~ ZEV ~

Lhars stood in the middle of the underbrush, just feet from the trail, and gave a low growl. But thankfully, he didn’t pounce. Zev didn’t want to have to fight with Sasha still so vulnerable.

Then Lhars stalked across the last of the space between them and stood, eye-to-eye with Zev, because they were so similar in height and strength that from the back they were virtually indistinguishable.

Because Lhars was their maker’s attempt at replicating the success of Zev.

But they hadn’t succeeded, and it burned in his brother’s gullet every day that he was measured as somehow inferior.

Lhars had burned with jealousy for Zev for as long as either of them could remember. He’d been driven since he was old enough to understand hierarchy to do everything in his power to beat Zev. Trying, and failing, again and again. Not because he was weaker. Or less intelligent. No. Zev knew their bodies were equally matched. It was their faces and hearts that differed. And in a pack, how you were regarded by others in your group was as important as how you regarded yourself. Taking power came with your strength of mind, even more than strength of body. And knowing that those around you stood with you… that was any dominant Chimera’s primary power.

The thing Lhars had never figured out was that the way you treated others affected how they thought of you—how they respected you, or didn’t. And that causing others to fear was never going to seed the same kind of respect as loving them.

What Lhars saw as Zev’s greatest weakness, was in fact, his greatest strength. He loved people. Especially his own people. And they knew it. And their belief in him had always given him the edge over his brother.

That and the fact that he was a year older—something else that angered Lhars no end, because among the Chimera it meant that if the choice between two males was unclear, the older would always be chosen.

Zev knew he shouldn’t provoke Lhars—who was formidable, despite his flaws—but there was no doubt he found a petty pleasure in pissing his brother off.

They faced each other, each of them feeling their strength and skill and eyeing the other as Alpha strength ricocheted off the trees and underbrush. Zev’s smile grew, though silently he prayed that the wind would stay in their favor and those in the village wouldn’t catch the scent of their face-off. They’d already been notified someone was coming since Lhars howled. If they caught Zev’s scent before he was done dealing with Lhars, it could get dangerous.

“You left,” Lhars snapped. “You abandoned us, then you show back up with a human mate and a grin on your face?”

“I can’t be happy to see my brother after three years?” Zev asked easily.

Lhars sneered, shaking his head. “Your charm doesn’t work on me, Zev,” he growled. But then he smiled and Zev’s stomach went cold. “Although, I should stop delaying you. I mean, you’re going to the village, right? I think you’re going to discover a very different welcome than you’ve had in the past. By all means, be on your way.”

He half-bowed, opening an arm towards the trail and his grin growing.

Zev didn’t move.

Lhars straightened and gave him a falsely innocent look. “What’s wrong? You don’t want to turn your back on me?”

“I don’t want you at my back, or my front, Lhars. But I’ll make do with keeping you away from Sasha. You’re Sentry, right? If you’re so eager for me to see the people, why don’t you run ahead and let them know I’m here? That is your job, right?”

Lhars’ upper lip twitched toward a snarl. They both knew Zev was reducing his role in the pack by sending him to run a message to others, even to the Alpha. And in front of Sasha—a female that held no place in the hierarchy. Yet.

Yet, Zev reminded himself. She didn’t have her place yet. He put a hand back just to reassure himself that she was still there.

Then Lhars’ smiled again and leaned even closer. Behind him, Sasha flinched.

Good, she still had instincts.

“I’ll run your message, Zev,” Lhars said, his eyes flashing with rage. “I want to see Xar’s face when he decides to kill you.”

Sasha made a little noise behind him. He tightened his fingers on her thigh for a moment to reassure her, then shrugged. To Lhars he forced another, easy smile. “Thank you, brother. You honor me.”

With a growl, Lhars turned, twisting into beast form, his clothing exploding as his body became a massive, black wolf, then with a lash of his tail he tore down the trail towards the village, shoving past Yhet and Dunken on his way.

“Well, that went well!” Dunken called from further up the trail.

Zev snorted. “It could have been worse.”

He turned to face Sasha who was staring down the trail in the direction Lhars had disappeared. “What was that all about?”

“That was my younger brother… or at least, genetically he’s my brother. The same DNA strands were combined to make us.”

Sasha turned to face him, her expression worried. “You two don’t like each other?”

Zev sighed. “Thing between us have never been easy,” he admitted.

“Why?”

But then a cacophony of calls, barks, growls, and roars began not far away, telling Zev his brother had wasted no time sharing the news.

Sasha blinked and looked towards the noise, then back at him. “What was that?”

“That was the end of my element of surprise,” Zev sighed. Then he took her hand. “Come on, there’s some people I want you to meet.

He prayed she couldn’t sense his fear as easily as he could sense hers.

*****

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