~ ZEV ~
The bathing pools were in chaos.
Zev had hung back, staying out of sight while the other two went ahead to the pools. Apparently, Nick had arrived with his guards just a minute before them—after they'd been cleared to make sure there were no females. They'd placed a handful of males around—some in the water, some out. But Dunken and Jhon pretended they were only there to speak with one of the guards.
Then Zev had seen Ernie scuttling up the path. He raised his head over the underbrush and they shared a grin as the spider man arched his back to make his legs spread wider before he reached Nick.
Zev had heard the shout, and half-laughed, half-growled when he heard the splashing as if Nick was running for the shore.
But then the other male's voices rose, taunting him—and Ernie.
