Rise of the Dark Alpha

~ SASHA ~

Despite her emotional turmoil, Sasha slept well. Between the time in the hot pools, and seeing Zev, once she'd gotten back to her new house, she'd fallen into the bed and slept without waiting until the birds were chirping outside and the sun was making orange shapes on the wall.

True to his word, Yhet was waiting for her outside when she got dressed and ventured out. He beamed at her, his voice booming his good morning as he beckoned her to follow him to the trough for breakfast.

"Do we have to call it a trough?" Sasha said, wrinkling her nose. "It sounds like something cattle eat out of."

Yhet frowned. "Well, the goats might qualify?" he suggested, then threw back his head and laughed until his voice was booming through the trees.

Sasha made a mental note never to amuse Yhet when she wanted to be discreet.

Half an hour later they were at a table and Kyelle had joined them again, but no one else that Sasha recognized. They'd only had to warn her away from almost greeting people twice. She was getting better at remembering.

Instead she'd used the time to watch all the males that milled around, eating and chatting, trying to get her head around the fact that all of them were shapeshifters.

"How many different types of Chimera are there?" she whispered to Yhet. "How can you tell who is what? Is it rude to ask?"

Yhet blinked and looked at Kyelle, who also looked confused.

"We can scent them," Kyelle said a moment later when Sasha looked back and forth between them, wondering what she'd said wrong.

"I can't," Sasha said, looking around at all the males gathered at different tables. "How am I supposed to know who's a wolf and who's a tiger and who's an owl… and whatever else—"

"You've met someone from each of the clans already," Yhet said carefully. "In terms of numbers, there are more wolf Chimera than anything else—the humans seem to prefer them. But we have the mountain goats—Ibex, hares, owls, tigers and of course, sasquatch," he said with a grin. "There are others, but they do not integrate with the clans."

"What are they?" Sasha felt like a child who had never learned to filter her curiosity, but she felt so off-balance, so ill-equipped for this world…

"Everything," Yhet said sadly. "Generally they do not hold the appearance of humans, which is why they choose to stay in the forest and live as the creatures do. But their minds… their minds are human. Or human enough. They understand our language and…" he trailed off nervously, glancing at Kyelle as if asking for help.

She sighed. "Sasha, the creatures of the forest are… tormented. They are experiments that did not go well, and their lives have been reduced, or painful because of it. Some are human minds trapped in an animal's body. Others are strange mixes—unable to find clan or mate because they are the only one of their kind that exist. And some…" Kyelle's lips thinned. "The reason the humans do not venture into the forests of Thana is because there is evidence that some of the creatures have plans for revenge, or… that they wish to punish their makers." She shuddered, and Sasha's blood ran cold.

She'd walked through the night alone the night before, just casually concerned about being naked, not even pausing to think that some kind of monster of science might be waiting to leap upon her from the bushes.

"Won't they think I'm one of the people that did this to them, then?" Sasha asked, horrified that she'd just been trudging through the forest all night without any clue. Though Zev and Jhon hadn't seemed worried about it.

"I don't believe so," Yhet said, his smile a touch too bright. "You lack the medicinal smell of the Team. At most they might wish to question you."

Sasha swallowed. "How, exactly, does a Chimera who isn't human question someone?"

Yhet shrugged like it was no big deal. "It depends on the Chimera."

Kyelle put a kind hand to her arm. "Don't let him frighten you, Sasha, the Chimera are intelligent, whether they can communicate to you in your language or not. If you ever find yourself facing one of the creatures, speak to them just like you would to us. They'll understand you. And they all know Zev. If he's with you, you'll have nothing to worry about."

That was what Zev had said too, she realized, when they first arrived and had started talking about these creatures, but they'd gotten side-tracked by learning all that was happening within the Chimera of the village.

Sasha dropped her head in her hands and sighed. Despite her nap that afternoon, she was exhausted. And terrified. And missing Zev. And angry at Zev and… and… and…

"Do they ever come into the village?" she asked faintly.

"No," Yhet and Kyelle said emphatically, and at the same time.

Kyelle continued. "They live as creatures do—avoiding us as much as possible. And even in the forest if they saw or scented you, they are most likely to stay out of your way. Just… just stay within the sentries of the village if you're worried about it."

She said the words like Sasha had no reason to be worried, but if she was going to trouble herself…

Sasha sighed. But before she could respond, Dunken appeared from nowhere at the end of their table and rushed to her side.

"Get up, now," he said, tugging at her arm. Sasha got to her feet, and he was already pulling her away, Yhet following and Kyelle watching them from the seats, a worried frown on her face.

"Already?" Yhet asked as Dunkin dragged her by her wrist towards the trees.

"Yes. Unannounced. Even Xar was taken off guard. The twins are still here and he doesn't know where they went or whether the humans found them on the way in."

"The… what?! The humans are here?" Sasha yelped, hurrying after Dunken.

"Yes," the man murmured, shooting her a look for quiet. "And we need to get you out of here before they realize who you are. Yhet, you can't be with her, you're too obvious. I'll take her. We'll be watching from the fox hole."

Yhet nodded, reached out to squeeze Sasha's arm and rumbled, "Do what he says, he'll keep you safe," then peeled off among the trees, making a great deal more noise than he had before, and laughing loudly.

"What is he doing?" she whispered to Dunken as they hurried deeper into the forest.

"Creating a diversion," the goat-man said with a grim smile. "The human's are always half-afraid of him, so it keeps them on their toes.. C'mon, we can't risk them catching any sight or scent of you."

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