Rise of the Dark Alpha

434  Worth the Price

~ LHARS ~

They'd only had a couple of hours together before Zev's voice ran in his head, frantic. Something about Nick and the humans. But it all added up to no more time. They had to get everyone moving. Now.

He'd gone still when Zev started talking and Kyelle, laying next to him, hugging his arm, with her chin resting on his shoulder frowned. She knew that face.

Lhars sighed.

"What is it?" Kyelle asked quietly, though her tone said she already knew.

"We have to go get everyone moving. Right now. Zev's already telling all the wolves. You need to go wake the females. Everyone. We're going."

They stared at each other for a long moment. Lhars wondered how they looked together—his hair so dark, while hers was light. Her eyes so bright while his were piercing. Her skin was lighter than his—

and when she was in her owl she was a beautiful blonde color that looked white in dim light. While his wolf was almost black.

They needed to move. His chest tingled with the adrenalin beginning to flood his system. But he couldn't take his eyes off of her. And she didn't seem ready to let go either.

"I love you, Kyelle," he murmured, then cleared his throat. "I trust you. You'll need to trust me, too."

"Of course I trust you!" she exclaimed, pushing up on one elbow to lean over him. "It's not you I don't trust, it's the humans."

"You need to trust me to keep myself safe and come back to you," he said, though everything inside him clawed for release when he even thought about walking away from her.

"You don't want to go."

"No, I don't. Which is why I need you to be okay with it, because if you say no, I… I'm not sure if I'm strong enough."

Her brows pinched together. But she put her hand to his face. "I trust you," she whispered, belying the tears welling in her eyes. "I trust you."

He kissed her with a soft groan, rolling her over onto her back and covering her with his bulk. He wanted to do that—both literally and figuratively—every moment. He didn't want to draw a breath where he wasn't there and ready to step between her and any threat.

But they both knew this wasn't the time.

So only seconds later he pulled back and met her eyes again. "I'm coming back," he said softly. "So that means it's up to you to get there safely and be waiting for me."

She nodded, combing her fingers through his hair. "I will," she whispered.

He kissed her again, then had to force himself to let go before he buried her in the furs again and didn't come out for air.

*****

Kyelle ran to the female hall while Lhars went straight to the Courtyard. It had only been minutes since Zev's call to them all, but the City was bustling—males rushing back and forth, carrying bags, rations, or shifting into their animal forms to rush messages to others.

As Lhars walked through them he wondered if this was really it. Would this really be the last time he'd see Thana? Part of him grieved the idea. But the larger part of him thrummed with hope. If only he and Kyelle could both reach that beautiful land unharmed.

If only the females would trust him and come.

If only the humans would be caught unaware.

So many wishes. So few hopes.

Lhars shook it off and sought out Dunken who'd positioned himself not far from the stairs that went up to the female hall.

He was certain that wasn't an accident.

Chet was there too, not even pretending to be doing anything but waiting for Mae to come down.

"Hey," he said to Dunken, who turned and nodded, his face hard as rock. "There's to be no delay," he said quietly. "Something's going on. They're worried the humans might be coming. It's going to be chaos for a while. Can you… I'm sorry, brother, but can you take the lead to the Village? Call the guards as you go. We need everyone. No matter how unprepared. This is it."

Dunken's jaw flexed. He glanced toward the stairs, but he nodded. "Okay," he said quietly. "But I'm staying close to her crossing."

Lhars nodded, speared with jealousy that even if Dunken couldn't cross with the female he thought was his mate, at least he could keep her in sight for the entire time until they entered—and immediately afterward as well.

Shaking off the ungenerous thoughts, Lhars thanked the Captain and hurried back towards the City entrance. He had brought his and Kyelle's bags down but left them at the entrance to the main building since they'd pass it on the way out of the City.

The time had come. It had finally come. They were not only going to snap the leash of the humans but take their people to an entirely new life.

Watching the Chimera rush around, the barely contained chaos as over two hundred males tried to do a dozen things at once, Lhars sighed. This was only the beginning. If their prayers were answered and they reached this new land, there would be an entirely new hurdle to navigate—building a home, a society, an entire life for their people in a new land.

Who knew what threats might exist there? What shortages or adjustments might be required?

For a moment he wished he and Kyelle had more time in a normal routine here. But then he scoffed at himself. Enjoying the simple pleasures of his mate wasn't a reason to keep her—or others in danger.

No… he had to see this night—this morning, he corrected himself with a glance at the graying sky—

as nothing more than a journey that would bring them to that place of contentment and peace.

He had to stop focusing on the danger and focus instead on the goal. The life that the danger led them to.

It would be worth it, he reminded himself. All of this would be worth it in the end.