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*****

~ ZEV ~

Sasha turned to stand next to him and look around again. "I'm willing to bet all this stone makes their technology less effective too," she said.

Zev frowned. What could she mean? "How can that be? The tech we used always worked best in the cities, and they were far larger than this—far more stone, bigger structures."

"Yes, but they had the technology in place—the wires and signals—to make them work through those huge buildings. The structures and cabling under the streets… You have to figure everything they bring here is working on battery or solar power. Those little devices won't have the same reach something in my world would have because they don't have the larger, powered devices and towers to connect to."

Zev shook his head. "See, I would never have thought of that. I always experienced technology problems out in the remote areas in your world. It wouldn't have occurred to me that they might struggle here."

Sasha muttered something under her breath and shook her head. "There's also just the demoralization of living so primitively," she said, "especially if you all were accustomed to this." She shook her head again. "They play mind games with you, on every level."

Zev let a growl putter in his throat. "You have no idea."

She turned to face him again, standing close enough to put her arms around his waist—very carefully, he noticed, she was doing her best not to aggravate his wound—she looked up at him earnestly. "We have to bring them back here, Zev. Like, now."

Zev chuckled. "Let's wait until we've got a little more information and know which way we're going—"

"No, Zev, I'm serious. Those men have been depowered for so long, they don't even realize it anymore. They're obedient and fearful and… they need to feel strong. Not just strong to hunt and protect themselves, they need to feel strong as a people. As if they belong. As if they're… as valuable as they are. This place," she opened her hand to gesture to the buildings and trees around them, "this is the home of a valuable people with history and… guts. We have to get them out of that village."

Zev smiled down at her, rubbing her upper arms. "You're beautiful when you're being Alpha," he said happily.

Sasha snorted. "That's not being Alpha, that's knowing about the psychology of people and why they do things they do. And how it affects their targets. We have to get them here, Zev. As quickly as we can."

"I'm in," he said softly, staring at her while she stared at the buildings. "Let's have some lunch, then I'll show you around a little before we leave. You need to understand what's here, and what's not."

"Yes, please," she said, but her eyes were still on the City and the forest surrounding them. "I can't believe this has just been sitting her all this time. How did they get the females out of here? Even if they had guns or tasers… there are so many places to hide. So much protection."

Zev frowned. "I know, it bothers me, too. The story that the females went by choice has to be real. The question is, were they drugged, or coerced, or both? I can't imagine the females I know just walking out—especially those with mates."

"We'll find out," she said, laying her temple against his chest as she continued looking around. "But for now, let's rest and get some food in you. I know having your jacket off has been good for you, but I'm worried. It's not natural. We need to get out of here."

"Soon," Zev said. The truth was, he was tired already—and he loved the City. He didn't want to leave. But he'd promised her he'd go straight to the healers. So he would. But she was right, it would be good for him to get a rest first.

*****

~ SASHA ~

Zev led her back into the city proper, through one of the grand, mostly-open buildings she'd noticed as soon as they walked in, to a smallish courtyard on its other side.

The Courtyard—garden, whatever it was—was almost square shaped, and hemmed by four, two story buildings, each with a wide open level at the ground, then stairs leading to closed in rooms and areas on the second level.

But there, in the courtyard, what little snow had reached between the buildings and past the trees was mostly already melted off. There was a massive stone table at its center, and several smaller stone tables scattered around it. From the stonework in the ground that kept their feet from getting muddy on the wet ground, to the masterwork of the stonemasons, the tables each looked as if they'd grown into those positions.

There were benches and round stones near most, but everything was too large even for Zev, let alone Sasha. So he led her to a small, raised garden on the side, where broad, smooth stone rails, fat and squatting at knee height for Zev, encircled the base of what must once have been carefully selected trees and bushes, but had become massive root and branch structures as many plants over many years, competed for the sunlight and rain, growing into and around each other, until it was impossible to tell where one plant ended and another began.

Zev pulled more dried meat out of his bag and handed her a strip.

She watched him, growing more worried as her fears were realized.

He wasn't eating.

He tried to cover it by looking for flint in his pack, and clearing a spot on the ground to light a fire, locating dry branches underneath the taller trees, and carrying them to the spot he'd cleared, all while carrying a piece of meat in his hand.

But he put the meat down to light the fire, and he didn't pick it back up again.

He needed his strength. But he also needed his hydration, and if he was feeling sick, might throw up if he ate…

She was scared to ask him. Especially after he laid down on his side next to the fire, urging her to sit with her back to his stomach, and rested his head on his fist.

And when she stopped making nervous chatter, he didn't pick up the conversation.

Within minutes he was asleep.

Sasha sat there, curled into his stomach, his arm around her waist, and she prayed.. She prayed and prayed that letting him rest was the right thing to do.