ELRETH

Aaryn didn't immediately move from his crouch in front of the wolf, so she wasn't sure what he planned to do. She swallowed hard. Listening to him talk to her this way, knowing the pain and fear that underlined every word—all the memories of his adolescence that she shared. The days he'd be quiet and tense, barely talking, because he was worried about her, or because she'd seemed unhappy and he was afraid she'd get worse… Elreth knew better than any other Anima what he'd been through, and she knew even she hadn't witnessed half of what he'd endured.

Anger against Delarys, that she'd put him through this after everything else—and right after they mated—rose in her chest. She had to clench her teeth and refuse to give it room.

She was reminded of that moment back in the Security Council when they'd laughed about Gar and how she'd known he deserved it, yet still wanted to come to his defense.

It was the way it should be in families. They could be hard on each other, but let anyone else attack, and you'd face the entire pride…

She took a deep breath.

Aaryn needed her calm and soothing now. Not fighting the mother he loved and missed and being forced to say goodbye to. She needed to be an ally for his love for his mother, not a critic.

But if she had her way, she'd have a few words with that wolf herself.

It was so utterly unfair was Delarys was doing to her son. She shouldn't be able to just… escape—

Elreth shook her head and made herself put the anger aside. That wasn't going to help anyone.

And Aaryn was standing up.

The wolf followed his gaze, watching him as he stood, waiting to see what he would do.

Then he turned, and his face was so devastated, so wretched, Elreth got to her feet to go to him.

But Aaryn caught her eye and shook his head.

"I need to do this otherwise I won't,

" he said, his voice thick with emotion.

She nodded and clenched her hands at her sides to force herself not to reach for him as he passed.

He walked to the front door and opened it, then blinked.

"You're still here,

" he said. Elreth's stomach sank. The wise women. She'd forgotten about them.

"We want to help if we can—

"

"You need to go,

" he said, shaking his head.

"I'm going to let her go, but I don't think she'll come out here if there's anyone there.

"

There was a hushed discussion—was he sure? They could try herbs in her meat, or—no, he was sure.

Tears blurred Elreth's vision. She swallowed a sob and stayed on her feet, but moved to the other end of the room, the window on the wall at the other side of the chimney, so the wolf wouldn't have to pass her to get to the front door.

Finally, Aaryn, shaking and pale, lifted a hand to wave at the wise women and, with no smile, thanked them for their help.

Elreth put a hand to her heart, but didn't speak.

He watched them leave, waiting until he measured that they were far enough away, and leaning out of the door to make sure there was no one else nearby, then he took a deep breath and turned.

His eyes caught on Elreth's for a bare second, then he pushed the door all the way open so it was flat against the wall.

Then he stepped back, away, away, away, until he was just a few feet in front of Elreth and the wolf could get out without passing him either.

"You can go, Mom,

" he said, his voice cracking.

"There's no one out there now.

"

The wolf took a few tentative steps towards him, her head down, then she hesitated.

He waited. She took a few more, slow steps, then paused again. Then a few more.

She was past the dining table and into the living area when a light breeze from the door ruffled the fur around her chest and neck and she turned her head, raising it, her nostrils flaring to read the scents riding the wind.

She took two more steps, then stopped again, looking at Aaryn.

He waited, not breathing, and Elreth's heart broke as the scent of hope bloomed on him, like a flower breaking open to meet the sun.

But then it sank away as quickly as it had come when the wolf took three more steps, slow and hesitant, keeping her eyes on Aaryn the entire time.

She was scared he was coming for her if she got too close.

"Just go,

" he said through his teeth.

"Please. Don't make me scare you. I don't want to. I want to just say goodbye. Please.

"

She took a few more steps, and now she was only a few body-lengths from the doorway, but Aaryn was the same distance beyond it.

She took one more step and dropped her head, defensive, keeping her eyes on him as she crept closer to the door.

"Go!

" he urged her through tears.

"Just go!

"

She took one more slow step and hesitated again, and Aaryn snapped.

"JUST LEAVE, PLEASE!

" he took a stomping step forward and she darted forward, flowing out of the door and onto the path outside, her back barely moving and her feet making no noise.

Aaryn chased after her and Elreth followed him, both of them hurrying to see where she would go. Elreth prayed as she ran for the door that Delarys wouldn't head towards the City where others might make danger for her.

But she didn't. As she followed Arryn out of the door, they saw a silver-white tail slip alongside the tree and up the trail that led deeper in the Wildwood—then as they rounded the tree, they saw her galloping up the trail that began to wind up just a few trees later, climbing for the side of the hill that rose on that side of the City.

There was a moment when she met the intersection of paths that Elreth was afraid she'd go deeper into the Tree houses up there, but instead, she paused and turned, broadside to them.

She looked at Aaryn, her tail up and ears perked, and he stopped in the middle of the trail, staring back at her.

Then she lifted her head, and raised a mournful howl, long and high, that echoed across the Tree City, raising the howls of the wolf-pack across Anima.

Aaryn howled with them, though his was broken and hoarse. And then when she stopped to listen, he stopped too.

"Bye, Mom,

" he whispered.

Elreth choked on a sob as Delarys's beast dropped her head again, then turned and, quick as a flash, disappeared between the trees, no longer on the trail.

And she was gone.

***** PRIVILEGE WARNING *****

Don't forget: Don't buy any expensive privilege tiers now, because the whole system resets on 1 November (31 October if you're in the USA) and then will require you to re-purchase! So save your money until Halloween to buy privilege ONCE and enjoy your advance reading all month!