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've managed to write some extra content for the next couple weeks: Tomorrow when the month resets there will not only be 5 new chapters in Privilege, there will also be 2 standard release chapters as well (so if you buy top-tier privilege you'll receive 7 new chapters over the course of the day). And I am working on a mass release for the beginning of Volume 2 in about 12 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.)

*****

~ SASHA ~

Sasha rolled over in the furs the next morning feeling like a weight pressed on her chest. It took a moment of thinking to remember… the dream… and they had to leave today. She sighed and opened her eyes, looking for Zev. But she was distracted.

Despite the broken sleep, she'd been woken early because there was more light.

Zev had been right. The storm had passed and the sun had come out for a couple hours before dark the night before, melting off some of the snow.

She felt hot, she realized, throwing the top fur back and breathing more easily without the oppressive heat. The temperature must have really risen from the previous cold.

She turned to look for Zev and found him, laying on his side, facing her, looking very young. The way he'd looked five years ago, when he was nineteen.

He'd been so tired the night before, she didn't want to wake him. But he said they needed to leave early that morning so they'd have time to go to the City. She bit her lip. Should she let him sleep longer or—

But as if he'd felt her thoughts, his eyelids fluttered and his eyes focused right on hers.

Zev smiled. "Hey," he croaked. His voice horribly gruff. How long had they slept?

"Hey," she said softly, scooting closer to him to reach for his body—only to gasp when she touched his skin. "Zev! You're burning up!"

As Zev groaned and rolled onto his back, she sat bolt-upright, heedless of her nakedness and put a hand to his face.

"You're seriously hot!"

"Well, if it took you this long to notice…" he croaked, with a smile.

"Zev! I'm not joking! This is serious. You must have an infection!"

She'd redressed his wound the night before and been glad that the wounds were closed and seemed to be healing. The skin had been red and puffy, but he'd reassured her that was normal for healing.

He'd clearly been wrong.

"Turn over. Now," she snapped.

To her surprise, Zev rolled immediately onto his stomach, leaning his head on his arms and watching her as if he was awaiting new instructions.

When she blinked at him, he grinned. "You used your Alpha voice," he said. "I'm not going to argue with that."

Shaking her head in embarrassed frustration, she pushed the furs down to his waist and started on the dressing, peeling the edge carefully, wincing when it caught on his skin and his breath stopped.

Sure enough, under the dressing the wound was still closed, the lines purple and red where they were closing. But the skin around and under them was even more red and inflamed than it had been the night before.

"You're healing, but you've got something in the wound, or something. It's swollen. Does it hurt when I—"

Zev flinched when she barely brushed it with her fingers, and Sasha's stress shot through the roof, her heart hammering. "We need to get you back."

"Sash, calm down. It's not a big deal. We'll get back tonight and the healers will give me a tonic and I'll rest for a couple days. It'll be fine."

"That's what you said about coming here!" she snapped, angry with herself for not paying more attention to the way he'd been slowing down for the past couple days. For the way he'd slept so much and his skin had felt hot even out in the snow yesterday. She was so na?ve! "You said you'd heal while we were here so you'd be good as new when we got back!"

"Well, that was before Xar left me with a calling card," Zev muttered. "But yeah, it should have healed better. I guess I was a bit distracted."

With a curse, Sasha pushed the furs back and scooted out of the bed. "We're getting out of here now. And we're going straight to the village—"

"No, Sash. I'm taking you past the City. It'll add an hour at the most. Don't stress, okay? I'm still strong. I'm fine."

They argued—Zev trying hard to reassure her, Sasha on edge because of her dream, but in the end, they packed before they made breakfast—Zev moving much more slowly than usual, she noticed with gritted teeth. She couldn't believe she hadn't been paying attention!

Well, if he was Alpha and he was going to listen to her, she was going to make sure they didn't delay their return at all.

As they finished getting all their clothing back in their bags, she pulled the last of the fruit and jerky out of his. "We're eating, then we're leaving," she said fiercely—glaring at him when he looked like he might argue.

But Zev just smiled and took the jerky she was holding out. "Thank you," he said quietly.

Sasha raised a brow at him.

"What?" he asked, with a snigger. "I told you I was submissive to my Alpha."

Sasha groaned.

*****

~ ZEV ~

He was exhausted. He'd woken because her thoughts were racing. He could feel her stress. He'd thought they would need to talk about the dream again—she needed to talk about it. Because it was going to keep coming back until she faced it. He knew.

But before he'd had a chance to raise it, she'd realized he was hot—and he'd realized why he felt so achy and tired.

Infection. Fuck.

He rolled his shoulders and felt the twinge in his bones. At least it wasn't too bad yet. He'd talk to the healers that night. They'd have stuff to help him. They'd reopen the wound if they had to. But he suspected it wouldn't be that serious.

He'd probably gotten something in it during their bath the first night.

Pity, he'd hoped to squeeze in time for one more bath before they left, but when he stood next to the big pot and raised his brows to Sasha, she just glared.

He raised his hands as if to fend her off, and went back to organizing everything, so the home was clean and ready for whoever visited next.

The thought sent a spear through his gut.

He prayed that the next visitors would be them. Alone again. Living in peace.

Then he snorted.

God didn't hear his prayers.

Zev shook his head and went back to packing the last of his things.