Taming The Queen Of Beasts

<strong>ELRETH</strong>

"The Leonine stand for the disformed," Elreth's father said, his voice a low growl that seemed to fill the Hallowed Grounds from the ground up. Elreth's skin prickled as the echo of his Alpha Authority washed over her. She could only imagine the effect it would have on the gathered tribes. "The disformed have proven themselves, not only in their service to my family, in their loyalty to the crown, but in their tenacious pursuit of life and knowledge, despite great adversity. They deserve to be acknowledged by all. As Alpha of the Lions, I stand for the disformed, and welcome them as Allies and brothers. As part of my pride."

Then he turned and looked at Aaryn.

Elreth had to swallow a sob of joy as her mate's face crumpled and he was forced to look down, to gain control of himself before he straightened and nodded, dropping to one knee to return the honor Reth offered.

As they both got back to their feet, Elreth could barely breathe. She couldn't decide if she was more impressed by her father's action as an Alpha, or as her dad.

He'd just given his submission to Aaryn as King, and disformed. With the exception of herself, there wasn't a more powerful Anima to do it.

Her father was a true Alpha male—not only because of his former rule, but because of his age and position within the Leonine tribe, the most powerful tribe in the Anima. To not only acknowledge the disformed, but to welcome them as allies, he provided both status and might. Other tribes would understand that to force conflict with the disformed, would be to force conflict with the Leonine, underlining the disformed's position well after this Rite was complete.

She had planned, of course, to offer her own strength to the disformed, but as judge of the Rite, it would smack of bias. She'd been prepared to do it anyway, because it was fully true. But for her father to take that on his shoulders—and the inevitable criticism that would come from certain corners to offer a tribe that was of a greater population than the Leonine such power—she was moved to tears with gratitude.

"Thank you, Dad," she breathed, for once deciding that acknowledging her family was needed, and the rest could bite her if they thought it was wrong. "Thank you."

Her father raised his eyes to her again and smiled. "Our Queen does well," he whispered, then got to his feet, looming over her to face the people. He threw back his head and roared, and the leonine joined him, shaking the foundations of the Hallowed Grounds with their voices.

Elreth roared too, the joy and hope in her chest brimming so that she could barely breathe.

She hardly noticed at first when the Sheep and Goats stepped forward together, adding their question. As the herds had been the ones to coach and guide the disformed from all tribes in trade, they challenged the justice of now losing business to the same. They challenged that one tribe should not be established to the detriment of others.

Elreth didn't even need to speak. Her handsome, clever mate stepped forward to acknowledge the training and support from the herds and reassure them that the disformed would serve not only the royal family, but the people.

"Our role in trade will not change. We serve the merchants not as competition, but remaining alongside the herds, assisting their businesses to thrive and taking only the portion we have always received for our support."

The sheep and goats reluctantly accepted this,  and left Elreth beaming as they knelt to add their acknowledgement.

Then, she turned. Only two tribes remained. The Equines and the Avalines. She looked to their Alphas, but Tobe, Alpha of the horses, was already stepping forward, his hands fisted, his long legs eating the short space between them as he knelt before Elreth to give his submission before turning alongside her and speaking to both her and the crowds.

"The Equines acknowledge the wisdom of the Queen, and the call for the new tribe. We do not question that it is valid. But while the disformed have served in shadow and under their own rule, the Equines bore the weight of the protection of the Royal Family, and of the care and protection of the Tree City, and the WildWood.

"We have gone to war for the previous King. We serve the Queen with dedication and loyalty. And, perhaps most importantly, we are disciplined in it.

"The disformed have developed skill, it's true. And we admire their perseverance and dedication to their learning. Their strength and skill will add to our number every day. But that does not mean they carry the weight of true protection.

"Without our ranks, the war might have been lost. The Bears might have harmed us. Any number of enemies might have reached into the royal family and taken them from us. We serve with dignity and strength. We serve with intention and humility."

He cast Elreth a glance then, as if he were apologizing. Elreth's stomach clenched. What was he going to say?

Then he cleared his throat and faced the people. "The Equines take our responsibilities seriously, and we will not shirk them tonight. We challenge the disformed for dominance. We fight to blood."

A gasp rippled through the crowd—some in shock, others in thrill—as Tobe stood, eyeing Aaryn.

Without another word, all the Equine guards and sentries strode forward from the crowd to line up behind him in perfect regiments, staring their challenge to the disformed.

Lines upon lines of tall, strong warriors stood in their flesh facing Aaryn and his crowd of disformed clustered together at the end of the Hallowed Grounds.

In shock, Elreth stared at her mate.

Fighting to blood meant no one would die, but challenging for dominance…

The disformed wouldn't just be fighting to become a tribe, they would be fighting for their dignity and pride as individuals in the WildWood.