READER SHOUT OUT: Thank you (yes, YOU) for all your support of Zev & Sasha this month. I've been truly blown away. To say thank you, I am working on a mass release for the beginning of Volume 2 (about 10 days), so look forward to another FIVE chapters that day!

Thank you for everything you've given--your votes, gifts, comments, and encouragement have been a true gift to me to kick off 2022! (This was added after publication so you aren't charged for the words.)

*****

~ ZEV ~

Zev had woken restless and feeling caged. It shocked him. He didn't normally have those feelings in a natural cave—only in buildings that felt human-made, with straight lines and low ceilings. He hadn't understood it, but he'd known he had to do something about it so he didn't ruin their last day.

The air wasn't stale, but it was close, unmoving. The snow must have blocked the opening to the cave completely overnight. Sure enough, after he'd slipped silently out of bed to dress, leaving Sasha sleeping, rolling his shoulders to relieve the residual tension and soreness in them, he'd trotted down the tunnel to find it completely blocked by snow. He'd intended not to make too much noise until Sasha was awake. But the sight of that wall had lit panic in his chest, and he'd had no choice. He had to clear it—make a way through. Find the fresh air.

He'd tried to be quiet, but he couldn't make the snow silent. When she showed up, he'd just broken through a small space at the top of the bank where air could get through, and he was a little less tense. But he needed to get through this. He needed to have an escape, free and clear, from the cave. He'd been so grateful when she didn't ask him to stop.

But even though he'd felt better once he'd cleared a route through the snow, the itching tension at the back of his neck didn't dissipate completely.

He'd done his best to be cute and sweet as they talked through the morning. He'd waited patiently for the lunch that she insisted on preparing. But the tension was coiling within him like a snake, ready to strike. He needed to get outside.

"Do you want to go for a walk?" he asked her suddenly, when he caught her staring at him, worry in her eyes, during their meal. "It's not snowing right now, and we can stay close enough to get back quickly if it starts."

"Sure," she said uncertainly. "If you're feeling like it."

He nodded. "I think it would be good."

So they did. But, inevitably, her thoughts and questions turned back to their lives once they returned to the Village. And Zev found himself having to bite back curses. He didn't want to think about being surrounded by males, all watching his mate. He didn't want to think about having to tell the twins she'd killed their father. He didn't want to think about the danger they were walking into when the humans returned and found Xar dead.

The fact that no one had come to get them was good. It meant the humans hadn't returned yet. But that just made it even more likely they'd show up soon after he and Sasha got back. They had to make a plan. But his head hurt, and his body was tired, and all he wanted to do was touch Sasha and be with her.

He squeezed her hand as they walked—slowly by his standards—along the trail at the bottom of the ravine. The shadows over their heads seemed deeper and more ominous than usual because the sky was still a solid gray,

As the ravine opened in front of them and the valley was revealed, Zev sucked in a long, deep breath. And it helped. Some of the tightness in his chest that had stayed even after he stepped into the open air, eased. They stopped walking and scanned the meadow—little more than a massive, white blanket now, with trees and some of the taller bushes poking out to smatter the perfect glistening white with black or brown.

Blemishes on an otherwise perfect landscape.

Something about that thought made Zev's skin itch.

"Zev?"

He realized that Sasha had been talking, and he cursed himself for his distraction. "I'm sorry, Sash. I'm just distracted, what did you say?"

She stepped in front of him, frowning and put her arms around his waist. "What's going on? What are you upset about?"

"Nothing!" It was true. He couldn't think of anything that he was upset about. Nothing that would make him feel this tense. Circling her in his arms he forced himself to smile. "I'm sorry, I know I keep drifting off. I'm just thinking. I wish we didn't have to go back tomorrow, that's all."

She nodded. "Me too. Do we have to?"

"Unfortunately, yes. Dunken and Lhars will keep the others busy and distracted, but a new Alpha doesn't usually disappear like that. It was necessary," he said as she opened her mouth, no doubt to say that they should go back early. "But it also means that we can't just… stay out here. Even as much as I wish we could."

He leaned down and kissed her then. She hugged him close, careful to keep her arms at his waist, though it still made the wound on his ribs zing with pain. At least there'd been no more bleeding. He would have to get her to change the dressing again tonight before they travelled tomorrow.

"Zev, are you worried about not being Alpha? I mean, about ranking second? To me?"

"What? No!" he said, shoving away a niggling voice that wanted him to take a closer look at that question. "I don't trust anyone's judgment as much as I trust yours, Sash. You know that."

She frowned. "But… for the Chimera? I mean, if we were in my world, maybe. But here? Seriously, it's not worth it to me, Zev. I want you to have it. I can follow—"

"Sash, listen to me really carefully," he said firmly, stroking her cheeks with his thumbs. "I meant it when I said that another change right now will only throw everything into chaos. We'll get you through this. Stop worrying."

"But they're going to ask me one question and I'm not going to know what to do, and then they're not going to respect me—that will be worse than having a bad Alpha, right? If they don't have some kind of respect for me? That could end up… that could end really bad."

And her eyes were wide, pleading with him, fear spearing through her. After all… if it went badly for one of them, it would go badly for both.

*****

If you're a King of Beasts fan, it's Reth's Birthday (Anniversary?) this Sunday! If you'd like to join me for the LIVE voicechat with Reth Merch giveaways, and some fun surprises, visit linktr.ee/aimeelynn and join my discord chat.. The event will be there at 1pm PST, Sunday, 6 February (Los Angeles date and time!) See you there! (This message added after publication so you aren't charged for the words.)