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n~ ZEV ~

nSomehow it was still dark when they walked away from Nick, leaving him in the hands of Yhet and Ernie, who Zev had called for help keeping Nick in his shack. Zev was concerned he was more motivated than ever to work against them and didn't want him to have any chance—or motivation—

nto try and leave. Nick was allowed to see them both, taking positions on either side of the shack, along with guards circling it.

n

"I don't care if he has to ** in his own bed, he doesn't leave there unless Sasha or I give the order personally.

"

nThey all nodded and planted their feet. Then Zev turned to Sasha, took her hand and led her towards the trail. Neither of them spoke. They didn't hurry, though Zev was brimming with excess energy, and Sasha gripped his hand so tightly she threatened to cut off blood flow.

nAre we alone? She asked him through the bond.

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nI can't know for sure. We've got so many patrols around. I might not smell them or hear them if they were being careful. We need to assume we could be heard if we spoke.

nSasha sighed and kept walking.

nA minute later a shudder rocked through her. Zev broke stride, turning to her, but she shook her head and kept walking, not even meeting his eye.

nI can't believe they have him, she said, her voice so faint in his head.

nWe'll get him back.

nZev's chest was constricted, as if Yhet still had arms around him. He trembled too, but with restrained rage. He knew he had to keep himself calm. Thinking.

nThat made the memory of Nick staring him down, urging him to think, swim into his mind's eye and he growled.

nSasha snapped her head around to look at him and he stroked the back of her hand with his thumb.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you.

"

nWhat are we doing? How are we going to do this? I can't… Zev… how the hell are we going to do this?

nZev shook his head, he didn't know either, and hearing her heartbreak and fear only made his own worse. But before he could even think of something to offer, her tone shifted, and his Alpha stepped You're right, Sasha. I agree with you. We'll do it.

nNick can't know.

nforward in his mind.

nWe have to get them out now. All of them. We can't wait. They have to get across and get to safety, no matter what we're doing, we can't risk keeping them here. Even if Nick did hide your interference from them—and we can't be sure of that, right?—it doesn't matter. There's just too much. Too many lies. Too many risks. They have to get to the Safe Place now. Tonight.

nThen she looked at the sky through the gaps in the trees overhead and even though it was still dark, light was beginning to creep up, turning the indigo to gray.

nAgreed, he replied.

nWhen we get to the City, we have to wake them all and get them moving. We won't wait for dawn. We won't wait for anything.

nYou're right, Sasha. I agree with you. We'll do it.

nNick can't know.

nOf course not.

nInstead of going first, we're going last. We're letting all of them get to safety before we try this, because we can't… we can't put them all at risk just for our own… our family.

nZev took a deep breath. She was right. Of course she was right. But every instinct within him fought the idea of waiting even a second.

nIf we go through, we're asking it to take us forward, right? That won't impact when they're reaching the females.

nExcept that when they take the females it's going to change everything. We don't know what they'll cruel. Like you enjoyed hurting him.

"

n

"I did,

" he admitted gruffly.

ndo in response to that. And if we get it wrong and accidentally show up in the secure lab tonight… we can't risk it, Zev. We have to do the sure thing first: Get the Thana Chimera into the gateway, then get the three guys over to grab the females. Then we go.

nZev nodded slowly. He didn't like it, but he knew she was right. It was wise. It just… he wanted to bite something.

nBut then Sasha's face dragged down. But… how do we get Nick to take us across without letting him know about the Gateway's time travel? And then… then maybe he can figure out the rest and stop us from getting across—**, Zev, this is… this is impossible!

nZev growled and tightened his grip on her hand. No, Sasha, it's not. It's just dangerous, but we're going to do it anyway. Nick doesn't know that we can get into that lab without his help. And that's what we're going to do. He thinks we need him. We don't.

nBut what if we do? Sasha pleaded in his head. He makes me so angry, Zev, and I know he's hurt you so badly… but what if we do need him? Are we just hurting ourselves by not pursuing this more deeply with him?

nNo. Zev's lip curled again. Everything he says has to be examined and analyzed, and even then, even if he's telling the truth, we can't be sure what he isn't telling us. We have to do this without him, Sasha. I refuse to give him any reason to tell me he's my savior—or yours, or our baby's. He's not! Saving me from one death and sentencing me to another isn't saving me at all—it's just choosing where I die. It makes him feel like God. Don't let him suck you into that!

nSasha blinked, then stopped walking, pulling him to a halt too.

nZev turned to face her, his jaw set. He would argue this with her if he needed to.

nBut Sasha just stared up at him as if she was seeing him for the first time, all over again.

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"What did he do?

" she breathed.

"I've never seen you like that, Zev. It was like… it was like you were cruel. Like you enjoyed hurting him.

"

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"I did,

" he admitted gruffly.

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"Why?

"

nZev hesitated. He hadn't wanted to tell her. Hadn't wanted there to be one more pain between them. But the fact was, until she knew she was never going to understand—and he was never going to be certain of her.

nHe took a deep breath.

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