Rise of the Dark Alpha

~ ZEV ~

Zev had an inch on the goat-man, yet they were both broad and strong.

But Zev was a predator.

"You enter Thana again without permission," Dunken said softly, "bringing a weak, human female. You could not have made a choice that would be less likely to throw the clans into battle."

Zev shook his head. "There will be no battle. She's mine."

Dunken snorted again. "Oh, you are sorely misinformed, brother," he said.

Relief.

Zev relaxed and finally let himself laugh. "Brother? What was all that shit about war and battle? You scared me!"

The sharp light in Dunken's eyes didn't go out, but he clasped Zev's arm and leaned in to embrace his old friend, both of them clapping the other's backs.

He didn't miss the way Dunken's nostrils flared again as they were pulling apart, though.

"You idiot," his old friend said, shaking his head. "I wasn't joking about battle. Bringing a female into this shitshow right now is likely to ignite the entire mountain. Especially one so—" Dunken cut himself off when Zev shot him a warning look.

Dunken cleared his throat and glanced at Sasha, choosing his words carefully. "Especially one so… accessible," he said tightly.

Zev grunted.

As a human female, Sasha was considered weak stock. But if the Chimera were short on females, she would still be desired. And being physically small and weak meant a greater number of males would believe themselves suitable for mating her.

He wanted to bite something just thinking about it.

"I told you, she's mine."

"That remains to be seen," Dunken growled.

"Um, actually, I believe I don't belong to anyone," Sasha said, her voice sharp. She folded her arms as Zev shook his head, trying to warn her off. But she was too busy challenging them both to understand that her words had far, far more meaning in this world than in her own. "I make my own decisions about who, or what, I belong to. So you can both to go hell."

Dunken turned back to Zev and raised an eyebrow. "See? Shitshow. Battle. I told you."

Zev growled and closed his eyes for a moment. "She doesn't realize what she's saying. She's never been around Chimera before."

"Well she better figure it out quickly," Dunken said, "Or I'll challenge for her and kick your ass all the way to the river."

Zev forced himself to grin, but his upper lip wanted to curl back and his teeth wanted to snap.

Sasha has just opened her mouth—probably to lecture Dunken about speaking to her directly, rather than about her in her own presence—when he turned and gave a sweeping bow, his head rolling back and forth as if he shook his horns in her face.

Zev bristled.

"Please be welcome here, uh…?" Dunken straightened and smiled, one eyebrow up in a question.

"Sasha," she said carefully, obviously uncertain whether he was mocking her. She glanced at Zev who just rolled his eyes, but his gut was twisting.

Dunken's head snapped to Zev at her name. "Sasha? The Sasha?"

Zev nodded. "I did tell you."

"Clearly not enough!" Dunken snapped, but when he turned back to Sasha, it was with a cool smile and offering his hand in the tradition of the humans. "It's very nice to meet you, Sasha. I have heard many, many things about you."

She shook his hand, but was obviously off-balance, looking between him and Zev. "All good things, I hope?" she said.

"Yes," Dunken said, then flashed a grin. "Though he never did your beauty justice. Shame on you, Zev. We might have fought harder to get her returned to you if we'd known."

Zev snorted and Yhet, standing behind Sasha, gave another frozen smile.

He'd always found humans comically unattractive, since sasquatch females had sideburns and were only marginally smaller than their male mates. And his female had been, by all accounts, a beauty among their people.

"Uh… thank you?" Sasha said. Zev sighed. She wasn't prepared for this. He needed some time with her, to explain… everything.

"Does Xar know you're here?" Dunken said a moment later, turning back to Zev.

"No. I didn't know ahead of time that we were coming."

Dunken whistled. "You really do want to start something."

"No, I don't," Zev said firmly. "But there was nowhere else I could take her and be certain she'd be safe."

"Oh, she'll be safe," Dunken said dryly. "It's you I'm worried about."

Zev shot him a look, but the male just grinned. Until Sasha turned on them both. "Okay, what the hell is going on? What are they going to do to you Zev?" she asked, her voice too high again. "What aren't you telling me? I thought this place was supposed to be safe."

"Apologies if I was unclear," Dunken said before Zev could respond. He glared at the male, but Dunken ignored him. "Sasha, you do not need to fear for your safety in Thana. Females here are prized. Every male in the clan, whether he has a chance to mate you or not, will see to it that you're kept safe. Do not worry."

Zev winced.

"Mate me?" Sasha cried. "What the hell are you talking about? I'm not here to… mate anyone!"

Dunken gave Zev a look, but his tone was soft, if firm. "I'm afraid in Thana you will have no choice, Sasha. The survival of the Chimera depend on it."

*****

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