AARYN

When she caught his eyes, hers brimming again with hope, he didn't even have the clarity to look away. He stared back, all the pain and shock open for her in his gaze.

She was leaving the position open for him? She was so certain he would end up taking it that she would break generations of tradition?

It hit Aaryn like a spear between the ribs. Aware of the audience around him, he forced his face to calm, but dug his fingers into the underside of the tabletop, the wood splintering under his nails.

She really wasn't going to mate him.

A pit opened in his stomach.

Before he could process any of it, he felt the eyes on him. He looked up to find six pairs of eyes, staring.

Pyrce, who had been in the cave that morning was the one who had the balls to speak up first. "She's holding it open for you, Aaryn. You have to take it. You have to."

He nodded without thinking, agreeing that she was holding it for him, and Pyrce looked immediately relieved. "Thank you."

"No, I was just agreeing—"

"We know you'll do the right thing, Aaryn. You're going to be amazing," one of the females said. She was younger and he didn't know her well. He'd tried to be careful how he formed relationships with the females—who tended to be much more focused on finding their mates than the males.

"I… thank you, but… this is all very sudden. I didn't know—"

"You're going to talk to her, right? You said you were still talking."

"Talking, yes, but this is much bigger than that," Aaryn snapped. Their eyes all widened and he rubbed a hand over his face. "Thank you, all of you, for your vote of confidence," he murmured, eyeing the crowd around them and trying to keep his voice below the level of the crowd. "I agree that this is an opportunity. And I will… once I understand fully what the Queen intends, I'll speak with her about it. But not to tonight. Tonight we have other issues to address. Not the least of which is the meeting she had with the Security Council today."

He was glad he had that excuse. The others all nodded quickly. To them, the council was an unseen force to be reckoned with. If Aaryn could have an impact on them through the Queen…

He turned back to pretend to listen to the rest of what she said, though nothing registered. At some point there was a lot of smiling and raising of glasses.

Aaryn just sat there, expressionless, as if he were indifferent. Inside he was a storm of pain and fear. But the others were all watching. He couldn't let them see how this threatened to derail him.

He couldn't run—that would tell anyone who noticed how he truly felt. He had to stay there and… and watch her with Dargyn—because now they were clearing the tables in the middle of the market for more dancing.

Aaryn swallowed hard. He had to talk to her. He had to understand how… why… but did he have to do it tonight?

Yes. He hadn't been lying about the security council. He needed to hear how they'd responded to her. Needed to see if she was okay. Needed to know what had happened with Dargyn…

Did he need to know?

He needed to know.

But did he, though? If she was so certain…

He wanted to fight something, but there was no enemy. No force to resist, except her heart and he didn't want to fight that.

He wasn't sure how long he sat there, staring into the distance, trying to think. But he was vaguely aware of the music beginning and his friends getting up and down to enjoy the dancing. Of the noise levels in the room rising to create a bubble around him. And that he hadn't moved. And that people were probably beginning to notice the frozen wolf, glaring at the table in the corner.

The music shifted and he blinked and forced himself to look up. There was a party in full swing around him—smiling faces, flirtatious eyes, the musky scents of the males anticipating mating, the sweet scents of the females considering letting them. And just for once… he wanted that to be him.

He looked for her then, didn't even hide what had to be the bald longing on his face.

But she wasn't on the dancefloor. Yet, Dargyn was. With another female. What the hell was he doing?

Aaryn scanned the floor. Elreth loved to dance. And this was her party. But he couldn't find her. Had she snuck off? Was Dargyn going to meet her in a dark—but no. When his scanning rose to the stage, above the musicians, there she was. Sitting in her seat, stiff and blank-faced, watching the dancers.

Alone.

Aaryn frowned. Why was she alone?

And then he saw her sigh, saw the subtle shift of her shoulders as she began to slump, then pulled herself up again, forcing her spine straight.

He was too far away to catch her scent, but it was obvious to him that she was miserable.

What the hell was going on?

He was on his feet and making his way around the dancefloor before he'd even thought about it. She stared at the dancers. Fighting a frown.

She didn't see him get up and start towards her. But Dargyn did.

The male glared at him, but Aaryn didn't even meet his eye. He'd dominated Dargyn more than once. If the male wanted to force a confrontation, he was welcome to. But Aaryn wasn't going to give him the respect of treating him as if he were a real threat. Especially after the way he'd acted when he was drunk.

If Elreth wanted to put up with that, she was free to make that choice. But Aaryn did not.

He'd circled the outside of the dancers and made his way to the stage stairs at the side and trotted up.

She sat at the table, one elbow now resting there and her chin on her fist.

She was trying so hard to look like she didn't care, but he could scent her now.

She was in pain.

And she hadn't seen him coming.

*****

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