~ SASHA ~

"Just the human looking ones?

" an eerie voice said from her left. Sasha took one look and her heart stopped.

Everything happened in slow motion.

Nick's head whipped to the side and his eyes went wide. Then, he was scrambling backwards, a strange noise erupting from his throat, as the two wolves stepped in, grabbing his arms, struggled to keep in him place.

They didn't care about the Chimera that had appeared, but Sasha stood, gaping, her body trembling so hard she might have actually wet herself if Zev hadn't warned her about the creatures.

Fighting not to react, not to recoil in horror or scream, she let the wolves struggle with Nick while she forced herself to stare at this… thing.

They all stood at the intersection of trails, the trees a good ten feet away from its edge so they were all bathed in sunlight—the filtered sunlight of a cloudy winter day. But it was plenty bright enough for Sasha to see the creature that must have crept out of the trees when she was paying attention to Zev.

She supposed walking on those eight long, long legs that ended in little more than points must have made being quiet easy.

Eight legs. Sasha wanted to scream.

The first thing her brain cobbled together when she saw this thing was a bear with spider legs, but it wasn't right. The head was too human, the neck too long, the body not thick enough, and yet those legs…

Yhet had told her there were no insect Chimera! And yet what stood in front of her…

Behind her, Lhars cleared his throat as if he were trying not to laugh, and if things hadn't been so serious she would have turned around and whacked him. He must have known. That must be why he'd smiled when she asked for creatures that would scare a human.

He could have **ing warned her.

Sasha forced herself not to move as the thing stepped forward, towards Nick and lifted one of those long, thin legs—covered in very fine hair.

"Do you have a warning for me, Nick?

" it said, biting off his name like it wanted to eat him.

Nick was jittering with terror, his eyes wide, trying desperately to scramble away, but the wolves held him in place.

Sasha was just glad she'd met Minos and learned that these people could speak, though the voice from this one was higher and more childlike than she ever would have guessed by looking at it.

It was a walking nightmare, and Sasha prayed she'd still be able to sleep when this was all over.

"Come on, Nick, we're old friends. Aren't you glad to see me?

"

"S-stay away from me! I never did anything to hurt you!

"

The chimera's face went dark and its eyes—utterly black in a face covered in the same fine hair as its legs—narrowed.

"You want to try and say you never—

"

"I'm very sorry, uh… friend,

" Sasha said faintly.

"Do you know Nick personally?

"

"Forgive me for not greeting you, Sasha-don,

" the thing said without looking away from Nick.

"But my business with Nick is as personal as it comes.

"

Sasha swallowed the lump of fear that didn't want to go down.

"Of course, I'm not the only one. Right, Nick?

" it hissed.

Nick tried again, pulling away from the thing, his boots scraping in the snow on the trail, but he wasn't strong enough.

"Stay away from me!

" he wheezed.

"I'm here to help you all! Help you!

"

"I don't think I'm the only one who finds that hard to believe,

" Sasha said as dryly as she could. There were shadows moving among the trees behind their visitor that made her skin crawl.

"But please, do your best to explain. Our friends here came to stand between whatever humans were attempting to enter the village, and Zev. So, they're really the ones you need to convince.

"

"I came to warn you. They're starting to give up! If they come in here and they don't leave completely confident that they have the Alpha in their pocket they're stopping the experiment and killing you all—all of you!

" Nick bellowed at the Spider-thing, that raised its front legs and hissed, sending Nick bowling back into the wolves that were still holding him.

"Zev needs to come with me—just for a day or two at the most. They just need to talk to him and believe he's going to work with them. That's all! But I know he won't believe me—I need to explain it all. What's been said. What's planned. He'll understand that. No one else will!

"

Sasha was very aware of Yhet and Lhars' eyes on her back. But she didn't react.

"Zev's not going anywhere with you,

" she muttered.

"He doesn't have any choice—not if he wants to keep you and his people safe.

" Nick eyed the Spider-thing and his face paled.

"All of the people,

" he said faintly.

"If he comes with me, I can convince them to soften their requirements—use him as an example of what can be done if we work with you. All of you. If they realize he came willingly, they'll work with him instead of freaking out.

"

"Zev is never returning to the human world. It's done him too much damage.

"

"Zev is leading his people and this is the only way he can continue to do so!

" Nick snarled.

"I'm not lying. Let me talk to him—tell him the names, and their plans. He's been there. He'll understand!

"

Sasha swallowed as an idea occurred to her that… could she do it? Could she bring herself to?

"So this isn't about Zev personally, it's about being Alpha?

"

"Exactly. If he weren't Alpha, I'd come for the new Alpha to explain—to save him! He's my son!

"

Sasha's stomach turned hearing that come out of this man's mouth, despite Zev having echoed the sentiment. She still believed this man was the one who had messed with Zev's head and made him so sick and unsure about himself.

"You want to take the Alpha back to the team, to… negotiate communications?

"

As Nick laughed a weird, hysterical giggle, his eyes still locked on the Spider Chimera, Sasha's stomach sank, and she knew. She knew what she was going to have to do.

She knew, then and there, before Nick even spoke the words.

Though Nick didn't know it, he had actually come to Thana for Sasha, not for Zev.