Ch. 51..60

Chapter 51

One moment they were walking down a trail through a forest, the next the tall pine trees opened and behind a line of thin saplings and thick bushes, small buildings seemed to just appear out of the forest—structures that, at first glance might be a fallen log, or a stack of broken branches. But were, in fact, a thick slab of bark from a massive tree to form a sloping roof, or a thick layer of branches used to insulate a wall.

Sasha blinked and swallowed and tried to make herself see, because unless she focused on something, it seemed to disappear into the forest in her peripheral vision.

They had entered a large clearing. Almost a clearing.

The trunks of massive trees were peppered around the space, still rooted and tall—but becoming the pillars of a shelter, or one side of a wall. The tops of the trees had been removed so there was more light—which was why it had the feeling of a clearing. When Sasha looked up, there were no branches blocking her view of the sky. And yet… and yet everything around her looked like it had grown there.

Sasha was fascinated. Some of the structures were easily as big as her apartment back in the city. How had they made these places with no straight lines, and with only natural resources, so that they blended so perfectly with their surroundings?

She turned to Zev, smiling, but her stomach went cold. His face was somber and tight. He was watching the people that were congregating at the center of this area, pouring out of the structures—some even leaping from within the branches of the surrounding trees—to flow into a crowd that continued to grow and grow.

She heard Zev's name more than once, but it echoed over barks, coughs, growls and calls as the people in front of her—all male as far as she could tell—stood, their mouths wide and heads thrown back as they called to the sky.

Zev's Adam's apple bobbed and she squeezed his hand, touched that he was emotional at the greeting. But he wasn't smiling, and it kept her on edge. Why wouldn't he be glad to be here? He'd always smiled about his home and it had been clear how much he missed it. Why wasn't he ecstatic to be back? Especially as these people kept arriving, kept rushing in to join the others, as if his arrival was a massive moment, something to be witnessed and declared to the forest.

Then Zev dropped both bags to the ground and turned his head and caught eyes with someone. When Sasha followed his gaze, Yhet was nodding and stepping forward.

"Why don't you come with me, Sasha?" the huge man rumbled with a gentle smile. "Zev needs to greet the people."

She frowned. Shouldn't she greet them as well? But clearly customs were different here. She stepped over to Yhet who patted her shoulder awkwardly with his palm as big as a Christmas ham, and ushered her back to the edge of the clearing where they could watch.

And watch, Sasha did. She was fascinated.

When she turned from the edge of the clearing back to watch him, Zev nodded once at Yhet, then said in her mind, don't worry, this won't take long, then I'll introduce you.

She'd been about to answer when he turned and lifted his chin, howling long and high, his hands clenched to fists and arms tense in front of him.

A surge of sound—mostly howls, but a few other calls and barks—rose in answer to him, and then Zev finally cracked a smile as he dove into the melee of people, of men, and chaos ensued.

Sasha held her breath when Zev disappeared under the arms and excited leaps of men, all wanting to touch him, to press against him, to… were they sniffing him?

"What's going on?" she murmured.

Yhet gave a little huffing noise, the punch of his breath fluttering in her hair. "They're greeting him. He has to give his scent and scent them. They all have to be convinced that it's really him. And then… then they have to decide where he stands in the pack." Yhet said the words gently, as if he were trying to share bad news with compassion.

Sasha tore her eyes away from the wrestling, rolling males in the village to glance up at Yhet's face. His smile was fixed and tight.

"Yhet?"

"Yes?"

"Why did you say that like it's a bad thing?"

"Did I?" She was already learning that for him, that was a high voice and that he used it when he was nervous.

"Yes, you did."

"Oh, well, don't worry about me. We Sasquatch can be a little anxious. But Zev's got this. I know he does. He's strong. It's all going to be fine."

"What's going to be fine? What's happening? It seems like they're happy to see him."

"Most of them probably are," Yhet said, nodding enthusiastically.

"So, what's the problem?"

"I, uh, I guess you could say that… that this isn't the real challenge. Though Zev does have something to prove to them all. Once the packs have made sure that he is who they think, then the alphas will all step forward and Zev will have to take his discipline."

"Discipline? For what?"

"For leaving the people."

Sasha looked back at the churning crowd of men and frowned. "Why are they so mad that he left?"

"Because, Sasha, didn't he tell you? He was Alpha. When he left we were all lost for a while. It caused a great deal of conflict and uncertainty—and ultimately gave the humans the freedom to steal our females while we were all distracted. Zev is… Zev almost ended the Chimera, whether he meant to or not—and I know he didn't," Yhet added hurriedly.

Sasha coughed. "He was Alpha like… the leader? Of the whole village?"

Yhet snorted. "He was Alpha of the whole people, Sasha. And that was back when we had many, many more than we do now."

"But he's so young!"

Yhet looked confused. "He is a fully fledged adult, Sasha. Not a juvenile. He was very capable. And very well loved. When he left… well, we have all felt it."

She turned back to see Zev pop up in the middle of the crowd, clasping another man by the back of his neck, who in turn clasped him, and they touched foreheads, then turned to rub their cheeks against each other. She blinked.

"Is that…"

"They are sharing scents," Yhet said, a smile in his tone.. "Don't worry, Sasha, it will be your turn soon."

 

Chapter 52

Once he'd seen Sasha safely delivered to the edge of the clearing and under Yhet's guard, Zev's heart sang.

He was home.

Behind him the males were gathering, trembling with anticipation and nerves, calling for him to come—some challenging, but most offering simple greetings, the yearning to reunite. He turned to face them and his eyes stung.

So many faces he knew… and so many faces missing. Ignoring the grief, Zev focused on the thrill of returning to his true family, and threw back his head and howled. His pack called in return—some of the other Chimera calling their greetings, as well. Then he dove into the fray.

It had been so long since he'd been free with his people—over three years—and for a moment, it was sheer bliss to simple wallow in his pack, to smell and be smelled, to rub bodies and faces, to take each other's breath.

Zev laughed as someone rolled him, and suddenly it was a pile, males leaping in, rolling and twisting in their excitement to get close. He was bruised and winded, excited and happy.

He heard his name bouncing around in the air, but didn't really register it until a specific voice, resonant, but cracked with strain, called for him.

"Zev!"

Shaking with joy, Zev pushed the males off that were trying to pin him and stood to find his oldest, dearest friend and packmate, Jhon, beaming at him.

Jhon was the sun's light to Zev's midnight dark. The older females in the pack had always claimed the two grew up so close because they were so polar opposite in every way that they never challenged each other's territory.

Zev didn't know if that was true—Jhon was almost as dominant as he was—but the golden wolf was, without doubt, his favorite person in the world aside from Sasha. He had missed his friend terribly.

"Jhon!" he cried and rushed forward, clasping the male's neck with his hand and pulling him in, as Jhon returned the gesture and they touched, rubbing faces and feeling each other's strength, inhaling each other's breath and scent.

It was sheer joy to reach out with his mind and find his friend there. I have missed you, brother!

You left a hole in our hearts, Zev. I'm so glad you're back.

They embraced and Zev swallowed the pinch of tears in his throat. But there was no time for emotion, because there were still so many to greet, to scent, and to be measured by.

Much as his heart sang to be back in this world and among his pack, Zev knew this was only the calm before the storm. Even as the males scented him and affirmed him to themselves, even as they sent their conviction to the pack mind, bouncing back and forth with his name and the confirmation of his scent, wolf-by-wolf, still the tension rose with every question answered.

His pack wanted him back, but weren't supposed to. And his reappearance created a conflict of loyalties for them that they did not want to face. So their joy was marred by their fear.

And their fear set Zev's teeth on edge. Why would his people fear their leader? The Alpha should be their protector. A disciplinarian when needed, sure. But an object of fear? Never! It was the Alpha's strength that kept them safe...

A moment later, as the packs finally began to settle, and the other Chimera had their chances to touch and scent him, the tingle of nerves began in Zev's belly.

No matter the tensions, they were glad he was back. They had missed him. But now he would have to pay for the wounds he had left with his absence.

Slowly, slowly the last of the Chimera—and they were almost entirely male, Zev saw with growing despair. He had hoped the impressions his friends gave were exaggerated. A negative view of a real problem. But he saw that in fact, they hadn't fully described the depth of the problem.

He counted five females. Likely there were a handful more out in the fields or hunting. But even so…

What had happened? What were the humans doing, killing his people like this?

Everything he'd seen, everything he'd been told had always pointed to the humans desire to increase the Chimera. For fuck's sake, they'd turned him into a stud for that purpose! So why were they allowing these people to be ripped apart?

What was the purpose?

Zev resolved to find out. After he figured out how to get through this without dying. And without losing Sasha. That had to be his priority right now. But he would figure this out, and return his people to the place where they could thrive. He was certain of it. It was why he'd been made.

Then he turned from an embrace from an old goat, and found that there were no more Chimera waiting to greet him.

He beamed to all of them standing around him. "It is so wonderful to see you again!" he cried, and they called back their joy.

But their cries cut off when a deep, ragged voice, hoarse with an old injury, pierced the bubble of joy and excitement.

"What a momentous day… Zev is returned."

Zev stomach trilled and every muscle in his body tensed.

The babble of voices and animal calls cut off like it had been snipped with scissors. Zev turned, careful to keep his face blank while around him, as if they were on strings, every Chimera—even Jhon—took a knee.. To a male, they dropped their heads and saluted, shuffling out of the way to leave a clear path to Zev for Xar, the scarred and embattled Tiger who had just prowled into the clearing.

 

Chapter 53

With no one else on their feet, Zev and Xar had a clear view of each other as Xar—older than Zev remembered, more rugged, his burnished skin more wrinkled, his forehead taller than it used to be, and his once-brown hair now far more gray—strode toward him in that rolling, catlike stride that always sent ice down Zev's spine. He wore the stole of the Alpha as if it were a formal occasion. Zev would have laid money that the male had the ritual blade shoved into the back of the belt that circled his robes—and revealed the beginning of a pot-belly on the old Alpha.

Though Xar's eyes hadn't hazed at all, they flashed with cunning and intelligence, and the certainty of his dominance.

All the shorthairs on Zev's body stood up in warning, but he forced himself to stand easily, to hold Xar's gaze, and to smile.

"It's good to see you, Xar, congratulations," he said quietly. The others had all gone silent. Xar would have no trouble hearing him. He prayed Sasha still could.

"Do not greet me as a friend," the Alpha snapped. "Traitor."

Zev let his smile fade, but didn't defend himself. He simply held the Alpha's eyes and waited. And prayed that if this went bad, Yhet would just pick Sasha up and run. No one would be able to catch them.

That wasn't what he planned, though. Zev hadn't returned intending to take the Clans back. But the more he saw here, the more he wondered if it was needed. And the more his own dominance itched for release.

He would not undermine his own authority by submitting to Xar in case the time to challenge came faster than he expected.

Xar stalked him through the crowd, until he was just a few feet away. The old Tiger's shoulders were thick—thicker than Zev's—and he was almost as tall. Zev knew he would be a difficult opponent if it became necessary to beat him hand-to-hand. Or beast to beast.

In nature, the alpine wolves and Siberian tigers were natural competitors that generally avoided each other except in the contest for food—when the tigers usually won.

The human researchers had been trying to determine which species would be better suited to influence the human gene pool.

But despite Xar's strength and human traits, the old male was far more cat than human in his thinking. The researchers had succeeded in developing more humanity with Zev, with the wolves, first. The Tigers were no longer a primary gene pool for trials. He wondered if Xar knew this? If the old Tiger knew his people's time was ticking away?

Zev fought a sigh. It wasn't Xar's fault that feline DNA didn't like to blend with others.

It was a mark of them as Chimera, as well, when he thought about it.

The old King came to a stop in front of him and they regarded each other warily.

Around them, all the Chimera had submitted, averting their eyes. While Zev knew every Alpha had need of the submission of their people, he'd never required that kind of devotion to be displayed just because he showed up.

What else had Xar done to his people?

"Your return, without warning, is an offense," Xar growled, his voice taking on the warning growl that resonated in his chest.

"There was no chance for warning. I did send Lhars ahead."

Xar snorted. "By what, a minute? Two? It hardly counts, Zev."

"It was the best I could do. There was no warning for me that I was returning."

"I find that very, very hard to believe. Our human friends will have a different story to tell, I'm sure," Xar purred.

Zev's eyes narrowed. "How would you know what stories the humans have to tell? Aren't they the ones that have taken all our females?"

Xar's face hardened. "I do not answer to you, traitor. You are the one who abandoned the people! You are the one who left the hierarchy fractured, and our home torn from the inside. You abandoned us to our fate, so you have no grounds to return and question where we have ended up."

"Perhaps. Perhaps not. But isn't it convenient that you can dodge the question—"

Xar hissed and flowed forward, one massive fist aimed straight for Zev's ribs.

Zev twisted and blocked the blow, but it left them chest to chest, both snarling, Zev's grip on the older male's arm shaking with the effort to keep him from taking another swing.

"You are no Alpha, Zev. An Alpha would die in defense of his people—not run like a pup with his tail between his legs."

"I did not run," Zev snarled. "And I certainly never allowed the humans among our people with the access and strength in numbers that would give them an opportunity to steal our females. Our offspring."

"Do not speak to me of what you do not do, Zev," Xar snapped. "Our females were taken because the clans were weakened by your disappearance. We were in chaos—dominance changing day after day, week after week. The humans took advantage of our confusion and by the time we understood what was happening it was too late. All because of you, you fucking—"

"He brought a female!" a voice called from the edge of the crowd.

Zev wanted to close his eyes and curse the male who'd said it. But instead he did the opposite, raising his eyebrows and holding Xar's gaze as the male scanned the crowd until his eyes fell on Sasha and Yhet.

His surprise was evident, but he held it in check.

"You brought a human to Thana, then think to lecture me?" he purred, turning back to Zev.

 

Chapter 54

Zev held Xar's gaze for a long second before answering. "She isn't just any human," he said simply.

"Oh, of course. She's a… special human?" Xar said. "Let me guess, your precious Nick has singled her out as just the right companion and now you're to return here to rule—"

"It's Sasha, Xar," Zev said flatly. "There was no plan. And bringing her here was in defiance of the team, not at their urging."

Xar stopped, staring at Zev, examining him. Zev felt like a mouse under the eyes of a cat—until he remembered his own rule. He raised his chin and held the Tiger's gaze and let him see it too.

There was never a mass-kidnapping under Zev's rule. He'd been barely twenty when he took Alpha, which by human standards was very young. But the Chimera leaned into their animal roots more heavily than the team had originally understood. They matured faster, hit puberty earlier and developed quickly, reaching full adulthood usually by the age of sixteen or seventeen. At twenty, Zev had held his own with near-thirty year old humans.

Now, at almost twenty-five, he was stronger than any human he knew, though he hadn't met them all. And he had been trusted by the humans with operations and secrets far in excess of his original role.

He was strong, capable, a decisive and powerful leader… and he wasn't scared of Xar.

And Xar knew it.

Which was precisely why Zev didn't like the expression blooming on the old cat's face.

"You bring us a gift!" he said to Zev, nodding his approval. "A female, a blessing to increase our numbers."

Zev gave him a warning look. "She will have offspring only at her choice."

"Or the Creator's," Xar nudged him, with a malicious smile.

Zev wanted to bite something. It had been an ongoing debate between them when Zev was Alpha. He believed the Chimera were soulless and needed to live as if their last days breathing this air were there last forever. Where Xar was convinced life did not begin without the Creator—that whomever had made the humans had also willed the Chimera to be. That their beginnings in the laboratory were merely a unique spark. That life could not begin without the Creator's will. The same Creator that made the humans.

They'd never resolved their differences on it.

"However, or whenever life begins, it will be her choice," Zev said through his teeth. "She is not a gift for you."

"No, of course not. I'm far too old," Xar said, his smile growing.

"The choice of who she takes as mate belongs to her," Zev insisted.

"You think I would force a female to take a male she didn't measure?" Xar growled, no longer smiling. "Do you accuse your Alpha—"

"No," Zev said. "I do not accuse. I clarify for her sake—and for any that would think to display for her," he said raising his voice and turning to scan the crowd of males around them. "She is mine."

Xar's face went serious. "You are mated?"

"Not yet."

"She hasn't chosen you?"

"Not yet."

Xar smiled again.

"Then it is not your declaration to make," he said pointedly.

"She doesn't understand the traditions and customs. I speak for her only to protect her."

"Is she over the age of maturity?"

"Yes."

"Very good," Xar purred, a flash in his eyes that made Zev's stomach chill. But the old tiger only turned to the rest of the males as well. "The female will be left to make her own choice. If you choose to display, you respect her choice as you would any Chimera."

Zev didn't know why the declaration made him uneasy. Had he been in Xar's shoes, he would have made the same statement.

"Please, Sasha, come here so I might meet you," Xar said then, smiling warmly.

Zev, distinctly uneasy, turned to see her look at him uncertainly. But he couldn't see a reason for her not to meet the Clan Leader. She would have to at some point—and to do so publicly would be far less likely to end in any kind of problem. So he just nodded to reassure her, then held his hand out as she weaved between the males. Those who were unmated followed her with their eyes, leaned in as she passed. She was clearly unsettled by their nearness, but either she remembered his little instruction before they arrived, or she was just strong enough to push ahead anyway.

She took his hand as she reached him and stood next to him, nodding her head at Xar.

"Sasha, this is Xar. He's Clan Leader. All the other Alphas report to him. Kind of like a King."

"Hello," she said politely, but her hand was trembling in his. Zev squeezed her fingers.

"It is lovely to meet you dear," Xar said, leaning forward to take her hand. He'd had enough contact with humans to use impeccable manners, but his eyes… his eyes followed her like a cat on a mouse. "May I ask how far beyond your first bleeding you are?" he asked casually.

Sasha's head jerked back and she looked at Zev, who sighed but urged her to answer him. She blinked a few times, but turned back to Xar. "I was thirteen when… I first… bled," she said, and he felt her recoil.

It made him sick. He held her hand tightly, glaring at the cat.

"She is fully mature, Xar, and you know it. Stop trying to put her off balance."

"You are a traitor and a human agent, Zev," Xar said without taking his eyes off of Sasha. "You do not give orders to me. Sasha," he said, his voice brighter—and less authentic—when he addressed her. "Have you ever given birth?"

"I… what? No!"

"Pity," Xar said. "There has been a rash of infertility among the females here as well. But that does not mean with the right mate she couldn't—"

"She hasn't had children, because she hasn't been mating, Xar. Move on. Your questions aren't necessary. I wouldn't present her as a female if there were issues."

Xar turned to look at Zev slowly, all hint of pleasure or warmth gone from his features. "You do not present her at all, Zev. She is an adult, human female, unmated, and in our world. She will be Chimera, or she will go home."

"She's here because the humans want her dead—or at least, locked up. I had always known Thana was a haven for us, a sanctuary. I believed bringing her here would assure her safety. Was I wrong?" Zev snapped.

"Oh, no. Not at all," Xar said, one side of his mouth sliding up. "We will keep her here—even hide her from the humans."

"Good."

"But if she is to be here, she must become one of us. And our females must take a mate when they turn twenty, if not before.. It is the only way we can assure the future of our people."

 

Chapter 55

Zev stood at her shoulder, his fingers tight on hers, the muscles on his arm hard as steel. She could feel it against her own.

Take a mate.

She hadn't followed everything that passed between the two of them, but that part she understood.

This Alpha King whatever, was telling her she had to take a mate. She swallowed. It would be Zev, of course. But… but what did they mean by take a mate?

Visions of two of her father's dogs mating in the backyard while the rest of the dogs watched bloomed in her head, and her cheeks went up in flames.

"What do you mean… mate?" she asked, working hard to keep her voice calm.

"He means you have to pick a male to spend your life with," Zev said quietly, his eyes still on the older man. "Think of it like… getting married."

Marry Zev? It was only what she'd dreamed about for five years.

"Oh, okay. I can… I mean… with some time—"

"There is no time," the King snapped, turning his attention to her. The light in his eyes made her mouth go dry—and not in the good way. "You have until your next bleed. Choose a clan, then choose a mate. The rest you can learn as you go."

"But—"

"No one will take you against your will," he said as if it wasn't even something to be concerned about. "But if you do not name your mate on the day of your next bleed, if you do not accept his display and take him to den, one will be chosen for you. It will be between you, then, to establish the mating."

The ears of every male in the village perked at that.

Sasha swallowed and clung to Zev's hand.

Zev. He was the answer here. This wasn't home. This wasn't her world. This was the home of these Chimera people. And their culture was different. That was okay. She could deal with that. She would just name Zev and they could be together and get to know each other again and if it worked out, great. And if it didn't… he wouldn't force her. She knew that.

Zev was opening his mouth, his face thunderous like he was going to step in to save her, but Sasha nodded quickly. "Okay. I can do that."

Zev's head snapped around and he stared at her, wide-eyed and… hopeful?

She gave him a hesitant smile. His fingers tightened on hers. Watching those ice-blue eyes widen, sparking on hers… it was like the last five years hadn't happened. Something in the center of her chest pulled for him—always had since the day she'd met him. And now it was like she could feel him pulling towards her.

They stared at each other and everything else faded. She forgot about the crowd watching, the strange King looking on. All she could see was Zev's full lips, his strong jaw, those startling eyes, and all she could feel was the warmth that came off his skin that wanted to wrap her up and hold her close.

She was tumbling into a memory then, down, down, down…

She was eighteen and almost finished her senior year. Zev, too, though he was a year older. He told her his parents had held him back a year when he was little, to let him mature.

She'd stroked his chest and whispered to him that he got an A+ in growing up.

They both laughed.

It was one of the happiest times of her life. School had been easy that semester because she'd worked hard earlier and only had three classes. She spent most of her time at school in the cafeteria, or on the bleachers, hanging out with her friends, discussing colleges, or summer plans, and planning parties for the end of the year.

Even though it was still spring, it was warm and that afternoon she'd decided to sit outside under one of the trees on the lawn next to the Athletic Center while she waited for Zev to finish his last class.

She'd been curled up at the base of a tree, a book on her knees, and dozing off, when warm fingers appeared at her ankle and began to slide up her calf.

She gasped and sat bolt upright to find Zev crouched next to her feet, his eyes bright and dancing, and his breath coming faster than usual.

Their eyes locked and the pounding of her heart that had started from the adrenalin rush pushed higher at the look in his eyes.

She'd had to swallow before she could speak. "Are you done with class already?"

He nodded his head but didn't speak. His throat bobbed like he was nervous. She was going to ask, but then he dropped to his knees between her feet, groaned her name, and took her face in his hands and kissed her.

Really kissed her.

Kissed her like he was going to make love to her.

She'd sucked in a breath and dropped the book as her hands clapped to his shoulders. Then her so-careful Zev, her always-thoughtful, never pushy boyfriend moaned in her mouth and sucked on her tongue.

"Fuck, Sash," he croaked when she arched into him.

Her skin pebbled all over—and her heart raced so fast she got lightheaded. She tilted her head to deepen the kiss and a weird noise broke in her throat when one of his hands slid down her back, to her waist and pulled her closer.

This was crazy.

They were at the back of the school, but there were classrooms on the other side of the bushes, and parking lot beyond the fence that would be filling with students on their way home soon.

As Zev cupped her neck in one large hand, and her wiast in the other, she curled her legs around his waist and pulled him down onto her so they laid in the grass together, kissing.

Both of their breaths were heavy and it struck her, suddenly, where they were and what they were doing.

"Zev!" she gasped, dropping her head back onto the grass. "What are you doing?"

He didn't stop, though. He kissed his way down her jaw, to her neck, then growled against her skin, "Promise me, Sash."

"Promise you what?"

He nipped at her throat and she felt the shudder rock through him. "If any other man ever asks for your heart, you say no. Promise me."

"I promise," she whispered, taking his mouth again, then murmuring against his lips. "I promise."

 

Chapter 56

Sasha blinked out of the memory to find Zev staring at her, that same look in his eyes he'd had that day. That looked called to her, pulled at her from low in her belly—and her heart.

Zev was home for her. She didn't understand where she was, or how she'd come here—how this place could even exist. But she understood him.

"Sash—" he breathed.

"Excellent!" the King barked suddenly. Sasha startled, but the King was already turning away from her to address the crowd. "The female has agreed. She will join the clans and choose a mate before her next bleed. This is a cause to celebrate! Tonight we feast!"

A great cheer went up among the men, many of them turning to stare at her, their eyes alight and... she was put in mind of a dog, salivating over its meal. Sasha smiled uncertainly.

When she looked at Zev, he seemed a little hesitant, but he was smiling too. Seeing his lopsided grin made her want to pull him down into a kiss.

But she couldn't let it be that easy. If she was understanding what had happened here, when Zev left her he'd come here, stayed for a couple of years, then left these people without warning too.

What was going on with him? And would he do it again? Was she sitting here, throwing her whole life away on a guy who couldn't stick anything for more than a couple years?

He must have sensed her thoughts because his brows suddenly pinched over his nose.

"Sasha, what—"

Xar motioned for the crowd to quiet, then he spoke, his voice booming so that everyone could hear. "Zev has also returned to us and seeks to reunite with his clan."

A large group of the men howled—the other wolves, she assumed—but everyone else went silent. Tension hung in the air so thick Sasha wanted to scream, "BOO!" just to break them out of it.

Probably not an ideal plan with men who could turn into massive predators.

When the wolves were done, Zev's smile was gone and his eyes fixed on Xar. Who was staring right back at him, a cunning smile on his face.

She watched Zev closely, ready to follow his lead, but didn't speak. The way he stared at the older man made her very, very nervous that they might need to start running again soon.

"Sash," Zev said quietly, without taking his eyes off the leader, "Go stand with Yhet. This part doesn't involve you."

"Oh, but it might," the King purred.

"I'll take the chance," Zev growled, squeezing her hand, then nudging her back, away from them.

She didn't want to leave his side. Didn't feel safe walking back through the crowd without him. But she put her chin up and fixed her eyes on Yhet, who stood back from the crowd, his face pained, wringing his hands. But when she made it to him, he smiled and pulled her to his side, whispering that it was all going to be fine and she shouldn't worry.

She patted his arm to soothe him, but his fear was catching. What was going on?

She didn't know how Zev knew she'd reached Yhet, since they were behind him, but he waited until she stood quietly, then he finally spoke, firm and clear, projecting his voice so the entire crowd that circled the two men could hear.

*****

~ ZEV ~

Tension vibrated in Zev's skin. The Tiger was up to something. The question was, could he anticipate his enemy's moves?

All he knew was, he had to get the male publicly committed to Sasha's protection. Otherwise, nothing else mattered.

"Before we go any further, I ask you to vow that you will protect her. She is untrained in our ways and familiar with different customs. Give me your word that no matter what happens to me, you will take care of her. The humans want her dead. She will need to be hidden."

Xar's eyes narrowed. "Why should I promise you anything? You left us. You were a traitor—choosing your precious humans over your own people. Perhaps all of this is a lie and you left us to choose her? But now your handlers grow weary of you, so you decide to settle back into your old life?" the old man growled.

"I did not return to take my old life. I returned to save hers," Zev spat. "I am no traitor. When I was Alpha, the humans did not have free rein to walk among us and steal our mates! But you submit to them! And look where it has gotten you. I do not stand here to challenge you, but if you will not protect her, you leave me no other choice!"

Revealing the strength and speed that remained under his rugged skin, the Tiger flowed forward faster than the human eye would catch, putting himself nose-to-nose with Zev. "You think to threaten me, pup?"

"No," Zev growled. "I think to protect my mate at all costs."

A sharp intake of breath echoed around the clearing, then voices rumbled. Zev didn't turn to see how the males reacted. He couldn't give Xar any room to take dominance in case they did have to fight.

"You, Zev?" Xar chuckled. "You claim a mate? The humans prized stud claims a mate?"

"The bond is not cemented yet. But I am certain, yes." Then he sent a thought to Sasha.

Don't worry, I won't let them hurt you.

How he wished she could speak back to him. He could feel her though, that tangle of emotions still too complicated to unravel. But alongside her shock he could smell some delight. He held onto that.

Xar shook his head like Zev was an untrained pup, showing his inexperience. Zev didn't back down.

"I will protect the female," Xar said, projecting his voice to make sure everyone heard. "But the choice of mate is hers to make. No one will be refused their chance to display. No one"

Zev growled as the crowd of males around him bubbled with excitement.

 

Chapter 57

The response from the crowd was mixed—some cheering, some growls. A lot of chatter. The males didn't know what to make of this. But Zev's wolves remained loyal. So far.

"No one?" Zev asked through his teeth.

Xar's smile widened. "She is human. We are all human. So she is not restricted to clan—she could take any of us without concern for the babe."

Zev rolled his jaw. If he wasn't so certain she would choose him, he might have challenged the male on the spot. Normally the competition over a female who reached adulthood would only occur within the clan of her birth. The forests of Thana were thinly populated by the horrific results that occurred over the past decade when the humans had made the undeniable mistake of mixing already split DNA. Those creatures—not Chimera, but something entirely other—were pitied by the Chimera, and treated as brothers deserving of compassion. The Chimeran tradition was that mating pairs stayed within clans to ensure their offspring were not harmed.

Xar was right, as a human, Sasha could safely mate with any Chimera, because she would only add additional human genes.

But that meant creating conflict between the clans as the males fought to demonstrate dominance—not just within the clan that had the female, but between all, because this female was a potential mate for any.

"You would send your people into chaos over one female?" he growled. "With so few females, surely the honor of displaying for her should go only to those highest ranked?"

Xar tipped his head. "You wish to see only the strongest make an offer to the weak, human female?"

"Of course! She is not weak for a human. Her stock is strong," Zev said emphatically.

"You, who brought her here, want me to protect her from the advances of males too low in the Clans?"

"Do I need to repeat myself?" Zev snarled. "You are the leader here, Xar. Why would you send all of the clans into chaos? What would you gain?"

Xar shrugged and raised his hands. "Our former Alpha has spoken. The female will only be approached by males in the highest tiers—Alphas and their seconds, the unmated masters."

Most of the males around them muttered, but those who were leaders began to smile and eye each other.

Zev was torn—relieved, because this would stop the inevitable bloodbath that would only reduce their numbers further. But distinctly uneasy. Dunken had been right. Something was wrong with Xar. The wild light in his eyes when he smiled and…

Why was he so pleased to give in to Zev's demand?

"Are you satisfied, Zev? Or do I need to welcome your challenge so we can move on?"

"I didn't come here to challenge you." Though it was starting to look like he might not have a choice.

"Excellent, then we turn our attention to the problem of you." Xar's smile brightened.

Zev's upper lip curled back from his teeth. "Discipline me as you see fit. But I am not the problem here, Xar, and you know it. The females were not taken under my watch. The humans were not allowed into Thana without warning under my rule. We did not move to make ourselves more accessible to them at my command!"

Xar snarled, snapping his teeth, his scent telling Zev that if he'd been in Tiger form, his ears would have flattened and his fangs exposed.

Cats were so fucking obnoxious.

"You know nothing of what happened here after you disappeared!" Xar hissed. "You want to see the clans kept from chaos? What do you think occurred the day we woke and our Alpha was gone? What do you think occurred in the following days as we waited for him to return and sought him? What do you think happened when it became clear you weren't returning and someone else would need to take control?"

Zev held his ground, but his heart thudded painfully. He'd known the problems it would cause. But at the time, he believed staying would have created worse.

"I said, discipline me for the choice I made," he growled. "But do not try to tell me that the choices made in my absence were my choices."

"We tore each other apart!" Xar hissed. "There was no peace, no chance to provide while the hierarchy was reestablished—you did that! And while we fought, everyone was in danger. A pregnant female was thrown aside when the Owl and Hare Alphas fought, and she lost the babe. Everyone mourned!"

Zev shook his head. "Truly a sad loss—"

"That is what brought the humans, you fuckwit! To keep our families and clans safe, we males agreed to move our conflicts to the outskirts of the city, to the amphitheater. But it took weeks! When the humans learned that a female had been harmed, that an offspring was lost, they came while we fought and stole the females and babes away from us!"

"There should have been some left to watch over them, to protect them!"

Xar's face twisted with rage, "There was no Alpha in place to make the order! Our Alpha abandoned us to ourselves, and the humans removed our females to keep them safe!"

"And yet, you continue to allow them here! You continue to submit to their needs!" Zev snarled.

"I submit to assure them the females can be returned! I submit to keep those left under my care safe from their weapons! You were not here! You cannot judge—you left us unprotected from them until someone clawed their way to the top. That someone was me, Zev. I am Alpha! I am Clan Leader! And you will not walk away from your choices and the harm they delivered to all of us!"

Zev half-crouched, ready to defend if they remained in human form, or to shift to wolf and battle. He regretted what had occurred—could see how he'd been manipulated. But he would not let Xar tell himself, or anyone else, that Zev had made those choices. He would regret killing Xar if that was what was needed. But he would not back down.

Xar's eyes were wide and shining with rage, his hands in claws at his sides. But then, just as Zev prepared to shift and launch himself, the old Tiger relaxed. Rocked back on his heels and shook his head.

And he smiled.

"I'm not going to fight you, Zev," he said calmly. "I don't have to. You are a traitor, and the bane of the Clans. I do not need to notice you under my feet." He put his hand to Zev's shoulder and Zev flinched but allowed it. Xar shook his head. "You betrayed our people, and left us to die. You are stripped of your rank. You will not compete for the attentions of the female you claim—she belongs to the Clans."

"I am of the clans," Zev growled, his voice rising with his fear. "I am of rank!"

"Not anymore," Xar hissed, his voice a slithering, creeping joy. "You are cast out."

The village exploded in protests and cheers.

 

Chapter 58

Zev's entire body went cold. Colder than Xar's smile as the old tiger's eyes slid away to focus on something behind Zev. As if Zev wasn't even there.

No.

NO.

"You can't—" he snarled. But Xar's eyes were sharp and his smile smug as he turned away, turned that smile from Zev to address the crowd that was barking, roaring, calling—some in protest, others in excitement.

Clearly Lhars had made some friends since Zev had been gone. Even the wolves seemed to be split in their responses to this news. Despite Zev's previous power and respect.

Shit.

"The hierarchy remains!" Xar roared over the boiling of the crowd, completely ignoring Zev—as every Chimera now would, thanks to the Tiger's declaration. "Our ranks are unchanged. We are at peace, brothers. Tonight we feast! Prepare the fires! Prepare yourselves! There is a female to entice."

A cheer went up and all the Chimera began to move, eddying around Zev like he was a rock in the flow of the river.

The wolves were in disarray, some of them—those who must still support Zev—growled and surged forward towards him. But they were held back by the others. Arguments began between good Chimera, so Zev shook his head for anyone watching. He couldn't allow himself to be the cause for dissension between the people.

It was strange to feel grateful for the males that were likely his brother's supporters. He needed his people to stay in their clans, to not put themselves in danger. And if that meant listening to Lhars and his manipulators, well… so be it.

Zev glared at Xar's back and tried to wrap his mind around what had just happened. He had to cobble together a plan.

He'd expected discipline. He'd expected humiliation. He'd been prepared to humble himself and accept whatever was needed to retain his position within the clans.

Making him outcast when their numbers were so few, and he was so strong, made no sense at all. Not even for a Tiger. And the response of the males around them said he wasn't the only one who thought so.

And yet… and yet… even those protesting the declaration didn't let their eyes settle on Zev. Even those he knew would grieve this decision, didn't let themselves see him.

They couldn't.

Among Chimera, to be cast out was the ultimate shame. You became unseen. While your family group might take pity and leave out resources for you to find, none would address you directly. They would refuse to see you, stepping past you as if you were not even there, and if you attempted to speak, they would turn away, ignoring you completely.

Casting out was punishment for the worst of betrayers. For those who took a female against her will. Or who killed an offspring.

Casting out was for those who had revealed themselves to be the worst of the made beings. Those who could not be trusted, and should not survive.

Casting out was not a way to remove a challenger before you had to fight them.

A snarl ripped out of Zev's throat and those near him flinched, but averted their eyes, stepping away as if they had simply chosen that moment to move.

Then he heard his name, called across the clearing in that strong, pure voice that made his heart sing, but broken off quickly by a deep, rumbling whisper, urgent and insistent. His hands clenched to fists.

Fuck.

Sasha.

They wouldn't protect her if she acknowledged him.

He whipped around to face her. Taller than most of the dispersing crowd anyway, as the males moved on, avoiding his gaze, it left a clear space between him and the woman he loved. But it wasn't her that he turned to. It was Yhet, pleading with his eyes even as he sent words to Sasha so she would listen to him.

You have to listen to Yhet. You can't look at me, or touch me. If you do, they will turn on you. Please, Sasha. Don't worry. I'll work this out. I promise. I'll work this out and we'll be back together. Just… just pretend you don't see me. I have to hide for a while. Don't worry about me, some of the others will help me. Just ignore me if you see me. I'll fight my way back to you.

Her face crumpled and he inhaled, drawing her scent from across the clearing. It broke his heart—the fear and anger in her. The confusion.

She was afraid he would disappear again. It was the last thing she needed to fear, but they hadn't had time yet.

Fuck!

Yhet met his eyes in passing as he turned to put his body between Zev and Sasha, speaking to her quietly, explaining what was happening and how Zev would fix it.

Good. Good. Yhet would explain.

I'm not leaving you, Sasha, he murmured into her head. Just be patient. I'm still here. I will work this out. Just be patient.

But he couldn't say too much, he needed her to listen to Yhet.

Then when she tried to push Yhet aside, to find him, he snarled again and turned on his heel, leaping into his wolf and sprinting for the trees.

And not a single Chimera watched him pass.

But behind him, laughter bounced in the cold air and Zev snarled again.

He was going to kill Xar when this was done. The coward. The fucking pussy. He had set him up. Zev should have known.

Never trust a smiling cat.

 

Chapter 59

At first she didn't understand what was happening. The older man spat something about being outcast and all the men in the crowd started making a lot of noise. It wasn't until this King turned around, smiling, and let his eyes lock on hers for a cold moment as he spoke that her stomach turned to lead.

"The hierarchy remains!" the man roared over the noise of the crowd. "Our ranks are unchanged. We are at peace, brothers. Tonight we feast! Prepare the fires! Prepare yourselves! There is a female to entice."

Sasha blinked. He was talking about her.

But then the entire crowd went bananas—some men leaping forward, yelling or growling, others holding them back, tussling to get their attention.

Zev stood among them, utterly still in a way she'd never seen any human able to do. Then a snarl ripped from his throat. Yet, even though the men closest to him flinched or moved quickly away, none of them looked at him. None of them spoke to him.

It was as if he wasn't even there.

"ZE—" she started to call to him, but Yhet clapped a hand over her mouth.

"No, no, no, you can't, Sasha. I'm sorry, but you can't," he rumbled, turning to step between her and Zev, even as Zev's voice bloomed in her head again.

You have to listen to Yhet. You can't look at me, or touch me. If you do, they will turn on you. Please, Sasha. Don't worry. I will work this out. I promise. I will work this out and we'll be back together. Just… just pretend you don't see me. I will have to hide for a while. Some of them will help me. Don't worry about me. Just ignore me if you see me. I will fight my way back.

What did he mean she had to pretend not to see him? Where was he going? Why would she ignore him?!

She tried to press Yhet aside so she could see him again, but the massive man's arms were like cast iron. No matter how soft his expression, she couldn't move.

I'm not leaving you, Sasha, Zev whispered in her head. Just be patient. I'm still here. I will work this out. Just be patient.

She heard him snarl again, but couldn't see him as Yhet held her shoulders and insisted that she look at him.

"What the hell is going on?" she demanded in a hissed whisper.

"Xar has cast Zev out," Yhet said, his forehead crinkled into lines.

"What does that even mean?"

"It means he's, uh, officially no longer a part of the Clans." Yhet's face was a picture of anguish. When her eyes widened, he hurried to reassure her. "Don't worry, don't worry! He can come back… eventually."

"How?" she pleaded. Zev had to leave? He was leaving her here? With these strange men? These… these creatures?

"He just has to fight his way back up the hierarchy to be recognized again. Don't worry. He's strong enough to do it. He's been Alpha before. He can do it again. He's probably even stronger now," Yhet said, that awful, brittle smile on his face that he'd had earlier when he wanted her to think there was nothing to worry about.

She breathed a little easier then. Zev was a fighter—she'd seen him fight more than she wanted to. Yhet was right. He would be good at this.

When she relaxed, Yhet let go of her shoulders and started patting her hair. "Don't worry. It's good that you worry about him, but he can do this, Sasha."

She nodded, swallowing hard. "Okay, so he has to fight. He can do that."

"Yes, yes, he can."

"But you're saying he has to fight a lot of people?"

"Yes, he has to fight every male—if they want to oppose him. Some will submit. Especially those at the bottom of the hierarchy."

"Okay, okay…" She blew out a heavy breath to calm her racing heart. Zev was strong and smart, she reminded herself. And bigger than most of the males she could see in the clearing. He could take them, right? She blinked. "Does he have to fight them all at once?"

"No! No, just… through the levels of the hierarchy of the wolves first. Then, once he's recognized by the Alpha of his own tribe he can fight the others. It's okay, Sasha, don't cry. He can do this."

"Yes, he can. He can. But…" Then her stomach clenched remembering what Xar had said to her and what she'd agreed to. She thought she had about ten days until her next cycle started. Maybe if Zev wasn't back to his position by then she could hide or something—

"How long does it usually take, Yhet?" she asked quietly. "I mean, how long did it take him last time?"

"Oh, only a few months!" Yhet said with another big, breakable smile.

"A few months?!" she shrieked. Zev might take months to get his position back?

She didn't even think, just darted around Yhet heading for the center of the clearing where Zev had been. But she stopped dead even before his huge hand clamped like a manacle on her upper arm.

The crowd was fading away, the males all hurrying to tasks, or walking in clusters, talking animatedly to each other.

But no matter how she looked she didn't find ice-blue eyes fixed on her below near-black hair. No shadowed jaw, twitching with tension. No hands reaching for her.

Zev was gone. There was no sign of him at all.

"Where did he go?" she asked in a tiny voice.

Yhet sighed. "He has to get away from us. If he's around someone might slip and talk to him and then they'll get cast out too. So he's protecting us by going away. But don't worry, it's not forever."

"Wait, what?!" Sasha whirled on the huge man, whose face filled with worry. "He can't even talk to us?"

"No, Sasha," Yhet explained kindly, petting her hair again. "You can't talk to him. You can't look at him. You can't be near him.. If they smell him on you, they'll throw you out, too.

 

 

Chapter 60

Zev had known most of his life that he was cursed. That whatever he touched would likely fail. When he was little more than a pup, and still handled a great deal by the humans, he'd noticed a difference in their family structures. In the ways he was so often alone, while they seemed to be so rarely.

And the ways they looked at him as if he frightened them.

When he'd gotten older, the Chimera had been explained to him—how they were made, how they didn't fit in the human world. Then he'd understood. And after that, when something went wrong, or stood in his way, he'd expected it.

As a soulless creature, the Creator wasn't giving him any easy wins.

Growing up in Thana had been relative bliss compared to his first years in the human world. He'd accepted his lot here and done the best he could with it, knowing he was alone in this world—in any world—and that it was his job to use what he'd been given to make the best life he could.

But Sasha wasn't cursed. Sasha had a soul. Sasha didn't need to be punished… unless it was because of him?

The thoughts of his young-adult years, all those months they'd been together and perfect ease of his heart when she was there, the way it always turned on him as soon as he was out of her company.

He'd been plagued, back then, with thoughts of what it might do to her, being close to him. What kind of curse it might call down. He'd been very up front with God—he would do as he was told. He wouldn't hurt anyone who didn't need hurting. And he wouldn't hurt her—ever. He would protect her. With his life. Just… just don't blame her for being close to him.

Everything he'd done since the day he met her was intended to keep her safe. And he'd done it, so far.

But this… this could mean that it didn't matter what he wanted, or what he tried to do. God might be stealing her away from him anyway.

She wouldn't mate another Chimera. Not by choice. He was sure of it.

But that wouldn't stop them trying. And if she didn't declare a name on the day Xar had defined… they'd both be outcast then.

He couldn't let that happen to her. Being hidden by the clans was her only option for staying out of Nick's hands. His surrogate father was terrified of the gateway and would never actually brave it to walk into Thana himself. And even if the humans were here and interfering, it sounded like they still didn't venture into the forests.

He had to get her away from the other males. But that also meant he had to climb at least high enough to take Alpha of the wolves and be recognized again.

Which would mean challenging his brother. After he'd fought his way through the pack.

Fuck.

FUCK!

He ran on, harder, faster, until his breath began to labor in his throat. As the wolf he could cover many, many miles like this before he tired. But he didn't want to be too far away from her. He had to watch over her, even if she didn't realize he was doing it. Just like he had for the last five years.

Shit. The irony…

He shook his head so hard his ears snapped against his skull, but he ran on. He had to find out if anyone other than Yhet had found his cave. He needed shelter and some new clothes since he'd just left his bag behind.

And he needed to make a plan. A very detailed and organized plan.

He didn't know how long he had, exactly. But by Sasha's scent, he suspected he didn't have much more than a week.

He ran on. Every second counted.

*****

Twenty minutes later he trotted up a sharp incline on a narrow path made by goat feet that wove between rocks and boulders on the mountainside.

The cave was at the top, its mouth open to a ledge, but overhung by trees. Or at least, it had been, three years ago when he left.

As he made it to the top, he sighed with relief when he saw the tree—thicker and bushier than it had been three years ago, but now an even better screen for the mouth of the cave—and shifted back to his human form.

Being naked in the chill wasn't fun, but his body was much more efficient at moderating his temperature than a normal human's. It would take much colder temperatures than this to make him more than uncomfortable. But he would need food and water quickly. There was little fat on his body, and the energy it took to keep himself warm would deplete him before he fought if he didn't eat well.

It wasn't until he made it into the cave mouth, pushing aside the branches and leaves of the tree to walk into its dark depths, that he let himself slump.

The chill was even deeper in here, where the sun never reached. Without a fire or body heat, the cold stone on every side did little to insulate it from the creeping cold of winter outside. He didn't walk further in at first, just scanned the walls and ceilings and let himself scent in case he had a visitor.

But the cave was dusty and cold, with no scent of predators. Some rustling near the back told him he would need to clear it of unwelcome pests, but if that was all he had to deal with, he would be grateful.

If no one had found this place, there were some clothes and blankets at the back, along with a flint to make fire. This place was close enough to keep as a base until he could return to the village, but far enough away that no one would stumble on him and be tempted to speak, or help him.

He couldn't get anyone else cast out while he fixed this.

Creeping deeper and deeper into the cave, nostrils flared to catch every scent and eyes wide to allow as much light as they could discern, he made his way to the back… then cursed at what he saw.

Fucking Lhars.