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RETH

Reth had never felt so small. So powerless.

He'd almost lost his precious mate three times, and he'd felt helpless on those days… but never powerless. He'd felt humbled, but never small.

But this…

A purpose set by the Creator at the beginning of time. A catalyst lighted hundreds of years earlier. An entire people cut off from their true heritage, just to lead to this moment—and brought back to their truth by his mate.

His beautiful, loving mate.

The tiny woman who had ignited his heart, borne him two cubs, led a people towards love and acceptance—against their will—and who now shook in his arms, her tears so shocking, her choking sobs shook both of their bodies with the force.

He had her wrapped in his arms, covered with every inch of him, and no matter how big he was, no matter how tightly he held her, no matter how fiercely he fought, for the first time… he had absolutely no way to protect her.

Far from it. He had to usher in her death.

White hot rage erupted in his chest. His hands tightened on her back as a low growl started in his throat.

"Love—"

"No, don't, Reth. This is fine. This is fine. I'm fine!" she said, pulling out of his grip and wiping her face, over and over. "I'm fine. I'm sorry, I just got a little weak there for a minute, but I'm fine."

She ran a shaking hand through her hair and turned away in the direction Reece and Gahrye had left. "We can talk about this later. Right now we need to go. Elreth needs—"

"Elia." Reth said, and whether it was the depth of his voice, or the cracked plea he hadn't been able to hide, she froze. But she still didn't turn around. He stared at the back of her neck, that little space where her hair curled, right at the nape, where the scar of the claiming was almost invisible after all these years. "Love, talk to me."

"I can't."

"You have to. I have to. We have to… be together in this."

"I can't be strong with you, Reth," she whispered. "Because you're the thing that will stop me."

Reth blinked. "What?"

She turned around and she was pale, so pale. Her eyes wide and pleading. "I didn't get it back then," she said, her hands gesturing wildly.

Reth was confused. "Didn't get what?"

"When you told me that you were King and I was your weakness and that they could use that against you… that you couldn't let them see it. You begged me, Reth, not to reveal that to them. And I didn't understand. I didn't understand then, but I do now. I do!" Her lip trembled, but her eyes were clear and piercing, pleading with him to understand.

He nodded. "Okay, okay. I get it."

Her breath sucked in convulsively. She was still fighting tears, but she took one step back to him and her eyes were on fire. "How did you love like this back then?" she demanded. "How did you know? I didn't even know this love existed until you showed it to me—how did you do it? How did you carry this through… through all of that?! It would have broken me, Reth!"

"It did break me," he said simply. "But… you're worth it."

Elia's face dragged down and she slumped. "I can't do this," she breathed.

Reth's rage erupted again and he shuddered with the urge to tear and bite and claw—to kill. Because now—after all this—the Creator still wouldn't let him be weak?

He wanted to plead with her never to do this—not even consider it.

He wanted to pick her up and carry her away into the mountains, and make love to her and ignore that the rest of the world even existed.

He wanted to keep her for himself and to hell with the people.

But… the Creator would have him convince her to die?

Then her eyes, silvered with unshed tears lifted to his in surprise and they stared at each other, startled confusion written all over her face.

"What?" he asked tonelessly.

"You didn't say that I could."

He stared at her, his chest rising and falling too fast, too deep.

She took another step towards him. "Reth?"

"What?"

"You didn't say that I could! I said I can't and you didn't say that I can—you always say—"

He growled. "Don't ask this of me, Elia."

"But you—"

"DON'T ASK IT OF ME!"

Elia's eyes went round and she froze. Reth went still too—because he felt like if he moved his skin might shatter, burying shards in his heart.

Screwing his eyes closed, he blocked out every sight of her, closed his nose to her scent, and refused to see her in his mind. Tried to imagine a world in which she didn't exist, and he couldn't do it. One of his knees wobbled.

"Creator help me," he whispered hoarsely.

"Oh, Reth," she whispered and launched herself back into his chest and he couldn't block her out anymore, his hands full of her warmth, his breath laced with the scent of her, his body responding to her as it always had—love, desire, sheer heat.

"Elia," he rasped and, taking her face in his hands, he laid his lips to hers in a desperate kiss.

She whimpered and clung to him, pressing into him, tears trailing down her cheeks, but her lips were soft tracing his, her tongue seeking, her body writhing.

Uncoordinated and blind with grief and lust, Reth walked her backwards, devouring her mouth even as they stumbled together until she came up against the side of a Great Tree with a little gasp.

p He stopped kissing her long enough to check that she hadn't been hurt, and they ended up staring at each other. He searched her gorgeous, shining eyes, certain that every answer to every happiness was hidden within them.

This couldn't be happening.

It couldn't be true.

"Reth, I'm so sorry. I thought we'd have more time…" she breathed. "I thought—"

He shushed her then slowly, slowly, slid his fingers to the neck of her jacket and pulled it gently aside, a tiny whine breaking in his throat as he revealed the claiming scars. Then he dropped his chin and laid his mouth—soft and gentle—over them. Elia closed her eyes and her head sank back.

"Mine," he whispered on her skin. "Only mine. Forever."

"Forever," she whispered, her voice shaking and her fingers digging into his waist.

Then he straightened to hold her gaze. "Mine." He traced a strand of hair back from her face. "Even to death."