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"Zev is dominant. He\'s to be listened to and protected—he can\'t fight or run right now. Lhars, you have to help him."

Lhars nodded, his face tight and pale. Sasha tried to give him an encouraging smile.

"Lhars is second—he can take Alpha of the wolves. Zev\'s going to be busy healing and freaking out about me being gone. He\'ll need even more support. Share the wolves if you need to, Lhars, but don\'t let them feel like there\'s no leadership.

"Dunken, you stay exactly where you are. Listen to Zev and follow his orders. But remember, he needs to be protected, even from himself. Don\'t let him be reckless. If you have to… remind him that if he harms himself, he harms me. Force him to consider his actions. He\'ll kill himself trying to help me, but remind him that will only kill me."

Dunken nodded.

Sasha sighed. "Is there anything else you all had trouble with when Zev left?" she asked, terrified. She was really going to do this—and potentially send the Chimera into chaos at the same time that she broke Zev\'s mind because she disappeared. "I need you all to explain to me how to make this official… or whatever. What I can do so it will be upheld by the Clans. We can\'t afford a battle right now!"

Lhars shook his head. "You\'ve set it in place. Your choices are correct. There won\'t be any problems, at least not in the short term. I\'ll send the word to all the wolves, and they can spread the word…" He trailed off, his eyes widening.

"What is it?" Sasha asked, stopping to watch him.

"I\'d been paying attention to you and… keeping everyone out of my head, but…" Lhars\' eyes sharpened and snapped to her face. "Zev\'s called the wolves to come get you and bring you back. To… get rid of Nick," he said in a low growl.

Nick stumbled back a step, eyes wide with horror. "You have to give me back my weapons. It\'s not fair. I\'m here to help!"

Sasha started walking, as fast as she could in the snow. "I am Alpha right now—he doesn\'t take the mantle until I leave, correct?"

Lhars nodded.

"Will the wolves listen? For real? I mean, I\'m me and he\'s… Zev. Will they listen to me?"

"If they get from you directly—that you give a different order… yes, they will."

"Can you show them? Me, I mean? Can you send them… me giving an order?"

"Yes."

They stopped walking and Sasha stared at him. "Are you ready?"

Lhars nodded, swallowing as she locked eyes with him and fisted her hands, giving every ounce of conviction and certainty she had that she was doing the right thing, and that they all needed this.

"Stand down. Your concern for me is… wonderful. But do not fear.

"I am going to the human world for a short visit to negotiate with the humans and determine their movements in Thana going forward.

"You will not attack. You will not stop me from leaving. And you will not harm the human with me. When I leave through the gateway, Zev will be Alpha. Lhars will be second. And Dunken will retain Captain. You are safe in our hands."

Lhars sucked in a deep breath as she turned away and started walking—pushing herself as fast as she could in the snow. When Zev realized she\'d stopped, or attempted to stop, his plan, he would be furious.

"You need to go to him," she said to Lhars who walked at her side, frowning at the ground. She wondered what the other wolves were saying to him. "He\'s going to lose his mind."

Lhars nodded. "Are you certain? About this, I mean?"

Sasha nodded. "It\'s… we actually discussed it. What my role was to be. We agreed. He\'s forgotten because he\'s afraid, but when he calms down, remind him. He agreed—I am here to deal with the humans and make things better."

Lhars looked at Dunken, whose face was hard as marble and just as expressionless. Yhet was the one who looked agitated, his eyes sliding back and forth between Sasha and Lhars and Nick.

"Sasha," the massive man rumbled. "Zev has reason to be concerned."

"I know he does," she panted, embarrassed, knowing all of them—even Nick—were slowing to keep her pace. "And if our roles were reversed I\'d be terrified too. But he\'s not here. He doesn\'t understand. Lhars needs to show him."

Lhars frowned harder. "How did he know to send them, though? He knew we were coming to meet Nick. I didn\'t tell him you were leaving with him, I—"

Sasha blinked and caught his eyes as his brows pinched down hard and he looked up at her.

She held his gaze, willing him not to speak the words he was thinking, the question he had.

Lhars\' eyes widened and she shook her head slightly. "He\'s fearful. He\'s afraid I\'ll be manipulated. Let him know that I\'m not. Let him know I\'m going in with my eyes wide open. Go, Lhars. He needs to know. He needs to see it from someone who was here. Please?"

Lhars closed his mouth and nodded. He gave her the salute, then stopped walking. "I\'ll do as you ask, Sasha-don," he said quietly. "Go well, and be safe."

"You too," she returned, swallowing the pinch in her throat as he turned on his heel and she knew he was running straight to Zev.

Her Zev.

Suddenly every conviction she\'d had fled.

How could she do this to him? How could she leave him—and with Nick? Even if it was just for a few days, that would send him over the edge. It would have if she\'d been in his shoes…

Lhars paused to take his clothing off and tie it around his waist before he shifted and ran. Watching him go over her shoulder, Sasha\'s eyes ran into the Spider—Ernie, she reminded herself.

What a ridiculous name.

This whole thing was just crazy. How could it be real?

But then that little piece of her heart throbbed, recognizing Zev\'s call as he tried desperately to get through to her. She almost opened her mind. But she knew if she did, he\'d convince her. And she was already convinced.

So she shook her head and kept walking, praying that God would be merciful on her mate.