Rise of the Dark Alpha

468 As the Day Approaches

~ SASHA ~

On the fifth week of the humans being called into Thana, the patrols were finally called off and both of them could breathe easier. There'd been a very difficult week where the humans had brought in dozens of drones to search the forests.

Zev knew that the exercise was a last-ditch effort. But the beauty of it was that the drones could only identify living creatures from positions directly above, or directly facing. By hiding in the cave, he and Sasha had successfully evaded every set of digital eyes that passed over the mountain.

It had been a hungry week, but by the end, Zev's mood was noticeably improved. They'd thwarted the humans at every turn. If the guy Zev killed had been discovered, he'd never been spoken of within hearing of Zev.

Zev admitted to her one night in the furs that he was actually feeling hopeful for the first time.

Thana still crawled with humans, but they'd pulled all their sentries in from all over the valleys, apparently finally convinced that the Chimera had either escaped, or hidden themselves so well that they weren't going to find them.

By week seven, with the humans still not moving during the nighttime hours, Zev convinced Sasha they were safe enough to go to Yhet's cave.

Her heart had fluttered with both hope and nerves. Was he certain?

Zev had smiled.

"I've been circling the trails every day. Several times a day. They believe they're alone. They're not even trying to find us anymore. I'm sure they found Yhet's cave, and it might be stripped out. But what reason do they have to go back? They aren't going that deep into Thana anymore—not in that direction. Their interest is to the west, not that far north. They aren't even going to the City anymore or the Village, except for the ones who are using the buildings for shelter. Once we pass the City, I think we won't see them."

The idea of humans sleeping in her bed, in Kyelle's, in the medical building, had made Sasha's skin crawl. But she shook it off. She knew there was no point fighting it. The Chimera were gone. And she and Zev were leaving. She just prayed Yhet's cave hadn't been destroyed.

So, deep in the black of night at the beginning of the eighth week, they'd said what they hoped was goodbye to their little hollow on the mountain, and Zev had run her all the way to Yhet's cave.

She'd only thought of the sanctity of that place. Of the beauty and peace they experienced there. She hadn't thought about how it was going to hit her when she walked inside that Yhet was gone.

But it had.

When they finally reached the cave, Sasha exhausted, and her shoulders aching, she'd walked through the ice tunnel and waited for Zev to light a fire…

When the warm glow appeared in the fireplace and the room was illuminated—stripped, like Zev had said, but the furniture still there because it was all too big and heavy to move—for a split second, Sasha thought about how Yhet was going to be so angry when he saw that they'd stolen all of his things.

Then she remembered.

The tears had come thick and fast, and Zev had pulled her into a hug and held her for a long time, both of them grieving their friend.

"I hope… I wish…"

"I know," Zev whispered, kissing her hair, his hand trembling as he cupped her head and held her. "Me too."

They hadn't made love that night, though Sasha had been looking forward to it. she'd been too sad.

There was too much sadness! Too many defeats! Too many losses!

They'd spread their furs on his massive bed, curled into each other, and slept even without eating.

The next morning Sasha still had an ache in her chest with grief for her friend, and she knew Zev did as well. But when she opened her eyes to that ice-blue glow and high, arching ceiling, her heart leaped with joy.

She didn't even turn to see if Zev was awake yet, just stared at the sunlight seeping into the ice above them to make the walls glow and thanked God that they were safe and warm and… and that their beautiful friend had been a part of keeping everyone safe.

She prayed he'd taken out humans as he went. Made them shit their pants.

She snorted with the idea of Yhet scaring people—though she now knew he absolutely could—and Zev rolled over next to her.

"What's funny?" he croaked, his voice deep and rough with sleep.

Sasha turned to him, beaming. "The idea of Yhet making Nick—or others like him—shit their pants."

Zev's lips curled up at the sides, putting those gorgeous smile lines into his cheeks. He nodded. "Yeah, I like that, too," he said roughly, then pulled Sasha close and rolled over to cover her, kissing her slow and deep.

Sasha hummed in her throat as he nudged his knees between hers, then let himself sink down between her thighs.

It was the most beautiful, calm morning they'd had in weeks, and Sasha almost wept with joy just because he was there, and she was there, and they were safe.

The kiss deepened quickly and he began to rub himself against her, slowly at first, gently. But adding pressure with every rock, until Sasha was beginning to gasp and shake and plead with him to take her.

He teased, nipping her neck and whispering to her to wait, but then as he rolled, she tilted her hips and braced against his shoulder so he slid into her.

A strange, guttural gasp broke from him and his mouth opened with shock, as Sasha made a cry that should have been embarrassing, but she was suddenly too frantic to care.

"Ze-ev?" she asked, her breath catching.

"Yes?" His voice was so low it seemed to drag from the furs beneath her, his chest vibrating against hers. But he was bracing on his elbows so he didn't squash her, and it felt like he was putting distance between them, even as he kept a slow, relentless pace that dragged desperation from her.

"I love it when your weight is on me," she whispered, leaning up to kiss his jaw when he let his head drop down. "It feels good. Like you're close. And I'm safe."

Zev groaned and let himself rest on her, moving his elbows to the furs on either side of her head, fingers clasped over her head, and he kissed her, as his lips danced, and his tongue teased, his breath fluttering across her cheek and in her hair, he didn't stop, the roll of him inside wringing sensation from her as his body rippled into hers.

Despite the urgency to be close, there was no thunderous pounding, or screaming cries this time. Only whispered promises, slow rolls, his broach back arching in a graceful roll as he sipped at her lips and nudged at her neck, murmuring her name.

And even as they climbed, together, to the crest of that glittering wave, she wrapped her arms around his neck, hands pressing into his shoulders, so he couldn't move away. Even when he grunted and sighed her name, she never stopped whispering how much she loved him, until he trembled and thrust into her and a deep, resonant call tore from his throat.

Sasha was so overwhelmed, so desperately in love, that a tear escaped, sliding down her cheek.

Zev's brow furrowed, and he dropped his chin to kiss it away, then down her cheek, to her jaw, until he buried his face in her neck and sucked, and kissed, and made every promise and vow to be there for her.

Please, don't cry, Sasha. Please.

All she could do was breath and cling, and thank God that they were together.

They rolled together so perfectly, that she felt as if they truly had become one, and it made that piece of him inside her glow and fizz in her chest. But it was when they crested the wave together and tumbled over the edge of pleasure at the same time that her joy was complete.

*****

They dozed together. Sasha didn't know how long. But when she woke, she was still blanketed with him, and his breathing was long and slow. Hugging his back, she prayed he'd stay there a while so she could just enjoy him.

Laying there with only her own thoughts, though, and replaying the beauty of it all in her mind, it hit her then that the last time they'd been there in Yhet's cave, she'd conceived.

It shouldn't have been possible, and yet… she knew it was.

What had the humans done to her to make that happen? And were they somehow still doing it? She'd never taken the pills they'd sent for her. But she also hadn't started a cycle yet since she'd returned. It had been two months.

Was it possible she was pregnant again already?

Did she want to be?

No, she couldn't answer that, and she wasn't going to let that question steal away the simple pleasure of being there with Zev.

She stroked his back slowly, letting her fingers play up the ripples of muscle on his back.

They had a baby, and they were going to get him in two weeks. That was the important thing. That was what she had to hold onto.

They had less than two weeks to go. So, the remainder of this… their time here… it was just rest. And one she planned to make the most of.

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