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n~ ZEV ~

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"That day I left you,

" Zev said quietly as he smoothly accelerated the Jeep onto the highway,

"Nick showed up. You have to understand, Nick never showed up when I was in the world. We'd talk on the phone and stuff, but he wasn't part of the fake family they gave me. They didn't want anyone making the connection with the program, and Nick's at the center of that. So when I walked into the house after school and he was in the living room… I knew.

"

n

"Knew what?

"

n

"I knew that they knew we'd had sex. And they knew I was bonding to you.

"

nHer head whipped around and her eyes widened.

"But you just said—

"

n

"I didn't bond the way the older Chimera bond, Sasha. I didn't have this lightening bolt that fused my soul to yours. For me it was quiet. It's just… you're a part of me. I could feel it happening, though I didn't recognize it at the time because the older Chimera had described the bond and what I was experiencing was different. I kept telling myself it wasn't the same so it wasn't a problem but… But they knew. Somehow they knew. Nick was there to take me away.

n

"At first I fought it. But then he started talking. He was being really kind. He told me they realized how much I cared about you and he made it sound like he admired that. He was so manipulative. I thought he was giving me hope! I started talking about how amazing you were and… but as soon as I started being open about that, it all fell apart.

"

nZev got lost in the memory of that day, the darkness that covered him from that moment on.

nHe was standing in the living room of the house they'd used while he was at school, his

"parents

" where nowhere to be seen, but Nick had been waiting for him when he walked in. Now he sat in the recliner while Zev stood on the carpet in front of him, his school bag still over one shoulder, shaking his head. He wasn't leaving her.

n

"You promised, Zev,

" Nick said—and it cut Zev down the middle because Nick looked like he'd been betrayed.

"You promised me that you wouldn't go this far with her and now we're in the **.

"

n

"I didn't bond—

"

n

"Well you did something. What it is doesn't matter. They don't know yet, but unless you come with me now, and they see you back in the program, they're going to figure it out. You're changing, Zev. This is changing you and we don't know how it's going to end. You put all of us, this entire program, in jeopardy you little **.

"

nZev swallowed convulsively. Nick hardly ever got angry with him…

"I didn't mean to, I wasn't prepared, she surprised me.

"

nNick sighed and pinched his nose between his fingers.

"And now here we are. I told you, Zev. I told you—

"

n

"But we didn't bond! Everything is fine!

"

nNick pushed up out of his chair and stood toe-to-toe with Zev. Zev had several inches of height on him, but in Chimera, dominance was King. Zev might own the Chimera. But Nick was the closest thing Zev had to a father. And this father owned the world.

nNick leaned into him, one finger pointed at his chest, Zev began to shake.

n

"Nothing is fine. Nothing. We're just lucky that no one else has figured out how you **ed up yet. Only me.

"

n

"But—

"

n

"The females are dying, Zev. You broke them.

"

n

"I… what?

"

n

"You think we haven't kept the test females? We have them. All of them. They aren't like you, Zev. They bond. And every single one of them thinks you're their mate. They've been struggling anyway, but now… ever since four days ago, they're starting to die. You might not think you're bonded, but something changed. And they know it. They've lost hope.

"

n

"Why would you do that to them?! Why didn't you tell me?!

"

n

"Because you're too **ing softhearted, Zev. And it was the only way we could find out.

"

n

"But—

"

n

"What's past is past, Zev. You know that. There's no way to change the past. We can only affect the future. So you have two choices, you can leave with me and come back—you'll get to go home, we have a purpose for you in the valley. They'll stop watching you so closely if they know you're in our hands and not with her.

"

n

"Can she come too?

"

n

"Are you **ing kidding me right now?

" Nick snapped.

"She's the **ing problem!

"

n

"But she's my—

"

nHe almost said it, but broke off and Nick's eyes went wide for a flash, then narrowed menacingly and his voice went cold. Zev quavered. Nick was the only person in the world who could make Zev feel like a puppy that was going to piss itself.

n

"I changed my mind,

" Nick growled.

n

"About what?

"

n

"There's no choices. You're coming with me, right now.

"

n

"No.

"

nNick gave a cold chuckle and grabbed the front of Zev's shirt.

"You're coming with me, your precious little girlfriend is going to die. Or maybe I kill her parents first just so you can see how miserable she is, then I kill her.

"

n

"You wouldn't—

"

n

"Try me.

"

n

"But you said we had to be under the radar here!

"

n

"Did you see the van in the driveaway, Zev?

"

nHe had. It was the first clue that something was going on, but he'd hoped…

"Yeah.

"

n

"If you want, I'll take you out there and show you the sniper that lives across the road from her house and has a bead on her every time she walks out the door.

"

nZev froze.

"You can't… you can't do that. The neighbors—

"

nNick shook his head.

"Or I can show you the trash collector that drives the truck and is one of ours. He passes her on her way to school every Friday. Terrible accident if he were to side-swipe that little car she drives… such a tragedy.

"

nZev licked his lips.

"Nick… please—

"

n

"I can show you the ID on the teacher at school that is in my pocket and who's just looking for an excuse to take one of the girls—Sasha's plenty pretty enough for him, and he enjoys his work. Takes it nice and slow. I'm sure Sasha wouldn't though—

"

nThe image of Sasha in another man's hands—a predator—was what broke him.. He shoved Nick back with a snarl, his lip curling back from his teeth.

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