Ch. 251..260

Chapter 251

Confused, she pulled it again, then again, snapping it open again and again, then pounding on the window.

"Let me out of here," she snarled. "You said this was voluntary! You said—"

"Relax, Sasha. The back doors are on child locks. I'll let you out," Nick said, then trotted around the car again and pulled her door open again.

Sasha leaped out of the car, scrambling away from Nick, turning to face him and backing towards the restrooms. "Why would you put me in the locked seats?"

"They're the only seats in the car, Sasha. You'll notice I also let you out as soon as you asked."

"Yes, but—"

"No buts. This isn't a vacation, Sasha. I work for some very powerful people, and they don't mess around. Now, I told you I'd get you back safely, and I will. But you play by the same rules everyone else does. Which is that you do whatever they say, or whatever they need. Because if you don't, they'll just kill you. It's that simple."

He stood, facing her, still holding the open door, nothing in his body language indicating a threat.

But Sasha's heart—already aching from losing Zev—was racing. "And one of their rules is that passengers be imprisoned?!"

"No," he said patiently. "Their rules are that staff be put under no threat while driving delicate equipment—or persons—around. No one sits in the front with the driver because that gives you a chance to take control of the car. You sit in the back and when we get there, I'll open the door and you'll walk out a free woman."

"You say that like I should be grateful. I don't make a habit of driving around with people who consider freedom a gift."

"Then you better adjust your thinking, because that's exactly the kind of people you're dealing with now."

Sasha stared at him, her heart pounding and head screaming. She needed to leave. Just run. All the way back to Thana and Zev, and—

"Sasha, I'm not playing. I wasn't lying. You get in the car. I take you to them. You answer questions. You reassure them. And when they let you, you go back. This is a win-win for everybody. Don't make transport a hill to die on."

"I'm more concerned with freedom, than transport."

"Then get a different job," Nick growled. "Because this one requires transport in this vehicle. And if you're wanting to prove to my bosses that you're here to play by their rules, this is the way we go."

Sasha raked a hand through her hair, then folded her arms. She looked at the little bathroom building and asked herself if this was all worth it.

"I… need a minute."

"That's fine," Nick muttered. "But don't get any ideas about running back to the gateway. I might be a complete coward when it comes to Chimera, but I'm sure Zev told you that I can hold my own against any man. You do not intimidate me, Sasha. And I have no qualms about tackling a woman."

Sasha shook her head, tears pinching the backs of her eyes. "I'll be back in a minute."

It was closer to five in the end, but by the time she returned from the bathroom she felt fresher from splashing the ice-cold water from the faucets on her face.

She'd leaned on the edges of the sink and stared at herself in the mirror.

She was back in the human world, with a hole in her heart.

She had an entire people back in Thana that couldn't stand in their defense right now. And a group of men and women here that threatened their lives.

Literally her only choices were to follow her instincts and go with Nick and try to beat these people at their own game. Or to run now and probably get dragged back to them—but with their defenses up even farther.

It was no choice.

So she prayed, finger combed wisps of her hair back from her face, and then walked quickly back out to Nick, who still stood next to the open back door of the Suburban, but had the phone back in his hand.

When he saw her, his eyes followed her progress until she stood in front of him.

"I'm trusting you, when I don't actually trust you," she said bluntly.

"Good, then we're even."

Sasha frowned. "What are you trusting me with?"

"The life of my son. It's him they wanted. But I can't stand putting him back in their hands, so you'll do. I can leverage your position and your relationship with Zev. But don't fool yourself, Sasha. If it comes down to a choice between you and him, I'm choosing him every time."

Sasha tipped her head and made herself smile. "Well, then, like you said, I guess we're even."

Nick snorted and opened a hand towards the door. "Shall we get moving?"

Sasha blew out a breath and raked her hand through her hair again. "I guess we will."

She climbed up into the Suburban, closing her eyes as Nick closed the door, locking her in.

As the vehicle jiggled when Nick released the break and the engine roared to life, the tires crunching on the gravel outside, she kept praying.

Twenty minutes later, she finally broke and started a conversation. At first Nick only gave one word answers, but once she made it clear she wanted to understand how to make this work with the people behind this whole world, he opened up.

"You're certain this will only take two days, tops?"

"If my information about your cycle is correct, yes."

"My… what?"

They'd reached a major intersection and were about to roll onto the highway. Nick looked up at the light, waiting for it to turn green so they could enter the on-ramp.

"They'll just want to make sure you're not pregnant."

Sasha's mouth dropped open. "Pregnant? What does pregnant have to do with being alpha?

Nick sighed. "You really don't get it, do you? This entire program, everything we do, is about Zev and making more Chimera like him. If you're carrying his baby, you're the first. No way we're letting that one out of our sight."

Sasha blew out a breath with relief. "Well, if you guys are that creepy and know my cycle, then you know it was too late for me to get pregnant. There's no way I was still fertile when… when me and Zev…" Images flashed of Zev, his chest bare and head thrown back, his strong jaw shadowing his neck—

She blinked and cleared her throat. "I can't be pregnant."

Nick sighed. "You really don't know who you're dealing with, do you?"

"Zev," she snapped. "Until now I've been dealing with Zev, who loves me and would never do anything to hurt me."

"Sure," Nick said, shrugging. "But guess who hovers around Zev at every turn? Guess who knew he was coming for you, even before he did?"

Something about that made her spine go cold, but she pushed on. "Who cares what they knew? They weren't there!"

Nick shook his head as the car accelerated onto the highway and Sasha felt herself pressed back into the thick seat.

"Sasha," he said over the roar of the engine, "these people literally created an entirely new race of humans, and learned to access a supernatural gateway that takes them between alternate universes… you think people like that don't have a way to manipulate your hormones?"

 

Chapter 252

The first thing Zev thought when he gained consciousness, even before he opened his eyes, was that Sasha had to be alive, because if she wasn't, Zev wouldn't have woken.

He sighed with relief. But it didn't last long.

Because as his body and mind sought her, naturally, thoughtlessly, like she was breath, reaching out and searching for her presence, her warmth, the echo of her heart, there was… nothing. Nothing but a gaping hole in his chest where awareness of her should have been. An aching, burning wound where he should have felt full and warm.

Zev sucked in a painful breath.

When he opened his eyes it was to find his brother sitting in a chair next to his bed, head in his hands, fingers splayed through his black hair so it fell in chunks, like fat spiders over the backs of his hands.

Rage. Red, hot rage.

"You motherfucking judas," Zev growled. He tried to sit up, to reach for Lhars—to take his throat!—but he was jerked back, painfully, by bonds on his wrists and ankles.

Zev's eyes widened and he scanned down his own body, jerking at the leather straps. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

Lhars' head snapped up, his eyes bloodshot and weary, relief crossing his features first, then his face went hard when he saw Zev's bared teeth.

"You opened your wound again, fighting against us. You idiot."

"Don't even talk to me, you fucking betrayer!"

"Shut. Your mouth," Lhars snarled, pushing to his feet and taking the step to stand at Zev's side. "I'm going to talk and you're going to listen, because you need to see the things I know, and I can't… you have to… just do it."

"I don't need anything from you," Zev spat. "I know what you're doing—working all of this for yourself. Sending my mate—she's mind, Lhars, no matter how much you want her—sending her into the jaws of the fucking lion because it suited you."

"Suited me? SUITED ME?! You think anything that's happened in the past three years has suited me, Zev?" Lhars shook his head. "You and your fucking arrogance!"

But Zev wasn't listening. "You want her out because you know if she goes, I go too. But it's not happening, Lhars. I'm not going to let it happen. I'm not going to let you use this to serve your own status and power!"

"Oh for—get your head out of your fucking ass, Zev," Lhars growled. "She drove this all herself—if you don't believe me, let me show you." He stared at Zev, a challenge in his gaze. And Zev hesitated. Then he blinked.

His brother was offering to open his mind?

A tiny coil of satisfaction started in his chest. He could use this. Get Lhars to show him whatever he'd intended to use to manipulate, but then he'd take more.

"If you want me to believe anything, you let me choose. Show me your truth and let me bet the measure of it."

Lhars' eyes went wide and he rocked back on his heels. It was an invasion that Zev was proposing. A way for wolves to measure each other—for more than one set of eyes to evaluate a memory. But it required intense vulnerability. The wolf opening themselves was baring their throat. A skilled wolf allowed to rifle around in another wolf's mind could take far more than they were offered.

Lhars didn't respond immediately, and Zev gritted his teeth. If Lhars wouldn't let him into his mind, it was just proof—

"Fine," Lhars hissed. "But you take memories from today, or you ask first. You don't just… steal from me."

Zev blinked, surprised. But he agreed. Then his brother took a deep breath and closed his eyes, opening himself.

In a reversal of the usual link, instead of inserting thoughts or images into his brother's head, Lhars' mind was opened to him, like a cupboard. Zev could select what he saw. And at first, he did as he was bid, choosing to see what Lhars had seen at the intersection of trails—including Sasha taking control, ordering the hierarchy with all the certainty and conviction he would have done it.

He swelled with pride for her, his chest aching in the spot that should have been full of her.

Zev watched everything, right through to the conversation she had with Lhars—where he realized that they had the mind-link, and she was able to keep him quiet. Zev was grateful—and a little humbled.

His brother had respected his mate. But that didn't mean he wanted good things for her, Zev reminded himself. Lhars was a strategist. He'd worked with Xar for three years. Nothing he said or did could be taken at face value.

As he considered how to attack, what to strike for to find the truth of his brother's motives, he allowed Lhars' memories to continue to play as if he were watching them.

And as he considered, in his mind, Lhars—as a wolf—sprinted through the forest, desperate to get back to Zev, to stop him from revealing too much.

Zev swallowed and his stomach went heavy as he watched his brother, pleading with the Creator to get him there fast enough—and saw his own pain and desperation, and the way he'd dragged the entire wolf pack into his fear without realizing.

Then, the moment when Sasha disappeared from his conscious, and Zev hit true panic.

He was going to shut down the link, retreat from his brother's head—he couldn't relive that—but as he sang for his mate, panicked at losing her, he saw the thoughts that flashed instinctively through his brother's head.

Mate.

Kyelle.

Mate.

Kyelle.

Zev's mouth dropped open.

This was what Sasha had been talking about? This was why Lhars hated him?

Zev yanked himself out of Lhars' head like he was drowning, gaping at his brother for a long moment, while Lhars clawed his hands through this hair, then meet his eyes, Lhars darker eyes sparking.

"You don't say a fucking word to her—" he growled. "Not a fucking word."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"—I'm not bringing this into everything else. It's not the time."

Zev shook his head. "I'd never…" he swallowed hard. "That's not my story to tell. But… why didn't you tell me? You have to know I don't—didn't—return her feelings?"

"It doesn't matter what you return, it matters the hearts you hold—no matter what you do, no matter how far you go, everyone forgives. Everyone seeks you. Everyone needs you—and they'll dismiss those of us standing in your stead when you would throw everything else away on one of your… noble missions."

"Lhars—"

"Don't talk to me about loyalty and trust—don't talk to me about betrayal. You left, Zev! You left and left us to pick up the pieces. And I did. I fucking did it. And then I handed it back to you when you decided to show up again, and they all ran like puppies in your shadow and nobody gave a thought to me and Dunken, who held this place together while you were gone!"

Zev stared at him, his jaw slack, as his brother's words slapped him full in the face, and he realized just how wrong he'd been.

 

Chapter 253

Zev pulled out of Lhars' mind completely. He wished his hands were free to claw through his hair, or scratch his neck. His skin felt too tight. So tight, it thrummed, because the weight of everything he'd thought… everything he'd assumed…

He'd been wrong. So wrong.

"You know," he said softly, "I haven't made any attempt to hold her heart—"

"She doesn't want me, you fucker. Leave it alone. She's just like every other blind idiot here who takes one look at you and decides the sun shines out of your ass. Even the humans… I don't know what magic they put on you, Zev, but one of these days I hope you start appreciating it. Because the rest of us have to fight for the kind of loyalty and devotion that you shit all over, every day of your fucking life."

Zev stared at the ceiling and sighed heavily. "I'm sorry," he said. "I really didn't know."

"You should be," Lhars grumbled, but his voice lacked the heat he'd had a moment before.

Zev grimaced. His head ached. His chest ached. His whole body ached. He'd been wrong about his brother. His mate was in human hands. And he was tied to a bed.

If it hadn't been so fucking tragic, he would have laughed.

"What the hell are you smiling about?" Lhars growled.

Zev snorted. "I'm tied to a bed. I'm fucking Alpha. I have an infection. My mate is in the human world and I think… I think our bond is broken. And I'm tied to a fucking bed." He coughed to cover an actual laugh, though he felt more grieved than amused.

"You didn't give us any choice, Zev. You would have run out of here and collapsed in the forest. We're trying to keep you away from infection."

"I know. I know. I'm calmer now, if it helps. I know I can't… not yet."

"Yet? You can't, period, Zev," Lhars snarled. "She left of her own accord, and she left the hierarchy in place. If you leave, all hell breaks loose. Everyone remembers. This doesn't pass."

Zev bristles. No way was he just leaving Sasha in Nick's hands indefinitely. No fucking way. Hierarchy be damned. But he knew he couldn't say that to Lhars. Not right now. Not when he'd been so wrong and Lhars had been the one to fix his mistakes.

So he lay there for a long moment, silently reconsidering his brother. Turning memories over in his mind, until they took on a new texture, and new light.

He had misjudged his brother, and it had caused pain.

"I'm sorry," he said finally. "I was wrong."

Lhars swallowed audibly, but didn't respond.

"But I do still have one question," Zev said quietly.

"What is it?"

"Xar. You helped him for three years when he was clearly losing his mind. If this is what you wanted all along, why didn't you work against him?"

"I was. But I was doing it quietly and slowly. I hadn't been at the beginning. At first I was just being second and trying to find purpose for everyone so they wouldn't die after the females disappeared. But once Xar started going off the deep end… there was a lot of fixing his problems, or adjusting things he was trying to do. And for the rest of the time I was… working in the shadows. Keeping my ear to the ground of what the humans were doing, but slowly… preparing."

"But you could have been Alpha. You could have beat him—especially after he started going south."

"I thought about it," Lhars said, folding his arms, staring into the middle distance, his brows pinched in over his nose. "But it became really clear to me, as long as the Team thought Xar was in charge and working with them, they were less guarded. If I'd taken Alpha they would have realized I was ambitious. I couldn't afford it. At least, not early on. Towards the end… before you came back… I was getting to the point where I was either going to have to take Alpha, or leave with anyone who would come. Leave the rest behind for the humans. I'd decided on spring…" he trailed off. Then cleared his throat. "But, then you showed up. And the world was puppies and rainbows again."

"That's why Hedin told me the wolves were preparing to defect?"

"Yes."

They both sat quietly, thinking. It was Lhars who spoke first.

"Sasha's going in with her eyes wide open, Zev. I could see it in her. She knew Nick probably had a plan he wasn't share. But she wanted to beat them."

Zev nodded. "She told me as much. She wants… if she's not back in a few days, when I'm healed, she wants me to come for her."

Lhars sighed heavily. "We better start preparing. I really don't think they're letting her go in two days."

"I know. She knew. We just… she didn't want to say it."

"So you two really can mind-link?"

"Yes."

"Wild."

"You have no idea."

Lhars stared at his own hand, picking at a nail. "How did it happen?"

Zev cleared his throat. "We're ardent."

"Yeah, so?"

"So… something happened. There was a day… it was like my whole body needed her. Not just… you know. And she was desperate too. And when we… came together it… something happened."

"The bond."

Zev shook his head. "No. We'd already formed the bond the first night. This was… this was different. It's like the bond went deeper and we became… it's like a piece of me flowed into her, and a piece of her into me. It's crazy, Lhars. But remember that legend about the Arden Pair? The ones who had magic?"

"That's a kids story," Lhars scoffed. "A romance for little cubs."

Zev shook his head. "No. It's not."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously."

Lhars whistled. "So you two are soul-connected?"

"Yes, but you can't tell anyone." Zev let his tone get dark, a warning for his brother. "We can't risk the fact that we can mind link getting back to the humans. Especially not now."

 

Chapter 254

Holy shit. The soul connection was real? His mind spun.

And he couldn't… he couldn't stop wondering… if his brother could soul connect with a human… could he, a wolf, connect that deeply with an owl?

He forced himself not to think the words. To wrap them up and put them away on the highest shelf, in the darkest corner of his mind. But the question would keep asking itself.

Zev was asking about Sasha, making sure he'd understood all of Lhars' memories. That Sasha had been safe. And free. And she'd walked into the cave willingly.

"Nick was about to piss himself," Lhars said, shaking his head. "I don't know what he did in the other world, but here he was a quivering foal, barely able to stand on his own two feet."

Zev shook his head. "I can't believe he came—and alone. It's a measure of how desperate he was. He's deathly afraid of the likes of Ernie. I just worry… worry that he'll get in her head like he did in mine."

"I'm not saying he's not good what he does," Lhars said carefully. "But she was smart. She remembered what we'd said about the hierarchy before, and she made sure it was taken care of. And when I guessed that you two could talk in your heads, she made me understand. She didn't even say anything. I just knew. I couldn't tell.

"If she wasn't telling us, she's not going to tell them. And she knew to hide without any of us telling her. Don't worry, I'll keep it a secret. You're going to have to be more careful though. You almost revealed that to the entire pack with that stunt this afternoon."

Zev grimaced. "I'm truly sorry about all that. But… You don't understand, Lhars… she's gone. She was a part of me. And as soon as she stepped into that gateway, she was suddenly gone. It's like someone's cut off a limb."

Lhars looked up then, met his eyes and they held gazes, both their nostrils flaring for each other's scents.

"I'm sorry, brother," Lhars said eventually. "I thought… I always thought you had the easy road."

Zev huffed. "No. But then… yours isn't easy either, is it?"

Lhars shook his head.

They were both silent with their thoughts for a time again, but eventually Lhars straightened and put his hands to his knees. "If I take your bonds off, do you promise not to try to run."

Zev sighed. "I can't promise I won't leave before they tell me it's safe. But… I won't run now."

Lhars stood and moved to Zev's side, unbuckling first his ankles, then both wrists. He watched as Zev, suddenly looking even more exhausted, raised his hands and rubbed his wrists.

"So…" Zev said when he was more comfortable.

Lhars raised an eyebrow.

Zev tried to smile. "I guess you're Second again."

Lhars let one side of his mouth slid up in a smug smile. "Only barely."

Zev huffed a laugh and Lhars chuckled too.

Zev held out his good hand and held Lhars' gaze. "Brothers?"

The gesture twanged a string in Lhars' heart. He'd always been the younger brother. The irritation. The less-than wolf. To have Zev offer his hand, as if they were equals… it made his throat pinch.

"Brothers," Lhars said, though he hadn't quite kicked the dark underline out of his tone.

But when Zev met his eyes and smiled, for the first time he could remember, Lhars didn't feel that pinched heat of envy, right at the center of his chest.

His brother had finally realized that he, Lhars, had in fact been crucial to the Chimera coming this far.

"Thank you for helping her this morning," Zev said quietly.

"I will always help her, Zev," Lhars said seriously. "And you too. As long as you're both working towards freeing our people, I will do anything I can. I vow it to you."

Both of them had to clear their throats then.

*****

~ ZEV ~

Lhars went out then to call the Alphas, who he'd asked to congregate nearby, until Zev was ready. While he was gone, Zev talked to the healers again, explained what he needed—and made himself listen to the answer.

"I need to be safe to cross the gateway, bring Sasha back—possibly carrying her—and likely others as well. I may need to fight. And I'll definitely be running low on sleep… how long? How long until my body can take it without failing?"

The healer shook his head, "I'd say two weeks, Zev. But I know you won't accept that. It's possible you'd be ready in a week. But not resting? It's going to send your body backwards."

Zev growled. There was no way he was waiting two weeks. Who knew what they'd do to Sasha in that time?

"It's possible it will take longer," the healer warned him. Zev only growled again. "You can't expect to function as usual until you're body's gotten rid of the infection, and recovered any lost muscle or … Zev, this isn't a little thing you're asking. You lost blood. You have an infection. Even if that passes in a day or so, healing is going to take time."

"So what can you do to help me? Help my body?"

"There's herbs we can give you for healing. Good, rich food that will replenish your blood. And plenty of sleep."

Zev wasn't sure how he'd go with that last one, but he nodded along. "Let's do it. Anything you can think of. I'll take anything, do anything. You just tell me. Whatever will help me. I need to get over there, and I need to do it strong."

The healer looked skeptical, but he went into the next room to bring back some mushrooms and herbs that he began mixing on the small table next to Zev's bed.

Soon, Lhars returned, and chairs were brought out for the Alphas who filed in, one by one, while Zev was being treated.

The sense of vulnerability he felt as all the strongest, fastest, smartest Chimera filed into the room, one after another. Including Kyelle. But Zev knew if he was going to get over there, he had to give his body the best chance to do it. And that meant they'd been right to tackle him, to tie him down.

He would do everything in his power to aid his own healing. And then he would go. He would find Sasha, and get her away from Nick. And together… together they'd win this. He was certain. He just needed enough time to get to her. That was all. Just a little bit of time.

 

Chapter 255

Stunned into silence by what Nick was implying, Sasha sat in the back seat of the Suburban and looked out the window, though she barely saw the passing trees that turned into pastures, and then scattered homesteads.

"I don't believe you," she said finally. "I wasn't in contact with any of your people before Zev came to get me. You're playing with my mind. Making me question—"

"Sasha, I'm a manipulative bastard, I'll admit it. I know how to play people like musical instruments, and I won't apologize for it. It's served me well. Especially with Zev. You might have noticed our favorite young man has a little tendency to run straight into danger without thinking about how it will affect him. Especially when something—or someone—he loves is threatened."

"What's that got to do with—"

"I could see it coming," Nick said. "I knew he was going to break. He was fooling himself, but I could see it as plainly as I can see my own hand in front of my face. He was falling apart. Which meant he was coming for you. And that meant we had to be prepared. We'd had eyes on you since high school, he told you that, right?"

"Yes," she said through her teeth. "And he told me how you manipulated him back then, made him believe you'd kill me if he didn't come back—"

"That wasn't manipulation. I wasn't lying."

Sasha blinked. Nick was staring at her in the rear-view mirror of the car, his eyes clear and focused, right on her. He would glance down to check the road, but he wasn't avoiding her.

"That's sick," she said, finally.

Nick snorted. "That's a very polite way to describe the men I work for, Sasha. See, you and Zev suffer the same affliction: You're so busy caring about other people, you forget to remember there are people in this world who not only don't give a flying fuck about you—or anyone else. Who'll actively use others, just for kicks."

"I'm not so na?ve—"

"Hold that thought," Nick interrupted rudely. "Because you need to understand: We had eyes on you all this time, because we always planned to use you. We sent Zev into the human population specifically to find his match—which we were pretty confident was you, right from the start. But we left him too long. Your bond grew too strong. We couldn't afford to have him cement the bond that early. So I had to yank his chain. And I wasn't lying when I did. We were confident Zev could bond with more than one person—just like a human. That he needed time for intimacy to grow, and trust. But that when he found the right kind of woman, he'd find the bond too.

"But it happened to soon. Too quickly. We thought you were both too young to make the Chimeran bond. But after you had sex… well, let's just say my bosses almost pulled you in then. I was the one who had to convince them that you both needed to grow up. You can thank me later."

Sasha gaped. "Thank you? For stealing Zev from me?"

"For letting you both grow up a little before you had to face this!"

"Face what?" Sasha snarled. "That you sick people are trying to use humans for your experiments like… lab rats?!"

"Almost. You haven't gone far enough, Sasha. You need to face the fact that your entire life already has been controlled and manipulated, and that you already are just one more lab rat whether you want to be, or not."

"I am not a lab rat! I haven't had anything to do with you people until now."

"That you know of."

Sasha scoffed. "Watching me is not the same as—"

"Having teachers in place that you confide in, who can point you in the direction we want you to go? Or what about a private investigator, who's just affordable—and who stumbles on some very crucial information no one else ever found?"

Sasha's mouth fell open. That had happened. After Zev's disappearance her parents had met a private investigator at dinner one evening, and he'd been so helpful… At least, Sasha had thought…

"What about people in the sandwich place where you buy lunch for work? Or having the landlord in your building on the payroll so our people could play with the water supply without getting caught?"

He locked eyes with her in the mirror.

"You wouldn't. You didn't!"

"That's child's play for these people, Sasha. This is what I'm trying to tell you. You have to set your mind loose. There's no boundaries here except whether or not something will bring them to the place they're aiming to go. No boundaries at all. Not lying, not violence, not even death. I work for men that would shoot your father just for asking the wrong question, if it caused fewer problems than it solved. These people are ruthless, and Zev is their number one asset. They will do anything to bring him to his fullest potential. They've spent billions on this project in the past fifty years, and they won't stop—as long as they're certain the endgame is still in sight.

"But if you take away their endgame… if you make it impossible for them to reach where they want to go, they will wipe the board clean and start again. No apologies. No accountability. You will be done, and the only person who will grieve you is me. And Zev. If he lives through it."

Sasha opened her mouth to tell him that Zev wouldn't, then closed it again. Knowledge is power. That's what Zev had said.

She swallowed the words back and shifted in her seat. The picture Nick was painting…

"Wh-what endgame?" she asked hoarsely.

Nick took a deep breath. "A whole new race of humans who are bigger, smarter, faster, that can heal themselves… and who are fighting machines, capable of withstanding higher and lower temperatures and still functioning at ninety percent, self-sufficient, and resilient. A people who mature faster, grow faster, and live longer, you name it, they do it. In short… Zev."

"So, they made Zev. What does that have to do with me?"

"I said a race, Sasha. Didn't Zev tell you what he's been doing for the past three years? Didn't he tell you what they tried?"

"Yes," she snapped. "I don't need to hear about that."

"You do if it will snap you out of this dream world and into reality. Because if you don't talk to them in a language they understand, this is going to go really, really badly for you, really fast."

He kept staring at her and it made her skin itch. What was it he wanted her to say? To do? She understood that these people were ruthless, that they saw Zev as some kind of animal. But her?

"What? What?!" she asked angrily. "What language do I need to speak?"

"The language where your offspring are the answer to their prayers," Nick growled. "Wake up, Sasha. Every step they take, every penny they spend, it's all to make sure that Zev will father a nation of people that is their future." Nick caught the shock and dismay in her face and sighed again. "They call this Project Abraham, Sasha. Do you get it yet? Offspring as numerous as the stars, that's the goal. And you? You're their meal ticket. Because the only female on earth Zev can have children with, is you."

 

Chapter 256

Sasha's heart pounded so hard, the thudding in her ears overpowered the roar of the engine. "You can't know that."

"Actually, I can. We all can. Think it through, Sasha. We had to keep him away from you until you were both matured. We didn't waste that time. Zev's been training—and he's been mating. And yet… do you see any little Zev's running around?"

Sasha swallowed, her stomach beginning to churn with nausea. "He said… he said he didn't think it worked. That maybe he can't—"

"Oh, he can. Just not with anyone but his mate. See, it turns out, if you remove that connection, that Chimeran bond completely, you get a mule—you know about mules, right, Sasha?"

Mules were half-horse, half-donkey… and they were always sterile. They couldn't reproduce.

Sasha nodded. "I know."

"Good. So that's what we were dealing with."

"But the Chimera can have babies."

"Only with their mates. Only with the sole individual they are chemically and genetically hardwired to want. Most of the Chimera can't even have sex with anyone else. But the ones we freed from that gave up their fertility in exchange. In Zev, we hit the jackpot. Finally."

"If you're so focused on reproduction, why not just let them mate and have their babies? Why do you have to control it?"

"Haven't you been listening, Sasha? These are not men who are inclined to leave anything to chance. They have the money and the power, they get what they want. And what they want is Zev. And lots of him. The other species all lack what we need."

"Which is what?"

Nick shook his head. "I can't tell you that. Just… trust me. Zev's special."

"I know Zev is special. But what is it you're making him do, or you think he can do, that someone else can't? Like… like Lhars? Or—"

"I'm afraid I'm not cleared to tell you that. And frankly, I doubt you'd want to know. It doesn't make any difference to your story."

Sasha gave him a flat look. "Now you WANT me to be na?ve?"

Nick smirked and turned back to the road. "Touche."

They drove on, Sasha's stomach flipping and bubbling with nerves and dread, her mind spinning. What could they possibly plan for Zev? Or his babies. Their babies, she reminded herself.

These men wanted her to have children, and then what? There was no way, if they were successful, that they were giving those kids up, right? A bolt of fear snapped through her. She turned her head to stare out of the window, keeping her expression as blank as she could as her mind washed her in a tidal wave of images—her pregnant, Zev so loving and attentive, a baby, and then these men… her child…

Rage and abject terror fought for dominance in her chest.

They would take her baby. The baby she didn't even have yet. And yet already, somehow…

She knew she could never let that happen. And Zev would never, either.

She swallowed back everything she was feeling and forced her throat to relax. "So, what you're saying is, you're going to keep me here—a prisoner—until they know I'm not pregnant. Then what?"

"Not a prisoner, Sasha. A very important visitor."

Sasha forced herself to snort. "You have a great career in marketing ahead of you."

Nick chuckled, and it was a surprisingly appealing sound, low and throaty, and his smile… she couldn't see his whole face in the mirror. But the smile changed his entire countenance.

No wonder he could manipulate people.

"So?" she asked a moment later. "What happens when I'm not pregnant?"

"Then they send you back to get pregnant."

Sasha shook her head. "I'm not your broodmare."

"No, you're not. But you are Zev's mate. And Zev belongs to us. Which means any offspring of his is half-Chimera—and under our patent. So…"

"So! I'm human! And our baby would be half-human. We have rights!"

"Sure, you do," Nick nodded. "But… well, not to put too fine a point on it, Sasha… your rights aren't worth shit unless you've got someone in power who will listen to you. Who will care that your rights are being violated. So, tell me, who exactly do you think you're going to tell?"

Sasha could barely breathe, but she forced herself to hold the anger on her face, not her fear. "Seriously? You're taking me prisoner, then you're going to what.. farm me?"

"No, we're farming Zev. You just happen to be in love with him."

"Why?" she cried out, leaning forward against her seatbelt. "Why are you all so obsessed with him?"

Nick didn't even look at her in the mirror. "I thought you of all people would have seen that by now."

"I know why he's special to me—because of who he is. Not what he was made to be."

Nick shook his head like he couldn't believe how stupid she was. "Haven't you got it yet, Sasha? Who he is, is exactly what we made him to be. Get it through your head, he was designed from the ground up—his looks, his personality, his strength… everything about him was the bullseye and we finally hit it. He wouldn't be who he is without us." Nick hesitated, then did meet her eyes in the mirror. "He's special to you because he was made for you, Sasha."

She hesitates. "What?"

"You—his relationship with you—has been the endgame all along. And now it's finally time for the payoff. The finish line is in sight." He didn't seem very happy about it. And when he spoke again, it was on a resigned sigh. "If you try to steal this from them Sasha, they will not hesitate to grind you into the dust from which you came. If you want Zev, if you want to live, then you need to give them their win. That's why I was willing to bring you instead of him. Especially since the Chimera are listening to you. But make no mistake: Your job for the next two days is to convince them you're on board. Because if you don't… it'll be genocide."

 

Chapter 257

As he sat there, surrounded by the Alphas, his body hidden mostly under the furs, trying to relax, trying to give his body every opportunity and help to heal, Zev wanted to scream. It felt like the ceiling of the building was pressing down on him.

He'd been needed little for the first half hour while the Lhars and the wolves who'd been at the intersection of trails, and those who'd attended the meeting with Zev when he took Alpha, filled all the others in. Made sure everyone was on the same page.

Zev was grateful that they testified to everything the wolves had seen and shared between themselves. Because he was having real trouble staying focused.

He had to get out of there, to be in a natural space so he could breathe and rest. But he also needed to heal. And natural caves weren't known for their clean environments, convenient for health care.

Zev, pay attention!

The words bloomed in his mind and Zev snapped his head from staring out the window to find his brother sitting to his left. If Lhars' expression was any indicator, he'd missed something important again. He cleared his throat and rubbed his face.

"I'm sorry, I'm still struggling to focus," he said honestly. "Say that again."

"I said," Gheet, the goat Alpha said through his teeth, "None of us has an issue following you into this, Zev. We've been waiting years to get active about getting the females back. But that means following orders. That means doing what's needed to get the job done. It doesn't mean following you into the human world."

Zev frowned. "Why not?"

Skhal, there as his advisor, spoke up from his right. "You said you'd never leave again," he muttered darkly.

Zev turned to gape at him. "I meant I'd never leave the Chimera. Never abandon the Alpha position. How can any of you think I'd get the females back without entering the human world?"

"This isn't about all the females, this is about yours. You said you'd never leave, that we could rely on you now. And yet, you're planning to get out of here in days."

"Only to bring her back—just as I would for any of you!"

"No, you'd send a team to help any of us. You're leaving yourself. Our Alpha is leaving us again and this time, even if you are doing it by choice, even if you mean to come back immediately, there's no guarantee you'll be able to. You're choosing her over the safety of your people."

"I never—"

Lhars, looking distinctly uncomfortable, spoke up for the wolves. "When we asked you to answer for the past, you shared it all with us. Told us the story that it was plan of the humans using the temptation of Sasha, that removed you from us last time. And we understood. Any of us might have made the same mistake under those circumstances. But we all watched Xar for the past three years—three years placed on us by your decision. And now you're planning to do the same thing. That's not a mistake, or a deception… that's your choice."

It hit him then. These men were saying that they feared he cared more for Sasha, than for the rest of them. And in many ways he did. But for the loyalty of his people? For the decisions about who would live and who would die…?

All eyes were fixed on him. His head felt thick, foggy from the painkillers, the lack of sleep, and the effects of the infection. But he could feel his strength already beginning to return. He was confident if he stood then, he'd be able to do so without leaning on the bed.

He'd be exhausted afterwards, but he could do it.

You have to bring them with you, Lhars said quietly in his head. Everyone feels so uncertain, things are changing so fast.

Zev nodded, as if to himself. But then he forced himself to scan the circle of males, and Kyelle, all the way around his bed.

"When we were in the solitude," he said carefully, "Sasha and I discussed our goals for the people. We discussed the Alpha position and what it meant, and what she and I would both do to help Thana and our people. Sasha and I were agreed: The most important focus has to be cutting our ties with the humans, but that we couldn't do that until we got the females back to Thana, then we'd need a way to keep the humans out forever.

"We didn't know how we were going to do it, how it might happen. But I'm confident Sasha left today for two reasons. The first was to keep me safely here with you, so that I could lead while she was gone. And the second was to go gather information that might help us get the females out.

"My mate is brave and smart. She saw an opportunity, and she took it," he said tightly. "If any of you want to tell me that attempting to aid her when she is in grave danger—danger that she placed herself in knowingly to help the rest of us—then you are not the males I thought you were," he growled.

"No one denies the value of returning the Alpha—unless she has gone willingly. We cannot ignore that possibility."

"Willingly?!" Zev growled. "I am her mate—soul bonded!" That gap in his chest ached. He prayed it was still true. "She has no desire to be anywhere except at my side, and me at hers!"

"We do not deny that!" Skhal repeated sharply. "But you can't know what her plan was when the human showed up. You weren't there. She might have gone willingly. She may not wish to be here, but wish to tempt you into her world and keep you there with her. She is human after all—if she prefers to be in her own environment, it would be natural that she'd wish for you to join her there."

Zev's upper lip curled from his teeth, and he felt the jolt of adrenalin as the Alpha power coursed through him. He felt as if he could leap from the bed, shift, and tear out the throat of anyone who accused Sasha of deception. His hands fisted in the furs.

"Are you saying," he snarled, "that my mate, the Alpha, is a betrayer? A liar? That she would steal me from Thana just like Nick did?"

 

Chapter 258

Skhal submitted, dropping his head and putting his eyes down. But his shoulders were tense, and his tone impatient. "She may be only following her instincts, just as any of us would," he said reluctantly. "We cannot escape the possibility. You aren't in her head. You can't know."

Lhars looked at Zev then who tried to hide the fact that he was breathing too deeply, too quickly.

To tell them? Would they believe him, though? If he was forced to it like this? And he still wasn't certain they didn't have actual spies and betrayers among the Alpha Council, who were reporting to the humans. If he told them this, the humans might hear about it and that would remove the power from them.

He gave his head a small shake to Lhars, then turned back to Skhal. "I may not have been present for the exchange with Nick, but I can tell you, Sasha trusts him even less than I do. If she went with him, it was for the reasons she told them all—because she believed as Alpha she was keeping me and you safe by going with them.

"She understands them in ways we don't," he said reluctantly. "We discussed that during our Solitude as well. She sees things both in the way they use words, and in their plans. She understands aspects of their world that even I do not. She is equipped to deal with them in ways I cannot—and, as she pointed out, she can walk freely in their world, with no concerns for being discovered. There are ways she can work, rights that she holds, that Chimera can't. She has supports and… I'm certain she went to fulfill the duty. She told me that she sees her role as one who can work with the humans—see through their manipulations—and bring back the females. That she would focus her time and energy on them, while I should focus on you.

"We didn't have a chance to discuss that, to actually put it into action when this happened. But I have no doubt her motivations and goals haven't changed. She's gone to try and get the females back. Or figure out how to do it. Because we both know we couldn't cut ties with the humans until we had.

"We agreed that we wouldn't stop working with them completely until we'd figured this out. So I believe those who were there and gave testimony. She went willingly, because she sees the opportunity to both protect me, and to draw out the females that are still in the human's care. And once she's figured out how to get them out, or found the information that will let them do it, she'll come back."

"How can she come back if she's trapped, like you were?"

Zev's stomach plummeted at the mental images that swam through his head when the male said those words.

A low, quiet growl puttered in his throat as he considered the wisest way to answer the question. "She won't be trapped because she's smarter than me, and because she has something they want—our loyalty. Power as our Alpha…" he trailed off, then looked around the circle again. "Doesn't she?"

The Alphas all stared at each other, turning and looking, thinking about the question.

Zev wanted to snap his teeth that they answer him immediately. He was both immensely grateful, and somewhat nervous, when Kyelle was the first to speak.

"I believe him. I believe in Sasha," she said quietly. "It's been clear from the moment she arrived that her heart is entirely Zev's. She will not want to be away from him—but additionally," she added quickly, as one of the males opened his mouth to add to what she was saying, "she doesn't wish to take Zev out of Thana. She finds our home fascinating. She wants to be here. I stand for our Alpha," Kyelle said, meeting Zev's eyes, both determination and grief in her own. "I stand for her, and I believe in her. Yes, the Owl clan offer her the power of the Alpha."

"Thank you, Kyelle," Zev said quietly, then looked at the other males.

Lhars was next. "I was there when she met the human. I saw her stand, and I saw her lead. I carry the wolves in her wake and while Zev is weakened. She has both my loyalty, and my certainty. We are only biting off our own legs if we don't trust her to find a way through this. She may need our assistance—we should discuss who and when we send through to help her when the time comes. But I have no questions about her plans or loyalties.

"When they returned from the solitude, and while Zev lay, unable to help, she sat as his side, and spoke with me—she revealed her goals for our people, her fears, and her confidences." A flash appeared in his mind of Sasha, determined and facing Lhars without fear—one eyebrow of skepticism raised as she challenged him. His heart squeezed, and he sent a pulse of gratitude towards his brother, who continued to speak with the others.

"Her every thought, even when Zev was very ill, was for the people. How to strengthen all of us—not just him. And I watched her measure the human, and ensure that we were left with no questions in the hierarchy, no weaknesses. I am certain she stands as Alpha of all the Clans, not just the wolves, and I'm certain that she has not left to tempt Zev away, but to bring the females back to all of us. The stand with her. The wolf clan offers her the power of the Alpha."

Zev heaved a sigh of relief as, one after another, the rest of the Alphas answered his call for loyalty—extending their submission not only to Sasha, but to Zev himself. Though reluctantly, at times.

And so, when all the Clans had made their commitments, then Zev nodded, thanked them, and took a deep breath.

"My mate is in danger. But she also believes, I'm sure, that she'll get back to us. In the event that she doesn't. If they hold her longer than Nick claimed they would, we need a plan to return her here. I will lead that team—I must. I'm the one who knows the way. Other than Yhet, who is too easily identified in the human world as something different, no one else could lead a team straight to her. And no one else will have the skill to speak with the humans without drawing attention.

"What I need from all of you is both your loyalty, and your expertise. I will not wait longer than a week. If she hasn't returned on the morning of the seventh day, I will cross the gateway before night falls that evening. The question is, who will come with me, and how will we work to bring her—and the other females—back?"

Lhars sucked in a breath and his eyes went wide when Kyelle raised her hand and nodded. "I'll stand by you. And I believe it might be a good idea to have a female on a mission like this," she said quietly. "If your stories are true, they've been held and harmed by males for the past three years. The more females they can see who trust you and the males we send, the more likely the other females are to work with you."

Zev nodded his thanks again, but didn't miss the sudden tension in his brother at the thought of Kyelle crossing the gateway and possibly falling into human hands. He hated that he was going to have to ask him to sacrifice more.

As Lhars opened his mouth—no doubt to also volunteer for the pack to enter the human world, Zev spoke before he could.

"That means we'll need you here, Lhars, to watch over the Clans while we're gone. Dunken can help you. But who is best to come with us? Skhal's expertise would be beneficial…"

He continued, silently pleading with his brother to forgive him for the fear and anger that now painted itself all over Lhars' face.

 

 

Chapter 259 -

Sasha chewed her lip and looked at the passing highway and surrounding forests and grass. She had to keep forcing herself to make her hands relax because they kept clenching into fists in her lap the moment she stopped focusing on them.

"I know this is a lot, Sasha, but we don't have a ton of time. They're going to expect to see you pretty soon after we arrive."

She nodded, keeping her face as blank as she could. "Okay, so tell me. What do I need to do to make sure they'll send me back."

"They need to be certain you aren't working against them."

Sasha snorted. "How can I know if I'm working against someone when they don't even tell me what they're doing?" she said, keeping her tone as dry as she could make it. "I stumbled into this. I had no idea what was going on. All I hear is you saying you intended me for Zev right after you tell me you would have killed me if he hadn't left. And you want me to be loyal to that?"

"No, no that's not what I said," Nick said, his lips twisting in frustration. "I said we made Zev exactly the way he is."

"And that I was the endgame!"

"I said your relationship was the endgame. We couldn't know which human is would be that would inspire the bond. But once he'd focused on you, we paid attention and started preparing."

"And manipulating my life, apparently."

"It doesn't make you special, Sasha. The men I work for manipulate entire populations. You're just a pawn in their game."

"Comforting. Thank you," Sasha said sarcastically.

Nick chuckled again. "I know I wasn't at my best when we met, Sasha, but I have to say it's refreshing to speak with someone who isn't terrified of me."

"Oh, I'm terrified, don't you worry," she said quietly, still looking out the windows. "This whole situation, this whole threat just feels so extreme, it's surreal. I mean, a couple weeks ago I was walking through my day feeling sorry for myself and calling myself pathetic for missing Zev. Now he's my mate—not my husband, my mate—and I have an entire population of shape-shifting men I can give orders to. It… doesn't quite compute."

Nick tipped his head. "I find it interesting that they were so fast to accept you."

"It's because of Zev," she said, without hesitation. "I know it. They already see him as their leader. They just embraced me as part of him."

"And yet, you outrank him right now."

Sasha shrugged. "I don't understand how it all works yet, but yes… that's what I gather. Though I hope to change that soon. Assuming I can get back there to talk to them all." Then she finally turned and met Nick's eyes in the rear-view mirror. "So if we get there and you throw me in a prison cell, just know that I'll never believe another word that comes out of your mouth."

She didn't believe most of them already. But she did sense, as Zev had told her, that there was something in Nick still capable of caring about others. Specifically, Zev. Because of the asset he was, or because of who he was, Sasha still wasn't sure. But if Nick valued her mate, that meant she could use that as leverage.

"So you didn't know me when Zev went to my high school? But you all decided I was the one after we started dating?"

"We watched," Nick said carefully. "It was always the ultimate goal to have Zev find a human mate, or mates if he was capable of it. But he was so young and there were still so many pieces of him that still hadn't reached the fullness of what he'd been made to be. We didn't know what was going to change for him when he did find his mate. And while he was here, we had to make sure he wasn't going to accidentally start popping out Chimera babies and freaking the human race out.

"But yes, it became clear pretty early that you were the one for him. That we had succeeded. Finally with Zev we have a male who can walk among humans without being noticed for anything other than being a superior male. We finally have a leader who can fulfill normal mating rituals, and yet still bond. And that means that he can produce offspring."

"So, you're certain he wasn't fertile for Chimera?"

"Absolutely. He told you what he's been doing the past three years. We're now certain he isn't fertile for anyone he hasn't bonded with. But you… you're his mate. He'll make babies with you."

"Not this month he won't. And we can't make babies if we aren't together. So if you're serious about this, you better be motivated to get me back there."

"I am. I'm motivated to have left you there in the first place. You really think I went there for shits and giggles, Sasha?"

"I think you do whatever you have to do to get what you want, Nick. And I think Zev trusted you and your judgment far too much. I won't be making the same mistake."

He met her eyes in the mirror again, no smile this time. "I can't decide if that's a compliment to your strength, or your stupidity," he said calmly. "No one understands the shitstorm you're standing in better than me, Sasha. If you really want to navigate this, you need me on your side."

"You just told me you weren't bluffing when you told Zev you'd kill me."

"I wasn't. Because if the order had come down, I would have done it. I would have regretted it. But I would have done it."

"Then perhaps you can understand why I don't trust you."

"And yet, you know Zev does. And, no offence, but he's spent a helluva lot more time with me than you have."

"Zev trusted you to a point. But he'll lose the last crumb of it when he finds out you always wanted him with me, but kept him from it."

Nick shook his head.. "Not once he learns why," he said firmly.

 

Chapter 260

Nick's tone ran a chill down Sasha's spine. She swallowed and forced herself to answer him calmly. "The why of a thing doesn't matter if it's evil."

Nick huffed his skepticism. "What makes something good or evil, Sasha?"

"The outcome."

"Bullshit."

"Oh, really?"

"Really," Nick growled. "I work for men who do some of the most extensive charity work the world has ever seen. They throw more money at poor kids, broken women, and medical miracles than any other group of human beings alive. They do what appears to be more "good" for the human race than anyone else you can point at. And they're doing all of this—making the Chimera, learning how to breed them—to find a way to make humans less susceptible to death and disease. How's that for a good outcome? If they can figure this out, they'll make you, me, and everyone else on earth healthier. Does that make them good? No. They're evil bastards, and they know it. And they don't care."

Sasha folded her arms. "And yet, you work for them. Give your life to them. According to Zev, your loyalty to them is rock solid."

"It is. But not because they're good, or because they're evil. It's because if I don't protect them, they won't protect me. And I'd like to keep my head attached to my spine. So, yes, I'll do what they say, every time. But that doesn't make me evil."

Sasha snorted. "You're so full of fucking bullshit, Nick."

Nick's eyes narrowed. "No, Sasha. I'm the most honest man you'll meet. Because I don't take my selfish motives and pretend they're something else. I don't tell you I'm your friend, then stab you in the back. I do what I say I'll do. Every time. And this time I'm telling you, I came to Thana to help you and Zev—and ultimately all the Chimera. Because if you don't get this right, they're all dead right alongside the two of you."

Sasha had an argument for that, but kept it to herself. She needed Nick to believe he was convincing her. So, instead, she sighed. "We keep coming back to this."

"Yeah, we do. Because that's why we're here."

"Then tell me what I need to say that will keep them happy and make them let me go back."

"It's not that simple. You're going to have to work with them, Sasha. They just lost an Alpha who was literally in their grasp. They could tell him to do anything and he'd do it, no matter how insane it was. And even when he thought they weren't watching over his shoulder, he was smart enough not to step out of line. Do you think you can give them that kind of assurance?"

"That I'll never step out of line? No, of course not."

"Then you're going to get all the Chimera killed—including your mate, and yourself."

"Then, I'll lie."

Nick shook his head. "You think they don't have ways to figure out that's what you're doing? You're being na?ve again."

Sasha groaned and threw up her hands. "Then what are you telling me, Nick? Stop beating around the bush. What are you trying to get me to agree to? If there's no hope, why am I even here?"

"Of course there's hope. You're here because I brought you, because I can show you how to make this work: You have to find your common goal with these people and aim for that. Talk to them about that. Promise them that. You have to find the thing where your goals align, and keep them focused on that. They're greedy and impatient and they know they're the smartest people in the room. You can't fool them. You have to be telling the truth. That's the only thing that will convince them."

"What possible goal could I share with these people?"

Nick lifted a hand off the steering wheel like it should be obvious. "Staying alive? Being with Zev? Zev, himself! His safety, his health, and your family."

"I am not giving—"

Sasha startled as the car suddenly jerked out of the lane. Nick swung it back into the right position, leaning on the car horn, long and loud, cursing about someone walking alongside the highway and how the idiot was going to get themselves killed. But the whole time he was muttering, he held her gaze through the rearview mirror, shaking his head slowly, his eyes fixed on her and his face tense.

"Sorry, about that. What were you saying?" he said in a normal tone, but his eyes got really intense and he continued shaking his head.

Sasha blinked and it came home to her then. She had been na?ve after all. Thoughtless, at least. These people he worked for were all about technology. All about fixing problems in covert ways. And he was telling her they were listening. Or would be. If they weren't hearing every word right now, whatever she said was going to be heard. She tore her eyes from Nick's and scanned the cab of the vehicle.

Of course they were recording. Or listening. Or spying.

How could she have been such an idiot?

If she was going to convince these people that she was the person they needed in Thana, she didn't need to wait to arrive at the headquarters. Her subterfuge needed to start now.

She'd been about to say she was never going to give her children up to these men, to this program, under any terms. But clearly, that was the line too far.

So Sasha sighed and, holding Nick's gaze through the mirror, cleared her throat, then spoke a touch more carefully. "I was saying that I'm not giving anyone any chance to take Zev from me," she said, trying to keep her voice from shaking. "Whatever I have to do to stay at his side, whatever's needed so that we aren't apart anymore, I'll do that. But I'm not going to be some… experiment. He's my mate. I'm not going to lie to him or… betray him," she finished lamely. "And if we have kids, it's because we chose to. Not because someone mixed up a cocktail in a Petrie dish."

Nick nodded and the corners of his eyes were less pinched. "That's okay, that's okay. We can find our way through. Draw the line under things we both want, and make those happen. You and Zev will have kids, Sasha. Chimera always do when the matebond exists. It might take some time, but it will happen."

"What? How can that be? Yhet doesn't have kids and he's still devoted to his mate."

"Yhet only reached full sexual maturity a few months before his mate was killed," Nick said, and she wondered if the regret she heard in his voice was real or not. "He's not a good example. But look at Xar—he had twins. Without our interference, Chimera are just like humans in that way. Sometimes the mating works, sometimes it doesn't. But with unaltered Chimera, the end result will always, eventually, be offspring."

Then he met her eyes again. "You are going to be a mother, Sasha. You can bank on it. If that's something you want, it's just one more goal we share."

And his eyes said, use it.