Mated to the Warrior Beast

Harth turned slowly to meet his eyes. “You think… No, Tarkyn, You can’t know… Zev and Sasha got us out of the grip of the humans. They trust them—believe in them.”

“Them, or Sasha?” Tarkyn said, his face grim. He traced the hair back from her temples, behind her ear. “Harth, there is real fear out there. Fear of Zev. He’s looking… erratic. Unwise. Aggressive. If we go meet Elreth tomorrow and she responds as I think she will—with calm and dignity and humility—and Zev continues to spit hate and aggression… If Sasha pushes for peace and Zev for war… who do you think they’ll follow? And where will that leave the pair of them?”

“No,” Harth said, shaking her head as if to push the thought away. “It can’t be that bad. They’re just nervous.”

“They’re more than nervous, Harth. They came expecting a new life. They’ve been held too tightly since they arrived, and now that they’re finally able to see a future… now Zev wants to make them fight again?”

“He’s showing the wolves what was done to him… he’s sharing memories. Some of them. They don’t like seeing what happened to him—especially when Elreth attacked Sasha.”

“And yet, when he walked into the circle today, their scent rose in fear at his arrival, not at his announcement. Did you hear how uncertain they were in their response to what he said? He was rallying them—or trying to. But those with some experience, some years under their furs… they can scent how on edge he is. Harth, they aren’t going to let him lead them to death if they measure that they won’t face it without him.” He frowned, holding her face as if he might press the truth into her skin. “Who do you think they’d rather face—the wrath of Zev and whatever handful of support he can scrape together, or the wrath of the bigger, stronger Anima? Who come offering peace, and with it, access to an established society and all the resources it enjoys? These people are ready to be free, Harth. And if they measure that Zev is the only barrier to that… it isn’t Elreth who will pay.”

“But… but they’re ardent!”

“Which is why I need to speak with Sasha. I need to tell her what my experience is showing me and pray she can find a way to lead, or get through to Zev. Mark my words, Harth. If your people see strong, steady leaders across the negotiation table tomorrow, if they measure Zev as… unstable. They will throw him to the wolves… no pun intended.”

.....

Harth searched his eyes and asked herself… if she’d seen nothing but Zev’s arrival after three months and this… aggression and tension in him, what might she have thought?

It was very clear, in the end. “You’re right. At least… you’re right that it’s a risk. We need to talk to Sasha.”

Tarkyn nodded sadly. “But stay here with me for just a little longer… please.”

Harth didn’t have any trouble granting that request. She would have gladly stayed there in his arms forever, and to hell with everyone else.

*****

They found Sasha an hour later—or rather, the tent in which her scent was strong. Harth had to explain to the guards who were reluctant to allow Tarkyn entrance when he hadn’t been invited—and his guards weren’t going to help them.

But thankfully, just as Harth was getting ready to go find Kyelle and see if Kyelle could get them to her, Sasha pushed through the tent flap and stepped out, surprise on her face when she saw them all standing there—two guards for the tent, four for Tarkyn, plus Harth and her mate.

But Tarkyn was even more startled by Sasha’s appearance. The shadows under her eyes were so dark they looked like bruises. She had her son slung across her chest again so she could walk with her hands free, but she didn’t look like a strong, vibrant Alpha. She looked like a weak, exhausted human.

Tarkyn’s heart sank—both for her, and for what they needed to add to her burden.

“What’s going on?” she asked more sharply than he’d seen from her before.

“I was asking to speak with you, Sasha. It’s important. Tarkyn… Tarkyn has information for you.”

Sasha looked at him, her forehead furrowed. “Why didn’t you tell me yesterday?”

“I didn’t know for sure yesterday,” he said, careful to be submissive in his attitude. “But it’s become… urgent.”

She looked back and forth between them, Skhal hovering at her back. Zev must not have been in the tent. Tarkyn was certain if the wolf had scented him he wouldn’t have allowed her to speak to them without his presence.

“What is it?” she asked bluntly.

Tarkyn looked around at all the ears and eyes on them. “It would be better if I shared it with you more privately, so you could choose who else might learn of it,” he said carefully.

Sasha sighed. “I have to walk to the other edge of the encampment. You can walk with me if you want to.”

Then she started walking, so that Tarkyn and Harth hurried after her. Skhal caught his eye, frowning—though not in aggression, apparently. But concern. Tarkyn nodded. He appreciated the steadiness of the male who was even older than himself. He continued to pray that he would be reunited with his mate. He couldn’t imagine walking through all this knowing Harth was on the other side of it.

As soon as they passed out of the main encampment and onto the trails where the tents were more scattered, Sasha looked at Tarkyn. “Tell me.”

“I’m sorry to bring this to you, I know you have a lot—”

“Just tell me, Tarkyn. I don’t have time or energy to go through the social niceties, okay? I believe you wouldn’t press to talk to me without good reason. So let’s just get this done.”

She was looking down at her son in the sling, the lines in her forehead deepening as he squirmed and gave a little squeak.

“I need to tell you that I’ve been in the middle of a war that was fomented by a tribe within the tribes,” he said as quietly as he was sure she would hear. “And the feeling I get, the tension I see when I walk through the camps here… they are the same, Sasha. Exactly the same.”

She looked up at him, frowning. “The same as?”

“When the wolves were considering an attempt to overthrow the Pride.”

They were on a trail in the shadows under the trees, the guards hovering just feet away. Sasha stopped walking and turned abruptly to face him. “What?”

As quickly and as quietly as he could, he outlined for her exactly what he’d seen, what he perceived—what his instincts as a soldier, leader, and fighter told him.

Sasha ran a hand through her hair and sighed. “The war stuff, the soldiers, Tarkyn that’s not my area of… experience. I really think you need to talk to Zev… or maybe Lhars.”

“I would but… I think we both know Zev wouldn’t listen to me. And Lhars… Lhars is following his brother. Sasha, this needs you. Your people love you. They follow you—and I can see why. This needs you to stand as Alpha.”

She looked irritated. The baby squalled and she started to sway, patting his back. “Why?”

Tarkyn told her about the risk he saw coming for Zev. “If they don’t feel sure under him… they will turn to you, or they will turn away. I don’t bring this to you as any ploy, Sasha. If I had desire for the Anima to overrun you, I would have hidden it from you and told Elreth how to exploit it. But I want peace. I want the freedom to be with my mate, and she with her pack. Please… You are Alpha as well, yes?” he said pointedly.

Sasha’s face dragged towards the dirt and she started walking again. “I’m not… I mean… I am, but we have different aspects to this. He submitted to me with the humans because I understood things he didn’t. Now he understands what I don’t—”

“He doesn’t understand this. He’s always been manipulated and led. He hasn’t led his soldiers to war—not like this. I have, Sasha. I’m telling you, this risk is present and real. Your people want real freedom. And I fear they’ll follow whoever presents it to them.”

Sasha dropped her face into both hands. “What is it you think I can do? I can talk to the people, but I can’t dominate them, Tarkyn. That’s been my entire point through all of this—I lead by… heart. I can’t make an adolescent Chimera bend to me physically if they don’t want to.”

“This doesn’t need your combat, Sasha. It needs your will. Your vision. The people need to be… inspired. Disciplined.”

She jerked her head back. “My people have been through enough, I’m not going to try and control them by—”

“Discipline isn’t punishment,” Tarkyn rushed in. “It isn’t even dominance. It’s simply identifying what is incorrect among your people and addressing it. When young hearts that feel insecure see discipline they learn that they can rest in that place. Because if something is wrong they’ll be… corrected. And, perhaps more importantly, if they see someone in leadership being wrong they can rest that that person will be disciplined as well.”

He took a breath when her frown deepened. “I don’t want to add to your burden, Sasha. I truly don’t, but if I were in your place I would want to know: Your people are at risk of overthrowing your mate if he doesn’t handle this in a way that makes them feel safe. There is war on the horizon… but I fear it may not be with the Anima.”