Rise of the Dark Alpha

Chapter 336 In His Arms Again

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*****

~ SASHA ~

Sasha wasn't sure if she was laughing or crying. Zev felt thinner in her arms, but just as solid, just as warm. His face when he'd seen her… shit. She could have lighted a room with that look.

I love you, she whispered in his head. I missed you so much.

You're here! He cried in hers. You're really here. I was so scared, I thought—

Unable—or unwilling—to wait, Sasha pulled back from the hug to take his face in her hands and kiss him soundly and when their lips met, he whimpered in his throat.

His hands splayed at her back, pressing her tightly to him as they kissed. Tears of joy and relief pressed out from under her lashes to trickle down her cheeks, but she didn't even care.

It didn't matter that Zev had been about to kill Nick. It didn't matter that she almost hadn't made it back. All that mattered was that she was here and in his arms again.

Their kiss was deep with longing and a desperate need for reassurance, so it wasn't until Nick cleared his throat, that they pulled apart. But Sasha didn't look away. As Zev slowly lowered her back to her feet, she kept her hands on his precious face.

"Are you okay? Are you healed?"

"Yes," he croaked. "I was planning to come for you tonight—"

Sasha cursed. "I told you not to! That I was handling it! I'm so glad you didn't, that would have been a disaster."

Zev chuckled, then leaned down to kiss her one more time, and in her head he whispered, I love you, Sasha. And I'm so grateful that you're safe.

When they pulled apart that time she knew she had to let him go or she'd end up pulling him out of the caves into some sheltered corner while the rest of Thana went to hell, so she straightened her clothes and hair and stepped back, but never let her eyes leave his. Zev followed her, his gaze intense and piercing as he positioned himself between her and Nick.

She put a hand to his chest so he would give her a little bit of space. But then she left it there because it felt so good to touch him.

"The females need some space and time, Zev. We need a place they can all go and stay together if they want to, away from the humans."

"We've been preparing a place for them in the City—one of the big open rooms, but we closed the walls and—wait, did you say humans?"

Sasha glanced at Nick, then back to Zev. "Yes."

"Plural?"

"Yes. Nick and Patty—the woman. The scientist. She came through earlier…?"

Zev's lip pulled back from his teeth and looked around at the guards, but they were all shaking their heads.

"Nick's the only human here, babe," he said quietly, his voice rolling into a growl on his surrogate father's name.

"That's impossible. Patty went through before I did! Where is she—?" Sucking in a breath, Sasha turned on Nick. "What were you telling her before she went into the Gateway, Nick? What did you do?!"

Nick shook his head, his face pale and tight. He was edging away from the other Chimera that were all beginning to eye him suspiciously. "I just gave her the same advice I gave you, Sasha. She hadn't been through before. She heard your speech as well. If something went wrong, that's on her."

Sasha realized she was gripping Zev's arms—hard—and made herself release him. But he only stepped back into her, one hand at her waist, the other coming up to cup her face. She put one hand to his wrist and held it, as unwilling to be apart from him as it appeared he was to be separated from her.

"We have to help them, Zev. They're freaking out," she said, her voice heavy with regret. She wanted nothing more than to be there with him, to be close—closer. But she was uncomfortably aware of the audience they had, and that Nick was staring…

Zev took a deep breath, then nodded and Sasha turned away, immediately issuing orders.

"Have any of them started traveling yet?" she asked the guards, who all shook their heads.

"We just moved them outside, Sasha-don, so that there was room here for new ones to arrive."

Sasha nodded. "Keep at least four guards in here with the Gateway in case Patty comes through. If she does, she's to be stripped of any weapons and devices, then bring her to me—and anything you took from her."

The males all saluted, but she was already walking, Zev right at her shoulder as they headed out of the cave and out into the snow.

It was chaos.

Females spread out in groups and singles, some crying, others utterly silent. Some hugging themselves, others turning circles with wide eyes and nostrils flared. Even the little Alphas stood to the sides, watching everyone else and seeming confused about what to do. None of the females had shifted, she noticed, but a few seemed like they might be about to. She needed to do something before their instincts kicked in and they started fleeing. Although the Chimera knew how to look after themselves, from what she was seeing on this side of the Gateway, the stress of this day—being penned in the Arena, the bus ride, waiting to find out if they were indeed being freed—made her concerned that the already fragile females may have been tipped over the edge.

"We need to get them focused and moving. Give them a chance to clear their heads and figure out that this is real and that they're safe… or as safe as we can make them," she whispered to Zev.

He nodded, his chest warm on the back of her shoulder.

Then she saw Kyelle, standing near a small cluster of the females, speaking quietly and rubbing the back of the female next to her.

Calling the female close—and aware of Lhars appearing suddenly from alongside the road where he'd obviously been squatting, out of the way, but ready to help—Sasha leaned in so they could speak as privately as possible.