ELRETH

As if he heard Elreth's fearful thought, Tarkyn feinted a thrust, then dropped, swinging his foot out to attempt to sweep Aaryn's leg.

Aaryn leapt and Elreth danced back, pulling her skirts up to stay out of the way as the fight shifted while both tried to find their centers again—but she hadn't realized one of the females who'd submitted to her still knelt behind her. Elreth's skirt caught on the female's shoulder, shifting her weight so that she stood on the poor woman's foot, and gave a frustrated cry as she tumbled to the dirt, catching and rolling as she'd been taught and was back on her feet within a second—just in time to see Tarkyn snap his head, startled, to check her, and Aaryn take advantage of his distraction to sweep his leg, then pin the Captain to the ground and abort what could have been a knife-hand to his throat.

Tarkyn swore and pounded his fist into the dirt, but then he let his eyes drop and turned his head, relaxing, submitting to Aaryn.

Elreth clapped her hands to her mouth waiting as Aaryn muttered something, then offered his hand for Tarkyn to take and helped the older male to his feet.

As they both got up and dusted themselves off, Elreth rushed to join them, overjoyed and fighting not to bounce on her toes like a little cub with the excitement of it.

But she couldn't touch Aaryn because the two males were still toe-to-toe and holding each other's gaze.

Aaryn held a grim smile and waited, the Alpha power still wafting off of him as he offered the other male a chance to speak first.

Elreth held her breath, waiting to hear what Tarkyn would say. If he rejected Aaryn, many would follow him. She glared a warning at him, but Tarkyn wasn't looking at her.

"I submit the challenge," Tarkyn growled. "But it surprises me that you smile. You would take pride in ignoring your mate in distress?"

Aaryn's eyes narrowed and Elreth bit her lip.

"No," her mate said, leaning in until they were almost nose to nose. "But I know what she can handle without me—I know when she doesn't need me to step in. She's not a cub anymore, Captain. If you'd measured her strength correctly, known her signals, you might have won."

Then, without another look at Tarkyn, Aaryn turned to her and his eyes softened. "There you are."

"I'll always be here, right behind you," she whispered.

Something twisted into Tarkyn's scent that she didn't want to identify. But Aaryn shook his head. "You humble me," he whispered.

Then, still holding his own Alpha power, he dropped to one knee and clasped his hand to his chest, bowing his head.

"I submit, my Queen," he said, his voice a low, determined husk. "You are my mate. You are my Queen. You are my heart. I submit my life in defense of yours."

Elreth wasn't the only one who sucked in a shocked breath.

*****

AARYN

He'd intended to show the people that, no matter what Alpha power he might hold, no matter that he got lucky and felled the Captain, his strength would never be used against her. His gesture of submission was authentic, but so many nearby gasped or exclaimed that he was startled and almost stood before she'd accepted it—which would have ruined the entire thing.

But he caught himself in time, keeping his eyes to the ground, and his hand to his chest until she tapped his shoulder and told him to rise. Then as soon as he did she wrapped her arms around his waist and kissed him deeply. So deeply, he forgot those watching, forgot where they were, just became lost in her lips, her tongue, his fingers in her hair, stroking her back.

Until both of them broke apart in the same moment, beaming.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked breathlessly.

She nodded happily, so he took her hand and turned, ignoring all those who'd remained in submission, and the crowd beyond who hadn't been a part of the challenge—including Reth and Elia, standing at the front. There was a tiny pang in his stomach when he realized his own mother was nowhere to be seen, but he understood. He'd told her not to come if it wasn't good for her. He would ask Elreth if they could go see her tomorrow before they left the Tree City and tell her all about it.

Shaking off the negative thoughts, Aaryn was so pleased to see Reth holding his mate again, his arm pinning her to his side, while she kept her arms around his middle.

Elreth marked them too and murmured something under her breath, then waved, smiling with tears in her eyes—just like her mother. Her parents waved at both of them, and Gar rolled his eyes, but winked at El. Then she tugged him away from the circle, towards the path into the trees as everyone began to dance, shuffling and singing to the beat of the drums that finally picked up into a celebration beat.

They disappeared quickly under the trees, and Aaryn opened his mouth to tell her how relieved he was to finally have her alone, when the sound of a cleared throat made him snap his head to look down the trail… and his jaw dropped.

Twenty feet under the trees, where the deepest shadows began, the Outsiders had gathered, lining the trail on both sides.

They hummed and stomped to the beat of the drums, beaming and beckoning them forward.

Aaryn turned to El. "Did you—"

But she shook her head and just nodded for him to walk on. So, together, hands clasped tightly, they walked slowly down the trail, through the honor guard who each stopped singing and submitted as they passed, murmuring, "Congratulations, Sire and Sire. We celebrate you today. Anima celebrates you."

Again, and again, and again—directed at him, not just at Elreth. One after the other, from both sides of the track, the disformed submitted to their Queen and her King. And they celebrated the union Aaryn suspected none of them had ever really believed would come to be.

"Thank you," he said, over and over again. "Thank you."

Elreth kept nodding at them, smiling, murmuring her thanks as well. But it went on and on and on. Almost every disformed in WildWood must have gathered for this.

Aaryn's throat pinched and he had to swallow to clear it. Elreth squeezed his hand and beamed at him, then went back to thanking the submitted Anima on either side.

It took several minutes to pass them all and finally step out and away. The dancing and singing echoed across Wildwood, and through the trees so Aaryn could barely breathe.

He and Elreth both looked back to see the disformed waving and singing, some dancing together, others on the spot, but all of them celebrating. And then they looked at each other. Elreth pulled his face down as they walked and kissed him.

"I honor you, Sire," she whispered, scratching her fingers in the stubble on his cheeks.

He made a tiny whimpering noise. "And I, you," he croaked, overwhelmed with her generosity, and the spirit of his people who'd reached out in such a touching way.

"I'm so glad it's you, Aaryn. You have no idea," she said, her brows pinched together earnestly. "I can't wait to start our life together."

"Me too," he said quietly. Then he put his arm over her shoulders and pulled her close so that they walked into their new life, not as a Queen and her King, but as two souls and bodies united.

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

This message was posted 17 August AFTER publication so you are not charged for the words:

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!