Rise of the Dark Alpha

Chapter 349 Home

~ SASHA ~

As they approached the City, Sasha looked back over her shoulder, biting her lip.

The females were having very mixed responses. Some pushed forward, eyes bright, but nervous. A couple seemed to nearly vibrate with excitement—or was it fear? There were several with furrowed brows and wide eyes whose expressions made Sasha want to reach out and hug them. But that wouldn't help, she knew.

The howls rose again but were cut off and shushed as they entered the shadow of the large archway. "Here we go," Sasha breathed to herself, grateful when Mae appeared at her shoulder and reached for her hand, squeezing it once.

There was a low murmur of voices that even Sasha could hear, but she could hear the wind rustling the leaves in the trees overhead, hear the footsteps of the females as they crossed out from under the building and into the main Courtyard that had seemed so beautiful and so alien to Sasha when Zev brought her here.

Then the sun blazed and Sasha's eyes pinched, her throat closing as she led the females into the wide, oval-shaped space the males had left in the Courtyard.

They were all there, she realized breathlessly. In lines and groups, peppering the windows and open spaces of the buildings around the Courtyard, and hemming the entire space on the ground where they entered.

Males poised… for flight, or to take, she wasn't sure. But all of them leaned in as if they couldn't get close enough. They stared at the females searching their faces wildly as the females walked in slowly, holding each other and looking around nervously.

It seemed like the entire City held its breath as they filed in. Sasha saw Zev near the front at the end and stepped quickly over to him. He took her hand and she could sense his relief—she felt it too—as she turned to face the females who were walking in slowly, far more cautiously. Most of them.

A few strode in, hands clasped under their chins, or to their chests, tears in their eyes.

Then they were there and came to a halt in front of Sasha, looking around, the males staring at them with sad, hopeful eyes.

The females looked at Sasha, and suddenly she wasn't sure what to do.

But just when she cleared her throat to invite any of them forward who were feeling confident, a quiet, pleading voice, said, "Pysa?"

Every head in the Courtyard turned to see a male, a little older than Zev, Sasha thought, pushed forward, his eyes wild and uncertain, welling with tears.

"Allory!" A dark-haired female, quick-moving but grace, who reminded Sasha of Kyelle, pushed through the females towards him, throwing herself into his arms.

He stumbled back, curling himself around her and babbling through tears.

The entire Chimeran population watched this reunion of male and female and Sasha, squeezing Zev's hand, had to wipe away tears.

It was the moment she'd wished for, seeing two hearts, so clearly adoring of each other, aligned and unified again.

Allory was taller than her and he bent her backward, his arms around her back, swaying her back and forth, saying her name over and over again, rubbing his face against her shoulder, sobbing, his wide shoulders shaking.

A ripple ran through both crowds, both male and female, voices hushed, but happy, cheering the two on in their embrace.

And at that moment, Sasha thought that perhaps all hope wasn't lost. Perhaps… just perhaps, this would have a happy ending.

Then another male stepped forward. He'd been standing on the low wall at the side of the Courtyard and he leaped off, pushing through the males to get to the front.

"Mae?" He was a wolf, Sasha realized. She'd seen him at the display, though he hadn't tried to tempt her. And he was calling for Mae.

Sasha turned, bright and joyful, to the female she hoped to soon call friend… only to find the female staring, her brows pinched over her nose, and her nostrils flaring.

She watched the male approach and didn't speak. He caught her expression and slowed as he darted alongside the crowd of females to reach her.

He stopped in front of her, just feet away, and held out a hand, swallowing hard. "Mae? It's me… Chet."

She nodded and looked at his hand, lifting hers from her side as if it was reflex to touch him, but then she pulled it back to her stomach, flattening her hands against her belly and sucking in a breath.

But then her tears spilled over and she shook her head, pushing backward towards Sasha.

"I'm sorry," she sobbed, turning in panic. "I can't. I just can't." She turned towards Sasha, panic in her eyes, and Sasha nodded, taking her arms.

"You said there was space for the females," she whispered hurriedly to Zev.

He nodded. "Open the way. Let the females through to the hall. Open the way. Clear the stairs!"

The males pulled back and away, making a path that Mae darted down almost as soon as it cleared.

Sasha wasn't sure whether to go after her and turned towards the other females, just in time to see the male who'd been waiting for Mae slump, his shoulders rolling forward, drop his head into his hands. And he looked so devasted, Sasha's tears returned.

She wanted to scream. She wanted to find Nick and shoot him. She wanted to rush back to the human world and torture Nathan and Horace and everyone else who'd had any hand in destroying these people, breaking their hearts and their spirits.

As the male's friends gathered around him, trying to reassure, but looking up at the way Mae and run, and to Sasha, the females ducked their heads and hurried after Mae, through the crowd and up the covered stairs.

Sasha watched them go, despair burning in her chest.

How were they ever going to fix this? How were they ever going to find their joy again?

But then she saw Allory and Pysa, both still clinging to each other, their faces alight despite the tears wetting their cheeks.

And then Zev stepped up to put his hand to her shoulder.

Sasha took a deep breath, and ushered the last of the females through the gap towards the stairs, feeling the eyes of the males following them as they walked.

They would get through this, she told herself. They would. They would not allow the humans to steal love from them now. Not after they'd gotten this far.