The Ripple Effect

“Papa!”

“Thank God,” I mumbled under my breath, catching Zeya’s hand and allowing her to lead me wherever she pleased—as long as she led me away from this place. “Love, are you ready to leave yet?”

“Not yet!” she whined, pulling even harder. “But I regret finding you. Why are all these women staring!” She puffed her cheeks out before waving frantically. “Get your own Papa!”

I smiled despite myself. My angel was oblivious to my shortcomings, and I just prayed she would keep being so blind for at least a few years more.

“Love, I’m all yours,” I promised softly, and her face brightened.

“I know.” I made a face. So maybe she wasn’t as blind as I had thought. “Now, walk faster! I want to show you something!”

I shut up for fear of her wrath as she dragged me across the open field and into the forest. The trip was mostly silent, save her under-her-breath mumblings about my incompetence. But we finally came upon a small campfire. A few she-wolves sat around it, laughing and telling stories.

I felt really out of place here!

But of course Eliana was sitting around that fire, with a bright smile on her face as she laughed. Her smile was a nice change of pace, but her laugh was something else.

And not in a good way.

I ground my teeth together against the hyena cackling. Was this like nails on a chalkboard? Absolutely. Only a hell of a lot worse.

But then the grating noise stopped, and silence set in. I opened my eyes, and suddenly I was standing in an invisible spotlight. All of the women were gawking at me. Except Eliana. She was glowering at me with a look that would kill me if her eyes could shoot real daggers instead of metaphorical ones.

“What do you want!” she snapped, immediately rising swiftly to her feet. Twigs crunched under her boots, and she put her hand on her hip. Oh, lord.

“Zeya, must you always drag me into trouble?” I groaned.

Everyone giggled...except Eliana.

“Ellie, who is this?” one of the women asked, blinking furiously. Surely something was in her eyes?

“This is the rogue,” she spat, glowering at me like I had murdered her entire family.

“Rogue?” the nameless woman questioned. “He looks like an Alpha.”

“Well... Yeah,” I said quickly, shrugging.

Eliana’s eyes widened for only a splint second, but then her face hardened again. “Oh, yeah? Then why are you out here all alone?”

“He’s not alone, Ellie. He has me!” Zeya sang, twirling around me, oblivious to the tension.

A small smile broke onto Eliana’s face and she looked away quickly, like she didn’t want me to see it. But I guess she wouldn’t want to smile since I was standing there—me, the guy whose guts she hated for unknown reasons.

“I was actually hoping I could talk to you,” I said quickly before my better judgment could catch up to me.

All of the women started whistling loudly, and my face burned.

“Talk,” I repeated, groaning. “Just talk!”

“Why should I? We have nothing to talk about. I want you out of here as soon as possible, Rogue.”

“I want nothing more,” I agreed, ignoring Zeya’s pout. “But I really need to talk with you.”

She opened her mouth, clearly ready to deny me, but Zeya ripped her hand out of mine and threw herself at her. She wrapped her arms around the woman, and looked up at her.

“Please, Ellie? I told him he needs to be nice to you.”

“But Zeya—”

“Ellie, I don’t want to repeat myself,” Zeya threatened.

“You’re a bossy little thing,” Eliana grumbled.

“Go!” Zeya shouted in her face, smacking her side as if she was a horse who needed to start galloping.

I just barely suppressed a chuckle that surely would have gotten me killed. Eliana gave me one more stern look before her shoulders slumped in defeat. I led her deeper into the forest, in complete silence. She maintained two feet of distance between us at all times. Once we were far enough away from the others, I turned to face her quickly. She stepped backward.

“Whatever I’ve done to offend you, I am deeply sorry. I was worried about Zeya, and I lashed out. It was unacceptable to do so, and your hatred is understandable.”

She gave me a strange look. “That’s not why I hate you. If that’s all, we’re done here.”

I reached out and caught her arm. She gave me a death glare as her entire face reddened.

“Then what is this about!”

“I don’t have to tell you anything! Besides, why do you even care? There are plenty of other wolves here, so why bother me!”

This woman was Zeya in every way! And there was only one way to get through to Zeya...

“Can I tell you a story?”

She gawked at me.

“A story?”

I nodded. “Yeah. About my mate. Well...the woman who was supposed to be my mate.”

Her face softened, and something told me I had hit too close to home.

Her voice was quiet when she whispered, “What about her?”