AARYN

He hated it. Hated knowing that Tarkyn, running behind him, could have shifted and overtaken him at any moment he chose. He could have galloped past him, used those massive hooves to kick him into submission if he'd wanted to. Or just gotten in front of him and stopped him from moving where he wanted. But he didn't.

Fucking Captain of the Guard just kept pace with him, calling for him to stop, that they would help, that his mother needed him. But Aaryn wondered if Tarkyn knew just how oblivious Reth could be. If he knew just how arrogant the Lion King could be when he thought he had all the answers.

What had he said to Aaryn's mother?

What the fuck had he done?

Ignoring Tarkyn for the entire journey, he sprinted through the wood until the reached the royal meadow and straight to their tree.

He didn't even knock, just threw the door open and stormed through it to find Reth and Elia standing in the kitchen, kissing. Her arms thrown around his neck, one of his hands on her ass.

They leaped apart when he came crashing through the door—both of them startled so badly, Reth almost shifted and Elia looked shaky.

But when they recognized him, both of them straightened.

"Aaryn? What's wrong?" Elia asked carefully.

"Aaryn! Be calm!" Tarkyn was directly behind him. Aaryn slammed the door closed in his face. It opened immediately, and Tarkyn stepped inside but Aaryn was already moving.

Reth took one look at Tarkyn, then raised an eyebrow at Aaryn.

And Aaryn looked right back. The older man, the man he'd wanted to call father, with grey creeping into the hair at his temples, and his broad shoulders that seemed like they could carry the weight of the world, with his massive fists, and the ego to match.

Aaryn had always tried to stay out of the conflict between Reth and Gar and the different ways they'd seen the things that had happened over the years. But in that moment, he felt like he understood exactly what his brother-of-flame felt when he saw his father.

"You want to speak with me, Son?" Reth asked quietly, obviously catching Aaryn's scent, filled with rage. He shifted himself to make sure he stood between Aaryn and Elia, and Aaryn scoffed—as if he'd ever hurt her!

Aaryn strode across the space between them, snarling through his teeth. "What did you say to her?"

"Who?" Reth asked quickly. He stood casually, but his weight was on the balls of his feet, and Aaryn didn't miss that his hands were open, ready to become fists, or knife hands, or to grip whatever was needed.

Aaryn felt his hackles rise. "What did you say to my mother?!" he snarled.

Reth's brows pinched together. "After the Flames?"

"What did you SAY TO HER?!"

Reth's chin went down to protect his neck and his eyes sparked. He pushed Elia further behind him, who sighed, but didn't fight him.

"We talked about you, mostly," Reth said quietly, his hands up and palms forward like he was soothing Aaryn, but Aaryn didn't miss the positions of his arms—defensive stance. He was protecting his chest and neck.

"I'm not here to attack you, Reth, I'm here to make you answer. What did you say?!"

Reth turned his head slightly as if he was confused. "She asked about whether you'd live with Elreth when you returned. How our family would embrace you. She was looking for reassurance that you would be viewed as a member of my pride, and I assured her that you would be—just as I told you when we spoke," he said carefully, a question in his voice. "I'm not sure what you think—"

"She thinks you've replaced her!" he growled. "She thinks you and Elia are the only family I need. And she's going silent because she thinks I don't need her anymore, because of you!"

Elia gasped from behind Reth, her hands going up to her mouth as she leaned around her mate's arm. "Aaryn, we never—"

"I wasn't speaking to you!"

Reth growled and stepped forward, his eyes suddenly golden and flashing. "You speak with respect to my mate, or you deal with me, Aaryn. If you're angry with me, you speak to me."

"I'm angry with both of you, but at least I know she'd never think she was better! She'd never tell my mother that she wasn't necessary! She is necessary! She's necessary to me!"

Reth's forehead crumpled. "Aaryn… I don't know… What are you saying, Son?"

"STOP CALLING ME SON!"

Reth blinked. "Okay. Then, I need you to tell me what you think happened. If you're right, I'll tell you. I won't deny it."

Aaryn realized he was panting, his chest heaving up and down. Reth's eyes didn't move, but Aaryn sensed Tarkyn shifting closer behind him, ready to help guard against him. He snorted with disgust at both of them.

"You made my mother feel like she wasn't needed, and now she's gone," he said, and his voice wasn't as strong as it should have been. He swallowed and clenched his fists. He needed his anger. "You… you said something to her that made her think you'd taken me. That I was yours now. That she wasn't needed. But I need her, Reth. I need her!" he stabbed his own chest with a thumb. "I've always needed her even when she hasn't—" his voice broke and he made himself stop and clear his throat.

"Oh, Aaryn!" Elia slipped around Reth, ignoring his hiss of warning and rushed to Aaryn, throwing her arms around his waist and hugging him. He didn't hug her back, but a shudder rocked through him. A tremor, warning him about the earthquake to come.

But Reth was shaking his head. "That's not what happened, Aaryn. I promise you."

"Of course it is! Why else would she leave? She loves me! She knows I need her—or she thought I did! She even said so herself, she's stayed this long for me! She said that, Reth!" His anger was returning, making him strong. He stepped forward, pulling Elia with him, who tried to shush him, but he didn't take his eyes off of Reth. "So, what did you say to her? Why does she think I don't need her anymore?"

"I don't know," Reth said, shaking his head. "I would never tell anyone they weren't needed." Then he blinked.

And Aaryn nodded. "Oh, really, Reth? Really? Never?"

Reth's head tilted and his eyes flared in caution, but he didn't respond.

*****

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