Falling in Love with the King of Beasts

GAHRYE

He hadn't intended to do anything but hold her for as long as he could, but he blinked away suddenly when the buzzing of her phone began on the bedside table. He pulled his head up, bleary eyed, to find it, reaching it with his much longer arm to bring to her.

He showed her the screen that said "Grandma" and showed a sweet picture of Eve and Kalle hugging each other and smiling behind the desk of the library.

Kalle's beautiful brows pinched over her nose, but she took it from him and put it to her ear as he let his head sink back down to kiss her temple while he waited to hear exactly which way this was going to go.

"Kalle?" Eve's voice was tinny and distant, but he could hear every word clearly.

"Yeah?" Kalle cleared her throat of both lust and tears, "what did you find?"

"I… I thought so but I didn't want to tell you until I was certain. She can cross. Even in beast form. She can do it, and she'll be safe. The voices can't take an animal. But… but the reason they don't do it… it's because if she can't control the beast… if she runs off… if she doesn't go to the other side, there's no way to bring her back. She'll be lost." Gahrye pushed up to lean on his elbows and listen more carefully. Kalle met his eyes. "Gahrye has to stay on the path, Kalle, tell him that. He cannot step off it. Even if Elia does, he can't."

Kalle put her other hand to his cheek and he leaned into it. "He won't," she said softly. 

"Then… then he should just go. Kalle, I'm sorry. If they need to go, they can. If he can get her to go into the Portal with him, they should just go. But remind him about the path. There's only one path through. He has to take it and no other. Every other path is disaster."

Kalle nodded and Gahrye took her fingers, turning her hand to kiss her knuckles. "I'll tell him," she said. 

"Okay… okay. Do you need me? Do you want me to come? Do you… do you want some company?"

Kalle squeezed her eyes shut then and her lips pressed together hard as tension and grief entwined in her scent. "Not tonight," she said after a breath. "Tomorrow. I think I'll need you tomorrow. I think that will be good. I can call you in the morning if you want?"

"Sure, honey. You can call me in the night if you need to, too. I'll keep my phone on, okay?"

"Okay…" Kalle's voice had become very high and thin and she squeezed his hand so hard hers began to shake. Gahrye gripped her back and held on. 

"You tell that male of yours that he's good and I'm proud of him. I'm proud of both of you."

Gahrye's breath rushed out of him and he swallowed tears. "Thank you, Eve," he rumbled quietly.

Kalle nodded, her throat bobbing. "Did you hear that, Grandma?"

"I sure did. You two spend a little time together before you start this, okay? I don't know how you're going to do it, but I have a hunch once you start, you don't stop. So… I'll be praying it goes smoothly when you're ready."

"Thank you." Kalle's face crumpled. Gahrye gathered her in, holding her as she said goodbye then dropped the phone and clung to him. "You have to do it," she whispered in his ear, her voice a tortured gasp. "You have to."

He just held her tightly until she stopped shaking.

*****

Later, when they were up and showered and dressed, Kalle was full of nervous energy, but she was using the phone to find information about lions. 

Gahrye sat on the edge of the bed, watching her pace as she tapped away at the phone. He suspected that the lions in the human world were likely different than an Anima beast, but she clearly needed something to do, so he didn't argue.

"They're nocturnal, I'd forgotten that," she said, biting her lip and frowning at the phone. "I mean, you should go in the dark anyway, so no one sees her. But still… I guess that's good, right? That she'll be more comfortable at night."

"Kalle—"

"Should we go get meat? Do think she'll be hungry? I mean, of course she'll be hungry, but a lot of animals stop eating when they're anxious, and I think she's going to be pretty tense when we try to get her outside."

"Sure, but Kalle—"

"What am I saying, of course we'll take meat. I mean, it's not like it's the end of the world if it doesn't help. But if it does, we'll be grateful for it."

"Kalle, it's just the garden. If we need something we can come back for it."

"Not if you're already in the Portal!" she snapped, then clapped her hand over her mouth. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm not angry, I'm just tense."

"I know, me too," he said, then got up and walked to her, to pull her into a hug.

They stood there, holding each other for a long moment. "This might not even work," Gahrye said and knew there was a hint of hope in his voice. Because it was true—if it didn't work, if they couldn't get her to follow, he'd be back here in a few hours, making love to her again. And a big part of him hoped that was the way it would go. As long as he'd tried. As long as his conscience was clear.

But… deep down… he knew it wasn't true.

He wasn't sure how long it would take, or how exactly they would do it. He didn't know if he'd read with the winds without thinking, or if it was the Creator talking again. But deep down, he knew.

This was the night. He was taking Elia back tonight. 

"I know," Kalle whispered. 

Gahrye blinked, he hadn't realized he'd said that out loud. 

"I wish I could watch," Kalle said. "I wish I could be on the other side to see you get her there, and meet Reth, and see how grateful he will be, and… just all of it."

Gahrye groaned. "So do I. So do I."

******

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