Ch. 91..100

Chapter 91

Sasha went cold. She didn't take her eyes off of Xar, whose smile grew as the males around him raised their voices and howls in a chaotic response to his statement.

They didn't know about the breeding thing? Well, she supposed if they hadn't known he was leaving, they wouldn't have known why. But obviously the idea offended them even more than it had her. How could that be?

"Did you know?"

She turned to look at Dunken, who was staring at her, his face an expressionless mask.

"I thought I did, but… the way they're reacting… what do they know that I don't? Why are they so upset? I thought guys thought it was cool when other guys had a lot of women?"

Dunken shook his head. "If he's taken females that already have mates, it's a violation—whether the females were willing or not. And if he's taken females that don't have mates, that haven't bonded to anyone else… if they've taken the bond to him… multiple females bonded to one male is… sick." He spat the word. "If he has left no females for any other male Chimera, he has doomed our people to death."

"No, he wasn't… he said it was for the opposite of that. That they told him they needed him to do this otherwise the Chimera would die out. And he never talked about taking anyone else's mate…" Had he? Had they even had a chance to get into it? That whole night was a blur to her. "Would he know?" she asked. "If they were someone else's mate—would he know if they didn't tell him?"

Dunken nodded once, emphatic. "You can smell it."

"He wouldn't do that, I don't think. He would have told me." Wouldn't he? Certainly the Zev she knew five years ago would have. He was unswervingly honest—to the point that he offended people at times. He'd never had the same sense of manners that everyone—humans—had.

If he was being honest with her that she really knew him, that he was the guy she'd fallen in love with, then she knew—she was certain—he wouldn't have done that to other men. To their mates. And she was certain he would have told her if somehow he'd been forced.

The question was, was he still honest? Had he told her the truth about all of this? Or did these people know something she didn't?

"He said it was always in his wolf form," she blurted. "I don't know what difference that makes, but—"

Dunken turned back to the hole and the sight of Xar through it. "Well, firstly it means that he only ever mated female wolves, not others. So Xar's statement leaves an implication that is untrue."

They both stood there for a moment. She could tell the guy was thinking something through.

"Zev is a good male," he said finally, though his jaw twitched. "I think this story is false, or exaggerated. A lie."

"It's… not a lie that they've been using him to breed."

Dunken nodded without looking away from Xar, who was stalking back and forth in front of the crowd, his arms flying in big gestures, his mouth open to shout words she couldn't hear over the other men—but whatever he said, it was feeding their rage.

Dunken sighed and she turned to look at him again.

The male, with his odd eyes and large stature was handsome, she realized. Other men always faded in her eyes in comparison to Zev. But on an objective level, she could see that he was the kind of guy her friends would have noticed if he'd walked into a bar at home, or visited the office.

But there was a darkness to him, too. An edge that made her slightly uneasy. Like Zev, he seemed to carry death with him. But unlike Zev, she wasn't entirely certain it would never be directed at her.

It struck her, then, where she was. How utterly vulnerable.

She was in a place she didn't know or understand, surrounded by hundreds of men who had no loyalty to her—no reason to care for her. And there were political and power dynamics at play around her that threatened even the strongest among them.

There were people here with weapons that intimidated these men—these men who were massive, and strong, and so much more capable than any other men she knew. It was like their senses made them able to see more of the world, or something. In a sixth sense kind of way.

As if he read her mind, Dunken gave a small grunt, then spoke without looking away from the scene outside.

"You do not need to fear me, Sasha-don," he said quietly. "You are the mate of my former Alpha, and the male I believe was destined by the Creator to lead us. No matter what his flaws might be, I do not deny that his strength here was far healthier than Xar's. And I would welcome his return to Alpha. He claims you as his mate, and that is all I need to know to protect you."

Then he did turn to meet her eyes. "But while I might be trustworthy, others here are not. They hide their true desires, and cage their minds. They are influenced by powers from your world, and we cannot know what they have been promised. You are safe with me, with Yhet, and a few others. But trust no one else. Not if you wish to survive these days. The males will display for you—now more than ever. This is Zev's betrayal to them, and in their eyes, to you, whether you see it that way or not."

"Oh, I see it," she said dryly. "I just… I'm still processing."

Dunken nodded. "Then understand that they believe you have reason to abandon Zev as your choice, and they will be working doubly hard to catch your attention—more of them will stand in his way, now. And more will attempt to attract you. If you are certain Zev is your chosen male, you must be strong. You cannot waver. A wolf will not give up on his prey easily. And these wolves have three years of tension and disappointment to fuel them."

Sasha's stomach sank as Dunken turned back to the hole, as if that was all that needed to be said. But she was left with a spinning head, more questions asked than answered.

And none of them could be answered by anyone but Zev.

 

Chapter 92

Rage burned in Zev's chest as he peered through the leaves to watch Xar inciting the anger and despair of the other males. He shook his head and swore under his breath.

Everything in him pulled back in the direction of the fox hole, where Sasha stood, listening to this, her head probably spinning with questions and her heart either breaking, or going up in flames.

He hadn't had enough time to explain. He needed to explain!

But Xar was so busy riling up the males, he was terrified they would break from the village and go hunting him. Despite the circuitous route he'd taken, they'd find him easily when he was this close.

The safe thing to do would have been to flee to the mountains, use the snow and rivers to hide his scent until everyone had cooled down.

But then Xar would continue to spew these lies, and set the others against him. And Sasha… Sasha might listen to them, too. She'd been so uncomfortable with all of this already. To have everyone knowing and talking about it…

He had to see her.

There was no other choice.

The conviction was so strong, he didn't even question it, simply began to slip down the tree to the ground, careful to keep himself low and out of sight. But listening carefully, he could still hear Xar as he crept through the forest, back towards the fox hole.

"Your former alpha is a traitor! He left you without word, without an appointed second—he abandoned you for three years. He took your females, and now he has stolen one of the human females as well!"

Zev clenched his teeth so hard his jaw almost cracked. The lies… the fucking lies!

He hesitated for a minute, tempted to confront Xar and put this entire episode to rest—despite the uproar it would have caused for him to force the King to acknowledge him, he likely would have done it if the humans hadn't been there. He knew they would have anesthetic darts, tazers, any number of medications on them that could drop a Chimera in seconds.

They never took the risk that a Chimera would lose their temper and attack, despite the controls placed on them.

And he couldn't risk being taken and leaving Sasha here and alone in the wake of this.

So, no matter how the growl wanted to begin in his throat, no matter how his fingers twitched, yearning for the Tiger's neck, he crept on.

There had been a lull in Xar's rant. But the Tiger spoke up again a breath later.

"If anyone sees him, or learns of his whereabouts, you bring that information to me, or to the humans directly. You will not be punished for delaying. The Wolf is cunning and manipulative—the truth you think you hear is not necessarily the truth when you speak with him. Give careful thought, brothers, to what kind of heart it takes to have taken our females this way!"

Zev snarled under the sound of the crowd that howled and bellowed their rage in response to that. Zev shook his head—his entire body trembling with rage.

The Tiger was working hard to turn the people against him. Which meant that he'd received word that the wolves were in support of Zev. That had to be it. Xar didn't want the humans taking any more Chimera from Thana any more than Zev did. So for him to bring them in like this, to feed this fury, he was using it to turn the clans against Zev. Which meant he knew his leadership was under threat.

Zev gave a grim smile at the idea of finally putting the tiger on his ass and taking control of this shitshow.

But then Sasha's face flashed into his mind—how she must be feeling now. And the males, their snarls and roars making it very clear that they believed he'd come here to protect his own female while theirs all remained under threat—and, apparently, mated to him, though he hadn't stayed with them. Of course they believed it. They were all grieving and alone. If the roles had been reversed, he would have wanted to bite out his throat, as well. He couldn't blame them. They were not accustomed to such blatant lies. The question was whether Xar knew he was lying or not.

He reached the open space he'd avoided on the way in, where movement risked betraying his location if anyone was looking in the right direction. His choice was to head east for a few minutes until the land slanted down, or belly-crawl across this space to ensure none of them would see him below the level of the snow and underbrush.

He was about to turn and follow the longer route that he'd used coming in, when Xar roared for silence and the crowd settled.

"No matter what, my friends, you know that I have stayed true to you—to your safety, and to seeking the return of our females—since the day the former alpha abandoned you. Do not let your heads be turned now. If you know of his location, speak it!"

The village was silent. Zev dropped to his belly and began to snake his way across the rocky dirt. His ribs complained at the uneven pressure of the rough ground and he winced. But he was healing. Would heal, and soon. But he would likely have to fight more of the wolves now since many more would be invested in seeing his downfall.

He had to hide the vulnerability. He paused to press his arm to his side and protect the spot—but then his mind flashed with an image of Sasha's face, pale and horrified as she watched him fall to the humans… or red-eyed and shaking as she accused him of further betrayals.

He couldn't let her carry this alone.

With teeth gritted and counting the ways he would make the tiger pay for this, he plowed forward across the clear land as quickly as he could without risking discovery.

His ribs would heal. And he would win the right to claim her. And they would put all this bullshit behind them.

Including the tiger. No more question in his mind. He would not stop until Xar was defeated—and hopefully given over to the humans that he loved so much.

Yes… the old male didn't deserve any better than that.

 

Chapter 93

Xar called for anyone who knew anything about Zev to speak up. Then he told them that Zev had stolen their females from them—as if Zev had anything to do with the disappearance of the female Chimera—Sasha wanted to rush out and defend Zev, when he couldn't defend himself. But she knew it was a death sentence to let any of them know that she was there. So she ground her teeth but stayed still.

There was quiet, but no one stood or called out to tell Xar where Zev was, and Sasha's heart began to bubble with hope that perhaps they knew they were being manipulated, and they weren't immediately ready to believe it.

But then Xar spewed more hate, and their howls and snarls rose again, and Dunken shook his head.

"They aren't speaking up," she whispered. "Does that meant they don't really believe it?"

"I don't know," Dunken said. "Certainly those he was closest to will be skeptical, but… but there's no denying that removing Zev gave the humans more access. Even those that don't like Xar will struggle to argue for Zev when they mourn the loss of a mate, or of the chance to mate."

"Then why isn't someone talking?" she asked nervously. "Are they waiting to do it in private or something?"

"Possibly. But since the humans will rarely be alone with Chimera, I think it's more likely that they simply hate the humans more than they hate Zev. At least, right now.

"They are angry—I can smell it on them. They are listening to Xar and many will decide to stand in Zev's way now that perhaps wouldn't have before. He will have to fight more…"

Sasha dropped her face into her hands. She knew Zev was strong. But there was a limit to anyone. All these men were so strong, so capable. If he fought over and over again, he'd be worn out. And if the fights got harder as he went, he'd end up being taken down.

As Xar—with an edge of impatience—urged the males to speak again, to tell the humans were Zev was, Dunken made a strange noise.

"What is it?" Sasha asked.

"He isn't betraying Zev himself," Dunken said, an edge of confusion underlying his toneless voice. "Why? Why wouldn't he just tell them himself and be done with it? It's as if he needs someone else to be the one to betray Zev. But why?"

Xar went quiet as the crowd discussed his latest rant among themselves. Sasha prayed that Dunken was right—that they hated the humans more than they did Zev, even under these circumstances. That Zev wouldn't be stolen from her.

Fuck—she'd be left here in Chimera alone.

Holy shit.

"Lhars doesn't speak, either," Dunken said thoughtfully.

"Wh-what?" Sasha said faintly, trying to turn away from the mental image of herself stuck in this world, surrounded by aggressive males and no females… and no Zev."

"I find it curious that Lhars doesn't take this opportunity to betray his brother," Dunken said quietly, still staring out of the hole. "He hasn't hidden his revulsion for his brother—or his own ambitions for power. This would be the perfect time to align himself with the humans and gain their trust. Why doesn't he speak?"

Sasha peered out of the hole and searched the crowd for the Lhars, but couldn't pick him out anywhere.

"It must demonstrate where he truly stands," Dunken said quietly. "Perhaps… perhaps this is Xar's attempt to ensure Lhars is truly at his side—and the cunning wolf isn't giving it to him?"

"So, Lhars really hates Zev?" she asked.

Dunken shook his head. "I don't believe so. I believe Lhars is very jealous of Zev and that colors his feelings about his brother. If he truly held only malice for Zev, he would have spoken already. He would have led to the humans to him, just to remove him. They couldn't scent Zev out, but Lhars can."

"So… he cares about Zev?"

Dunken shrugged again. "I think at least we can be certain that Lhars hates the humans more than he is jealous of Zev, and that's better than I would have thought," he said, his hands clenching to fists at his sides.

It was a cold comfort to Sasha. So many unkonwns, and so many angers and jealousies… Zev had always inspired those kinds of feelings in other men. She'd seen it even in high school. Despite his friendliness and warmth, there were always guys who just couldn't stand to be around him—and always because they didn't want to compete for the attentions of the girls, or maybe they didn't feel as strong when he was near, or something.

Or maybe… maybe it was just that deep down they'd all been able to sense that wild creature inside him. Maybe they felt inadequate around him because they were. Maybe it didn't have anything to do with how gorgeous or strong he was.

It certainly hadn't had anything to do with her back in those days. Everyone had been baffled when Zev chose her—and worse, stuck with her. She'd heard the rumors at the start, that he just wanted to sleep with a virgin, which she was known to be, because she'd been outed in ninth grade, and everyone knew she hadn't had a real boyfriend since.

It was hard to attract a guy when the thing you were most known for was winning Battle of the Books in middle school, and then being a self-admitted virgin at a time when most people lied.

Sasha shook her head. Back in those days she'd been no prize at all—Zev had taken a lot of teasing and questions about it. And it had pissed him off royally. He'd always stood in defense of her whenever another guy questioned why he'd be with her.

Which made all the hot girls swoon—and become even more jealous and pissed off that he was sticking to her so closely.

It was odd, now, to realize that somehow, here, she was seen as the prize. That didn't make sense to her at all.

But she didn't have time to figure it out as a scrape sounded behind them and they both turned to find Zev's midnight-dark head popping up under the tree trunk.

"Sasha," he whispered, "Thank God." His eyes were sunken and dark. There was dirt on his cheek, and his hair was mussed.

He was gorgeous.

Everything inside her tore in two directions—half of her ecstatic and overjoyed to see him. The other half ready to tear off his face.

The question was, which side would she give in to?

 

Chapter 94

When he'd gotten to his feet inside the fox hole, Sasha was still gripping the rocks at the look holes and staring at him.

Her face was a mix of joy and fear, and his stomach dropped.

He was glad he'd come. And terrified of what might happen now.

Zev cleared his throat. "Sasha, he's lying. About a lot of it. And… I already told you, it wasn't… there wasn't anything in it that I enjoyed or… it was ugly. All of it. I did it because I thought I had to, and—"

She launched herself across the dirt and into his arms. He grunted as she ran into his tender ribs, but he didn't let her go, holding her tightly to his chest and pressing his cheek against the top of her head as she clung to him.

Her whole body was shaking. Fuck, he hated what this was doing to her.

Eyes on Dunken whose face was still a blank mask, he shushed her when she whispered his name, and held her tightly.

Her hands played on his chest and she trembled in his arms. "I knew it couldn't be true," she said. "I just… it's hard, Zev. This place is frightening, and I don't understand how it works."

"I know, I know. I'm sorry. I'm going to try and fix that now, I think," he said with another glance at Dunken, whose face had gone very hard, but he didn't argue.

They continue to hold each other, but Sasha was beginning to soften in his arms when he finally addressed his old friend.

"I didn't mate anyone who already had a mate," he said through his teeth. "That's a lie. And I didn't mate all the females—only wolves, and not all of them. At least, not all that were taken from here."

"How comforting," Dunken said dryly.

Zev pressed his lips together to stop himself snapping that now wasn't the time for sarcasm. He kept having flashes of the things that he'd been forced to do over the past three years, and it was making him shake.

He had to make Sasha utterly certain.

He pulled back from her face enough to take her face in his hands and meet her eyes. "No matter what has happened before, those days are finished for me," he whispered. "I will never mate another female in my life, Sasha. You have to know that. It's you. Only you. Do you understand?"

She nodded, but her eyes welled with tears. "I just… I don't understand how…"

"I believed I was keeping you, and the people safe. It's only truth, Sasha. I see the stupidity in it now—that's why I left. I learned they were lying to me. But even I didn't know the extent… But just know, it will never happen again. I vow to you."

"What are they going to do to you?" she breathed, and he knew she meant the other males. "Dunken said this will make it harder to fight? That you'll have to fight more of them, or something?"

Zev clenched his jaw. "I don't know," he said truthfully. "But it doesn't matter. Whatever is needed, I'll do it. I will win the right to claim you, Sasha. Don't worry about that. No matter what they think they'll put in my path… I'll do it."

"You're going to have to be a lot more careful," Dunken said, his low voice rumbling. "If you show up when there's a group of males there, you might get jumped. And you know Xar isn't going to censure them for killing you after this."

Zev nodded and Sasha gasped. He forced himself to smile down at her and wink. "They won't find me easy to kill, don't worry about it."

"Kill? But I thought… I thought these were fights, like… like just to win. A competition?"

Before he could answer, Xar started speaking again outside. Still holding Sasha, they all walked over to the holes to watch the wily King.

The crowd of males had settled down and were listening, and the humans had taken a more prominent position in front of them. "You are all to stay here while the humans search—under pain of my censure!" Xar called, his voice booming across the square. "I have told the humans that those they seek are not here, but they fear we may have been deceived and they wish to search. None of your personal belongings will be taken, but this will take some time. Cooks, make your fires here today and bring your supplies. Everyone else is to stay here with us. We will share a meal while we wait and reassure our friends that we are not harboring their stolen female."

The hubbub of voices rose then—there were hunters, patrols, and other responsible males among the crowd who were being told they would not have the chance to fulfill their duties that day. A search of the village—even a simple one—would take hours. And they were to stay there for meals?

Zev growled and Sasha's arms tightened on his waist.

He kissed the top of her head and squeezed her closer, ignoring the twinge in his ribs.

"If you should recall anything you think can be of use, you need only speak. There will be no punishment for not remembering sooner. Now, take this time to relax and enjoy your brothers while we let the humans do their work."

Zev growled again as he saw his brother, near the front. When Xar finished his announcements and the humans stepped away from him, trotting around and through the crowd towards the dwellings and buildings behind them, everyone began speaking again. Zev didn't miss that Lhars turned around, answering a tap on the shoulder from behind him.

But his brother's eyes trailed over the fox hole and locked on it for a second, before he moved on.

Did he know Sasha was in there? Zev's teeth wanted to snap. Did he know Zev was nearby?

There was no way to know.

Stepping back from the view hole, and ignoring the pointed look from Dunken, Zev pulled Sasha down towards the dirt, urging her to sit next to him. "We should get comfortable," he said tightly. "It looks like we're going to be here a while. I'm not risking taking you out there while they're searching.. Even the humans won't miss it if they see you."

 

 

Chapter 95 -

There was an awkward few minutes where Sasha sat stiffly. She hugged his arm, but her back was against the rocks behind them, and Dunken still stood, watching out of the holes. But she relaxed soon, and while Zev held her hand, he answered her questions.

"Won't they find us if we just sit here?" she whispered.

Dunken snorted and Zev had to fight a smile. "Um, no," he said quietly. "The human senses are… they just aren't as sharp as ours," he said carefully. "They can't follow scents. They have to see things with their eyes—which can't see as far, or in the dark. And they don't hear as much as we do. So, no, unless we do something to draw their attention, they'll never know we're here."

"The humans are sight-blind," Dunken added.

"You said that before," Sasha frowned. "What does that mean? Those words mean the opposite things in my world."

Dunken met his eyes and Zev gave a short nod. He could explain. "Sight-blind is… it's a term we use when a Chimera becomes too reliant on their sight so that they ignore the other things their senses would tell them."

"But… your senses can't tell you the same thing as your other senses."

Zev smiled. "No, but other senses can often tell you more. For example, right now, I see you here and you look calm, if a little tense. Your voice sounds normal. If I were to rely only on my sight, I would think you were fine. But I can smell the fear on you, Sasha," he said, hurrying on when she looked like she was going to argue. "I don't mean that as a criticism—any kind of nerves or anxiousness—even the smallest part—can be scented. We would all stink of some level of fear right now."

"Speak for yourself," Dunken said dryly.

Zev rolled his eyes. "Except the Ice Queen over there. He doesn't care enough about anything to have his emotions ruffled."

Sasha glanced at Dunken, who gave Zev a very flat look. "I experience fear," he snipped.

"Anyway," Zev continued, "If I only relied on my sight, I would gain all the information about my surroundings, about people… and sight can be really… narrow, too. If you're concentrating hard on someone's face, it's easy to miss the little things they do with their body. Things that give away how they truly feel. Our noses, our ears, they pick up things we can't see, and they scan a much wider area all at once than our eyes do. That's sight-blind—it's something young Chimera often experience for a while after they hit adolescence and become more confident in themselves. They think they can see and discern everything, when actually they only see a very small portion."

"I think I understand," Sasha said. "We call it tunnel-vision."

"Yes! That's it. It's when you keep your focus on such a small area, that you miss really important things outside of it."

"Okay… so, if I'm a human and I don't have your chimera senses, how do I not be… sight blind?"

Zev was warmed by the question. She was such a strong heart, his mate. Only the strongest leaders identified their own weaknesses and tried to work against them without being told to do so.

"Once we've got everything sorted out, I'll help you. Your hearing and nose may not be as strong as Chimera, but there are things you can learn and do to help you."

"In any case," Dunken interrupted. "You don't need to worry about the humans finding us, Sasha. We have dozens of dens and hiding places scattered all around the village ever since we moved here, and every Chimera has hidden dens and resources throughout the forest. The humans—because they are sight-blind—never even notice them. They only see what they expect to see."

"But… won't someone else tell them? If they can smell us or hear us, they'll figure out we're here, right?"

"They won't reveal our hiding places because then they'll have nowhere to run when they need it," Zev explained. "No one tells the humans because they don't want the information used against them."

Dunken snorted again. "I still believe we could all simply disappear and they could not find us," he said, his upper lip pulling into a sneer. "Their weapons are only of use if they know where to point them. If we were all to use our skills at the same time… they would simply never find any of us."

Zev sighed. It was an old argument they'd had even back when he was the Alpha and chafed against what little control the humans had back then. But he'd been in the human world, and he'd been with the team in their labs and their training grounds. He knew that they were far better equipped than the Chimera who had never left Thana realized. The fact that the humans came to Thana with such limited options, indicated that they understood the havoc they could wreak if they panicked or weren't careful.

But he wasn't going to argue with his friend again. The humans were not as helpless or as stupid as Dunken thought, but until Dunken saw it for himself, nothing would convince him.

"Look, the important thing is, we're safe," he said quietly, putting his arm around Sasha and pulling him into his side. "And it looks like we're going to be here for a while. So let's get comfortable and make a plan for what is needed after the humans leave. I'm… I'm beginning to see that I may have to take a more active role here in the clans than I thought. So I need your help, Dunken," he said. "I need to do everything I can to make sure no one else is ever taken from Thana to the human world—at least, not against their will," he added, thinking of Yhet, who yearned to get out to the larger mountain ranges and plains of earth. "But in order to do that, I need to understand exactly what's happened here and how they're keeping the controls on everyone. Not just Xar. I saw hunters out there, today. Who the hell was able to motivate them to return to the village for humans?"

Dunken sighed. "It's a long story."

"Well, it looks like we have time."

 

Chapter 96

The more Dunken talked, the more tense Zev became.

He'd been fine when his friend was covering all the things he already knew—that the males had been off fighting, demonstrating dominance, and working through the hierarchy on the night the females were taken.

But he hadn't known that the Team must have brought through dozens of people, because hundreds of females and offspring were removed from Thana in only seven hours.

That more than a dozen lower level males were killed because they'd returned to the City to check on their families, or to sleep in preparation for the following day, and disturbed the raid.

He hadn't known that the males still didn't understand how the females had been removed—so many of them, so quickly—because they knew their females would have fought the weaker, smaller humans.

"It made no sense," Dunken said, his frustration plain. "There was no blood, no evidence of a struggle, even! We heard none of the sounds of weapons—and yet, the males that disturbed them were executed. So, how did they do it?"

"Hasn't anyone asked them?" Zev asked.

"They say they went voluntarily."

"Wait, what?"

Dunken nodded. "I know, it's crazy, but the researchers swear that they came and presented their case, and the females followed them. On their own feet."

"With the offspring?"

"Yes! At least, that's what they say, but it can't be true! They would never abandon their mates. The only thing I've discussed with Lhars—when Xar wasn't listeneing, because the Tiger gets really tense whenever we question this stuff—is that maybe they were deceived? Like, maybe the humans offered them something they thought… like you said they made you believe that you had to go save lives. Maybe something like that? But I just can't see them all falling for that kind of ruse—and bringing the kids! I mean, the humans were being so helpful in the wake of you leaving, yes. We were all cheered. It seemed like they actually wanted to help. But this? I just can't see it."

"Wanted to help? How would humans help you work through the hierarchy?"

"They left that part to us. But they brought extra teams through with food and medical supplies, so we didn't have to hunt, and we could heal even faster. They offered—and they were true to their words. They were bringing stuff through every few days. Even I was surprised."

"They brought food?" Zev asked faintly.

"And medical supplies—and I know what you're thinking, Zev. But no, it wasn't drugged or anything. We all shared the evening meal before the males went off to finalize the hierarchy. If that had been it, we would have all passed out, or… or whatever."

That wasn't true. But his friend couldn't be expected to know that. Zev's stomach dropped into a pit and Dunken's eyes got sharp.

"What is it?" he growled.

Zev raked a hand through his hair. Sasha was watching him closely. He had to be careful not to frighten her. "So, the humans… they have tools… things I've learned about since my time with them. And it's not true that the food you ate couldn't have been tainted or poisoned. At least, you're right—they didn't put a drug in it. But they have… other things at their disposal."

"Things like what?"

"Like drugs that are harmless in their normal state, but that shift in your blood if you're given the right addition to them." Zev cursed and Dunken got very tense.

"What are you saying, Zev?"

Sasha stared up at him, her eyes wide. Zev squeezed her hand.

"I'm saying it's very possible that you all had something in your bloodstream that, if you'd been given whatever the females were given while you were gone, it would have made you decide to walk out of here by choice, too."

"What?! You can't be serious?"

"I've seen things they give people that just… remove their… I don't even know how to say it. Remove their will? They become compliant. They can be told to do something and they won't question. They can be asked a question and they'll just answer it—no matter what the truth is.

"If they gave all of you something that needed, I don't know, a second food or drink that would trigger the first in your system—the trigger is different depending what they used. Hell, it could even be that all they have to do is shine a specific type of light on you, or play a certain piece of music—"

"What? Are you crazy, Zev?" Dunken scrambled to his feet to stand over him. "What music or light would make people do something so stupid? How many types of light can there be?"

"Thousands," Sasha breathed, still staring at Zev.

He looked down at her, an apology in his eyes. "I don't want to scare you—"

"You're saying all that mind-control stuff… the people that you worked with, they do that?" Sasha said quietly.

Zev nodded, and his stomach sank further. She knew about these things?

Sasha shook her head. "I so hoped that those programs, those operations that got declassified last year… that they were the last." Her eyes looked so sad. "That's how they got you to walk out on me? And on this place? These people?"

"No! No, that was just… Nick deceived me. Manipulated me. I wasn't mind controlled."

"Are you certain?" she asked.

Zev blinked. He hadn't been. Had he?

A small, cold trickle of fear started down his back. He had to turn away from Sasha's worried face for a moment. Why was it that he'd never asked himself that before? He'd seen these tools used so many times—had been party to their use against criminals and murderers… But himself?

"No," he said emphatically. "They haven't. I remember everything clearly—and the people they do these things to always forget. Plus, Nick said they never want to risk messing with my head, because they need me… look, the point is. I was wrong to go—from both of you," he said looking back and forth between Dunken and Sasha. "But I was manipulated. I was young and na?ve when they took me from you, Sasha, and I was desperate to prove to myself that I hadn't made a mistake when I left you when they got me out of Thana. The whole thing is just a cluster fuck and I wish I'd never been a part of any of it."

He was beginning to shake. His mind starting to flash with images that he had to force himself to turn from.

They were both staring at him. Why wouldn't they stop staring? He was fine! He was just upset.

But then Sasha turned and put a hand on his thigh. "Zev, what is it?" And when he reached for her, his hand was trembling so badly his finger snagged on her jacket.

"It's just… It's just ugly stuff. The things you're describing, Dunken, they end in ugly things. And I wish… I would do anything not to have been a part of it. That's all," he said, sliding his hand under Sasha's on his thigh and locking their fingers.

"So, they really did just walk out?" Dunken breathed.

Zev nodded. "I'm sorry. They probably did. But it isn't because they wanted to. They weren't convinced of anything. They were controlled. They won't even remember it."

But Zev did.

Zev remembered what was done to them later.. And that was the sickest part of all.

 

 

Chapter 97

Of all the things she'd seen from Zev since he showed up again, this was the moment that worried her most.

To be fair, the neck snapping ran a very close second.

But as she sat there questioning him, she watched Zev go pale. His hands shook first, then the rest of him began to twitch. He gripped her hand so tightly she was starting to lose blood flow. And he wasn't even conscious of it, she was sure.

"Zev?" she asked, rubbing his arm with her free hand. "Are you okay?"

"I didn't know," he mumbled. "Not at first. And once I did… I stopped. I mean, it took me some time to accept it, but once I realized… I didn't know, Sash, you have to believe me."

"I believe you... What are you talking about?"

Zev closed his eyes and let his head sink back against the rock behind them, his face twisted in a grimace that rang her heart like a bell.

"Dunken?" he said without opening his eyes. "Skhal told me there was a female who was returned, but she got sick soon after, and died. What… what happened to her? What kind of sickness did she have? How long did it last?"

Dunken frowned. "You're speaking of Ehle. She seemed fine when she first returned, if a little quiet. We all assumed it was because she'd been torn from her mate."

"What did she say about how they were taken?"

"I don't know. She only spoke to Xar and her mate about it. Early on, she didn't seem to want to be in groups. She spent all her time with her mate and he with her. Then she got sick. After she died, when we asked what Xar knew about what had happened, he said she affirmed what the humans told us. And that she hadn't been able to tell him why she decided to follow them. He'd been planning to question her further, but she got ill."

Zev's face dragged for the floor. "And her mate? He died too? How long after?"

"It was really quick for him. He shut off almost as soon as she died, and he was gone in less than a month."

"Shut off?" Sasha asked.

Zev's throat bobbed. "When a Chimera loses their mate they go into this kind of grief," he said hoarsely. "They just… don't want anything. They don't sleep. Don't want to eat. They disappear into their own minds and memories and… they never come back."

Dunken nodded. "His was unusually fast, though."

Zev's arm tensed under her hand and his face was so pale he looked almost gray.

"Zev, what—"

"Was she pregnant?" he asked Dunken, his face drawn and tight.

Dunken's eyebrows rose. "Not that I know of."

Zev's lips thinned and the little muscles at the back of his jaw twitched. "Are you certain?"

"Well, no. I mean. I didn't ask her. If she was, it would have had to be early because she wasn't showing, and she didn't smell of it."

Zev nodded, but still didn't open his eyes. Sasha's heart was pounding. Something was really scaring him. "Zev," she said urgently, "What is it? You look terrible. What's wrong?"

"I think I know what she died of. And I think… I think I know what the humans are doing with all the females. And why they came back today to tell Xar that I bred them."

"Wait, weren't you with the females, Zev?" Dunken said, frowning. "Sasha said you have been breeding—"

Zev's eyes finally opened and he turned to her. "Yes, but… I mean the mated females. They never gave those to me."

Sasha and Dunken waited. Zev seemed to brace himself, then he finally turned his head and it was Sasha's eyes he sought, though she suspected Dunken better understood what he said. His arm went rigid under her hand, as if he fought something to get the words out.

"I think they gave the mated females to humans," he croaked. "And I think they gave the other ones to me—some of them. Not all. And I think… I think they're failing in making what they want, so they keep trying and… I think the females are dying because of it."

"Zev, what are you talking about? What happened to the females?"

"I don't know! That's my point! I only ever saw most of them one time and they were never… they chose to be there! It was me who struggled with it all, and I was supposed to the easy one. I was never anywhere near them except in the breeding arena. I never saw them where they were held or… or housed."

"Never?" Dunken asked skeptically.

"Never!" Zev cursed. "The males they had, who were actively working, they kept us busy training and on operations—we only went to the farm a couple times a month. And I never wanted to… it was the threats—they had me believing… it doesn't matter. I learned over time.

"I finally put it all together and realized they were lying to me—but by then they had Sasha under surveillance, and they were letting me watch over her. And the females always said yes. They always said yes!" He groaned. "There were only a couple of them that I saw more than once, and I just assumed that was because they hadn't gotten pregnant so we were trying again. But… but if they were using the mated females… Fuck, Dunken… this is even worse than I thought."

"Wait, you two weren't together this whole time?" Dunken said, looking between them.

"What?" Sasha cried. "No! I haven't seen Zev in five years until a couple days ago."

Dunken's mouth dropped open. "Zev, what the fuck have you been doing?"

"I've been trying to save her and keep them off my back, and I thought… I always thought I'd get back here and be able to explain. But a month turned into two, and two turned into six, and then it had been a year and I knew there had to be a new Alpha. And Sasha was still under their eyes, and I couldn't leave her… Every time they made me breed I'd tell myself it was the last time. That was going to take Sasha and run, but I kept getting… I don't know. Something always made me change my mind."

He broke off, his face wide with horror. Sasha clutched his arm but she didn't think he even realized she as touching him.

"Fuck, this is… Fuck.. Are they inside my head?" he snarled.

 

Chapter 98

Sasha grabbed for him, pulling his face towards her, forcing him to meet her gaze "No," she said, stroking his face frantically. "They aren't in your head, Zev. You're safe. You're here. You're you. I'm sorry I asked. I didn't mean to scare you."

Zev gave a strangled laugh. "I'm supposed to be the one not scaring you!" he whispered, and his eyes looked so pained, so tortured, she couldn't think of anything to do except kiss him and show him how much she still loved him.

Their lips met and both of them sucked in a breath. But Sasha was tense. Dunken was watching…

Sasha pulled back to meet his eyes. "Whatever it is, we'll face it together. Tell me."

Zev blew out a long breath and shook his head. But then he spoke the words as if they pained him to say.

"I think they're killing all the females—but not meaning to. I think they thought if they controlled their minds, the wasting away wouldn't happen. But I think they've just sped up the process. I think… I think their panic about needing to breed more and have more offspring wasn't faked. I think they've accidentally killed the females off and they don't want to admit it. I think they're fooling Xar—or maybe controlling him, who knows. But that first female? She was a test and it failed. I think they'd already mated her and sent her back here to have the pregnancy to see if it would work. But it didn't. She died, so her mate died. So they had to find another plan—but whatever the plan is… it's not working.

"You have to understand," Zev said, his teeth clenched like he was stopping them from chattering. "When they brought the females to me, every single one consented. They were attracted to me. They never… there was never… I never forced anyone except myself!" he spat.

Dunken's brows rose higher. Sasha clung to him.

Zev made a strange noise in his throat, then let go of Sasha to claw both hands into his hair and blow out a deep breath.

"They were all sick. I didn't want to see it for the first year, but after that it was impossible to ignore. Even my wolf was alarmed. But what could I do? There was something wrong, but they wanted to have babies. I think… I think maybe they got told as soon as they got pregnant they could come back here. So they went along with it."

Sasha's mouth dropped open at the horror of what he was describing, but his eyes pleaded with her to understand. "The Team told me that the females were volunteers—and whenever I asked any of them, they always said they wanted it. Said that having a baby was the biggest desire of their lives. Then the Team would tell me that I was helping them, and I believed them. I was so stupid!" he snarled. "I believed them for so long and I was so stupid to believe anything that came out of their fucking mouths!"

*****

~ ZEV ~

Sasha didn't get it. Not really. She wasn't Chimera. She couldn't. It wasn't her fault. But whatever she did understand horrified her. She gaped at him, her eyes wide and terrified.

But it was Dunken that stalked over to stand at Zev's feet and stare down at him, his hands clenched to fists. "You think… you think the humans are trying to breed them. And it's killing them?"

He didn't know another way to do it, so he showed his friend the images from his mind. Just flashes. Dunken's eyes glazed as Zev buried his face in his hands and let the scene flicker through his head—and into Dunken's.

A small, pale Chimera, hair near-white and eyes deeply blue. Her cheeks had high, pink spots and her eyes were slightly glazed. But her speech was clear and she was mature, if young looking for her age.

Zev had thoughtlessly walked into the breeding arena as himself, not the wolf like he had last time—a quick, perfunctory joining that made him throw up afterward—so this time she recognized him. And she wept with happiness. She'd been so grateful. So grateful.

"You're alive!" she gasped and ran to throw herself into his chest. It was the first time he'd held another Chimera in over a year, and something inside him broke open. As they shared scents he began to shake.

"You're back," he said quietly, frustrated with himself that he couldn't remember her name.

She looked up at him with shining eyes—so happy—and put a hand to his face. "It didn't work last time, but I don't mind," she breathed, rubbing herself against him, encouraging him to display.

But there was something off about all of it. Something… feverish in her eyes. Her joy at seeing him had an edge to it—a desperation that he didn't understand.

He'd shifted into his wolf just to separate himself from her hands—she followed him a heartbeat later, her wolf near-white with blue eyes, and her once-beautiful coat dull and thin.

She whined and flashed her tail at him.

He wanted to say no. He always wanted to say no—but Nick had been clear. If he didn't carry the program forward, it would be ended by those in the highest realms of power. The Chimera would be killed. Executed. And Sasha…

They had hands on Sasha, ways to hurt her whether she knew it or not.

So he let instinct take over. Let his wolf body respond to the female's scent, and her increasing desperation.

Wrong. Wrong. It was all wrong. But when he looked up to the mirrored glass above them where he knew Nick and many of the others stood, watching, he knew there was no other choice.

Sickened and shaking, even inside his wolf, as he mounted her, he turned elsewhere in his mind.

This was not right. It was not happening. He was not there.

But his body knew.

His body knew…

 

Chapter 99

His shaking was worrying Sasha, so he changed the subject from the breeding—they agreed that until the humans were gone and they could get more information about what had occurred today, there was no point speculating further. But Zev could see that Dunken was shaken by the idea of what was happening to the females—and what else it might entail that Zev didn't even know.

It took a good hour for Zev to stop shaking after going back into that memory of the breeding arena and the females. But having Sasha so warm and close, the fox hole filled with her scent, her head resting on his shoulder and arms hugging his… it was everything he'd yearned for for so long that it helped his heart ease.

A couple hours after the humans began their search, the three of them were quiet, and Sasha began to doze, her temple resting against his upper arm.

Dunken had been a little restless, checking the view holes and pacing slowly in the space. When he spoke again after so long in silence, Zev almost startled. Sasha's breathing shortened, but soon eased again even as Dunken whispered.

"Your bond is strange," he said, out of nowhere, frowning at Zev. "I can smell it, but it's different to the Chimera bond—is this something the humans have?"

Zev answered in Dunken's head.

I don't know. I didn't recognize it for a long time because it didn't feel like what the other males had described when they bonded. There was no lightning bolt for me. It's like she crept up on me. It grew over time. I think this is what humans mean when they talk about falling in love? It wasn't until we were separated that I realized it was a part of me. More than emotion. Just… a connection. Something about her that pulled me and kept hold of me even when she wasn't there. I couldn't bear it. Couldn't leave her alone—even though she didn't know I was there.

Dunken nodded. "That sounds like the bond. I wouldn't know, of course.." he said wistfully. "All I know is that I wouldn't have recognized it as the bond in your scent if I didn't have the two of you together—it's as if a part of each of your scents is the same. As if you truly are pieces of each other."

Zev was quiet. That was how it felt too—when she was far away, a piece of him was missing. But the distance didn't have to be physical. When she'd tried to flee him, when he thought she might leave by choice and never return… he'd felt a gaping hole open in his chest.

"Is she worth it?" Dunken asked suddenly.

Zev blinked. Yes, without question.

Dunken sighed and began pacing again. "I called her Sasha-don by accident."

Zev snorted. Did she catch it?

"She doesn't know what it means, but she knew I'd given her a title."

Did you tell her what it was?

"No."

Zev held his friend's eyes. "Thank you," he whispered. "But try to keep it back. Let me give it to her."

"Don't thank me yet," Dunken whispered dryly. "You have to get Alpha back first—and she has to accept you. That's going to be harder after today."

Zev turned his head to look down on Sasha who had slumped completely against him and was snuggled into his arm. "It doesn't matter," he breathed. "And she will accept me, I'm certain of it. She feels the bond too. She just doesn't realize that's what she's feeling. She's weathered pressure from the humans every day that I was gone—they told her she was crazy to believe I loved her the way she loved me," he growled, flexing his hand on this thigh because it wanted to close on the throat of the human that had almost convinced her of that. "Now it's time for me to prove to her that she wasn't wrong to hold onto her hope."

Dunken nodded thoughtfully. "Will she understand, though? She seems confused by our traditions."

"She'll understand enough," he said firmly. "And the humans are big on vows and… and promises. Once she forgives me for breaking the promise I made before, once she sees that I've returned to fulfill it, she will take me."

He wished he was as convinced as he sounded. He knew their connection was real, and he loved being so close to her and seeing her eyes sparkle when they landed on him. But she'd pulled back more than once—and he knew there would be many things in the coming days that would frighten her.

Unable to resist, he reached across to comb her hair off her forehead with his free hand. She shifted, rubbing her cheek on his arm and murmuring something unintelligible.

"She's going to stink of you, and you of her, when we leave here," Dunken said, his voice heavy with disapproval. "You shouldn't have come in here."

"There was no choice," Zev said. "I couldn't let her hear those lies and believe them. She needed the truth. This is her life—our life together. I had to tell her," he finished firmly, still watching her face, so smooth and young looking because she was asleep.

Was this what it would be like to wake alongside her? Would he still have the chance, five years from now, to stand over her, protect her when she rested and was vulnerable? He hoped so.

"Would waiting a few hours, even days, until they were forced to acknowledge you really have done so much damage? They're going to try to win her now, Zev. You know that. They were holding back. But after this... they will do everything they can to sway her from you. Your scent on her will only embolden them."

"All the more reason she needed to know the truth." When it looked like Dunken would argue, Zev shook his head. "Nothing we can do about it now. Besides, with what's happening… I think I'm going to have to take a different approach." He lifted his eyes to meet his friend's, only to find Dunken's face shifting quickly from shock to anger.

"No, Zev. Absolutely not!" he hissed.. "You are not challenging Xar directly. You don't have the support! He'll kill you—they'll kill you!"

 

Chapter 100

"I don't have a choice!" he spat back. "Something is wrong in his head, Dunken—even the wolves who hate me can see it. And this clusterfuck today is only the beginning." Zev knew his eyes were flashing with his Alpha authority, but he didn't care. Dunken was a strong male. If Zev didn't stand his ground, the goat wouldn't give. "If he sees me take down Lhars and move to the next Alpha, he knows I'm coming for him. I can't give him the time to prepare and plan. He's cunning—whether he's out of his mind or not, he is no easy enemy to defeat."

"Exactly my point!" Dunken snarled. "If you try to take him without the wolves behind you… they may kill you for him, Zev."

"I don't think so," he said, though not as firmly as he should have. "But it's a risk I'll have to take. I don't have a choice."

"There is always a choice!"

"Not when it comes to her. Not for me," Zev said. "I can't risk it, Dunken. I can't risk that he finds a way to tie her to someone—or she accidentally trips on her manners and accepts a male without even realizing she's done it. That really would be a shitshow. And if I keep getting hurt… I have to take Xar while I'm still strong and not exhausted. I've been thinking about it. The events with the humans just made the decision for me."

"You're crazy."

"I never denied that," Zev said, trying to force a grin. "But there is one thing you can do for me, to help. To pave the way the best we can."

Dunken's jaw twitched and he stood at Zev's feet, glaring down at him, clearly torn between helping his friend, and aiding a plan he thought was a death sentence.

Please? Zev added in his head.

Dunken's lips twisted like he'd tasted something sour. But then the tension went out of him. "What is it?"

"Thank you, brother."

"I haven't said yes, yet. What is it you want me to do?"

"I need you to go out and spread to as many of the males as will listen, the truth of what really happened between me and the females. They need to know I haven't touched a mated female, and that I didn't take all the others either—and those, only wolves. They need to know that if the females don't return, it isn't because of me. That I tried to keep them safe."

Dunken's wide chest rose and fell once, then he turned to look at the exit of the fox hole. "They won't believe me."

"Some of them will."

Zev waited as his friend—never quick to rush into any plan, whether he thought it foolish or not—examined what he'd been asked and turned it over in his mind.

"What is it you believe this will achieve?" he asked.

Zev looked at Sasha. "I think right now, as things stand, most of the males will attempt to stand in my way. The moment I appear, if they acknowledge me, they will fight me. I can't afford to have to fight every single male I step in front of before I get to Xar. Those that are thoughtful—the ones that can already sense Xar's imbalance… they'll listen. They'll at least wait for the question to be answered, rather than rushing in to get between us.

"Once I've taken Xar, I can address the people and clear it all up. The wolves can examine my mind and see the truth and tell the others. But until then… this will soften the rocky path."

Dunken began to pace again.

"I don't have to tell you," Zev added, "that right now, they're all out there together. Easy to reach any that you think will listen. Easy to spread the word while they're so close together, before they scatter again."

"I stink of you," Dunken retorted.

"It will add credence—they'll know you've actually spoken with me."

"And possibly decide to attack me because of it if they aren't prepared to listen."

"You're strong enough to take a few wolves," Zev said, flashing a smile at the Captain of the Guard, and the strongest Chimera—bar Yhet—that he knew.

Dunken snorted. "If you really believe I would fall to that kind of flattery, you don't understand me at all."

"No," Zev said softly. "I just… I can't see another way. I'm sorry, Dunken. I'm sorry to ask this of you and to make you a target. But I need help. Please. Do you want me to take Alpha?"

"Of course."

"Then, please, help me."

Dunken looked at him for a long moment, then at Sasha on his shoulder, whose heart was getting a little faster. She was going to wake soon. Zev really wanted to be alone with her when that happened. There were so many things he needed to say, but he knew she wouldn't stomach those kinds of conversations in front of others.

"Very well, I'll help you, but on one condition," Dunken said, folding his thick arms across his chest.

"Name it."

"You don't go for Xar until I've had a chance to talk to all the males. Twenty-four hours, tops. But you rest between now and then—no more fighting—and you don't confront anyone."

"What if they find me? If they come for me?"

"You defend yourself, of course," Dunken said, as if that were obvious. "But you don't seek out another step up the hierarchy until I've had time to lay the groundwork with the males.

Zev bit his lip. Waiting was a risk—it shortened his time that much more if he ended up needing to fight other challengers, or if any caught him before he got to Xar. But he couldn't deny that the rest ahead of that kind of battle would do his body good.

"Okay," Zev said a moment later. "I won't pick a fight with anyone. I won't force anyone to acknowledge me. But if they do—if they come for me, I'm fighting. I can't afford to look weak right now."

Dunken nodded. "Very well. I will help you," he said solemnly as if they'd just made a vow. The goat had always been a little formal that way. But Zev grinned and held out his free hand. "Thank you, brother. If you see Jhon, tell him what you're doing. He'll help you."

Dunken took Zev's hand and nodded, but then, without another word he was easing himself down the gap to exit the fox hole, and disappearing out of sight as soon as he stepped away from it.

Zev sighed heavily with relief, then turned to look at Sasha, and wait for her to wake. But until she did, he would simply enjoy sitting with her close. He didn't know how long it would be before they could do that again.