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n10

n~ SASHA ~

n1

nIt had been the strangest feeling saying farewell, first to Yhet, then to the other three males. Standing there, watching them go through one by one, she'd felt… numb.

nWhat's wrong with me? she'd asked Zev in his head. I should be crying.

nYou already cried, he replied, his voice gentle. Sometimes when there's just been too much, it's like your heart goes cold.

nShe'd turned then to look at him, terrified that she wouldn't feel anything for him, either. But no… to her relief, her chest pinched and her stomach flipped just catching his eyes.

nI haven't stopped feeling for you.

nThat's because I'm not leaving you, he said with a half-smile. It's the grief and fear that are killers. Not a hunk of burning love.

n4

nSasha had snorted—and to her relief, almost cried—but then Zev's face went serious and she looked around to see what was bothering him and realized…

nThey were all gone.

n4

nShe stood there, just taking it in. Or trying to.

nIt was now entirely out of her control. All of the Chimera, with their respective responsibilities and tasks, had been put through the Gateway.

nOnly her and Zev were left.

nSasha realized she wasn't breathing and forced herself to inhale.

n

"So,

" Zev said hesitantly a moment later.

"Are we voting for going straight away? Or waiting?

"

nSasha chewed on her lip. She wanted to get out of here. She wanted to get this done. To get their son and get out of this place. Forever.

nBut she couldn't shake the caution that held her back. The vague, formless wariness that stopped her from simply stepping into the Gateway.

nInstinct, Zev called it.

nIntuition, she would have said. Or maybe the staying hand of the Creator?

n

"We need to talk to Nick. We need to get him out of here and back into the human world. I can't shake it, Zev. I know you hate him. I know you want to leave him to die. But… we need him. I'm certain of it.

"

nZev frowned.

"It's not that I don't trust you, Sash. It's that I don't trust him. I feel like anything he's involved in is just steeped in deceit—or at least, ulterior motives.

"

n

"I have no doubt,

" Sasha agreed with him.

"But I also know that you're the one who told me to listen to my instincts. So… here we are. We have to talk to him before we go.

"

nZev sighed heavily and it rolled off into a growl.

"You're certain?

"

nShe nodded, praying that she was. That she hadn't just handed them both—and their son—a death warrant.

n

"Well then, let's get it done as fast as we can.

"

nHe shifted into his wolf, hunched down so she could crawl onto his back, then leaped forward into a run that almost unseated her.

n*****

nIt was strange to walk into the Village knowing that the silence there was abandonment. That it wasn't simply the quiet of busy people being in other places.

nThe Chimera were gone.

nExcept Ernie, who appeared from behind the Shack the moment they got close enough to be heard.

nSasha slid off Zev's back and he was immediately back in his human form.

n

"Are they gone?

" Ernie asked in that grating voice of his. Sasha shivered, but she nodded and forced herself to smile.

n

"Does he know?

" she asked.

nErnie shook his head.

"He's been sleeping. Pouting,

" Ernie grinned.

"Ever since you took his device, he mutters a lot.

"

nSasha snorted, but Zev tensed next to her. She put a hand on his arm, then raised her voice.

n

"Nick! Come out here please. We won't let Ernie eat you, I promise.

"

n3

nThere was a snort and some shuffling around, but then the door creaked open and Nick, puffy-eyed, and bruised on his neck, with a swollen jaw and black eye, stepped out of the shack.

nSasha let herself enjoy a satisfied smile.

nHe stared at her, arms folded, his eyes wary.

n

"It's time for you to go,

" she said without preamble.

nNick blinked.

"Excuse me?

"

n

"It's time for you to leave.

"

nNick's brows pinched over his nose and he looked at her like she was crazy.

"What is this, a trap to tempt me out where Ernie can get me?

"

n1

nSasha rolled her eyes.

"No, Nick. You said you were needed back at the compound to help us get our son. So I'm telling you, go. Now. The Chimera have gone. We've sent them away. The Team won't ever harm them again. But we still need our son. So you get to keep your life so you can help us do that.

"

n

"What the—you expect me to believe you've just, what… sent the Chimera over there without you? Bull**.

"

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"You don't have to believe it for it to be true, Nick. You're welcome to waste your time wandering around Thana to discover for yourself that the only Chimera left here are the ones like Ernie—I'll even tell Ernie not to eat you if you want some time to explore. But I can't guarantee the others will listen. The only ones left are those that didn't want their freedom. They wanted to stay here and take their revenge when the humans showed up to prove us wrong—

nwhich they won't, by the way.

"

n

"You're lying,

" Nick said, his eyes dark and fierce.

nThe source of this content is n0v

/el

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nZev stepped forward, growling,

"She's not a liar like you, asshole.

"

nSasha didn't respond.

nNick looked back and forth between them.

"This is bull**.

"

nSasha kept her voice low and calm, but she let some of her anger creep into it.

"No Chimera is ever going to subject themselves to your scrutiny ever again, Nick. It's over. You need to go home.

"

n

"No. I'm not going anywhere. You need me.

"

n

"We'll never need another thing from you,

" Sasha spat.

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"That's bull**! You can't get your baby back without me.

"

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"Watch me.

"

nZev made a small noise in his throat as Nick tensed and his eyes went flinty hard—calculating.

nBut Sasha stood her ground and didn't drop her eyes.

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