I see him running toward me. She could sense Chaos’s eagerness, but he was making sure he knew what she meant since she’d refused him before. You’re giving him to me? I can stomp him?

She didn’t hesitate. She said the words.

You can stomp him!

Then Sasha drew away from him and waited.

She didn’t have to wait long before she heard the first scream.

It was long and terrified and full of agony.

Alisa heard it, too, and whirled to face her. “Sasha?”

She didn’t answer.

More screams, and then silence.

Done.

Sasha jumped to her feet. “I’ve got to go make sure Chaos and Nightshade are safe,” she said quietly. “You can tell Korgan that he won’t have to worry about Masenak’s gun any longer. I didn’t hear a shot.”

“Neither did I. But then I remembered Chaos is very, very fast. Masenak wouldn’t have stood a chance.” Alisa added grimly, “I’ll go with you. I want you to have someone with you if you’re going to face what I think happened to Masenak just now.”

Sasha smiled wryly. “Always trying to spare my feelings. But I’m the one who caused that. I did it deliberately, and I won’t feel guilty. My only regret is that I had to use Chaos, and that means I might have to go back to square one in gentling him.”

“Good. But I still don’t want you to have to face it alone.” She took her hand. “So shut up and just let me do this. I’ve been scared to death all this time and all I want is to surround you with all the comfort and love I can. Is that too much to ask?”

“That’s not too much,” she said huskily. Warmth. Love. Togetherness. Her hand tightened affectionately on Alisa’s. “As long as you don’t get sappy about it.”

*  *  *

Alisa shook her head as she watched Sasha going over Chaos and Nightshade with fastidious care. She hadn’t even looked at Masenak’s battered body after she’d entered the woods. She’d just gone directly to Chaos and stroked him and murmured to him before she’d started to examine him.

“She seems to be in good enough shape.” Korgan had come to stand beside Alisa, his gaze on Sasha. He grimaced. “Much better than Masenak. Chaos was very thorough. Not a hell of a lot left of him that’s not broken or shredded.”

“Sasha used the word ‘stomp.’”