READER SHOUT OUT: I wanted to thank April_Guerita for ALL your generous support, comments and gifts. You blow my mind, girl! I hope you like this!

*****

AARYN

Aaryn was about to bite back at Elreth—she couldn't be serious!—but the door creaked again, and the doorway was shadowed with the large form of Reth, looming over Elia as they entered.

The massive older man, his dark hair just beginning to gray at the temples, scanned them all as he followed his mate into the darker interior. Aaryn was glad to see that after what she'd revealed the night before the two seemed to be walking in step, Reth still hovering at Elia's back, like some kind of avenging angel who would slaughter anyone or anything that threatened her.

Aaryn's chest constricted and he turned to look at his own mate who was smiling tightly at her parents.

He thought he understood what Reth was feeling.

"Both of you keep your mouths shut. We have a huge day ahead of us. We'll talk about this later,

" Elreth said quietly.

Both her parents ears perked at that and they stared at her as they crossed the floor towards them.

"What's going on?

" Elia asked firmly.

"Nothing, yet,

" Elreth said stubbornly.

"My brother and my mate are just getting ahead of themselves. We have more important things to focus on.

"

Gar spluttered and Aaryn growled.

Elia's lips twitched like she was trying not to laugh, but it was Reth who's face turned serious.

"What are they getting ahead of themselves about?

" he asked, his deep voice echoing with the authority of the Alpha he'd held for his entire adult life—and perhaps more importantly just then, with the authority of fatherhood.

Elreth's jaw tightened.

"It doesn't matter—

"

"Elreth thinks she's going to cross the traverse,

" Gar growled, folding his arms across his chest and glaring at her.

Aaryn loved that Gar was so unintimidated by… well, everyone, considering he held the lowest rank in the room—in the family. But his heart sank because the male just couldn't stop throwing a cat amongst the pigeons. Or was it other cats?

"El, you can't!

" Elia gasped, her face paling. But Elreth was turning on Gar.

"Gar!

" she snapped in the older-sister tone she'd had for him most of her life. But before Aaryn had to step in, she closed her eyes and put one hand up like she was holding something off. When she opened her eyes again her jaw was set and she met eyes with every person present as she spoke.

"This is a huge day. And I'm guessing like me none of you had much sleep last night. I'm not making any decisions right now. I'm also not taking anything off the table. Until I understand exactly what's going on, and where the risks are, anything is possible. But we aren't going to argue it now. Right now we're getting ready to get to the bottom of this. We'll figure out the details later.

"

The words rang with her own Alpha power. Aaryn's chest swelled with pride when even Reth kept his mouth shut.

"Now,

" she continued a moment later when no one argued.

"Can you all please keep this idea to yourselves. I will not make the decision without a lot more information, and without discussing it with you first. But I don't have the time or energy to have the argument with the entire Elder's Council when I haven't even decided for sure I'm doing it, so… just keep this to yourselves, please.

"

Aaryn put a hand to her back as the others nodded reluctantly. Elreth turned, her face suddenly concerned when her eyes landed on him. But he just nodded and gave her a small smile.

But when the door opened again to admit Tarkyn, with two of the female disformed, and Reeth and Elia turned to greet them, Gar leaned into Elreth's ear and whispered,

"I'm going to show you what this is all about today and you're going to realize how stupid that idea is!

"

Elreth shot him a glare, but didn't back down.

"I guess we'll see,

" was all she said, then she turned to Tarkyn and the others, while Aaryn stared admiringly at her back.

He had a split-second flash of her face the night before when he'd had her pinned against the cave wall, head dropped back and mouth open with her cries, and Aaryn's entire body jolted and he forced the image away because if he didn't he was going to embarrass Elreth.

She must have caught the flash of desire in his scent, because after she'd greeted Despina and Apryl, she shot him a look over her shoulder, her smile wicked and knowing. Aaryn let a small growl roll in his throat and prayed for a miracle of the Creator that they'd be back to the cave at a decent hour tonight.

But then his mind fed him another flash—Elreth walking, headstrong and confident into the traverse—and never returning. Himself utterly alone and—

He physically recoiled from the image, starting forward to greet the others, ignoring the look of concern Elreth shot him when he stepped up beside her.

"It's good to see you, Apryl,

" he said as casually as he could. Elreth was watching him, but he pretended he didn't notice.

"Did Gar invite you for this?

"

The leonine disformed smiled and tossed the thick braid of her long, straw-colored hair over one shoulder.

"He knows where the true strength lies,

" she quipped, and Aaryn forced himself to laugh.

Apryl was the most experienced disformed—Protector, he reminded himself. She'd crossed the traverse more times than anyone except Gar, and he'd never crossed as a Protector.

As she answered a question for Reth, Aaryn watched her. She was one of the oldest of the disformed who still held an important role in their society. Their tribe—soon, he hoped.

Aaryn blinked.

For the first time it occurred to him that if the disformed were named a tribe by Elreth, he would belong to it. He'd no longer be a part of the wolf-pack.

A part of him sang at that idea. And another part made his feet shuffle. But he didn't give away his uneasy thoughts, just nodded when he was expected to respond and followed the others out the door.

The Elders would be meeting soon, and Elreth wanted to be gone before they showed up so there was no further discussion of whether they should be a part of this day.

His mate's head was high, her chin low, and she smiled grimly.

"The first thing I need to understand is the traverse, and the interaction with the humans. Let's start there.

"

Tarkyn's brows went up, but he didn't argue.

Apryl smiled.

"Sounds like fun,

" she said and opened an arm towards the door..

"After you, Sire.

"