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~ ZEV ~

Zev snarled, his body twitching back as Harth cut off the link. He stood there for a moment, breathing too heavily, aware of Sasha’s eyes on him, but unwilling to meet her tired and frightened gaze again.

This was right. He was right. She had to see that—she had to!

His precious mate, so strong and unwavering, hadn’t flinched from the conflict with the humans. Why did she seem so uncertain now? A growl puttered in his throat, but he swallowed it.

Harth had been interrupted, that was all, he told himself. He’d felt her jerk in surprise just as she cut off. That had to be it. She wouldn’t be rejecting his instruction as her Alpha.

In any case, if she didn’t show in three days, they would know. And he didn’t care if she told her mate. Zev had successfully undermined Tarkyn’s position with the Queen, though the fucker was apparently still submitting himself to that bitch.

He should have slit her throat when he had the chance.

.....

The thought was insidious. It woke him in the night. It needled him, a quiet, hissing voice in his head throughout the day.

He should have done it. Should have ended this then and there.

He swung between self-contempt that he hadn’t had the resolve, and self-loathing for thinking so coldly about the life of another.

After he learned about how he’d been manipulated by the humans, he’d sworn to himself that he’d never let himself fall back into that place when he could regard the death of another with such… dismissal.

Except an enemy. He’d sworn he would never hold guilt or shame for removing an enemy—especially one that threatened his mate… and now his son.

His son.

His heart pattered just at the thought of Zan.

He turned then to find Sasha. Their son was quiet, sleeping, a tight cocoon against her chest in the sling that Jayah had fashioned.

Sasha was looking down, one hand against Zan’s back, but her face was pale. Dark circles shadowed her eyes. And her cheeks were gaunt.

Had she eaten today?

Zev’s heart rate picked up and he took a step toward her. Her eyes came up in a snap colored with alarm.

His mate? His mate looked at him in fear?

What the hell was happening? “Sash—”

“The patrol has passed. We need to move—what happened? Did you find her? What did she say?” Skhal growled, emerging from the trees and undergrowth behind him.

The male that Zev had always trusted, who treated him like an older brother, or uncle might, stopped dead in the shadow of the trees, eyes tight on Zev’s.

“I got her,” Zev said quietly. He could feel Sasha’s eyes on him, worried and edged with fear. What the fuck? “I told her she’s got three days. And she can bring her mate if he’ll disavow his Queen—”

“He won’t.” Jayah piped up from her seat on a rotting tree stump just behind Sasha.

They all turned to look at her.

“He will, or he’ll remain with her,” Zev growled.

Skhal put a hand to his arm, but he yanked it out of his brother wolf’s grip.

Jayah stood, keeping her posture submissive, but her eyes met his, unafraid. “I’m only telling you the truth. You shouldn’t expect Tarkyn to come to you as an… asset,” she said carefully. “He’s extremely loyal and… he’s given his entire life in service. He isn’t going to just roll over and throw all that away.”

“Even for his mate?” Zev sneered. “Loyal?” he shoved the air from his nostrils in disdain.

Jayah’s lips thinned. “He’ll try to find a way to assist both sides, without betraying either,” she said, licking her lips, her eyes darting to Skhal, then back to him. “Just like I am.”

Zev went still.

‘Zev, just listen to her! Don’t!’ Sasha gasped in his head.

He hesitated. ‘What is it you think I’m about to do?’ he asked Sasha through the bond, keeping the leash tight on his rage. His mate had been tormented these past days as well. She didn’t deserve his wrath.

“We should continue this in the camp. Once we’re safe,” Skhal whispered. “That patrol has moved on, but we don’t know how long it will be until another comes, and we aren’t beyond the ravine yet.”

Zev held up a hand to stop his friend, his eyes still on Jayah.

“You flee with us and… what? Think you’re going to return to your precious Queen?”

Jayah kept her posture unchallenging, but she didn’t drop her eyes. “I want to help. To soothe… tensions. I will not betray you, but I will not vow to harm my people any more than you would—”

“I didn’t throw a female down while she held an infant and imprison her and her mate,” he snapped.

Jayah folded her arms. “You wish me to believe you’ve never imprisoned a threat? Never restrained a shifter? You want me to believe you—so clearly a honed weapon—have never harmed another you thought to be a threat?”

Zev stepped past his mate to stand over Jayah, who dropped her arms, but didn’t back away.

Behind him, Skhal approached. Zev could feel the tension wafting off of him in waves.

Why did everyone think he was going to be so quick to hurt females? Fuck!

He stood over Jayah, not even guarding his chin, his eyes hooded and fixed on hers, hands fisted at his sides.

“I was never a threat until she touched my mate,” he snarled, the flame of anger in him flickering and that niggling voice trying to rise, but he shoved it away.

But Jayah nodded. “I do not agree with the Queen’s actions in that, but you have to understand: The Queen lost so many to the humans. We were harmed, betrayed, and hunted by them—something I know you understand. The unknown humans were eradicated from Anima at deep, personal, life-changing loss to our Queen. And when Sasha appeared—apparently through the portals we believed were closed forever—the Queen… reacted. I daresay if you’d been in her shoes you might have responded similarly. You seem very familiar with… aggression.”

Zev growled, and Skhal became a blur behind him.