Falling in Love with the King of Beasts

ELIA

Before she opened her eyes the next morning—warm and comfortable in the furs—she told herself that it was all a dream. But she could smell the wildness of this place, knew it wasn't really her imagination.

And, sadly, when she sat up, even though she was definitely still in Reth's bedroom, he was nowhere to be seen. Her shoulders slumped.

She'd gone to sleep heartbroken the night before. He had said that they were meant to be together. And she'd felt that too—which was crazy! But, then she'd given him every single signal she knew—she'd touched him, asked him not to leave, she'd looked at his mouth, looked at his chest and stroked him… and he just stood there. Or, rather, just knelt there in front of her.

It was that thought that made her realize: he must think of her like a child. She was so weak compared to these people, her senses so much duller. So much less… brutal. Even when she'd found her voice and stared that woman down, afterwards he'd had to carry her out of that crowd because she'd been exhausted.

To him, to these people—who have rituals where they murder each other and call it an honor to die—she must seem so innocent and timid. Such a baby.

When he'd stared at her for so long, touched her so sweetly, she'd thought he wanted her. But then… nothing. And no wonder. No real man wanted to sleep with a child.

Her cheeks heated when she thought of how she'd touched him and pressed against him in the smoke the night before. What a fool she'd made of herself!

She wanted to bury herself in the furs and never speak to another person on Anima again. But she knew that wasn't going to work.

No. If she wanted Reth to look at her as a woman she was going to have to start acting like one—the way the Anima defined a woman.

The thought made her stomach sick, but rather than focus on what that might mean, or who she might have to kill before her husband decided he wanted to sleep with her, the first step had to be getting herself to get out of bed.

She heaved a sigh of relief a moment later when, in a panic, she looked around the room for something to cover herself, and caught sight of a pile of clothing at the end of her bed. Shaking them out, she found a pair of leather trousers, a loose pale shirt, and a long vest—like Reth's except with no fur collar—and on top of them, socks and a pair of sturdy boots.

Minutes later she had found what counted as a bathroom in the rock mansion, and walked through the empty greatroom alone.

With no one there, no clocks, and no other choice, she pushed through the door and headed outside to see what this day held—and figure out how to meet it like an adult.

*****

The guards outside escorted her to what they called the market, but which actually turned out to be a large, outdoor eating area where hundreds of people sat or stood near tables, and some people weaved between them, bringing plates full of juicy fruit, thin slices of meat, and obviously fresh-baked breads. And the smell was heavenly! Elia's stomach growled.

Faryth, the guard who'd told her he'd take her to Reth, laughed. "Maybe you are Leonine after all!"

She'd tried to smile, but she was suddenly aware of people staring at her, talking to their friends, following her progress through the market, she wanted to shrink into the dirt under her shoes. She felt like her skin was too tight. But as they made their way through, she could see the raised eating area at the other end of the market, and Reth at the center of the table on it. His eyes followed her too—but without the judgment or disapproval of the others.

She wished their first greeting after last night didn't have to be public. But soon she was up the stairs and being seated next to him.

Reth, in the golden morning light was a sight—his skin looked like burnished bronze. Pieces of his hair fell out of the leather at the nape of his neck, so he stared at her through it. And his eyes were so bright, they looked gold as he took her hand and bowed over it, his eyes never leaving hers, which made her heart beat faster. But before she could say anything, beyond "good morning," he turned her, pointing to the woman on her other side. "Elia, this is Candace, one of our best weavers."

Taken off guard, it took her a second to blink and realize who she was speaking to.

It was the woman who'd tried to help her when she woke up at the Rite.