Ch. 351..360

Chapter 351

"Yhet, she hasn't eaten. I don't suppose—"

"I brought stew," Yhet mumbled and turned to a small stool on the side of the room where a cast iron pot had been placed with a thick fur over it.

Sasha thanked him as he dished her out a bowl—this one still warm—and she sat on the edge of the bed peppering Yhet with questions about what had happened since she'd been gone.

But her eyes were dropping and her chin kept dropping as she chewed. Until even Yhet's brows went up and Zev turned to see that Sasha sat, her spoon in one hand, the bowl in the other, just beginning to tip because she'd dozed off.

"I'll take care of it, Yhet," he said gently, barely able to restrain himself from taking her in his arms. "You go get some rest. And thank you."

"I'm so glad she's back safely, Zev," the male rumbled. "Take good care of her."

"I will." He patted Yhet's back as the male ducked to stoop out of the door, then closed it behind him.

Hurrying over to the bed, he swept the bowl out of her hands and put them aside as he gathered her up, lifting her to his chest.

She woke when he did. "Zev, you don't have to—"

He shushed her and nuzzled her temple as he walked her around the massive bed and laid her down. "Let me take care of you now."

She sighed and was obviously about to protest. But when he laid her down, her head immediately tipped to the side and her body went slack.

So Zev undressed his mate as gently and quickly as he could, then pulled the furs over her. When she was curled up like a child in the bed, the furs snugged up over her shoulder, he stood there for a moment, just watching her and listening to her slow breaths, combing her hair back from her face.

"I love you, Sash," he whispered, too quietly for her to hear. "I love you so much it hurts."

She murmured something, turning her face into his hand and he stopped, swallowing hard, until she stopped moving and her breath was even again.

He didn't take his eyes off her as he undressed, letting his clothing drop where he stood. He couldn't bear to put any more space between them. So he didn't bother to try and clean anything up, only crawled across the end of the bed where her drawn-up legs left a massive space, then peeled back the furs to crawl in behind her.

She'd fallen asleep right on the edge, so he snaked a hand around her waist and pulled her back from it, into his chest.

She came awake again, gasping, eyes wide. "Zev?!"

"Shhhh, shhh, it's okay. I'm here," he murmured, nuzzling her neck. "Go back to sleep. I'm sorry I woke you. I just didn't want you to fall out during the night," he whispered.

Sasha snorted and turned her head to find his lips, softly, lingering. "I'm so glad you're here," she whispered.

"Me too," he breathed back, pushing up slightly on his elbow to lean over her, hold her chin, and kiss her. Then, reluctantly, he released her and urged her to stay facing away from him and to sleep.

She muttered something about controlling males, but was asleep again in the next breath, so Zev was left leaning over her, smiling, his chest aching just because she was so beautiful.

Once he was certain she wouldn't wake again, he nestled down under the furs behind her, curling himself around her, his lips on her hair, and tried to sleep himself. He was exhausted too, and quickly sank into sleep… only to gasp awake again before an hour had passed.

Gulping down air, then snorting it out of his nose, he sat up abruptly, his body trembling with the urge to fight, to defend.

But there was nothing there.

Sasha hadn't woken from his startle, and he was glad, staring down at her for another long minute, forcing himself not to stroke her hair.

Then he took a deep breath through his nose and it hit him all over again.

Nick.

The compound.

The breeding arena.

His past.

Every way he'd failed.

Every way he'd been deceived.

Every way he'd been harmed.

Every way he'd walked into his own destruction.

His heart raced, his pulse sky-high, and he forced himself to lay back down, to breathe through his mouth, to try to slow it.

But every time he closed his eyes his body was convinced a predator stood over him, and every time he opened his eyes he came more awake.

After twenty minutes, he gave up.

He would not leave Sasha, but he would watch over her. If he wasn't going to sleep, she was going to get the rest they both needed. So, crawling out of the furs, he shifted quickly and turned to face the door.

Resting his chin on his paws, he sighed heavily, praying that he wouldn't wake her. That somehow they'd get some time the next day.

He needed her. But he needed to not need her so much. Their people needed both of them more. Their people needed their attention and their decisions, and their very, very best efforts.

He couldn't resent that she had given the last of her energy to the females. He would have done the same.

He just wished that his heart would slow and he would stop feeling afraid every moment he didn't have his eyes on her.

And he wished that the forces in their lives that were so insistent on tearing them apart, destroying them, would just fuck right off.

And he wished the Creator who cared about people like Sasha would protect her better. Because he was doing everything in his power, and he was afraid it still wasn't enough.

He didn't sleep again that night. But he did rest.

And he didn't leave her side.

 

Chapter 352

She rolled over and opened her eyes. They felt gritty and ached, but her heart raced. Something had woken her.

She rolled over and reached for Zev, but the furs were cold and she sat bolt-upright gasping.

With a low "Woof!" Zev's wolf leaped to his feet from his position on the floor in front of the door.

He'd been guarding her.

"Oh, Zev," she sighed. He looked at her, his eyes piercing, but steady. He was struggling again, she realized.

This whole situation had been hard on all of them.

"Let's go for a walk, huh?" she said quietly, crawling out of the furs. She dressed quickly, Zev's eyes on her the whole time. But he didn't shift back. His hair was flattened by the black suit. If he hadn't been so huge, she would have laughed. He looked like one of those fluffy toy dogs wearing an over-protective mother's sweater. Except he was massive.

And clearly deadly.

When she started towards him, he turned, nosing a pile of towels and cloths until Sasha took two, then leading her out the door and down the stairs. When they reached the Courtyard and turned for the main gate, Zev shifted back and, reaching for the towels and soap and rolling them to put under his other arm, took her hand without a word.

"Are you okay?" she asked him quietly as they passed through the big arch out of the city and onto the dark trail.

Zev nodded but didn't look at her. "Since neither of us is sleeping, why don't we go have a bath?" he said.

"Sure."

He was already holding her hand, but she wrapped her other hand around his arm. It was steel under her palm. He was incredibly tense.

The walk was several minutes and his tension communicated to her. Sasha bit her lip as they took a turn in the trail. "Zev… the bathing and… stuff… is this tension because I'm bleeding? Like, does it create problems for you?"

He finally turned to look at her, surprise on his face. "No, not at all. I don't care about that at all."

"Then what is it? You feel so tense and…"

Zev sighed. His hand on the towels twitched and she suspected he would have been running it through his hair, but he couldn't let go of the little burden.

"You smell like them," he said finally, his jaw tight and eyes dark on the forest in front of them.

"I… what?"

"You smell like Nick, and the compound, and those people and… my body just… it makes me sick."

Sasha sighed. Of course. She should have realized. Zev harbored his own trauma after his time in the human hands. Of course, that place would have left its mark and of course, that would make things hard for him. Smells were the sense most closely connected to memory. She hadn't thought about how that would affect a people whose sense of smell was so strong.

"Always tell me, Zev," she said then. "Tell me when I've got something on me that smells bad. I don't want to cause you pain."

He frowned at her. "You aren't causing me pain, Sash. They did."

They clung to each other, walking in silence until Zev pulled her off the trail and down between trees, to a place where the land sloped, then got damp.

Zev kept hold of her hand to make sure she stayed on her feet as they stepped down a natural bank, then the undergrowth opened up and Sasha gave a heavy sigh of relief.

It was beautiful. A small pool, the size of a cheap swimming pool back home, but guarded on three sides by a rock face with small trees growing out from its cracks.

On the ground, it was completely hidden from the forest by trees and undergrowth. If Zev hadn't known it was there, she never would have guessed.

"We can smell the water, so anyone could find this if they wanted to," he warned her, obviously reading her mind about the privacy. "But if anyone's nearby, they'll smell us too, and hopefully choose to give their Alpha and her mate some space."

When she was steady on her feet, Zev let go of her hand, shook out the towels and laid them over a bush that squatted right alongside the water. Then he started to strip.

Even in the dim light, Sasha could appreciate the beauty of him when he stretched to pull the tight shirt over his head, and his abs—those beautiful ladders of muscles on his sides revealed, and that line, the V that started over his hips and plunged down—

Sasha cleared her throat and started to undress herself, reminding herself that they were here for a purpose and the rest of that thought was going to have to wait. She needed to get clean. To get these awful scents off her skin and hair.

She threw the clothes in a pile, frowning when she realized she'd have to wear them back to the City—and wouldn't that put the smells back on her?

She clearly needed to wash everything in the bag that she'd brought back from the human world… or maybe just burn it all.

She stepped to the edge of the pool, the mud in the shallows squishing between her toes. But the water was surprisingly warm—another mineral pool. She detected the sulfur smell of it, but apparently that didn't bother Zev.

As she walked in, sighing with happiness when the warmth of the water curled around her skin, Zev splashed up behind her carrying the soap.

Then, when she was in water over her waist, he pulled her to a stop and started to cup his hand in the water and bring it up, over her shoulders, to wet her entire body. Then he set to her skin with the soap.

His focus was intense, his hands efficient and… delicious. Sasha's breath got shallow because he was touching her, and he was gorgeous, and his eyes were dark… but Zev's focus was entirely on getting her clean.

As he finished lathering her body, he muttered under his breath like he wanted to curse at the suds he began washing away.

"…Stink of that place." A low growl puttered in his throat. "Shouldn't ever have to stink of that place…"

While he was concentrating, she took the opportunity to draw water over his chest and shoulders. The temptation to lick the tiny droplets that stayed on his skin was overwhelming, but she knew he wasn't there yet.

"Let's do your hair. Sink down and get it wet," he said quickly, turning her so her back was to him.

Sasha did as he asked, dropping into the water completely so it passed over her head, running her hands through it underwater to make sure it was completely saturated, then standing up with her back to him so it streamed down her back.

The moment she did, Zev set at it with the soap, his fingers pulling through it, clawing down her scalp so goosebumps washed down her back and arms.

He had her rinse, then re-lathered her hair two more times before he tipped his nose to her temple and inhaled.

A tiny whine seeped out of his throat. "It's gone," he whispered his voice heavy with relief. "You're just you again."

He wrapped his arms around her and put his cheek against hers from behind, holding her.

"Are you sure?" she whispered.

"Yes."

"Thank God," she groaned, then turned in his arms and grabbed his face, pulling him down in a frantic kiss.

 

Chapter 353

Zev sucked in a frantic breath and opened his mouth over hers, the soap plunking into the water as he grabbed for her, his heart's song, his Ardent mate. All scent of that place, those people were gone, it was just the crisp, sweet beauty of her.

Zev whined in his throat and pulled her close and they both sank into the water, letting their weight be buoyed by the pool.

Sasha, already breathing quickly, wrapped her arms and legs around him so she was in his lap as he stepped them deeper into the water until he could stand and still be covered to his shoulders. Her kiss was desperate, her breath thundering in his ears.

He grabbed her ass and pulled her closer, against him, as his body sought her, and she whimpered in response.

The water rippled with their breaths and arching bodies, tinkling and splashing when Zev raised an arm out of it to clutch the back of her hair and hold her into his kiss.

"Zev, please…" she sighed into his mouth, her hips rocking against him, seeking, until he was so close to taking her, her breath caught.

The kiss was fast and heavy, both of them trembling, gasping, but Zev was determined not to rush this again. Not after last time—though neither of them had complained. Still… he needed her. He needed to be sure of her, and her of him. They were alone in the dark and the water, his skin pebbling with combined desire and the sensation of her skin against his, and the water flowing between them.

The day ahead would be fraught with responsibility and drama—not to mention Nick.

No, this was not a moment to rush, but to savor.

With a small groan, Zev pulled his head back to break the kiss and smiled at her when her eyes went wide in alarm.

Using the hand that was on her hair, he combed the wet strands back that had stuck to her temple and cheek, and let her see in his eyes how delighted he was to be there with her.

"I'm not going to rush it, this time," he said, raising his brows once. "I've missed you so much, Sasha. I need to be close to you and just…"

"I know," she sighed, her hands laced at the back of his neck. "I know."

"So I only have one question for you—because it changes the decision I'm about to make… does my Alpha want to be covered… or on top?"

He gave her a wicked grin.

Sasha's face broke into a beautiful smile. She bit her lip, pretending to think about her answer, then said breathlessly, "I think this Alpha would like the chance to see you and touch you and… be on top," she giggled.

"Well, never let it be said I wouldn't submit to my Alpha's wish," Zev said darkly, beginning to walk them backward, back towards the shallows. Her weight dragged more the lower the water became until he was holding her tightly to him and when the water wasn't much higher than his knees, sinking down to sit with her in his lap.

The silt was soft on his skin, and more importantly, wouldn't hurt her knees. So he quietly urged her to unlock her ankle from behind his back as he settled down, and kneel over his waist.

They ended up sitting, her warmth pressed tightly against him as he brought his knees up behind her and leaned forward so she'd lean back and rest against his thighs.

Sasha gave him a flirtatious smile as she settled her back against his knees. "Like this?"

He growled with approval, then took her mouth in another kiss, letting her weight rest on his legs so his hands were free to explore.

And as the kiss became hot, their breaths mingling in shuddering puffs, he found her, all of her, the best valleys and peaks of her, and let himself touch, stroke, and press until she shivered under him, her hips beginning to nudge and roll against him in a tantalizing slide that had him holding his breath for control.

Taking her hands, he leaned forward, stretching her backward over his knees so her breasts were raised, bared, along with her throat. Nudging, rolling, and rocking together, as she breathed his name, he tasted her at each peak, starting with her throat, then moving down to suck and nibble at her nipples.

Her nipples hardened under his tongue and Sasha began to gasp, rippling under his chest and pleading.

Then with a pleasured shudder, she broke his grip on her hands and buried her fingers in his hair while he sucked at her nipple, pulling him in.

"Zev… Zev… oh god—"

"Well, now, that's overstating things," he murmured against her skin.

She snorted, but it turned into a sigh when he latched back on and her hips bucked. He groaned and grabbed her hips, pulling her down against him and grinding until she was slack in his arms, just soaking up the pleasure.

"Zev, please!"

The desperation in her voice broke the last shred of his restraint, and with a whine in his throat, Zev lifted her hips to position her, then pulled her down onto him.

They both cried out.

Zev sat up and she came with him, her hands still in his hair, and her kiss hot and seeking. She tilted her head to deepen it as both of them rocked together. Zev wrapped his arms around her back and held her to him as their bodies began to undulate together, the sensations so overwhelming that soon they couldn't even kiss, their mouths just hovering, breath hot, lips brushing as they moved—and the bond… the bond sang.

As Sasha began to hold her breath, her small cries between rising higher and higher, as her body began to tighten, Zev clawed hands into her back and held her there, so tight, so perfect, their chests pressed together.

And the pieces within them began to spin and dance, twirling together until their heartbeats synced.

Zev could feel his control fraying and his thrusts became faster, the water around them rippling and splashing as they met and rose together, again and again.

Then Sasha dropped her head back, not breathing at all, fingers fisted in his hair, and bared her throat as her entire body arched. Watching her come apart, feeling her around him and within him, Zev, whispered her name, calling for her as her mouth fell open and she cried out, shaking.

She clenched around him just as he thrust again, and the incredible sensation tipped the precarious balance he'd been clinging to. His release slammed into him, tossing him off the cliff he'd been trying to toe, so he tumbled after her into that sweaty bliss.

They ended with her slumped back over his knees, her arms wrapped around his neck, arched back to make room for him to cover her with his body, his arms around her, his hands cupping her head and his lips resting on hers.

They were both panting, breaths short and rapid, but slowing. Sasha didn't want to move. The way he'd curled around her, held her, the gentleness and protection in him… it made her want to weep.

And so, she didn't move her body, didn't ask for more space as his back heaved up and down, only let her hands trace slowly up and down his spine. And he rested his cheek against hers and whispered his love until a tear really did fall, to trail down her temple and he caught it with his lips.

 

Chapter 354

They sat together for a long time, but eventually the dark began to lift. It would be dawn in an hour and neither of them had slept much. Zev was so relieved that she was clean of all hints of the compound—and instead painted in his scent.

He left her soaking in the pool while he got the towels, then met her in the shallows to wrap it around her.

She had her arms up and was twisting her hair into a bun on her head, so he took the opportunity to dry her, focusing especially on her breasts and shoulders.

"It's really important not to leave your skin damp," he explained when she gave him a look.

Sasha snorted. "Okay, Tittie McTitterson, I need to get dressed."

She moved as if to step past him, but Zev caught her elbow and she drew up short, her face shifting from amused to worried in a blink.

"What is it?" she asked him quickly.

"Can you… can we please burn those things," he said tightly, the towel in his fist. "Those clothes—"

"I'm sorry. Yes, of course." Her eyes were pinched with concern, but her voice was gentle. She put a hand on his chest. "I mean… I'm guessing there are some spare furs in the City, right? I'll need something to wear."

He raised an eyebrow and she snorted again.

"Well, I mean, that would be one way to keep the male's attention on their Alpha," he quipped.

"Zev!"

"I'm joking!"

"I know, I know," she laughed, then leaned into his chest, up on her tiptoes, and kissed him. Zev hummed into the kiss and put an arm around her lower back, pulling her close again.

A moment later she pulled away with a shaky breath. "We need to get moving. If I'm going back with no clothes, you're going to have to sneak me in when no one's looking."

A growl wanted to rise in his throat at the image in his mind of her walking naked through the City, all those male eyes on her.

"Just a minute," he said.

He threw the towel he'd used to dry her over his shoulder, then went back and grabbed the other that was supposed to be his. Trotting back to her, he wrapped it around her body and tucked the end in at the side of her breast, nice and tight.

Sasha grinned at him again, but he ignored it, then leaned down to swing her up into his chest again.

"Whoa—you're not carrying me the whole way, Zev—"

"I'm not even putting those shoes back on you, Sash. Trust me, this is way more fun."

Sasha's face pinched like she was going to say something sweet, but sad, but he just nuzzled her neck and whispered, "Hold on," then started running.

She shrieked and threw her arms around his neck, but she relaxed quickly and Zev felt his heart finally beginning to open and expand the further they got from the stench on those clothes.

He'd purposefully told the males who carried the bags to leave hers in the outer buildings. If she needed something from it, they'd try to wash it clean before they brought it inside.

When they reached the City, he carried her quickly through the Courtyard, then up the stairs of the main building and into their bed-chamber. There was still a slight whiff of the scent that had come off of her onto the furs and he growled, setting her on her feet while he opened the window and threw the furs outside, pulling a new set from the pile Yhet had left before he'd known his friend was helping. Then he stopped, inhaling deeply. There was a slight whiff of the human world, still, but it would fade quickly. Zev prayed he could sleep.

Now if he could just keep Sasha away from Nick…

Nick. Shit. He was going to have to talk to Nick.

He sighed as he ushered Sasha to the bed. She sat down on the furs but grabbed his arm before he could walk to the other side of the bed. "What's going on?"

"Nick," he growled immediately, knowing there was no other explanation needed.

Sasha sighed and laid back in the furs, pulling the damp towel off to twist it around her hair instead. "Nick," she said in a tired voice. "I've got to talk to him tomorrow, figure out what he's here to do. You know, he's… possibly the most confusing human being I've ever met. Do you think he tells the truth?" she asked carefully.

Zev sighed again. "Nick tells the truth most of the time. But it's rarely the whole truth. And the way he says it is always designed to give you a specific impression. With Nick, the truth you hear is the truth he wants you to hear."

Sasha nodded. "It was weird being around him, you know? I don't trust him, and sometimes he gives me the heebies… but I have to tell you, Zev, I believe him when he says he cares about you. He claims he's the only one in that place that cares about you beyond the asset that you are. And I kinda… I kinda think he's being honest. He seemed genuinely scared about what they might do to you if he didn't show up here."

"Sure," Zev said with a jaded snort. "But that statement is the prime example. Because you're a good person and you care about people a lot, if someone tells you that they care about you more than everyone else, you think they must love a lot right? To love more than the others? So it makes you soften toward him. To feel like he's a good guy. But here's the actual truth: If everyone else on the team cares zero for me, he only has to care a little bit for that statement to be true. Do you see what I mean? He makes what he's saying sound better than it is."

Sash's brows were high. "How does he do that?"

"Because he's a fucking genius when it comes to reading people. I'm not joking, Sash, I've seen him when he's caught on the fly out in public—the things that man can tell about you when he's never met you before… it's like he has a radar for what will hook you in. And I'm guessing with you he knew it was me. He definitely knows that with me the leverage is you." Zev shrugged. "I'm not saying he's lying outright, I'm just saying, don't trust what he makes you think. Everything is open to interpretation, whether you see it that way or not."

Sasha frowned and laid back on the bed as Zev stripped and walked around the bed to get in with her. He wished they weren't talking about Nick, but it was a legitimate problem, and one she would have to solve. Zev slid between the furs and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his chest and burying his nose in her wet hair that she'd loosed from the towel.

He meant to tell her more, to warn her, but his eyes dragged closed and he wanted to just rest for a moment before they had to delve any deeper into the darkness that was Nick and the Team. He just wanted to be there with her and soak up her light, and remind himself what was good and right about this world.

 

Chapter 355

Sasha woke a couple of hours later, just as dawn was lighting the sky outside the windows. She didn't move, waiting to see if Zev was awake. But he was slumped into his pillow, his breathing low and slow, even. He didn't even move when she turned her head to look at him, his handsome face puffy.

He had one hand on her stomach and for a moment she just lay there, enjoying that he reached for her, even in his sleep. Her heart swelled with the thought.

While she lay there, she turned the events of the night over in her mind—the way he'd been so tense by the smell of the compound, and Nick. The way he'd stayed in his wolf until he'd rid the place of the "stink."

She examined his sleeping face. He was so relaxed it made him look younger, despite the thick stubble darkening his cheeks. He'd lost weight since the infection, though he was still massive and strong and…

She sighed. She was going to have to be careful or she'd wake him and forget about everything she needed to do that day.

But he needed the rest. He looked like he'd barely slept the entire time she'd been gone. So, slowly, slowly, she peeled back the furs, then slid out from under his hand.

The fact that that didn't wake him was the only evidence to her that his body was in desperate need of sleep. She wouldn't wake him. She'd tell everyone else not to wake him. She'd get some stuff done while he was sleeping so that when he was awake they could be together again.

Her first concern, though, was clothing. She wasn't going to be able to walk through the morning in a towel.

Creeping around the room all she could find was a couple more sets of Zev's black suits. They were so stretchy, she decided it would have to do. The neck was a little wide for her and she had to roll the cuffs and ankles, but the stretchy fabric, designed to suck to the skin underneath it meant at least there wasn't a lot of sagging, except in the crotch.

She rolled her eyes, but at least the Chimera wouldn't care. If they could all run around naked and dangling, she could have a flabby crotch without causing a ruckus she was sure.

She tip-toed out of the bedchamber and down the stairs to find Yhet squatting at the bottom. His face lit up when she appeared and he stood, wrapping her in a big hug when she reached the bottom.

"Good morning, Sasha-don!"

"Yhet, you don't have to call me that!"

"It's only a sign of respect, Sasha. Don't be upset."

As they pulled apart she smiled and reached up to rub his thick arm. "Thank you for watching out for him while I was gone, Yhet."

Yhet nodded seriously. "I wanted to go with him when he came to see you, Sasha, but he wouldn't let me."

"That's good. I'm glad," she said. "I don't want to lose you too, Yhet."

His forehead wrinkled and for a moment he looked away from her, but then he cleared his throat and smiled at the arch out into the courtyard where the sun made the light yellow and cast dim shadows between the trees. "I can't believe you got the females back."

"Some of them," she corrected him. "But I'm working on the rest. Look, Yhet, Zev is exhausted. We went to bed late and were up during the night. Can you stay here and stop anyone going up there to disturb him unless it's an absolute emergency? Let him rest as long as he will on his own—and if he complains about it, tell him I made it an order," she said, one eyebrow up.

"Yes, of course, Sasha-don," Yhet said with a mocking submission. "I am terrified. I will make sure he understands."

Sasha snorted and leaned in to hug him again. "You're the best kind of friend, Yhet," she said. "I'm so grateful that you're here."

His breath caught and he squeezed her, patting her hair so hard her face was mushed into his chest, but Sasha smiled. She really loved Yhet.

"I'm grateful for you too, Sasha," he rumbled quietly. "And I'm so glad for Zev's sake that you made it back."

"Me too," she said. Then farewelled him with a promise to sit together at dinner, reminding him again to stop anyone from waking Zev unless it was an emergency. Yhet nodded, then planted his ass in the middle of the stairs and leaned his elbows on his knees. He was so huge that he almost filled the stairway.

"That'll do it," Sasha grinned. "Thank you, Yhet."

*****

She grabbed an oatcake from the cooks who were still preparing breakfast, checked on the females who were all still sleeping, grabbed a pair of fur boots and a jacket that actually fit from the piles of clothing that had been collected to offer to the females who'd arrived in human clothing. Then she started out of the City.

She wasn't looking forward to the trek to the Village, but she knew the way now, and she knew she was safe. And she had some stuff to say to Nick that she didn't want Zev to witness, knowing he'd get protective and probably interfere.

She walked as quickly as she was able, jogging at times, but her mind tripped back over the things Zev had said about Nick the night before. It made sense why her intuition kept warning her about Nick, but still felt he was telling the truth.

She would remember how easily he could twist words. He might be smart, but people with hidden motives always revealed themselves eventually.

That was the question, right? Was Nick here because he really did want to help Zev? Or was he here to keep power and just make it look like he was helping?

It was going to take time to uncover his true motives, but she was determined to do it.

 

Chapter 356

When she finally made it to the Village the males that were around all submitted when they saw her. She tried to accept the salutes as if she was due them, but they made her uncomfortable.

She stopped by the medical building first, peering around the door to find Kyelle, puffy-eyed but awake. She gestured for Sasha to stay outside, then slipped out to join her a moment later.

"How are they doing?" she asked the woman.

"They're sleeping," Kyelle whispered. "It was a difficult evening. They feel afraid but can't explain why, so everything is frightening because they do not know the source of their fear. One will be better today, I think. She was calming as the night went on. But the others…"

"Thank you for doing this, Kyelle. Today we'll ask the others to start taking turns to be with them and help. The little Alphas should be up to it. Some of them, anyway," she said with a frown, thinking of Mae.

"How did it go, taking them back?" Kyelle asked hesitantly.

"It was… up and down. Pysa has a mate and he was overjoyed to see her—and she him. She was the only female who didn't sleep in the hall they'd prepared. That gives me hope that the others, even if they don't have mates, can eventually find their way."

"They will," Kyelle said with conviction. "Don't doubt it. This is a time of transition, but it's in their nature to do more than survive. They want to thrive. They just need to get past the initial shock and truly believe that they're here," she said.

"I hope you're right," Sasha responded with a sigh. "I really do."

Kyelle rubbed her arm and promised to stay with the females until others could be found to be companions, then Sasha bid her farewell and started back into the Village proper.

The guards had been ordered to take Nick to one of the shacks at the center. It had been used mainly for equipment, but guards bedded down there when they were on breaks, so it was set up for habitation, without being comfortable.

There were two guards outside that Sasha acknowledged but didn't stop to speak to, and another in the hut with him when Sasha stalked in.

Nick sat on a bench with a device in his hand. The bench lay along the wall next to the cot he'd been given for sleeping, the furs still tangled and unmade. When Sasha entered he was eyeing the guard warily, but his face brightened when he saw Sasha.

Hers didn't.

"Good morning!" he said quickly and got to his feet.

The guard stepped closer but Sasha cut him a look to keep him from interfering. She folded her arms and glared at Nick.

"Does that work here?" she asked, nodding towards the device without greeting him.

Nick frowned. "It can't connect with the human world, but it works on a solar battery. I can lodge information and stuff that will be downloadable when it goes back to them."

"And how will it go back to them? How do you all communicate across the gateway?"

"We can't," Nick said like that should be obvious. "Normally the teams log everything here in real time, then when we go back it gets uploaded to the network."

"What are they doing when you're staying here, then?"

Nick hesitated, glancing at the guards.

Sasha snorted. "I'm not letting them get far enough away from you that they wouldn't be able to hear anyway, Nick. So just get that out of your head. You haven't earned respect or privacy, and you won't get it unless I need it. And I don't need it for this. So answer the question. How are you communicating with them while you're here?"

Nick's lips twisted. "I have to go to the gateway a minimum of once a week. There will be two opportunities to meet someone, but they'll accept if we skip one. They do know that life here isn't quite as… convenient."

"What happens when you meet them?"

"They replicate everything on the device to one of theirs, then give me the new device with the new battery while they take this one home."

Sasha filed that away for future thought. "What information are you gathering while you're here? What are they looking for?"

Nick shrugged. "Everything. Information about the females and their connections here, how the society is working, political positions… anything that I think is important or useful, I'll log it all. You've got to let me get out of here and walk around, Sasha. With Patty gone, if they don't see a butt-ton of information for me, they're going to get suspicious real fast."

"Do you have information on individual females in there?" she asked, indicating the device in his hands.

"Yes."

"Including me?"

"Yes."

"I want to see it. All of it."

"No."

Sasha snorted. "You think you're in a position to say no to me?"

"No, I think you won't find what you're looking for, and what you will find is all the leverage I have… so, withholding this is what it takes for you to give me what I want, then I'll give you what you want."

"You know I could just have it taken from you?"

"It's programmed to my retina and fingerprints. It literally won't even turn on for anyone else. If I put it in front of you without entering the passcode first, it will just turn itself off."

"Oh, really? You want me to believe—"

Nick lifted the device and turned the screen to face her. She caught a flash of a screen with dozens of fields in bold headings, and the normal type entered underneath. But before she could read anything, the screen went black.

Nick turned the device back to himself and tapped the screen, entering a password. "Even if you gouge out my eye and cut off my finger, you still won't have the codes, you still won't be able to get into it."

"And that means you think you get to negotiate?" she asked, frustrated.

Nick looked up at her. "I know that means I get to negotiate. I'm not trying to be an asshole, Sasha. I'm getting us both what we want."

They stared at each other and Sasha wanted to bare her teeth, because she was in control, but he looked at her like he had no concern she'd prove him wrong.

Did that mean he was telling the truth? Or just that he really believed he could win?

Bastard.

 

Chapter 357

"You're fighting me," Sasha said, a warning in her voice.

"No, I'm protecting myself. Why do think I never came to Thana before? I know I'm dead the minute protection is lifted. I know that. So I'll do whatever I have to, to keep myself alive. And apparently what I have to do is quid-pro-quo. You give me what I want, I give you what you want. We're both happy."

"I am not happy, Nick."

He shrugged. "Poor choice of word, maybe, but you get my point."

Sasha sighed. But she needed what was in his head, so for now she would play by his rules. At least, as far as he knew.

"Fine," she snapped. "An eye for an eye. You answer my question, I'll answer yours."

"Perfect. I'll even let you go first," he said with a wide grin.

Sasha rolled her eyes, then asked the first question even though it was selfish. "I want to know what medical procedures were done on me when I was asleep."

Nick winced. "That's one of the things I don't know. And they'd be too concerned about you misusing that information, so it won't be on this device."

"How could I possibly misuse information about myself?"

"Wait, it's my turn for a question. How do you contact the creatures, like Ernie?"

Sasha spluttered a laugh at the tension in him. Dear Lord, they were both just trying to get their fears soothed, weren't they? Sasha shook her head at herself for the ridiculous situation where she felt like she understood Nick's heart.

"It's no big secret, Nick. That's just good, old-fashioned gossip. I tell some of the males and they get out into the forest and get the word out. There's nothing mysterious about it. Now, my turn: How would I misuse information about myself?"

"I used the wrong word. I just meant they know you'd be curious about that, so they'll keep the information away from you until it suits them."

"When would it ever suit them to tell me if they don't want to?"

"When there's something they want more than they want to keep that information from you. They'll use it as a bargaining chip."

"You want me to believe they didn't just tell you what they did?"

"You might remember there was a lot going on, Sasha. I was busy trying to keep you alive, sorry that I didn't spend every moment studying their fucking hieroglyphics of medical notes. I know some of it, but not everything. But the list of tests I saw weren't dramatic—which is why I was confused about the whole thing. I mean, you knew they were looking for pregnancy and immunity and hormone levels, all that stuff. So why hide it from you?" He shrugged. "Either there's stuff they held back, or maybe… I don't know. Maybe they just knew you'd ask me and they didn't want me to have a complete answer. All I can tell you is that the list of tests I saw were basically to make sure you were healthy, not pregnant, and not hiding some inherent health issue that we didn't know about or no doctor had diagnosed. Remember, it doesn't work in their favor to have you come over here and get sick. They want you healthy and capable. They want to make sure nothing stands in the way of your fertility."

"You people are disgusting," she snarled. Nick shrugged again, seeming unperturbed.

"My turn," he said with a grin. "Tell me how you got all the clans to submit to you. I mean, as Zev's mate, I understand the wolves. But all of them? Especially the Tigers—why would they do that when you were so new and physically weak?"

Sasha shook her head. "I wish I knew. I mean, it happened when I killed Xar—which I understand is like, a thing, in terms of dominance. But the only thing I can come up with is that they truly saw Zev as dominant, and when he submitted to me, the rest just followed."

Nick gave her a skeptical look. "I haven't observed that the chimera are inclined to 'just follow' anybody—especially a human."

"Is that a question, Nick? Me first: Tell me about Mae. Why does she have pain in her abdomen?"

Nick stared at her for a second, measuring her with his eyes, then he picked the device up from the bench next to him and started tapping through things on the screen. When he looked up, his eyes were dark.

"This is… important information for Mae, and possible for her mate. But I don't believe it will affect anyone else. Why would you bring up this question so quickly? It seems an odd choice when there's so much bigger dynamics at play."

"Call me a softie, Nick," Sasha said through her teeth. "Mae was a great help to me getting the females here safely, and I'd like to have some idea of what's making her so… isolated."

"If she's isolated, she's doing it to herself. Her health condition isn't contagious."

Sasha waited, but he didn't continue. She folded her arms again. "So, are you going to tell me?"

"Would Mae want me to?"

"I'm not sure Mae would want me to."

Sasha was stunned for a moment at the audacity of him, then she scoffed. "You seriously want me to believe you're protecting a Chimeran's privacy?!"

Nick's eyes narrowed. "You really think I'm an asshole, don't you?"

"Yes!"

He shook his head. "You know, I thought if you were Zev's mate you'd have better instincts or something. I don't know. Don't you realize how I worked my ass off to get you out of the compound and back here—with other females, might I add. Can't you see they never would have gone for that based on your little speeches alone? You really think I was just fucking around with you?"

"No, Nick, I think that you have your own motives and your own goals, and you don't tell me what those are. So maybe we're working together sometimes, and maybe we aren't. It's impossible to know."

"So me getting you back here—as I said I would—is worth nothing because I don't tell you everything?"

"No. Doing one thing right doesn't mean I believe your whole game is right. And before you try to put the guilt trip on me, save your breath. I know what you did to Zev, Nick, and I'm not going to fall for that. I'm honest with you: No matter what good you might have done, it will never balance out the bullshit and sheer evil of what you've put all these people through—"

"Me?! You think I'm the one who put him through it? I'm the one who saved his fucking life!"

"You're the one who was in a position to protect him, and you didn't. You aren't a hero in this story, Nick, no matter what you want Zev—or me—to believe. Bad people do good things. That doesn't make them good people."

Nick's lips twisted like he was pissed off, but he just stared at her.

When he didn't speak, Sasha opened a hand toward him. "So?"

"So, what?"

"So, are you going to tell me why Mae is in pain all the time?"

Nick's jaw twitched.

 

Chapter 358

Sasha decided to wait him out this time, and Nick didn't disappoint. He went back to the device, tap-tap-tapping, then put it down on the bench and stared up at her like she'd tricked him.

"Mae has pain because all the internal organs in her lower abdomen fused together with scar tissue after a surgery. It was a mistake, but one that they can't rectify without doing more damage. If they did the procedure to separate all the tissues, it would only increase the scar tissue in the long run."

Poor Mae. Sasha's heart broke. "What surgery?"

"I don't know. She has several listed that might have been the culprit. But honestly, it's probably the cumulative effect of all of them."

"I thought Chimeran blood was this fantastic healer? Why is she healing so poorly?"

"It isn't a mark of her healing poorly—it's part of the process of learning how the Chimeran system works. She was on the table early in the process, before we understood how the Chimeran body would respond to trauma like a surgery. It turns out they begin to heal while we're still in the process—and often have to be re-cut, or re-damaged in some way to keep the wounds open. We no longer do open surgery on Chimera where it can be avoided for this reason. But we hadn't yet learned that lesson when Mae was operated on."

Sasha shook her head. "Why were they doing surgery on the females anyway? What need was there?"

"Nope, it's my turn for a question: How did you get the females who'd never met you before to see you as Alpha."

"I can't even answer that. Zev gave me some advice about owning my decisions and expecting submission. I followed that advice, but why they accepted it… I really have no clue. They heard that I'm Alpha here and they believed me. I think that's the biggest factor. But from what I've seen, you assholes have broken their hearts and minds so much… maybe just the fact that I was standing there without my mind broken was enough."

"But—"

"Nope, my turn: How were the females selected who were sent here? Why these females? Why did they send some that were made and hadn't been to Thana before?"

Nick huffed a humorless laugh. "More than half the current Chimeran population is made in our labs—haven't you realized that yet?"

"That's not the point, Nick. Answer the questions. Why were these particular females selected and not others? What were the criteria?"

Nick watched her for a moment. She was beginning to understand that this was how he bought himself time—he paused to make the other person think they were under scrutiny, when in fact he was giving himself time to settle and think.

"They chose the ones they believed would present the least risk for the highest reward."

"Risk of what? Reward for what?"

Nick shook his head. "An eye for an eye, remember?"

Sasha rolled her eyes but gestured for him to go ahead. But as Nick opened his mouth, suddenly Zev started screaming in her head.

*****

Zev woke slowly, and with a warm heart. Before he'd even moved, he inhaled and smiled. The scent of Sasha was heavy in the room—and there were only bare traces of the compound. He had to search for it. It would be gone by lunch. They'd done it. They'd kept her clean and gotten rid of the clothes that stank of that fucking place.

With a happy sigh, he rolled over, reaching for Sasha—but when he moved, fluffing the furs, the air around the bed wafted and washed over him. Zev caught a faint whiff of Nick at the same moment that his hand landed on the spot where Sasha had been laying.

The furs were cold.

His heart threatened to beat through his chest as he shoved out of the furs, searching wildly for her—but she was nowhere in the room.

SASHA! He screamed through the mind link. WHERE ARE YOU?! HAS HE GOT YOU? WHERE ARE YOU?

Howls rose across the City as his desperation slammed through the mind of every wolf within miles.

"SASHA!" he screamed and leaped out of the bed.

He was just launching for the door, about to shift, when the most wonderful, perfect voice bloomed in his head.

Zev! Zev! I'm fine. I'm in the village. I'm sorry if I scared you, I wanted to let you sleep.

Zev staggered to a halt, his pulse thundering in his ears. Panic was still rising in his chest—was she being held? Was this a trick? But he did his best to sound calm when he sent back.

Where are you? I'm coming!

I'm fine, Zev. I'm interrogating Nick back at the Village. There are guards here, and—

Zev cursed and sprinted down the stairs.

******

Sasha gasped and grabbed at her head. Zev's voice was so loud it seemed to echo inside her skull.

Frantic, she sent back—apologies, explanation. She didn't want him afraid! She'd just been trying to get this out of the way before he woke. He needed his rest!

But Zev was having a full-blown anxiety attack, and already running toward her.

"Are you okay?" Nick's voice was calm but curious.

Sasha blinked. That's right. Nick didn't know… "I'm fine," she said distractedly, still trying to calm Zev down in her mind. "Just a headache. Probably from hormones since your people seem to have a lot of focus on messing with mine."

Nick didn't respond, just watched her, something in his eyes a little too pointed for her liking. Like he was suspicious of something specific.

"Where were we?" she said suddenly.

"We were exchanging intelligence," Nick said softly, his eyes locked on hers. "But it seems like you're not telling me everything."

Sasha forced herself to laugh like he was being funny. "Well, of course not, Nick. Were you really na?ve enough to think that I was?"

She kept chuckling to herself, shaking her head. Ignoring the dark intensity in Nick's gaze.

 

Chapter 359

Nick stared at her, his face blank, but his eyes were dark with suspicion.

"Well, anyway," he said finally when she didn't add anything, "maybe we can do more questions later, huh? I need to understand what I can do and when, and how. And I want you to guarantee me that I'm not going to keep running into your eight-legged friend every time I turn around."

"Ernie doesn't live in the settlement," Sasha said, stifling a mischievous smile. "As long as you stay within the confines of the Village, you have nothing to worry about. You start wandering, though…"

Nick wasn't amused. "So tell me where you consider the boundaries to be. This whole place is in a forest. What's the village and what's… not?"

"I'm sure you'll figure it out," she said grinning.

That led to a frustrated Nick, needling her to give specifics and details, instructions on how and when he'd be allowed to walk freely, and whether he could approach Chimera.

Sasha spent a good half hour setting boundaries for him—both physical, and metaphorical. He could stay in the Village. He could speak to any Chimera that agreed to speak with him—but he wasn't to push, and he wouldn't ever use her name or Zev's to gain authority over someone.

"You're here to observe, you observe. We have nothing to hide," she lied. "But the minute I find out you're messing with people's heads you're done."

She made it clear to him with a list of restrictions. If Nick would listen and stay within them, he'd be allowed to make his own choices—after all, that was the best way to get the best kind of information to their friends in the human world, right? But if he continued to try to manipulate people, or deceive them, he'd be locked up. And if he didn't believe her, he could try her.

Nick put his hands up and nodded. "Fine, fine. I hear you."

"You don't antagonize me or Zev, Nick." She bit the words off, holding his gaze. Nick's face went blank. "You say you're here to help, then you help. Helping is not poking at him, or manipulating his emotions. It's not telling him things to motivate him in the direction that suits you. It's apologizing for being an asshole and a liar and offering to let him talk to you about the havoc you've wreaked in his mind—if he wants to. You don't push him. You don't poke him. And you don't use him."

"I don't want to use him. I want to make him stronger."

"Stronger for what, though," she said. "What's the endgame, Nick?"

Nick gave her a flat look. "Sash, you can't expect me to—"

Sasha vaguely registered a noise outside the shack as she stepped up to Nick, letting her arms fall to her sides and balling her fists as she pressed towards him. "You do not call me that. Ever."

Nick shook his head. "Sorry, sorry. It wasn't intentional. I shorten everyone's names—"

"Bullshit. And even if it's not bullshit, I don't care. You call me Sasha, or Sasha-don when the Chimera are around. Period."

Nick shook his head again. "This is all well and good, you being Alpha and all, Sasha," he said, emphasizing the last A. "But don't think the powerplay will work on me. You're playing on my field—you get that right? Even if you go ahead and let Ernie kill me, you think you've got real control here? You might hold their hearts, but my people own them—their minds and their bones. If you think I'm dancing to this Sasha-don tune, I'm going to laugh. Your people who follow you so willingly wouldn't even be here if it weren't for me. And you'd do well to remember that."

Sasha's anger flared hot, but before she could even open her mouth, the door flew open and Zev was there.

"I fucking heard that you asshole!"

"Zev," Sasha sighed. "It's okay, he's just—"

But Zev had Nick slammed up against the wall again. "I told you! I fucking told you. You hurt one hair on her head, I don't care if she begs me to protect you, I will eat you alive—you know I fucking will, Nick! You know I fucking will!"

For the first time that Sasha had ever seen, Nick's gaze flared with real fear of Zev. Maybe not Ernie levels of fear, but his eyes went wide and he lifted his hands.

Something Zev said had really touched a nerve between them.

"What are you—"

"Don't even look at him, Sasha. This fucker will lie as good as breathing. It's what he does. I will not let him hurt you."

"He didn't touch me, Zev. We were talking and I was setting boundaries—"

"It's not about touching you," Zev said through his teeth, slamming Nick against the wall again. The rickety shack shuddered with every blow, and Nick's hand gestures and attempts to soothe him got more frantic.

"I wasn't threatening her—I'm trying to explain the reality of the situation you all are in!"

"Shut up, Nick!" Zev snarled, and the sound was guttural, cutting through the air as if he'd already shifted. "I could smell him, Sasha. You don't let him near you—whatever you were saying before I arrived, he was pissed."

Sasha put a hand to Zev's shoulder, trying to calm her own heart, knowing these two would wind each other up so fast Zev would end up killing him. "He's not worth it," she said softly. "His wings have been clipped. Don't let him ruin anything else. He's not worth it. We'll just keep him cooped up here and—"

"I have to send reports back. If I don't, they'll send a team through and they won't come to throw you guys a party, you know that right? They're already going to be missing Patty's work which will be suspicious. We can't give them another reason!"

Sasha stared flatly at Nick. "Tell me what reporting you're supposed to do. I'm sure we can give you things to fill them. Same with Patty—what was she supposed to be sending?"

Nick looked at them both warily.

 

Chapter 360

Heart pounding mercilessly, Zev leaned into Nick, tightening his grip on his shirt and glaring, a warning flare in his gaze. But Nick just waited.

Fuck. Zev realized he wanted to kill him. He actually wanted to kill Nick. And he couldn't because he'd promised Sasha he wouldn't touch the fucker unless he was hurting someone.

The problem with Nick was, you usually didn't know he was hurting someone until the bastard was already done.

But when Sasha whispered his name, he let the male go and stepped back, standing in front of him so Nick couldn't approach Sasha.

Nick rolled his eyes but looked at Sasha to answer. "Patty was mainly medical. We can give them a few little things and they probably won't notice, at least for a few weeks. But next month when your cycle ends—or you're tested for pregnancy—they'll be expecting a battery of tests and I don't know how to do them all."

"Then I guess we better hope Patty shows up before then, huh?" Sasha said.

"They aren't testing you, Sash," Zev growled, arms folded across his chest.

"I don't care if they test me, Zev," she said wearily. "Especially if it keeps them out of Thana. But I do care if they think they're coming here for any kind of medical intervention. We need to pray no one gets seriously hurt."

"You better pray," Nick added darkly. "If anyone dies while we're here and they find out Patty's gone… let's just say they won't be showing up to help."

"They won't be showing up, period," Zev snapped. "No more help from the likes of you, Nick. None."

Nick opened his mouth but Sasha jumped in. "Both of you stop, please. There's too much for us to figure it all out this morning. But for now, Nick needs to tell me how we make sure the team believes everything is fine."

"As long as I get to the check-ins at least once a week and they get the device, we'll be fine. At least for two or three weeks," he said reluctantly.

"Who goes through? Do you cross to meet them, or do they come here?"

"You said no more humans in Thana, so as long as I'm on the other side waiting for them when they arrive, it'll be fine. But if I'm not there waiting for them, they'll come through. And they'll come armed."

"We'll make sure you get through. Won't we, Zev? For everyone's sakes."

Zev growled. "I don't know. He doesn't feel nervous enough about Patty."

"Because she was making up numbers and giving us a reason to have another person here—to help, so you all will trust us. I'm the real one they're concerned about."

"Convenient," Zev spat, then turned to Sasha. "We should just kill him."

Nick's face flashed grief that only Sasha caught because Zev had turned from Nick to face her. But it was gone as quickly as it showed up. Sasha pretended she hadn't seen it and put a hand on Zev's arm to soothe him.

"I've got this under control, I think," she said. And then in his mind, she let him feel her smile.

I have a plan, Zev. He knows nothing about it.

Zev looked at her strangely. Tell me.

When we're away from anywhere near Nick, she replied.

"Time to go!" Zev said quickly, then turned to look at Nick. "You stay here until they tell you it's a meal time. Then you go with your guards, then you come back here."

Nick sighed but nodded. Zev took Sasha's hand and led her out of the shack, but he was trembling. Sasha rubbed his arm as they walked away.

*****

~ ZEV ~

His entire skin itched with irritation about Nick. He could still smell the stink of that man in his nostrils and he snorted the air from his nose.

He'd gone from shaking, thinking Sasha was gone, to shaking with rage and wanting to straight-up kill Nick.

Sasha kept looking at him, but he couldn't meet her eyes. Now that they were alone, he led her back towards the trail, towards the City. Because he had to get her away from Nick before she started stinking of him again.

"Zev—"

"Sash, can you do me a favor?" he asked quietly, without looking down at her.

"Of course."

"Don't ever… EVER go see Nick alone, without me again. Ever."

"Zev, I'm sorry that I scared you this morning—d"

"You didn't scare me, Sash. It was abject terror. There was a faint smell of him still in the room and you were gone and you had no clothes and… I just…"

She stopped walking and pulled him to a stop next to her. When he finally let his eyes fall to meet hers, her face was a mask of guilt and sadness.

"I'm sorry, Zev. For real. I'm sorry that I gave you that scare. I won't do that again, okay? I'll either wake you, or I'll leave you a note or—"

"Wake me. Every time."

"Zev, you needed to sleep this morning. You can't tell me that you were rested."

"Neither were you!"

"No, but I was awake naturally and I wanted to get this done so I could come back and be with you. Zev… Zev, I'm back. Okay? I'm back and I have a plan. And we're going to do this. And then we're going to get everyone out of the hands of Nick, or anyone else who might hurt them. Forever."

He blew out a breath and stepped up so their bellies touched. He held her face—he wanted to kiss her—but she put her hands on his forearms and held him back.

"But I can't make that promise to you, Zev. I can't promise I'll never talk to him. I can tell you I'll never be alone with him. Guards. Lhars. Dunken. Yhet. Someone. I'll make sure there's always someone else with me, I can promise that."

"But—"

"Zev, please. The humans are my responsibility, remember? If I need to talk to him or learn something, I can't always wait until you're free—especially since you're going to be helping with the Chimera, right? We have to do this together. Please… don't ask that of me, Zev. I don't want to be in a position where I have to break a promise to you."

He was still shaking from his scare that morning and she could feel it. Damn, he hated feeling weak next to her.

"Why'd you have to go this morning?" he muttered.

"I told you last night that I needed to talk to him today. I needed to make sure he didn't know what I've been up to."

Her face was blank, Zev watched her carefully. "What have you been up to, exactly?"

He wanted to be excited. He wanted her to have gotten one up on Nick. But he was terrified to think what she might have been doing, what danger she might have put herself in.

She smiles. "Nick doesn't know, I'm sure of it. But I don't think we should tell anyone yet, because I'm still not sure how it's all going to come together, but… Zev… I know how to get us out of here. All of us. Everyone in Thana who wants to go. And the females back at the compound, too."