety of her own cave, she didn't have to.

*****

AARYN

He'd been a little disappointed when Elreth suggested a family dinner for their evening—he'd wanted to be alone with her, and quiet. But she'd been right. It was the best thing they could have done.

All tension about the politics and risk of what was happening fell away for a few hours while they talked, teased each other, laughed, and even cried. Or Elia did, anyway. Though Aaryn could smell Elreth's tension and welling emotion too.

He smiled at her, held her hand, and stayed close, and they got through the night with smiles, until it was time for everyone to go to their respective homes with their mates, and then he led her to the bedchamber and made long, sweet, slow love to her until they were both exhausted and fell asleep.

He'd thought it was the perfect end to the day. But he only dozed, and less than an hour later, he found himself awake and watching Elreth, her back to him, the furs gathered in her waist, utterly asleep and snoring softly.

For a while he just watched her.

Thank you for her, he prayed. Thank you that she's here to lead us through this. Thank you for using her to point the way—and safely.

Aaryn swallowed hard. Please save her. Please.. save all of them. If it's possible, you can do it. I know you can. Give us the answers we need from Gahrye. Give us the strength and the speed to do it. Just.. keep them safe. Keep her safe. We all need her.

Then he sighed. He wanted to go back to sleep, but his mind kept drifting until the weight of the darkness and the furs and being awake in the small hours of the morning inevitably led to thoughts of his mother.

He winced as he remembered that day he'd lost her, and for a moment he was drowned in pain. Then that made him afraid. He couldn't afford to be overwhelmed now—couldn't afford to be distracted, even. He prayed for her safety, asked the Creator to watch her and let her stay far, far away from any conflict with the humans.

But that got him thinking about what it would have been like if she'd been here.

He hated to admit it, but he was focusing better on Elreth since his mother was gone. This conflict, all this change, it would have terrified her. He would have been trying to balance her needs with his responsibilities, and Elreth's. He'd barely been keeping it together as it was.

Maybe.. maybe the Creator took her away when He did for a reason?

Guilt stabbed in him the heart at that thought. There was no time or place that it would be good to lose his mother!

But then the creeping thought came, whispered by the Creator, that he had to lose her at some point, and to have lost her when he did, the way he did.. maybe that was part of a larger plan.historical

She would have found this new world incredible stressful, he knew. He prayed then that her beast was unaware of the humans—and would stay ignorant if there was any kind of conflict.

He prayed she didn't know what danger he was in.

Shaking off the dark thoughts, he stroked Elreth's hair. She sucked in a deep breath and rolled into him, snuggling into his chest and wrapping an arm around his waist.. then immediately began snoring again.

And finally with a smile, Aaryn put his arm over her and pulled her close, then closed his eyes, nervous about the future, but grateful.

So grateful.