Taming the Queen of Beasts: Elreth's Courage and Conquest

By AimeeLynn

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?

（The Book 1 of the Series)

• Language: English
• Publisher: Publishdrive
• Release date: Apr 17, 2024

Book preview

AimeeLynn

Taming the Queen of Beasts

Elreth's Courage and Conquest

Chapter 1: What the Ever-Loving Hell?

Elreth was late. If her father, the King, noticed, he would have her hide. She pressed her lips thin as she slipped through the forest of the WildWood. She didn't even pause in the shadow of the Great Trees that were peppered all over the Tree City, but thicker here at the edge of the amphitheater. With their massive branches that rolled out parallel to the dirt and their large, upward pointing leaves bigger than her hand, they provided some cover if you didn't want to be noticed.

But her father was already on the stage growling his displeasure when she trotted up the raised lip of the circular arena to look over the amphitheater, so full of watching Anima, there was barely room to move between them.

Her father paced the stage, the long, sleeveless vest that was practically his uniform swinging around his knees. Its thick fur collar framed his face like the mane of the Lion within him. He always stood proud in these moments, his massive shoulders back, no shirt beneath the vest so they could see the rippled muscles that still slicked his torso, despite his increasing age. At almost fifty, he was still shameless. She teased him about it constantly.

He snarled something and his voice echoed across the morning air, but she ignored it, grimacing as she slunk through the crowd, twisting between the people, whispering apologies, until she made it to Aaryn, her best friend. Aaryn saw her coming and glanced at her from the side, his strong jaw tight and his ice-blue eyes piercing behind the strands of silver-white hair that always seemed to need a cut.

When she reached him, he edged aside so she could fit between him and Gwyn on his right. Gwyn smiled, her bobbed blond hair swinging as she nodded a greeting, but her lips were tight. Elreth smiled, then turned back to Aaryn, rolling her eyes. Gwyn's very obvious yearning for Aaryn was getting old. Elreth hoped she'd move onto someone else soon.

'What's going on?' she signed to him in the finger language they'd developed when she was ten, after her father roared at them for talking during training.

'Nice to see you, too,' he signed back, but the jab wasn't accompanied by his usual smile, or the hooked finger that meant it was a joke.

Elreth frowned and signed again. 'Sorry. Hi. What's going on?'

'There was a fight yesterday. Snakes and horses. Must have been bad. He's really upset,' he signed, using the clawed fingers they used to symbolize a predator Anima's bared teeth. 'Almost as bad as you when you're pissy.'

She drew a quick cross at the apex of her thighs—a rude gesture she'd created specifically to imply he had no balls—but even when he snorted, she didn't smile back. Something icy was sliding down her spine.

The Tribes were fighting?

Elreth turned to the stage. She'd assumed this was just another of her father's dramatic addresses, something he always did when he needed to bring the people on his side of whatever Kingly decision he'd made. But Aaryn was right, the man on the stage was not her patient, good-natured father, who liked to laugh and tease, and steal kisses from her mother.

The man on that stage was the King. The angry King. The Lion. He stalked the space, shoulders back and chin down, eyes fierce and teeth bared. He was Reth, the King of Anima, and as Elreth paid attention to his booming voice echoing across the morning air, her uneasiness grew.

…I have been patient, and your Queen has been patient, but it appears you will not be moved—your hearts will not be moved! We cannot allow this distance among the people. We cannot allow tension between the tribes—all of us have seen where that leads. We lived through the division of the tribes that took us to battle and almost destroyed us. So, you leave us no choice! he snarled, scanning the crowd.

Breath quickening, Elreth searched for her mother, the Queen, and found her standing further back on the stage, face tight, eyes on her mate, her arms folded beneath her breasts. She looked angry, and… afraid? Then she caught eyes with Elreth and something fierce entered her gaze.

But after a moment, her mother just looked back to her father, stress and worry on every line in her face. What was going on?

Her father glared and paced the front of the stage. The amphitheater was a semi-circle centered on it, the rows of wide, grassy levels—each large enough for a full-grown male to lay down—rose, packed with Anima on every inch. All the tribes were there in their natural human forms, the people of the lions, the birds, the horses, and serpents—even the few wolf packs that remained loyal to the King. More people were scattered on the grassy tops, and gathered under the trees behind the small arena. With their Anima hearing, they didn't have to be close to know what was said.

Every Anima of age stood, riveted, as her father glared at them.

She'd been rushing to get here and hadn't paid attention to the people. But now she sucked in a long, drawn-out breath and let herself scent the tension and confusion of those around her.

'Big problem,' she signed to Aaryn, the hair on the back of her neck rising.

Aaryn nodded and signed back, 'Never seen him like this before.'

Elreth had—but only when he spoke of the days when he'd almost lost her mother. The days when the whole Lupine tribe still walked the forest of WildWood and… holy shit.

'What started the fight?' she signed quickly.

'What do you think?' Aaryn's face went flat as Elreth's darkened.

It had to be the disformed. She gave the little sign—one hand cupped around the other fist, but thumbs up, instead of curled as they would have been for the general Anima.

Aaryn just nodded, the little muscles at the back of his square jaw twitching.

The disformed were Anima who couldn't shift into their Beast forms. The Anima of generations past had always regarded them with suspicion. But her parents had worked hard for twenty years to begin integrating them more fully into the tribes. And they'd had some success. Especially with the younger people. But recent months had brought drought, and struggles over resources. The growing population of disformed had become a point of contention in the tribes that had a higher percentage of them.

Aaryn, as a disformed himself—and worse, a disformed wolf—had borne the worst of Anima prejudice since his earliest days when it was clear he couldn't shift into beast form. Add to that, he was the son of one of the traitorous wolves that had almost ended her parent's rule right before Elreth was born. He'd only been four when his father died in the battle. But now, twenty years later, the increase in the disformed population still raised resentment in some circles. And those circles were not silent.

Elreth lifted her hands to sign a question, to see if Aaryn was okay, when her father's voice rang out.

The disformed will be asked to leave the Tree City, but allowed to remain in WildWood. They will be given their own tribe and encouraged to make their own way—

As the crowd began speak, their voices rapidly becoming more insistent, Elreth froze, her heart pounding.

Voices began to rise around her, mostly in surprise, but there were a few who showed excitement because they'd always been against the integration of the disformed Anima into their tribes.

Elreth's stomach plummeted to her toes—then rose again on the flames of her anger.

Aaryn's scent spiked in a strange tangle of fear and rage. She could hear his heart—as familiar to her as her own—pounding.

Did you know about this? he breathed.

What?! No! Of course not! You know I'd never—

It is not the solution we would have chosen, but after physical conflicts yesterday between tribes, you leave us no other option! her father snarled over the hubbub of the crowd below. Her mother's face lined with worry. We will not allow another war between tribes!

Dread clenched Elreth's stomach.

He thinks he's going to make me leave? Aaryn growled, bristling, his hands clenched. He moved to step forward, but Elreth fisted his shirt to stop him. He looked down at her, his piercing blue eyes furious.

It was instinct to fight anything—or anyone—that threatened someone she loved. Elreth didn't even think.

If you will not hold to all your people, you don't deserve any of them! she yelled, whirling to face the stage as the entire gathering turned to look for her with a murmur of shock.

But her father's eyes snapped straight to her face.

And then he bared his teeth.

Chapter 2: Do It

Elreth, what are you doing?! Aaryn hissed, taking her arm, but she jerked out of his grip and stepped forward into the gap that had suddenly been left by the crowd pulling away from her.

Who defies their King? her father snarled. The words rumbled off into a growl so low she would have sworn she felt it in the dirt under her feet. Her father, Reth, faced them all, arms at his sides, hands open but clawed, his fingers twitching like he was ready to snap a neck.

I do! Your Heir! Ignoring Aaryn's panicked warnings, she stepped forward and the startled crowd parted to give her space as she stalked closer to the stage, glaring at her father. And I defy you because what you suggest is treason to your people!

Reth snarled and his eyes flashed the gold of his Lion, but he blinked it back. You stand in challenge to your King? His voice was rough, a half-growl that he spit through gritted teeth.

Always the predator, he watched Elreth's progress through the amphitheater, his chin down and eyes narrowed as she made her way to the stairs to reach him. Her nerves jangled, but she didn't let herself think, just stormed across the grass and up the stairs. It wasn't until she reached the top and he turned to face her alone that she remembered why her father was King.

Reth was one of the sweetest and most loving men she knew. Usually very slow to anger, and more inclined to think, or joke his way out of conflict. But he was also the most dominant ruler the Anima had ever enjoyed. After he put down an entire mutiny from the wolves twenty years earlier, nothing had threatened his rule since. He was fearless in battle, and one of the largest Anima that existed.

But he wasn't King because of his size, though it was formidable. Gareth Orstas Hyrehyn was Clan Leader, King, and Alpha of all Tribes, because of the sheer masculine dominance he carried like a mantel around his shoulders—like the mane of the lion beast whose blood ran in his veins, and whose presence was contained within him.

So, the moment he turned all that aggression, the pure certainty of his own power, towards her, with his teeth bared, and the light of the Lion in his eyes, Elreth was reminded why she had always prayed this moment would never come.

Every animal instinct within her screamed at her to bow, to drop her head and roll her shoulders and submit to her King.

Every instinct, except one.

She was her father's daughter, after all. Elreth bowed to no one.

The instinct to rule, to control, to use the power within, shoved her chin forward and she held his gaze without wavering as she snarled back, To abandon any part of your people is treason to the throne you claim. You taught me that!

The crowd gasped and her father, the King, quivered with rage.

His massive hands clenched to fists as he prowled towards her.

Elreth was vaguely aware of her mother watching them from a few feet away. But she didn't dare take her eyes off her father—though in this, at least, he was no longer her father. Or her King. For now he was the enemy. And she let him see her know the truth of that. To scent her certainty. Anima is Anima! Disformed or not, they are our people and we will not abandon them!

His snarl rippled across the space between them and many in the crowd gasped as he flowed forward, towards her. You know nothing of what is required to rule a changing people!

Where is the fight in you? she hissed. He gave a warning growl at that, but she kept going. Where is the fierce defense of our people—all our people? She threw a hand wide, towards the crowd. You give in to weak-minded traitors who would have followed the wolves if they'd had more courage. And for what? So you don't have to argue anymore?

He reached her and stopped, toe-to-toe, and her heart thudded. She knew he could hear it. But that meant he could also see the utter certainty in her eyes—and scent her unwavering resolve.

He topped her by almost a foot and was easily twice her weight, despite the fact that she was large for a female, tall and strong in a way that her younger brother always claimed, alongside her firstborn status, meant that she was supposed to have been male.

Her father's eyes, normally a warm brown, had flickered to beast and now glared back her, golden and rich—and fierce.

I will give you one, last chance before I take your throat. His voice was the rumbling bass of half-man, half-beast as he straightened to loom over her, his eyes widened even as he kept his chin down to defend his throat. Submit to your King.

I will not submit to this!

The people gasped and Elreth heard Aaryn snarl for her to stop. She smelled his fear—she could scent him anywhere—but she couldn't break the gaze her father had locked on her. Not now. She had started this, she would finish it.

The crowd held its collective breath as her father began to