Sasha woke a couple of hours later, just as dawn was lighting the sky outside the windows. She didn’t move, waiting to see if Zev was awake. But he was slumped into his pillow, his breathing low and slow, even. He didn’t even move when she turned her head to look at him, his handsome face puffy.

He had one hand on her stomach and for a moment she just lay there, enjoying that he reached for her, even in his sleep. Her heart swelled with the thought.

While she lay there, she turned the events of the night over in her mind—the way he’d been so tense by the smell of the compound, and Nick. The way he’d stayed in his wolf until he’d rid the place of the “stink.”

She examined his sleeping face. He was so relaxed it made him look younger, despite the thick stubble darkening his cheeks. He’d lost weight since the infection, though he was still massive and strong and…

She sighed. She was going to have to be careful or she’d wake him and forget about everything she needed to do that day.

But he needed the rest. He looked like he’d barely slept the entire time she’d been gone. So, slowly, slowly, she peeled back the furs, then slid out from under his hand.

The fact that that didn’t wake him was the only evidence to her that his body was in desperate need of sleep. She wouldn’t wake him. She’d tell everyone else not to wake him. She’d get some stuff done while he was sleeping so that when he was awake they could be together again.

Her first concern, though, was clothing. She wasn’t going to be able to walk through the morning in a towel.

Creeping around the room all she could find was a couple more sets of Zev’s black suits. They were so stretchy, she decided it would have to do. The neck was a little wide for her and she had to roll the cuffs and ankles, but the stretchy fabric, designed to suck to the skin underneath it meant at least there wasn’t a lot of sagging, except in the crotch.

She rolled her eyes, but at least the Chimera wouldn’t care. If they could all run around naked and dangling, she could have a flabby crotch without causing a ruckus she was sure.

She tip-toed out of the bedchamber and down the stairs to find Yhet squatting at the bottom. His face lit up when she appeared and he stood, wrapping her in a big hug when she reached the bottom.

”Good morning, Sasha-don!”

”Yhet, you don’t have to call me that!”

”It’s only a sign of respect, Sasha. Don’t be upset.”

As they pulled apart she smiled and reached up to rub his thick arm. “Thank you for watching out for him while I was gone, Yhet.”

Yhet nodded seriously. “I wanted to go with him when he came to see you, Sasha, but he wouldn’t let me.”

”That’s good. I’m glad,” she said. “I don’t want to lose you too, Yhet.”

His forehead wrinkled and for a moment he looked away from her, but then he cleared his throat and smiled at the arch out into the courtyard where the sun made the light yellow and cast dim shadows between the trees. “I can’t believe you got the females back.”

”Some of them,” she corrected him. “But I’m working on the rest. Look, Yhet, Zev is exhausted. We went to bed late and were up during the night. Can you stay here and stop anyone going up there to disturb him unless it’s an absolute emergency? Let him rest as long as he will on his own—and if he complains about it, tell him I made it an order,” she said, one eyebrow up.

”Yes, of course, Sasha-don,” Yhet said with a mocking submission. “I am terrified. I will make sure he understands.”

Sasha snorted and leaned in to hug him again. “You’re the best kind of friend, Yhet,” she said. “I’m so grateful that you’re here.”

His breath caught and he squeezed her, patting her hair so hard her face was mushed into his chest, but Sasha smiled. She really loved Yhet.

”I’m grateful for you too, Sasha,” he rumbled quietly. “And I’m so glad for Zev’s sake that you made it back.”

”Me too,” she said. Then farewelled him with a promise to sit together at dinner, reminding him again to stop anyone from waking Zev unless it was an emergency. Yhet nodded, then planted his ass in the middle of the stairs and leaned his elbows on his knees. He was so huge that he almost filled the stairway.

”That’ll do it,” Sasha grinned. “Thank you, Yhet.”

*****

She grabbed an oatcake from the cooks who were still preparing breakfast, checked on the females who were all still sleeping, grabbed a pair of fur boots and a jacket that actually fit from the piles of clothing that had been collected to offer to the females who’d arrived in human clothing. Then she started out of the City.

She wasn’t looking forward to the trek to the Village, but she knew the way now, and she knew she was safe. And she had some stuff to say to Nick that she didn’t want Zev to witness, knowing he’d get protective and probably interfere.

She walked as quickly as she was able, jogging at times, but her mind tripped back over the things Zev had said about Nick the night before. It made sense why her intuition kept warning her about Nick, but still felt he was telling the truth.

She would remember how easily he could twist words. He might be smart, but people with hidden motives always revealed themselves eventually.

That was the question, right? Was Nick here because he really did want to help Zev? Or was he here to keep power and just make it look like he was helping?

It was going to take time to uncover his true motives, but she was determined to do it.