Rise of the Dark Alpha

Chapter 475  No Time to Lose

If you like music while you read, try "Whose Side Are You On?" by Tommee Profitt and Ruelle. It's what I listened to while writing these chapters!

*****

~ SASHA ~

Sasha's heart almost exploded when Nick raised that gun towards her—then again, when Nathan's gun dropped, followed very quickly by Nathan himself. She was still gaping at his writhing form when Nick rushed forward and began unbuckling the bonds at her ankles.

She stared at him, conflicting emotions roiling within her—distrust, fear, gratitude, hope… it was all there.

Nick looked up at her between moving to the next buckle and winked. "I told you I cared."

She shook her head soundlessly.

Then there was a sobbed, "Sasha!" from the doorway and Zev was there, awake and shuffling towards her, obviously still not entirely free of the effects of whatever was in that tranquilizer, but at least he was on his feet.

He rushed to her as she pushed to her feet and stepped over Nathan's prone form, then they were together, their son pressed between them as she sobbed into his chest and he held her, whispering her name, clinging to her head, holding her, his voice choked and rough with emotion.

"You're safe… thank God you're safe."

"It was Nick."

Sasha pulled her head up to look at him at those words. Zev's forehead crinkled into lines like he didn't know what to think of it either, but then the little body between them made a tiny squawk and both of them turned.

Zev's eyes went wide. "Can I… can I see him?"

Sasha, eyes already brimming with tears, nodded. "He has your chin."

Zev's eyes narrowed, but he smiled, looking back and forth between her and the little bundle on her shoulder. Stroking his chest once, Sasha smiled and took one step back. "Hold your arms like this. Don't let his head drop."

Then she laid their son in his father's arms for the first time.

And deep inside her, Sasha felt the bond tug, tighter and tighter, as if it drew them together. Tugged so tightly, she couldn't resist. As Zev stared, awed, into the face of his son for the first time, and his son blinked back up at him, Sasha stepped right back into him, holding Zev around the waist, her chin only barely above the level where he held their baby.

"He's…"

"Zan," she whispered. "Don't you think it fits?"

Zev blinked, then looked back down at their baby. "Yes," he breathed, then he huffed a half-laugh, half-sob. "Yes, it does, Sash. It's the perfect name for him."

They both looked down at him then as his eyes began to droop again. Sasha brushed the top of his head while Zev reached in the blanket and drew out the tiny, perfect little hand that clutched at the seam of his baby burrito.

Zev's mouth dropped open when their son's little fist closed around his finger and held tight. Then he yawned and his eyes dropped closed completely.

But he didn't let go.

Sasha was weeping tears of joy already, but Zev's eyes welled then, and he shook his head.

"My boy," he rasped, his voice deep and heavy with emotion. "My boy. Zan."

"I'm sure he's great. But if we don't get you all out of here pretty damn fast, there won't be any more happy reunions."

Zev looked up with a growl and Sasha turned to face Nick. "The gateway closed," she said quickly.

"So, open it again with whatever little trick you've used to get here."

Sasha shook her head. "I can't. It was our last shot," she lied.

Nick looked over her shoulder at Zev, clearly skeptical. But Zev growled again. "You really think we wouldn't just leave if we could? Especially now?"

Nick raked a hand over his head and cursed. "Fine. Then… we have to get you to the other gateway and pray to God they aren't sending a shift back tonight. It's not the usual day for it, but there's been a lot of random stuff over there—where the hell have you two been? Why didn't they find you? And where are all the others hiding? This little Gateway trick is obviously how you got the females out—that was a power move, by the way. Sending Yhet to distract them. But fuck… even I liked Yhet."

"You didn't even know him," Sasha said coldly.

"I knew him enough to know he was sweet. And that's not a word I usually use for a guy."

Sasha's anger about all of it, everything these people had done, came rushing back. But, she reminded herself, Nick had just saved them both. They did owe him, no matter what else had gone on. Nathan wouldn't have let any of them out of here, she knew that.

So, while Zev and Nick argued about the best way for all of them to get out safely, Sasha continued to stare at her son's fist wrapped around her husband's finger—that little fist so small the fingers didn't even quite meet around it.

And when they still hadn't finished arguing, Sasha turned to look at Nathan, lying unconscious on the ground.

In her mind, his was the face in front of everything that had happened—her and Zev being separated. Her being taken to Thana and almost losing Zev. Her being brought here to the compound and their baby stolen. All those females who were sterilized and broken. And now this…

Her chest burning with rage, Sasha squatted at Nathan's head and looked at him there, completely vulnerable. She picked up his wrist, and his limb was entirely limp.

"I wish you hurt," she said through her teeth. "I wish you were laying here writhing in pain. I wish you experienced an ounce of the torment and fuckery that you caused in the lives of these people—and they are people, Nathan, whether you can see that in your sociopathic fog or not. They're people and they don't deserve this!"

Behind her, the voices of Zev and Nick went quiet.

Sash?

Zev's quiet query rang in her head. He wanted to know if she was okay. He wanted to know if she needed help.

Sasha swallowed.

Could you hear? Or feel? When they tranquilized you? she asked him.

I think I felt some of it, he said hesitantly. At least, I remembered feeling some of it. It was subdued, but it was there.

Sasha grimaced, that coil of heat starting right at the core of her and lighting in her veins until, without thought, her hand flew out and slapped him on the cheek.

"That was for violating me… and you deserve so much worse," she hissed. Then she remembered the few lessons Zev had given her about self-defense and how to hit. Her hand shot out again, this time the heel of her palm, right into his nose.

He didn't react, but a second later a trickle of blood began to drop from one nostril.

"That's for violating all those poor women."

She snapped that hand into his jaw next, and his teeth snapped together. She hoped his tongue was caught between them. "That's for imprisoning Zev."

Then she was on her feet, kicking him in the ribs, the back, the kidneys. "That's for messing with his head and his body. That's for making such unnatural decisions for everyone here. That's for Ernie who—fucking hates you. That's for Yhet and killing his mate." Then she stomped on his head. "That's for me and my babies. That's for—"

A warm arm suddenly appeared around her middle and she was swung off her feet and around. Zev, still holding Zan in one arm, turned her and pulled her into his chest, holding her there. He didn't say anything. Not even in her head. He just held her, stroking her hair, his nose buried in her neck.

Sasha realized she was trembling.

"Look," he breathed in her ear. "We're a family, Sash. Look. We're together. We're healthy. And we're about to be safe. And… even though I hate to admit it… none of this would have happened without him. Without these men and their ambitions and their fucked up priorities. They never would have made me and we never would have found each other."

Sasha bit her lip against the tears that wanted to come and pulled back to look at him.

"Maybe…" Zev breathed, looking at her like he was afraid to say the words coming out of his mouth. "Maybe God knew what He was doing. Maybe… maybe all this awful had… some good mixed in?"

Sasha's face crumpled. She pulled him down into a kiss. "Yes," she breathed against his lips. "Yes. The good is you, Zev. The good is you. And Yhet. And Lhars. And… everyone. The good is all of you."

It was a heavy moment and one that left them both trembling and overwhelmed. But in the end, sniffing and wiping her eyes, Sasha turned away from Nathan and his blood on the floor.

Because Zev was right. Killing him wasn't going to change what had happened. So she was going to choose better than Nathan had. She took Zev's arm and pulled him towards the door. "Let's get out of here. Let's go. Let's do whatever has to be done to

—"

A massive bang startled them both and Zev snarled, whirling, putting Sasha behind him and holding Zan to his side, trying to protect them both.

But then they both froze as they watched Nick cock the gun so the bullet shell spun out of the chamber and pinged on the linoleum floor.

"Bastard," he muttered, then stood up and turned to find them staring at him.

Nick's eyes went wide and he looked between them. "What?"