Mated to the Warrior Beast-Chapter 186 - 186 Breakfast Fire
186 Breakfast Fire
If you like music while you read, try โDemons at the Doorโ by Written by Wolves. Itโs what I listened to while writing this chapter! freโฏ๐e๐๐ง๐ฐvโฏl.๐๐๐บ
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~ HARTH ~
Harth had gone ahead to the breakfast fire. She wanted to see if she could find some extra meat for Tarkyn before he got thereโsurrounded by guardsโbecause she knew he wouldnโt ask for it for himself. And she was worried if he was there, the others might be difficult about it.
She shouldnโt have worried. Her pack greeted her warmly and were happy to provide for her and her mate.
She was already setting up at the fire, an extra slab of the venison from one of the forest deer on the spit, when a soft hand touched her shoulder.
She turned, then leaped to her feet. โSuhle! Youโre here! How?!โ
She didnโt even think, just leaped to throw her arms around the older female, who laughed softly and hugged her back just as enthusiastically. โWe were given freedom last night,โ she said softly, smiling when they pulled out of each otherโs arms. โI think Zev would like to have us shadowed, but they all agreedโฆ itโs good to see you, Harth. I was so glad when I learned that you were here safely.โ
Harth nodded. โWe only made it yesterday as well. Iโm so glad they let you go free.โ
.....
โIโm not sure it was a popular decision, but I will take advantage while I can. Iโm so glad I found you.โ
They settled down next to the fire, adding Suhleโs breakfast rations to the spit so Harth could cook for both couples while they caught up.
โYouโre very brave to come here, but Iโm so glad itโs you. I know that theyโll listen to you, Suhle. I know they will.โ
Suhle didnโt look as certain, but she shrugged. โIt was clear that we were the right pair to offer reassurance,โ she said. โThough Iโm not certain it will be heard. Zev isโฆ very angry.โ
Harth snorted. โYou have no idea.โ
โI think I have some.โ
That was sobering. Harth nodded and poked at the fire to keep the embers close together. โDid you learn anythingโฆ useful last night?โ she asked quietly, through the link.
Suhle shook her head. โZev was very careful to ask all the questions and offer very little. He and Lerrin are a little too similar to be entirely comfortable with each other, I think. But he did seem to respect Lerrinโs strength. I suspect we have shadows following us that we havenโt perceived yet, though,โ Suhle added dryly.
โProbably,โ Harth sighed in the link. โIโm glad he wasnโt so hard on you, though. He wasโฆ very hard on Tarkyn when he arrived without disavowing Elreth.โ
Suhle tsked, shaking her head and looked away over the encampment, her beautiful eyes dark and worried. โThe feeling here is very tense. I can understand it. I donโt envy Zev the position he finds himself in. But that male is on a hair-trigger. I am far less confident of our ability here than I was before we spoke with him. But I do think he heard usโheard our story. Whether he sees the correlation for himself though, I donโt know.โ
Harth sighed. โAt least he didnโt try to split you two up.โ
โI wouldnโt allow it,โ Suhle replied simply, but the strength of will and certainty echoed in her words.
Harth gave a small smile. โIโll be sure to warn Zev.โ
Suhle snorted, but then her face went thoughtful again before she looked at Harth. โAnd how are you? Is it good to be back among your own?โ
โOf course! I justโฆ everything still feels so uncertain. I thought when Zev got loose things would get better, but heโs so angry. Iโm afraid of what will happen if he doesnโt agree to the peace talks.โ
Suhle nodded. โItโs a very hard thing when the life you know is upended by your mate.โ
Harth gave her a searching look. โYou said that you and Lerrin were kept apart for a long time at first as well. What happened when you accepted the bond?โ
โIt was the most wonderful night of my life,โ she said out loud, with a quiet, distant smile. โThere was nowhere I wanted to be, except in his arms.โ
Harth nodded. She knew that feeling. And how torturous it had been until they could complete the bond. โBut you had to leave, right? To stay with him?โ
Suhle nodded and glanced at her from the side. โI thought that might be something we should speak aboutโthe decision you may still be left to make.โ
Harth bit her lip. โI hope there wonโt be a needโโ
โIf you had asked me what I thought before we arrived here, Harth, I was utterly confident that it would only take time to bring our peoples together. But on seeing Zev last night, feeling his tension and angerโฆ I am no longer certain. I prayโI will be praying ferventlyโthat he can find forgiveness and hope. But it was clear to me last night that without the staying hand of his trusted advisors, he would never have accepted us among your ranks. He is not seeking peace. Heโs seekingโฆ victory.โ
Harth closed her eyes for a moment. It was exactly how sheโd been feeling too. And it was so frightening. โI worry about that, as well.โ
Suhle nodded. โYou should follow your heart, Harth,โ she said simply.
Harthโs eyes flew open and she turned her head to stare at Suhle, who looked back at her calmly. โIโฆ what?โ
โI can tell you, as someone who had to leave pack and home to stay in the arms of my mate, I never regretted it a day. Not once. When you have found your Oneโฆ nothing else is worth as much. Nothing else will comfort you for losing them, or even being separated.โ
Harth swallowed and nodded. โI know. I never wanted to leave, even when things wereโฆ hard with the others. But I wondered about bringing him hereโฆโ
Suhle watched her carefully, her expression cautious for the first time. โIโd tell you something that could beโฆ unpopular.โ
โPlease, just say it. I donโt know anyone whoโs been through something like this the way you have.โ
Suhle took a deep breath and looked into the fire as she spoke, not leaving her eyes on Harth, letting Harth examine what she said.
โMy mate is a strong male,โ she said carefully. โWhether he wants to admit it or not, he was created to leadโand he doesnโt feel right in himself when he isnโt.โ
Harth nodded. โI mentioned that to Tarkyn last nightโhe said he was trying to be submissive. I could have laughed!โ
Suhle smiled, but still kept her eyes on the fire. โOur mates have much in common, Harth,โ she said, then glanced at Harth from the side.
Harth nodded. โI agree.โ
Suhle licked her lip and looked at the fire again. โDo you see thatโฆ Tarkyn has the humility to lower himselfโand Iโm certain he would do it for you. He adores you.โ
Harth smiled, her cheeks warming. โI adore him too.โ
โWhich is as it should be,โ Suhle said warmly. โButโฆ it seems to meโฆ you mentioned that you are not a high ranking wolf in your pack. Yet youโre very strong. Did you not seek it, orโโ
โItโs a combination of factorsโthe humans kept me away from the packs from the age that I might have started pursuing a position in the hierarchy. So I never found my place. But also I findโฆ I want to have the choice about where I put my energy and time. And the more I watch leaders, the more I realize theyโre always sort ofโฆ corralled.โ
Suhle let out a big breath, nodding. โThat is certainly true. Pursuing leadership is pursuing responsibility. And that never leaves you free to justโฆ choose.โ
Harth nodded. โIโm happy to be where I am and to justโฆ influence what I can.โ
โDo you see that your mate isnโt soโฆ flexible?โ Suhle asked very slowly.
Harth glanced at her, but the older wolf just kept staring at the fire. โI think so?โ she said.
โIโve known of Tarkyn since he was very youngโstill adolescent. And although we spent most of that time apartโฆ watching him over the past year or so it wouldnโt have mattered if Iโd known him when he was young, I would have seen itโฆ he is a very strong male, Harth. He is an Anima who truly stepped into what he was made to be.โ
โI agree.โ She sensed that Suhle was working towards something, but she wasnโt sure what it was.
โSoโฆ I think that your mate, like mine, will never be fully satisfied to simply sit back and allow events to play out around him. He was Created to lead, to push, to influence.โ Then Suhle did turn to look at her. โHarth, Tarkyn is very humble and I think for that reason, doesnโt always see himself clearly. Butโฆ he will never be himselfโฆ not his true selfโฆ in a place that would stifle that in him.โ
Harth tilted her head because for a moment she wasnโt sure why Suhle seemed to think this was such a big deal. But then she grasped it, and her heart sank.
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