~ SASHA ~

Sasha swallowed convulsively as two of the tallest of the women stood without speaking or even gesturing to each other. As if there'd been some silent signal, they briskly stepped around the furniture to place themselves between Nick and Sasha and the rest of the women. Both of them watched Nick warily, but their eyes slid back and forth to Sasha as well. Sasha recognized the stance. Zev often adopted it when he felt like she was in danger. He'd done the same thing when they got to the City and the twins appeared.

It was a casual stance with arms at their sides, that said I mean no threat. But the tension and poise they held in the body made it clear they were ready to take action if it was needed.

Sasha prayed they never felt like it was needed.

The two women that had moved in front of the others had to be six feet tall, and those on the couch and beds behind them didn't seem like they were much smaller. Sasha felt like a child next to them. Kyelle was tall too, but hadn't seemed like it next to all the males who were massive. This was the first time she'd stood near several Chimeran females at the same time.

No wonder Zev joked about her being light as a feather despite her jiggling ass. These women were Amazonians.

Each of them wore simple, normal clothing—sweat pants, hoodies, one was in a soft cotton dress that went to her ankles. Their skin was pale—as if they hadn't seen the sun in years. But their eyes were bright, their hair shiny. They were wiry, but in the way that appeared fit, not gaunt.

They stood with their hands at their sides, seeming relaxed, but Sasha had spent enough time with the Chimera now to see the tension in them, the suspicion lighting behind their eyes.

"Bayley, Penny, it's good to see you," Nick said softly. The two women nodded, but didn't say anything. As if it were just a meeting of friends, Nick scanned the room. "You all should come closer, you'll want to scent her. Don't be shy Nicole, Adrien, she won't bite, ha ha. Harriet, it's okay. You're safe. We just want to talk. You too, Dani and Victoria. Come on. Come greet her."

The women got up, one by one, as Nick named them. As if they wouldn't have moved until he called for them. The entire exchange felt very strange to Sasha, but they women didn't don't afraid as much as wary, and each got up from their seat to walk over and stand behind the two that had approached as soon as they walked in.

Sasha could see the hierarchy at work very blatantly in this group, in the way they positioned themselves, and the way they looked at each other.

And in the way they looked at her. As if they didn't know where she fit.

"Ladies, this is Sasha. She's Alpha of those in Thana now."

There was a sharp snort from one of the women. "You said Zev had taken Alpha."

Nick nodded. "It turned out our information was only partially correct. Zev is the Alpha of the wolves, and Sasha's second. But the males all submit to her, I saw it for myself."

The female Nick had referred to as Bayley tilted her head and scanned Sasha. "You're very small to be Alpha. Perhaps what they said about female alphas is true after all. But I think I could eat your throat."

Sasha blinked. "I have no doubt that you could," she said, trying not to let her voice shake. "I hope you won't, though. I want to work with you, not against you."

The woman's brow furrowed as the one named Penny spoke up. "You are Zev's chosen mate?"

Sasha nodded and turned to smile at the woman whose expression was much friendlier. "Yes," she said.

"And you took Alpha from him?"

"No," Sasha almost laughed. "I killed Xar. He attacked me during a fight for Alpha with Zev, and when I killed him instead… everyone submitted."

Sasha was hit then, for just a moment, with how entirely odd this conversation was. If someone had told her weeks earlier that she'd be in a secret lab, talking to half-human women about taking Alpha of their clan…

Was it possible she really was out of her mind and none of this was real?

"Welcome, Sasha-don," Bayley said suddenly. "You are human… do you share scents?"

Sasha swallowed. "I mean, I'm happy to. I've seen it done. But I've never… the males were giving me a lot of space. It was kind of weird… there was a lot going on."

Bayley looked surprised, but stepped forward, offering an arm to clasp. "We lean into each other's hair and rub our faces."

"Oh. Okay," Sasha said, clasping forearms with her and leaning in to meet the woman as if they would give a European kiss. But as Bayley rubbed her face in Sasha's hair, and Sasha did her best to return the gesture, she found her cheeks heating.

What the hell had become of her life?

When they parted, Bayley looked more relaxed. "She scents of Zev."

The others all murmured, then wanted to come forward and share scents as well. Sasha felt like she was getting a crash course in becoming Chimera, and yet, at the same time, there was a strange sense of stiffness about the women and their movements as well. As if they, too, didn't do this naturally.

When she'd been rubbed by each of the women in turn, Sasha had to step back and find some space. Her heart was beating too loudly, and Nick's eagle-eyed gaze on her wasn't helping.

But apparently, she wasn't done after all. Because Bayley stepped forward again, offering her arm once more. "Welcome, Sasha-don," she said, dropping her chin and eyes to the floor, then leaning in again. And as they rubbed cheeks once more, Sasha froze, because the woman whispered, "You have to help us. They're killing us."

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