AARYN

Shit. Shit shit shit.

What had he started with that jab at Reth about Elia? She was going to kill him when Reth got done with her. Because he realized, he was going to have to tell Elreth, too, now.

Shit.

Garhye was going to kick him over a cliff next time he showed up.

They never talked about it anymore because it was understood—the Outsiders didn't organize to oppose the throne. They organized in case the throne ever opposed them. Elia and Gahrye had only ever wanted to protect the disformed, give them a community, and a support network in the event that things went wrong after they were gone.

The disformed's strength was in their secrecy—it allowed them to work to help each other, to train, to prepare for anything without the interference of anyone with prejudice.

And without the bureaucratic bullshit of dealing with the King.

Aaryn winced. He'd been taken off guard that Reth had found out—how had he known? They'd kept the secret for twenty years… he thought. He hadn't meant to make Reth think his mate was working against him. But clearly that was how Reth had taken the news.

How had he learned about the group without learning about her involvement in it?

Shit.

"What is going on?" Elreth asked, her voice a touch too high.

Aaryn blinked. It suddenly came home to him what he was doing. He was walking outside at night, with Elreth. He hadn't even thought about it, just reflexively turned towards the Weeping Tree the minute they'd stepped out of the door. But he still had her hand. She hadn't let go.

He was holding Elreth's hand.

And when he turned, she stared up at him with shining eyes.

His mate.

Holy shit.

"What's going on is that I have you alone again," he said, his voice low and husky. Elreth grinned. They were just reaching the trees at the edge of the wood. With a quick glance around to make sure no one else was outside, Aaryn pulled her into his chest and kissed her.

She came willingly, sighing into his mouth, her free hand sliding up his back.

He buried his fingers in her hair and got lost in the honey taste of her, the flutter of her breath on his cheek, the way she pressed herself against him that made him want to—

He forced himself to pull away, dropping his head back. "Fuck, El. Is this real?"

"It's real," she whispered, dropping her head against his collarbone. Her breath tickled his skin as she spoke. "I can't believe I was so blind." He tucked her under his chin and wrapped his arms around her, pressing her in tight.

Deep inside him, the mating bond throbbed.

"Aaryn… You're shaking…" she said, her voice awed.

"I've waited so long, El. So many years. I'd given up hope…"

Her hands on his back tightened. "I'm sorry I was so blind."

They held each other for a moment and Aaryn felt something that had twisted up inside his chest years ago, suddenly unravel.

She was his. She was really, truly his.

He straightened, letting her go and they looked at each other. "So… we need to talk right now, I know. And I'm going to fill you in. But you need to know… if there wasn't drama right now, I'd tell everything else to go to hell and take you back to the cave and—"

"I know," she said, smiling. "Me too."

Aaryn took a deep breath. "Apparently we need to bar the door."

She nodded. "My parents have stories. I should have thought of it. I was a little distracted."

She smiled and her eyes flashed and Aaryn's groin twitched. He groaned and turned from her, but reached for her hand. "Let's walk," he muttered. "I need to think about something else."

She took his hand and stepped up beside him, hugging his arm as they walked. And it felt so natural, it took a moment for Aaryn to register what was happening. That it was real. That this was what they could do now.

He swallowed and squeezed her hand, silently sending prayers of gratitude to the Creator for this miracle.

In the back of his mind, Reth's words—the warning about the backlash, and the question of whether they should wait until after the Flames and Smoke loomed. But he also knew there was no turning back now. She was his past, his present, and now his future. No matter how long it took them to mate.

*****

"Why is my dad angry?" Elreth asked a few minutes later when they finally reached the Weeping Tree and pushed between its curtain of leaves and blossoms. They'd walked in near silence. Aaryn assumed, like him, she was turning everything over in her mind that had happened so far, wallowing in this new, beautiful glowing bond that lay between them. When she spoke, it broke the spell.

He sighed. "I might have spoken hastily and told him something Elia had done that… made him angry."

"I don't think angry covers it. I've never seen him challenge her like that. Why did she look at you?"

"She probably guessed what he'd learned and knew that I had to have been the one to tell him."

"What could you know that she didn't?" Elreth said, her face twisting up in confusion a she clearly searched her mind for anything they'd discussed or learned that Aaryn might have shared. "I can't think of anything that would make him angry like that."

"That's because you don't know this either," he said quietly.

Elreth froze. They had just settled at the base of the tree's trunk, in their usual spot. She turned her head to look at him, frowning. "What do you know that I don't know?"

A lot more than she could possibly guess, was the truth. But as Aaryn took a deep breath and prepared to lay it out for her, he prayed she'd hear him out.

He couldn't fuck this up. Or he was going to lose on every side.

*** URGENT INFO RE GOLDEN TICKETS -- STARTS TOMORROW! ***

The new App update which opens all of this up is supposed to land tomorrow (ish) so keep an eye out for it. We learned new details about the gift system. Please read below carefully and do NOT give multiple small gifts in the hopes of earning Golden Tickets. This new system does not work that way:

You can earn Golden Tickets in the following ways:

1. Spend over 300 coins in the previous month and earn 1 ticket. (So, all those small gifts will earn you a ticket for next month!)

2. Have a membership and earn 1 ticket each time the membership renews.

3. Buy a gift worth over 300 coins IN ONE PURCHASE for a book and THAT BOOK will automatically receive a golden ticket. (Big gifts, like a wand, or a crown, will give the book multiple tickets.)

4. Every 500 coins you spend on unlocking chapters or privilege tiers will earn you a new ticket to be given to the book of your choice.

THANK YOU for all your support. Once we have gotten through August and I can see what QUEEN needs in terms of tickets, I will provide a reward system for you to gain a mass release or other rewards in gratitude for your Golden Tickets! Watch this space!