The Ripple Effect

"Well, good morning, Daniel. Have you any word of how Orion's proposal went yesterday?" I bid the man before me.

Daniel looked to be a few years older than Orion, but his eyes were the same bright and warming blue. Well, everyone here had blue eyes—but the soft look was how I decided we could be great friends. He was much taller than I, and taller than Orion by a noticeable amount; it was actually quite funny to see Orion barking orders up at his Beta (not that Orion held a sense of humour about it). Daniel also had auburn hair that was buzzed short, a simple style over which he tended to run his hands. It was a habit I had already noticed, something he did while chuckling nervously—a sign that he was thinking and didn't want anyone to know about it. His jaw was also typically tightly clenched such that I could almost hear it tick. It was obvious that he was being careful around me, which was probably Orion's doing.

Daniel opened his mouth, but I shook my head and reached up to pat him on the shoulder.

"Never mind. This is going to be one of your 'Orion-approved answers,' and those are worth bugger all," I grumbled, putting my hands on my hips as he smiled teasingly down at me. "Can you at least tell me where the boys are?"

He grinned that grin that let me know he could surely tell me this answer. It was a lopsided grin, one that was nearly as crooked as his nose—which had apparently been set wrong after a childhood accident (i.e., taking a baseball to the face while playing with some chaps down by the river).

"I can give you the Daniel-approved answer to this one!" he told me happily, throwing an arm around my shoulder and herding me out of the pack house.

"Oh, Lord..."

"I'll ignore that." He pointed to the south. "Melissa and Stephen took them into town this morning. I believe it was for a light brunch?" He snorted suddenly, and I chuckled. "Well, don't blame me; the woman could waffle on for days and not pause for even a single breath! My head was spinning by the end of her 'proposition.' Honestly, that woman... She's like a mother to me, but she can sure puff some hot air!"

I smiled. "Right, because you and Orion are like brothers."

In fact, they almost could have passed for true brothers; they looked enough alike!

He nodded. "Well, sure. I grew up with them after my father was killed in a bear trap. Damn humans think they own everything..." He shook his head. "But my mother died during childbirth. I don't much remember my parents, what with them passing when I was so young. Alpha Stephen was so kind to open his door to me. I could never repay them for that."

"Oh! So you quite literally grew up with Orion and Luca?"

The smile on Daniel's face faltered. Honestly, I needed to learn that Luca's name was forbidden. But part of me hoped...that if I kept bringing up this sore subject, people would stay on their toes. And I would be safe.

After that horrifying dream in the hospital, I didn't want to take any chances.

"Yeah. I did," Daniel muttered, having come to a complete stop. We stood in the middle of the clearing, but people seemed to stay away from us. Having privacy wasn't so hard when I was on 'official business,' it seemed. Maybe it was because I was now "officially" Orion's mate, so they thought I actually had things to do? Yeah, right.

"What was Orion like? You were best friends, yes?"

Daniel smiled, but then he started chuckling. And he ran his hands over his hair. I frowned.

"I'm a bit older than Orion... He was just a pup when Stephen took me in, but..." He gulped. "Luca and I were the same age..."

"Oh, stop," I mumbled, trying to keep the colour in my face. "You're not at fault for being friends with him. Orion says he was best friends with him, too. And that doesn't condemn him."

"I guess... But I always thought it was a little weird. I mean, I was supposed to be Luca's Beta." He cut me a look, like he thought he said more than he should have. "Wait, did you even—"

"I know that Luca was supposed to be Alpha."

"You're just lucky you weren't around when he was," Daniel lamented as his hands finally dropped from his hair. "He was a really great guy growing up. But he just went bad. I can't explain it." He started walking then, and I followed at his heels. "He'd always been a bit of a ladies' man, but Stephen always lectured him about passing fancies like that. I thought it'd gotten through his thick head... But I'm sure Orion told you about Jonathan's mother. That was when I gave up on him. I think everyone did, actually."

I put my hand gently on his shoulder, and Daniel's eyes cut to me in that second. His hand fell on mine, and he smiled sadly.

"Thank you, Sophie. I know Orion doesn't talk about Luca much, but I have to figure that he misses him—well, at least before he went insane."

"Why did he go insane?"

Daniel gave me a confused look.

"Orion didn't tell you? His mate died."

"No, he didn't," I muttered, glowering at the dirt. "He said that before Luca left, he said he found his mate and she was pregnant."

I had assumed he was talking about me...

Daniel's brow scrunched. "I...had not heard that. But Luca went insane, so he probably said anything that came to mind. The pain of losing your mate... I can't imagine."

"Have you found yours?" I asked, trying to change the subject.

He smiled. "No, but I'm not in any rush. I want to get to a good point in my life before I drag her into anything."

"Good point?" I knocked him lightly in the shoulder. "Daniel, you're a Beta. What better point is there, exactly?"

He shrugged.

"Alpha?"

He glanced to me. "I've mused about it, of course. But Orion's a great Alpha, and he's just what this pack needs."

"Well, for what it's worth, I think you could do it. But I do enjoy you being here."

He punched me teasingly in the arm.

"I enjoy being here, too. Well, listen, I'm going to head into town for a bit. You need anything?"

I shook my head.

"Okay. I'll see you around then."

He tapped my nose delicately before leaving me standing in the middle of the clearing.

Things around here seemed to be under control...

Orion, I'm going to talk to Brian. I'll be home later, okay?

Okay. I might be late again tonight...

I sighed. That's okay.

It'd been three days since we even slept in the same room together anyway.

What was one more?