~ ZEV ~

The next morning Zev woke feeling stronger. Much stronger. When he opened his eyes, his first thought was that his body was without pain. He moved his arms and rolled his shoulders, and the ache was there. But it was fading. There were no sharp jabs in his side, no lines of pain up his spine, no tension headache.

Zev took a deep breath, grunting against the increasing ache, but pleased when it didn't turn sharp.

He was getting better.

He threw the furs back and rolled out of bed almost normally.

"Don't get too cocky," Skhal said from his position against the wall. His voice was rough with lack of sleep, and his eyes looked bruised underneath.

Zev shook his head. "Go rest, brother. And leave me tonight. I won't hurt myself. I will sleep—but I will sleep healthy. I'll wake if there's a threat. There's no need for you—"

"You get in a fight with a bear and you go right back to the healer's center," Skhal said gruffly. "I'll be here tonight. Just in case."

Zev held the older wolf's gaze for a long moment, but Skhal just met it evenly, waiting for Zev to submit. Which Zev did, in the end. He was touched by his brother's attendance—and annoyed by his stubbornness. But he supposed as the Alpha in Sasha's absence, it was right that his support keep watch.

He would have done the same if the roles were reversed.

"Thank you," he murmured, then dressed quickly and headed out of the cave, back to the healer's center as he'd promised he would.

The moment he was out of Skhal's sight, thoughts of Sasha descended and his heart squeezed with dread.

Was she okay? Was she afraid? Was she hurt? Would she—

He turned away from the thoughts and the torment they'd create for the rest of the day if he allowed them. He'd promised her he wouldn't come until he got better, so he would get better. He would do exactly as the healer's instructed, and he would eat well, and sleep well.

He was going for her. Soon.

He'd promised the healers he wouldn't shift, so the twenty-minute walk back to the village grated. But he pushed himself as fast as he thought was healthy, still fleeing the thoughts of Sasha.

He'd slept a little later, so he didn't go straight to the trough, but trotted across the clearing to the medical building. Inside, two healers sat in chairs next to the fire, chatting. They both turned when he entered.

The older of the two, a wolf, smiled when he saw Zev so upright and obviously feeling better.

"Very good morning to you, Zev-dan," he said, the bristles on his cheeks and jaw peppered with gray. "You're healing."

"Definitely," he Zev said and walked to the fire.

The younger male, an owl, but a large one, vacated his seat so that Zev could take it, but Zev waved him off. "It actually feels good to be on my feet. You sit. Please."

They chatted for a few minutes, Zev almost bouncing on his toes. He didn't feel tired after the walk from the cave. This was good progress.

"I'll head to breakfast," he said a few minutes later. "But I'm hoping that you might clear me to shift today? Sleeping in the cave is definitely better, but I'd like to be able to make it there in better time. And at some point I'm going to need to go to the City—"

"Calm down, Zev," the older man chuckled. "I'm glad you're feeling better. And we'll assess you this afternoon. But for now, please stay on rest. If you push yourself too hard, you'll send your body backwards. That infection was serious and lowered your body's natural strength. You'll need to allow it to rebuild."

Zev nodded, but his jaw was clenched.

"Go get your breakfast, see your people. Come back here and rest—if you have any meetings, they can happen here."

Zev's skin itched at the idea of just sitting for another day, but he nodded and muttered that he'd be back after the meal, then stalked out of the building, forcing himself not to slam the door on his way out.

He did need to heal, he reminded himself as he walked briskly towards the trough, his breath making wisps of haze in the cold morning air. It wasn't their fault that they were giving him good advice. He just needed to take it so he could go get his mate back.

Just a few more days…

His chest ached with missing Sasha, and for a moment he allowed himself to go back in his mind to those days in Yhet's cave. To her pink cheeks and flushed skin. To her sparkling smile, and the sound of his name on her lips.

But when a vision crowded in of her laying on a narrow bed like he'd seen in the apartments at headquarters, her body broken and bruised, skin pale where it wasn't marred, a tiny whine broke in his throat and he pushed the thoughts away.

I'm coming, Sasha, he sent into the void where she had once been, his chest aching with the pain of losing her, rather than his ribs. I'm coming as fast as I can.

*****

That afternoon he was back in the medical building, seated on the side of the bed where they'd cared for him, staring at the two healers, waiting for the verdict.

The younger, the Owl, frowned. "I think he can shift safely, but I'm worried if you let him, he'll do more than he should."

The older, the wolf nodded, staring at Zev, but his mind obviously elsewhere. "It's a hazard of Alphas," he said dryly.

"I want to get better," Zev assured them. "I promised Sasha. Tell me. I'll do it."

The wolf rubbed his bristled cheeks, grimacing. "I'm going to say you can shift. And being on your feet is okay, as well. If you want to walk around tomorrow, go ahead. But for the Creator's sake, Zev, take it easy. No fighting. No running. Take rests. Nap. Give your body time to renew itself. Don't push. If you feel even the slightest pain, sit down for an hour. If you do this, you'll find yourself returning to full strength much faster."

Zev nodded excitedly. "I will," he said, breathless, waiting for the caution that would stay his hand, but it didn't come.. "I will."