Chapter 54

54 Too Much Giving

~ HARTH ~

When Tarkyn had told her that the Anima shared their bodies freely, that he’d taken many females before, she’d been terrified at first-to her, that had meant his heart might have bonded to another, or others might have bonded with him, as had happened in the past for her Alpha, Zev. She’d seen the females waste away after learning the male that held their souls was bonded to another.

But Tarkyn had quickly helped her see that the bond didn’t work that way for his people. And she’d been so relieved. In the moment she’d thought only about how relieved she was to have found him, and buried herself in that joy.

Buried her head, apparently.

Because it wasn’t until this moment, right now, when the healer-who Harth had immediately liked and wanted to befriend-looked at him with that understanding in her gaze...

Her wolf began to bare its teeth, and every hair on her body stood up. And not in the good way. Not in the way Tarkyn had caused, the way that had left her skin thrumming, even now.

She’d assumed the female had been so open with him because that was her way with all of them. The other guards had seemed similarly comfortable with her. Harth had assumed the female spoke with such fondness toward her mate because she’d cared for him and the others so many times that she felt some maternal sense of ownership for their wellbeing.

But this... this reference to their familiarity...

That word had quivered with double-meaning.

.....

Yet Sarayu had spoken it with such casual disinterest. As if it were of no account-merely a potential obstacle to be overcome in the Queen’s mind.

Harth was slapped with the sudden realization that she had made far too many assumptions.

What a na?ve ass she had been.

Her wolf snapped her teeth, snarling for release and Harth did a little bit of quivering herself.

And then, just as Tarkyn caught the sense of her sudden ire, as he turned to meet her eyes, reach for her through the bond, and ask after her... his concern confused, as if nothing bad had happened... that was the moment that female touched him.

Touched him like she knew him.

As if he belonged to her.

Harth’s mate.

She touched Harth’s mate.

Instinct overwhelmed her in a flash.

Harth didn’t even think-barely felt. Every shaking inch of her called for the blood of this female who touched her mate and called his mind back to some fucking moment that meant nothing next to the lifetime they would share.

She gave no warning. A wolf did not warn the hare that they sought the kill.

Harth let her breath go and in the calm that came with instinctive focus, flowed forward, teeth bared, her skin undulating into the shift.

The rest happened in a blink.

Her mate shouted for her, leaping to his feet and throwing the healer aside faster than the whip-snap.

The rippling snarl that tore from Harth’s wolf-throat was meant for the healer, but her teeth snapped on air just inches from her mate’s throat instead as, heedless of the danger she posed, he planted himself bodily in her path.

“No, Harth!” he roared, the word echoing with power that made Harth shudder against an urge to submit so strong, her wolf gave way and she returned to her human form. “Harth!” he growled, gripping her shoulders and dodging to place himself in her eyeline when she followed the path of the healer who’d been tumbled to the floor of the cave, but rolled and flipped like a warrior to all fours, crouched and defensive, looking for the danger-eyes widening when they landed on Harth.

But Tarkyn moved, put himself in her eyeline, forced her to meet his gaze. “No, Harth,” he said more softly, but just as firmly. ‘Sarayu is a friend. An ally,’ he insisted through the bond.

Best

‘You call her a friend when you have mated her?’ Harth growled in return, holding his gaze with every ounce of challenge she could muster-her knees trembling because her mate was... he was very powerful. More powerful than she’d anticipated. He’d been holding his authority in check for her, she realized. Or his physical weakness had kept it indistinct.

Suddenly, his position in this pack, despite his youth, made sense.

And yet... Harth was powerful in her own right-and pissed as a fucking snake in a basket.

She did not submit.

Tarkyn’s eyes, blazing with love, clouded suddenly-storm clouds covering the sun. “Harth... I-”

“You mated her! The Queen questioned her objectivity because you two... you have...”

“Yes,” Sarayu said calmly from behind him. “But-”

“Sar, this isn’t the time!” Tarkyn snapped as Harth snarled again and shoved forward. But he caught her, the steel of him barring her as surely as any cage. There in his grip, her body fought with her senses-half of her snapping to the defensive and ready to fight, the other yearning to sink into his chest and inhale his comforting scent.

“Harth... Harth!” he growled. “Look at me.”

And then he straightened from his defensive posture, took her face in his hands and made her meet his eyes. ‘See me, love,’ he murmured in her head. ‘Hear me.’

The words were soft with love-and resonant with that authority he held that he’d kept so closely hidden.

Harth could only blink, her resistance crumbling under his touch in harmony with that power.

And so she raised her chin and met his pleading gaze.

‘She is a friend, Harth. Not a love. She was there when-‘

‘You mated her. You’ve taken her body with yours! She remembers you the way I do now-‘

‘No, Harth. Look at me.’

She’d tried to lean past him, but he didn’t allow her to, holding her there, his fingers curled at the back of her neck and curling to soothe against her skin.

When she gave in and looked up at him, the worry pinching his forehead and the pleading in his eyes coupled with the rock-hard determination in him.

He would not waver.

A chill spread through her.

*****

GET EXCITED! Tomorrow begins the new month on Webnovel, and Tarkyn’s first month of Privilege (up to FIFTEEN chapters!) You will be able to purchase advance material AND (barring an act of God, lol) I plan to completely refresh privilege chapters EVERY month! So, if you purchase privilege, you will ALWAYS receive entirely new content and not be paying for chapters you already read. And if you choose not to renew privilege on any month, your current month’s progress will remain accessible with daily releases ongoing. Thank you for all your support of me and this story so far. I look forward to sharing a lot more of Tarkyn and Harth in November!

(This message was added after publication so you aren’t charged for the words.)