Nedra and August stood back respectfully as Penelope and Zagan embraced. August was touched by how tender and beautiful this moment was for the two of them.
Zagan may have been the same male who took her from her pack and was responsible for collecting and imprisoning the alyko all this time in addition to Goddess knows what else, but he was also entirely different as well. She felt it when she was attempting to heal him. And if he and Penelope were mates, there was a reason for it.
In fact, something told August that all these years of collecting alyko and seeking his own death Zagan was driven by an intuitive impulse to find his mate, whether he was aware of it or not. Now seeing them together felt right.