ELRETH

Elreth dropped her elbows to the table and her head into her hands.

She was angry at her brother. And at her mother. And at her mate. All of them had hidden things from her and her father before her. But the truth was, she understood it, too. If this prophecy was true—and she believed it was—they had been right to hide it from her and Reth. And Aaryn had been right to listen to them and not tell her.

It still stung her pride, though.

And it didn't change the fact that she now had twenty years to catch up on in just days.

It was too much. There was just no way she was going to learn all of this tomorrow. She had to accept that. But decisions had to be made. Plans forged. That meant she had to choose which way to focus her attention. Which aspect of this **-show to learn first.

She pulled up her head and scanned the pieces of paper spread out around her. Which was the most important? Which of these issues offered the greatest weakness?

Which hole did she need to plug first?

It all kept coming back to that lone female, with her weapons, and her unnoticed passage through Anima. Whatever that woman had done, until they learned where and how she'd gotten through—and undetected—it meant their defenses were low and their enemy could surprise them.

Sighing, Elreth gathered her papers together, then started through them again, one by one, not allowing her mind to drift. Which aspect would bear the most fruit in finding that woman? The Protectors? The disformed defections? The disformed taking human mates? The rumors of a second group of Anima outside of Wildwood? The physical training of the disformed and the skills they'd developed…?

Which of these was the gateway to determining how that woman had come to be in Anima, and how she'd stayed without raising the alarm?

She was still considering the options minutes later when the scent in the room changed and the shadows deepened. Elreth heard soft footsteps in the hall and looked up to find Aaryn, puffy-eyed and squinting against the light, striding up the tunnel towards her.

"You haven't slept yet?

" he asked, his voice rough and deep with sleep.

She shook her head. She was wide awake.

"You can go back to bed. I just have to figure out how I'm going to focus my attention tomorrow. I'll be able to sleep once I do that.

"

Aaryn came to stand behind her, rubbing her shoulders as he scanned the papers in front of her, his lips moving as he read the questions she'd written down.

"You've been out here a while,

" he said.

Elreth nodded, re-reading the lists again.

"There's too many things to learn too quickly. I need to figure out which aspect of this whole picture is going to lead me to that human the fastest,

" she said, biting her lip.

Aaryn's hands stilled on her shoulders.

"Ask me.

"

Elreth stopped.

"What? Ask you what?

"

"Anything. I didn't know what I was involved in, but maybe… maybe I know more than I think I do. Ask me. If I know the answer, I'll tell you. I never wanted to keep secrets from you, El. And now that Gar's revealed himself and your mom's explained… ask me. Let's figure out if I know something that will help you.

"

Elreth's anger surged again, but she tamped it down. He was trying to help. He probably could help. And even if he didn't have all the answers she needed, anything he did know would send her into the next day armed better than she was right now.

"Okay,

" she said carefully.

"Why don't you sit down?

"

Aaryn dropped a kiss to her hair, then walked around to take the seat directly across from her. He leaned his head on one fist and stared at her, waiting. His eyes were bloodshot and there were dark smudges under them. But she knew she looked the same.

Her mate wanted to help her, and he likely could.

"Okay,

" she said quietly, still scanning through her lists as if the secret was in them.

"Tell me how you first got to know about all this—at least, as much as you knew. How did the disformed bring you in?

"

*****

AARYN

He'd been twelve the first time one of the other disformed wolves, an adult male, invited him to come train with

"some friends.

"

Aaryn had so few friends other than Elreth, and their relationship was still new. She was busy with her family that day, and he'd been at a loose end. Plus, this male was strong, and a little bit dark. Aaryn had always admired him, because he held himself differently than other disformed.

He didn't seem to care that he was different. He carried himself like he had a purpose in life and life better get out of his way, because he was going to take care of it.

Aaryn had always wanted to be like that.

It reminded him of Reth—the male he admired most in the world, though he was also still a little bit frightened of the King. So, with his mother's distracted permission, he'd followed the male through the forest and up the mountain to higher ground, a large clearing on the flat, with the rest of the mountain rising above it. When you climbed to it, it looked like a smaller peak had been sheered off by the creator, leaving a long and wide grassy meadow, right alongside the soaring sides of the mountain, and the wood-covered trails up it.

Aaryn had assumed when the male said they were going to meet some of his friends, that he meant a handful of other disformed—Aaryn saw them walking around in groups often, even groups from different tribes, which he found very interesting.

He'd trotted along in the male's wake, barely speaking as they climbed the mountain, then broke through the trees to climb over the lip of a rocky embankment and emerge in this wide, flat meadow, hidden from the trail below by the thick tree cover and steep approach.

Aaryn's mouth had fallen open when he got to his feet to find dozens of Anima there, waiting. Standing in circles or small clusters. Each of them moving in training exercises that Aaryn didn't know, but could recognize from the few sessions he'd had with Reth and Behryn.

Shocked at the numbers there, he turned to his friend to make sure they were in the right place. But the male was smiling down at him, his eyes dancing.

"Welcome to the Outsiders, Aaryn. We're glad you're finally here.

"

*****

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