~ ZEV ~

While Zev reached out to as many wolves as he could find, Sasha paced the floor of the room.

He hated having his attention elsewhere. He wanted to hold her, to reassure himself that she was safe. He didn't want to think about what she was about to walk into. But there was no time. She was right to be agitated. He would have been pacing too, just waiting. There was nothing worse as a leader than the moment when you had sent everyone else off to do, while you had nothing to do but wait.

But as he touched minds with the wolves and sent images and thoughts, instructions from Sasha, the scent of her determination and the caution… one by one the wolves submitted, leaping to their respective tasks, and Zev's heart raised.

They were going to do this. They were going to make it happen. And Sasha was going to see that she did have a purpose here. That the males would follow.

While Zev concentrated on a discussion with one of the wolves who was at the furthest reaches of their link, the healer approached Sasha and murmured with her.

Zev could hear him easily, but his attention was on the wolf in his head, asking for instructions about getting word to the hunters—was it safe to use the calls when the human might hear them? So it wasn't until he'd finished the conversation that he could focus on Sasha, the stern look on her face, and hear her snap, "Absolutely not. And if he tries to, I don't care what you have to do to stop him. We aren't risking further injury."

Zev growled, knowing she had to be talking about him. The healer flinched.

"What?" Zev said gruffly. "What are you talking about?"

"You," Sasha said baldly. "How I don't trust you to be honest about your condition anymore. So the healers are going to make the call about what you can and can't do, until they're certain you can't hurt yourself by insisting that you're fine."

"What are you talking about? I'm laying here like fruit on the vine."

"And we're making sure it will stay that way. No matter what, Zev. One more day, they're saying. Your body needs a day to cleanse and heal before you should start moving. So you stay in that bed until tomorrow when a healer tells you otherwise."

Zev frowned. "I won't argue, but why are we even having this conversation? It's one human and they're going to disarm him. You're going to be back here in a couple of hours."

Sasha nodded and walked back to the side of his bed to take his hand. "Yes, I am," she said. "But you and I both know things keep happening that we don't anticipate. So… I need you to promise me that if something does happen, you'll let Yhet take care of me. And Lhars. And whoever else you want to send. You can't be a help to me if you're hurt, Zev. I'd be more worried about you than myself. And I can't afford the distraction. Not if I'm going to be watching out to avoid them manipulating me."

"If it's just one, you'll be fine," Zev said. "The others will be there. He's not going to be able to deceive all of you at once. But you get your ass out of there and back here if there's a team, Sash. They work together and they'll have you distracted and turning on your heels before you even realize it. Don't let them outnumber you. Get back here."

Sasha tipped his head. "Now who's being Alpha?" she said. But she broke the first smile he'd seen since the Sentry showed up.

"Sash," he began, a warning in his voice.

But she just flapped her hand. "Don't worry, don't worry. I agree with you. I don't think I'm up to managing a whole team, yet. If we can't turn them back, I'll have Yhet run me back here while the others travel. I'm not bringing them to you, though. I'm not risking them finding out how weak you are. Who knows what they'll do."

Zev had to reluctantly agree that she was right. "You keep talking to me, though," he murmured, looking around, praying the healer wasn't hiding on the other side of the wall to listen. "Don't tell the others about the bond yet. Keep that between us."

Sasha blinked. "Why? Is that—"

"If the humans find out about that, they'll be fascinated. I'm not aware of any wolf mind-linking with anything other than other wolves. We can't afford to motivate them even more to take you!"

Sasha patted his arm at the growl, trying to soothe him. "It's okay, it's okay. I agree with you. We'll keep it to ourselves for now. Don't worry."

She leaned over him, a small smile on her face and Zev's heart pattered faster as she leaned into kiss him gently.

Taking her lips was like sipping honey, and he didn't want it to end. But he knew he had to.

When she broke the kiss, she had a hand on his chest and she slid it up to cup his neck and stare down at him intently. "This is going to work, Zev. This is just the beginning. We're going to make some serious changes here, and things are going to change. For the better. I need you to believe that, and to rest when I walk out so that when I get back, you can help."

He nodded. "I'll try. That was a stroke of genius about the creatures, by the way. I'd never thought of asking them to help. I imagine they'll be more than happy to put the fear of God into this guy."

Sasha smiled. "I hope so. I just pray I can stand my ground when they're there. It doesn't do a lot of good if I look like I'm afraid of them, too."

"You'll be fine," he growled, raising his good arm to her face. "Just channel that inner alpha like you were twenty minutes ago."

She snorted. "I was just mimicking you."

Zev shrugged, though his side crackled with pain.. "Whatever works."