Chapter 403 Uncertain Trails  

~ LHARS ~

As soon as he stepped back into the gateway Lhars stopped and took a moment, leaning against the side of the strange place to breathe. He was so confused and… unfocused. He'd been through the Gateway three times in his life. He knew that being uncertain was a good way to get lost in the maze of this place. So he stopped to breathe and refocus and remind himself that, no matter how Kyelle had looked at him, no matter what amount of fear and sadness he'd smelled on her, no matter what way she'd held him… there was nothing he could do if she didn't feel the bond, or want it.

And the truth was, at that moment, he couldn't afford to focus on Kyelle. If the roles were reversed he would have wanted her to enter this place with her sharpest wits about her, so he forced himself to recenter and made himself stop looking back and think about what was next.

He had been tasked with finding a group of females that were in the apartments in the Compound. Sasha had warned him that there might be some who hadn't been to Thana among them and that they were likely less trustworthy. They weren't going to take kindly to a strange male turning up—especially without Sasha.

Sasha had been quick to give those warnings, and Lhars felt a lash of pride that she'd chosen him for this task. He was determined. He would make sure that the females understood and were ready for their salvation.

In his mind, he fixed the location—the compound, where the group of females were that lived like humans. He needed to enter their space at a time and place where the humans couldn't interfere.

Lhars blew out a breath. Beneath his feet and around him the gateway tunnel looked like water but felt like stone. When he'd fixed that location in his mind, the light began to ripple as if the surface moved, but the only thing that changed was the light that glowed all around him, then seeped up the tunnel walls to arch over his head, and lead him.

Keeping his mind focused on those things, trying not to wonder what he would see when he found the Gateway, he walked quickly and decisively, following the glittering, rippling trail of light. It seemed to take some time to finally see it curve around a corner in the tunnel system, then reach a doorway. But finally, with a sigh of relief, and some apprehension, Lhars gripped the edge of the doorway and stepped into it, careful not to step all the way through.

As if the cave around him disappeared, Lhars found himself standing in an arched space, light flashing and rippling over his head. And in front of him was one of those sterile, human habitations that he'd known since he was a cub, and yet had never felt comfortable in.

He blinked and recognized a living space—couches, chairs, a television on the wall, a large low table between the seating where people would rest their drinks. It was the type of space he knew to be normal for humans, but he was surrounded by a dozen sets of wide, female eyes, all staring, blinking, and shocked. He was about to reassure. But when he inhaled to speak the smell of the place hit the back of his throat.

It had been several years since Lhars had been taken back to the Compound. While Zev was still in high school, Lhars had been growing up in Thana. At one point, when he was still a teenager but was getting close to his full growth, he'd been yanked out of Thana by the team.

It hadn't been a pleasant trip, designed to test his physical strength and limits, and mental fortitude.

He wasn't sure he'd ever told his brother, but he knew before the end of the trip they were comparing him to Zev at the same age and stage in his development—and Lhars was being found wanting.

That had grated on him. But the worst part of the trip had been the tests they'd done on his mind. He'd been drugged and shown videos while his mind was convinced that the images in front of him were real…

The whole incident had left him utterly shaken. Young as he was, he couldn't understand why the humans wanted to test him in those ways—or what they gained by doing so. He'd fought. Resisted the entire process. Which had only made it worse.

He'd been left hollowed and full of fear, with no way to process the experience.

He'd done his best to leave it behind, not to think about it. But as this place opened in front of him, the smell was here—the tang of whatever it was they used to clean the lab. The mingling of human and Chimeran scent trails. All of it mixed with the earthy scent of the outdoors in this area—wet grass and pine trees.

Instead of immediately reassuring the females that were now gaping at him and backing away, Lhars found himself standing there, gaping back.

"What… who…"

Lhars blinked. Focus. He had to focus. But his hand trembled as he raised it to greet them. "I'm sorry," he said, stumbling over his words. "I was sent by Sasha. She said to tell you the prophecy is coming true. Tomorrow—in Thana anyway—we'll be returning for you. To take you to a safe place—not Thana. A place where the humans can't interfere with you anymore. Sasha sent me, do you understand?"

Only one of the females nodded. Lhars wanted to growl. "You need to be prepared, no matter where you are or what you're doing, to walk through with me. when I come back we'll have only a few minutes. But if you follow my instructions, I'll take you to a place where you're free and the other Chimera are there. You won't have to stay in this place ever again."

They all just stared, their mouths open. Where were their instincts? Their self-protection? Hell, where was their spirit.

Lhars almost stepped toward him. Adrenalin flooded his system as he caught himself—so close. He had to focus!

"I know this is unexpected. Sasha knows that you expected her. But remember: the prophecy is coming true. Be ready. I will come for you and when you leave with me, you'll find yourself in a place of safety. I promise. Do you understand?"

But they all just stared.

*****

~ ZEV ~

Hours later, he was standing over Sasha as she argued with the Alphas when he realized that the light was rising. He looked up quickly. Sure enough, the dark black of the night-time starscape was giving way to gray, then a halo of light blue that outlined the mountains in the distance.

Where the hell was Lhars?

Kyelle had been the first to return, just an hour after they'd left the cave, she found them still in the village, having a whispered conversation with Nick's guards.

She'd landed in the Square and waited until they were done, then Sasha had pulled her towards the trail.

"Did you find it?"

Kyelle nodded. Her eyes were bright to Zev she smelled of fresh air and some kind of tree he'd never smelled before.

"It's beautiful," Kyelle said, breathless. "And so big. I know it will frighten the females, but… what a place! Sasha-don, how did you find it?!"

"I didn't, Sasha said simply. "The Gateway showed me. What did you pick up? What did you smell?"

Kyelle smiled then launched into a description of animals, trees, plants, even the sun rose and fell differently there. "There's an entire system. Creatures. Food sources. Water…. Everything we need. I didn't recognize half of it, but I could… I could tell that it was good!" she said quietly, fighting a smile.

Zev was fascinated, and so grateful. His clever, clever mate. How had she done it?

Sasha's shoulders had been less slumped when they left Kyelle, who assured them she'd wait for the males to come back, then let them know in the City when everyone was safe.

Her eyes had lost their sparkle when she'd talked about that—as if she weren't sure what she said was true. She'd looked back towards the trail to the gateway. "I hope they all find it as easily as I did," she said. "It will raise their spirits, I think."

Sasha was smiling when they left their friend. Kyelle promised to patrol and to warn the others as they came back if Nick was suddenly on the move.

They'd returned to the City buoyed. Despite their nerves, knowing that Kyelle had found it too made it real, and both he and Sasha had been fighting smiles.

Zev sighed and looked at the sky again.

But now…

It was almost dawn. Zev could smell Sasha's tension. Both of them had grown quieter, their tones shorter, as the night wore on. Because while Skhal and Jhon had both returned and were safely announced by Kyelle, there was still no sign of Lhars.

At first, because Skhal and Jhon came through at almost the same time, Kyelle had flown back to tell Sasha, then thought perhaps she'd missed Lhars' in the forest somehow.

But there was no fresh scent, and he hadn't shown up in the village, or at the City—and Zev knew he'd be quick both to report to Sasha and to reassure himself that Kyelle was safe.

No… the fact that they hadn't heard from him meant that he wasn't back yet.

Zev's stomach twisted. He huffed at himself.

That had to be right. They couldn't fathom anything else.