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 **ing 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.