AARYN

"Elreth, we have… so much time…" he said, trying hard not to let her see how desperate he was to join with her. "If you need to wait—"

Her eyes snapped to his. "Don't you dare, Aaryn," she said and brought both her hands up to grip his shoulders. "If you need the signals, you have them. I want you. I've never wanted anyone but you," she said fiercely. "Please—"

"No need to beg," he whispered dryly.

She snorted, but he took her lips again, delving into her mouth in a pale reflection of what he planned to do to her body. Then he pressed against her again and her mouth dropped open, and Aaryn set himself to the task of making her ache for him the way he'd ached for her for all these years.

With whispered comforts and promises, he teased her skin with fingers, lips, and tongue. Keeping a slow-but-steady pace, rolling against her, so she could begin to understand the rhythm of what they could do together, to anticipate it. As she began to pant, he lowered himself to his elbows, still taking some of his own weight, but pressing her into the soft couch so she could feel him from their kiss, to their toes.

And when the slide between them was easy, and her breathing caught at each roll, when she began to twitch, and his thumb on her nipple made her cry out and her hands slapped on his back when she grabbed for him, he knew she was ready.

"I love you, El," he whispered, then nipped her earlobe.

She gasped. "I love you too, Aaryn!"

He took himself in hand, wincing in empathy for her. "This might hurt, beautiful, I'm sorry—"

"I don't care. Please, Aaryn—"

He kissed her again, that place at the center of his chest, that piece of her, aching—and glowing. Calling to be with her. To be one.

"I—"

"Elreth, are you okay? Gar said you came home running—oh, fuck!" The door flew open and a huge shadow in the shape of her father appeared.

Elreth squeaked and Aaryn snarled and leapt between her and the intruder, half-crouched and teeth bared… to find the former King, standing just inside the door, eyes wide and chin down, his entire body braced.

Aaryn quivered, the beast inside that he could never unleash, snarling and snapping.

There was another male present when his female was vulnerable.

His breath heaved through his teeth and he shook, blinking.

"Aaryn," Reth said very quietly. "Be calm."

"Get out."

Behind him he could hear Elreth scrabbling to find her clothes, whimpering—and not in the good way. He could smell her, painted in sheer horror.

"Aaryn—" Reth growled.

"GET OUT!"

He shuddered, yearning to shift, aching to become. And as had happened every other time in his entire damn life, his body refused it and he stood there, in his true form, shaking and impotent with rage. He took a step towards the King, heedless of the lion's dominance.

His mate was crying behind him and the male would. Not. Leave.

Reth turned his chin to show he came in peace, but his eyes didn't leave Aaryn's. He wouldn't turn his back on a threat. And this threat was ready to tear out his throat.

Aaryn shuddered again.

"Dad, what the hell are you doing here?" Elreth said, her voice shaking with tears, instead of desire.

The sound of his mate in turmoil was devastating and Aaryn growled.

Reth sank down, holding his weight on the balls of his feet, and low in case Aaryn—almost as tall, but not as big, so often quicker especially in closed quarters like this—launched at him.

"I think your brother set us up," Reth said through his teeth.

Elreth made a noise, like a tiny sob, and a long, low growl rolled in Aaryn's throat. He took another step closer to Reth who put his hands up, palms out.

"I will not hurt her, Aaryn."

"She's already hurting!"

"Aaryn, I'm okay. I'm just… mortified."

He bared his teeth and stepped closer to Reth again, who backed off, but his eyes lit with warning. "I do not want to fight you son, but do not think I'll let you harm me or my daughter. Breathe. Get yourself under control. It was a shock. That's all. She's in no danger."

The rustling behind him stopped and suddenly she was there, filling his vision, filling his nose with her scent. "Breathe, Aaryn," she whispered.

He peered around her, watching the Lion, but he blinked when she pulled his face down and forced him to look at her.

"I'm fine," she said. "Please. Don't hurt my father."

Her eyes were pinched and slightly red, and his jaw tightened. But he brought a hand up to her face. "Are you certain?"

She nodded. "Bloody Gar and his bloody jokes. You'd think now that I'm Queen—gah!" Her eyes silvered with tears and he shushed her, pulling her into his chest. But then he had a clear view of Reth again and the rage inside threatened to set him aflame.

Reth kept his chin low, but shook his head, and kept his palms up. Aaryn growled, but he could think again, at least.

Fucking Gar!

Wrapping her in his arms, he met Reth's gaze and spoke through his teeth. "You can go."

Reth huffed and one eyebrow arched. "Oh, I'll go… after you and I have had a little chat."

Aaryn clenched his teeth, about to refuse him, but Reth wasn't looking at him like a dominant male, but as a father. Huffing, Aaryn nodded, still holding Elreth who he knew was really just trying to avoid looking her father in the eye.

Putting his hands to her shoulders he pushed her back so she could see him sign. 'You've done nothing wrong. Like you said, he's a disgusting perv. He has no room to judge.'

Elreth snorted and straightened, wiping her eyes quickly, and giving him a watery smile. When she spoke, there was no sign of tears in her voice. "I'll put on some tea…" she said faintly.

He squeezed her hand and held her gaze until she rolled her eyes at herself and stepped to head around him towards the kitchen.

"Actually, Elreth, it would be good if you could go tell your mother that you're okay. She's worried. And maybe you can both talk to your brother so I don't pull him limb from limb when I'm done here."

Elreth hesitated, frowning and Aaryn bristled. "You don't get to tell her what to do anymore, Reth," he snarled.

Elreth put a hand to his arm and shook her head. "I'd actually kind of like to tear something off Gar myself," she said. "You guys talk here. I'll go."

The last thing he felt like doing was having a deep and meaningful with Reth just then. But he remembered Garthe and that conflict, and the way he wished his friend had spoken to him instead of fighting. So he took a deep breath and faced the man who'd acted like a surrogate father to him since he was twelve. "What did you want to talk about?"

"I think you can guess," Reth said. "But just in case my mate shows up, maybe you can put some pants on first?"

*****

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