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n~ SASHA ~

nEven here and now, years later, Sasha's cheeks heated at that memory. She'd been immediately mortified with herself when she realized she was the first one to say those words.

nBut Zev, as he always did, made up for her gaffe. His eyes had gone wide and he'd straightened in his seat, staring at her.

n

"I'm sorry,

" she'd gasped, letting go of his hand and covering her mouth in horror.

"I didn't mean to—

"

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"No, Sash, that's… that the best… I love you, too!

" he whispered.

nThey'd stared at each other, smiles breaking on both their faces, then he'd pulled her into a kiss so intense, so full of emotion, it had stolen her breath.

nIn the ultimate irony, given how the conversation had begun, Sasha found herself circled in strong arms, peppered with kiss after kiss, breath heaving, and hands that started in her hair, but dragged down. At first she almost questioned him. Almost asked. But then he tilted his head and his tongue traced along hers and her stomach clenched. Sasha sucked in, grabbing at his neck and pulling him closer, and losing herself in his kiss.

nThe entire world tunneled to the tiny space where they existed. The quilt slid to the ground and she didn't even notice the cold, because he was holding her and her heart was pounding. When one of his hands slid under her sweater to the skin of her waist, her skin prickled with goosebumps and she dove deeper into his kiss.

nIt was the first night he touched her—really touched her—and the first time she touched him. It was nothing, really. Her friends laughed at her later when she marveled about it. But she'd dragged her hand across his lap to find that shocking bulge under his jeans. She'd felt him get hard before, felt the press of it against her leg or her stomach. But she'd never… never touched it.

nNever realized the power of it.

nEven that tiny drag of her touch across him made him shudder. He'd whispered her name and groaned, pressing her back into the couch and she'd gone willingly.

nBut before she could explore further, or get the courage to touch him more specifically, the rush of car tires on the road sounded, and twin cones of light started up the street.

nZev threw himself backwards off of her, pushing himself into the corner of the couch, his chest heaving up and down.

nSasha blinked at the sudden cold, but when she realized, she pushed up to sit in the opposite corner of the couch, and when Zev swallowed, then leaned forward with one of those long arms to snatch the quilt from the deck and throw it over their legs—over his lap, she realized—she'd started giggling.

nHe'd shushed her, but she couldn't stop—she was giddy. And when her parents finally got out of the car in the driveway and walked up onto the porch, she was still sniggering—while Zev rubbed his eyes with a thumb and forefinger.

nSasha blinked back to the present, to the firelight and the men around her, the low, hard voices and Zev's serious responses to their questions.

nThat memory… she'd always cherished it. But now… with what he was saying, what he was describing… it all looked different. Better, in some ways. Worse in others.

nShe wasn't sure how to feel about it.

nHe turned to glance at her, reaching for her hand as he listened to a question from Jhon. And even that simple touch set her blood aflame.

nShe was ridiculous.

nHe'd lied to her, abandoned her, stalked her for three years, then turned up and… and her heart sang.

nShe gripped his hand so hard he looked at her again, a question in his eyes.

nWhat is it? What's wrong? He said in her mind, but she had no way to answer him, not with this audience. So they only met eyes, then she dropped her gaze to their entwined hands while he was forced to focus on the conversation with the other men.

n

"If you learned of the human's deception, if you knew that they'd lied, why didn't you fight to return? You clearly had some freedoms—why not just return to use when you realized?

" Joyte asked gruffly.

nZev shook his head.

"It took months… years to understand how bad it was,

" he said.

"And I couldn't let the team realize what I'd learned. The day I learned the females weren't breeding successfully, that there weren't offspring, I wasn't even supposed to have been in the lab. They weren't supposed to be there either. But yet, we crossed paths…

n

"I asked later—I had to be so careful. If they knew I was questioning what they were saying I was at risk of being caged like those I saw in the lab. I couldn't help them if I was locked up. I had to wait for the conversation of offspring to come up naturally, to ask Nick what was happening—where were the children? Were they in Thana or here?

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"Nick lied and told me that they were holding the females until the offspring were born, then sending them back to Thana after safe delivery.

"

nZev shook his head, lines appearing at the corners of his mouth.

"It was a lie. All of it. Once I'd caught them in one, I started questioning everything… but it was only a couple of months ago that I was certain. And then I did start planning. I thought it would take longer to get back here, but when they tried to take Sasha… it was time.

"

nHe looked at her again and she squeezed his hand, though she was desperately aware of the gazes around the fire—some of them disapproving.

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"You all need to know, claiming Sasha wasn't just convenience or pride. Sasha is different for me. We do have the bond—but it's different. Maybe it's the only kind of bond I'm capable of? I don't know. I just know that… that she's my One. My heart's song. I will never breed another female as long as I live.

" He said the words to her, and Sasha's heart squeezed. Then he turned back to the other men.

"I will never betray our people in that way again. Ever. I am no longer deceived. I will not be tricked into this darkness again. It would be a betrayal not only to you, but to my mate, and our bond. Hear me: I need your forgiveness. I beg it. But I also offer you my vow.

"

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