RETH

Reth stood there, hands over his face, with all of them watching and his stomach churned so he wondered if he might vomit. But he knew he couldn't give in. He couldn't fall apart. And he couldn't make anyone else choose. He was King. He was Alpha. It was his responsibility—and no one else should carry the consequences if this went wrong.

He almost raised his head to look for Elia, to ask her with his eyes to come be close and rest her small hand on his back and hug his side the way she had so many times. Then he remembered, and even though the separation hit him all over again, he was so grateful… so entirely, unfairly grateful that his mate did not stand in the path of this… annihilation.

He was King. He was Alpha. And he was the only one whose mate was utterly without risk as this clash with their enemies loomed.

He was the most blessed male in Anima, and he knew it. And for that reason alone, he would do everything he could to save as many of them as the Creator willed.

"Here's what we're going to do,

" he muttered into his hands. Then he sucked in a breath and dropped his hands to face his friends and subordinates who all stared at him somberly—Suhle with great sadness on her face—even Hollhye didn't look angry.

"We are going to ask for volunteers. Adults who do not have offspring. We are going to explain the risk. Then we're going place them all around the City. And when the horn cries, they are going to answer the first call—towards the Royal cave. They are going to rush to fight the fire, and guard against the assassins. They are going to look as if they are our guards and soldiers, on their way to help.

"All the other people—those with young, the older, the few we can spare to guard them all, those we will gather on the western side of the city, allow them to mill there as if they are considering going to help against the fire once it begins. The mothers… we'll tell the mothers to take beast form and protect their young.

" He swallowed hard.

"We're going to hide most of the real guards, the real warriors, around the eastern and southern sides of the City—very close to the edges, but they will not enter the woods. Only the normal guards, normal sentries, will be visible, taking the same risks they always take. Except… except we're going to tell them that when the wolves advance, they're to pretend to be hit. To pretend to be removed as a threat. That we will have Anima standing behind them, ready to fight. We will still lose some of them, but I pray not all.

"We will allow the wolves to enter the city, to believe they advance. And we will ambush them from within its boundaries. We will need true leaders for this fight—to judge when the wolves have advanced enough to be taken off guard, but not so far that they may overwhelm us. And then we will fight. We will fight for the Tree City from within the Tree City.

"

He looked at Behryn who nodded. Then he looked at Hollhye, whose eyes were guarded.

"Behryn will stay here, within the market, to guide and direct, but not meet combat.

"

Hollhye sagged like she'd been shot, but Behryn's face went hard.

"Reth, I am almost entirely healed!

"

"And as my Second, you may be needed. Because I am going to the Royal Cave tonight. I am going to sleep in my bed, and dream of my mate. And when the enemy attempts to take me, I am going to meet him and challenge him, face to face, for dominance,

" Reth said in a growl so low it seemed to rise from the dirt beneath his feet.

"What?! No!

"

"You can't take that risk—

"

"Reth, please—

"

But he growled again and they all cut off.

"I have made my decision. Behryn will advise me and the guards who will be posted with me. I do not… I don't see how we can avoid posting guards at the cavern entrance—if we don't, they'll smell a trap. I don't… I don't know who to ask to do that… or how—

"

"I do,

" Hollhye said hoarsely.

They all turned to look at her. She swallowed, her eyes brimming with tears as she looked at her mate, then back to Reth.

"There are some of the elderly… a handful, who have come in from the outskirts… they are struggling, Reth. They want to serve and help, but they don't have the strength. I would guess if we were to propose to some of them to take those guard duties, that they would do so with… with great dignity and… glad to have a purpose.

"

The idea was all at once perfect, and a spear to his heart. Reth stifled a groan, but he nodded.

"If you know who to approach, I would be very grateful if you could do that in the next hour. They may want to spend some time with… with loved ones. And before it's light, we will need to dress them and position them, and douse the lights so they aren't obvious from a distance.

"

Hollhye paled, but she nodded. Behryn put a hand to her arm and squeezed.

"Of course,

" Reth added,

"We are going to try to find them before night falls. Try to stop any of this from happening. And should we take Lerrin and his assassins, we will make a full frontal assault on the warriors waiting to attack us. But it is critical that we do not tip our hand. Everything we do, every word we speak, must appear to be a part of our normal routines, our normal days. Which is another reason why I must go back to the cave tomorrow. And why all of us must work. We have to appear to be unaware of what is building around us. Only through that might we stop it from happening. Do you understand? All of you?

"

He scanned them, their faces lined with weariness and grief, the hands white-knuckled on the table on in their laps… but all of them, even Charyn, nodded.

Reth prayed he would see all of them still here in the coming days.

Show us how to find them, how to finish this without bloodshed, he prayed.

"Very well,

" he said,

"that is the plan. And there is much to do to make it happen. Tobe, I need that report from the guards of the prisoner. I also need an escort for Charyn to get home safely. Behryn, I'll have you look over the maps with me one more time, please. We need to target our searches in daylight for the best chance to find the wolf.

"Aymora, prepare the wise ones and assistants. We may have need of a great deal of help tomorrow night. They should prepare, then rest, and wake ready to help heal those who have been in battle.

"

Aymora nodded, her lips thin. But she was the only one who wasn't pale.

Even Reth could feel the blood draining from his face at that word,

"Battle.

"

It was coming, and coming quickly.

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