Rise of the Dark Alpha

Chapter 393 A New Playing Field

~ ZEV ~

After what Nick had said to Sasha about the females getting weaker, she and Kyelle spent the next three days helping the females grieve the lost sister—and urging them to step out and face their fears. To begin to live. To get out of the hall and start interacting with the males. And while the females weren't going to integrate fully with the males in the City yet, they were already beginning to see some progress.

Zev was grateful for the boost of encouragement it gave Sasha, who was still struggling with knowing they'd lost a baby.

Zev hated feeling so helpless, so uncertain, but he just held her and together they tried to look forward, to a new life uninterrupted by the humans.

They both prayed that their hopes for the new life in the safe land weren't foolish.

Reports came from Skhal and Lhars that the Creatures who were going had already started to move, the first of them—loners mainly—taking the Gateway the day after they met with Sasha. That raised Zev's spirits. He liked the idea of the Creatures, who were all male and would never find mates, still having hope for a new life. And who knew? Was it possible there would be females for some of them in the new land? They could hope and pray. And they did.

As the day for Nick to meet the humans drew closer, Zev and Sasha both grew more tense. Sasha told him that Nick swore the humans hadn't worried last week that there weren't medical notes from Patty. Nick had told the board that the Chimera were focused on getting the females settled, that everyone was healthy, and that they were initially distrustful because none of them knew Patty. That with all the recent change, Patty was working on gaining their trust.

But he had admitted it would become more and more suspicious over time.

Zev still hadn't spoken with Nick personally, still didn't trust himself in the man's presence. So he'd been filled in by Sasha. Together they'd agreed that they needed to move sooner rather than later. But Sasha felt that the females weren't ready yet, so she threw all her energy into getting them out of their fear and into some kind of normal life in the hopes it would embolden them.

The day before Nick was to return to the humans for another update, Sasha was once again busy with the females, so Zev went for a walk with Jhon who had questions about approaching the females who were reintegrating.

It was an easy relief to walk through the forest with his friend, their conversation tripping back and forth between teasing jokes, and serious discussion of the females.

"I just wonder whether they'll ever really settle again," Jhon said. "The males are getting restless, Zev. They might not be talking to you about it because everyone can see how protective you are of Sasha. As it should be. But… the males want mates. They want to be close to females. They want to display.

Zev was uneasy, uncertain how to respond. They hadn't told the Chimera yet that all the females currently here were barren. Hadn't wanted to add that extra pressure to the females who were working so hard to find their confidence.

Zev was torn between warning his friend, and not adding to the plate of the females.

He sighed. "Look, I get it. If I thought someone who was my Sasha was there, I'd be impatient too. I'll talk to the Alphas and see if we can get the word out again—if the males start pressuring them, they're only going to delay the progress. These females have been through so much. And we're hopeful that we'll have more soon. These aren't the last females we'll all see for the rest of our lives." He hoped that was true.

"But how?" Jhon asked.

"Sasha has a plan. Don't worry, brother. Look what she's managed already."

Jhon nodded, but his face was pained. "But these females are here, Zev. After three years, they're here and… it's driving everyone crazy. The only saving grace is that none of them have gone into heat—could you imagine the shitshow when the first one does?"

Zev stopped cold. Shit.

Of course. It had been so long since he'd been around Chimeran females in heat…

Shit.

He was going to have to talk to Sasha.

In previous years a female going into heat would be only a minor disruption—a few males at her level displaying and trying to tempt her. And possibly being successful if she was ready to take a mate.

But now? After three years? After having lost them, and finally having them back? The males would lose their minds.

Except… did barren females go into heat?

If they didn't, everyone was going to notice within another week or so. They might put a few weeks without a heat down to the changes and trauma the females had been through. But the entire group? For months?

Zev needed to talk to Sasha. They were going to have to figure out how to communicate about this.

He realized his friend was staring at him expectantly, and he cleared his throat. "I'll talk to Sasha. You're right. I hadn't thought about it."

Jhon nodded and opened his mouth, but just as he did, the sound of hoofbeats on the trail behind them sounded. They both turned, wary, but the breeze brought the scent of Dunken approaching—and approaching quickly.

They stopped and waited, Zev's heart beating faster. Dunken was usually pretty unflappable. If he was hurrying, there was a good reason for it.

When he was almost to them, he shifted, still running the final feet until he slid to a halt in front of them, smiling.

Zev was glad to see the smile. "What is it?"

Dunken's eyes twinkled. "Nick has to see the humans tomorrow."

"Yes. And?"

"He wants to bathe. I told the guards to hold him up by telling him we needed to make sure there were no females there. But he's pretty eager, apparently. I guess it's time. Ernie's close—and I think he's the reason Nick hasn't just walked out by himself."

Zev smiled and Jhon chuckled.

Finally.

Without another word, Dunken turned on his heel and all three of them shifted and started running back to the village.