RETH

Reth stumbled forward a step, threw himself down on his knees, his head still bowed.

"Brant,

" he put his head to the floor.

"Please.

"

"It is not my mercy that you need, Reth. You have always had that, and always will. It is the mercy of your people—and your thwarted Queen.

"

Reth sucked in a breath. His hands shook and he clawed into the dirt.

"You can't be serious. Lucine? Please… Brant. Please—Elders, Wise-women. Please… do not break my true mate's bonding for this… mistake.

"

Brant growled.

"Is the honor of the wolf-daughter, your subject—your intended Queen, of no consequence?

"

"No! Of course it is! But… I do suspect machinations behind it. I suspect she was manipulated to come to me. And… please, Brant. Please.

" His voice weakened as the magnitude of the judgment came home from him and he lifted his head, begging.

"Please… do not take Elia from me.

"

Brant's eyes were furious.

"You ask first for your Mate, over your people?!

" he snarled.

In the same moment, Elia shouted,

"They can't take me from you! No one can take me from you, Reth!

"

He snapped his head to her, his heart tearing in two when he saw her, wide-eyed, tears on her cheeks, and eyes wide with fear.

"You must be quiet!

" he hissed in the same moment Brant stood, his eyes suddenly golden brown and lit with the fire of the Lion inside him.

Reth dropped his head again.

"I do not ask for… I only ask for… she cannot survive here alone and—

"

Brant stepped to stand over his neck, snarling.

"It is the belief of this council that the Creator-appointed Queen of the Anima is Lucine, the wolf daughter.

"

"NO!

" Reth bellowed into the dirt, shuddering with the fight to restrain himself from challenging the elder.

"BRANT, PLEASE!

"

"It is the judgment of this council, that Elia of the Leonine is shamed—

"

"Shamed?

" Elia shrieked.

"What for? What do you mean? Brant, please—

"

"—her honor broken by Gareth, King, Clan Leader, and Alpha.

"

A snarl tore out of Reth's chest and he leapt up, roaring,

"I DO NOT SHAME MY MATE!

"

"Reth, no!

" Aymora screamed as Reth came to his feet, growling and ended face to face with Brant. The older Lion's eyes flickered as he bared his teeth. He did not waver.

Reth quivered with the effort not to put his hands on the man.

Brant stood against him, eyes locked and a growl puttering, rising every time Reth so much as twitched.

"Will the King shame himself, as well?

" he snarled.

"Do not… take her… from me,

" Reth's voice was a guttural rasp.

"She has no fault here.

"

"No, the fault is entirely yours.

"

"And I own it, Brant. I had already admitted it to her. She had already forgiven me—

"

"And yet again, you choose your mate over your people!

" Brant shook with rage.

"Why was this sin not admitted to the people after the Rite? Before the Flames and Smoke?

"

"Because I realized I had been manipulated and I would not allow the wolves the victory in their malicious plans. And—

" he caught himself just in time, but Brant caught it, too.

"Because you did not wish to risk losing her—even then. Even without the mating, she was first in your mind.

" Brant snorted so hard, Reth felt it on his face and blinked like he'd been slapped.

"If I did not stand here today and hear it from your own lips, I would have defended you, Reth,

" the elder said through his teeth.

"But you convict yourself by your words. You choose a female—a sole female—over the life and heart of every person in Anima. That is treason.

"

Elia screamed,

"NO!

"

Cries and howls rose in the room, echoing off the ceiling.

And Reth's hands twitched toward the man—the man he loved and admired. The Lion of his Clan. The truest dominant, though few realized it.

And Reth burned to kill him, to remove him, anything to stop the words he spoke that sliced Reth's chest open like a blade.

Brant knew, too. He could smell it in Reth, and his eyes lit with the fire of righteous anger. He leaned in on Reth and spat,

"You already chose her over the people.

" He threw an arm out towards Elia.

"What is one more Anima to you?

"

Reth's hands jerked towards Brant.

"No! Reth!

" Aymora shouted.

"Reth!

" Elia cried.

With his teeth snapping over a roar, he tore himself away from the flaming eyes before him and put himself between Elia and Brant, covering her, pushing her behind him, his teeth bared and hands clawed—only barely stopping himself from making the shift.

"You will not take her from me. She is my Pair! I am a good King! I love my people! But removing her from me would be removing the heart from my chest.

"

Brant didn't move though a flash of relief crossed his face as Aymora rushed to stand at his side, shaking her head, her hands at her mouth. Both of them stared at Reth. The other elders and wise-women were all on their feet, faces aghast.

"We cannot take her from you, Reth,

" Brant rasped.

"And we would not.

"

Reth froze, Elia's hands at his back. She was panting with fear.

"What?

"

"Our judgment is that you have betrayed your people. But that means your people are the ones who must measure the depth of your sin.

"

Reth's chest heaved again and again, but Brant didn't speak further.

"Brant, tell me what you're saying!

"

"I'm saying,

" Brant said, biting off the words.

"This judgment will be held to the people.

" Reth froze, the first glimmer of hope shimmering at the edge of his horizon. He gripped Elia's hand. She didn't breathe, her scent laced with the tang of fear. Brant finally looked at her and his face softened a hair. Then he locked eyes with Reth again, and the steel was back in his jaw.

"The people will hear the charges, and the testimony of those involved—including the wolf daughter. And the people will decide their Queen.

"

Reth's heart sank as Elia sobbed.