Ch. 151..160

Chapter 151

Eyes stinging with lack of sleep, but body humming with anticipation, Zev stalked through the village, Dunken at his shoulder, glaring at every male they passed as if he might challenge Zev on the spot.

"I really don't think it's going to be a problem," he said to his friend with a smile.

"No harm in being prepared," Dunken said. "Sasha-dan gives them too many reasons to consider her, so let's balance it out."

Zev shook his head, but didn't interfere when Dunken raised a lip at one of the Tigers, sitting at the foot of the tree in the center of the village. The tiger snarled, but didn't get to his feet.

Zev ignored him. As Alpha, he could ignore most of them if he chose, though it wasn't his way. But he would do everything he could to avoid conflict today of all days. If someone wanted to show off, or challenge, or bait him, let them do it when he and Sasha were safely mated and back from their solitude.

The solitude…

Every time he thought of all that time alone with Sasha, the freedom to do whatever they chose, whenever they chose, his entire chest squeezed. Then his ribs would ache and he'd be reminded the other reasons why he wanted to avoid all possible conflict today.

Laying in the frozen dirt had been helpful in bringing the swelling and pain down overnight. But as soon as he'd started moving, that entire side of his chest screamed. It had taken a good fifteen minutes and several circuits around the tree in his wolf form before he'd felt like it was wise to jump up to the platform and go inside.

"Zev?"

He blinked back to the present and looked at Dunken, who was frowning, his knuckles white on the grip of his thick spear.

"What's going on with you this morning?"

"I didn't sleep great," he said. "But don't worry, I am more than ready to get this done."

"Shall we run?" Dunken asked. They were passing through the village to pick up more supplies to run out to the cave where Zev and Sasha would spend the solitude.

"Good idea," Zev said, flashing a grin, then shifting into the wolf,

Dunken, who was still undressing and hadn't shifted yet, looked down at him, shaking his head. "That fucking black suit is ridiculous. You know your fur sticks out at the neck and paws…" He trailed off, rolling his eyes.

Zev snorted and started to run, biting back a yelp when he pushed into the stride a little too quickly and his rib gave him a jab.

But Dunken had already stripped and shifted too, and leaped past him, his massive horns curving up and over his head and neck in two long, wicked arches.

As they ran through the village and the wood, Zev's heart felt light for the first time in… well, in five years, he thought. Excpet maybe for the hours he'd spent at the bathing pools with Sasha, he couldn't remember anytime when he wasn't weighed down by it all—things that had to be done, things that should have been done, things that he wished had never been done…

He shook his head and ran on.

Today was not a day for regretting the past. Today was a day for celebrating the future.

*****

~ SASHA ~

Yhet couldn't fit into the house, but he'd stood at the platform outside, calling for her.

"Sasha, I have a mating day gift for you!"

She and Kyelle had been discussing how to dress her hair. Sasha frowned at Kyelle who shrugged, but smiled.

Getting up from her chair, Sasha pulled the door open so the morning sunlight spilled in. It was so bright, and the sun so low on the horizon, she had to shade her eyes with her hand to stop from being blinded.

"What is it, Yhet?" she asked, then realized she was looking too high.

She tipped her head down, shading the sun more with her hand and found Yhet's hairy face. He stood with his elbows leaned on the platform that she had to climb to reach, a wide, toothy grin on his face, and eyes sparkling.

"I found something I wanted to give you for your mating day," he repeated, his voice a low, delighted rumble.

"You're very sweet. What is it?"

"Close your eyes and hold out your hand."

Sasha narrowed her eyes. Yhet's smile was getting wider, and he almost seemed to be hopping he was so eager to see her. "What are you up to?"

"I'm trying to give you a gift!" he said, looking wide-eyed and innocent. "You suspect me of a plot, Sasha? I am wounded!"

"No, I just…"

Yhet gave her an exaggerated frown, like a child attempting to show their disappointment.

Sasha sighed. "Okay then." She closed her eyes, tipped her head back, and put out one hand.

With a deep snigger, Yhet moved. Sasha was tempted to open her eyes a crack, but if her friend wanted to give her a surprise, she thought it was better to let him do that.

So she frowned, but still didn't open them when something warm and sticky was placed in her hand.

Then she was afraid to look.

Had Yhet brought her some strange Chimera delicacy? Was she going to accidentally offend him if she couldn't eat it, or…

She swallowed hard. "What is it?"

"Open your eyes," he said and she could hear the beaming smile in his voice.

Tentatively, Sasha opened her eyes and looked down… then she began to giggle.

In her open, flat palm, Yhet had placed a small piece of honeycomb, already leeching its golden goodness all over her fingers.

"Honeycomb? What—" Then she remembered. Half laughing, half-mortified, she looked at Yhet with wide eyes.

"You get to eat the honey now," Yhet said, snorting with laughter. "Enjoy!"

Kyelle stared at them both, confused. "I don't get it."

Sasha suddenly got the giggles and Yhet boomed laughter they could probably hear back in the human world.

 

Chapter 152

Sasha stood in front of a cloudy mirror that Lhars had lugged up to her home at Kyelle's request and stared at herself in the mirror. Kyelle had swept her hair up to pile on top of her head, then cascade down in loose curls.

The halter-neck of the dress seemed to draw the eyes up to Sasha's eyes, which were twinkling thanks to the dush Kyelle had blown onto her skin that made her shimmer and glow.

But the dress…. That beautiful dress.

It clung to her curves, emphasizing those that needed it, and somehow hiding the ones that didn't. Then it flared over her hips to fall beautifully to her ankles.

She'd questioned the length—Kyelle was a great deal taller than she and had shortened dress to mid-calf, where before it had floated around Sasha's ankles. But Kyelle had laughed.

"It's to keep your legs free if you need to fight. You can't risk getting your feet hooked in your own skirt. It's the same reason the skirt is full enough to allow full extension, but not so full that it will create bulk.

Sasha had nodded like agreed, but her head was spinning. What kind of world was she in that even a wedding dress had to be made with the potential for battle?

But then she'd turned back to the mirror and smiled. She looked ethereal—not a word that had ever entered her mind, or others, in relation to her.

Sasha was pretty—or striking at best. But too blunt and clumsy for actual elegance. Yet, here she was, swathed in soft white that waved gracefully in the breeze of even a breath. She looked like she should be in a wedding magazine, and she wasn't even wearing make up!

"This is amazing, Kyelle. I am… humbled that you'd let me wear it," she said, and for the first time it hit her.

She was getting married.

And she didn't know anyone but the groom. Not really.

Her relationship with her parents had been strained for the past two or three years, her mother in particular struggling with her inability to give up her attachment to Zev. Their divorce had been very hard on Sasha—in part because she wondered if stress over her had aided her parents in falling apart.

For the past few years Sasha had made her life with her friends, spending most holidays and occasions with them.

But that didn't mean she didn't care about her parents. She'd never imagined she'd be suddenly ripped out of her own world and into a new one, with no chance to contact them—or her friends, her chosen family.

They must be beside themselves. Rob would have notified them as soon as she didn't show up for work. Maybe sooner, since she'd fled through his apartment and…

What if the men with the guns had killed Rob?

Sasha blinked. She couldn't believe these things hadn't occurred to her. And here she was, about to vow her life to the man they'd all been telling her didn't care about her, had only taken what he wanted, then left.

None of them would see it.

Likely none of them would recognize it for what it was even if they did. She tried to imagine telling her mother that they weren't getting married, exactly… but she was walking through a mating ritual that was symbolic—and by the way, they were vowing themselves into the next life beyond…

Her mother would have her committed.

A deep, aching sadness clutched at her belly. Her life before was truly gone. And the people that were important to her—and she to them—they were never going to know what had happened to her. It was going to kill them.

Unaware of her angst, Kyelle stood from straightening a hem at the back of the skirt and brushed the fabric smooth.

"When we walk through the village, you must be looking for Zev," the woman said softly, her own sadness stifled, but plain. "You cannot linger on any other males. To see them is fine, even to acknowledge them. But do not pause to converse. Keep looking for Zev and once you find him, give him the best of your focus—it is a symbol of your intention."

Sasha nodded and put one hand to her throat, nodding. She wanted to do this with Zev so badly. But like this? Without her family? Without her friends? While all of them thought—

"You have… oh," Kyelle said, taking a tiny breath, a reaction to pain.

Shaken out of her reverie, Sasha looked at the woman and found her staring at Sasha's hand.

The ring on her hand.

When Kyelle caught her looking, she swallowed and raised her chin higher. "That is Zev's ring." It wasn't a question.

"Yes," Sasha said carefully, turning the worn-but-beautiful leather on her thumb. "It's a human tradition before you ma—mate that the guy gives the girl a ring."

Kyelle hadn't taken her eyes off Sasha's hand, but her eyes were even sadder than before.

"That is… very special," Kyelle said, her voice hitching. "It was thoughtful of him, and appropriate."

"Appropriate?"

Kyelle nodded. "You know the reason Dunken gave him the ring?"

"Yes."

"Then you understand—very appropriate that it passes to you. A… completion of the circle."

Sasha smiled down at the ring on her thumb. "Yes, it is," she said, smiling. But when she looked up, Kyelle had tears in her eyes.

"Oh, Kyelle, I'm sorry. I didn't realize you knew—"

"No, it isn't that," she said. "I was… when he was here before he wore that every day from the moment Dunken gave it to him. But when he arrived this time, he wasn't wearing it. I thought… I just thought the wrong thing. Don't mind me."

The woman turned away, discreetly wiping her eyes, then bustling around looking for the flowers she'd brought to put into Sasha's hair, and offering her something to eat from the basket.

But Sasha agreed without really hearing her. Because Kyelle had been right.

Zev wasn't wearing the ring when he'd come back to her.

What did that mean?

 

Chapter 153

Sasha and Kyelle passed through the village and into the forest without an issue. They were headed to an area in the forest Sasha had never visited. She pulled the fur wrap Kyelle had given her around her shoulders more tightly and rubbed her hands together, though she was more nervous than cold.

She'd hadn't been able to shake off the grief and insecurity completely, but she knew this was a day she wanted to remember and enjoy. And she wasn't going to do that if she only focused on what she didn't have. So when the time finally came to leave the house, Sasha reminded herself that Kyelle was suffering a much greater loss than her that day. After all, Sasha was getting Zev.

The afternoon was overcast, which made her nervous, but Kyelle lifted her nose to the wind and said no, the snow would not settle in for another day or two. She and Zev would get to their solitude before they had reason to worry.

Kyelle's eyes slid away from hers when she mentioned the solitude and Sasha's heart squeezed in sympathy. But she'd seen the alarm in Kyelle's eyes when she tried to raise it, so instead she turned the conversation back to the ritual.

"So, except to deny anyone who wants to entice me, I stay silent until Zev's finished with any challenges, and once we're touching each other, we don't let go?"

Kyelle nodded. "And if there are any true challengers, you let Zev handle them. All you have to do is deny them. Give them no invitation."

Sasha felt like she better understood what that meant now, but it still made her stomach trill with nerves because she'd gotten it wrong so many times when she wasn't thinking.

They didn't talk much more, though Kyelle held her arm and made kind reassurances about how easy this day would be compared to what they'd been through so far. But as they walked through the thick trees, in half-shadow because the sun was so much dimmer behind the clouds, Sasha began looking ahead. Looking forward. Needing to be near Zev.

"How long will it take, until we touch each other?" she'd asked carefully.

"It will depend how many wish to display for you—and that will depend on how good of a job the Alphas have done with supporting Zev's claim of you."

Sasha sighed, but didn't ask anything else. The trees opened suddenly ahead, cold winter light pouring between them, and a warm glow.

The bonfire, she'd forgotten.

The air here was crisp and fresh, but the scent of barbeque hung in the air as well, and curls of smoke were visible in the dark branches of the trees.

She'd forgotten about the feast.

Kyelle gave a grim smile. "The only thing that is needed to ensure a strong gathering of males is to bring good food," she said, her lips twisting into a half smile. "Or females. Good food, or willing females. Remember that, Sasha. It is wisdom my mother gave me."

Sasha snorted, but it was true, she realized.

She was about to ask if Kyelle's mother was still alive when they broke through the last line of trees and as the entire clearing was revealed—a massive, crackling bonfire, two cook fires either side of it, crowds of athletic men swathed in furs, and there, almost directly opposite where she entered, a cluster of men—males, she reminded herself. They called them males.

She thought she saw Zev's midnight black hair in the center, but all the males were bent forward, looking at something someone held between them.

Then the men nearer them, gathered around the bonfire, saw them and began to call.

As a chorus of howls, roars, and calls filled the cold winter air and echoed through the trees, that shining black head snapped up like she'd shouted his name. Zev found her with his eyes immediately—and his mouth dropped open.

He looked so delighted, Sasha almost started crying.

Zev took a step toward her and a hand slapped to his chest—Dunken, she thought. But Zev didn't tear his eyes from her, shaking his head in disbelief.

You're stunning, Sasha. Absolutely stunning.

She mouthed "thank you" and hoped from this distance he could tell what she'd said.

Then the males around him spread out and Zev's body was revealed, and it was Sasha's jaw that dropped.

Zev was naked from the waist up, his deep olive skin oiled and painted in designs from neck to toes in bright blue paint. Sasha could make out a thick necklace of teeth hanging around his collarbones that disappeared over his shoulders. The ivory of them setting off the blue all over him—fangs and claw marks on his belly and sides, and intricate, jagged patterns that were somehow beautiful and frightening at the same time, swirled all over his arms and chest.

His eyes locked on hers and the smile fell off his face as he watched her be led to her position in the clearing.

Sasha… his voice was a bare whisper in her head. You're so beautiful.

She wished she could tell him how handsome he was—so big and beautiful, muscular and strong. Everything about him screamed strength and power, and the flames that had lit in his eyes when he saw her…

Sasha's belly flipped and she wanted to cross her legs.

She really, really hoped this ritual didn't take a long time. She wanted to get straight to the solitude.

Then someone tapped Zev on the shoulder and he jerked to look, wincing and laying a hand over his ribs as he turned to answer a question.

Sasha frowned. She knew he was going to heal before he had to fight anymore, but this vulnerability worried her. He seemed so strong, as if the pain shouldn't touch him. Which meant the pain had to be significant.

"Don't worry for him," Kyelle said quietly. "He has healed from far worse."

"I know. I know," Sasha replied, but she was trailing her gaze up and down his body, and Zev had taken a stance—his feet shoulder width apart, hands at his sides, but poised as if to grab something, chin low, and his eyes fixed on her out from under his heavy brows.

Except for the human cut of his hair, Zev looked like a tribal warrior, sent there to steal her away. And she wanted to be stolen.

Please, Lord, let her get stolen.

 

Chapter 154

"Are you ready?" Dunken asked him quietly.

Zev nodded, his eyes still locked on Sasha, who couldn't seem to take her gaze from him, either. His heart pounded to beat out of his chest, his pulse throbbing in his skin until his ribs hurt. But he wouldn't give up that moment for anything.

She looked like an angel, floating out of the forest to find him with her eyes. And when she started examining his body… Fuck. He felt her eyes like she was touching him.

Everywhere.

"Down boy," Dunken said quietly, a smile in his tone. "We've got some stuff to get done first."

"Let them try and take her from me," Zev growled, imagining picking Sasha up and running out of the clearing with her, taking her to the cave and tearing that dress off… with his teeth.

"If you don't stop stinking of arousal, you'll get them going too," Dunken muttered, tipping his head towards the crowds of males clustered around the bonfire.

Behind them, Yhet snorted. "You'll have to—"

"No more honey metaphors, Yhet," Zev groaned. "Please."

Yhet giggled surprisingly high for such a massive, deep-voiced male. But Zev wasn't really paying attention to anything but Sasha—the pretty pink flush in her cheeks, the way her eyes flared with heat when she looked at him.

The others were stepping between them, putting hands to him to stop him moving, and Zev realized they were right to do so. He strained towards her.

"We better get this moving before my brother mounts her in front of the adolescents," Lhars drawled from Zev's right.

Zev snorted. "You might learn a thing or two."

Lhars' eyebrows shot up. "I'm certain I will, brother. Not all of us can mate any willing female without consequences."

Several growls rose from the others—including Yhet—behind Zev's snarl. But Lhars only put his hands up. "It wasn't a dig, Zev. I was serious. I would be… intrigued."

"If you ever so much as look at her—" Zev started, but Dunken stepped in.

"Okay, let's get this moving. His instincts are kicking in and the other Clans are restless. Zev, Zev look at me." Dunken gripped Zev's shoulders and Zev forced himself to turn away from challenging his brother to face him. Dunken's face was serious. "This is the day you have been waiting for since you were an adolescent. Do not let yourself get distracted from your purpose. Stake your claim. Deny the challengers. Take her. The rest can be dealt with later."

Zev nodded, knowing his friend was right.

Dunken clapped him on the shoulder. "Congratulations. I pray to the Creator that you'll both be very happy and blessed with many offspring."

*****

~ SASHA ~

Kyelle stood at her shoulder, eyeing the crowds of males around the bonfire warily and warning Sasha to keep her eyes on Zev.

She didn't need to. Sasha didn't want to look anywhere else. Her soon-to-be-husband was the most gorgeous thing she'd ever seen. And her anxiety drove her to make certain that he wasn't going to disappear again—or be attacked.

Every time there was a surge of activity around him, the males clustering, or speaking, her adrenalin would surge, waiting to see something go wrong. But even Lhars seemed good-natured, if a little tense. And Yhet, standing feet above the others, was beaming.

"Are you ready?" Kyelle asked her quietly. "Dunken is giving the signal. If you're ready, I'll call for him and we'll begin."

Sasha had never been more ready in her life. "Yes, of course," she said breathlessly, "I—" Sasha startled as Kyelle suddenly stepped forward and shouted, her voice pealing across the clearing.

"Raise your eyes, Chimera! Stand and hear! The mate approaches! The female who seeks a clan comes! Raise your eyes and see her! Raise your nose and scent her! She seeks her mate. Where is her mate!"

Then Dunken's deep voice rang out in response. "Her mate comes! Raise your eyes, Chimera! Stand and hear! The mate approaches. The male of the wolf clan comes and knows his mate. He will claim her. Challengers, stand ready!"

Sasha was barely breathing when, without warning, drums began to beat, making the air of the clearing thrum—and the males cheered.

"Where are the drums coming from?"

"The drummers are on the other side of the bonfire. They won't stop now until you are vowed and confirmed," Kyelle said with a shaky smile. "Welcome to your mating ritual, Sasha."

Sasha looked at her, a shade of shame pinching her stomach as she looked down at the beautiful dress she was wearing and tried to imagine if their roles were reversed.

She took Kyelle's hand and swallowed. "You're a better woman than me, Kyelle."

Kyelle shook her head, but didn't take her eyes off the cluster of males around Zev. For a moment, a small, petty part of Sasha wanted to grab her face and tell her to take her eyes off Sasha's man.

But Kyelle didn't stare love at Zev, she knew. She was… grieving.

Sasha kept her hands fisted in the skirts of her beautiful dress and reminded herself how hard it would be for Kyelle to do this—and how kind she had been in it.

Then, breaking free of the men that looked like they were holding him back, Zev prowled forward, chin down his eyes fixed on her from under heavy brows, glowing with intensity. Dunken stalked on one side of him, Lhars on the other, and Yhet loomed over them from behind.

For a moment she thought Zev was coming for her, but as he reached halfway across the clearing between them—close enough that she could see his abdominal muscles clenching and releasing with his breath—he made a motion to Yhet, who continued towards Sasha, while Zev turned to glower at the men gathered around the bonfire.

"Stand for the Alpha of the Wolf Clan," Dunken bellowed and those men that weren't already on their feet, shifted and straightened. There was a small ripple—some men who still didn't approve of Zev's sudden rise through the ranks. For a moment Sasha feared that they'd revolt, her mind painting the images before her with a horde of angry men rippling into wolves and running to leap straight at Zev's throat.

But as her own heart leaped into her own throat, Sasha was relieved to see the men didn't move, didn't suddenly descend on him. They just faced him, watching.

Zev stood, proud and confident, looking poised for a fight, his eyes scanning them left and right.

And then he began to speak and Sasha fell in love with him all over again.

 

Chapter 155

Zev stood, proud and confident, looking poised for a fight—a fight he was certain he would sin. He scanned the gathering around the bonfire, holding eyes and making certain all of them heard him. With only dim afternoon light overhead, his oiled torso glowed warm in the firelight in a way that made Sasha's mouth go dry.

"I stand before you as Alpha of the Wolf Clan."

A chorus of grunts, snarls and roars met that declaration, but he only stared them down until they quieted.

"I lay claim to Sasha, the human, the female without clan. Her beauty, her inner strength… she has captured me. I am caged. Gladly. And today I will claim her and none of you will stand in my way—I will remove you, if necessary.

"She will be my breeding pair—touched by no other. She holds my matebond and has leashed my heart."

A ripple sounded through the crowd and Sasha tensed, but Zev only shook his head. "I was lied to as a youth—and you have been deceived as well. I am not incapable of the bond, only… only form it differently. Like the humans, the act of mating does not automatically produce the matebond for me, but when I found the one… I cannot deny her. Have not been able to since even before I recognized what was happening to us.

"You all know, you were here, when I returned from the human world to take Alpha of All Clans in Thana. You remember my devotion to her, and my grief. I had been deceived. I believed the connection purely emotional, that it would fade with time. Yet here we are, five years later, and she holds my heart as firmly as if it were in her fangs.

"You saw me live for two years without her and take no other female. You have heard lies about my contact with females in the past three years after I returned to the human world. The Alphas have filled you in on my story. You can believe it, or not. But you cannot deny to me what is as tangible as the dirt under my feet: Sasha is not just desirable to me. She is my mate. And I defy any of you to take her from me!" His voice was fierce, rolling off into a growl. Some of the men slouched, submitting, Sasha thought. But others…

Others clenched their fists and their eyes began to glint.

Sasha's heart climbed to her throat, but she didn't speak. She couldn't speak. She had to remember not to speak!

Zev scanned the men again, locking eyes with any that didn't look away.

"You do not know her as I do. You see an unmated female, a prize. But I see the female beneath—the steel in her spine, the courage with which she faces her fears, the heart that nurtures and lives in gratitude, and her honesty. She is the perfect Alpha mate—willing to speak even the hard truth and hear it.

"I see her to her soul—it is the other half of mine. So stand, brothers. If you cannot accept my claim, make your stand now, or watch in submission as she becomes mine!"

Howls rose from the wolves, celebrating, heralding their Alpha and his claim. Zev had warned Sasha that the wolves wouldn't challenge his claim of her. That the greater risk came from the tigers and goats—though Gheet was not sending a challenger, he also refused to prohibit his males from making a claim to her. Zev had been disappointed, but understood. So, he'd told Sasha to wait and see. Whether the males liked it or not, few were high enough in the rankings to willingly fight him.

Sasha held her breath, clasped her hands, gripping them until her knuckles turned white, waiting as Zev stood, silent and proud, clearly daring any of them to challenge him.

After a minute that lasted longer than any in Sasha's life, Zev's grin flashed. "A wise choice, brothers. I prefer not to mar my mating day by kicking your asses first."

A rumble of laughter rolled around the clearing.

"So I have told you of her strength and honesty, but you must see for yourselves. Brothers, stand and show yourselves. Display to my mate, tell her what you would offer. She will yet return to me!"

The barks and calls rose, buffeting the trees around them as the air in the clearing shifted from tension to anticipation.

"They've been looking forward to this," Kyelle whispered next to her.

Sasha gaped. "Why?!"

Kyelle's lips twitched upwards towards a smile. "Because they are males. Any opportunity to preen and show themselves better, stronger than their brothers… it's their life's air," she said dryly. "Surely you know enough of men to see this?"

Sasha snorted, but didn't take her eyes off of Zev, her heart pounding as he turned slowly to stand, arms folded—a symbol, he'd told her, that he would not interfere.

Their eyes locked for a moment and his voice bloomed in her head. "Your turn," he said gently, his lips pulling up on one side. "Have fun."

She snorted and shook her head as the males scrambled towards her en-masse.

For a moment she thought they might be going to repeat the crowd of the other night, circle her. Her heart raced faster, but not with anticipation, but fear. She didn't like being surrounded like that.

But thankfully the men seemed to seek an order. Some were allowed to step to the front, while others stood back, until those the others were submitting to all spread out in a line in front of her and Kyelle.

"Don't worry, Sasha," that deep, deep voice of Yhet rumbled from behind her. Sasha flinched and snapped her head around to find Yhet standing behind her, his face serious and eyes on the males. "I have your back," he said softly. "None of these assholes will circle around without going through me."

"I… thank you, Yhet," she said, stunned. She'd forgotten what Zev said, that Yhet was his warrior—chosen to protect her during the ritual. She'd thought the position to be purely symbolic.

But now, looking at this crowd of males, the light of determination in their eyes, she adjusted her expectations.

"Good luck," Kyelle murmured, stepping to the side so she stood alone.

Sasha took a deep breath and nodded, praying she wasn't going to need it.

 

Chapter 156

His heart thumped against his ribs painfully as the males moved as a group to stand between him and Sasha, demanding her attention.

She gazed at him over the crowd, but soon their view of each other was marred by too many bodies, too many tall males, and Zev's stomach went sick.

She didn't realize it, but Sasha was about to be confronted with the worst of him. He'd tried to tell her, but it had been easy to see that she'd underestimated the challenge these males would present—not because she didn't love him enough, but because he knew he'd broken her heart, and the wound hadn't closed yet.

These males knew it too, and they were about to hit her while she was down.

Well, hit Zev, actually. But the result would be the same.

He knew every male that stood at the front of the crowd—all unmated, all strong, and high on the hierarchy, handsome and capable in their own ways.

And all of them knew him well enough to fight dirty.

He wondered which of them would be either brave enough—or perhaps stupid enough—to start.

He wasn't surprised when it was Volk. The hares always were quick to run into conflict.

The male looked back and forth along the line, then strutted forward.

Shorter than most of the other Chimera, the hares were powerfully built and attractive to their females for their fierce integrity. Their Alpha, Oksa could be a pain in the ass. But there was not a more honorable male in Thana, in Zev's opinion. When a hare said they would do something, it would get done.

It was a character trait that would appeal to Sasha—and play into his own weaknesses.

He couldn't move without showing weakness, but he leaned slightly, catching sight of her, eyes widening, as the male planted his feet a few feet in front of her and swept a gallant bow.

Zev would have snorted—the Hares could also be depended upon to be dramatic. About everything—but he waited for the male's words, to measure the impact.

"Your beauty rises like the sun, Sasha!" the male called so the entire clearing could hear him. "My name is Volk and I invite you to join the Hare Clan. You stand here, ready to be mated, yet the male you choose has fallen to deception and disappeared both from your life and ours."

The male slowly removed his furs as he spoke, stripping down to nothing as he stood in front of Sasha—her eyes widening with every item of clothing he removed, until he stood before her. Proud and naked, hands on his hips, and inviting her to examine his body.

Sasha's eyes had gone so wide he wondered if she'd forgotten his warning about the nakedness.

He would have laughed if her eyes hadn't continued to scan the male from head to toe.

Zev growled and Dunken nudged him, hissing, "You can't interfere!"

"I wasn't going to," he muttered.

Dunken shot him a glare, but Zev continued to watch as Sasha's throat bobbed and she shook her head. "I'm not… I mean, I don't—"

"You have been hurt by the absence of your chosen male. I understand this," Volk struck his own chest with a fist so hard the sound of thunked across the clearing. "I understand the ache of uncertainty. I value the devotion and loyalty of a female who would wait for her male's return. I am a male of integrity and strength—single-minded. Mate me and you will never spend another day alone, Sasha."

Sasha's shoulders rose and fell with a deep breath, but she blinked and her eyes weren't so wide as she fixed them on him and shook her head.

The males guffawed, slapping each other on the arms and shoulders, teasing Volk for his lack of success. But the male wasn't so quick to give up. In the true heart of a hare, he ignored the ribbing from his brothers and began to dance, flexing his abdominals and leaping like a gazelle.

He was graceful and beautiful, and Sasha's mouth fell open during one leap that took him level with the heads of the other males.

For a split second after he landed and danced back to stand before her, Zev wondered if her head had been turned, the way she gaped at the male. But she shook her head silently, then shot a pleading look at Kyelle.

Slumped with disappointment, but keeping his shoulders back, Volk nodded his acceptance of her decision and melted back into the crowd, accepting jabs and reassurance alike.

His eyes met Zev's once and the male offered a dry salute. Zev smiled. He was a good male.

But he was being replaced by another in the space in front of Sasha—another hare, who took a similar approach, to even less attention from Sasha.

One after another, three hares and an owl each stepped forward, only to be rejected.

To Zev's relief, after the first, Sasha seemed to be handling the nudity and body displays with a lot more indifference.

But then Rowsan, the tallest and strongest of the owls, stepped forward and everyone went silent. The male had always had a presence, and though he didn't have ambition to climb the hierarchy, he was well respected by all the clans.

Slightly taller than Zev, his build was finer, but no less strong. He moved with the grace of the owls who seemed to bring the elegance of flight with them to the ground. A stunning male with a shock of white hair and brown eyes so light they were almost yellow, he saluted Sasha, dropping to one knee with his arm clasped to his chest, and bowed his head over it.

"I seek the female who seeks a clan," he said quietly, though Zev's wolf ears heard every word. "I seek the female who has been left without a nest and who would take a male to her breast."

Sasha's eyes bulged at the word "breast," and Zev almost laughed. Typical bird.

"You stand alone, Sasha, because your wellbeing was not valued over the male's—he abandoned you to your fate, instead watching over his people. I am not Alpha of my Clan, though I carry power. Should you choose me, I would embrace you in my nest. You would never compete for my attention or affection. I would groom your feathers even before my own. Stand and watch, Sasha, the dance of a male who would place you even over his own needs."

The male's voice was hypnotic, and Zev snarled when he realized Rowsan had stepped forward, looming over Sasha until they almost touched. He stripped, his arms and hands brushing hers as he moved.

The asshole was leaving his scent on her.

Strong hands appeared on his chest and Dunken hissed, "Get it together, Zev!"

"I'm fine!" he snapped, then blinked when he realized he'd taken hold of Dunken's wrists and was wrestling his friend away.

"You can't move, Zev. You can't interfere or the Alphas will take over. Stop!"

"I haven't moved."

"But you're trying to!"

Zev didn't see Rowsan's dance as he stared Dunken down and his friend didn't give an inch.

"You knew this was coming. You know she'll pick you. Stop creating trouble for yourself."

Zev shuddered, grinding his teeth, but he nodded.

Until his friend added, "You know this is going to get worse before it gets better, Zev. Stop giving in to your emotions."

Zev growled, but Dunken shoved him back until he rocked almost off his feet.

 

Chapter 157

Sasha was stunned by the strength and beauty of these men—and their boldness in declaring both Zev's issues, and their own strengths by contrast.

She hadn't thought their words would impact her feelings for Zev, or made her waver. And they weren't. Not exactly. She still chose Zev, she still had no interest in these other males.

But something about hearing those flaws—feeling the tiny needles sliding into bleeding wounds in her mind and heart… the fears… It was more than uncomfortable. It made her shaky. Not about her goal for the day, but about what the future held.

She feared, that was the pure truth. She feared losing Zev again—by his choice. Deceived or not, he had left her under his own steam. No one had kidnapped him, or held a gun to his head.

After she shook her head and Rowsan and denied him twice, she barely saw or heard the males that followed him, her head spinning with images of the morning she'd woken up and been unable to find Zev, or get him to answer his phone.

The morning he'd disappeared like smoke through her fingers.

Then the males moved as someone else stepped forward and she caught sight of him. Zev. Standing back, behind the crowd, his eyes pained and face in a mask of determination. Dunken stood next to him, one hand on his chest, shaking his head. Zev's lips moved. They were talking. But his eyes never left hers.

Then his voice appeared in her head.

I love you, Sasha. Never forget it. I will never leave you again. No matter what.

She sucked in a breath, praying it was true, and then their sight of each other was broken by the tall man that stepped between them. He looked older than the others who'd stepped up so far. Still young, but his face slightly more weathered, his brown hair dark and eyes gray. She guessed he was around thirty and carried the air of a man who was in his prime—but steady with it.

"Sasha," he rumbled after his bow, and his voice was like a purr. Sasha swallowed. "My name is Keyden. I welcome you to the mountains of Thana—where I walk surefooted, and strong, in the Ibex Clan."

Oddly, while the others had stripped their clothes with an air of anticipation, Keyden started on his own buttons as if he barely noticed he were doing it. And he spoke of his life as a hunter—declaring himself a male able to provide, but one who returned to the village every night—who would welcome a female to hold and mate, a partner to meet the world.

He'd given her a little more space than the others and it wasn't until he was stripped naked, his eyes locked on hers, that he slipped closer.

"The male you have chosen is a good male. A leader, and one with heart. I do not regret his return to Thana. But you have been the victim—as have I—of his youth and relative innocence. Falling to deception and leaving the rest of us harmed by it. He had no intention, I am certain. But I am grown. A male—a man, as your clan would put it. Savvy to the world, and certain of my priorities."

Then he dropped his voice to barely above a whisper. "Choose me, Sasha. I will give you a life of peace—not uncertainty. And I have held myself true to the matebond. I have not taken a female. We will learn the beauties of the mating together. You need never fear I could form the bond with another. You need never worry that my eyes would be turned from you."

The words dropped like cold blades in her heart as she heard what he wasn't saying.

Zev has done these things before, with many women.

Zev knows what he's doing because he's done it so much.

Zev's shared himself, and taken what they offered.

Zev will always have memories of others—might desire others because he wasn't as restricted as the other Chimera.

Sasha shook her head against the images that sprang into her mind—Zev curled up, stroking another women the way he'd stroked her. Calling another woman's name, his face open and overwhelmed with pleasure.

Zev, sharing his body with—

Sasha whimpered and turned her head away from the male who was leaning in, making his words just for her, his voice tantalizing and sweet, a low, warm rumble of… of toxic questions.

"Someone of your beauty and strength of heart deserves better, Sasha," the male said earnestly. He didn't smile as if he was taking a stab at Zev. He didn't snarl as if he were trying to right a wrong. He stated a simple fact, and she could feel his eyes on her face. "Let me show you how a male should hold himself for his mate. Let me show you how I have held myself for you."

Sasha blinked then as he drew his finger—oh so gently—along her jaw, urging her to lift her chin and meet his eyes again.

And when she did—wide-eyed, and horrified—he gave her gentle smile. "You deserve better," he whispered, then he began to dance.

She didn't know what was different about this man, why his dance moved her in a way the others hadn't. But he was a beautiful man who poured himself into the expression, and Sasha was stunned by the rippling strength of his body threw himself around the space in front of her, his movements graceful and powerful and… somehow mindful of making love. And all the while, his eyes stroked her and made promises she didn't want from him.

Promises she only wanted from Zev.

Sasha swallowed hard, but couldn't take her eyes off of him, her belly beginning to tingle. Not because she wanted him, but because the way he moved reminded her of… of that afternoon… with Zev.

The males behind him became restless and Kyelle cleared her throat.

Sasha blinked, then realized what she was doing—allowing herself to become aroused—and she immediately found Zev with her eyes.

He stared at her, his eyes wide and forehead furrowed.

He looked terrified, and grieved.

It struck her then, that no matter how much they loved each other—no matter how much he loved her—she would always be afraid.

Don't, Sasha, he pleaded in her head. Don't let them make you question me. I love you!

But that was the problem. She didn't question what he wanted.

She questioned whether she could ever overcome where they'd already been.

 

Chapter 158

It was an act of sheer will to keep his feet planted, to not shove himself into the crowd of males and fight his way through to her, to dance for her, to convince her!

But this was her time. This was her choice. He couldn't force her. He didn't want to. She had to choose him. If she didn't…

His heart clenched painfully and he grunted.

Dunken looked at him from the side, but since he didn't move, his friend didn't say anything, or try to intervene.

Please, Sasha, he said into her mind. Don't forget how I love you. I will make it up to you. I promise. Let me show you.

Keyden leaped between them, but he moved so quickly it was a mere flash before her eyes were back and he could see her, plead with her to look at him. And she did.

And he saw love there, still. Right alongside her pain.

A whine broke in his throat.

"It's almost over and she hasn't wavered," Dunken murmured from beside him. "Don't get weak now."

"She's afraid I'm going to hurt her again."

"Wouldn't you be?" Dunken said flatly.

Zev blinked. He hadn't thought about it that way before. Then he stared at her and she stared back, and his heart leaped like Keyden had been a moment before, because she shook her head—not at Zev, but at Keyden.

The male was persistent, he reached for her, murmured his promises, but Sasha recoiled from him, and Zev's heart sang as she turned from him to wait… and no other males stepped forward.

"Is that it?" she whispered to Kyelle. His dear friend scanned the crowd, and then nodded tightly. "It looks like it. Declare yourself."

Sasha took a deep breath, then turned back to lock eyes with Zev and she smiled for the first time he'd seen since she first arrived.

"I choose Zev!" she called, loud enough for the entire gathering to hear. "I choose my mate and he chooses me!"

The males roared, howls rising from the wolves who had hung back from the others, and would now help Zev fight to reach her.

Dunken chuckled as Zev sprang forward like a starter gun had gone off, throwing himself into the crowd.

At first his passage was easy—the wolves making way for him, even as they fended off the other clans, the males fighting—sparring, only—to make Zev work for it.

But he'd come alive when she'd said his name and that smile… he didn't care about his ribs. Didn't care about the things they'd said about him—or the way her eyes had shadowed when she'd heard them—he only cared that she stood on the other side of this crowd and her eyes followed him, pleading for him to come. Quickly.

He barely saw the thrusts and kicks, blocked them without thought. He didn't feel the blows that landed—half-hearted, and no more than training strength, though strong enough to bruise. He didn't hear the calls and snarls, the insults, or the teasing.

His whole world became Sasha—her eyes, her lips, her hair, her body in that stunning dress, and the way she leaned towards him, worried and excited, waiting for him to reach her so they could finally touch and this ridiculous challenge would be over.

Adrenalin flooded his veins and he tore through the males, not even waiting for the wolves to push everyone back and thin the crowd ahead of him. He plowed through them, snarling and blocking, turning to kick, ducking blows, and laughing when he dodged one kick completely.

Then finally, the only males between him and Sasha were the ones who'd displayed for her. They stood in two lines, facing him, on the balls of their feet, ready to fight.

The other males peeled back to give them room and Zev settled his weight low, smiling the smile he usually used for the hunt.

"Who's first?" he growled, beckoning them forward. "Who wants to submit first?"

The males snarled and two of them leaped forward, but Zev was laughing, turning to block the male in front him even as he stretched to kick in the one trying sneak to his back.

"She's mine," he growled, and three of the younger ones submitted, ducking their heads and kneeling, which only made him laugh again.

Of course, the others wouldn't let him through so easily, but he didn't care. It was happening. It was finally happening. He was going to reach her and the gathered Clans would acknowledge their bond and they would be finished with these stupid questions, these ridiculous challenges.

He would take her to the solitude and they would revel in each other, then he'd come back—healed in both body and heart, with his mate at his side, and he would defeat the tiger.

A tiny niggle sounded in the back of his mind at that thought and it occurred to him then, for the first time, that none of Tigers had tried to entice her.

He took a quick scan of the crowd as he turned to block another thrust. Sure enough, the Tigers were there, present as a clan.

Strange that they hadn't put at least one contender forward.

But it was too late now, he reminded himself with a wave of relief. The challenges were over. Once he reached her, their bond was made.

And so, Zev fought.

He heard Sasha gasp more than once and grieved that she worried for him. But these blows truly were half strength and the bruises would heal in hours. The males were making their point, no longer trying to defeat him. But only to make him prove his desire for her.

And so, finally, he faced on Keyden—the oldest and strongest of the males that had tried to entice her, and the goat gave him a grim smile.

"She deserves better than you, Zev," he said quietly.

"Then I'm grateful that she's humble enough to take me anyway," he growled back, advancing on the male.

But after only two, half-hearted blows, Keyden clasped his wrist and pulled him in so they were chest to chest.

It was half-greeting, half-restraint and Zev growled. But Keyden shook his head.

"Will you give your devotion? Will you keep her heart safe as the Alpha Female should always be?"

"You know I will, Keyden," Zev snarled.

They stared at each other, muscles straining as Keyden fought to keep him in the grip.

But after a moment, the older male nodded once, then dropped his arm and dropped to one knee, submitting.

Zev should have thanked the male, but he was too exhilarated, throwing himself past the goat, to Sasha, who gasped and reached for him, burying her face in his chest as he embraced her, pulling her tightly into his chest.

Thank God, Sasha. You're mine. Thank God.

"Yes," she whispered, squeezing him tighter.

Then he pulled back just far enough to meet her eyes, using his thumb to wipe away a single tear that was tracking down her cheek.

"Don't cry," he whispered. "I love you, Sash."

"I know, that's what makes me cry," she choked, smiling through her tears. "I just… I can't believe this is really happening."

"I wouldn't be so certain of that.. Not yet," a dark, husky voice said from the other side of the crowd.

 

Chapter 159

A gasp rippled through the crowd.

Sasha was only confused as Zev—still holding her close—whipped his head around and began to growl a low, rumbling putter in his chest that didn't ease away.

"You're too late!" he spat at whoever had spoken. "She's claimed and declared!"

"The King is never too late."

Oh fuck. It had to be Xar. She couldn't see over the crowd, but Zev could, and his face went rock-hard, the muscles at the back of his jaw flexing like he ground his teeth.

"The King did not present his challenge," Zev said through his teeth, the words dissolving back into the growl.

"It is the Alpha's prerogative when the female has not mated before—"

"She has. She is mine, in every sense of the word. Scent the bond if you have to. It's different, fainter than the Chimera—but it's there. Even she can feel it. We completed it years ago—it's how I've known all this time—"

"No one cares about that tale you tell yourself, Zev. We care about the survival of our species. We care about upholding the hierarchy. We care about the future. Stop burying yourself in the past."

Zev's hands tightened on her, but he began to turn away, pushing her behind him as he did so.

Don't let go, he said in her head. We can't give him any reason to justify coming for you.

"But I'll only deny him anyway," she whispered.

You don't understand, you can't. If he lays claim to you—as Alpha of All—he gets you unless I challenge him for the throne. But it shouldn't even be a possibility—he's mated already. He has no right to claim you. The male is insane!

Sasha's heart sank, and the boiling crowd around them suddenly made sense.

Everywhere she looked men stood, staring between Zev and Xar, obviously at a loss.

"She is not yours to take—King or not. You are already mated."

"My mate is dead," Xar spat. "My body grows cold for being alone. I would take her and begin again."

A roar of protest went up from the crowd. His statement flew in the face of every Chimeran tradition—not to mention how the matebond worked.

Zev shook his head and Sasha could feel the frustration and compassion rolling off him equally.

"Xar, you can't do this," he said softly, gently, though he still spoke through his teeth. "You cannot claim a second mate."

"I do not," he said, strutting through the crowd towards them, a triangle of men following in his wake—more tigers, Sasha supposed.

They were the only clan that hadn't had a male dance for her, she realized.

Then the crowd opened and he stood there, just feet from them, face flush, and eyes flashing with the light of something eerie. His burnished skin looked almost gray in this light. He carried more wrinkles than any other Chimera she'd spoken to. But despite his receding hairline, he moved with strength and grace, in a rolling, catlike stride.

Zev had one hand back to keep Sasha behind him.

Whatever you do, don't let go, he whispered in her head.

Nodding, Sasha gripped his waist and waited. She wouldn't let go.

Xar stood casually, but peeled off the fur around his neck, and then the robes, dropping them to the ground behind him.

His body was remarkable—a rounded stomach and some slightly sagging skin the only sign of his age. The rest of him seemed just as strong and vital as Zev, his shoulders thick and rounded with muscle.

He let his eyes linger on Sasha—she could feel like it an icy breeze fluttering through her hair.

"Let her go so I can entice her," he growled.

"No," Zev said, emphatic. "Absolutely not. She is mine."

*****

~ ZEV ~

Xar's eyes snapped from Sasha's face as she peered around his arm, to Zev's and he gave a great, rolling growl that vibrated the earth under their feet.

"Do not test me, pup," he spat. "You might be ushered in by your traitorous clan, but you are not welcomed by me. I do not acknowledge your claim to her. And as Alpha of All, the matebond can only be affirmed by me.

It wasn't entirely true—the Alpha didn't have to scent the bond themselves. But unless they acknowledged it, it would remain in question for the Clans.

But Zev had never heard of the Alpha not accepting a claimed and declared pair—not when the proper rituals had been met.

What the fuck was going on in Xar's head?

Then the Tiger, as if he'd heard the question, smiled at him. "You left, Zev. You abandoned your people—and your so-called mate. So perhaps you have not yet realized. But things have changed. You are no longer the big brother to the clans. You are no longer the friend of the humans. Your power has been stripped.

"I, on the other hand, hold all of it. And I am telling you, as Alpha of All, that that female is not yet claimed, and you will step aside to allow me to show devotion and provision, and tempt her to my side."

"She will never be tempted by you," Zev snarled.

Xar huffed a short laugh. "Then she will be required to attend my side, anyway. She is, after all, under my protection. Unless you'd like me to release her to the humans?"

Protests and gasps rose around the clearing. Zev went rigid under hands.

"No, Xar," Zev growled. "You will not put her in any harm. Ever. You will not put anyone in harms way, ever again."

Dunken appeared suddenly, positioning himself to Zev's right, and when she turned she found Lhars to his left. Then Yhet stepped up to hover beside Sasha and gave her a glance from the side, but didn't say anything. But she'd never seen the look on his face before.

He looked… fierce.

"You have no power here. I am Alpha!" Xar snarled.

"Then I will take your power and make it mine," Zev growled back.

 

Chapter 160

Zev reached back and broke Sasha's grip on him. She made a noise of protest, but he shook his head and spoke into her mind low, quiet, and deadly serious.

Stay close to Yhet. Do not get involved in the fighting. No matter what you see. This isn't a fight for you. This is a fight for Thana.

"Zev—" she breathed. He could scent the flash of fear in her.

Go. I'll keep you safe.

He squeezed her hand, then nudged her towards Yhet, never taking his eyes off of Xar. When Yhet had tugged her back, out of reach, he straightened and let himself feel his strength. Remembered all the fights, all the wins, all the ways he had navigated this life, this world, these males and taken victory.

All of the ways he was the better male. And all the of the ways Xar had failed.

There was a whisper in the back of his mind, a niggling insistence that he, too, had failed. But he shook it off.

He had been mistaken. He had been deceived. He had never intended harm for his people. And he had never offered them into the hands of the humans.

"You betrayed your people, Xar," he said, his voice low but rock-hard. "You chose loyalty to your own needs, your own family, over the Chimera. You chose comfort over the conflict with humans. And now you will chose life in submission, or death."

He turned to meet eyes with as many of the males as he could, raising his voice to ensure everyone heard. "Choose your sides, Thana. I challenge for Alpha!" Then, as the males all began to move, shifting to stand behind Zev or Xar, Zev lifted his head and gave the howl of the hunt.

All over the clearing, wolves raised their howls to meet his—all of them declaring death walking.

Then here and there, peppered over Thana, in the hills and mountains beyond, more rose, echoing in recognition of their Alpha and his challenge.

When Zev dropped his head, he locked eyes with Xar again and the Tiger's upper lip pulled back from his teeth.

"Wolves," the old King sneered. "Always so dramatic."

And then he smiled.

Zev didn't hesitate, but began to stalk towards Xar.

The hunt was on. And this fucking Cat was going to die.

*****

~ SASHA ~

As the males sucked in around Xar and Zev, Yhet pulled Sasha backwards away from them. At first she fought. It was futile of course, Yhet could drag her like a child pulling a teddy-bear. But he didn't want to.

"Please, Sasha, I'm charged with keeping you safe. You aren't a part of this fight. Please." Then, as Sasha wavered, still trying to pry Yhet's fingers from her wrist, but recognizing there was little she could do by staying next to Zev, Kyelle came alongside her and murmured in her ear.

"If you are close, you will only distract him with worry for your safety. Help him by keeping yourself out of the way."

"I have to be close to him! We're supposed to be touching. I can't just leave him!"

"This isn't about the mating, Sasha!"

"I know, but we can't… we can't give anyone any reason… Please, Yhet, this has to be it. I can't… we can't be held apart anymore."

Yhet frowned at her, a low growl puttering in his massive chest, then he looked at Kyelle before turning back to her with a sigh.

"We have to get out of the circle of the fight. Just a few feet away. You will still see."

"But what if he needs help!"

Kyelle snorted. "You think you could fight these males, Sasha?"

Sasha looked sheepish, but then a terrible snarl rose behind her and she tried to turn, caught by Yhet's grip on her hand. All she could see was that Zev and Xar had both shifted.

Now, instead of her handsome husband—he was her husband now, right?—and the older man, there was a massive, near-black wolf, and an even larger tiger, its coat so deeply orange it was almost red, it's stomach sagging slightly, but otherwise looking powerful and strong.

It roared and bared its teeth, the fangs inches long.

"Zev," Sasha whimpered. But Kyelle grabbed her other arm and they ushered her to the side.

The males had split, some of them coming to stand behind Zev, calling for his victory, others moving to stand behind Xar, encouraging the King to "kill the dog."

"Will they fight too? Will you?" Sasha asked Kyelle in hushed tones as she watched Zev, his hackles raised, making his massive shoulders look even larger, and his teeth bared, and Xar circle each other.

Kyelle snorted. "Females don't fight males."

"What? Why not?!"

"Because the males are bigger and stronger than even the strongest among us. And plus, we can—most of us—reproduce. Injuries sustained in battle might remove that ability from a female. And it's the only way to sustain our species. For that reason it's a violation for a male to strike a female who didn't strike him first—and males of honor wouldn't strike back even then. They would flee, rather than harm her."

Sasha's heart was in her throat, terrible snaps and snarls erupted from both Zev and Xar, but neither of them darted forward yet.

"How did you become Alpha if you didn't fight the males?" she asked Kyelle without taking her eyes off of Zev.

Kyelle huffed. "There are many ways to do battle, Sasha," she said, tapping her own temple. "And most do not require physical domination."

"Excellent point."

They watched the two circle each other as most of the males filtered into one group or the other, but one cluster remained in the middle, watching the fighters.

"What are they doing?" Sasha asked, her voice too high and thin out of fear for Zev.

"They are undecided," Kyelle said, glaring at the males. "Too cowardly to pick a side, they will follow whoever wins. But their ranks in the hierarchy may drop as a consequence.

Sasha was about to ask how that worked when, without warning or sound, Zev in his wolf form suddenly flowed across the space, snapping at the tiger's hind leg.

The crowd held its collective breath and Sasha's hands flew to her mouth as Xar whipped around, one massive pawful of claws extending and missing Zev's face by barely an inch.

Please, Zev, Sasha pleaded in her mind, just in case he could hear her. Please stay safe.