Chapter 307 Hollow

Chapter 307 Hollow　　SINCERE APOLOGIES: Last weekend my son and husband both came down with covid (they're fine, getting better now) but now I'm coming down with it. This happened at the one time of the month when my stockpile of chapters was almost dry, and because I haven't been able to write much this week, I'm behind. Unfortunately, ALPHA will drop to 1 chapter per day for the rest of March, but then return to 2 per day in April. I appreciate your patience and I'm sorry!

*****

~ LHARS ~

Lhars hadn't seen Kyelle all day. He'd caught her scent once—she must have left the trough just before he arrived, which made him wonder if she'd smelled him coming and left on purpose.

He'd spent the day running back and forth between the City and the village, making sure the resources they needed were reaching the Chimera at the City, making sure the village still looked inhabited in case the humans arrived. He'd kept himself as busy as he could, and still his thoughts had been tormented.

He kept seeing Kyelle in the water, eyes wide, recoiling from him. Running from him. Fleeing. So desperate not to get close to him that she almost fell over her own feet.

He kept hearing her hushed, "It's too soon, I can't!"

Kept hearing the snap of her wings as she tore through the air to get away from him.

A low groan rolled in his throat and he shook his head. It was late. Well after midnight. He should be in his furs. Sleeping. Definitely not dreaming of her.

Yet, here he was, wide awake and walking the path to the City again. If he couldn't rest, he could at least be of some use to someone.

Except, he turned a corner in the trail to find Kyelle walking towards him, her hair glimmering in the moonlight, and her skin almost glowing.

She stopped dead when she saw him.

They stared at each other a moment and he inhaled deeply, his distracted brain finally registering her scent.

"Kyelle," he said quietly. "I… what are you doing out here?"

"I was just… checking. The Owls… but I couldn't sleep, and…" she waved a hand vaguely back towards the City.

"Do you need anything? Any help?"

She shook her head, her eyes still too wide, staring at him. "No."

The tiny seed of hope he'd held out that she was just taking some time to adjust. That a part of her was glad for his advance, shriveled up and died at the look of pure terror on her face.

"Oh, okay," he said and broke the gaze, tearing his eyes from hers because he was afraid of everything that might be revealed within them—things she obviously didn't want to see. "Let me know… if you do. I'll help."

"I… okay."

They both stood there dumbly for a moment and Lhars wanted to snarl. One thing he and Kyelle had never been was awkward. There had always been an easy peace between them, even when he conflicted with Zev. But now… his skin crawled.

With nothing else to say, he bid her farewell and started walking again, their shoulders brushing as he passed her on the trail.

But she caught his forearm and pulled him to a stop.

Heart pounding, Lhars turned back to face her.

"Lhars… thank you," she said. "No matter what else… thank you."

He let himself stare at her then, but she was the one to break the gaze and turn away, walking quickly down the trail back towards the village.

He stood there and watched until she disappeared between the trees, cursing himself for ruining everything.

*****

~ ZEV ~

"Yhet," Zev said on a rush of breath. "You startled me."

"It's okay, Zev. I'm not going to tell. I'll come with you. I knew you'd try to go, and I don't want you to do it alone. If something happens, I can fight for you. I can carry you. I'll bring you back. I won't let them have you."

Yhet stared at him, brows high, earnest like a child. He'd obviously been playing these words over in his head, how he would convince Zev to take him.

Zev shook his head. "I can't let you do that, Yhet. You know you can't be over there. It's too dangerous for you."

"But—"

"I'm not going to her, Yhet. I just… I just need to be closer. To feel the bond. That's all. To be certain she's alive. That's all. I can't… I'm not strong enough yet."

Yhet grunted. "You won't be able to stay away. You'll go for her and you'll be alone, and that's dangerous."

Zev patting his friend's arm. "You're a good male, Yhet. Thank you for caring for me. But I give you my word, I'm not going for her. I'm just going to feel her. That's all. The bond… it's aching." Yhet nodded knowingly and Zev winced. "I'm sorry friend, I didn't mean to—"

"It's okay," Yhet said sadly. "I have learned to… make room for it."

They stood together, males bonded in pain, both of their minds turned to the females they loved, and Zev felt like a massive tool. Here he'd been frantic and feeling sorry for himself for being kept from Sasha for a time, while Yhet had lost his beautiful mate, and would never see her again.

"How do you do it, Yhet?" he asked quietly. "How do you keep smiling? How do you care about anything else?"

"I have no choice. I can't give in," the male said promptly, as if he'd just been waiting for someone to ask. "She would want me to fight. She would want me to win. She would want me to use my strength to help others. And she… she wouldn't want me dead."

Zev took a deep breath. "Thank you, brother. You have honored me tonight."

Yhet's eyes locked on his. "Let me go with you, Zev."

But Zev shook his head. He was already taking a terrible risk, he knew. He couldn't have Yhet on his conscience as well if anything went wrong. "I need you here," he said, squeezing Yhet's massive arm, that he couldn't circle even with his large hands. "I need you to guard the gate. Can you do that for me? Make sure I come back—and warn Lhars and Dunken if I don't. Can you… can you help me in that way?"

Yhet's brows pinched together, but he nodded. "Yes. I can help with that."

"Thank you, brother. I'll be back before dawn. If the sun rises and I'm not here, warn them. Quickly. And tell them that I'm sorry. They'll need you to take them through and show them how to get to headquarters. You'll have to be so careful, Yhet."

Yhet smiled, his teeth flashing in the dark. "It will be my pleasure, Zev. The humans have taken so much from us, I can barely sit still for waiting to see something important stolen from them."

Zev nodded. "Me too, friend. Me too." Then he turned and, with Yhet at his heels, walked to the back of the cave, and into the gateway, where the path to the human world blazed with light so bright it almost blinded him.