Chapter 457 News of the World  

~ SASHA ~

There was a quiet, perfect moment where they lay together, Zev's weight pressing her into the wet furs behind her, but not uncomfortably so. His breath fluttered in her hair, and his fingers stroked her arm as they both caught their breath. She was warm from the time in the water and... relaxed for the first time in what seemed like weeks.

Zev sighed but didn't push up and away. Sasha turned her head to look at him and their eyes caught from just inches. She didn't speak, just stared at him and prayed he could see the love in her eyes.

His hand came up to trace away a couple of damp strands of hair that must have stuck to her temple.

"I'll always want you, Sasha," he said, his voice low and gruff. "Don't ever doubt that."

"But... you haven't touched me since we came back to Thana."

"Because I'm terrified I'll be distracted and they'll sneak up on us," he admitted, stroking her cheek with his thumb. "I literally pulled you out here for a bath to try and get us far enough away that I could relax. But it feels wrong. Like I'm putting you at risk. There are no guards anymore, no one else to rely on."

Sasha frowned, he was carrying so much. "Thank you," she whispered, putting a hand to his handsome face. "Thank you for always watching out for me."

"I told you I'd protect you when I was eighteen years old, Sash. I haven't forgotten," he said simply.

She had to blink away tears. "I just don't want you blaming yourself if... if something goes wrong. You can't fight the whole world, Zev. If we get hurt... it's not your fault."

"Are you kidding? I'm the one who even brought you here."

"To protect me from them."

He snorted humorlessly. "That doesn't make me a hero. You would never have been in danger if it weren't for me."

"They're the danger, Zev. Not you."

He was about to argue when something cracked quietly in the trees behind them. Zev flew away from her, shouting in her head for her to STAY DOWN!

Gasping, Sasha rolled over and let herself sink low in the water so only her face was above the surface, keeping herself low and close to the rock and underbrush behind it, praying whoever was there couldn't see her.

Zev leaped out of the water to his feet on the other side of the rock in a crouch. He was naked, his skin steaming from the warm pool, but he placed himself between her and the noise, one hand back to urge her to stay down and away.

Hunched over his own knees, he peered through the bushes, his chest expanding and contracting quickly, but silently. Then he went very still, not even breathing.

What is it? she asked in his head.

Zev shook his head, then shifted into his wolf and slipped into the bushes, barely making them wobble despite his size.

Suddenly alone and aware of her own nakedness, Sasha began to shiver from fright, not cold. Had the Team found them? Was she going to have to face some leering guy with a gun, watching her as she got out of the pool?

Knowing that would put her in a position far too weak, and make Zev absolutely furious, she started slowly, slowly bobbing her way back through the pool to the other bank where they'd left the dry furs. But how to get out without making noise? Even if she moved slowly the dripping water—

It's okay, Sash. It's Horton.

Sasha blinked but could breathe a little easier.

Who the hell is Horton?

He's one of the creatures. He chose to stay here. He's just... stay in the water, I'll go talk to him and find out what's going on, then I'll come get you, okay?

Sasha agreed and after a moment of looking around, lay back in the water to try and breathe. Her heart was pounding and when her ears went underwater she heard it like timpani drums inside her skull.

This sucked.

She didn't even want to cry. She wanted to scream. Her entire body shook with residual fear and they hadn't even actually been in danger.

How the hell were they going to do this for another two months?

She waited, breathing in through her nose, out through her mouth, trying desperately to calm herself because she didn't want to leap down Zev's throat the minute he got back. But she wasn't enjoying all the silence either.

Reaching out to him in her mind, she asked him to show her what he was seeing and hearing.

He didn't respond, just... shared what he could see.

The creature in front of him made her shudder. He was once again almost human—he stood upright on two very thick legs, his entire body the same width from his shoulders to his hips and his feet planted, legs like tree trunks.

His arms were also really thick and seemed too long. They bent the wrong way as if he had knees instead of elbows. But his face....

His skull was broad—supported by that thick body. And instead of a nose, he had a small trunk. It moved, probing the air as he talked. His voice was a low rumble. So low, she couldn't really make out the words. But Zev was sharing with her what he was learning. And it turned Sasha's stomach.

While Sasha and Zev had stayed high in the mountain on the other side of the valley, the Team had overrun first the village, then the City itself—and the forest in between. Hundreds of them, like ants crawling through the trees.

Most of the creatures smelled them before they got near enough to do damage. Some ran, hoping to hide. While others turned to fight.

Whenever those brave creatures came face-to-face with the humans, there was no quarter. Weapons were raised. Strange weapons that Sasha didn't recognize, though they looked like weird guns. But she saw it over and over again—humans not calling for peace, or asking questions. Just pointing weapons that made a horrible noise—at least, that's what it looked like to Sasha. She couldn't hear or feel whatever they were sensing. But Horton showed Zev, over and over again, creatures crumpling to the ground, grabbing their heads, or screaming in pain.