Rise of the Dark Alpha

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*****

~ SASHA ~

Nick stared at her, but didn't respond. Then he looked around, back and forth, as if someone might be watching them. His face was tight. "We have to get back into the car before they get suspicious."

Sasha gaped at him. After all that, that's what he had to say? She wanted to scream—and they would be able to tell when she got back to the car? Ugh, it was like living in a fishbowl. She couldn't get away from these people! "So, they're recording everything?"

"Everything. Let's go."

Sasha balked. "How do I know there's no bug on you now?"

Nick shrugged. "Would it matter if there was?"

Sasha stared at him for a long moment, then she just gave up and huffed. "I guess not."

"Are you going to tell them everything you just told me?" Nick asked carefully.

"Are you?"

"I tell them everything, Sasha. You need to know that. I tell them everything." But he shook his head, very slowly.

Sasha gave him a flat look. "I think I need to talk to Nathan again."

"About this?"

"About this, and about the females. He seemed to think last night if I saw how they were living it was going to shut me up. Or that I'd think they weren't doing such a bad job after all. But I'm just more horrified. Do you people not pay attention at all to the mental state of the Chimera? Like, does that not even factor in for you? These women are all at breaking point. All of them. I don't care how much you pump them full of vitamins and give them good food. This life is unnatural for them, and it's killing them. If you try to do this to me, it will kill me too, and that'll kill Zev. If they really want to see progress, they have to be willing to make some changes."

"And you think you're the one to make that happen?" Nick raised a single eyebrow.

"I know I am." She couldn't explain why, but she was certain of it. "Because without me, they're screwed. I mean, how much time do Nathan and the others need? How much time would they give me to prove it? Because, seriously, if I don't live up to my end, they can go back in six months and do whatever they want. But until then, they need me. And once I am having babies, they'll really need me. I'm not going to have a healthy pregnancy while I'm worried about these women. And Zev's not going to be healthy while he's worrying about me. Would it really kill you all to put us all in a situation that benefits us? Like, for real? What do you lose? You've had the Chimera in Thana before. What do you lose by putting them back."

"Control."

Shasha shook her head, snorting. "According to you, if they decide to kill us all in Thana, they can do it without losing time or sleep. What does it matter if they're loose in this fucking "sanctuary" or loose in Thana? In Thana they'll be healthier. More likely to reproduce—you already know that that's true. And that gives you leverage for keeping them in line—keeping me in line. I don't want to see babies hurt. I don't want to see… I don't want to see my babies hurt. Give us a life, Nick. Let us live, and we'll give you whatever it is that you want." Except the Chimera as a people, she thought. Except control.

Nick stared at her, considering, his mind visibly turning over again. But he didn't comment. After a moment, he tipped his head back towards the vehicle and urged her to follow him. When he just kept walking, even without her, she gave up and trotted to catch up with him. As soon as she was alongside him, he spoke in a low mutter.

"You tell it to them exactly like that. Exactly what you just said to me. Paint the picture of what they get, okay? What's in it for them. And what it will cost them if they don't. Make sure they know that. But what you're talking about is going to cost money and time. So don't be surprised when they want their pound of flesh back in exchange."

"What pound of flesh? I can't control whether I'm pregnant or not!"

"No, but you can control whether you're trying. You can control how you care for yourself. And you can definitely control how and what you say about the humans and how the others comply. We aren't stupid, Sasha. I might not be inside your head, but you're pretty easy to read. If you can get the Chimera away from us, you will. I know that. They know that. The question is only whether you realize that we know. If you're up front with them about it—give them ways to keep tabs on you, make sure you all aren't fleeing into the forest or whatever, you might convince them.

"But don't get cocky. These men are utterly ruthless, and they have essentially endless resources at their disposal. They don't want to start again—especially the older ones. You have something they want. They have ways of making you get it to them. You'd be a lot better off if you'd give it voluntarily. My advice, jump before you're pushed."

"And if I don't?"

"If you don't, you and Zev are both dead. This program either gets shut down completely, or restarted. And don't believe they'll make the same mistakes next time."

"What mistakes?"

Nick sighed. "Allowing any chimera to believe that they have any kind of agency in their own lives. You think this feels like a cage, Sasha? You're starting to see… even the places they feel like they're free, they're really not. You get that, right? It's all a ruse to make them feel freer than they actually are. Allowing them the freedom of Thana was just an experiment, Sasha. If it fails, they don't just press repeat. We're all fucking dead.. And the next crew? They're dealing with a zoo, not a wildlife sanctuary."

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