Falling In Love With The King Of Beasts

SURPRISE! I wanted to reward all of you who have supported me by buying privilege this month, as well as… well, I just missed Reth. That's the pure truth. So this story is just a little bit of fun and fluff to give us all a chance to enjoy a little more time with Reth and Elia. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! There will be 10 chapters released today, one every 20 minutes starting NOW! Thank you for your support, your encouragement, and your love for these characters.

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM ME AND MY LOVED ONES TO YOU AND YOURS!

(Oh, and just so you know, this all happens almost a year after the last chapter you read…)

*****

RETH

Reth lay in the furs, feigning sleep as Elia crept around the bedchamber, dressed quickly, then hurried out to find Elreth. If his hearing didn't deceive him, their daughter had shifted and jumped out of her bed in the small room they'd had dug for her off the tunnel to their bedchamber. She was currently galloping through the Great room, dragging something behind her. There was a crash as something was turned over and a yelp from Elia. Reth grinned into his pillow. He'd forgotten how active young lions could be. By all accounts his mother had almost lost her mind chasing him around when he was a toddler.

He sighed as the pattering footsteps stopped—Elia had finally caught up with her and Elreth was receiving a whispered lecture about respecting the sleep of adults. Reth grieved that Elreth didn't share their room as Anima usually would, and he wondered if this was why their daughter often got adventurous very early in the morning. But he couldn't deny that giving Elreth her own room had given him and Elia more space to be together without her. As adults. Very, very loving adults.

Reth wouldn't give up the chance to have his mate's love for anything. Not even Elreth.

In the other room, Elia hissed something about Elreth knowing better and needing to stick to her own toys. Uh oh, that meant she'd been dragging something that wasn't hers. Reth prayed it wasn't his vest. He couldn't remember if he'd thrown it over the couch or brought it into the bedroom and hung it up when he'd come in so late last night.

Thoughts of the night before made him smile, too.𝗳𝘳𝒆𝘦𝑤𝐞𝚋𝗻𝚘𝘷𝘦𝙡.𝑐𝐨𝘮

Elia thought he'd been at a meeting of the security council until the small hours of the morning—something he did so rarely these days that she was surprised when he'd said he would be late. But in truth, he'd been with Behryn and Aymora, arranging a surprise for his mate. Or trying to, at least. He wasn't good with crafts. Aymora had spent more time cursing his thick fingers and fixing his handiwork, than anything else. But he was pretty confident they'd done a good job.

Now he had to keep her out of the market until dinner. He'd told everyone that he wasn't working at all that day or the next. And after Elia had left dinner the night before to get Elreth to bed, he'd announced a feast—a special winter festival to honor their Queen. A tradition from her homeland. The people were excited. And sworn to secrecy. But he knew—if she saw anyone this day, she'd likely find out. So he had made plans. Now he had to do his best to keep her away from the Tree City for the day.

He had plans. Big plans. And he prayed no one else would ruin them for him.

While Elreth received her scolding from her frazzled mother, Reth pushed out of the furs and tiptoed to the closet to make sure the small parcel he'd left there remained hidden. Nodding in satisfaction that Elia hadn't stumbled on it, he dressed quickly, then hurried out into the Great Room where he could hear Elia trying to impress on their boisterous daughter the importance of quiet in the early morning.

He'd hoped to sneak up on her, but Elia's Anima hearing had become even sharper since Elreth was born, and she turned as soon as he stepped out of the tunnel—she'd known he was coming, despite his care.

Elreth sat—back in human form—on the floor in front of the couch, her lower lip pushed out and her forehead lined, brows pinched together in frustration.

She was as stubborn as her mother, and as prone to anger as he himself. A volatile combination that they were already having to coach in her. Elia had been concerned she was too young to be learning self-discipline. But Reth assured her, Anima children developed faster because of the freedom they generally found in their beast forms. If they didn't teach Elreth self-control quickly, she was likely to hurt someone in a few years when her beast was large enough to take a chunk out of someone.

He tried not to smile with pride when he said it. His daughter was magnificent—strong, confident, and already showing Alpha power. She would be a force to be reckoned with as she became an adult. He only prayed she could find her match in a mate. He hated to think of her missing out on the joy of a True Heart's Call.

Putting away thoughts of the future, Reth focused on what he had to achieve that day.

"We've spoken about this before, Elreth. You are to stay in your bed until one of us comes to bring you out. You know better!"

While Elia stood in front of her daughter, arms folded and no longer whispering now that Reth was up, he sidled up behind her, sliding his hands around her waist and dropping his head to kiss her neck.

Elia stuttered, mid-lecture. Reth felt the goosebumps rise on her arm and he rubbed them, humming in approval as Elia, exasperated and now distracted, threw up her hands. "I give up. Between the two of you…"

Elreth grinned and pushed to her feet. "Da!" she called, beaming at him with a toothy grin. "Da!" she took two tottering steps, then shifted to race under the coffee table and across the floor to Reth, who laughed and leaned down to catch her when she leaped at his chest, paws splayed out and tail lashing.

"Good morning, beautiful girl," he chuckled, snuggling into her fur. He loved the scent of her little body—like dry dirt that had been warmed by the sun, honey, and something uniquely her. The only better smell in the world was Elia's, though he'd never tell his daughter that. She'd understand the day she found her true mate.

So instead, he spent a moment holding her and rubbing faces in the greeting of the pride lions and thanking the Creator for his beautiful daughter and mate.

He was the most blessed male he knew.