[COMPLETE] What life is left for a warrior when there is no more enemy to fight? ...He knelt before her in the posture of a soldier giving honor to their Queen. And she didn't even know it. “Harth," he rasped, "I come empty-handed. I bring no weapon. Because I swear to you, I will never choose to harm you. Never draw your blood—in anger, or in fear. I bring no shield. Because I vow I will never defend myself from your eyes, your hands, your mind. I am yours.” ***** After a year of peace in Anima, Tarkyn finds himself... lonely. As the Captain of the Queen's Guard and a lion-shifter, he has met every female in the tribes, but never found his mate. Certain he must have overlooked someone, Tarkyn undertakes a grueling ritual, pleading with the Creator to reveal her. But the ritual presses him to the end of even his formidable strength. Yet, the Creator heard his cry... Discovered on the brink of death by his mate, Harth, and nursed back to health, Tarkyn now faces the most difficult battle of his life. Because Harth isn’t just a stranger to the Anima, she is a weapon of the humans who tried to destroy them. Can the love of a warrior and his enemy bring peace to Anima? Or will they be torn apart forever by war between their peoples? ***** STANDALONE STORY: While Tarkyn's story is a part of the Anima world and fans will be reunited with some of their favorites as side-characters, Tarkyn and Harth are new POV characters and their story is a new plot arc, so their story can be enjoyed without reading the previous books! But please add Falling in Love with the King of Beasts, and Taming the Queen of Beasts to your library to enjoy later! Cover Art by artist: Aenaluck. Find more incredible art and support the artist on www.patreon.com/aenaluck
~ TARKYN ~
Pride comes before a fall.
The echo of the Creator's voice—the one that spoke not to ears, but to the heart—only made his rage climb.
Tarkyn slammed his fists into the dirt and dead leaves, roaring again as he leaped to his feet and threw himself back into the forms. "Answer me! WHY SHOULD I CARE WHAT YOU THINK, WHY SHOULD I DO WHAT YOU ASK WHEN—"
He misjudged his step and squawked as a tree branch slapped him in the eyes when he turned.
He cried out, whipping himself away from the flash of light and pain in his vulnerable eyes, his toe hooking on an unnoticed clod of dirt and sending him off his feet again.
He didn't spring back up this time, but sat there, blinking, eyes screaming, vision blurred, and he panicked—had he stupidly, pridefully blinded himself on the morning of potential battle?