~ ZEV ~

Zev hoped they'd get to come back to the ice cave together before too long. He wished they could just stay now, live there, forget about everyone else. The humans would never dare venture this far without Chimeran guards.

But it didn't matter. He knew those were the thoughts of a child, wishing away responsibility. They had to get back. Sasha especially. He sighed.

So as he tidied the items they'd left out, he finished chewing on the jerky that tasted like sawdust in his mouth, slipped the little apple Sasha had given him into his pocket because his stomach didn't want anymore food, and turned back to find her.

Sasha was bending over her bag, checking through it to make sure she'd gotten all her furs. As he watched, she straightened, dropped her face into her hands and sighed heavily. His heart pinched and he started towards her, to pull her into a hug and reassure her. But before he reached her, she dropped her hands and picked up the bag.

"Let's go." Her voice was dead and flat.

Reluctantly, Zev turned back to pick up his own bag and reached for it—thoughtlessly—with the arm on his bad side.

Stretched out as he was, the lifting caused a jolt of pain that started over his ribs and shot through his shoulder. He gasped and dropped the bag, then growled, reaching for it with the other hand.

"Zev, what—"

Her voice was breathless, afraid. Zev shrugged the straps of the bag over his good shoulder. "I'm fine," he growled. "It'll heal, Sash. Don't worry."

But an image suddenly flashed in his head—himself, laying in a bed, his body twisted in pain—and his eyes wide and unseeing. His skin gray.

A blanket of utter grief and fear accompanied the image and for a moment, Zev was breathless. Where had that come from? He hadn't been thinking—

He sucked in a breath and turned, quickly, to find Sasha. She stood side-on to him, her forehead lined and mouth turned down.

"Sash," he gasped. "Was that you?"

"Was… what?" She frowned at him.

"Did you just think of me… dead?!"

Sasha blinked and her head jerked back. "You could see that?"

Zev's heart raced with excitement this time. He'd thought with the deeper bond he was only hearing her thoughts because he could get into her head, because he was a wolf. But this? She could show him images? Feelings?

"Do it again," he said excitedly, ignoring the pain in his body as he slid the bag off his shoulder and dropped it to the ground again and walked to her. "You must have sent it. Sasha… send me something. Show me what you're thinking."

Sasha stared at him for a moment, the first flash of light and joy in her gaze that he'd seen since she woke. Then she swallowed and blinked.

An image bloomed in his head—himself, at nineteen. His face finer, smoother than it was now. He stood over her in the morning light, green on the edges of his vision—her front yard. He was picking her up for school, but he'd been so eager to see her, he hadn't waited for her to come out, he'd hurried towards the door—only to find her rushing out to him. They met on the little path from her front door to her driveway, and he took her in his arms.

"Good morning," he said, smiling with joy.

"Good morning," she'd whispered back, embarrassed. Her cheeks pink. She was giddy—with love and desire for him. Her stomach churning with the thrill of finally being back in his arms.

The memory faded and Zev blinked, then focused, eyes locking with hers. Sasha gave a hesitant smile.

"It's one of my best memories," she said simply.

He was speechless. The raft of love she'd had for him, even then…

"I still feel that way," she rasped. Then her smile faltered and her eyes went sad. "It scares me that you're hurt. And sick."

Zev flowed across the space between them, pulling her into his chest, his hands shaking with emotion. "It's a little fever, Sash. We'll get back there and the healers will treat me. I'll be better in no time."

"That's what you said about healing while we were here! You said you'd be better by the time we were going back!"

"Well, obviously when I opened the wound again I picked something up. Look, it doesn't matter. It's not a big deal my body's good at this. I'm just… Sasha, you can give me your thoughts. Your feelings. This is incredible. I've never heard of a wolf doing this with someone who wasn't in the pack. This is… it's a gift. We can talk this way, even when we're apart. Send each other information and… pictures."

Sasha sighed and dropped her forehead to his chest. "I just want to get you back to the healers and make sure… can we do that?"

He held her tightly, rubbing her back. "Yes. We'll do that," he said softly. "And just so you know…"

He closed his eyes and brought up the memory—his version of that same morning. He'd dreamed about her, yearned for her. Been impatient to see her. And when she'd come flying out of the house like that, his heart had leaped in his chest.

He sent her the feeling, the way he'd wanted to howl. The sheer joy of finally touching her, even though it had only been twelve hours.

"It's one of my favorite memories, too," he whispered.

Sasha clung to his waist, her face buried in his chest. He could feel her tension, and he stroked her back.

"Can we come back here?" she asked quietly, her voice muffled in his furs. "When things are calmer and the females are back…. Can we come back here together? Do you think Yhet will mind?"

I'm certain he wont, he said in her head.

Sasha lifted her head, her eyes shining and red.

Zev leaned down to kiss her, his entire being humming with love for her. But when Sasha reached up to take his face in her hands, she hissed and pulled back instead of kissing him.

"You're burning up, Zev. We need to leave, now."

He groaned, but let her take his hand and lead him into the tunnel.

The truth was, he didn't have the energy to argue.