Rise of the Dark Alpha

Chapter 309 Together

~ SASHA ~

Zev was obviously horrified, his eyes wide and body still. What do you mean?

Zev's words bounced in her skull as if he'd shouted them.

She realized he thought she meant—

No, no, Zev, I mean… they feel like they're dying. They're losing their hope. Losing their desire to be alive. The Alpha of the main group, the one they let live in the forest, she says they won't make it through next winter.

Zev growled, but it trailed off into a whine that reflected Sasha's aching pain for the females. In his mind, she found his hand on her stomach, slid her fingers between his and held him there, fingers laced together.

He needed hope as much as she did.

Taking a deep breath, she tried to get him to see.

I'm talking to Nathan and Horace about letting the females go back to Thana, she said quietly. They don't like the idea, but I'm trying to get them to see that it will benefit them. I know we don't want the humans in Thana, but if I can get the females over there, I can get rid of the humans afterwards. But you're part of the leverage, Zev. You can't be here. They can't know that you're here. If they do, they'll never give in.

It was the strangest thing in their minds—she could hear and see him, and she could feel him. Feel that the idea of letting her go… of returning through the gateway and losing that connection again… it was a knife in his gut. Feel that even the thought of letting her go threatened to make his knees sag.

She understood. She felt it too.

I'm not… I'm not coming to the compound, he said, his voice dark and heavy with his resistance to the idea. Not yet. But we're planning. We're not leaving you there, Sasha.

That's good, that's good, she said, stroking his arm. I hope you won't have to. Trust me, Zev, I'm going to get them out. I can feel it.

She could feel his skepticism, but it was washed in his pride, and even a drop of hope. He wanted her to be right. He wanted to be wrong about them and what they were doing. But he didn't believe it.

He thought she was fooling herself.

Was she?

*****

~ ZEV ~

Zev grimaced. He didn't see how it was possible that she'd convince the humans to just relinquish the females. But he didn't want to discourage her. He knew how important it was to have a goal when you were in their hands. To have something to focus on.

You keep working on it, he said reluctantly. But just remember, they tell you things… things that sound like they agree with you. But they often don't. You have to analyze their words really carefully.

I am. I am. Don't talk about them, Zev. Just… be here. Be with me. Please.

The edge of fear and desperation in her voice was a blade between his ribs.

He pulled her into him, imagining that he inhaled her scent as he held her so tightly he was afraid he might stop her breathing. But she only clung to him just as tightly.

I miss you so much, Zev.

I'm hollow without you, Sash.

He could feel the ache inside her. The vision they built together soothed some of the need to be close, but it wasn't the same as actually touching. His body swung back and forth between feeling as if she were right there, and as if his arms were empty.

Desperate and needy, he gave himself over to the vision completely, until it wasn't an image of his hand on her stomach, or the inserted sensation of his lips on her neck, but the warmth of her skin under his calloused palms. And when she rolled over to face him, took his mouth with a little whimper, he tasted her.

His every sense was full of her. He could feel the strands of her hair between his fingers and he grasped them, pulling her head back, tugging her until she sighed his name and tipped her head back so he could taste her throat.

He could feel the weight of her knee thrown over his thigh.

He could feel the warmth of her, smell her desire for him.

Sasha… he rasped.

She only clung to him harder, pulled him closer.

He raked his hands down her back harder than he should have. He should have left red welts on her skin, but instead she rippled and gave a small cry of pleasure, that only drove him froward.

I need you, Sasha.

Her kiss only deepened as he gripped her thigh, pulling her leg around his waist until they were together, skin to skin and he could feel her heat.

Please, Zev. Please.

It was as if she whispered the word in his ear, her breath fluttering there so goosebumps prickled down his neck on that side.

But she shivered in his arms, and he could feel her tension.

Sasha?

I just wish we weren't here, she said in a tiny voice, high and faint. I wish we were…

Zev took the unfinished thought and yearned for it with his whole heart. He brought his hands up to her face, cupped it and pulled back far enough to meet her eyes.

I know, he breathed, and changed the vision.

It took all his concentration to move things in her mind at the same time as he painted it in his own, but he was so happy when they were suddenly in the massive fur platform of Yhet's cave, the high, arching, white-blue ice ceiling soaring over their heads. The fire crackling merrily in the fireplace.

Sasha's eyes went wide and she turned her head to look around quickly, while Zev only watched her.

If only this was real, she breathed.

It is, he said, taking her mouth and pulling her back in. It's real to us. I'm here, Sasha. I need you. Please.

Yes, she whispered, and her eyes closed slowly.

She was smiling.

Yes, she breathed again. Yes, Zev. It's always yes with you.

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