Taming the Queen of Beasts

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*****

ELRETH

A glance passed between Hannah and Marryk that made Elreth nervous, but the young woman tore her gaze back to Elreth, pushed her shoulders back and said, "No. No one. They… they wouldn't have believed me if I had told them. They would have thought it was another of my stories that I used to make up. So I just… I just left them a note telling them I was leaving with Marryk and I wasn't coming back."

"You understand that if you were to go back now it might be very hard on you? On your health, on your state of mind? Your wellbeing?" Elreth asked.

Hannah nodded. But Marryk piped up. "I told her the legends… about going insane or dying. And all she was, "If I'm ever in a place where I need to come back here, I've got bigger problems anyway." He smiled with pride at his mate.

Hannah smiled back and her face lit up.

Elreth sighed again. She was hearing all the right things—or most of them, anyway. There was only one way to find out for sure, though.

"Okay, Hannah, I'm not sure if I told you already, but my mother is human."

Hannah nodded. "I knew that. Marryk told me."

"Great. So, understand, that even though I'm Anima, I have ties to your world. And I do not want to see the destruction of it. But… just as I would here within WildWood, if I see anything that threatens the rest of the Kingdom, I will deal with it—swiftly and aggressively.

"It's come to our attention that the humans are attempting to get into Anima, trying to be here and possibly… probably they will be sending others. It may come to outright war. If it should, I will fight the humans, not because I wish to harm my mother's people. But because I will do anything necessary to keep my people—including my mate—safe. And if the humans bring a threat… they become the enemy. At least, those that threaten us."

"How do you know they're threatening you. Have they said anything?"? Hannah asked, her forehead wrinkled. "I mean, human beings don't really believe in all this magic stuff. If I tried to tell anyone I crossed a dark traverse with demon voices they'd think I'd already gone crazy. They'd lock me up and medicate me. So… I just struggle to believe there's this like, invasion of humans on the way, that's all."

"Well, we can only hope you're right, Hannah. But you'll have to trust me that we have actual evidence of humans entering Anima and the Creator has prophesied a threat. So let's assume that more of them are coming. I need people to help me understand humans, how they work, how they think. My mother can assist me some, but it's been many years since she lived in your world, and she's changed a lot since then. As have things for her people, I'm sure.

"If you stay here, within the WildWood, join the disformed tribe, would you be willing to share your insight into your people? Help me understand your world and what I might need to navigate it? Give me help in overcoming them if they do arrive here?"

"Yes," the girl said simply.

Elreth waited, but Hannah didn't add anything. It seemed too simple. But, she supposed, if the girl was both shy and uncertain of her loyalties except to Marryk, she couldn't expect a gushing account of her loyalty to a people she hadn't even had a chance to meet yet.

"And if this conflict ends in your inability to return to the human world? If you are stuck here your whole life?"

"As long as Marryk's here, I'm ready to be here for the rest of my life. My home is where he is," Hannah said simply.

Elreth's heart sang. She understood that feeling, that sentiment. Hearing it come from this shy young woman and about a disformed… Elreth's heart celebrated that.

"Very well…" Elreth trailed off. She wasn't sure why she was reluctant to just state that she'd made the decision to keep Hannah and Marryk here. It was the direction she'd been leaning since the beginning. It felt like this was all too rushed, too simple. But she also didn't have any other choice. There were so many things to be achieved in this short time…

Elreth waved off the fog of confusion. What would she do if a bear had shown up asking to join them? Or some unknown Anima?

She would have had Tarkyn and his team look at them, try to find any way they had lied or put others in danger, and if none could be found, she would take them at their word.

"Very well," Elreth repeated. Aaryn was watching her with concern, but the truth was she didn't have time to doubt herself on this. "I'm going to ask Gar to have you meet with Tarkyn—or a team he appoints—and be reviewed for your honesty. And assuming that all goes smoothly, I'll allow you to stay. In fact, I'll do better than that, I will announce to the people that any disformed in the human world with the mating bond, who wish to bring their human mates and any offspring they might have here, may do so—alone. And any Anima that left the WildWood over these kinds of prejudice or conflicts, that they are welcome back here. We are going to need every loyal heart and set of hands available. If you will take us, Hannah, we will take you."

The girl blinked, but then turned to Marryk, smiling.

The male pulled her into a hug, then turned to Elreth. "Thank you," he said, his voice choked with emotion. "This is better than I could ever have anticipated. I'm glad… I'm glad we ran into you and that you're here. I'm glad you're dominant, Elreth."

Elreth waved him off, but his words lit a warmth in her chest that made her smile.

She turned to business. "Gar, can you please pull Tarkyn aside tonight and explain to him what's happened. If he can review Hannah tomorrow, I'll announce her presence to the elders before the Rite, then we can decide if she should be introduced to the people before or after the tribe is established."

Gar nodded, looking as weary as she felt. She gave her brother an apologetic look that he brushed off.

Aaryn reached for her hand under the table and squeezed, and Elreth sighed.

If only she didn't feel like every decision was made in a hurry, without the proper forethought.

She was going to look back on this time and either be amazed at herself, or wish herself dead.. She was sure of it.

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