~ HARTH ~
Tarkyn started with the matebond, explaining that the Anima could give the act of mating without forming a bond—to enjoy each other physically. Or if two Anima chose each other without a bond, it could form over time.
But then there was what he described as the True Mate's bond… a gift from the Creator, two souls intended for each other.
"…sometimes it takes us time to recognize it—my Queen understands this. She had a True Mate's bond with her King, but didn't realize it for many years. He… suffered for it."
Harth's breath caught. The Chimeran bond was different, but this she understood. She'd had to watch as Chimeran females were mated to Zev in their animal forms, and their bodies took the bond, while Zev had no bond to them.
"That's… horrible," she breathed, gripping Tarkyn's arm. "But they're both here—he survived. So she didn't take a different male, thank the Creator," she said earnestly.
Tarkyn's lips pulled up on one side. "Until Elreth recognized her True Mate bond with Aaryn, she didn't notice a male, let alone take him," he chuckled lightly, but then his handsome face went serious. "But Harth… understand… the bond you described is different, yes? I wonder… I wonder if our bond is the Anima type? If we need only come together to complete it and then my people will understand and recognize us. Can you tell me… how does it feel to you? Because for me this…" he went breathless, drawing fingers up her arm and watching the progress of his own touch on her skin, blowing out a breath when her skin pebbled and the hair on her arms stood up. He cleared his throat and brought his eyes up to meet hers. "To me this feels like breathing. As if you're simply a part of me. I yearn for you, but there is no fear in it for me, Harth. I don't want you so that I can avoid my own death. I want you because… you fit."
She smiled, her heart pattering. "I don't want you because I fear death either, Tarkyn," she said carefully. "But the bond you describe…" She shook her head. "Everything that I've heard about a Chimeran bond fits in this for me—I'm drawn to you. My soul is at rest when you're near. I ache for you and feel safe in it. I've never felt safe in the presence of a male before, Tarkyn. Not truly."
He blinked, frowning and opened his mouth to speak, but she shook her head. "I don't fear dying if I don't complete the bond… the risk actually comes for me after that."
He tensed. "How?"
"Because if we mate, and I take the Chimeran bond, if something were to happen to you, I'd die," she said simply. It wasn't a shocking concept to her—just a simple fact of life for Chimera. But Tarkyn tensed and his breath became heavy.
"Harth… are you certain? If I were killed… you would just die? Just like that?"
Harth shook her head sadly. "For most Chimera it takes time. When a bond is lost it drains us of life, slowly. I've seen it take years. But it is a slow, painful death, Tarkyn. It's why we're so… selective about our mates. But when it happens that the Creator reveals a mate for us—not one we chose, but one we can't deny—that is…" she trailed off, then shrugged, lost for words. "It is simply undeniable. And for those pairs, some are Ardent… their souls literally entwine. When the heart of one stops beating, the other stops also. Immediately."
His eyes went wide, and he licked his lips. "And the way you feel the bond, are you… are we… ardent?"
Harth's heart squeezed at the hope and fear warring in his eyes. She cupped his handsome face. "I don't know. I think… I think we could choose that. But I don't know. It's rare. I don't know if it's something we are thrown into or something we select for ourselves. I could ask Sash—" she snapped her mouth shut, cursing herself for revealing such a weakness. And of course, her clever mate didn't miss the slip.
"Sasha? The female Alpha? And Zev? The warrior? They have this bond?"
Harth blew out a breath. "Please, Tarkyn… I can't betray my people—"
"You don't, love. If this is true it… it shows their hearts. They committed to this?"
"I don't think they had any choice," Harth said carefully. "Zev had been so misused by the humans… yet she was always the one for him. They bonded Ardent from the first. Few Chimera do that—but it's because they hope for offspring. An Ardent bond would remove both parents from the young if anything were to happen to either of them. We struggle for offspring enough as it is. We can't afford—"
"So do we," Tarkyn said seriously. "Many Anima never have offspring at all, and most will have one, or sometimes two. There are similarities between us, Harth. That can't be a coincidence."
She nodded and let her hand play down his neck, her mouth going dry at the firm warmth of him, the steel strength of his shoulders. Even exhausted, he seemed to move effortlessly. He was strong—a Warrior, just like he'd described Zev. And she saw the way he moved. While Zev stalked like a hunting wolf, Tarkyn prowled.
Both gave her the feeling of the predator, resting in the shade, perhaps, but uncoiled death ran in their veins, both of them.
"Tarkyn," she breathed, "You are mine. I can feel it. It's as if my heart wants to push out through my ribs and reach for you."
His eyes lit up. "That's how I feel it too! Harth, maybe our bond is the Anima bond?"
"I don't know! All I know is that I ache to be close to you, and that my soul calls for you, Tarkyn. Once we complete the bond, our souls will be bound together—at least… mine will be."
"And mine," he replied firmly. "Harth, I spoke true. I will never leave you. I don't yearn for you only to… take you. I want the bond."
"But do you want this one?" she said, finally giving voice to her fear. "Do you want a bond that might kill me, or sentence our offspring to isolation? Because… selfish as it is… I do, Tarkyn. I want to give everything to you. But I'm afraid of what will happen if I do!"
*****
WANT MORE? It's coming: Tomorrow there will be side-stories released on King of Beasts, Queen of Beasts, and Dark Alpha (where you can see Zev & Sasha's perspectives on the early chapters of this story), and the day after that, there will be FIVE CHAPTER mass release here on Warrior Beast to celebrate Tarkyn going premium! THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT! I couldn't do any of this without you. Enjoy!