Rise of the Dark Alpha

~ SASHA ~

She managed to navigate the next few minutes without doing or saying the wrong thing. Kyelle relaxed as Sasha seemed to find the balance between being politely civil to Lhars, but not encouraging his attention.

And the truth was, for as long as she could forget exactly where she was, and what was happening around her, she was able to relax a little bit herself. Lhars was surprisingly warm and even funny at times, when there was no reason to be aggressive. And the other males at the table seemed almost to defer to him, which made it easier for Sasha not to do or say the wrong thing.

Yhet kept giving tiny growls in his throat. But Kyelle looked at him sharply, and he stopped. Then Sasha took a tentative bite of something on her plate that looked almost like green jelly and it burst on her tongue in such a cascade of sweet, citrus juiciness, she gasped.

"What is this?" she asked Kyelle excitedly. "It's delicious."

"It's the nectar of the elderblooms," Lhars purred. "Would you like some more?" He slid a chunk onto a spoon and held it across the table to her to take.

Sasha's eyes lit up, but Kyelle kicked her under the table again, and she jumped.

Oh, that was right, she wasn't supposed to accept any gifts or… anything, from any male. She dropped her head quickly. "No, no thank you, but you're very kind," she said, scooping up the last of her own on the spoon she'd been handed with her plate.

"If you don't want your nectar, I'd be happy to share it, Lhars," Kyelle cooed, taking the spoon from his hand before he could pull it back.

Sasha giggled at the thunderous look that crossed Lhars' face—but then he shook his head and smiled with a low chuckle. "Very well played, Kyelle," he said, his eyes twinkling. "Well done."

Sasha was surprised. He hadn't struck her as someone with a sense of humor when they'd run into him with Zev. Was he just putting on a front now? Because she was an unmated female?

He caught her looking at him then and though he didn't say anything, he dropped his chin and looked up at her from under his brows and for a moment her breath stopped because if her eyes had only passed over him, she would have sworn she was staring at Zev.

Then there was a clatter and another body appeared at the end of the table and everyone's attention was drawn away to the male, and not, apparently with any great joy to see him.

Shorter than any other Chimera she'd seen so far, this male was built just as powerfully as the others, though with an odd, twitching mannerism.

He seemed to move in jerks—very quickly and all at once, then not at all for a moment.

"You must be Sasha!" the male exclaimed. "Don't worry about me, Sasha! My heart already belongs to Ulka!"

Sasha looked at Kyelle, who rolled her eyes. "This is Oska," she said. "He's Alpha of the hares, and already mated. You're safe."

Sasha heaved a sigh of relief. "Hello, Oska," she said. "It's nice to meet you."

"You too, of course! Beautiful manners, beautiful! I wouldn't have expected anything less! Zev has always spoken so highly of you!"

Everything the man—male—said seemed to end in an exclamation mark. Sasha bit her lip to stop herself smiling. "That's very kind of you to say."

"Oh, I'm a kind person—but don't make me angry, the others will tell you!"

Everyone around the table murmured with hurried affirmation as if they didn't want to give this guy a reason to argue. Which was his point, Sasha supposed. But no one seemed afraid of him. It was strange.

"So, have you all heard?" Oska said as he nudged one of the other males out of their seat just like Lhars had done, "Apparently Zev has already defeated Skhal and Saml! I'd lay my firstborn that he's out there looking for Hedin, now!"

The entire table seemed to go still. Sasha looked back and forth between Kyelle and Yhet. "Is that good?" she asked him hurriedly.

He nodded. "He has… moved very quickly," Yhet mumbled.

"Quickly!" Oska replied. "Once he beats Hedin he's only two levels below the ranked wolves! I've never seen any move this quickly! He'll be coming for you, soon, Lhars, mark my words!"

Sasha's heart sped up again, this time for all the right reasons. But she looked nervously at Lhars. He did seem such an even match with Zev physically, she couldn't help wondering what would happen when the two of them fought.

But Lhars just shrugged and kept eating. "He has some very difficult opponents to defeat before I'd even see that he exists," he drawled. "And if we do meet over a challenge, my brother will discover that I have grown a great deal stronger in years he has been gone." Then he turned his head and locked eyes with Sasha, as if challenging her to defend Zev.

Sasha blinked and swallowed, looking away to Kyelle, who just sighed and leaned her elbows on the table, rubbing her temples between her fingers.

Sasha thought the conversation might stop there, but Oska only leaned closer to the table and pointed at her down the table. "I know this must have been a difficult day for you, Sasha, and it won't get easier soon. If you're in need, if you want a message, or any goods run quickly to someone else, you come find me. If I cannot do it myself, I will make certain one of my clan do it for you!"

"Th-thank you—"

"No need to thank me! We are not only swift, we are extremely discreet. You can trust us with your most delicate needs, and we will ensure no one else comes to know them! Do not let yourself worry, Sasha. As Zev's chosen, you will be a dear friend to my clan, a dear friend!"

"That's… wonderful," she said, feeling overwhelmed. "I thank you and your… clan."

Then Oska chuckled and pointed at her again. "I'm so sorry, so sorry, you're human, you wouldn't know! We are the hares, Sasha.. We are the fastest of foot, and the quietest in travel. You will come to see just how valuable we can be to you, mark my words!"

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