Tension rose in the clearing as Sung scowled at the men bowing before him, and they stayed frozen under his disapproving gaze. But before Joyce could try to make peace again, Sung tensed, and the others all turned to look backwards to the path into the clearing.
"Who is coming?" Sung asked, and Joyce was surprised, first that he did not know and, secondly, by the edge of fear in his voice.
Erwin made a strange whistle, and one of the men behind him leapt to his feet and ran swiftly towards the path, his spear drawn. But he was gone barely seconds before he came jogging back. "The guards returning," he called as he rejoined the men in the bow before Sung and Joyce.
Sung grunted and pulled Joyce tighter to his side, kissing her hair as the people emerged from the forest. "If they say anything to you, let me handle it," he whispered, his body swaying against hers.
Joyce frowned but nodded. "Sung, are you all right?" but her attention was distracted by the appearance of new people.
The guards arrived first, and Joyce recognised a man near the front; she thought his name was Faryth. As they fanned out to surround the clearing and positioned themselves to watch the woods, Khloe walked straight towards Sung, her strides quick and purposeful.
When she reached them, her brow lined with worry, she nodded once at Joyce, then spoke straight to Sung. "How bad is it?"
"The shifting and running…" he trailed off, then Joyce felt him sway again, and she gasped, turning to grab him, but there was nothing to hold onto as his massive form crumpled to the ground.
"SUNG!" she screamed.
It took three guards to carry Sung into the cave, and they struggled. Khloe issued calm orders for them to place him in his furs, sent the fourth runner to the city to call a helper, and asked Erwin to describe precisely what happened.
"He beat us here," Erwin said, his tone sheepish. "By the time we arrived, he had already put the wolves down."
Khloe looked at Joyce.
"He came out of nowhere," she said, one hand on his thigh as the men laid down and covered him with the furs. "He landed between the wolf that was attacking me and hit her to the ground and me -"
"They attacked?" Khloe said, her eyes wide with shock in the first genuine expression she had shown in Joyce's presence.
Joyce nodded. "One did, and he hit her, so she fell. Then all three of them bowed and did not move. Then Erwin and the others arrived and -"
"He stalked the whole clearing before walking into the forest to transform. When he came out, he was not walking free," Erwin said darkly.
Khloe sighed. "At least the tonic should keep him in this form for a while. But he must keep taking it until he can complete the mating."
Joyce blinked. "I am sorry… did you say -"
Khloe turned on her, her face determined. "He was wounded in the fight with the silent one," Joyce covered her mouth with her hands. "He will heal. But he must stop shifting to allow his blood to work. Right now, his Anima instincts are pressing him to his beast form because the mating bond has not been completed. He knows until you are his, you could be taken by another male, forcing the beast out to protect and take you."
Joyce's mouth opened and closed and opened again. "I… I did not know…."
"Now you do. For the creator's sake for Anima, take your husband as soon as possible. Do not leave him vulnerable to his fear for you. Do not embolden his enemies," Joyce swallowed and nodded, avoiding the eyes of all the men in the room hearing this conversation. "Until then, he must take two spoonsful of this at sunrise and sunset," Khloe went on as if her instructions were nothing of note. She passed Joyce a green bottle. "It will help him control the shift until he can complete the mating."
Cheeks hot, Joyce took it and nodded again. "I will make sure."
"Good. When things have settled, come speak with me. The woman's council would like to guide our Queen. And we can help you navigate these waters better than the men." Erwin straightened from checking Sung's eyes and pushed out a breath. Khloe rolled her eyes and flapped a hand at him. "Alpha-male bullshit," she muttered. "So busy knowing everything, they forget that some of us used to wipe their asses before they could do it for themselves."
Erwin's face coloured, and Joyce stifled a laugh, delighted at how easily the woman set these men down. Khloe's eyes lit with humour, though she did not smile. She leaned into Joyce's ear and whispered loud enough for the men to hear. "The secret is to compliment them all the time for everything. Then they do not pay enough attention to see how you fixed everything while they were busy strutting."
Joyce choked as Erwin's shoulders crawled towards his ears, and Khloe turned back the furs over Sung's body to reveal an angry red wound on his ribs.
The urge to laugh disappeared as Joyce saw it and rushed closer. But Khloe already had a basket of salves and bandages out. "Let us get this wrapped while he is still out. It would not feel good, and the pain will press him toward the shift again."
Joyce swallowed hard and stepped up, following the wise woman's instructions as best she could and trying desperately to remember everything the woman was showing her.
Joyce was still swallowing the pinch of tears when they cleaned the wound and dressed before Sung started to stir. She rushed to his head as his eyes fluttered and held his shoulder down along with Erwin on his other side when he tried to sit up.
"Rest, Sung, please. You need to stay lying down."
He blinked a few times before his eyes locked on hers and sighed. "You are safe", he said foggily.
She nodded, biting her lip. "I am fine. You kept me safe. Thank you, now you can rest. The others are here and will ensure we are both safe until you are better."
Khloe caught her eyes momentarily, grinning, and Joyce's heart lightened.
"Behr?" Sung rasped.
"I am here," he said, stepping closer to the platform so Sung could see him.
"The wolves?" Sung growled, his body tense under her hands.
"They went to the elders as you instructed. The elders will bring them to the next security council."
"Watch them. I do not believe that was unsanctioned." Erwin nodded, his face dark. Joyce took Sung's hand, wound her thin fingers between his thick lines, and sighed. "So glad you are safe, Joyce," he breathed.
"I am fine; just rest, please."
He nodded and slipped back to sleep.
***
SUNG
He was woken by pain in his side when he tried to roll over. He groaned and rolled the other way, running into a warm body that jerked him awake.
"Sung? Are you okay?" Her hair fell over her face, and her mouth was open, eyes wide in the dark as she leaned over him, pushing his hair back from his cheek and touching his chest.
"I am fine. Hush, love, I am fine," he said, reaching with his good arm to brush the hair back off her face and over her shoulder. 'It is good to see you," he rumbled.
She sighed. "You too, you scared me."
He grimaced. "Yes, I am sorry about that. It was instinct to get to you, and in my beast form, I do not think the same way -"
"No, Sung, I meant when you collapsed. Khloe said you kept shifting even when you should not, which has worsened the injuries. She is worried you will get an infection."
Sung grumbled a few choice words. "I will be healed in two days, and she knows it," he muttered.
"Not if you keep shifting. You have to be careful, Sung. She said you are re-injuring it every time."
He considered his body then. If he was this solid now, he was going to be okay. The itch was still in his skin but not difficult to deny. And she was lying next to him, barely clothed.
"I think the worst of it has passed," he said, then touched her face. "How are you? I missed you."
Her face softened, and her cheeks bloomed with the heat he loved.
"I missed you, too," she said softly. "I even offended Erwin by accidentally startling him while trying to find out when you would be back. I had to go back and try again. Why did you not tell me that Anima teaches by showing? Everyone has been trying to show me how to act correctly. I have been offending them by apologising and leaving instead of trying again! I had no idea. I am so embarrassed."
"Let them be offended, Joyce. They must learn that change or being different is not always bad."
"Well, that is the pot calling the kettle black," she said dryly. Sung did not understand the reference, but she was leaning on his good side, so her hair fell over his chest, and her scent washed over him. Sung nearly groaned. Instead, he twisted his fingers into her hair and pulled her in for a kiss. She came willingly. So willingly, Sung pulled back and stared at her.
"Khloe said something to you about the mating, did she not?"
"Yes! I can't believe you did not tell me, Sung! Why do you keep hiding these things from me?"
"Because I did not want to press you. You had been through so much. I felt you needed time to adjust, and I can wait."
"Oh, really?" she said, one eyebrow in a sceptical expression that reminded him so much of his late mother; Sung lost his breath for a second. "You haven't been having any trouble because we put it off? None at all?"
"Well, maybe a little," he admitted. "But I always knew it was just a matter of time. I told everyone else to stop pushing; we would get there, and I knew we would. And, when you think about it, this is Erwin's fault for interrupting us when -"
Joyce groaned and rolled away onto her back, her head still resting on his arm but her hands over her face. "So freaking embarrassing," she moaned into her palms. "They all saw -"
"They saw nothing," Sung growled. "I made sure of it."
She snorted but did not argue. "I had no idea how it was affecting you, Sung. You should have told me; you should have told me all these pressures you have been under."
His eyebrows popped up. "Why? They are my loads to carry, not yours. I am king -"
"Oh, cut the crap, Sung. I swear, you act like you are more human or something," they both froze for a second, then he snorted a laugh, and Joyce groaned. "You know what I mean."
"I know, I know. And I love that you care, Joyce. You are a diamond among females, and I am so glad the creator brought you to me," he had meant the words to sound sweet, but there was a breathlessness in them that he had not intended, and she heard it.
She rolled over again, leaning on her elbow next to him to meet his eyes, though he suspected she saw very little in the deep darkness of the cave.
"I can't believe I am going to say this," she said softly. "But I am glad I am here. I mean… I wish it had not taken the rite to get me here. I wish you would have come to find me, and we would come here together, and I had time to prepare. And I wish I could have said goodbye to my friends. But when you were gone all those days, Sung. It was not the world I was thinking about. It was you."
Sung's heart swelled. He had not expected such a declaration from her so quickly. He pushed onto his elbow to face her, groaning as he pulled his sore side up, and she hissed. But he got there and, after a breath, could relax. She was so small next to him, but her face tilted up to look at him, so they were nose to nose.
He, very gently, took her face in his hand. "You were all I could think about, no matter what form I was in," he said hoarsely. "Joyce, can I kiss you?"
"You can always kiss me, Sung. You do not have to ask. Unless I am mad at you. Then it's probably better to -"
But he took her lips to stop the words, and she sighed into his mouth, her little hand sliding up to cup his neck. And he let her, stunned by the fact that he felt no urge to move her hand away. Usually, every instinct screamed against letting anyone near his neck – where his lifeblood flowed so close to the surface. The jugular was Anima's most vital, most vulnerable spot. Certain death if exposed to the wrong person. Yet, she had offered hers to him the first time they had kissed, and he had been humbled. Now, her touch flamed on his skin, and his breath came faster as he tilted his head to deepen the kiss.
Joyce whimpered in her throat and clung to him. Ignoring the spear of pain in his side, Sung rolled her back to lean over and kiss her properly. A few minutes later, her breath thundering in his ear, she forgot about his wound and dragged her hand down his side. He winced and jerked away, and she gasped.
"I am so sorry, Sung!"
"Shhhh, it's fine; I am fine."
"No, you are not! Khloe said you need to rest until healed."
"I promise, there is more healing in your lips than anywhere else in the cave," he said dryly, but when she pushed gently at his shoulder, he sighed and laid back down, breathing carefully until the pain in his ribs eased. Sung found her hand and twined their fingers, and she rolled over to hold his hand in both of hers. They lay there, staring at the black ceiling until their breathing returned to normal.
"Are you going back to sleep?" she whispered.
He shook his head. "I do not think so."
"Then… I have something I have to tell you."
Sung blinked. She sounded uncertain. He wanted to look at her, measure her while she spoke. But he suspected she was gathering courage and would not appreciate the scrutiny.
"You can tell me anything," he said. "I will always keep your secrets."
"And your own," she grumbled. "That is part of what I need to talk to you about."
"Okay," he waited, and she sighed.
"Why didn't you transform for me? Or at least tell me that you could? That all the Anima can?"
Sung took a deep breath, then winced when his ribs complained.
"I do not often transform at all. It is not my natural form; this is. But I use the beast for battle or sometimes for tracking; the senses are even stronger. As for showing you… I was afraid it would frighten you. You had already been through so much…."
"I do not just mean now, though. I mean, when we were kids, too."
"I was just a child, Joyce."
"I told you everything," she said, and he realised she was hurt. "I mean, I know we were really little. It was just a friendship for me then. But I trusted you. I told you everything, all the things I wanted, everything I was scared of. I thought… I thought we were best friends. That you trusted me."
He swallowed, unused to feeling so uncertain about the best way forward.
"I can tell you what I wanted to tell you. I wanted to show you, but I had to be careful. Most of the human world has zero knowledge of Anima, and we need to keep it that way. There are resources here that humans would exploit if they could find a way. When I was taken there as a child, it was made very clear to me how important it was to remain silent about my blood to appear being groomed to lead. It was forced upon me that betraying that knowledge to anyone was treason to the people. But even so… I almost did tell you," she sighed and pulled her hand out of his grip to lay it on his chest, though she just rested it there. He put his hand over hers, pinning it to his skin.
"And now? When I was here, and I could not be a threat to anyone anymore?" she asked carefully.
"I was afraid you would be scared of me," he said honestly, surprised by how hard it was to admit. "I was afraid you would reject me if you knew."
"But you know how much I love animals!"
He turned his head to find her eyes. "Not like that unless there is something else you need to tell me," he said, half-grinning, half-afraid. She groaned at the joke, but she did not smile. He squeezed her hand, pinning it to his chest when it felt like she might remove it. "Joyce, there are many things I would change If I could go back not just this week but years past. There are many things I will tell you. Things I would do, ways I would make things… different. But I cannot. More than human or not, I cannot turn back time," he smiled when she snorted. "You have surprised me," he said, and it was all true. "I was so certain this would be too much that you would break under the strain of it. Instead, you have… bloomed. I am sorry I underestimated you. I will try not to do it again."
"I'm not saying I don't need help with all this," she said softly. "I do, I do. That is what I want you to hear; you need to tell me more. Explain more; help me understand how you think, how these people think. I am flying blind, but… I want to; I want to be here with you. But I will keep putting my foot in everything if no one tells me how things work."
"Your foot? Why your foot?" he asked, confused.
She groaned again. "It is just saying it means I will step wrong. Do the wrong thing."
"Oh, right. I see."
"I need you to talk to me, Sung. Tell me how things are done here and why they are so different. Trust me to understand or, at least, trust that I will try to. And if we are going to do this together… mates… for real…, do you want that?"
"There is nothing I want more," he whispered.
"Then you have to let me help you, too. Even if it is just here when we are alone. You can't carry everything yourself. You have to let me share the load."
"Joyce, I am the king; it is my job to carry the load."
"And apparently, I am queen or going to be, at least. So… so maybe the thing I can be good at is sharing the load?"
"But, why would you want to?" he was genuinely confused.
"Because it is you, Gareth," she said plainly. "I have loved you since I was a kid. I care about you now. You are an incredible man, but you can't do it alone. You are so busy protecting everyone else… who is protecting you?" Sung's breath caught. She was incredible. He gaped for a minute, unable to find words to express to her how she had touched his heart. "Like the transforming thing," she said, frowning. "Why did you not tell me the trouble you were having?"
"Because I did not want you to feel pressured."
"But I didn't even know it was a thing. Like, you could have told me that, and you were struggling without blaming me. You could have just told me so I could be aware and try to help you," she swallowed. "That is what was happening when… when they interrupted when… when they interrupted us, right? When your eyes changed?"
"Yes," he said. "I almost transformed. It was a close call."
"Next time, tell me."
He frowned. "Be honest, Joyce, what do you think you would have done if, just as we were about to have sex, I'd suddenly turned into a massive lion in the bed?"
She blinked and wallowed. "I am not saying it would not have been a shock."
Sung's laughter echoed off the stone roof above them. "Creator's beard, woman, you amaze me."
"Well, thank you. But I am serious, Sung. If we are going to do this together, you have to let me in and let me help you, as well as help me yourself. Promise me, please?"
His laughter died, and he squeezed her hand again. "I promise," he said. Then, after a thoughtful silence. "Do you know no female has ever said that to me before?" he said quietly. "It has never even occurred to me that you would want to help me somehow."
"You think it's up to you to handle everything?"
"Yes!"
"Sung, you are not my dad."
"Thank the creator for that!" he laughed, pulling her into a soul-searing kiss.
He woke in daylight; he could smell the warmth on the grass outside though it was still pitch black in their room. He was delighted that his arms were still curled around Joyce, and she was snuggled into his chest. He stroked her back and her hair to wake her. She blinked and stretched, her breasts pressing against the wisp of a sleep shirt she wore. Sung swallowed hard but did not have much trouble fighting back to shift. The tonic was working.
"Good morning," he said, his voice rough with sleep.
"Is it?" she asked, looking around. "It's still so dark."
"Give it a few seconds. The lights will come on soon."
Sure enough, as he finished speaking, the first of the lanterns flared to life next to the door; one by one, all eight around the room flashed, then began to glow.
Joyce's eyes went wide. "I wondered how they got lit each morning!"
"It is an idea we borrowed from the human world. We grind a manual generator in the city each morning, and it sends a current along the wires that ignite every light. Then they can be blown out at night when you wish."
Joyce shook her head and smiled. "This place is amazing."
Sung grinned. "It is why you fit so well," his romantic gesture was interrupted by a sharp knock at the door. Joyce yelped, then realised she was dressed and rolled away from him in the furs. He rolled his eyes and stayed where he was. "Come in, Khloe," he called, letting his voice trail into a growl at the end of her name.
The woman swung the door open and strode in, taking them in with a glance and sniffing the air. "Not healed enough yet? Then you will need more of the tonic. Have you given it to him yet, Joyce?"
"I, uh, we just woke up -"
"You cannot leave it to wear off; it is too risky," she picked up the bottle and spoon from the drawers in the corner and brought them over to Sung, pouring them as she stood next to the sleeping platform. "Open up, Gareth," she sniggered.
Sung groaned but did as he was told, swallowing both spoonfuls with a grimace, shaking his head, and then sitting up. The furs fell to his waist, baring him to the warm light. He sucked in his stomach and hoped Joyce noticed.
"How is your pain?" Khloe asked, peeling the bandages on his side and checking the wound. "You are healing nicely."
"It still hurts when I move, but not as badly as it did last night," he said, twisting his body slowly and raising his arm on that side. "I will be fine tomorrow."
Joyce snorted. "Right, didn't you say a rib was broken? That will take weeks."
"Not in Anima," Khloe and Sung both said simultaneously. Sung grinned.
Joyce's mouth fell open. "Seriously?"
Sung nodded. Khloe checked his eyes, pressed on the rib until he winced and moved his arm in several circles.
"I think as long as you do not shift today, you will be fine tomorrow, as you said," she said. Then sighed heavily, her shoulders sagging.
"Thank you, Khloe," Sung said, touching her shoulder. "I am sorry you had to deal with that."
"As you should be!" she snapped, coming to life, her eyes flashing.
Joyce's mouth dropped open, but Sung knew Khloe was waiting to ensure he was okay before she tore him into strips. Since his mother passed away, she had taken the role of overseer in his life, and she took it seriously. His mother had been her best friend.
"I meant my apology, Mother," Sung said softly, using her title and rubbing her upper arm. But she shook him off and began to pace the room.
"You cannot allow this to happen again, Sung! We have no idea how it affects you to be on the edge of the shift for so long, not to mention taking the tonic as an adult. I have never tested in for more than a single dose on anyone as mature as you!"
"I know."
"I do not think you do, I tried to warn you at the rite, and you would not listen. The men have tried to warn you that you cannot simply change the laws of nature to suit your whims!"
"I know; Khloe, Joyce and I spoke last night."
"Does Joyce know the histories? Can she tell you the chaos that occurred last time we had a human Queen? Can she teach you how to navigate the disapproval of the tribes?"
"No, I need you and the elders for that. I just meant…."
"You meant that, once again, you would simply make your way and hope for the best? Even though this puts your life at risk, not to mention Joyce's? Are you listening, Sung? Or will you remain the mouse-brained cub, too proud of his newly-dropped balls to realise that he is risking lives and kingdoms?"
Sung slumped, hands in his lap and shoulders down. "I know, I do, and I will listen, Mother. I will, but we are here now. So, we must make the best of what's come so far."
"I hear words, you cuckold, but I do not see action. What I see is a king in his prime, reduced to half his strength because he was too stubborn to ask questions or tell anyone what he faced!"
He nodded. "You are right."
"Of course, I am; I –"
"Wait just a damn minute!" Joyce snapped. "That is enough!" Sung's eyes went wide, and he whipped his head around to look at her where she stood, just feet from Khloe, hands on her hips, glaring at the older woman, who was staring daggers back at her. "He has made a mistake, sure. And he needs to listen to what you know; we both do. So, you can correct him, even discipline him, but do not speak down to him! He is your king, and everything he has done has been either to help the people or me as well as he knew how. His heart is good. I don't care what position you hold in the city, or the pride, or whatever, but do not humiliate my mate and force him to beg for your forgiveness when he does nothing but serve you, people!"
Khloe stalked over until she and Joyce were toe-to-toe, and Sung's entire body went tense. Khloe topped Joyce by more than a head, but though Sung could smell the fear spike in Joyce, she did not back away.
"You think it is your place to tell me what to do with this man whom I have served and protected since he was a cub?" Khloe said in a low voice.
"Yes," Joyce replied. "He is my mate. I would not see you or anyone else; talk down to him like he is a child when he is the king."
"What about when he has been a very stubborn and stupid king?" Khloe said through her teeth.
"Then I will make sure he knows it," Joyce snapped back. "Just like he will tell me when I am wrong."
Sung looked back and forth between them, his mouth open. He feared Khloe's wrath, she could make things very difficult for Joyce if she chose to, but her courage to step between him and what she thought was an attack was nothing short of amazing. He would have to explain to her what Khloe's role was in the pride and that she would never have spoken this way to him publicly. Well, at least, not quite so harshly.
He watched Khloe, uncertain how she would react to this show of strength from such an inexperienced mate. But after staring Joyce down for two more breaths, a slow smile bloomed on Khloe's face. She turned to Sung and tipped her head at Joyce.
"I get it now," she said with a wink. "Good luck, son. She has your mother's spirit," and she cackled laughter across the room as she packed her things. Sung suddenly felt very uneasy. "Joyce, well done. I am glad Sung will have someone at his side when the women's council meets. He has always been far too lenient with us. After everything has… settled down, I will take you with me and introduce you. I can't wait for you to meet Hunter," she cackled again before patting Sung's face. "Be careful today. Take the tonic at dinner, and for the creator's sake, take your mate as soon as your body can."
Sung raised an eyebrow at her. "Are you trying to say -"
"Oh, pfft. Don't start," the older female said, patting his cheek again. "I will come by this evening to make sure all is well before you… rest."
Then she walked out.
Sung turned, smiling at Joyce, who stood in the same place, her mouth open, but confusion was written all over her face. He crawled out of the furs to walk over to her; he was careful of his ribs as he pulled her into his chest and kissed her hair.
"You are going to be the best Queen Anima has ever known," he said into her hair.
***
JOYCE
She was unsure what she had expected out of this day, but it was not endless meetings and a house full of massive men. She sat by, quietly at first, when Erwin and the others arrived, assuming they would fill Sung in on something or get a decision from him. But the men settled down in the great room, Sung on one of the lounge chairs, and a new group would arrive every time a handful left.
She ran to get him drinks and food as he was able to throw them down between discussions, but in truth, she contributed nothing except to make sure his care was not forgotten. She was stunned at the variety and complexity of the issues he addressed confidently, and in most cases, with good humour. It was not until the middle of the afternoon when the security council arrived, all the older men, two or three from each tribe, from what she could tell. However, she was still struggling to pick out the herd animal tribes. Things became very serious very quickly. Each man stood before Sung and clapped a fisted hand across their chest, bowing their head and saying. "My loyalty to my king," as they entered.
Sung accepted their statements, but his face was severe when about fourteen or fifteen men had arrived; Sung looked around the room, then to Erwin.
"When are the wolves arriving?"
Joyce blinked and looked at the men. But he was right; none of them had the right build or that predatory air of the wolves. She swallowed hard. She had not thought about seeing them again. But of course, she would. And others like them.
"In an hour. The elders understand, though they are not happy about it," Erwin replied.
Sung muttered something she could not quite catch, but his tone said it all. "I admit the events of last night closely touch my own life and heart, so I will submit to the council's judgement. But before Joyce tells you what she experienced, I ask you to consider her position as my mate and Queen of the Anima."
The men looked at each other and shifted. Sung's jaw twitched, but he did not say anything. One of the men Joyce thought was a bird stood up because of his long features and quick, sudden movements. "We, the elders, recognise the Queen; however, much of our people remain… uncertain," he said to Sung, then sat down again.
Sung muttered a curse and shifted in his seat, was his pain increasing? But he just reached out a hand for her and pulled her to his side. "Joyce, please tell the men what happened last night in your own words. The events from the moment you left the market, please."
She swallowed but turned to the men and kept her voice clear and firm like she had seen Sung doing all day. "I was walking out of the market in the opposite direction to everyone else, and it was jam-packed. Everyone was going to the reading…" she recounted all that had happened with the forest going quiet around her. The movements and shadows, the eyes, and the way the wolves disappeared and reappeared around her, so she could not be sure how many they were. Then she ran, and they stopped her before getting to the clearing. "They told me they were going to kill me," she said.
Sung growled. "It was only by the creator's grace that I was there in time," he snarled. "I backhanded the female out of the air; she had launched her attack."
The elders shook their heads and looked at each other, murmuring in their groups. Sung let them talk but took Joyce's hand and stroked it with his thumb. She was glad for the contact; remembering how frightened she had been last night was more unsettling than expected.
They sat quietly, watching the others until the same man stood and faced them.
"We would like to hear from the Queen," he intoned.
"She had already told you her story," Sung said through his teeth.
The man nodded. "And yet, given her position, we want to know what she thinks we should do with the wolves?" All of the men nodded and turned to look at Joyce, who suddenly felt like a worm under the eyes of a flock of sparrows.
Sung growled in his chest.