Taming The Queen Of Beast

RE

father, the King, noticed

ed his face like the mane of the Lion within him. He always stood proud in these moments, his massive shoulders back, no shirt beneath the vest so they could

pologies, until she made it to Aaryn, her best friend. He saw her coming and edged aside so she could fit between him and Gwyn on his right. Gwyn smiled, but her lips were

ght and his ice-blue eyes piercing behind the strands

language they'd developed when she was ten, after he

he jab wasn't accompanied by his usual smile,

igned again. "Sorry.

really upset," he signed, using the clawed fingers they used to symbolize

d created specifically to imply he had no balls-but even when he snor

bes were

s did when he needed to bring the people on his side of whatever Kingly decision he'd made. But Aaryn was right, the ma

rs back and chin down, eyes fierce and teeth bared. He was Reth, the King of Anima, and as E

t allow this distance among the people. We cannot allow tension between the tribes-all of us have seen where that leads. We lived throu

back on the stage, face tight, eyes on her mate, her arms folded beneath her breasts. She look

d back to her father, stress and worry on

-rose, packed with Anima on every inch. All the tribes were there, the people of the lions, the birds, the horses, and serpents-even the few wolf packs that remained loyal to

tood, riveted, as her

he people. But now she sucked in a long, drawn-out breath and

d to Aaryn, the hair on t

ned back, "Never seen

lmost lost her mother. The days when the whole Lupine wolf

the fight?" she

Aaryn's face went flat

e hand cupped around the other fist, but thumbs up, inst

ttle muscles at the back o

d hard for twenty years to begin integrating them more fully into the tribes. And they'd had some success. Especially with the younger people. But recent months had

form. Add to that, he was the son of one of the traitorous wolves that had almost ended her parent's rule right before Elreth was born. He'd only been four when his fa

but allowed to remain in WildWood. They will be given

ices rapidly becoming more insisten

she b

were a few who showed excitement because they'd always been ag

to her toes-then rose agai

of fear and rage. She could hear his hea

w about this?

course not! You

een tribes, you leave us no other option!" her father snarled over the hubbub of the crowd

ched Elreth

is hands clenched. He moved to step forward, but Elreth fisted his sh

or anyone-that threatened someone s

any of them!" she yelled, whirling to face the stage as the e

eyes snapped str

he bared