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Gar wasn’t pleased about being asked to leave, but while the massive male muttered about sisters who’d “gotten too big for their leathers,” he didn’t fight the order, but merely rolled his eyes and walked out to find his own mate.

Tarkyn watched after him wistfully, wishing he was the one leaving. Especially once Elreth started talking.

She folded her arms-never a good sign to begin with-and her piercing gaze locked on Tarkyn.

He’d almost died two days earlier. He’d been so dehydrated, his body had given out on him. He’d fed and watered since, but they’d traveled from the cave to the Tree City and... he was worn out. And yearning for his mate.

But he faced the two most powerful Anima alive-the Queen, who was unleashing every ounce of Alpha Authority on him with that gaze, and her mate, her King. While Aaryn never threw his power around the way Elreth did, the truth was, Tarkyn had always wondered which of them would win in a straight battle of wills.

Aaryn was a rock, and since his return at the end of the war, he’d been unwavering in his support of his mate.

.....

So as Elreth began, her words quiet, but fierce, Tarkyn felt weaker in spirit than he could ever remember feeling.

“You are trusted, Tarkyn. I don’t remember a time in my life when you weren’t near and trusted by my family. My father placed you as a guard over my mother-his most precious treasure. ”

Tarkyn nodded once. It was only true.

“You are always the first Anima who comes to mind when I speak to anyone of trust. You have proven yourself over and over, and served in the strength and humility that... that reminds me of my father.”

Her breath caught for a second, but she didn’t look away.

Tarkyn had to swallow a pinch in his own throat. “That is... the biggest compliment, El. Thank you.”

Aaryn looked at her like he might reach for her.

“But.” Elreth continued without looking away. “If your loyalty has been divided... that just makes you even more of a serious problem.”

Tarkyn braced, shoving back the pride and rage that wanted to rise-so he could think clearly and she could see his conviction, not his anger.

“My loyalty is not swayed,” he said through his teeth. “No more than yours was when you found Aaryn.”

Even though she didn’t look away from him, Tarkyn could feel her sudden shift of attention to her mate at her side. Aaryn just stared at her, watching for any sign that she needed him.

Elreth set her jaw. “My mate was always for Anima. Yours-”

“Mine is no different than Gar’s. In fact, even less of a threat. Harth’s people didn’t come with specific intention to study and overwhelm us!” he snapped.

“I had very serious concerns about Rika when she arrived.”

“And yet, look where we are now,” Tarkyn pointed out, opening his hand in the direction of Gar’s retreat-and suddenly understanding why Elreth had wanted to remove Gar from the conversation. Because of course he’d support Tarkyn.

Tarkyn let a low growl putter in his throat.

Elreth raised an eyebrow. “Rika has proven herself-and they had the Anima bond.”

“So do we! It’s just not completed.”

“How do we know, Tarkyn? How do we know it’s a real bond-or the same as the Anima bond? Even if it’s not a deception, it’s possible these Chimera have it as some kind of tool-”

Tarkyn snarled. “How did you know your bond was real? How did you know it didn’t harm you? You can feel it, to your bones. To your soul!” he growled, stabbing a finger towards his chest. “That female is my mate, given to me by the Creator. I asked for her and he brought her. That has to be an asset to us! These questions you’re bringing, they’re only the infection of fear and anger we all experienced with the humans and the voices. They aren’t true, Elreth!”

“We have eradicated the voices-”

“Have we, El? How can we know? If all we’re doing today is asking about possible evil, how can we know? Could it be that you can sense it? That something within you tells you that it’s so?”

Elreth’s expression went dark. Alpha power wafted off of her in waves. Tarkyn had to grit his teeth to resist submitting.

Instead, he stepped right up to her, toe-to-toe. Aaryn growled, but Tarkyn shook his head and spoke to the King without taking his eyes from Elreth’s.

“I would never harm her! You know that!” Then he leaned closer to El. “I told you when we were at war, and I’ll tell you now-we cannot make every decision from fear. We must face what we must face.”

“I know that. But that doesn’t mean we can’t have caution.”

“You need caution against me, El?” Tarkyn shook his head in disbelief. “You think I’ve lost my mind? Lost my wisdom? Lost my understanding of life and conflict and-”

“I think the matebond is powerful-whether it’s real or not. It grips us and makes it easy to dismiss things that we should not!”

Something flickered between her and her mate then. Tarkyn caught the scent of it. The King went very still, watching her.

“What?” Tarkyn snapped. “What am I missing?”

“Nothing,” Aaryn answered for her. “Your queen is not just a ruler, she’s Anima, and her heart and body are drawn and pulled just like yours. We are aware of the pull of the bond-even now, Tarkyn, it moves us. If your bond is real, it will affect everything. We cannot ignore that. And if it’s not a true mate’s bond, then it is a direct threat.”

“I have not lost my honor in the bond-none of you did!”

“Not honor,” El said quietly. “But balance? We all lost balance for a time. Ask Gar-who hid things from his father as King and me, his sister and Queen,” she said with quiet conviction. “Ask Behryn, who gave up his power for his mate. Ask me! You think I didn’t give up for the bond, Tark?” Something breathless snapped between them then and Tarkyn remembered those months back when Elreth had been clueless about her mate’s love for her, and the upheaval it had caused when it all became public. “Ask anyone, Tarkyn. You are older than me, and usually wiser, but this is one aspect of life where my experience outstrips yours. You are changed by the bond, and most of the ways you’re changed are amazing. And all of them are worth it. But you are in the wrong room to claim that the bond won’t affect your decisions or your priorities-as well it should. But as your Queen I am right to question what affect that has on your actions and advice-the entire military might of this Kingdom is in your hands! You cannot tell me that is not a weapon our potential enemies would choose to exploit!”

Tarkyn’s heart sank as the resonance of the truth of her words jangled helplessly against his conviction that he would never be used against his people.

Never.