ELIA

The roar shook the cave, echoing through it, vibrating the floor, the walls, bouncing from the ceiling. Even Elia heard it, still gripped in a contraction. She couldn't respond, but her heart rose with Aymora when she paused in her work, her hand tight on Elia's shoulder, to turn her face to the ceiling and roar her response.

A minute later, when she could breathe and Aymora mopped her brow again, Elia gasped,

"What… was that?

"

Aymora shook her head but gave a watery smile.

"You focus on your job today, daughter,

" she said quietly, her lip trembling.

"Let the Alpha males sort out their bull** on their own.

"

Elia wanted to laugh, but her body was already tightening for another contraction and she was beginning to fade deeper into that pool of pain.

"Tell Reth… I need him…

"

"He will return soon. Jayah will find him—but by the sound of that roar, he's not far away,

" Aymora said gently.

"Rest while you can. He'll be back.

"

Elia wanted to argue, but she couldn't find the energy. With a sob, she let her head sink back into the pillow, but instead of rest, her mind only echoed with the fears her body harbored. As her body weathered contraction after contraction, the pain wanted to separate her from sanity. She lost her grip, sinking further and further from reality, further from Aymora, further from her mate.

Vaguely, she registered that Jayah returned and Aymora's voice became more hushed, more alarmed.

Vaguely she registered that Reth was not at her side.

Vaguely she understood that something within her was changing, that she had to stretch to find anything tangible, that her mind wanted to drift.

She didn't have much time.

And in that place, as she began to understand her life, and the life of her child hung in the balance, Elia learned that everything had become either incredibly important—or not important at all.

She had to fight this, she knew. She couldn't give up. She couldn't let them both die. She had to tell Aymora to take Elreth, now, while Elia's heart was still beating, so there was no chance her daughter would be harmed. She tried to move her lips, but they were thick and unwieldy and didn't want to shape the words.

Fear trilling in her sputtering heart, Elia tried to open her eyes. When she heard Aymora's voice get sharp, she tried harder. But beyond the flutter of her lashes and the blurred impressions of her adoptive mother leaning over her, she couldn't do it.

The only relief was that her pain had eased somewhat—or she became less aware of it. As her body writhed and pulsed, it seemed to happen to someone else, as if it didn't touch her.

It couldn't. She couldn't let it. Because deep within her, as she drifted away from the world, she felt two presences draw closer. One was her beast.

No.

She tried to shake her head and pushed the weight of it away. She couldn't let that happen. Couldn't give in.

But it called to her, growling its anger and fear, purring its comfort.

It needed to find the mate. It was strong—stronger than her. It could face this for her.

No.

Elia tried to turn her mind to something else—but all she saw was more death. More pain. More destruction. The images of her fear come to life.

Reth returning to the cave only to fall, alone in the meadow, to a rain of arrows from the rebellious wolves.

No.

Reth coming for her, trying to turn to face her, to come to her side, but thrown aside, his head snapping back every time he came for her as he was struck, kicked, and eventually stabbed by Lerrin who kept shouting that his attention must stay on the people. Always the people.

No!

Jerking her thoughts away from these images—these lies! Reth was out there! He was safe! She needed him—she turned to the second presence and found her heart throbbing… not with pain, but with… light.

A light that drew her like a moth to a flame. A light that seemed to lift the burdens from her shoulders and warm the coldest parts of her heart. A light that sank into her skin, into her heart, to fill the holes left by every pain and fear she'd ever had.

Elia, you are safe.

She almost asked if it was Reth—the presence reminded her of him. But the soft chuckle was all wrong, and there was something in this light that even her mate did not possess.

As Elia's heart eased and her breathing slowed from tortured to labored, she tried to stretch her arms towards that warmth, towards the person she could sense beyond it.

Her body grew light and she was shocked to find herself rising from the bed, watching as below her, her body lay, pale and quiet.

Aymora shook her, pleading with her, Jayah pounded on her chest as she floated above them, but she knew it was not their efforts that would keep her tethered here.

Finally, she felt no pain… finally she felt no fear.

She sighed and let herself drift up, then out of the cave to find Reth—only to find him not far away from the cave mouth, sprawled in the meadow, Behryn and Brant kneeling over him as his body vibrated with grief, ever tendon and muscle rigid as he roared, calling to her—demanding her. But she couldn't respond. And as she watched, hovering over him, reaching for him, she started to beg.

"I can't leave him. It's too much. I can't leave him yet.

"

"Elia, you aren't leaving him today.

"

She blinked and smiled at first.

"Then… what is this?

"

"You were listening to lies. I only wanted to break through, to let you know… I would never give you a purpose you cannot fulfill. And I would never expect you to carry it alone.

"

"But… but you said I couldn't tell anyone! You said it would lead to disaster!

"

"I said you couldn't tell your loved ones—or any Anima.

"

She gave the Creator a look.

"Then, who is left for me to talk to?!

"

He smiled and reached for her face.

"Me.

"

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