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Harth felt the shift in Tarkyn. She’d been starting to break through to him, he had been coming back to himself, beginning to think instead of just reacting. But as Zev prowled towards them, every inch the predator Alpha, the hair on Harth’s neck stood up, and she felt Tarkyn tense in an entirely new way.

‘Leave him to me, love,’ he sent through the bond, his voice calmer than it had been a moment ago, but still quivering with tension. She could smell her mate’s defensive strength—his instincts still screamed at him to protect. But he was a mature male, and a soldier. He possessed discipline stricter than Harth had ever seen even among the older wolves.

She could feel him gathering himself to restraint—even as Zev descended on them, fierce and angry.

“He comes as a friend, Zev,” she insisted as her Alpha reached her, his eyes narrowed and fierce on Tarkyn. Harth’s heart pounded painfully. Zev was cold, a picture of barely restrained rage.

“We’ll see,” Zev growled.

“Please,” she breathed. But neither her mate, nor her Alpha, was listening.

Tarkyn shifted his weight behind her. Harth couldn’t turn to see what he was doing, but she felt him balancing himself—to defend, or to create calm?

“One bite, Tarkyn. One swipe, and we will take you down. You can’t fight all of us,” Zev muttered. “So if you’re as wise as your mate seems to think, you’ll come along without a fight.”

.....

“Come where?!” Harth gasped.

Zev never took his eyes from Tarkyn. “I have some questions for your mate.”

“But—”

‘Don’t fight him, love,’ Tarkyn breathed in her head. ‘I expected this. It’s fine. Exactly what I would have done if our roles were reversed. I know how to handle him.’

‘Don’t lie to him—he’ll see through it!’ she pleaded as Tarkyn stepped up beside her shoulder, his posture loose, but at the ready.

‘I won’t,’ he said. ‘It’s too late for that anyway. This isn’t how I planned to let him know I was here. But the Creator knows what’s needed. Just be calm, Harth. I’m sorry I reacted—I felt your pain and it scared me. But don’t worry. I’m going to be fine.’

‘Please, be careful,’ she whispered in his head as Tarkyn nodded to Zev and stepped forward.

Zev’s upper lip pulled away from his teeth as Tarkyn approached, head low but eyes locked with Zev’s.

Harth’s heart hammered in her chest as the wolves circled them, and Tarkyn allowed it, holding one hand back to keep her from following him when the males rushed him.

But true to his word, he didn’t fight. He let them pull his arms behind him and circle him, six or seven strong wolves, all of them ranked males and all of them stinking of aggression.

Harth’s heart sank and she tried to follow, but Zev whirled on her. “You’ll stay here.”

Harth blinked in shock. “But… but he’s my mate!”

The little muscles at the back of Zev’s jaw flexed. “He is a part of the enemy until I determine otherwise, and I won’t have the guards forced to split their attentions between you. If he comes as an ally, he’ll be returned to you.”

“But—”

“Harth, don’t make me suspect you too, please,” Zev said through his teeth—the plea seemed real, but it was snarled. His eyes blazing with anger and aggression. “He comes from a people who would split mates, attack females with a babe in arms, and bind predators—”

“And he fought for you!” Harth insisted. Tarkyn hissed and shook his head slowly from behind the circle of guards, but she ignored him, knowing he was just trying to protect her. She didn’t need protection from her own alpha! “He proved that he held respect for you—”

“So let him prove that he walks what he talks,” Zev growled, cutting a glance towards Tarkyn, who met his gaze evenly. “If he does, he’ll be returned to you.”

“Zev, please—” Harth started, but her Alpha whirled on her.

“Enough, Harth! You’ve been heard. Back the fuck down and leave this to me. You did as I asked, and I’m grateful. Now… please. Just wait.”

‘I love you, Harth, but stop. You’ll only anger him,’ Tarkyn sent softly, his tone firm. ‘Don’t worry. I know how to handle this. I promise.’

Harth froze, uncertain what to do, but a part of her still hoping, pleading for Zev to free Tarkyn. Her mouth dropped open when, instead, Zev turned on his heel, jerking his head towards the circle of guards and led them all out of the circle, Lhars and Skhal falling in beside him again when he passed.

Harth stared after them, her heart sinking, all the joy and warmth she’d felt at the greetings from her pack gone. A cold wind whistled between her ribs, because her first instinct hearing him yesterday had been right. Zev hadn’t relaxed at all. He wasn’t feeling better for being back with his people. If anything he seemed even more angry than he had been back in the prison tree.

And now he had a target for that rage.

Harth took a step after them, but a calloused hand caught her arm.

She whirled, pulling away, to find Kyelle staring at her, the former Alpha’s eyes soft and empathetic. “It’s good that you stand in defense of your mate,” she said quietly. As an owl she couldn’t use the mindlink. “But you really do need to leave this up to them.”

“But what if he—”

“Trust his heart. And trust your mate. If he’s true, they’ll get through this.”

Harth bristled at the question of her mate’s integrity, but Kyelle only smiled, her eyes warming. “Welcome back, by the way.” She leaned in for a slightly stiff hug. Kyelle had never been overly demonstrative. But being mated herself, and finding their freedom—of a sort—here had softened her. “And for what it’s worth, I’m sorry that we held you back—clearly there was something bigger calling you away,” Kyelle smiled dryly.