AARYN

Gwyn frowned, confused, and turned to face Elreth, bristling. "What's your problem?"

But Elreth was leaning in, already getting to her feet. "I said, take your paws off him, Gwyn. NOW."

Dominance rippled off her in waves and Gwyn actually cowered. She yanked her hand back into her lap—but because Elreth was standing over her, she leaned back and away—right into Aaryn's shoulder.

"What the hell, El!" Gwyn said faintly. "Calm down. I was just telling him I feel bad for him about his mom!"

"Feel bad without touching, Gwyn," El snarled, and Aaryn leapt to his feet when she began to tremble and her eyes changed.

"Elreth," he said quietly. A low growl puttered in her throat, but she looked at him, her eyes the deep gold of her lion. "Everything's fine. You've had a rough day. Calm down," he said and let himself feel his own strength, just for a breath, just to remind her.

He wasn't the only one who was going to have to get used to others touching, or being close, he realized. The thought both thrilled him, and frightened him.

Both of them on edge and waiting for the mating? Both of them Alpha, and ready to go to war for their mate? Both of them pissed off, frustrated, and seething with thwarted desire?

It was a recipe for disaster—and one neither of them had anticipated.

Elreth took a deep breath, then looked back down at Gwyn, who was staring at her, her jaw jutting forward. Aaryn nudged her and she sighed. "Sorry," she said. "I know there's a lot going on. But this is weird. What's going on with—"

Adrenaline flared in Aaryn's chest, but Elreth was already a step ahead of him.

"I'd be protective of you, too, Gwyn," Elreth ground out. "I'm trying to convince Aaryn to join the Cohorts, the Security Council are up my ass, I have a huge meeting in the morning and Aaryn's mom is sick… My emotions are all over the place right now—just stress. I'll… I'll try to do better. But please, for tonight can you… just keep your hands to yourself?"

She rolled her jaw like she was stifling another growl.

Gwyn looked at her through narrowed eyes. "Sure. I want to be here for you too, you know," she said quietly. "Unless you don't want me to be companion anymore?"

"No! I do. I do… I just… gah!" Elreth ran a hand through her hair and looked at Aaryn, pleading.

He cleared his throat. "Can I talk to you for a minute outside, El?" he said quietly, like he was angry. Really his chest was trilling—when she'd growled like that! Wanted the other female off of him!

He was getting hard just thinking about it, but this wasn't the time.

Elreth sighed like he was asking her to do something she didn't want to, but he could sense the anticipation in her as well. "I guess," she said, and pushed her chair back, headed for those stairs at the back of the stage, and that little clearing where they'd danced the first night.

Aaryn followed her out, keeping a respectful distance behind her, aware of all the eyes following them. Trying desperately to think about how he usually walked around her.

They'd been close for so many years, no one thought twice about them being together. But his instincts had all changed. After years of holding himself back, of being careful not to reveal his feelings, or give in to the urge to touch her, suddenly he could.

Restraining himself was proving harder than he'd anticipated as his hand twitched to rest at her back.

He had to keep a normal distances from her.

When they reached the door, she turned the handle, and he reached over her shoulder, pushing it open ahead of her and following her through.

She took only a few steps before turning and watching him close it.

When he turned back to face her, her eyes were locked on his.

He opened his mouth. "I know it's hard, El, but—"

"Shut up and kiss me," she breathed, leaping on him so fast he was pressed back against the door with a thump, and Elreth… Elreth was climbing him.

He sucked in hard and caught her as she wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist and took his mouth in a kiss that assaulted every sense.

Tongues invading, lips demanding, breath hot and fierce. She fisted his hair in her hands and pulled his head back, laying her open mouth on his throat so he growled in approval.

But as she tasted the skin there, purring, his own desire surged.

Whipping her around, he pinned her to the wall next to the door and took her mouth. She gave a little cry of pleasure when he rolled his hips.

"We can't… do this, El…" he gasped, but didn't stop. He couldn't. "Someone's going to catch us."

She clawed at his back and groaned. "I know. I know…"

"We have to be so careful," he whispered at her jaw, then kissed his way to her mouth.

She sighed and opened for him, a little whimper breaking in her throat when their tongues met and tangled.

"I don't know how to do this, Aaryn. I don't want to leave you." She kissed him again, then let her head sink back so he could have her throat. "I don't want to be apart. But when you're there and I can't touch you, it's like fire in my veins."

"Tell me about it," he growled against her neck. He was fighting himself not to reach for her buttons, and instead rolled his hips into hers again.

She made a noise in her throat and made his breath shudder. "I don't know if I can do this, El. I don't know if I can wait. It feels desperate—like if I don't have you, someone will take you from me."

"I know. Me too."

"But we have to think so hard because there's so much that could go wrong."

"I know!"

"I don't want to be the reason your rule is under threat."

"And I can't do this without you, Aaryn. I feel like a leaf getting tossed back and forth by the wind. I feel like—"

He took her mouth, his breath tearing out of his nose, one hand in her hair, the other cupping her ass. She shuddered in his arms and it was everything he could do not to tear both the clothes off right there and then.

Desperation didn't cover it. He felt like if he didn't have her, he would stop breathing.

What was wrong with him? He'd waited years just to kiss her. He couldn't wait a few weeks to mate?

"El, I—"

There was a quiet thud, just beyond his attention, he would have dismissed it if it weren't followed immediately by a click and he and El both snapped their heads to look in horror as the door opened and first Gwyn appeared, the door knob still in her hand, her mouth open and eyes wide with shock. She just stood there, staring, the door only half open, until Rak and Dargyn appeared behind her and both their mouths dropped open in shock as well.

"Well, shit," Aaryn breathed.