RETH

Elia gasped and opened her mouth, but he shot her a look and she closed it with a snap. He took one step forward and nodded at Brant.

"Ask me, I will answer anything,

" he said grimly.

Brant's face was a hard mask.

"Did you know your mate prior to the evening of the Rite of Survival?

"

"Yes.

"

"How?

"

"When we were cubs. I was ten when my parents sent me to the human world for safety. We were neighbors and became close friends.

"

"Was there a romantic link between you then?

"

Elia made a small noise in her throat, but Reth's hand twitched and she stayed quiet.

"None.

"

"Did you know she would be chosen at the human sacrifice for the Rite?

" one of the females asked.

Reth shook his head.

"I had no knowledge of her presence in anima until I stepped into the Circle that night.

"

"You recognized her?

"

"By her scent.

"

The woman nodded.

"Had you spoken with the wolves, or arranged for any information to be fed to them to nudge them toward Elia as their chosen sacrifice?

"

"No!

" Reth growled.

"And I would petition this Court to explore how the wolves even came to know of her existence. To my knowledge, the only Anima who knew of our friendship were my parents and guardians, none of whom were wolves. I never spoke over her to anyone else, even Behryn.

"

Some of their eyebrows arched suspiciously at that.

Reth glared.

"Scent me for truth, and call my Second. He will tell you, too. He was… very angry when he learned about our connection after her arrival.

"

"He knew? How?

"

"When the brothers took me aside after the mating, I was called to confess my sins. And I admitted hiding the information after the Rite.

"

"Why?

" Brant asked coldly.

"Because I feared exactly this,

" Reth said honestly.

"I feared that the truth would be ignored and the wolves would use it take control, despite both of us being utterly innocent in it.

"

Brant looked at Aymora who shook her head, then he turned back to Reth.

"You had no hand in the wolves bringing her here?

"

"None.

"

"And what of her declaring Lucine incapable?

"

"That was her own courage, her own values. I explained it to her later because she didn't understand why people were angry that she had, in her mind, saved Lucine.

"

His stomach twisted, thinking of Lucine, and he could scent the dread in Elia, too, which meant the elders could also.

Brant's eyes flickered between them and his eyes became very hard. When he looked at Reth, there was no softness in him.

"Speak true—something shifts against your conscience when you speak of Lucine—and your mate knows it. Did you have anything to do with Elia's declaration against her?

"

"None, Brant. It is truth. Smell it on me.

"

Brant's jaw twitched.

"Then why do you both smell sick at her name?

"I would beg the elders to allow me to explain more deeply on this matter so it will not be misunderstood.

"

Brant's eyes went flinty and some of the others shifted in their seats. Reth pled with the Creator to let them hear him out.

"Very well,

" Brant barked.

"You will be given the floor, but do not waste our time or think to turn us in circles, Reth. Tell us plainly, what circumstances do you believe appropriately explain these accusations, and your conscience regarding Lucine?

"

"I am not guilty of any manipulation of the wolves—none planned, none intended. And I did not have any foreknowledge of Elia's presence. However… I did break the Rite for reasons completely unrelated to Elia, and I fear that has brought about much of the ill feeling from the wolf tribe.

"

"What?!

" Brant snapped. Many of the others growled, or leaned forward, their eyes alight.

Reth swallowed and nodded.

"A few weeks prior to the Rite, Lucine sought me out when I was alone and she…. Gave me the signals. When I resisted, she told me that she had been chosen for the Rite and that she would win, and we would be mated anyway. But she didn't want to share that with the whole tribe. She wished to… give herself privately before we became a public spectacle. I regret my choice that evening, but I made it. I took her. At her request.

"

"You knew she was an intended sacrifice?

"

He spoke through his teeth.

"I also knew, as every male here did, that she was by far the strongest of the innocent females. I did not know Elia would be at the Rite. I believed I was speaking with my future mate, as chosen by the Tribes, and the Rite. I did not think I was breaking the Rite—not really—when I took her. I thought… I thought we were… only speeding up the process.

"

"A child's excuse!

" Brant snarled.

"Perhaps. But I truly thought it. You can smell me for it, Brant. I thought I did no real harm. Had I had any knowledge of Elia's coming, I would never—

"

"You said you had no romantic intentions for Elia,

" one of the women piped up.

"What difference would that have made if you knew she was coming to the Rite? The Rite would choose your mate, not your heart.

"

Reth blew out a breath and was trying to find the right answer when Brant broke in.

"Gareth… did you have intentions for this female, for our Queen, before she came to Anima? Is that what stopped you from mating for so long?

" Brant's eyes were wide as if this thought had just occurred to him, but he did not like it.

Reth swallowed. He could feel Elia staring at him, smell her fear.

"I did not have intentions for her when I was young. But as I grew… I found my heart singularly focused,

" he said quietly.

"I did not intend… I went looking for her earlier, when I was still young, as was she. I did not speak to her. I thought she was already mated. I thought she was happy. And her parents were still alive. It never occurred to me…

" He trailed off, searching for the words that would make them understand, but Brant was leaning forward.

"Reth, speak true, did you choose Elia in contravention of the Rite?

"

Reth snapped his eyes to Brant's and locked on.