173 Take That
If you like music while you read, try “Rainy Day” by Ice Nine Kills. It’s what I was listening to while writing this chapter!
*****
~ ZEV ~
“Get away from me,” Zev growled at his brother.
But Lhars only shook his head and sighed. “Zev, listen. You’re here. Your mate is here. Your son, too. You’re all safe now. We won’t allow anyone to hurt you. I understand that it was awful—and we will address it. But… is there any chance, brother, that your aggression is… misplaced? Skhal said—”
“I don’t give a flying fuck what Skhal said!” Zev snarled, his hands darting out right to his brother’s chest, shoving Lhars back to gain space. Lhars took one stumbling step, but then caught himself.
His eyes still held that twinkle.
“Skhal isn’t Alpha,” Zev growled. “Skhal isn’t me—and he wasn’t imprisoned by them. His mate wasn’t attacked while she held his child—don’t talk to me about misplaced aggression, you fuck!”
But his brother just tilted his head and gave him a smug smile. “Temper, temper brother. I’m not challenging you—unless you want me to. Is that what’s got you so tense? Are you scared I’ll win?”
.....
“Shut. Your. Mouth.”
“Why? Are you worried I’ve stolen the loyalty of the Clans?” The smile fell off of Lhars’ face. “Is that why you’re POUNDING ON A FUCKING PRISONER AND LETTING ONE OF OUR OWN TAKE THE BEATING?”
Zev stepped closer, hands clenched to fists. “Back. The fuck. Up.”
“Either you’ve lost your mind, or you’ve lost your self-control. Which is it, Zev?”
“BACK OFF!” They glared at each other, both their chests rising and falling too quickly. He caught the threads in Lhars’ scent—both the anger, and the fear. “You don’t want to fight me,” Zev growled.
“You’re right. I don’t.” Zev almost relaxed, but then Lhars stepped in again, one finger leveled down at the ground where they stood. “But I’ve been here bringing our people through this safely, and you’re treating me like some fucking upstart pup. So take your swing, Zev, let’s get this over with. You know you want to pound me.”
Zev quivered with the desire to do exactly that, but Lhars had just accused him of losing self control. How could he—
“Apparently that Queen smacked you with the stupid-stick, so let me knock some sense back into y—”
Zev didn’t even think. It was instinct. Brother or not. Second or not. Lhars was challenging his authority and in front of his pack.
“Zev! No!” Sasha gasped behind him, but it was too late. He’d already launched straight for his brother’s throat.
*****
~ SASHA ~
It was instinct to throw herself towards her mate, to try to grab him back, to pull him away from the mistake he was making. But she’d barely twitched toward him when warm, thick arms circled her and Zan and gently swung them aside and out of the way of any potentially lethal males.
“But—” she cried.
“Let them go,” Skhal muttered in her ear. “Lhars knows what he’s doing.” The older male pressed her to the side of the tent, putting himself between her and the two furious wolves now snarling and throwing themselves at each other, their limbs flying and thudding as they threw and blocked blow after blow.
It was a large tent, but they were large males. Skhal made sure she wasn’t going to move close to them in case one of them moved suddenly in this direction.
Sasha’s heart broke watching them. Zev was a dark blur, hands and legs moving so quickly, he blurred, while Lhars shifted and turned just as quickly, blocking most of Zev’s punches and kicks, but by a bare margin that stole Sasha’s breath.
She had seen Zev fight before, and she never ceased to be awed by the strength and speed he showed when he truly unleashed—but it was terrifying here, when he was fighting his own brother.
“Lhars and I talked about it,” Skhal murmured. “He was always going to provoke Zev. We think he needs to… blow off some steam.” Skhal never quite faced her, always keeping himself watching the brothers whirl and fight, growling and snapping. “He’s taken too much. He needs to get rid of some of the rage—”
She gasped as Zev swept a leg and almost took Lhars down—but thankfully Lhars managed to leap the swing and catch his own weight before he toppled and Zev was on him again.
Sasha reminded herself to be grateful neither of them shifted. At least Zev had that much control.
“But Lhars?” Sasha breathed. “He’s been helping!”
Skhal shrugged. “He’s the only one fast enough and that we’re confident Zev feels connected to.” Skhal looked at her closely. “Zev’s losing his boundaries. He’s walking on shifting sand. Until he finds his way back… this is the lowest risk. We can’t have him letting go on one of the kids who gets mouthy.”
Sasha shook her head. Alpha or not, Chimeran she might be—now. But she still was shocked at times by the more… animalistic needs of her people. Of her mate.
Watching the two of them hurt her—knowing that they not only bruised each other’s bodies, but also wounded their hearts.
She bit her lip as Zev managed to get his arms around Lhars’ belly and lift him off his feet, throwing him to the ground with a thud that shook the ground under her feet. Sasha gasped and clutched Zan to her chest, her vision beginning to blur with tears.
“I can’t… why does he have to do this?” she breathed, shaking her head.
Skhal sighed. “He’s been hurt and afraid for too long,” the older male said, his voice heavy with regret. “Sometimes a male needs to release all of that. Sometimes it’s the only way to get past it enough to heal. And sometimes… sometimes we have to take that from each other to help.”
“Kyelle’s going to be so angry,” Sasha sighed, every molecule within her aching, wishing that Zev could find his way back without destroying himself or anyone else.
But Skhal gave a little chuckle. “Don’t worry, Lhars won’t hold this against him. I’d let Zev pound me, but I think… I think he’s getting too far beyond me now. I think he’d beat me too easily these days.”
Sasha gave the older male a blank look. Skhal was as tall as Zev and easily as broad. Though he didn’t have Zev’s bulk, there was a gnarled, impenetrable strength to him. Like an old tree that had already defied the worst of the storms. If he thought Zev could beat him too easily… That was a terrifying thought.
When they’d realized what was happening to Harth, she’d rushed in here certain that she could save the poor female from any further harm—sure that learning she was hurting was all it would take to snap Zev out of this darkness.
It’s all it would have taken a few weeks ago.
What was happening to her mate? He had a heart! He had compassion! He fought for those that were weaker than him, not against them!
“What’s happened to him?” she breathed, shaking her head again.
Tarkyn, the Queen’s Defender, watched the two fighting warily. He’d pulled himself aside, out of the way, sitting on the ground with one arm held across his ribs, but he didn’t try to flee.
He also didn’t seem to take any joy in watching Zev and Lhars fight.
Sasha was so grateful—and hopeful that was a measure of the man’s nature, that he truly didn’t want to see anyone destroyed, either.
And that thought gave her an idea. “I need to talk to him,” she said quietly to Skhal, nodding towards the lion on the ground when Skhal raised an eyebrow. “Can we move over there while these two are… distracted?”
Skhal blew out a breath, but gestured for her to go first, then followed her as she crossed the tent to squat at Tarkyn’s side.
The lion glanced at her from the side, but kept his body and attention squarely on the fighting males. He wasn’t stupid; he knew if Zev took this without spending all his rage, he’d be the next target.
“I think we need to talk,” Sasha said quietly but firmly.
Tarkyn nodded slowly, but returned his gaze to Zev and Lhars. “That’s all I want to do,” he said.
Sasha sighed. “I hope that’s true, Tarkyn. Because if we don’t do something, and quickly, this isn’t going to end well for any of us.”
The lion went very still, then looked at her from the side again. “Aren’t you their Alpha?”
“Yes.”
“Then, if you foresee a problem, why are you allowing him to continue?” His tone wasn’t aggressive, which Sasha appreciated. She’d appreciated most of what she’d seen the male offer to this situation so far. Though, like Zev, he clearly had his breaking point, he seemed more… centered. So she decided to tell him the truth.
This 𝓬ontent is taken from f(r)eeweb(n)ovel.𝒄𝒐𝙢