~ SASHA ~

Confused, she pulled it again, then again, snapping it open again and again, then pounding on the window.

"Let me out of here," she snarled. "You said this was voluntary! You said—"

"Relax, Sasha. The back doors are on child locks. I'll let you out," Nick said, then trotted around the car again and pulled her door open again.

Sasha leaped out of the car, scrambling away from Nick, turning to face him and backing towards the restrooms. "Why would you put me in the locked seats?"

"They're the only seats in the car, Sasha. You'll notice I also let you out as soon as you asked."

"Yes, but—"

"No buts. This isn't a vacation, Sasha. I work for some very powerful people, and they don't mess around. Now, I told you I'd get you back safely, and I will. But you play by the same rules everyone else does. Which is that you do whatever they say, or whatever they need. Because if you don't, they'll just kill you. It's that simple."

He stood, facing her, still holding the open door, nothing in his body language indicating a threat.

But Sasha's heart—already aching from losing Zev—was racing. "And one of their rules is that passengers be imprisoned?!"

"No," he said patiently. "Their rules are that staff be put under no threat while driving delicate equipment—or persons—around. No one sits in the front with the driver because that gives you a chance to take control of the car. You sit in the back and when we get there, I'll open the door and you'll walk out a free woman."

"You say that like I should be grateful. I don't make a habit of driving around with people who consider freedom a gift."

"Then you better adjust your thinking, because that's exactly the kind of people you're dealing with now."

Sasha stared at him, her heart pounding and head screaming. She needed to leave. Just run. All the way back to Thana and Zev, and—

"Sasha, I'm not playing. I wasn't lying. You get in the car. I take you to them. You answer questions. You reassure them. And when they let you, you go back. This is a win-win for everybody. Don't make transport a hill to die on."

"I'm more concerned with freedom, than transport."

"Then get a different job," Nick growled. "Because this one requires transport in this vehicle. And if you're wanting to prove to my bosses that you're here to play by their rules, this is the way we go."

Sasha raked a hand through her hair, then folded her arms. She looked at the little bathroom building and asked herself if this was all worth it.

"I… need a minute."

"That's fine," Nick muttered. "But don't get any ideas about running back to the gateway. I might be a complete coward when it comes to Chimera, but I'm sure Zev told you that I can hold my own against any man. You do not intimidate me, Sasha. And I have no qualms about tackling a woman."

Sasha shook her head, tears pinching the backs of her eyes. "I'll be back in a minute."

It was closer to five in the end, but by the time she returned from the bathroom she felt fresher from splashing the ice-cold water from the faucets on her face.

She'd leaned on the edges of the sink and stared at herself in the mirror.

She was back in the human world, with a hole in her heart.

She had an entire people back in Thana that couldn't stand in their defense right now. And a group of men and women here that threatened their lives.

Literally her only choices were to follow her instincts and go with Nick and try to beat these people at their own game. Or to run now and probably get dragged back to them—but with their defenses up even farther.

It was no choice.

So she prayed, finger combed wisps of her hair back from her face, and then walked quickly back out to Nick, who still stood next to the open back door of the Suburban, but had the phone back in his hand.

When he saw her, his eyes followed her progress until she stood in front of him.

"I'm trusting you, when I don't actually trust you," she said bluntly.

"Good, then we're even."

Sasha frowned. "What are you trusting me with?"

"The life of my son. It's him they wanted. But I can't stand putting him back in their hands, so you'll do. I can leverage your position and your relationship with Zev. But don't fool yourself, Sasha. If it comes down to a choice between you and him, I'm choosing him every time."

Sasha tipped her head and made herself smile. "Well, then, like you said, I guess we're even."

Nick snorted and opened a hand towards the door. "Shall we get moving?"

Sasha blew out a breath and raked her hand through her hair again. "I guess we will."

She climbed up into the Suburban, closing her eyes as Nick closed the door, locking her in.

As the vehicle jiggled when Nick released the break and the engine roared to life, the tires crunching on the gravel outside, she kept praying.

Twenty minutes later, she finally broke and started a conversation. At first Nick only gave one word answers, but once she made it clear she wanted to understand how to make this work with the people behind this whole world, he opened up.

"You're certain this will only take two days, tops?"

"If my information about your cycle is correct, yes."

"My… what?"

They'd reached a major intersection and were about to roll onto the highway. Nick looked up at the light, waiting for it to turn green so they could enter the on-ramp.

"They'll just want to make sure you're not pregnant."

Sasha's mouth dropped open. "Pregnant? What does pregnant have to do with being alpha?

Nick sighed. "You really don't get it, do you? This entire program, everything we do, is about Zev and making more Chimera like him. If you're carrying his baby, you're the first. No way we're letting that one out of our sight."

Sasha blew out a breath with relief. "Well, if you guys are that creepy and know my cycle, then you know it was too late for me to get pregnant. There's no way I was still fertile when… when me and Zev…" Images flashed of Zev, his chest bare and head thrown back, his strong jaw shadowing his neck—

She blinked and cleared her throat. "I can't be pregnant."

Nick sighed. "You really don't know who you're dealing with, do you?"

"Zev," she snapped. "Until now I've been dealing with Zev, who loves me and would never do anything to hurt me."

"Sure," Nick said, shrugging. "But guess who hovers around Zev at every turn? Guess who knew he was coming for you, even before he did?"

Something about that made her spine go cold, but she pushed on. "Who cares what they knew? They weren't there!"

Nick shook his head as the car accelerated onto the highway and Sasha felt herself pressed back into the thick seat.

"Sasha," he said over the roar of the engine, "these people literally created an entirely new race of humans, and learned to access a supernatural gateway that takes them between alternate universes… you think people like that don't have a way to manipulate your hormones?"