RETH

Aymora muttered something about Alpha males, then leaned over Elia and passed Gahrye something.

"Chew this, it will help,

" she said quickly.

Gahrye took the leaf she offered and put it in his mouth without question, then Aymora went back to her pouch and examining Elia's beast.

"Reth,

" Aymora said, her hands cupped to Elia's chest as she listened to the beast's heart.

"You need to call her back. If she's struggling to dominate… or… or come out, you're going to be the biggest draw for her. The beast should be weaker while she's paralyzed like this. Call her. Call your mate. Now.

"

Trembling, Reth pushed to his feet, then walked to Elia's head and knelt before her where she could see him without moving.. Her breathing picked up faster and he shushed her.

Everything else faded as he looked into the eyes of the beast and made the mating call. He didn't see Aymora. He didn't smell that terrible tang, or Gahrye's fear—or feel his own.

He took that beautiful, furred face in his hands and pulled her head onto his knees, stroking her and calling, whispering between.

"Love, I'm here. Please. You have to come to me. Please, baby. I'm here. You're home. You can rest now. I'll take care of you, I promise.

"

The beast's eyes blinked, then for a moment he saw a flicker of Elia's blue eyes, sad and pained, staring at him from the beast and his heart throbbed.

"Oh, Elia. Love, I'm here. Come be with me. Want it. Need it. Fight for it, Love. Fight for us.

"

The lioness tossed her head and Reth lost his grip, but then she laid her muzzle on his thigh and groaned.

"Let her go,

" Reth snarled at the beast.

"Let her go. I will take her now. Let her go. Let her come to m—

"

Aymora and Gahrye both leaned away as the beast's body rippled and flickered. She gave the mating call and her entire body flinched, then Elia was there, sobbing, her head on Reth's thigh, her hands clawing for him as tears poured down her face.

"Reth! Reth!

"

"Elia, love—

" The words broke out of him as she scrabbled in the dirt and he gathered her up. But she was obviously still feeling the effects of Aymora's dart. She couldn't seem to move her legs correctly, and there was no strength in her arms. He shushed her, over and over, ignorant of his own tears that pattered from his cheeks onto her hair as he gathered her up.

"I'm here, Love. I'm here. Shhhhhhh… be calm. You're safe. You're safe.

"

"Nnno!

" she said through a jaw that didn't want to move.

"Can't… ssstop shhhifting…

"

Reth sat back, pulling her up into his arms, cradling her to his chest, burying his face in her neck, her hair, shushing her, but also himself. She snuggled into him, her arms uncoordinated, but finding their way around his neck as she sobbed and begged for him.

He put a hand to the back of her head and held her to him, whispering reassurance and comfort. It was overwhelming. Impossible. She was here. She was really here. He trembled, his entire body shaking, buzzing, as if he'd had an electric shock.

"Elia. Elia.

" He couldn't stop saying her name. Rocking her, holding her, gripping her to him. He was overwhelmed, suddenly, with the fierce conviction that she would be torn from him again, and he tightened his grip.

"No! No, you're here. You're mine! Love, you're here. I won't let anyone hurt you!

"

She flailed a hand at his check, trying to pull him in.

"Can't sssstop. Hold m-me. Pleassse.

"

"I have you, love. I have you.

"

"Love you, Reth. Isss thisss a dream?

"

"No, no. Elia, you're here. You're here. You're home. You'll never have to leave again. I promise you. No matter what. You'll never leave. Look at me. Look at me.

"

He tilted her chin up and she blinked her teary eyes open, her chin and shoulders hitching with her cries. But he locked eyes with her.

"I vow to you. You never have to go back. Never.

"

She dissolved into sobs and he pulled her in tight again. So he sat with her, rocking her, praying, his nose in her neck.

Yet even in the middle of this impossible, beautiful moment, he could feel how thin she was. Her ribs hard ripples on her back. Her arms too thin. Her cheeks gaunt.

But her belly.

Her belly was large and round and pressed between them like a boulder.

Reth had seen many pregnant females. There was no way Elia's baby—their cub—should have grown so large, so fast.

What the hell was happening to her?

Then she flinched and grabbed at her own stomach with hands that wouldn't properly grip, hunching over with a groan.

"Hurts…

" she hissed a moment later.

"Too ssssoon.

"

Reth looked at Aymora, pleading. But his friend's face looked as worried as he felt.

"I don't have any of those herbs or… Reth you have to get her back to the cave. I'll go grab another healer and the things we might need and we'll meet you there. She's still having contractions, even when she's not the beast. So that wasn't the problem. We have to get them stopped. She needs more time.

"

"Go,

" Reth commanded with every stitch of Alpha power he possessed. The command hit Aymora like a blow and she scrambled to her feet and was running without another word.

Then he looked at Gahrye, who gaped at Elia, eyes wide, cheeks and forehead lined and the pure, undiluted combination of jealousy and grief on his face said it all. For a moment he thought Gahrye wanted Elia himself. But the grief… Reth made himself inhale the male's scent. Then it all made sense.

"Where is your mate?

" Reth asked him.

Gahrye's eyes snapped to meet Reth's.

"She's…

" he started hoarsely, the cleared his throat.

"She's a Guardian,

" he said.

"She can't cross. She isn't here. She can never be here.

"

Reth closed his eyes. It was a problem for another day. One he couldn't solve just then. His own mate was in pain. He had to get her back to the cave, to their shared furs, to the healers—

Elia's back rippled and Reth froze.

*****

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