NOTE: For the next week or two I'm going to try uploading the daily chapters a little earlier (4:00 and 5:00pm, Pacific) to make the content available to the East Coast readers at a more convenient time. On AllNovelFull, little details like upload times can have an impact on income, so this is an experiment to make sure I'm not hurting Elreth & Aaryn's audience. I'll let you know if it changes again!

*****

ELRETH

Elreth sat in the Security Council—again—and she wanted to bite something. Too many of these decisions hinged on Aaryn or Tarkyn. And the rest seemed… less important.

As they finally circled around to whether to send a disformed after Hholdyn, she finally spoke up. "My brother has an established relationship with these Anima. I'd like to speak with him about going after Hholdyn before I ask any of the disformed," she said firmly.

"Is Gar even here?" Lhern asked dryly.

She shot him a look. "Yes. When we're done here I'll visit his tree."

"Take a wet blanket suffocate the flames he'll breathe if you wake him," one of the younger members quipped and everyone chuckled. Elreth tried to smile—torn between knowing it's a joke she might have made herself, and standing in defense of her brother whom she knew, despite his faults, was working harder than any of them had realized.

Gar was such a conflicting mess, she never quite knew how to feel about him.

She opened her mouth to say something to his defense, but the door swung open and she turned to find Tarkyn, panting and with a slight sheen of sweat on his forehead, stalking into the room.

He didn't greet anyone, or even apologize for the interruption. "You're needed, Elreth. Right now."

Aaryn.

Delarys.

Shit.

She was on her feet and cross the floor to him without thinking. "What is it? What's happened?"

"I'll let Aaryn tell you, but he's in pieces. He needs you." Tarkyn said, an odd pinch to his eyes that made Elreth feel awkward. But she pushed it away as her Captain turned to hold the door open for her. It wasn't until she was outside she realized she hadn't even farewelled the security council. She turned on her heel, but Tarkyn was there, hands up.

"You go," he said. "I'll explain to them and we'll get things moving. We'll be ready when you come back."

Elreth took a breath. "Thank you," she said. Their gazes locked for a moment and Tarkyn cleared his throat—the closest she'd seen him to awkward… well, ever.

"Elreth," he said, his voice low and quiet.

Her nerves trilled—and she looked behind her. She needed to get to Aaryn. But Tarkyn's intensity was unlike him.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Your mate… he truly loves you. He needs you. He needs you to make him safe right now," he said his eyes flicking down and away, then back to her. "I've been pushing him to move him to see his own heart, but right now… right now he needs safety. Don't let him go. The rest of this? If we get slowed down… we'll survive. We'll find you if there's anything that's utterly critical. Otherwise… hold on to what you have. The rest will work itself out. You're going to have people who don't understand what you've got try to press you to give your attention to us, to logistics and… don't let them push you to it. If you have to make a decision, we'll find you. Otherwise, you do what you and Aaryn need."

Elreth blinked. "I… thank you. I'll keep that in mind."

He shrugged. "Your dad was always good at that balance. Follow his example."

Elreth's lips wanted to thin at the constant comparison to her father, but she supposed it was only natural. "I'll do my best," she said tightly.

Tarkyn scratched the back of his neck. "Go to your mate. He's at his mother's home." Then he swallowed. "He's a blessed male," he said quietly.

Elreth met his gaze, shocked. Her lower jaw sagged. She closed it with a snap, then forced herself not to look away. "Thank you, Tarkyn."

Tarkyn nodded, then waved her off. "Get moving, as fast as you can. He's falling apart."

Everything else sucked away as she turned, wondering what had happened—had Delarys died? Had she killed herself? Elreth shuddered, then pushed the thought away as she leaped into the shift and plowed through the City to his house.

*****

She snapped back to her natural form when she reached the trail outside the house. The lights were on, though they weren't really needed anymore with the morning sun angling through the trees. She didn't bother knocking, but opened the door quickly and quietly, bracing herself for whatever she might find.

What she hadn't counted on, was two wise women clinging to each other near the door, and Aaryn standing across the room, looking like he was braced for combat, hunched over, his eyes locked on a beautiful silver-coated wolf who stood at the base of the stairs, growling, her lips curled away from her teeth, and her ears flat, almost against her head.

"You have to listen to me! Please!" he begged.

The two women—Eadhye, Elreth reminded herself. And another wise woman she thought was named Rhodha—turned, and gasped with relief when they saw her.

"You have to help him," Rhodha whispered. "He's only pushing her further away. The more stress she has, the more defensive she feels, the less likely she is to hear him. Her instincts are taking over."

Elreth's head spun. "Who is…?" then it dawned on her. "That's Delarys?"

They both nodded, Eadhye's eyes shining with tears. "She's going silent," she whispered, her eyes screwing tight against the grief.

Elreth's stomach dropped. Oh no. No. Poor Aaryn.

"Has she… is she already…?"

"I think so," Eadhye cried. "I've been following her for two days and forced her back here, but… but she's not shifting. Even for him. I don't think she can hear us anymore."

"Even the best of us struggle to break through when we're under threat," Rhodha said, stroking Eadhye's hair. "He's pushing her further away, but he's so desperate…"

They all turned to look at Aaryn, who'd sunk into a crouch, but had his arms wide, giving his mother's beast no room to move without having to face him.

Elreth sighed. Grief bubbled from her gut and threatened to overwhelm her. But then Tarkyn's words echoed in her head.

He needs you to make him safe right now

Elreth took a deep breath and nodded. "You two go outside," she said quietly. "Leave him to me."

They looked at each other. It was Rhodha who ushered Eadhye towards the door. But the older woman turned at the last minute and looked at Elreth with red, shining eyes. "Please make sure he knows how sorry I am. I thought… I wish I'd warned him sooner," she said. "I'm so sorry I got it wrong. So sorry."

Elreth nodded and tried to give her an encouraging look, but she was really only waiting for them to get out of the door.

When it closed behind them, she turned to face her mate who stood over his mother's beast, looking like he might physically grab her and try to pull her out of her beast.

Help me, Creator, she prayed silently. Help me know how to help him.

Please.

***** ENTER THE DRAW FOR A PAPERBACK *****

If you are reading this in the last week of September, you are a Top Tier privilege reader and have earned an entry into the draw for a limited edition paperback (by permission from WebNovel--I only have a few and they must be given away, not sold.) To enter, hit "comments" below and comment "I want a paperback!" Then watch this space for the announcement in the first week of October!

Thank you for ALL your support! You make my dreams come true, and I am grateful for you every day!