Chapter 348 Bad News First

Chapter 348 Bad News First　　~ ZEV ~

"What do you mean… hurt?" one of the Tigers growled. "What's happened to them?"

"Their minds, mainly, I believe," Zev said apologetically, looking at the males, almost two hundred of them, packed into the courtyard and in the buildings that overlooked it, all listening with hard faces. "They've been… controlled, and not given their freedom. So now, suddenly, they're free and they aren't sure if they can believe it. They aren't sure if they're safe. A few come from the Compound and were made, so they've never been in Thana before. This has just been a lot for them. 

"What they need is for all of us to be calm and not overwhelm them. The healers said they may seem frightened or defensive for a little while, and that's okay. Give them space. Let them approach you. Stand back. Let them know you're happy to see them and want to be closer, but let them be the ones to approach. Think of… a mother when her pups are first born," he said. "Give her that time to grow accustomed to her new life and new demands."

"But, aren't they eager to see us?"

"Some are, I'm sure," Zev said. "But right now most of them are just trying to process that they're even here. Plus, part of the deal was that Nick come with them, so his presence is unsettling to them."

"Nick?!"

The crowd babbled and growled, a few snarls and snorts, but Zev raised his hands for quiet. "We've put him under the guard and he's going to remain at the Village. Once the females are here we need to ensure that there's a continued presence there. We'll continue our shifts of hunters and guards—keep giving Nick something to observe and manage. But just be certain, he will not be given control. Sasha has only allowed him to come with her teeth gritted—they claimed they wouldn't send the females at all if she didn't allow him in."

"She's negotiating with the humans? I thought we were cutting them out!"

"We are!" Zev said sternly. "She's working with them for a few months to try and get the rest of the females out of the Team's grip—as many of them as we can, anyway. Trust me, she's not any happier about it than you are."

There was a rumble of disgust and disapproval through the crowd, but Zev kept his chin down and let them see him and smell him, utterly certain of both his mate's motives, and her ability to see this through.

"Do I need to remind you that she's done in a few days what Xar didn't do in three years?" Zev snapped.

"Do we need to remind you they wouldn't have gotten the females in the first place if you hadn't left?" a voice growled from the back of the crowd.

Zev let himself feel his power, scanning the crowd for the voice that wasn't an Alpha's, he would have recognized it.

"No matter what you think about me, I'm no longer—"

A gust of wind rattled through the trees and whipped between the doorways and buildings, and they all caught the scent.

Females.

Dozens of them.

One of the wolves raised a howl, and the rest of the pack joined him, while the others began to call and scream, celebrating again, though it all had the edge of tension. 

When they settled, Zev took a deep breath and forced a slight smile. "It's happening, brothers. They'll be here soon. I promised Sasha-don that we wouldn't leave the City, that we'd be here to welcome them, but let them approach when they were ready. So please… none of you leave. And when they come in, don't rush them. Let them come to you for greetings."

"But what about our mates?"

"I don't know how many of those who came through have mates. We'll find out very soon, I guess," Zev said. "What I do know is that we all have to stop looking back. We can't heal from everything that's happened by looking back. We can only look forward. Aim for the life we've sought all this time—the females returned, our clans rebuilt, offspring…" 

His own heart swelled and fluttered at the idea. "We have to let go of our anger and resentment, stop blaming. The females need us to be calm and to help them. Can you do that?"

The response wasn't as eager as the howls had been, but Zev saw the Alphas among the males cautioning their people and standing firm.

He turned then, calling the Alphas forward and organizing. They needed more space for the females to actually enter the City—and they needed any males that might be erratic to be contained by their brothers. 

He wouldn't risk a bad experience for the females on such a crucial day.

Within minutes they had a plan and the males darted off to get help to manage those they thought might struggle, while Zev encouraged many of the males to move into the buildings overlooking the Courtyard to leave more room at its entrance and center.

The scent of the females was rising. They would be here soon. And he, for one, couldn't wait.

***** 

~ SASHA ~

Outside the City walls, where the trees still obscured the trail, Sasha came to a halt and turned to face the females who had followed her through the forest in a straggling line. The little Alphas were doing well, keeping their groups together and watching over any whose anxiety was increasing. 

Several of the females were starting to get their confidence back, some even looking eager to walk into the City and see the males. Sasha was relieved. It would happen more and more, she was certain. These women just needed time. Time and… no unpleasant surprises.

When they'd all gathered close together she smiled. "For those of you who haven't been to Thana before, we're here. When we push through these trees, you'll see a thick wall on the other side. A big archway. We'll walk through it and the males will be waiting for us."

Sasha had asked the females closest to her if they could scent the males, but they said the wind moved in the wrong direction. 

Which meant the males could scent them.

Just as she opened her mouth, the wind gusted from over the females, back towards the City, and howls and calls rose, echoing through the forest.

Some of the females smiled, but many went very still. Like prey under the eyes of a predator.

Sasha sighed. So much for a quiet entry. At least if they got it out of their systems now, they might be able to hold back better when the females walked in.

"Don't be nervous, they're just excited to see you," she said.

"We know. We know what the calls mean," one female said baldly. Sasha swallowed. Fair enough. 

"Well then, are you ready?" she asked. Some of them nodded.

Sasha prayed the rest would get through this without breaking, then she turned on her heel and pushed through the branches overgrowing the path to the City. 

And even though things weren't perfect and they had a lot to navigate yet, her stomach fluttered with excitement.

It was finally happening. The females were here.

She'd done it.