Taming the Queen of Beasts

<strong>GAR</strong>

Gar wasn't sure what happened, and apparently his father was a little uncertain too, because pretty soon they found themselves sitting on the couch with Aaryn while the females all bustled and squealed and cried upstairs.

"I'm still unclear exactly what's going on…" Gar started.

But his father just shrugged. "You and me both."

Aaryn huffed. "I think they're going to do the human tradition. Elia talked about it before Elreth and I were going to walk the Flames. That honeymoon thing we did was a part of it."

Gar's heart squeezed at the idea of getting Rika away for a week by himself—but then plummeted.

He had to train Aaryn to go through the traverse. He had a new tribe to establish in the Tree City and lead. And the humans were on their way. There would be no time for stolen nights with Rika, marriage or not.

"What are we going to have to do?" Gar asked, suddenly praying that this human tradition didn't take the hours and hours of an Anima flame ritual and feast. He still felt tight in his groin and he didn't know how many days they had left. He didn't want to lose an entire night to this.

"I'm not sure what your mother's planning," his dad said, "but I understand it's mainly just exchanging vows and then leaving together." The look his father gave him was half-amused, but all sympathy.

Gar nodded. "That's good."

Their ears all perked to a sudden, high pitched "Ohhh, you're beautiful!" and another, hushed voice clearly choked with tears.

Gar turned his ears away, not wanting to know what his mother was saying. "I wish they could talk about these things without always getting so emotional," he grumbled. Aaryn nodded.

But his father looked up at the ceiling, an odd smile on his face. "Emotional females," he said slowly, "Are very passionate. They make amazing lovers."

Gar groaned. Aaryn sniggered at his side and he elbowed his brother. "I really think we're clear on the whole… situation with you and Mom," Gar mumbled. "For real. You should stop before Elreth hears you and starts vomiting."

"I'm just saying, if you got an emotional female, the Creator has blessed you doubly," his father said with a sidelong look, his face still turned to the ceiling where they could hear the floors creaking as the females walked around the bedroom.

Gar was looking forward to learning exactly how blessed he and Rika would be, but just as he'd felt that odd, squirming discomfort about mating with Rika before they'd made some kind of commitment, he also suddenly found himself reluctant to talk to his father, or Aaryn, or… anyone about what passed between them.

The truth was, eager as he was to get his hands on her—and praying that this return to reality hadn't also brought her fear back to the fore—he was worried.

Gar was a strong male. Most females liked that about him. It was half the reason he'd had as much female attention as he had. Most Anima females liked a male that could dominate them.

But Rika…

Gar swallowed and clenched his hands to fists in his lap. He was going to have to watch himself carefully. He was afraid in the throes of his own passion he might scare her. He couldn't bear the idea of seeing her shrink away from him again—especially when they were intimate. Fuck, it broke his heart just imagining it.

He rolled his head on his shoulders and resolved to treat her softly. To not push. To keep himself in check…

Blowing out a breath he blinked back to awareness to find his father and brother both staring at him.

"What?"

"What were you thinking about?"

"You smelled very sad."

"You smelled terrified."

Gar rolled his eyes and gritted his teeth. He needed to watch himself more carefully. "I just want this to go smoothly, that's all. She's had a really rough couple of days."

His father's eyes went tender and he smiled. "You're going to do fine, son," he said, his voice husky. He squeezed Gar's shoulder again, but they were all distracted then by the sound of footsteps and sniffing moving across the ceiling, towards the top of the stairs.

"Reth?" his mother's soft voice said, as if she were giving him a present.

Gar watched his dad turn, joy in his eyes that then widened and his mouth dropped open.

Thinking something horrifying must be happening to his mother, Gar turned to follow his father's gaze, only to find her standing a few steps down from the top, her eyes shining and face beaming, but hands over her mouth as she looked up. At Rika.

Then Gar's mouth fell open too.

His eyes followed the line of a beautiful, soft skirt, up and up, into a pair of eyes that would have made his heart beat faster all on their own. But now…

Rika stood at the top of the stairs, her hair twisted into a beautiful, soft braid. And yet they'd pulled small wisps down to drift around her face. She was beaming even more than his mother—but her eyes sought Gar's, looking for reassurance. And Gar was going to give it to her the moment he recovered from the way his heart was turning over in his chest.

She was wearing his mother's dress. The dress she wore the day she offered herself to their father. The same dress El wore to her flames and smoke.

Gar pushed to his feet and stumbled towards the bottom of the stairs, gaping at the way the beautiful creamy fabric was pulled to a halter around Rika's neck, framing her face that looked so soft because of how they'd done her hair. The dress hugged her form, the rounds of her breasts, and tucked into her waist, all of it covered in those drifting, twisted hints of butterflies in blue and gold that then spread, sprinkling down the skirts as if the swarm were beginning to fly away.

The swarm fluttered as she took two of the steps down the staircase and the skirt billowed towards him, then settled to rest when she stopped, uncertain.

"Gar… Is this okay?" she breathed.

He nodded dumbly. She looked… stunning. She looked beautiful. She looked… she looked delectable and there were two other males now standing in the room behind him, staring at her.

A growl began in his throat and he turned, instinctively, to warn them away, but as his father hissed and shook his head, and Rika hesitated, Gar reminded himself that his father and brother were complete fools for their mates, and he swallowed it back.

He looked back to Rika, drinking her in as her smile faltered, but then returned when he faced her calmly, and she started back down the stairs towards him.

When she reached the bottom he took her hand and brought it up to his lips.

Rika's eyes shone as he leaned into her ear and whispered, "Rika, will you be my mate? Will you… marry me?"

She leaned back to meet his eyes and put her hands to either side of his face. "Yes," she breathed. "Yes, Gar."