Chapter 327 Compassion & Authority

~ SASHA ~

Sasha stood in the wide aisle of the stable, near-choking on the fumes of the huge bus that had been idling for over an hour now.

Most of the females were now inside, peering wide-eyed out of the windows, or walking between the seats, trying to find a place that felt safe enough to settle while their animal instincts were stressed.

But a handful remained on the dirt outside, shivering, their upper lips curling, or hands clawed into their clothing.

They feared this machine, and Sasha couldn't fault them for it. From their perspective, it was a massive, noisy contraption that might swallow them whole, or take them somewhere entirely out of their own control.

But after nearly an hour of trying to convince them, she was beginning to lose hope. She'd made a mistake in having the mini-alphas file onto the bus with their groups, because now only Mae remained outside the bus, and her stress was becoming evident.

She'd resorted to pleading, and standing back, next to Nick, even Sasha could see the weakness in it. They were discussing how much time they had before they had to abandon the frightened females—none of them made, all of them from Thana because ironically, the made Chimera weren't afraid of human vehicles when Sasha realized she'd already forgotten Zev's instructions about Alpha authority.

Don't question. Take what's yours. Own your space and expect them to give it to you.

Of course. These women didn't need to be urged and coddled, they needed to be ordered.

Sasha took a deep breath. She refused to leave without a single soul that the humans were willing to give up.

Decided, she turned to Nick and dropped her voice. "I'm going to get them on there. But I can't guarantee they won't panic once they're in. Can you make certain that as soon as we're inside, the doors close. I know the others will help control and calm them once they're in there, but I can't be certain their first instinct won't be to flee. So we have stop that happening. Can you instruct the driver to get that door closed the second they're all inside?

Nick nodded and trotted over to the bus, stepping up into the depths of it to speak with the driver. Sasha eyed him through the windows. The driver and front passenger seats—there were two—were all enclosed behind a glass wall with a door. She didn't think it was to guard against distractions.

Sasha wanted to growl herself. But she couldn't fix everything at once. Right now she needed to focus on getting these females to the gateway. Nick and his cowardly coworkers would have to be ignored for now.

When Nick leaned out of the door, nodding to her, Sasha checked to make sure everyone else was already on the bus, then strode over to where Mae, frustrated and beginning to snarl a little, was desperately trying to coax the three females onto the bus. She'd gotten them closer to the door, at least.

Sasha took a deep breath, reminded herself of the way the males had submitted to her when she'd been in Thana, then strode over to where Mae stood.

Interrupting her mid-sentence, she fixed her gaze on the female and said through her teeth, "Get on the bus."

Mae blinked, then submitted and without another word, turned and walked over to the steps, looking back over her shoulder towards the little group, her eyes sad, before stepping up into the rumbling depths of the bus.

Then Sasha turned to the other three, who were all curled in on themselves, one with tears on her cheeks, the other two with jaws jutting forward.

"Get. On. The bus," she hissed.

The one with tears tracking down her face went wide-eyed. "But—"

"You misunderstand, this is not a request, this is an order. I am Alpha in Thana, I am Alpha here. I have done everything in my power to bring you home and now you fight me?"

Please let them listen, please let them listen.

She turned, her eyes snapping to each of the three in turn. "You fight your own salvation. You deny and delay the salvation of others. Get your asses on that bus before I am forced to make you submit to ensure I won't suffer challenges from others!"

Geez, she hoped that was right. Her knowledge of the hierarchy and how it was managed was still so patchy.

They all stared at her and Sasha forced herself not to swallow, instead glaring at each of them, her heart burning with the demand that they follow. Then she turned and stalked to the stairs herself and, without looking back, walked up into the bus.

Her feet clanged on the narrow metal staircase. She felt the eyes of all the others, wide and fixed on her as she rose into the belly of the bus—a plush, expensive vehicle with padded seats in three rows, like an airplane. Despite its luxury, Sasha had to keep shoving the image of a cattle truck from her mind.

It didn't matter how pretty the transport was if it was taking you to the slaughterhouse.

But, ignoring the fascination of the others—now quiet enough that the rumble of the bus engine could be heard clearly through the cabin—she turned at the top of the stairs, putting herself in the first aisle, and she waited.

From the corner of her eyes she could see the three arguing. She was surprised to see the crying one step forward first, shaking and hugging herself, she hesitated at the bottom of the stairs, looking up. But Sasha stared down at her, firm, but compassionate, and waited.

When she made it up, her body flinching at the hollow clang of her steps on each metal stair, Sasha nodded to her.

"Well done."

She turned and looked over her shoulder, grateful to find Mae rushing forward to help her and bring her to a seat.

By the time Sasha turned back, the other two were at the door, staring up at her, their lips tight and thin.