ELRETH

"Hey," she murmured at Aaryn.

His eyes lit with the flash she'd first seen under the Weeping Tree and it made her belly clench.

"Hey," he said, his voice suddenly lower, huskier than when he'd been pleading with her not to banish Gar.

"Oh, for fuck's sake, somebody give them a room."

"We had one, asshole, and you sent Dad into it." Elreth kicked her brother again without actually looking at him and he grunted when she caught him in the thigh.

"You really shouldn't be so hard on him," Aaryn said softly.

"Why not? He deserves it," she said, her anger still bubbling somewhere deep, but she was distracted by staring at his lips. Aaryn's throat bobbed and she smiled, pleased to see he was as distracted as she was.

"Because… um…" Aaryn said, stepping up to her and sliding a hand to her waist. "I mean…"

Elreth smiled as his eyes fixed on her lips and she leaned into him, but before their lips could meet, a fierce gagging sound erupted at their feet.

She rolled her eyes, but Aaryn grabbed her hand, returning her attention to him before she readied another kick. "Just ignore him."

Elreth sighed, then pointed a scowl at him. "This conversation isn't over, Gar."

"Yes, it is," Gar wheezed, slowly getting to his feet. "That was a fucking low blow, El."

"Then I guess we're even. Oh, wait, no we aren't—"

"Seriously, El, leave it," Aaryn caught her elbow as she started to turn towards her brother who was hobbling past them towards the door.

"Why?!" she snapped. "What hasn't anyone told me?"

Aaryn glanced over her shoulder where her parents stood and Elreth's stomach dropped. "What?"

Aaryn cleared his throat. "Let's go for a walk. I'll fill you in."

"Like fuck you will, Aaryn!" Gar snarled. "This is my life! She doesn't get a say in what I do."

"I'm Alpha now, moron! I get a say in everything!"

Aaryn squeezed her hand. "Let him go. He's paid the price for his stunt, and now we can—"

"No! I want to know what's going on! What are you guys hiding? And why would you hide it from me?"

"My thoughts exactly," her father muttered from behind her and Elreth frowned. It wasn't his good-natured grumble, or even an irritated snap. He sounded pissed. She turned to look at him, to figure out who the comment was pointed at—only to discover her mother standing beside him, her brow puckered as her father glared at her.

"What?" she asked quietly. "What's wrong?"

"Can I speak to you alone?" he said, his voice the low ring of a blade being drawn.

Her mother looked completely confused for a moment, then oddly, her face froze and she looked at Aaryn.

"What—" But Aaryn squeezed her hand to stop her before she finished the question. Clearly something had passed between him and her father that had made Reth angry. But… angry at her mother?

What the ever-loving hell was going on?

"Well, family fun night has been a blast, as usual," Gar snarled, hobbling past their parents. "I'll see you all… later."

Their mother tried to catch his elbow as he passed by, but he yanked it out of her grip. Suddenly her father, snarling, flowed between Gar and the door, all the pent-up tension he'd apparently been about to throw at their mother, now firmly pointed at Gar.

Gar stopped short, but didn't back up, eyeballing him, fists at his side. "What, Dad?"

"Do not disrespect your mother like that unless you want another lesson from me."

"I'm a little big for a spanking, don't you think?" Gar snapped.

"Don't. Tempt me."

"Reth, stop," her mother said, hushed. "Let him go."

Gar stared at his father and the hackles on the back of Elreth's neck rose. Was Gar going to challenge their dad too?

Her father's upper lip pulled back from his teeth. "Apologize to your mother."

Gar's jaw twitched, and Elreth caught his hands clenching and unclenching, but a second later, without looking away from Dad, Gar snarled. "Sorry, Mom."

"It's fine, Gar, just go and… get some rest, or something."

"He doesn't need rest, he needs training! And discipline!" her father growled.

Gar's eyes narrowed. "Nothing I do is ever enough for you, is it?"

"I told you since you were cub, it's not the job you choose to do, but the character you bring to it. And right now, you're bringing disrespect and selfishness."

"I'm so sorry, Sire… oh… wait—" Gar said, and began to smile.

Her father's growl started so deep it seemed to roll out of the floor. But her mother grabbed his arm, hissing, "Reth! Stop! Let the kids go, and we'll—"

Then, something happened that Elreth had never see before. Her father whirled on her mother and snarled in her face. "Not until you explain yourself!"

Elreth imagined her own face was as wide and shocked as her mother's. She cut a questioning look at Aaryn, but he was watching Gar slink out the door now that he'd been released from their father's glare.

Elreth clawed her hands into her hair. What the hell was happening? And why did everyone seem to know about it except her?

"Let's go," Aaryn said suddenly, tugging at her sleeve. "Let them talk."

Her parents were staring at each other, her father tense and looming, her mother confused and concerned. And neither of them moved as Aaryn led her around them, towards the door that Gar had already disappeared out of.

As they stepped into the night air, Elreth cast one more look over her shoulder. Her father was leaned right up into her mother's face, and his jaw was twitching. He was clearly speaking so low, only she could hear him.

But whatever he was saying, her mother's eyes were wide and horrified.

"What—" Elreth began, but Aaryn squeezed her hand. "Let's go for a walk," he said quietly. "I'll tell you what I know."

The warmth was back in his eyes and Elreth wanted to smile. But as he took her hand and started from the meadow, she couldn't help feeling like they were walking towards nothing good.