Rise of the Dark Alpha

Chapter 314 Should Have Seen It

~ SASHA ~

She couldn't quite take in the words. Had he just said what she thought he said? She could go back? She could return to Thana? As long as she took some humans and worked on getting pregnant?

Sasha swallowed hard. He'd said something else… something about six months and…

Sasha blinked. "Everyone? You said everyone?"

"Everyone. This is what you call a hail mary pass, Sasha. It's your last shot. It's the last shot for all of us, actually. It looks like your body isn't going to do well separated from your mate, so that means you have to go back. You say that you'd all do better over there. You're saying it will improve your fertility and theirs. Well, here's your chance, Sasha. We'll give you six months to prove yourself correct. God help you if you're wrong."

Sasha looked back and forth between them, gaping. "Just like that?"

"The more information we have, the better decisions we can make," Nick explained patiently. "We learned a lot tonight."

Could this be real? Or was it some kind of trick?

But no, they hadn't known Zev was coming. This was a reaction to what Nick had just seen. What he'd shown Nathan on that little screen. Whatever they'd seen in her body's reaction to Zev leaving.

What the hell did they think they'd seen?

Sasha's hope rose to take a stranglehold on her throat and threaten to bring her stomach up again. "I want the females," she said. "I need them there. There's not many in Thana. It's hard to… relax."

Nathan's face tightened. "We'll send half the females with you now. If you become pregnant and continue to cooperate, we'll send the rest in six months. Consider it an incentive," he said with a horrific smile.

Sasha shook her head. "I don't believe you."

"You don't have any choice," Nathan said bluntly. "Trust me, Sasha, we've moved so much further on this than you deserve. You inspired Horace last evening. Personally I think he's losing his touch, but we can't all be objective. You can thank him that you get to take any females at all."

When Sasha just kept staring, Nathan's eyes narrowed. "Do you want to get back to your mate safely or not?"

"Well, of course, but…" Sasha blew out a breath. It wasn't everything, but it was more than she thought she'd achieve on her own. And if she was right about her theory… this could be their shot. Or… most of it.

Sasha swallowed. What hadn't she thought of? "I have to see the females go through the gateway first. Without any humans among them. The humans stay with me, and I go last."

"Done," Nathan said.

"Then I'm agreed to that," Sasha said, her heart trilling. She looked at Nick, stunned. Had that really just happened?

"This deserves a toast," Nathan said, striding into the kitchen and pulling a bottle of something out of the fridge, pouring three small tumbler glasses and walking them back to Nick and Sasha, handing them one each. "To the future," he said with a half-smile.

Sasha tossed the drink back—it tasted like orange juice with some kind of alcohol mixed into it. She barely waited for the other two to finish theirs and drop their glasses.

"When can I go?" she asked, waiting for the deception to be revealed.

"As soon as we arrange your supplements," Nathan said, his nose wrinkled as if he was disgusted by the idea of it. "Later today. After lunch."

"With the females going ahead of me?"

Nathan made a noise in his throat, and rolled his eyes. "No, we'll need more time to separate them from the herd. We have to select the most trustworthy females only, of course." He gave her an oily smile and Sasha wanted to puke again.

She hadn't thought about what might happen bringing these females back into Thana. Any one of them could have been brainwashed or coerced into spying. All of them! Dammit.

Her head spun suddenly with images of females as assassins and spies, killing the males, but… no. Sasha shook off her sudden uneasiness. They just had to watch closely and not expect the females to be allies, that was all.

She couldn't let herself believe there was no hope. She couldn't let herself believe they couldn't catch any liars or spies. And they could just be very careful who they spoke to until the females had proven themselves.

Then her stomach went cold imagining two humans there, living in Thana. But what could she do? Two humans? They could deal with them at any time that they needed to.

This was her shot. No doubt they were setting the Chimera up for a fall, but Sasha would use what they were willing to give. She would get these women back to Thana!

"Well, I guess I'll go…" Sasha looked at her empty glass, but Nathan reached for it. She thanked him by rote, then wiped her hands on the front of her robe. "I better get ready," she said, sounding utterly stupid. She had nothing to get ready. She would only wait. But she wanted a reason to be out from under the eyes of these men.

When neither of them spoke, she turned on her heel towards the door—but the entire room lurched and she stopped suddenly. Was she going to lose her stomach again? She stopped walking and considered herself. The room spun slightly.

Then she yawned, so widely her jaw cracked.

What the h—

"Is there a problem, Sasha?" Nathan said quietly. There was a tone in his voice that sparked her fear.

"No, no, I'm fine, I just…" Sasha started for the door again, but stumbled.

Nick was at her side suddenly, a hand under her elbow, keeping her on her feet. What was happening, what…?

Her stomach sank. That asshole had spiked her drink.

She tried to turn, to curse Nathan, to make sure he knew that she understood what he'd done, that he was a sick bastard, but as she turned, her knees gave and her head spun so badly she started to fall. The only thing she was aware of after that, as the carpet rushed up to meet her, was Nick's arms appearing under her and sweeping her up, off her feet, and his voice growling, "What the fuck did you do?"

Then everything went dark.