Taming the Queen of Beasts
[COMPLETE - Bronze $2,000 Winner WSA 2021] Elreth is a Princess in the world of Anima—where humans can shift into the form of their animal ancestors. As the Lion King's daughter, Elreth breaks a thousand-year tradition when she challenges her father for dominance—and wins. But as the first known dominant Alpha Female, she faces a lonely, and dangerous Rule. Aaryn, Elreth’s best friend, has always secretly loved her beauty, and her strength. But as a member of the wolf-tribe, and unable to shape-shift, he is not viewed as the right Mate for Anima's first Dominant Queen. When events force Aaryn to admit his feelings, for the first time, Elreth's eyes are opened to Aaryn not just as a friend, but as a male--and her True Mate. But Aaryn also has secrets. Secrets spanning decades, that open Elreth's eyes to the threats against her people, and threaten to tear down the royal family, and the Anima as a whole. Can love really conquer all? Can Elreth convince a prejudiced people to accept Aaryn as her mate before these secrets threaten not just her rule, but her life? [Mature Content: No sexual violence] ***** Then, as Aaryn stared at Elreth, his scent changed. Which only confused her more, until something flashed behind his eyes. Something she’d only ever seen in her father’s face when he was staring at her mother. Desperation. Joy. Hunger. But that was crazy. Why would—? And suddenly, like a cub tumbling down a grassy hill to land on its feet, everything fell into place. Everything. Her mouth dropped open. She blinked. And blinked again. And for the first time in a very long time, she looked at him. Not at her confidante. Not at her closest ally. Not at the friend who’d been present for every major milestone in her life. She looked at Aaryn. The male. The wolf. She stared at his silver-white hair, that scattered over his ice-blue eyes, fixed on her, and created a barrier between them. She looked at the strength in his jaw, shadowed because of the late hour. She let her gaze drift down the cords of his neck, and his broad shoulders and the wide, smooth expanse of his chest that rose and fell rapidly. And she let herself remember the ladders of muscle that painted his torso—hidden by the white shirt he wore. She swallowed. She’d seen every inch of him at some point. Well, almost. Her mouth went dry. (Cover Art used by paid copyright permission. Illustrated by Aenaluck--see more gorgeous art and support them on DeviantArt and www.patreon.com/aenaluck)
The Mating Cave - Part 2
ELRETH
Elia dropped the last armful of clothing into the bag, then returned to her daughter's side. Elreth stared down at her. Elia's eyes were kind, lined at the corners, and her blonde hair was shifting slowly towards gray. But she was strong and lithe, and she moved like a cat. A small cat, by Anima standards, but not one to be trifled with.
"Don't you understand, Elreth?" her mother said, reaching a hand up to stroke her face. "You won the challenge because of your heart. Your mind. Your intentions. Not because of some grand road map. You don't have to decide what you're going to do. You only need to decide who you are—and who you have yet to become. The rest will happen naturally."
But what about the act of mating? Finding the right mate, a husband? Cubs? What about the fact that she'd never even been with a male, let alone walked the flames and smoke? What about how every eye would be watching her now and it was already something she'd felt nervous about? Elreth's stomach twisted with fear as her mind's eye bloomed with an image of herself at forty, a proud, powerful Queen… sitting on a solitary throne.
"Maybe I can talk Gar into ruling as King alongside me?"
Elia snorted so hard it sounded like she broke something. "Your brother is never going to rule, Elreth, and you know it. I would love to see you propose that to him, though. Please wait until I'm there to watch him lose his mind."
Elreth pursed her lips. "You aren't funny."
Elia patted her face. "Yes, I am. And you know it. As your father says, never deny the truth. Just time it to your advantage." She winked, then pulled Elreth into a hug and didn't let go. "Don't be scared, Elreth," she whispered. "You're going to be amazing at this. I promise."
Elreth squeezed her tight and prayed she was right, her eyes pinching with tears from an emotion that she couldn't quite define. And her mother kept swallowing too.
They were still standing that way when the sound of heavy male bodies, and deep male voices echoed through the cave.
They pulled apart before her father and Aaryn made it to the bedchamber. She and her mother both wiping their eyes quickly.
"…need to wake up Gar," her father was saying to Aaryn, referring to her brother. "He must be sleeping off last night's hangover. I can't decide if he's going to be angry, or relieved."
"Definitely relieved," both Elreth and Aaryn said at the same time. Their eyes met and they both chuckled. Elia beamed at them.
But Elreth's amusement didn't last. "Dad, can you please tell Mom that you guys don't have to move today. I don't need a whole cave yet, and—"
"Don't be ridiculous, Elreth," his father said, walking over to join her mother and slide his arms around her waist. He kissed her neck before he spoke again. "You have to be based here for the Guard to find and guard you in an emergency, and we don't want to share it. We need our privacy. We'll move to your tree this afternoon unless you don't want us there."
Elreth rolled her eyes. "Of course you can have my tree," she said. "If you want to be neighbors with Gar. That can get… interesting."
"On second thoughts," her father groaned and used it as an excuse to bury his face in her mother's neck. Elreth groaned. Her parents were so disgusting sometimes.
Then she caught Aaryn grinning at her and flashed him the finger sign for keep your mouth shut.
He poked his own palm twice. Touchy touchy.
Elreth rolled her eyes again. Aaryn had insisted for years that she'd taken her mother's human attitudes towards mating and affection—always embarrassed by the way her father lavished attention on her mother, and touched her, even when others were present.
But thinking about that ran far too close to Elreth's earlier thoughts about taking a mate and she didn't want to think about that. So she turned back to her parents and cleared her throat so that they'd stop pawing each other like adolescents. When they both looked at her, she sighed.
"If you're moving out, then I guess I better go pack so there's room for your things back at my place."
Her father nodded. "And while you're at it, go find your brother. He's been gone for three days and he needs to hear about this."
"But don't tell him your idea about him ruling with you until I'm there," her mother chuckled, but her eyes were tight. She worried about Gar.
"Very funny, mother," Elreth sighed, but Aaryn's eyes had snapped to her face.
'You won't take a mate?' he signed.
Elreth gritted her teeth and started for the door. 'Better question is: what mate would take me?'