The Ripple Effect

"I found her on the edge of the forest, left abandoned. She wouldn't talk to me, not a word. But I brought her back. It was obvious that she had been raped and then left for dead; I thought I was doing her a favour by bringing her in." Luca frowned. "My father jumped to conclusions, and no amount of explaining had any effect on him. Orion started hating me, too, so I just spent most of my time with her and Daniel. Lorena liked my company, and I enjoyed hers. She always got quiet around Daniel, but I didn't piece things together...

"By the time I realised, it was too late. Lorena had Jonathan, and I promised I would help take care of him. But she became so distant. She said she would take care of him without me, that I should just go. I refused, of course. I had come to care for the woman, and I was willing to start a family with her. I really wanted to try for this, for her sake and for Jonathan's sake. But...she wouldn't have me.

"Then Daniel stopped coming around so often. I didn't think much of it, but I really should have. Then Lorena became really sick. I begged her to let me mark her, to try and save her. She refused me so outright, and she actually... She wanted Orion, and she told him to get me out of there. She kicked me out of the room, and then she died—in Orion's arms, not mine. I still wanted Jonathan, but Orion told me that she asked him to watch over her son. A man with whom she hardly ever spoke...

"After her funeral ceremony..." Luca cleared his throat, and only then did I notice the small trace of tears that lined his eyelids. "My father told me I was being kicked out of the pack. I asked the grounds...but he didn't have to say anything. He was screaming and shouting, but my eyes just sought out Daniel, my Beta. He would back me up, right? But he was grinning...from ear to ear.

"That little prick got what he wanted! I was kicked out, and he was a shoe-in for Alpha. But I guess Orion stepped up to the task... Anyway, after that snide little ass was so pleased with his decade-long performance, I decided to pay a visit to his little house on the countryside. He said I was out of the picture, and soon Orion would be, too. I demanded to know what his problem was. He was my best friend!

"He said that... He said that he was the oldest son, so he was supposed to be Alpha. My mother had given him the title of Beta to appease him with the hopes that he would forget about his right to be Alpha. But it didn't work; he wanted his birthright. That's how I found out I had another brother. Then I felt sick to my stomach, and I asked him about Lorena. He said she was so perfect, like Lillian in every way. But then he found someone else who was even more like Lillian, so he didn’t want Lorena. If I hadn't found Lorena and dragged her into the pack, she could have ran away. But I brought her into this. When he got bored... He poisoned her, and he killed her. He said his only regret was that the kid was already born, and he couldn't kill his own son. He wasn't 'that' monster.

"I wanted to tell Orion, to warn him, but I would be killed on sight. But Orion mind-linked me then, for the last time, and he asked me why I did it, why I raped Lorena and abandoned her and Jonathan.

"Daniel was right there... I couldn't just tell him the truth. So I said, I'm your brother, Orion. What choice did I have? She's just 'so perfect.' Daniel used to say that about Lillian all the time. I hoped he would understand, but he didn't. So I just... I left. Sure, I knocked him right in the face, breaking his nose, I'm sure. But that was it. I left, and my name was forever tarnished."

Luca glanced down to me, and I cringed. This poor man...

"I hate to tell you this, but he's been using you as a front for everything he does. He told me that you went crazy because you had a mate who died...though I now know that he was talking about himself. I guess you know that I'm his latest target. But what are you doing here anyway?"

Luca gently adjusted my arm to get a better grasp of me, but then he lifted me from my feet. I cried out in disorientation, to which he just chuckled as he tucked me against his chest.

"We'll go faster like this. Sorry, love," he teased, his breath washing into my face.

It stirred up uneasy feelings, feelings I was better off ignoring.

"Anyway, the pack was in a frenzy over learning that you'd been kidnapped by Daniel, so slipping out of my prison was really easy. I didn't know at the time that you were the reason everyone was acting so crazy, but I did know that I wanted to pay my little friend a visit. I know where he lives, so I was just on my way to knock him a new one. But then I heard you screaming for help, and here we are."

I nodded, wrapping my good arm more tightly around his neck.

"Well, I'm really glad that you decided that you needed to deck Daniel one last time."

He chuckled, and the sound made my chest overly warm. I cleared my throat quickly.

"So a while back Orion told me that you told him that you had met your mate and she was pregnant?"

"Oh..." The deep frown on his lips made my heart break. "I didn't want him to feel bad for me... If he had to feel anything, I would rather him hate me than spend his life missing me. We used to be so close." Luca sighed. "So I lied to him, to spare him any heart ache."

"So no mate?"

His eyes clouded over, and then he looked down to me.

"No. And it's going to be like that forever."

"Oh. Why?"

"Sophie, just... Just drop it, okay?"

"Everyone deserves a chance at happiness."

"I had one. I missed it. End of story."

I tried to protest, but a low growl in his throat stopped me.

"Okay. You might think you'll never be happy, but I think you're full of it," I told him, resting my cheek on his chest. "I think that you just have to work a bit hard to find happiness, so it's going to be so great to make it all worth it."

Luca smiled down at me, but he looked so tired.

"How did Orion end up with such a great woman?" I blushed furiously. "I mean, you're an excellent mother from what I see, you've got an entire village pillaging the world to find you, you always know what to say, and you're beautiful. Got any sisters?"

I smiled.

"I have a little brother."

He laughed, and the sound reverberated throughout me.

"Of course. Sophie, get some rest. I'll wake you when we're back. Regina should be fully back by then. I think the drugs are starting to wear off."

"How do you know that?" I asked, unable to suppress the yawn that slipped past me.

"My wolf can sense her" was his quick response.

I would have pressed further, but his heartbeat proved to be the most calming lullaby.