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That last couple of hours before they reached the Chimera were heartbreaking. Sasha had had to stand aside and watch while Skhal, his face lined and pale, his jaw tense and flexing, said a desperate, pained goodbye to his mate. Zev wasn’t allow Jayah to come closer to the Chimeran settlement yet, despite Skhal’s pleas and Sasha’s encouragement that the female had already shown her trustworthiness by showing them around the patrols, and the long route through the hills to move past the ravine that, Skhal explained, acted as an excellent gateway between the two peoples.

The long route they’d taken to reach this place took far too long to allow for strategic communication, and without Jayah’s knowledge of the locations of the Anima patrols, they wouldn’t have made it through.

But Jayah voluntarily withdrew once they were beyond the lands where the Anima had drawn back, leaving the Chimera to live, but keeping them contained on this massive peninsula where the bulk of the Chimera had, apparently, landed when they came through the gateway.

A safe, isolated spit of land guarded on one side by dense forest that eventually gave way to the sharp mountains whose foothills they’d just navigated, and on the other side by a coastline.

Watching Skhal fight the need of his new bond, remembering how difficult it had been for Sasha to be apart from Zev in those early days—and that was before they’d even completed the bond!—just broke her heart.

She kept looking at Zev who watched the two coldly, drawing back far enough to give them some privacy, but not wavering in his resolve.

What had happened to her mate?

That was a stupid question. She knew exactly what had happened.

.....

She’d seen Zev like this once before, when they’d spent months hiding in Thana, evading the human scientists and paramilitary who hunted them. Or rather, hunted Zev.

He’d slowly slipped into this darkness then too—the aggression and confidence of a predator, with the haunted, fearful belly of prey. His distance in those days had chilled her. But he’d come back to her, finally. And she’d thought when they got Zan safely away from the human sanctuary that those days were behind them.

But they’d caged him. Bound him. Triggered every memory, every sensory detail he’d feared and hated about himself.

Her mate had been altered against his will… forged by heartless, cruel men into a weapon in the years they’d been apart. And when danger threatened, it was only instinct for him to return, to become the cold blade again.

But before now, when he’d shown that side, it had always been in defense of her life, and his own—which were the same thing when they shared an Ardent bond.

Yet, here they were, finally safe. Saved by friends. Assisted even by their enemies—yet Zev wasn’t snapping out of it.

The man who stood next to her, his eyes cold and dispassionate on one of his dearest friends—his former Advisor and trusted council member—while that male was forced to say goodbye to his mate in the midst of a potentially life-threatening conflict…

This wasn’t Zev. Zev wasn’t cruel. He didn’t hate. He was warm and funny and strong and noble and… not this.

Zev had never been a hard-hearted, passionless bastard.

When Skhal and Jayah had finally parted, Skhal prowling past them like a wolf on the hunt, not even meeting Zev’s eyes, Zev hadn’t frowned. He hadn’t reached for his friend—hadn’t reacted at all. He’d turned on his heel and followed, taking Sasha’s hand and leading her without a word.

Sasha’s blood ran cold at how he’d disassociated.

Would she ever be able to break through to him and get him back? She almost hadn’t been able to back in Thana when they were on the run. And this was worse.

But she stayed alone in her thoughts—something else she wasn’t accustomed to anymore. The lack of Zev’s warm words of encouragement and hope in her head left her starkly cold and fearful.

But she was too exhausted to try to reach him. She was just grateful that their near-constant movement had kept Zan mostly asleep throughout the night and now morning that they’d traveled. How many hours had it been? Eight? Ten? She wasn’t sure.

All she knew was that her body wanted nothing more than to stop moving, and to sleep. And her heart wanted nothing more than the safety of her son, and her mate’s arms around her, and his whispered words of love in her ear.

Jayah had given her two feedings worth of milk in a supple waterskin, that should keep Zan healthy and full until that evening. But then they would need to find other milk for him.

She prayed that the Chimera would have what they needed. It was the only detail Jayah had been uncertain of. They’d thought she would be with them to help them figure it out, so as they’d moved through clear land, Jayah had hastily given her advice on which animals would provide the best for him.

Now Sasha had to pray that the Chimera had gathered flocks over the summer when they’d been here, before Zev and Sasha arrived.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Skhal’s sudden slowing, and Zev’s immediate tension.

They must have caught the scent of the encampment and the clans.

Ahead of them, the trees did appear to thin, more sunlight beckoning, though it was the colder, thinner sunlight of the Autumn season.

Sasha waited to feel Zev’s thrill—he was going to see his people soon! After months apart and fleeing the humans, after freeing Zan and—

“Go,” Zev growled when Skhal hesitated.

Skhal looked over his shoulder, his eyes shadowed and tight and Sasha’s heart broke all over again. “You should go first,” he muttered. “They’ll scent us soon and they’ll want to greet you.”

Zev should have been thrilled.

He should have been overjoyed.

He should have hurried forward to greet his people.

He should have felt the thrill of triumph, the pride of a father and an Alpha bringing his son home to his people.

He should have been ecstatic.

But when she looked up at him, a small smile of her own hope and anticipation growing, it was to find Zev frowning at that growing sunlight, and his hand tightening on hers.

“Be careful,” he muttered to her. “Keep your eyes open, just in case.”

Sasha blinked. “Zev… are you telling me to be careful… with our people?”

He didn’t stop walking, but his grip tightened on her until it was almost to the point of pain and he looked down at her, his face stern. “We don’t know what’s happened, in the past three months, Sash. We don’t know who’s been secretly meeting with the Anima or… anything. Just… keep your eyes open, that’s all.”

She gaped. But just then they broke through the edge of the trees, and a few seconds later a howl of triumph rose less than a mile away.

Their people had just learned that their beloved Alphas were finally home, bringing their son and heir.

Sasha wished she felt the joy of that.

And she deeply wished Zev didn’t look like a dark angel.