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Tarkyn’s heart cracked as his mate’s feelings-her grief, her fear, the sheer trauma of living both his memories and her Alpha’s-overwhelmed her.

It was a battle to keep himself in place, not to demand to be freed so he could go to her. But the Chimeran male in front of him was clearly struggling too, and Tarkyn’s instincts raised every hair on his body as the male shifted his weight and his eyes-so bright in color, like deep ice-fixed on Tarkyn.

Zev’s hair fell in tines over his eyes because he’d been clawing his hands through it. His jaw was iron, and his lips peeled back from his gritted teeth as he spoke.

“I will not be caged again,” he said slowly. “My son will not grow up in a cage.”

“No, he won’t,” Tarkyn said firmly. “I give you my word, Zev. He won’t.”

The male didn’t relax, but the light in his eyes shifted. “I don’t give a shit about your word.”

“You will when you find out I honor it.” The question was, how? Tarkyn already walked a fine line with Elreth, but he’d just betrayed her protection in front of an audience. In front of those she feared were enemies!

How could he possibly-

.....

“Free me. Free my family,” Zev whispered quickly, breathlessly, below hearing of anyone further away from him than Tarkyn.

Tarkyn tensed. “I’m trying. But you have a role to play in this.”

Zev’s eyes narrowed. “The role I played was to defend my family and it’s landed me here.”

“I know. And I understand why you did it. And I would have done the same thing in your position, I’m sure. But now I have to convince my Queen of that. And she’s... not happy with me.”

Zev huffed and muttered something about a neutered male.

Tarkyn tensed. “I’m told that you submit to your mate’s Alpha-yet you condemn me for doing so to my Queen?”

“No!” Zev snapped. “I’m condemning you for... shrinking from her!”

“I do not shrink! You’ve endured training and hierarchy. You understand respect. You know what it is to be under the authority-”

“I know what it was to have been used and manipulated-I broke free from authority because authority broke me and my people. Don’t speak to me about respect. I have no respect for the power that was used over me.”

“And that’s where we differ-because the power over me is not cruel, or manipulative. And so, I do respect it.”

Zev shook his head and looked away, sneering again. “I should have known-”

“No, Zev, you should let yourself understand that good people do bad things sometimes. But those with the right heart will turn and correct-they’ll acknowledge their flaws and work against them. Don’t try to tell me you’ve never made the wrong choice as a leader-none of us have escaped that.”

The muscles at the back of Zev’s jaw flexed, but he gave a single, tight nod.

“So hear me, wolf: I will work to free you and your people. I will work for peace. You have my word. But your aggression has to be in check. Would you allow a rabid wolf loose among your people?”

Zev’s eyes snapped back to him. “I’m not rabid,” he snarled.

“You’re getting damn close.”

“Walk in my shoes, cat. Then tell me your thoughts.”

“I just did. And my heart aches for you-and for the others who’ve experienced these... brutalities. But now we have a different problem to solve. And I find myself wondering if you have the discipline needed to see it through. Because releasing you into my people where you might harm those who’ve had nothing to do with this conflict... that doesn’t sit well with me.

“Release me and my family to my people and I will leave yours alone.”

They stared at each other for a long moment, then Tarkyn pushed to his feet. Zev leaped to follow him so they stood within arm’s reach of each other, still not breaking eye-contact.

Tarkyn’s heart beat so quickly. He already stood in betrayal of his vows-though inadvertently. But he saw both sides of this coin-the leader who’d been pushed to his limits through the cruelty of a common enemy, coming against the instinctive control of another leader whose fear of that same enemy made them ruthlessly suspicious of anyone new.

How would either side ever have the chance to see the other’s humanity unless...

Unless...

Heart thumping, Tarkyn offered a hand in the way he’d been told that those in the human world secured an agreement. “I will do everything in my power to make my Queen see the plight of you and your people... and to get you free,” he said grimly. “I’ll get you out of this cage,” he added more softly.

Zev looked down at where their hands clasped and the muscles of his jaw flexed. He looked back up to Tarkyn. “If you succeed, you’ll be safe,” he said finally. “You and your mate will be called our allies. No matter what.”

Tarkyn nodded once to accept the concession. Then he blew out a breath and tightened his grip before releasing Zev’s hand. “It isn’t only me you should see as an ally. There are more here that would help you. That ordered me to help you.” he looked towards the door, then back to Zev. “I’ll instruct them to keep the guards outside so you and your family can at least have this space. The rest will just take patience.”

Zev looked skeptical, but he nodded again. “If you succeed, I’ll owe you,” he muttered.

“Just remember that when the time comes. My goal isn’t simply for your freedom, but peace between our peoples. Don’t lay any more barriers in the way of that.

Zev gave him a wry look, but didn’t argue. They shook hands once more, then released and stepped back. Tarkyn finally turned his mind to his mate and asked her to tell the guard that he was ready to leave.

He needed an audience with his Queen.

But even as he wanted to shake with the sickness in him at the thought of how he’d turned from his Queen in danger, his mind flashed back on everything the Chimeran Alpha had been through-and his mate as well.

These people had been tortured and abused. And now they needed freedom.

He’d been given a task by the Creator, to bring them out of this captivity. There were allies in place to assist. But that just meant there was no going back now. He had to convince Elreth.

A pit opened in his stomach.