Chapter 72: Master

~ ZEV ~

He stood over his former teacher, teeth bared and snarling, when the male, his silver fur dripping red in spots, disappeared to be replaced with a naked human body, slumped and cursing.

Zev didn't shift immediately, still showing his teeth. But he stopped growling and waited. When the male didn't meet his eyes, he growled in the male's head, Do you submit?

"For fuck's sake, Zev, yes!" Skhal snapped. "And for what it's worth, you look ridiculous in those clothes in your wolf. No wonder Xar cast you out."

Zev returned to his human form, chuckling reluctantly. "Looks ridiculous, but it works," he said, pinching at the remarkable fabric at his stomach. Not only would it stretch in any direction to fit his wolf body so that he didn't lose the clothes when he shifted, but it was impossibly warm. As long as he didn't stand still for too long, it was all he needed, even in the snow. "I notice you weren't able to get a grip on me," he grinned at the male on the ground.

But Skhal scowled. "I could have caught those shoes hanging at your belt—be grateful I wasn't of a mind to kill you. That's an unwise addition. Human gifts, human curses. They give you something to help and it could just as easily get you killed."

Zev let his face go hard. "Go ahead and try," he said through his teeth.

But the male just rolled his eyes and flapped a hand, his chest still rising and falling quickly from their tussle. "You're terrifying, Zev," he said dryly. "But enough of the display, I'm not wearing your Alpha crap. You're no better than Xar. In fact, you're worse. You went to the humans willingly!"

"Bullshit," Zev growled. "Thana is home. I left because I didn't believe there was a choice."

Skhal pushed up to sit, his shoulder bleeding badly enough to trickle down his back. Zev looked at the wound, then back to the male's face.

"Do you want me to go get a healer?"

"Fuck off," Skhal snarled. "They wouldn't acknowledge you anyway. I've fallen in the ranks since you left. You've still got a long way to go. And a lot of explaining to do."

Zev grunted, then only slightly warily offered his former teacher a hand. "I didn't leave because I didn't care. I left because they convinced me that if I didn't, it would be the end of the Chimera."

"And you fell for that? You were even more naïve than I thought."

Zev clenched his jaw, but it was only true. "Well, I'm not anymore," he said darkly. Then looked around. "Do you have any clothes nearby?" he asked carefully as the male got to his feet. Skhal had already been prickly about showing weakness before Zev left. If he'd dropped in the ranks since Zev last saw him, he'd be even more sensitive about it.

But surprisingly, Skhal only muttered something about blunt, thoughtless pups, and brushed the snow and dirt off his ass and thighs. "I have a den not far away," he said sullenly.

Most Chimera kept stocks of clothing and food hidden in various spots around Thana in case a swift shift was needed. Especially in the winter. The snows began in autumn and lasted near five months in Thana, giving way late in the season to the spring rains, then a short, hot summer, then the land turned back to the glorious colors of Autumn, before the snows came again. Technically winter had begun in earnest a few weeks earlier, but the snow wouldn't disappear for another three months.

"Do you want me to run for you? That wound needs to be allowed to close or you'll be weakened."

"I've bled more blood than you've made in your life, Zev. And the cold doesn't touch me like it used to. Stop worrying about me, and keep yourself on task. If you're truly back, you have a fucking mountain to climb to get back to Alpha."

"I didn't come for Alpha."

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"You'll need it if you want to take the female. Xar won't let you have her any other way."

"Xar doesn't get to choose—she does. I just need to be acknowledged by the tribes again—"

"Don't bet on it. He changes the rules almost daily at this point. Something smells wrong on him." Then he eyed Zev like he was measuring him for a suit. "If you're serious that you were deceived, if you really left out of concern for your people, not personal ambition, prove it."

"How?"

"You need to take Alpha back, Zev. We are weak and vulnerable, the humans visit almost every week now—and sometimes they aren't even dealing with us!"

Zev frowned. "What? What are they doing?"

"Who knows? We're not supposed to leave the village while they're here. They're researching something, they say. All I know is, enough of them are coming, and Xar keeps us isolated enough that we don't know how many humans are here—or what they're doing. Do you know he called us back from the hunt last week when they arrived unannounced?"

"He did what?!" The hunt was crucial. Especially at this time of year. No leader would bring his hunters in from the prowl unless the danger were absolutely critical. "Why would he do that?"

"Because the fucking humans told him to. Sound familiar?" Skhal spat, then shook his head again. "I don't know what to make of any of you. Alphas didn't share power in my day," he growled.

Zev fought not to roll his eyes. It wasn't true, of course, the Chimera had always been somewhat under the human rule. But for generations Thana had been their haven. The humans allowing the Chimera in Thana to live relatively natural lives, only occasionally interrupted by humans arriving to take a count of their numbers, or ask for volunteers to come back with them into the human world to undergo tests—feats of strength and healing—so they could track the bloodlines.

There had always been a level of tension with the humans—suspicions that the loss of offspring, or even healthy adults, could occasionally be laid at their feet. But they'd never had proof. Until now.

Zev had proof. The problem was, how to reveal it to his people without putting them at risk when they were already so weak. He'd assumed he was returning to a thriving community, and a powerful Alpha. Instead he'd found a people limping along, vulnerable and snapping at every fly because they couldn't fight the predator that hunted them.

Zev had no doubt he would need to find a way to bring his people back to strength. But the how… that needed more thought. He had a more pressing responsibility for the immediate future.

"Walk to your clothing. I'll join you. If the hierarchy has changed, I'd ask your help to clarify who are my best targets. I have to get back to Alpha as quickly as possible."

"How quickly?"

"Less than a week."

Skhal's eyebrows snapped high. "You're fucking insane."

Zev shrugged. "I guess we'll find out."

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