~ ZEV ~

As they trudged through the snow, Skhal still didn't smile. Zev could feel the tension in the male, though he'd submitted now, so it wasn't aggression. Zev supposed he should be grateful for that.

"Tell me how we ended up here," he said when they reached a spot where Skhal leaned down to put his hand under an overhang of rocks and pulled out a set of clothing and fur boots.

Skhal dressed slowly, only his feet red and showing the signs of the cold. But he was still shirtless when he began to speak.

"You left us," Skhal said through his teeth. "No warning. Everything spun out of control because the hierarchy was decimated. You expect to just walk back in and be applauded?"

"No," Zev said through his teeth. "But I also don't expect to be held accountable for the decisions the new Alpha made in my absence.

Skhal snorted. "Why, because you're so noble?"

"I left because I believed if I didn't the future of the Chimera was at stake. I believed that by leaving I removed the human attention from Thana."

"Well, what a shock. Sounds like the humans lied."

"I've learned that they're very good at that," Zev said quietly, darkly.

Skhal growled. "Some of us tried to tell you that before you left."

Zev looked down to acknowledge his shame. "I did not disregard you. I only… I thought I was closer to them and so understood them better. I wasn't unaware of their machinations. But I thought…"

"You thought they treated you special, and so you thought you had more power than you actually did," the older male snarled.

Zev's snapped his eyes up to meet the cold blue of Skhal's. The male had been a coach and teacher for him when he was a pup, and had returned to his circle as an Advisor after Zev became Alpha.

But Zev had always questioned his cynicism. Turned out, perhaps, the male wasn't as wrong as Zev had thought.

"Look," he said, his body uncomfortable as he tried to accommodate the awareness of his own failing, "I want to make things better for all of us. If that means taking Alpha back, I'll do it. But I can't even start on that until I'm ranked—and Sasha is safe."

"Ah, yes, our Alpha's human princess. You see no potential conflict with bringing her here? The humans are going to rage that you took one of theirs!"

"They don't have quite the same sense of… community that we have," Zev said dryly. "She is just another pawn to the men who can make our lives hell. But it's true, there's a chance Nick will try to remove her from me. I assumed I was returning to Thana as it used to be. I hadn't expected to be so vulnerable here."

"Poor little Alpha," Skhal sneered.

Zev stepped up into the male's chest and stared a challenge. "I recognize—I acknowledge that I have hurt you, and others. But I will not be mocked. Do I need to make you submit again?"

Skhal tipped his head as if he was considering it, then dropped his eyes. "No," he said sullenly. "But also don't expect me to applaud you for the choices you have made."

"Fair enough," Zev said quietly. Neither of them spoke for a moment, then Zev sighed. "If you want to see positive change here, then help me. Show me what has changed and how to navigate it. You were always good at looking ahead and seeing the different routes through a problem. Tell me. I'm listening."

Skhal eyed him suspiciously. "Why now?"

"Why now, what?"

"Why listen to me now? You've never wanted to hear my strategies before."

"Purely untrue," Zev growled. "I always listened to you. I made the mistake of dismissing your suspicion as paranoia. I will not make that mistake again. So tell me, Skhal, why have the Chimera moved closer to the gateway to benefit the humans? Why would they cater to the humans' fear of the creatures? And why is Xar so… submitted to them?"

Skhal muttered a curse under his breath and pulled the fur jacket over his head. "Xar is a tyrant to his people, and toothless towards the humans," he snarled. Then his voice softened. "Even his mate was taken. Luckily for him, the twins were being naughty again and had gone to one of their hideouts to avoid their chores. When their mother was taken, they were not. They remain. I believe the humans use them as… leverage. They know that they're here—two of the few healthy adults, and a female at that."

Zev cursed. Axe and Arelia were Xar's twin children—Axe male, Arelia female. The last time Zev had seen them they were adolescents, spoiled and emotional, but both showing the signs of Alpha strength and power. Either might have taken Zev's place if he'd left a few years later.

"I didn't see the twins at the village this morning," he said carefully.

Skhal shook his head. "You won't. Xar's got them living in the City. He calls them Watchmen. We all know it's just to keep them out of the human hands. They join us for meals sometimes. They will likely be at the feast tonight. The humans were just here a few days ago. They usually feel safe for about a week."

Zev shook his head. "This is crazy."

"It gets worse. I believe—though no one wants to hear me—that the humans are using his mate against him as well. I think they have him believing that if he helps them, they'll give his mate back. There's no evidence for it—not a single one of the females has been returned to us, except one that got sick and died a few days after they dropped her back here. That was early on. Her mate died a few months later. I think they think if they don't show us our mates dying that we won't be taken by the mourning. They're fucking crazy. That village is full of males on the edge of death. It will take only one blow to tip them out of darkness and into the spiral towards death." Skhal's lips twisted. "But even though the others won't listen to me, I am almost certain Xar believes if he submits, his mate will be returned. But he's entered the darkness as well. And even though the humans give him something to help him every time they come, it's becoming less and less effective. And his actions are becoming more and more erratic."

Then Skhal fixed him with a challenge look that almost made Zev growl.

"You came back at just the right time, Zev. If someone doesn't figure out how to fix this, none of us will be here in another couple years. I'm convinced of it.. So… are you up to the challenge? If not, step aside so we can find someone who is."