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Jayah watched Elreth pace the now-empty security building, her footsteps hollow on the wooden planks of the floor.

Only the Queen and Gar remained there with Jayah, though she knew there were guards posted outside. The King had insisted that until they had certain peace, the Queen was never to be left entirely alone, though Elreth had growled enough at the soldiers to ensure they gave her a very wide berth when she was walking the trails or the City, and she made certain they stayed outside any building or cave she entered.

“How the hell did you hide a Chimeran mate?” Elreth whisper-screamed, her eyes wide and lips tight with frustration.

Jayah ducked her head. She didn’t feel shame, exactly. She was humbled by how trusted she’d been in the past few days. She’d had no malicious intent to take advantage of that, but she couldn’t deny that it had been her position and respect among the tribes—and specifically their leaders that had given her the freedom to get this far undetected.

“No one was testing my scent,” she said quietly. “They trust me, I suppose. I just… kept my distance.”

Elreth’s jaw dropped. “That’s why you’ve been sitting so far away, and always moving?”

Jayah nodded.

Then Elreth blinked. “Wait, that’s why they took you?”

.....

Jayah nodded again and regret painted her face so Elreth wouldn’t mistake how remorseful she was for the deception. “I truly wasn’t sure what would happen. I didn’t want you to worry about me, to think that I might—”

But Elreth cut her off, waving a hand to stop her. “Jayah, I would never doubt you. I would never—”

“You doubted Tarkyn.” The words were out before Jayah could think. She held her breath, but didn’t take them back.

If she’d been asked before all of this who Elreth trusted most beyond her mate and family, Jayah would have picked herself and Tarkyn. And yet…

Elreth stopped dead, blinking, staring at her, apparently shocked. She stared right at Jayah, her mouth slightly open, but she didn’t say a word.

There was an awkward moment in which Jayah wasn’t sure if El had heard the statement as a challenge and was growing angry, or had simply been shocked by the observation. Was Elreth angry, or just thinking?

But Gar cleared his throat to break the moment and when they both looked at him, he gave a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

“I knew something was up.”

Elreth snapped a glare at him. “And you didn’t think to tell me? Seriously, Gar?”

He shrugged. “I figured she’d tell us when she was ready.”

“You knew about the mating?!” Elreth gaped.

“No. But I knew something was off. I just… I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. I caught a scent a few days ago, but then we were interrupted and I got distracted after that. Honestly, this didn’t occur to me. I thought maybe she was pregnant, but she never let me get close enough to be sure, and I didn’t want to pry.”

Jayah spluttered. “I am not… I couldn’t… That is… no. No, I’m not pregnant,” she said, flustered.

Gar gave her lopsided smile. “Never say never,” he said quietly.

Jayah raised an eyebrow. It was an effort not to plant her hips on her fists. “Clearly we haven’t completed your education on female reproduction, Gar. I pray your mother forgives me. I will rectify that at the earliest convenience. But for now, please trust me: I have no offspring, and will not have a child. My body is no longer capable of it.”

Gar’s face looked pained and his forehead furrowed. “Jayah… I’m so sorry.”

She’d been about to laugh it off—she’d known this for years! So why did her eyes suddenly pinch and her chest ache now? She took a long deep breath to steady herself and remind herself of her blessings.

She had a mate—a mate she’d never expected, and could now embrace openly. She would not grieve this!

“I’m fine,” she insisted quietly, dropping her eyes away to blink back the tears that wanted to come. “That isn’t why I’m here. That’s not why I’ve been keeping my distance. I simply didn’t want anyone to scent him on me and become concerned that I was somehow… disloyal. Or a threat.”

Elreth’s eyes sharpened on that word, but her face had softened at the talk of babies, and she obviously chose not to share the words that had made her look like a bird of prey for a moment. Instead of jumping on Jayah, she took a moment of her own, licking her lips and blinking a few times.

“I still can’t believe you’ve hidden this successfully. I feel as if we are somehow losing our edge,” Elreth growled, though she looked at Gar, not Jayah.

He shrugged again, but Jayah shook her head. “No, El. This is… no one expected me to… I am trusted—and I value that. I’m grateful. Very grateful. It’s humbling to have seen how everyone has just taken my word for… all of it. It’s why when he called for me today I wanted to tell you, rather than just run. I don’t want to hide this. I don’t want to leave. I want… I want to submit myself and ask for your mercy—and assure you that if you allow me to go I will carry your best interests, and your orders. Because I’m very aware that this decision affects you.”

Elreth looked at her warily. “What decision?”

“They’ve asked for me to join them… to help them with Zan. There’s obviously a problem. I don’t know what it is for certain, though I have some theories, but the Chimera don’t have the resources or the expertise with babies. The information I have so far is too little. I can’t know if this is something that can be rectified in days, or weeks, or… never.”

“Well, of course you’d have to go—” Elreth started, then cut herself off, her eyes suddenly clouded. “Wait… they want your help permanently?”

“I don’t know,” Jayah said honestly. “I only know that my mate is there and it’s been very hard, Elreth. I’m sorry, but… it’s been very hard to stay away.” She let her eyes linger on Elreth’s then, let her Queen see the pain and weariness in her from fighting this for these days. She knew Elreth had fought her bond early on. But even more so, she knew that Elreth understood the toll it took to be separated from your mate against your will.

It had almost ended Elreth when she’d been forced to endure it.

Rather than responding—and probably unwilling to be taken back to that place she so despised in her memories—Elreth stalked to the door of the building, yanked it open and leaned outside. “Send for the King please. He’ll be at the market. Tell him to bring the meal I requested here to the security building, something’s come up,” she said through her teeth. Then she sighed. “And when he grumbles, tell him this is a very new thing I didn’t know when we spoke before. And that I’ll explain when he gets here. Now, run.”

The sound of footsteps turned into hoofbeats that faded a few seconds later as Elreth turned back to join them.

“Your mate, what’s his name and position in their tribe?”

“They call them clans, but his name is Skhal. He’s…” Jayah hesitated, uncertain how Elreth would take it. “He’s an Advisor to Zev, and one of his chosen-family. A wolf.”

Elreth’s eyes were locked on hers. “He’s powerful?”

“Not in his own right, but… Zev values him.”

Elreth’s lips twisted like she’d tasted a sour fruit. “I will only ask this once, Jayah, and I want to assure you I will accept your answer, but I have to ask: Are you certain, utterly certain that this male is your Creator-chosen mate? That there’s nothing… deceitful in their bonds?”

“I’m certain,” Jayah said simply.

“El, their scents entwined,” Gar added quietly.

“I know. But I have to ask. Nothing about these people is as we expected and—”

“I’m sure. He calls to me,” Jayah murmured. “We both felt it the moment we found each other. It was a shock to both of us.”

“And you already completed the bond,” Elreth said dryly. “Wasting no time.” There was an edge of humor in the statement, as well as a question, so Jayah smiled.

“It was… difficult to resist.”

Gar snorted and Elreth rolled her eyes, but her cheeks pinked slightly. The Queen had always been more like her human mother in these matters, and far less overt about sexuality and reproduction than most of the Anima. But the war with the humans and everything they’d been through had grown her. She was less prickly about these things than she used to be.

Not about the Chimera, though.

Elreth’s face went very somber then and she began to pace again. “So… he’s close to Zev, an older, respected wolf. And your mate. And now he’s close enough to call for you to come. I assume he’s the one who assisted Zev in his escape.”

Jayah nodded slowly. “I was—”

“I don’t want to know. Please, Jayah. My brother has already admitted his own treason and I’m just letting that slide. So just… don’t tell me. There’s nothing we can do now except figure this out.”

Jayah was stunned. But Elreth just strode back and forth one more time chewing on her lip, before she sighed and stopped, turning to face Jayah. “Well, it’s pretty clear… It sounds like I need to meet this Skhal.”