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*****

ELIA

As soon as they had passed deep enough into the cave that they couldn't be seen from outside, Behryn slowed and nudged Reth over to sit with his back against the wall.

Reth winced as he slid to the ground, but he was breathing evenly—if too heavily—and at least he could still focus.

Behryn reached into the little bag he always carried at his waist. As Elia stood watching helplessly, he took off the bloody rag she'd wrapped over Reth's wound. Elia held her breath until she could see that at least the bleeding was beginning to slow, thank the Creator. Then Behryn popped the cork from a tiny bottle from his pouch and sprinkled the clear liquid inside over Reth's wound.

Reth snarled and jerked, but Behyrn ignored him, watching the wound, frowning, waiting for something, glancing over his shoulder towards the cave mouth, then back to the wound. She didn't know what he was looking for, but when he was finally satisfied with whatever he was seeing on Reth's arm, he wrapped it tightly in a clean bandage from the same pouch.

Reth sat back, wincing again, but his breathing had at least eased slightly.

Behryn pulled a handful of dark, wrinkled pods of what looked to be dried fruit from the bag and handed them to him.

"Eat. Now,

" he barked in the voice she'd heard him use with the guards when they were training.

Reth glared at him, but took the little fruits and ate them, slowly.

While he chewed, Behryn turned to her.

"How long has it been since Gahrye went through?

"

"I… don't know. A while?

"

"An hour.

"

"No, I don't think so. Maybe half that.

"

Behryn sucked in and muttered something under his breath. Then he looked at Reth.

"Can you see straight?

"

"Mostly,

" Reth rumbled. But she didn't like the way he kept closing his eyes. He was still chewing the fruit, but very slowly. Normally he sucked food up like a vacuum.

"Well, here's where we are at,

" Behryn said slowly, looking back and forth between them.

"We have both King and Queen injured, the Queen pregnant, and we are trapped in a cave with at least ten wolves approaching from downwind. We have a dead wolf, and…

" he glanced at Candace,

"a dying bird.

" His face dragged towards the dirt but he shook it off.

"The King is weak. And the two of us are not enough to hold off ten wolves at once even when he is at his fittest. The only solution is for us to leave, right now, in Beast form—

Reth opened his mouth to say something and Behryn raised the urgency in his tone to keep him quiet,

"—running, yes! Running, Reth, for our lives because only by saving ourselves can we save others.

"

Reth frowned, but they stared at each other a moment, Elia holding her breath, until Reth nodded, muttering, but didn't argue outright.

Behryn took a deep breath.

"We run, and we pray that we get enough space between us and the wolves before they reach the scent trail that they can't catch us before we get back to the Tree City.

"

"I can do it. I can run,

" Reth said. Elia wanted to weep. He wasn't lying, but for how long, was the question? He was pale and a sheen of sweat coated his body. The fruit did seem to have helped him—his gaze was more fixed. But how was he going to run for the hour it would take them to get back even if the wolves didn't catch them, let alone fight if they had to?

"Reth,

" she pleaded.

"I don't know—

"

"There is no other choice, Elia,

" Behryn said firmly.

"We have to see you into the traverse, and we have to leave. Before the wolves get here. Now.

"

"We can't let her go through. If they're here, that means they know the portal—**ing Lucan must have broken the silence vow. They find her here, waiting until it's safe to go, or they'll just enter the traverse and go after her.

"

"They might know the Portal, or they may have just followed our scent. We can't know. We can know that Elia is far more likely to evade them in the human world where the smells are overwhelming, than she is here in Anima. She has a healthy Guardian waiting for her on the other side, along with the Guardian family… she has a far better chance of survival there than here.

"

"If she even makes it through the traverse.

"

"I will,

" she said, squeezing Reth's good arm.

"I have to do that part whether the wolves are here or not. Don't worry about that, Reth. I will make it. Keep your energy for the things you can control. I want… I want you safe.

"

He opened his eyes properly and fixed them on hers, taking her hand in his.

She could get lost in those eyes—that were now pinched with pain, and red like he'd been crying. He huffed the call and it twanged in her belly and brought tears to her eyes.

"You have to go, Reth. You have to. I can't… I can't go unless I know you at least have a chance to get out of here safely.

"

"I'm not leaving you,

" he snarled.

"Yes, you are!

" she and Behryn both snapped back at him.

"You can't help her like this, Reth,

" Behryn said, his voice grave.

"You know that. The best help you can be is to get her into the traverse, get back to the City and heal, then flatten these wolves into dust and go bring her and your cub home.

"

At the mention of Elreth Reht's brows pinched and his face lined with grief.

"Elia, I cannot leave you both unprotected...

"

"Reth, please. I watched Gahrye go. All I have to do is walk in. I promise you, I will stand right outside the portal. The second I hear so much as a leaf rattle, I'll go. They won't even know I was here when they entered. I'll give Gahrye all the time I can, but I won't risk it with the wolves. Not at all. I want to survive. I want to come back to you. But I can't do that unless you are here. Please.

" She'd been determined not to cry, but this was too much, seeing the torment on his face

He stared into her eyes, and cupped her face.

Behryn stood and turned away, making a great study of the front of the cave, but tension written on every line of his body.

Reth laid his lips to hers once, and she almost sobbed.

"You have to go,

" she whispered.

"You have to go be brave and strong so we can come back here. Please.

"

He nodded, but never took his eyes off hers, his thumb wiping the tears that tracked down her cheeks.

"You are the light of my life, Elia. The Creator made you for me. I know it. And Elreth, too. You have to go and you have to live. Do you hear me?

"

His fingers tightened and she nodded, turning her face to kiss his palm.

"You too. Promise me, Reth.

"

They stared at each other a moment longer, then she said,

"Even to death.

"

"Even to death,

" he rasped and leaned in to kiss her, long and deep.

There was a breeze in the cave suddenly, and Behryn tensed.

"The wind is circling, I can scent them. Reth, they're getting close. We have to go.

"

She and Reth scrambled to their feet. He did seem more steady. They embraced and she sucked in the smell of him, that pine and rain smell that lit his skin like sunshine, and the masculine tang that was uniquely him.

"Always mine, Elia. Only mine.

"

"Always.

"

He leaned down to kiss her just as Behryn screamed,

"No! GO ELIA!

" and something thudded to the ground at his feet. The cave was suddenly washed with the stink of oily fur and blood.

The wolves.

There was a snapping snarl and Behryn swung his spear, bellowing.

To Elia's eyes, everything seemed to slow.

With a roar, Reth leaped to his feet, pulling her with him and into his chest, swinging her off her own feet to run her through the cave, into the dark, to the branch of tunnels and taking that turn, straight to the portal.

"I love you, Elia!

" he roared and she tried desperately to hold onto him as he threw her bodily into that mysterious, invisible space.

"No! RETH!

" she screamed, flailing her arms, grabbing for him.

But she hit the barrier to the Portal, and everything slowed further, and blurred to her sight. The air around her went dead as the portal opened around her and even though she could still see Reth, it was as if through water. All sound ceased except the rushing in her ears.

Through the watery wall she could see Reth's movements, achingly slow, as her reaching fingers brushed his arm, then dropped.

His lips made her name in slow motion, then he turned away towards the shadows moving behind him and exploded into beast form, leaping out of sight as she tumbled through the dark and into… nothing.

**** END OF VOLUME 1 ****

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