Ch. 191..200

Chapter 191

Zev stepped smoothly between Sasha and Minos as his friend snorted, his fists tightening at his sides and his scent spiked with anger.

"Min," Zev said calmly, but readying to fight, "she was attacked. She didn't go after Xar, he went after her. With a knife."

Minos snorted again, but he hesitated. "He brought a weapon against her?"

"Worse, he did it because I was fighting him for Alpha and he was losing. He went for her to hurt me. He'd brought the blade to a mating ritual and hidden it in his clothing. She was only saving her own life—and ending his, rightly. He broke every tradition we hold sacred. Did you hear me, Min? He already has a mate and he tried to take mine."

Minos stared at Zev, obviously considering his words. Zev heaved a sigh of relief, the minotaur was a good male, but he could be hot-headed when he was caught off-guard. Zev should have been a lot more careful with his words.

"Now," Zev said carefully when his friend seemed to relax a hair, "What are you doing so far north?"

Minos snorted again, his eyes drifting over Zev's shoulder, obviously looking for another glance at Sasha, but he didn't deflect the question again.

"There's unease in the winds," he said finally, reluctantly. "I was looking for Yhet, to see what had happened. It sounds like much more than even I thought."

Zev nodded. "The hierarchy is safe and you're welcome to become a part of it, Minos. I told you that before. Sasha won't resist you now. Xar is finished. His ridiculous rules are over. The Chimera will live at peace with each other. Our enemy comes from across the gateway, not within Thana."

Even with his bison face, Minos managed to look skeptical. "A human rules in Thana, and you say our enemies come from across the gate?"

"They tried to kill me, it's why I'm here," Sasha piped up from behind him, pushing forward. Zev had to fight the urge to pull her back. She was Alpha after all, whether she understood the impacts of her actions or not. He needed to talk to her so she understood how she would be perceived. How her actions spoke to Chimera differently than they would to a human.

"Who tried the kill you?" Minos asked darkly.

"The same group of humans that took Zev away from you, and took the females," Sasha said fiercely. "They've deceived my hus—my mate, and they've hurt the Chimera. I didn't know of them and want nothing to do with them."

Minos regarded her carefully. "The Team. The ones who do the experiments."

"Yes."

"You don't know them, yet they're trying to kill you?"

"Because of me," Zev added quietly. "They know she has more power over me than they do now. They're trying to pin me down, using her."

"And yet, she is Alpha? Are you certain this isn't a trick, Zev? That she hasn't been planted by them?"

"No!" Zev and Sasha both snapped. But Minos just blew the breath from his wide nostrils again.

Zev wanted to plow his fist into his friend's face for casting that doubt over Sasha, but in the back of his mind that little voice niggled.

If Minos thought this, others would, too. It was a warning. Something they would need to address when they returned to the Village.

The village. His mind sparked with an idea—a detour he and Sasha would take before returning to the village. He would show her the beauty of Thana, and its former strength.

Forcing himself to focus on the problem at hand, Zev kept his face blank, but made sure his friend scented his determination, his strength.

He would not accept any danger around Sasha. If Minos thought he could challenge her the way he would another Chimera…

But his old friend shook his head until his ears flapped. "No good ever comes of being close to the humans," he said darkly. "But if this one will fight the others… perhaps that is an asset we have not had before."

Zev heaved a sigh of relief. His friend wouldn't charge.

"How long are you staying?" he asked him. "We're in Yhet's cave for another few days, then headed back. Will you stay here or are you travelling to the gate?"

"Not to the gate, no," Minos said with a snort and a shudder. "That place is a death trap. No, I hoped to catch Yhet and just… understand what was happening."

"What's happening is that we're removing the human stain from Thana," Zev said fiercely. "We're going to strengthen the Chimera in Thana, then find a way to bring our people back here and keep the humans from ever returning. They can shove their assistance up their soft asses," he growled.

Minos chuckled and Sasha bit her lip.

Zev looked at her carefully. He hadn't spoken to her about that part of his plan. But she didn't seem concerned. He prayed they could find a way. His head spun with ideas, none of which were likely to work.

"So, you two are in your Solitude?" Minos said suddenly, his eyes wide.

Zev nodded.

"Forgive me, friend. I didn't mean to intrude."

"It's fine," Zev said. "You weren't to know. And I'm glad to see you."

The minotaur shrugged. "I will move forward then, travel on. I cannot bring myself to be near the gate, but perhaps the City… perhaps I can stomach that."

He didn't sound confident. Zev understood the feeling. The City was nothing like a human City. Ancient and carved mainly from rock and stone, it was very clearly not something from the human team. And yet, their ancestors had understood the use of straight lines and levels—and Zev wondered if, even with the larger spaces and cavernous ceilings, he would be able to sleep within the City?

He guessed he would find out soon.

"If you come across the twins, don't tell them," Zev said, leaning in to share scents with Minos as his friend prepared to move on. "I want to tell them myself if I get a chance. The Tigers might find them first. But let them hear from someone they recognize, Minos."

His friend nodded. "It is not a duty I would relish, they'll hear nothing from me."

"Thank you."

Then Minos turned to face Sasha. "I do not know how you came to be in this place, and with this male. But I know he has heart. He would not choose a female without it. So I pray you prove true, Sasha of no Clan. I pray you lead to strength for Chimera, not for the humans."

Sasha looked stunned, but nodded. Minos and Zev brushed each other once more, then the male turned and started down the valley without looking back.

 

Chapter 192

She joined Zev for the rest of his foraging just in case there were any other Chimera prowling the valley.

He'd found a patch of the bloodwort right before she screamed, so after Minos disappeared around the valley corner, Zev had taken her hand and led her back to the trees where he'd been working.

They were both quiet. Zev, because he was focused. Sasha because something was bothering her. Something about this whole situation that had only come home to her when she'd listened to that male…

She watched Zev work, quickly and efficiently finding the stalks of the plant that held the best leaves this late in the season, and put them in the small foraging bag he'd brought. As he worked, he explained.

"It's only the leaves that will work. You can grind them into a paste when they're green that will help blood clot and wounds to seal so they can heal with less scarring. Or you can dry them and make a powder to sprinkle. I'll do both," he said distractedly.

She stood behind him while he knelt over the plants, his broad back rippling under his jacket as he reached and cut, focused on his task. And yet, even in that, his eyes kept drifting back to her, and more than once he stroked a hand down her calf.

Despite her unease, Sasha's heart swelled with love watching him work like this, his simple, clear understanding of what he was to do and how to do it… it touched her somehow. Made his strength seem deeper. Such a simple task, yet she wouldn't have known to do it—or how. When he finally stood, sliding his hooked knife back into its sheath, then putting everything into the satchel, he found her staring at him.

"What?" he asked, going still.

"You're just… I love you, Zev. Watching you. I'm just always kind of in awe."

He frowned. "Why?" It was a genuine question, she realized. He wasn't inviting compliments, he really didn't understand her response to him.

With a surge of emotion, she stepped into him, putting her arms around his waist and laying her head against his chest. He hugged her close.

"Sash, what's—?"

"You always know what to do," she said softly. "You always know the right way forward. And you don't… you don't make a fuss. You just do it. I wish I could be that way."

He pulled her head up so he could meet her eyes, his forehead furrowed. "It's not true that I always know what to do. At all. Look at the clusterfuck of the last five years. I should have moved on this sooner, Sash. I should have seen it. Should have known."

"But as soon as you did, you changed. I… I'm not sure I could have… it's hard to admit when I've been wrong. I would have been stuck longer than you, I think. Because I wouldn't have been willing to look at myself and admit I was wrong."

He stroked her hair and stared at her, his eyes pinched with concern.

She made herself laugh to break the tension, to cover for the sinking feeling in her gut. "It's the only reason I'm still here, Zev. Because I refused to admit to my family and friends that I was wrong about you, even when it was all they could see."

His forehead furrowed and he held her face. "But you weren't wrong, Sash. That wasn't stubbornness. That was strength. Because I did love you—I do. I always have. Fighting for the right thing, that's not a weakness. That's a strength."

"But how to do you tell the difference?" she asked honestly. "How do you know when to fight and when to look at yourself?"

He blinked, frowning thoughtfully. "I guess… I guess I try to always question myself, but I'm honest with myself, too. If I'm certain I'm right, I stick with it, even when others fight. But if I'm wrong… I don't."

Sasha sighed and leaned her forehead into his chest. They held each other for a long time, before she pulled away.

"Let's get back to the cave," she said, then despite the darkness creeping up on her heart, she almost snorted. That was a sentence she'd never imagined herself saying casually.

Zev smiled and even in her funk, her blood heated at the suggestion that flashed in his eyes.

*****

~ ZEV ~

He'd almost taken her again as soon as they got back to the cave, but he knew he needed to prepare the bloodwort while it was still fresh. So he made himself keep his hands to himself while he plucked the darkest leaves to dry, and put the lighter ones aside in a mortar and pestle left in the box next to the fire.

He got busy, consumed with his task and barely noticed when Sasha offered to cook them both dinner. It made sense, after all. He was busy and she wasn't.

But an hour later, as he stood next to a tall, thin table near the waterfall, crushing leaves and testing the paste for the correct texture, Sasha cursed and there was an almighty clang as the massive cast iron frying pan tumbled to the floor of the cave, spilling fat sausages to roll around on the stone.

Zev rushed to help her, dragging her to the waterfall and pressing her hand under it. "Keep it there," he said quickly. She nodded with tears in her eyes, but didn't move when he stepped away.

Grabbing the thick towel he used for holding the hot metal, and getting it balanced on the grate over the flames again, he used a fork to pick up the sausages and throw them back into the pan, where they sizzled immediately.

"You can't keep cooking them! They've been on the floor!" Sasha protested, looking like she might take her hand out from under the cold water and come after him. Zev shot her a warning look not to move and put the last of the sausages back into the pan.

"This isn't your world, Sash. We don't have refrigerators and electricity. We hunt for food, and nothing gets wasted. Cooking them properly will kill any germs. And we can't afford to throw them away."

He straightened, brushing his hands off on his leathers and turning to face her.

Sasha stared at him, looking so miserable he hurried towards her.

 

Chapter 193

Her eyes were red and unshed tears shone in her eyes. Zev's stomach plummeted.

"Hey, don't look like that. It's not a problem, Sash. I just meant you don't have to worry—"

"Not worry?! I just dumped your dinner on the floor!"

"So? It happens to all of us—I remember one time, Dunken was—"

"Zev, listen to me!" Her voice was high and thin. "I'm human. Not Chimera. I don't know all the things you guys know. I can't even cook a meal here! Everything is too big and too heavy. I don't know how to do things over a fire. I'm not strong enough lift everything. I don't know how to walk quietly in the forest. I can't turn into an animal and use that to hunt or… or anything! If I can't even cook a meal, how am I going to be any kind of leader here? You have to take the Alpha thing. Beat me in a fight, or whatever… Zev you have to!"

"Sash," he sighed, "We can talk about this later—"

"No, Zev. I realized talking to that Minos guy… I'm not one of you. I mean, I knew that, but… but he's right. It was a total fluke that I killed Xar. Everyone's going to realize that and they either won't trust me, or they'll think it was a set-up, just like your friend did. They won't trust me—and if they did, they shouldn't. I don't have a clue what I'm doing! I can't even walk through the dark without help. It makes absolutely no sense for me to make any decisions for you and your people when I can't even function in this world!"

He stood at her side. Sasha stared up at him. She still had her hand under that flow of near-frozen water, her skin turning red with the cold, and her teeth gritted against the pain. But her eyes… her eyes were pleading and miserable, shining with tears. Her brows were high. She was afraid and angry and so, so beautiful.

With a heavy sigh, he pulled her hand out from under the water and checked the reddened skin with the white prickles of tiny blisters where she'd burned it.

He lifted it to his mouth and kissed the spot softly.

Sasha's face crumpled and she drew her hand out of his, holding it to her chest. "You're so much better than me, Zev. At… everything. I'm going to end up letting you down and then… and then you won't… I mean, you might… regret it."

Zev frowned. "Regret what?"

"This. Me."

"What?!"

She looked back up at him and her jaw tightened. "I'm useless here, Zev. It's not like in my world where I can take care of myself. I know nothing here. And you're being so sweet, but you're under so much pressure. And now you have to watch out for me, too? That's going to get really old, really fast."

"Sasha, where is this coming from? I've been watching out for you since the day we met. You're my mate! I watch out for you and you watch out for me. That's what we do."

"Don't be ridiculous, Zev. I can't watch out for you—I can't even see or the hear the same things you can."

Zev sighed. "I don't mean the physical stuff, Sash. I mean… me."

She frowned. "I don't understand."

Drawing her away from the water, he led her to the end of the bed and sat down there. Sasha pulled herself up onto it and sat cross-legged. Her eyes were still red, but she was curious. Zev ran a hand through his hair and told himself not to be a pussy.

"I know the feeling you're talking about," he said quietly. "That feeling of being out of your place. Like… like you don't fit."

She nodded.

Zev grimaced. "That's been my whole life, Sash. I don't think you can understand when you've had a family and been a part of something but… but I don't belong to anyone. Do you get that? I was made. As a child I was just… watched. I had to grow and learn and… people helped me. But it's not the same thing. I've seen Chimera with their moms and dads. There's something special in that—two people in the world who watch out for you. Who teach you. Who… they have a sense of possession and protection. I've never known that, Sash. And it wasn't until recently that I even understood that that's what made this hole in my gut that I've carried around for as long as I can remember. Even the relationships I have are chosen. I don't belong to anyone." She opened her mouth to protest, but he rushed on. "At least, I didn't, until I met you."

Sasha's eyes were wide, clearing, and full of love. "You belong to me," she whispered.

He nodded. "I don't need you to protect my body, Sash. I need you to… to love me. I need you to want me. I need you to know me. I don't know how to explain it, but my whole life before you felt wrong—like something was missing. And then after you… after you it felt wrong whenever you were gone. And now with the bond…" He had to look away. It felt like he was cracking his own chest open and baring his heart to her. And he needed to, he knew. She needed to know how she was needed. But fuck… he'd never spoken these words out loud. What if she laughed?

He cleared his throat and took her hand and held it, staring at it because he was too much of a coward to meet her eyes. "The things I've done, Sash. The mistakes I've made. The ways I've betrayed you—and myself. And the lies I fell for…" He shook his head. "I need you, Sasha. I need you to forgive me, and see whatever it is you see in me. And not give up on that. Because without you, none of the rest of it matters."

Sasha's breath caught.

.

 

Chapter 194

"But…" Sasha breathed. "But you're the ten. I'm the seven."

Zev blinked. Her expression was so tortured he'd expected… well, not that. "Sash… I don't understand?"

Sasha rolled her eyes and pushed both hands back through her hair. "Sorry, sorry. It's a stupid thing from when we were kids."

"What thing?"

She put a hand to her face like she was embarrassed. Her cheeks dragged down as if she might cry and Zev reached for her, but she caught his wrist before he got a hold of her and stopped him. "No, I think I need to say this," she said, then cleared her throat and met his eyes. "There's this stupid thing in my world where people get rated on their looks and their money and… it's stupid and shallow and it doesn't really mean anything. But people… rate themselves. And each other. On a measure of ten. And Zev, you're a ten. You've always been a ten. And I'm… not. And everyone knew it from the first day we were together. It's why they all believed it when you left. Even my parents, Zev. They weren't surprised when you left. They were surprised it took you so long."

"What?!"

Sasha swallowed. "Zev, you married down. Or, mated I supposed. You mated down."

His head spun. He thought he knew what that meant, but… "How can you say that?"

"Don't you remember when we got together in high school and everyone kind of laughed about it?"

He frowned. "They laughed?"

"Yes. They laughed. A lot. They didn't stop laughing for like, six months."

"Why?"

"Because by human standards you're so far out of my league it's literally laughable."

Zev frowned. "That's ridiculous."

"No, Zev, it's not. Like I said, even my parents recognized it. They thought you were great. They just didn't understand why you were with me."

His face got fierce, and her heart swelled when his fist clenched. "That's… that's just wrong, Sash. I wish I'd known. I would have told them—"

"C'mon, Zev. You said it yourself… you're better. At everything. You're bigger, stronger, handsomer, funnier—you're just better. You're… you're mythical. And I'm just normal."

"Sash," he growled. "I remember now, the way you used to talk yourself down back then. I never intended—"

"No, no, this isn't that. I'm trying to get you to see: What you've just said to me… Zev, that's the most amazing thing anyone's ever said to me. And I believe you. And I love you even more for it. I really do. But it makes no sense to anyone in my world, and I'm willing to bet it's making no sense to anyone in this world either. You're more than me. More of everything. To say you need my approval or my validation or… or anything. It just doesn't make sense."

"You're the one who's not making sense, Sash," he muttered. "The Chimera value you already—purely by virtue of being female, if nothing else. But beyond that. They understand you because I told them about you. They know you're valuable because you're valuable to me. That's the Chimeran way. When we find our mates they are… for us. I don't know how to say it better than that. Everyone understands that."

"But I kept making mistakes, and they were all challenging you and—"

"To win you, do you get that, Sash? They were challenging me because they value you and they wanted you for themselves."

Sasha blinked. "This isn't… I don't think you're understanding what I'm saying."

He tipped his head, his jaw twitching. "Oh, I understand now. But I'm disagreeing. You think because I'm physically superior, that that makes me more valuable than you. And I'm trying to get you to understand what the Chimera already know: My physical abilities are worthless unless my heart is strong. And my heart is only made strong by you. When you believe in me, Sash, I can do anything. When you value me, I'm invincible. Without you I'm just… Lhars."

It was so unexpected, and the look on Zev's face when he said it—like he'd eaten something that he couldn't decide whether he liked the taste of or not… Sasha snorted.

"Lhars isn't a bad thing to be in my world," she said dryly, meaning to compliment him, but he looked at her sharply and she realized it was the wrong thing to say. "I didn't mean it like that," she put her hands up. "I just meant you're both… physically… excellent examples of… maleness," she ended lamely.

Zev examined her for a moment. "Is that all you want, Sash? A specimen?"

Her stomach plummeted to her toes. It came home to her then that that's how he'd been treated by the humans in his life. Like a breeding stud. An animal—a valuable, beautiful animal. Valued for what he could do, but never seen for who he was.

She scooted closer to him on the bed and put a hand on his thigh. "No, Zev. No!" she reached for him when he didn't soften immediately, stroking his face. "It's you I want. Who you are. Your heart. Your love. Your smile. Whether you're physically… what are you now, or not. I just want you. I love you."

His eyes drifted closed and he put his hand over hers on his face.

"It's just you that I want too, Sash. Your strength, your humor, the way you love… I need you."

"I need you too," she whispered, stunned to learn that he felt as vulnerable as she did in this—perhaps more so.

She'd always seen him as so strong and confident… she'd never considered that his mind might have been twisted.

Of course, she hadn't known he was a science experiment until a few days ago, either.

Putting both hands up to cup his face, she held his eyes. "I love you, Zev. You're mine. My mate. And I'm so glad that I can say that. I don't feel like I deserve you. But I love you and I'll keep loving you—even in the next life. Remember?"

His face softened and his lips tipped up. Without another word, he leaned in and took her in a kiss, his mouth hot and desperate, seeking.

And as he pushed her back, down onto the bed, and crawled over her, Sasha almost laughed with the joy of knowing how much she loved him, and how much he loved her back.

 

Chapter 195

It was torture, springing up from the bed when one of the sausages popped in the pan and turning his attention back to the food, and the dressing for his back. He forced himself to it, because his side was aching more than it should because he'd reopened the wound and he didn't want anything to ruin the rest of the time they had.

So as they both forced themselves to get back up, it was with glazed eyes and hearts beating too fast. Sasha was stunning—hair mussed and lips swollen with kisses, cheeks flushed and her eyes sparkling whenever they landed on him.

It was torment. Delicious torment. He forced himself to go back to the table at the side of the room, but his eyes kept dragging back to her form, he kept inhaling her scent—rich with desire and thrill. Their eyes caught and she smiled. A promise, he knew.

He ground the leaves faster.

The sausages were burnt on one side because they'd gotten distracted, but neither of them cared. And after he'd helped her clean up, she turned to face him, that delighted suggestion in her eyes.

Zev's wolf growled with approval.

"I need to wash and redress my back," he said carefully, circling her in his arms.

"Do you need some help?"

"Yes, please."

Getting ready for a wound dressing had never been so… tantalizing.

Once he had the pot on the fire again, warming, Sasha pushed him back and forced him to sit on the edge of the bed. Then she started on his buttons, biting her lower lip so hard it turned white under her teeth. He wanted to tease it out with his thumb and kiss it to soothe it. But he was too busy keeping his hands on her. Holding her hips, trailing fingers up her sides, just touching her. Keeping contact as she worked on the buttons of his furs.

When she popped the last one at the bottom of his jacket, her hand brushed his groin and his entire body jolted to attention.

Sasha, the vixen, smiled up at him through her lashes.

Then she peeled both sides of the fur away from his chest and ran her hands up to his shoulders, pushing the fur off and down his arms.

He was forced to reach back carefully to peel the first sleeve off his arm and throw it back, but Sasha took the cuff of the other one and pulled it all the way off.

There was a dark patch on the inside of the furs. He prayed her eyes were too fixed on his face to notice.

She stepped up between his knees and her hands went straight to his shoulders. She leaned in until they were almost nose to nose, her breath fluttering on his lips when she spoke.

"Let me wash it for you."

He nodded, not trusting his voice and turned, pulling one knee up onto the bed to give her better access to his back and side, praying the bleeding from the dressing wasn't too bad.

But she hissed and tsked. "This had to be hurting, Zev. You should have told me!"

"Minos slapped it today, that's the main problem," he said, conveniently ignoring that he'd actually opened the wounds back up before his friend made it worse.

But Sasha didn't. Muttering about Alpha males and their pride, she began peeling the dressing away from his skin. He tensed—it fucking hurt—but didn't say anything, distracting himself by squeezing her thigh and kissing her lips when they came within reach.

"You're not helping right now," she breathed after the third kiss that forced her to stop working while she gave it her full attention.

"Sorry," he said, his voice low and husky. He didn't want to take the time to do this at all—he was desperate for her. But he couldn't risk getting an infection.

So he forced himself to stop kissing her, giving her instructions for softening the dressing where the blood had crusted against his skin, then cleaning and applying the salve he'd made from the leaves of the bloodwort.

It took almost an hour to get it clean, dry, and redressed, but when she finally stepped back, pleased with herself, fingers sticky with honey, she grinned.

"Done!"

Zev took her hips and pulled her close, growling in his throat as he kissed her.

She returned the kiss enthusiastically, but wouldn't touch him because she had sticky hands. So he was forced to wait again while she washed and put away the supplies.

His blood rushed in his veins though, when she finally put the honey and salve on the table and said, "Done!"

She turned to face him, but didn't walk towards him immediately, smiling, leaning back on the table behind her.

Zev raised an eyebrow. "Done?"

"Done."

"Then come here."

Her smile grew. "In a minute."

He hummed in his throat. "What are you waiting for?"

"I need to get more comfortable," she said with a wicked smile. Then Zev's throat went dry as she reached up to unbutton the top loop on the chest of her fur jacket.

He sucked in a deep breath. "It's only fair, I supposed, since you took mine off an hour ago."

Her eyebrows waggled mischievously. And she popped the second one. Then the third.

Zev's followed her progress, his wolf eyes honed in on the spot where her skin would be revealed when the jacket was finally open. His breath was already coming faster, heavier. His hands twitched towards her, but it was a delicious torment, he reminded himself. A torment because he hated to wait. But delicious because he knew his appetite would be sated.

He cleared his throat when she finally slid the last button out of its loop and her hands relaxed at her sides. The two panels of the double-breasted fur jacket fell to the sides, the weight of them pulling the tops down so a V of pale skin was bared that revealed from her collar bones all the way down to the inner rounds of her breasts, but nothing more. Then she reached under them to the ties of her leggings and Zev's breath stopped.

"Zev?" she said quietly.

"Mmm?" Her hands weren't moving. Dammit. Why had she stopped?

"My eyes are up here." She was laughing.

Manfully, Zev yanked his gaze back up to her beautiful eyes, dancing with joy.

Delicious torment, he reminded himself, pushing off the bed as his body pulled towards her.. Nothing tasted better.

 

Chapter 196

Zev was off of the bed and prowling towards her, his eyes fixed and intent. A wolf on the hunt—but with a smile.

"Now, wait," she giggled. "I haven't finished getting comfortable."

"I'll help," he growled. She opened her mouth to tease him more, but he was there, looming over her, all dark eyes and rumpled hair because he'd clawed a hand through it. But instead of kissing her first as she'd expected, he slid his hands between the front layers of her jacket to find her skin. Then he lifted the sides wide and pushed the jacket off her shoulders just as she'd done for him. Their eyes locked as Sasha let it drop to the table behind her.

"Better?" he rasped.

"Better. But I could still get more comfortable," she breathed.

Zev made that gorgeous, groaning huff of a call—his heart's song, he called it—and her own heart pattered against her ribs. His hands rested on her waist, this thumbs tracing the bottoms of her breasts, but without taking his eyes off her he let his hands trail down to the tie on her fur leggings and began to unknot it with short, sharp tugs.

Sasha's breath came faster and she reached for his leggings too, returning the favor, though he was faster.

Her leggings sagged to her hips while she was still working on getting his untied. He leaned over her then, kissing her shoulder as he ran his hands up her back, then down, sliding them under the waistband of the leggings and down, over her buttocks until they slumped to her knees.

Sasha's breath caught, but she'd finally freed the knot on his furs and tugged the lace loose so they'd fall too.

She wanted to laugh, both of them standing there naked with their pants around their ankles, but she didn't have time to think about it, because Zev's magic fingers kneaded the back of her neck, then fisted in her hair and gently pulled her head back as he descended for an open mouthed kiss.

Sasha put her hands to his chest and let herself get lost in the warmth of his full lips, the tease of his tongue. Without breaking the kiss, he stepped out of his leggings and kicked them away behind him.

Sasha shifted her weight, intending to do the same thing, but Zev leaned down, his hands cupping the backs of her thighs, and he lifted her effortlessly, her feet trailing out of the pooled leggings. She gasped and grabbed onto his shoulders, but he only lifted her high enough to rest her butt on the tabletop, inching forward so he stood between her knees.

Desire bubbled in her stomach as he leaned in, their bodies finally brushing. She hooked one foot behind his thigh and pulled him closer, sinking into his kiss. His breath thundered across her cheek and he buried a hand in her hair again, holding the back of her head to deepen the kiss further.

Sasha was shaking—a delicious, hum of anticipation that began in her belly, but sang out through her veins, feeding her bones and muscles, pumping her heart until she'd never felt so alive.

Zev's hands were everywhere—stroking, palming, warming. Sasha arched into his palms like a cat, as his fingers trailed on her skin like cold comets that left her tingling, gasping for more. When he brushed her nipples with the pads of his thumbs she gasped.

When his fingers dug into her hips as he pulled her closer, a tiny cry broke in her throat when they came together and she could feel him there, ready, wanting her.

He dropped his head to open his mouth on her throat, a tiny growl puttering in his chest, vibrating against her nipples. Shivering with the pure bliss of it all, Sasha dropped her head back and reached up to claw a hand into his hair and hold him against her.

Then his teeth grazed the cord of her neck and her entire body jangled with the bolt of desire that shot through her.

"Sash… God…" His voice was tortured and rough, so deep. And she clung. But he straightened then, one hand slipping to the hollow of her back, to pull her against him, grinding against her, sending new spasms of pleasure zipping into her limbs.

"Zev," she gasped and opened her eyes to find him staring down at her, his jaw slack and eyes fixed, shining with sheer want.

Lifting one hand to her face, he stroked down her neck, traced her collarbone, then let his hand cover her breast, palming it, taking the weight of it, then opening his hand to tease her nipple between his thumb and forefinger in the same rhythm he rocked against her.

Another cry broke in her throat and he groaned, and almost took her, sweat beginning to sheen on his forehead. Sasha leaned back until her shoulders rested on the cave wall, cold and slick, a strange contrast to the demanding heat of Zev.

She tilted her hips and whispered his name. "Please."

*****

~ ZEV ~

Body aflame and heart pounding, Zev groaned a curse, still watching himself play with her breast, his breath tearing, hot and rough over open lips.

"Zev… Please!"

"God, Sash." She was the hottest thing he'd ever seen, completely open to him, letting him see her, giving herself—and now… holy fuck.

Sasha arched as he rocked against her, pulling him closer with her heels, trying to take him, pleading with gasped whispers, her body trembling with need. He wasn't sure she even realized she was still saying please in short gasps.

He leaned over her, one hand flat to the wall and took her mouth in a bruising kiss. He tried to be gentle, but the wolf in him was howling. She'd been touched by another male that afternoon and he could still smell traces of Minos on her hands. It made him shudder with the urge to possess her, to hold her away from the world, to take.

He forced himself to taste instead, to savor, to roll against her again, and again, until she was writhing beneath him, her legs wrapped around his back.

Then, as he kissed her again, she reached between them to stroke him and his control shredded.

 

Chapter 197

Zev's kiss became almost overwhelming. He groaned and his breath roared, his body twitching as she stroked him.

"Hold onto me," he growled, grabbing her hand and pulling it up to his shoulder.

"But—"

"I said hold on!" he hissed, then with a tortured groan he buried his face in her neck and with that resonant call, tilted his hips and took her.

Sasha cried out, the invasion a slide of sheer pleasure that sent fizzing, tingling curls of bliss spiraling out to her extremities. Every nerve ending in her body seemed to press to the top layer of her skin until she could feel every brush, every hair, every sliding invasion in detail.

She'd been wrong before. This was the most alive she'd ever felt.

But Zev wasn't done. Both hands gripped her bottom and lifted. With a tiny shriek, her eyes flew open and she clung to his shoulders.

"I've got you, I got you," he growled, lifting and turning her. Her legs were locked around his waist, but she was leaned back, had been letting the wall take her weight.

When he lifted her, she was arched back and it brought them closer together. Sasha, overwhelmed and uncertain, but desperate for him to keep going, grabbed for a better grip on his shoulders, her hand slapping on his skin.

"I've got you," he groaned again, and then bounced her on his hips as he thrust.

Sasha cried out, her bodyweight bringing them together hard so her entire body shook with the jolt of pleasure. He took a step and did it again and Sasha gasped. Again. Again. She was leaned back, eyes closed and head back, clinging so hard her nails dug into his skin.

But he called for her again, and again and she was keening, unable to think or care how she looked, only desperate for him not to stop.

Then the angle changed suddenly and he pulled her to his chest as he leaned forward. Sasha opened her eyes and realized he'd walked her to the bed and was now crawling them onto it, still carrying her, his large hand flat, splayed at the center of her back, his lips on her neck as he carried her up, onto the bed.

A moment later he lowered her to the furs, her head on the pillow, but he didn't follow, sitting back on his heels instead to look down at her again, but still loving her, still rolling his hips, holding hers, pulling her onto him, his eyes hooded and breath tearing between his teeth as he gazed down on her like she was the most precious thing in the world.

His chest flexed, his shoulders and arms rippling as he pulled her into him. He was the sexiest thing she'd ever seen, but watching him only distracted her from the incredible sensations he was building within her.

Still gasping, she closed her eyes and let herself sink into the feeling of the pleasure building where they joined, the way his fingers clasped her hips, the shocking scratch of his stubble when he dropped to his hands, bracing over her and kissed his way along the underside of her jaw. To soft slickness of his hair between her fingers as she held him there, pleading for him never to leave, never to stop.

And the gorgeous vibration of his deep voice against her chest when he vowed that he never would.

She pulled him into a kiss then, desperate and feral, teeth bared and lips open, her tongue invading his mouth the way he invaded her. She writhed against him, frantic noises breaking in her throat that were supposed to be his name, but she couldn't quite form a word.

The world became very small then, made up of crackling electricity, heat, and building pressure that tingled and threatened, glittering stars on the edge of her vision. Then she sucked on his tongue and Zev gave a shuddering groan.

Arching back, he raised his chin to the sky and gave that glorious call, his voice echoing in the cavern as he gripped her shoulder and thrust into her, against his own resistance.

"Zev!" Sasha's body shivered once, twice, three times, then her stomach dropped as she tumbled into her climax like falling off a cliff into the sea, rolled and buffeted in every direction by it, as if she'd been pulled under an ocean of pleasure and was being tossed by its waves.

Zev's call rolled off into a growl as he dropped both hands, fisting them in the furs on either side of her head and bracing, the veins and tendons in his arms standing proud as he called again and again, pounding into her, then shuddering, his body arching and rigid before he slumped, sweaty and panting over her, his lips against her cheek.

Sasha took minutes to come back down to earth. When she did, she was still clinging to him, her legs around his waist, her arms around his chest, fingers clawed into his hair, pulling him against her as if she was afraid he would leave.

She blinked and made herself relax, running her fingers up and down his neck and scalp. Zev shivered, then took a deep breath and raised his head to lean his temple on one elbow and gaze down at her.

"Are you okay?" he asked, concerned, but smiling.

"I'm better than okay," she breathed, staring at him. "It's just getting better, Zev."

"I know." He leaned down to kiss her, then propped himself up again so she could breathe. "I don't know what I did to deserve you, Sash. But I hope I'll figure it out so I can keep doing it."

She laughed, which made her clench on him and they both groaned a little bit, Zev dropping his head to kiss her again, softly this time, not pulling away, but leaving his lips against hers as he spoke. "Never stop loving me," he whispered.

"Impossible," she whispered back. "It's impossible, Zev."

He curled a hand over her head and slumped again, his lips against her neck. "I love you, Sash."

"I love you too, Zev."

"That makes me the luckiest bastard alive."

 

Chapter 198

They must have dozed off, because she woke with a start, adrenalin flooding her veins. But Zev was still there, his weight still pinning her to the furs. And she was… she was wonderful.

She let one hand play across the back of his broad shoulders, following the peaks and valleys of muscle and bone, tracing the gorgeous dip that followed his spine and praising whatever creator had made him. Whatever else these men had done, they'd done something right with him. He was a work of art.

Zev sucked in a deep breath and raised his head, his eyes bleary. "Oh, gosh, Sash, are you okay?" he asked, his voice thick with sleep as he pushed himself up onto one elbow. "I didn't mean to crush you."

"You didn't," she whispered, running her fingers through his hair and smiling as it fell over his forehead and eyes. "I just woke up too."

Zev blinked and looked around, then smiled down at her. "You're beautiful when you're rumpled," he said, his voice husky and delighted.

Sasha felt her cheeks heat, but she couldn't stop smiling. "You're biased, I think."

Eventually he rolled off, but neither of them moved, both laying on their sides, facing each other. She kept tracing his chest, while he played his fingers up and down her upper arm. As they talked.

She felt closer to him now. As if something that stood between them had been stripped away. As if she were safe. More than safe. As if she was secure. Standing tall, but sheltered from whatever wind would try to blow her over.

Zev stared into her eyes then huffed a small laugh. "Do you want to know the best part?" he graveled playfully.

Realizing he was talking about the sex, Sasha's cheeks got warmer again. "Sure."

Instead of hearing his voice recount for her what he'd enjoyed, he played an image in her mind—her, but from his point of view, hovering over her when she was arched back on the table, her eyes closed and eyelids fluttering, writhing, trying to get him to take her.

"Zev!" she gasped, covering her face, then realizing that did no good because he'd put the images in her mind, not in front of her eyes. "Stop! That's so embarrassing."

"It's not embarrassing. It's hot," he chuckled.

"It's embarrassing for me—stop!" she said, but she was giggling too. "Please. I don't want to see myself. It'll just make me self-conscious."

He took the images out of her head, but leaned in to kiss her, then murmured, "You have nothing to be self-conscious about. You're amazing. Beautiful. And hot as fucking lava."

She groaned and buried her face in his neck, hugging him to her, brimming with happiness—and still some embarrassment.

They held each other for a long time. When Sasha pulled back, it was to eye him with curiosity. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course."

"Why do you stare?" she whispered. She could understand wanting to see her in general—she loved looking at his body too. But when they were in the throes of that? That was a time she wanted to feel. Why did he want to look at… everything?

"I love looking at you," he said hoarsely. "Fuck, Sash, you have no idea what you do to me. I want to drink you in. Seeing you, it's a drug."

"Isn't it gross?"

He snorted. "Not to me."

Sasha shuddered. "I think seeing too much would creep me out," she said.

Zev frowned. "Would you rather I didn't look?"

"No, no. I mean, if that's your jam, you go for it. Just… don't judge."

"Judge what?"

"My body."

Zev frowned harder and made her look at him again. "What is this now?"

"Nothing! I just mean, you know, depending what we're doing, things might… jiggle."

His eyebrows popped up. "The jiggling is the best part!"

"Ew, no."

"Seriously."

"Zev—"

"Sash, I'm serious. I want to see your breasts bounce. I want to see your ass jiggle. I want to see your thighs—"

"Stop! Shit, stop, Zev, or I swear I'm never going to be able to have sex with you again."

"What?!"

"I can't… I can't imagine all those things. It will just make me embarrassed."

"Why? It's beautiful!"

"Not to me."

Zev snorted. "Well, not to put too fine a point on it, but you're not the one who needs to appreciate it. Do you think I should be ashamed of the ways my body jiggles?"

Sasha rolled her eyes. "You're such a man."

"What? It's a fair question."

"No, it's not. You're a freaking god come to life. If anything you have jiggles, it's because it's supposed to."

"And you're not supposed to? Jiggle, I mean?"

"This is a stupid conversation, I'm stopping it now," she said, and was about to roll off the bed when Zev caught her and forced her to come back.

"No, wait. Stop, Sash. I'm not trying to embarrass you. I'm truly curious. Because I love your body. And I love the way you're giving it to me. I want you to see it as I see it—because it's beautiful to me. And hot as hell. Isn't that a good thing?"

"Yes, of course," she whispered.

"Then why aren't you meeting my eyes?"

She dragged her gaze up to meet his and sighed. "Because I guess I'm still scared that something's going to go wrong and I'm going to lose you," she said honestly.

"You think I would leave you for… jiggling?"

"No, I think you might see something that isn't beautiful. And then that might turn you off. And then you might lose interest in me. And then you might leave."

Zev shook his head. "Your head… it's not a pleasant place to be much of the time, is it?"

"Is yours?"

He frowned thoughtfully. "No, I suppose it's not," he admitted a moment later. Then his eyes snapped back to hers. "I worry about losing you as well. So maybe what we need to do is… never do that to each other."

"I already told you I wasn't going anywhere Zev."

"And I told you the same," he pointed out. "And yet, here we are. Worried about jiggling."

It sounded ridiculous, and she wanted to laugh, but there was also a piece of her that wanted to cry. Because he was right. He had been reassuring her. More than she deserved, honestly. Yet, she was worried, still.

"Sash, look at me." His voice was a low husk. She looked up to meet his eyes and he smiled. "I think… I know it's my fault that you're nervous. And I know there's nothing you can do about that. But I want you to know… I want you to be certain… I vow to you, if there is ever a jiggle I don't like—literal, or metaphorical—I won't leave you. I'll… learn to love it."

She bit her lip to swallow back tears. "Thank you, Zev," she rasped. "Me too. I promise. I'm never leaving. And if there's a jiggle… I'll find a way to love it, too."

Then he pulled her into another kiss, and her heart sang with the same song he'd sung when they were making love.

 

Chapter 199

Zev slept hard and woke with his body aching, tired from the fighting and carrying the supplies out to the cave before the Rite. A wolf's four-legged body wasn't accustomed to a backpack and bouncing weight.

The light in the cave was dim when he opened his eyes, initially giving him the impression it was still early, but his body clock argued. He'd slept in. Slept longer than usual after a late night. Blinking, he examined the ceiling of the ice-cave, and listened carefully.

There was virtually no sound from outside. Everything seemed dampened and distant. The storm must have come and snowed them in.

Zev smiled.

Turning his head slowly he found Sasha curled up on her side, facing him. She'd pulled her hair up high over the pillow, baring her neck and jaw. He knew he shouldn't wake her, but her creamy skin called his name.

Pulling her into his chest he buried his nose in her neck and she startled awake, squealing.

"Your nose is cold!" she gasped, pulling her shoulder up and trying to wriggle away. But Zev opened his mouth on her neck, last night's fire still burning both in the fireplace, and within him. To his relief, Sasha sighed and began to cling rather than retreat.

"Good morning," he murmured against her skin.

She hummed, her skin prickling with goosebumps as he continued to kiss and suck. But just as Zev prepared to roll her over and make it the very best kind of morning, she sighed and stretched, putting a hand to his chest and pulling back to meet his eyes.

Zev had to force himself to pull back, to look at her carefully, uncertain of her mood. He didn't want to push, but he'd hoped… "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she said smiling softly. "I just want to see you. I feel like… I feel like I've spent the past five years missing you, then the days ever since you came back either in danger, or frantic, or… or having sex with you," she blushed prettily. "I want to just be with you, Zev."

He stroked her hair back from her temples and smiled. "Well, then we'll just be here," he said, swallowing back the part of him that wanted to grit his teeth and insist. "You picked a good day for it. We're snowed in."

"Wait, what?!" she pushed up to sit, eyes wide and sparkling. "Seriously?"

"Yes, seriously… why is that exciting to you?"

"Because, it's a Snow Day!" she giggled, throwing the furs back and scooting off the bed. "We could make a snow man and—"

"No, Sash," Zev chuckled. "Believe me, even if you can get out there, you don't want to. You'll be snow blind in half an hour."

"Snow blind?" she frowned as she pulled her leggings on in quick tugs. "What's that?"

"When everything is white and loses its shape. The sky and the land look the same and you get disoriented because all the normal landmarks can't be seen and… trust me, today's an inside day."

She stopped pulling on her furs and stared at him. But then she gave him a wicked grin. "Can I just see it?"

Zev sighed—pushing aside his arousal right alongside the furs because he wanted to please her, but surprised by how tired and… agitated he felt. How willing he would have been to simply stay in bed. How urgently he wanted to have her.

Still, he was eager to keep her eyes sparkling like that.

"Sure." He got out of the massive bed and pulled on his own furs quickly, then took her hand and led her down the tunnel of icicles and blue glow.

"It's dark. Is it still early?" Sasha asked as they walked.

"No. The snow doesn't let as much light through as the ice," he said, weaving past one of the rock shelves in the tunnel. Then they turned a corner and were met with a snowbank, sloping from the stone floor, almost to the ceiling of the tunnel—which wasn't as high as the cave, but still well over Zev's head. There was a small hollow where the snow had fallen in and the gray light of the overcast sky could be seen breaking through the blue-white snow.

Zev lifted a hand. "I mean, I could dig us out if you want, but it will be warmer if we leave the snowbank in place. And while it's still gray outside there's likely going to be more snow which will just cover us up again."

Sasha blinked. "Are we going to get trapped?"

"No," Zev chuckled, grabbing a handful of the snow to show her how powdery it was. "It will compact over a day or two, but a lot of it will melt off as soon as the storm passes. The rest I can clear enough to get out. Don't worry, Yhet chose this location for a reason. The cave mouth gets the afternoon sun. Barring a hundred year storm, we'll be walking out of here in two or three days."

Sasha's forehead wrinkled and Zev sighed. There was only two more full days before they needed to head back—and that was assuming no dramas cropped up that sent messengers to get them sooner. He'd been very clear with Dunken and Lhars—unless the hierarchy was in danger, or the humans showed up, no one was to come for them.

That agitation tightened in his chest again and he closed his fist over the snow, squeezing it together, letting the water drip from his fingers.

"I'm scared to go back, Zev. This whole Alpha thing…"

He blinked, remembering Sasha was there. "Don't worry," he said quietly. "I'll help you."

They stared at each other for a moment, then her brows pinched. "Why didn't you just take Alpha? Why did you let them make me Alpha?"

"Because if I hadn't, they would have expected me to dominate you or fight you. I can't do that. Besides… can't you see what's happening, Sash?"

"No. What?"

Zev dropped the little chunk of ice to the floor and wiped his wet hand on his furs. "You're human. The humans are our problem. Who better to help us see through what they're doing… who better to help us thwart them than someone who knows how they work?"

"You know these people so much better than I do, Zev—"

He didn't want to think about that—about his time with the humans. About everything he'd seen. So he interrupted her with a casual shrug he didn't really feel.

"Yes, but… it's just different. Humans think differently than I do. I think you'll understand things I don't. You'll definitely understand their world better. We're going to have to go back at some point, Sash. Once we know how to do it safely, we have to get the females back here—and any others they've made. Somehow…"

Sasha raked a hand through her hair so it fell around her shoulders in lovely waves he wanted to comb with his fingers. But her expression was a strange mix of angry and disturbed.

"When you say others… you mean Chimera? They're still creating you? Not just trying to get you to breed?"

"The breeding wasn't working. I know that now. It's why they're still making us. But they don't seem to be having the success with that that they want either. They were still studying me right up to the day I left, because they say I'm what they're trying to do every time. But they claim they haven't been able to achieve that again… but then I wonder if that's all just a lie, too, and maybe I'm missing more than I thought." He stifled a growl and raked his hands through his hair, blowing out a breath to try and release the tension that didn't seem to want to leave him this morning.

"The whole thing is crazy, Sash. And every time I think I understand it, I learn something new and then I have to start again. I mean, what were they doing to Xar? Why were they giving him stuff that made him act crazy… or were they trying to stop him acting crazy? But then, why would they help us? I don't know," he muttered, shaking his head. "That's my point. I can't help but think you're here for a reason."

"Everything happens for a reason, Zev."

Zev nodded.. "Just not always the reasons we want."

 

Chapter 200

Sasha looked down at her hands. They were pale in the dim light. Cold. But not as cold as Zev's when he took her hands after he'd been touching the snow.

She gasped. "You're hand is freezing!"

Zev smiled. "I'll be fine. But why don't we go make some breakfast and just… be together."

Sasha nodded as he took her hand again and led her back. Walking into that beautiful room was like a breath of fresh air. She was glad they'd been snowed in. That there would be no more chance encounters with naked bull-men.

Sasha blinked. "So… Minos…"

"Yes?" Zev asked without looking down at her as they walked back into the bedchamber.

"Was he made by the humans?"

"Yes."

Zev let her go, returning to the fire, stoking it and place more wood on so the flames crackled and Sasha could feel the heat rising off it.

"Why?" she asked.

"Why what?"

"Why did they make a man with the head of a bull? What were they trying to do?"

"What are they ever trying to do?" Zev muttered, filling a small kettle with water and placing the huge frying pan on the frame over the flames. "Whatever it was, they obviously didn't achieve it, because they released him here."

"Why?" Sasha asked abruptly. "Why would they make him and bring him here, but then they removed half the Chimera? It doesn't make sense."

"It's because he can't be loose in the human world," Zev said, shrugging. "Any of the creatures they make that don't look human eventually get released here because if they get loose in the human world the people will figure out what they're doing. But the humans obviously treat them differently before they bring them here, because those Chimera are never willing to work with them again. They're… aggressive. It's why the humans are so nervous about being here. Outside of the village, anyway.

"The others avoid the places we gather because they say we stink too much like humans. It makes them nervous. At least, that's what Minos told me. I don't know if he was just teasing though. I do know that the others are just like Minos—not in the their form. But the fact that they're all the only ones of their kind. And they hate humans. Don't just dislike them, hate them."

Sasha hugged herself. "How many of them are there?"

"Like Minos?"

"Like, anything. You said they're all one of a kind? How many one-of-a-kinds are there?"

Zev snorted. "I don't have a clue. Hundreds? They all come here and live as best they can, then die. None of them have mates or families… it's just… they live their lives. They go kind of feral over time—many of them can't speak like we can. And the ones that do, some of them stop talking and give in to their beast sides. They're welcome among us, but they rarely take advantage of that. We leave them alone as much as we can."

"No wonder they hate humans, then," Sasha said.

"Because they can't mate?"

"Because they're lonely," she said. Wasn't it obvious? "They've been made, then just… abandoned. They don't fit with you guys, they don't fit in the human world. They're just living empty lives, isolated and… gosh, Zev, if you feel like you're strange, and you have a whole pack of wolves, imagine how people like Minos must feel!"

Zev added eggs and some bacon to the pan, but then he looked up, blinked at her, a strange expression on his face.

"What?" she asked.

"This is what I mean," he said quietly. "You see things I don't see. I thought… I thought the others avoided us because they didn't want to be near us. But you're seeing… they feel lonely. Like I did when I was in your world. That sense of not fitting… And their hate for the humans… you're right. I thought it was because they'd suffered cruelty or whatever. But you might be right. It might be as much about feeling angry about their lives as anything else."

"They hate them? More than you do?"

Zev's brows popped up. "If a human wandered into the wilderness of Thana and ran into Minos, they wouldn't live long enough to scream," he said, his face serious.

Sasha stopped breathing. "And you let me walk around out here? What if you hadn't been there and Minos found me? What if someone else does?"

Zev shook his head. "They know the humans that are on the team, make no mistake, Sasha. Their hate is personal. But also, none of the others would breach the village, or the City. They don't even want to be close to us—let alone you. And as long as you're out in the forest with one of us, you're fine."

"But, Zev… you said some of these are more like animals than humans—"

"Yes, but that doesn't mean they don't think, Sash. They just use different senses. And now that we're mated, you'll smell of me. And none of them hate me."

"But, if you're not around—!" Sasha gripped her throat, imagining what she would have done if Minos had come for her up the tree—or someone, or something else like him. So strong and tall… she wouldn't stand a chance!"

An image of Xar, throwing her to the ground, his teeth bared and eyes flaring with the light of insanity—of the horrible sound of the rock in her hand cracking his skull, and the way he slumped—

Sasha sucked in a breath, but Zev was already on his feet, rushing to her. "Hey, hey, it's okay, babe. Don't get upset. Nothing's going to happen to you here, you're safe! I promise."

"Zev, don't be na?ve! Xar almost killed me! Minos wanted to until he found out I was your mate. Who knows what else is out there, or what the Chimera will bite first and ask questions later?"

"No, no, shhhh, listen." He held her face, his eyes bright. "Listen: If you're ever away from me or the others and you run into a Chimera in the forest, you stand your ground, okay? You tell them you're my mate, and you have them smell you. They'll smell me on you. Everything will be fine."

"But—"

"Trust me, Sash. Chimera don't think like you do. It's all about hierarchy and who belongs to who. A Chimera in his right mind would never take the mate of another. Never." Then he smiled. "Technically, since you're Alpha, I belong to you. But even if they don't know you, they know me. And when they smell me on you… they'll back off. I promise. And as for the Clans…" Zev's smile broadened and he pulled her closer, his fingers combing her hair back from her temples as he beamed down at her.

"They watched you declare for me, and me for you," he said, his voice deep and husky. "In their eyes now, we're a pair. No matter what. Whether you're Alpha or I am. Or neither of us.. it doesn't matter. In the Chimeran world, you're mine, Sash. And no one's going to breach that," he said, his voice tightening with conviction—and with resolve. Then he sighed. "You're stuck with me now."

Sasha couldn't help it, he looked so handsome, despite the clouds in his eyes, they sparkled with joy as he made the statement.

"Yes, I am," she whispered. "And I'm so, so glad that that's true, Zev. You have no idea."

He pulled her into his chest and they hugged, Sasha careful to keep her arm lower than his wounds.