by Celia Kyle
He knew what he had to do.
Chapter Ten
What a fucking shitty day. First, she’d woken up in a strange place with a headache that could fell an elephant, and then it had just gone downhill from there. For a minute there, she’d thought things had started looking up. Then her new local friends—her only friends, she realized as she glanced around the circle of hippies holding hands as they laid their grievances at her feet—had turned on her. No doubt they had every reason to distrust her, but she’d hoped her work to save the woods they loved would give her some footing.
Apparently not.
Getting yelled at by people she actually liked had been bad enough, but then the shit had really hit the fan when she pulled into camp.
“I called this circle because we need to hash some things out,” Leaf announced, apparently the leader of this little “peace circle.”
Every single protestor held hands in a circle in the woods, staring at her as if she’d killed a puppy or something.
“Come on, you guys,” she started, but Leaf held up a wooden spoon.
“It’s not your turn to hold the truth stick, Moonshadow. Or should I say, Miss McNish.”
Good lord, would this day never end? “How many times do I have to tell you? It’s Persia.”
As Leaf blathered on about how Persia had hurt his precious fee-fees—leaving out the fact he was a loser and a user—she did her best to contain her quickly spiraling emotions. Of course, any day in which she had to face her asshole of a father was automatically doomed. She’d long since given up hoping for any kind of meaningful interaction with him. He was just too cruel, too selfish, too…much. They’d never see eye-to-eye, which was something she would have been able to accept and move past if he wasn’t so deliberately heartless.
Others might not understand but cutting him out of her life felt right. It hadn’t been easy, and honestly had taken quite a long time, but she was comfortable with her decision at this point in her life. It wasn’t her job to bring him around to the side of right, and it was a futile effort anyway. He had no soul to appeal to any longer. It had been replaced by piles and piles of wealth. He might have all the dollars to hire people to care for him in his old age, but they wouldn’t care for him. Not like family. But that was the destiny he’d chosen for himself.
Leaf passed the “truth stick” to Summer, who stood next to him with perfectly shimmering tears in her big blue eyes. “My truth is that I’m feeling very vulnerable. And under attack. By you, Persia. By you and your lies,” she sniffled.
“Oh, good god,” Persia muttered, dropping Leaf’s hand to pinch the bridge of her nose.
“Thank you for sharing your truth, Summer,” Leaf declared, shooting a righteous glare at Persia and grabbing her hand back roughly.
Summer dabbed at her eyes pitifully and passed the spoon on to Toby, who started in on a seemingly endless rant about honor and trust and something about the goddess moon.
None of this nonsense mattered, not compared to the way her friends had looked at her. One in particular. He hadn’t accused her of betrayal like Zeke and Val, but the confusion and pain in his sad blue eyes had nearly torn her in two. That right there was why she no longer used her legal name, except when necessary. The questions, the stares, the silent accusations were too much to take. She’d thought about changing it legally, but the idea of signing court documents as Persia Moonshadow was almost as unthinkable.
Who knew how it had happened? Word of her heritage had spread like wildfire, and before she’d even made it back to camp, all the protestors had heard the news and demanded she join a peace circle. The hits just kept on coming.
“I just think it’s, like, really gross that you’ve been pretending to care about the environment when really you’re totally just trying to get your dad’s attention or whatever,” Rustle sniped, pulling Persia from her reverie.
“Seriously, Rustle? You really think I’m doing this for him? Dick McNish doesn’t have a bigger enemy than me.”
“Again, Moonshadow, you have to wait your turn to hold the truth stick,” Leaf interjected.
“Persia!” she screamed at the top of her lungs, making everyone jump a little.
Taking a deep breath, she concentrated on holding back her rage at these assholes for questioning her ethics. Lower level college psych professors would have told her that her anger was simply projection, but she hadn’t listened to them then, and she wasn’t about to start now. Eventually, the person next to her finished their little speech—which was the same as all the others—and passed the “truth stick” to her.
“My turn, huh?” She glowered at every single idiot standing in that fucking circle. “First of all, let me remind you all that if it weren’t for me, none of you would be here right now. I’m the one who organized this ragtag little group of high-school dropouts and bored trust-fund kids. I’m the one who encouraged you all to give a shit about more than just smoking weed and playing with your didgeridoos and your hacky sacks. I’m the one who taught you all what is at stake if we don’t fight to protect our planet. I’m the one who showed you how to turn your lack of ambition into something meaningful. I’m the one who brought you all together, who keeps this operation up and running.”
“Now, wait just a minute—” Leaf tried to interject, but Persia shook the wooden spoon in his face. “Uh, uh, uh, I have the truth stick now, and I’m speaking my fucking truth.” Leaf pressed his lips into a thin, hard line and, to his credit, shut the hell up. “I will never give up fighting for this planet. No matter who I have to go up against. And yes, that includes my father. I have done more than enough to prove to all of you that I’m on the right side, that I’m doing good things for this world. And if you don’t like the fact I just so happen to be related to that sociopath, then quite frankly, you can all go fuck your hippie-dippie-selves!”
She held the spoon out from her body and mic-dropped it, although the effect was less than satisfying. Leaf stepped aside as she stormed out of the circle, biting the inside of her cheek to keep herself from crying. Every cell in her body boiled with rage. Mostly at herself.
The protestors back at camp hadn’t deserved to be the brunt of her anger. Yes, their new age ways sometimes got on her nerves, but they were kind, loving people who were at least trying to do the right thing. Some were smarter than others, and some were total morons. The problem was that they couldn’t see past their own noses. They didn’t realize the war she was waging wasn’t just about Wolf Woods. It was about stopping her father’s reign of terror. But their hearts were generally in the right place.
However, hers seemed to have gone astray.
Her thoughts turned to Warren, all sweaty and bulging as he maneuvered a slab of plywood into position halfway up a giant tree. No fear, no hesitation, just action. And hotness. All the hotness!
Branches whipped across her cheek and thorny shrubs pulled at the flesh of her calves as she hiked deeper into the woods, heading for the one place where she would feel safe again—the clearing. The pain was a welcome distraction from the deep ache she felt for Warren.
The sun still dappled the clearing as she stumbled into it, finding her favorite animal in the world sitting in a circle of light. His tail thumped at her approach, and the tension in her body lightened and floated away on the gentle breeze.
“Hey, handsome.” She knelt on the soft earth and petted his huge head.
He nuzzled her hand and then lay down on his side, drawing a chuckle from Persia. “Okay, hint taken.”
She lay down perpendicular to the wolf and rested her head on his ribcage, a sense of calm flowing through her body with every gentle breath he took. The sky overhead reminded her of Warren’s eyes, a perfect shade of blue. She sighed heavily and grabbed one of the wolf’s forepaws in her hand. She held it gently, her thumb digging in between the pads and massaging the space between. The wolf groaned his pleasure.
“You would not believe the day I’ve had since lunch. Remember tha
t couple who came here earlier and asked me to join their meeting with Dick McNish? Well, I may have omitted that he’s my dad.”
The wolf sniffed loudly, as if the name of her father affected him. “I know. I know. I’m an idiot. I should have told them beforehand. Then maybe they wouldn’t have accused me of being a traitor. We want the same thing and I just love how down to earth they are, compared to the rest of my merry band of lunatics. Now they don’t trust me, and I can’t blame them. The worst part though—and I couldn’t admit this to anyone else but you, my sweet friend—the worst part was seeing the betrayal in Warren’s eyes. I don’t know why. I mean, I barely know the guy, but…I really hate the idea of disappointing him.”
She turned to look at the wolf, as if he really understood what she was saying. “Warren’s the hottie local who’s helping me with my platform. Would you believe I thought he was just eye candy? Nope. He’s got brains too. He worked up a brilliant plan I thought for sure my dad would go for. Saved him money, bought goodwill with the locals, and would be an easier route for him overall. But did he have the good sense to see the benefits? Not my dad. Too stubborn. Guess the apple didn’t fall too far from the tree after all.”
Looking back at the sky, she snorted her amusement. “Of course, I hauled ass out of there as soon as they all accused me of backstabbing them. Then I got back to the camp to find everyone there mad at me. I have no idea how word spread so fast, but they all think I betrayed them too. In fact, that idiot Leaf called a peace circle to hash out all of our feelings.”
The wolf lifted his head and gave her a curious look.
“It pretty much went down how you’d expect. Everyone took turns, venting about what an awful, horrible, lying sack of shit I am. But I got my turn at the end.” Her cheeks pinked up over what she’d said. “Unfortunately, I was kind of a jerk to them. They’re not all bad. Most have noble intentions and didn’t deserve me ripping into them like that. I should have been more patient, but after the day I’ve had…I just didn’t have the bandwidth to deal. So, I came out here to see you.”
The wolf started panting, offering her his other paw for a mini massage.
“I dunno, maybe this is all a waste of time. Maybe I should find some other cause to fight for. I have no doubt everyone in my group would gladly pack up and get the hell out of Dodge first thing in the morning—maybe before I even get back. That would serve me right for how I spoke to them. Honestly, losing them wouldn’t hurt half as much as losing the folks from the Soren village. If they abandon me because of who screwed my mother, that’s when I’ll know I’ve failed.”
The wolf whined and reached over to lick her cheek.
“I know. It’s depressing as hell. But judging by how pissed off their mayor was, I don’t see how they’ll ever trust me again. So, I ask you again, why bother? Might as well just pack up and head on down the road to lick my wounds.”
At that, the wolf pulled himself out from under her, causing her head to drop to the grass. As she leaned up on her elbows, he sat a short distance away, staring at her intensely. Almost like he was trying to tell her something. When she moved closer to him, he took two steps back and sat again, that same almost-disappointed look on his face.
“Hey, was it something I said?” She tried to scoot closer again, but again he shimmied away, always leveling that hard look on her.
She squirmed under his scrutiny until it became uncomfortable. If he’d been human, she might have thought he was judging her for thinking of walking away from the fight with her father. Obviously her subconscious was working overtime.
“Hey, after the past twenty-four hours, I’ve earned the right to feel discouraged,” she whined defensively.
The wolf remained motionless, his gaze burning her with shame.
“Fine, you’re right, okay? I know that. Duh! I’m not going to give up just because I’ve had a bad day full of drama. If those protestors leave in the morning, fuck ‘em. And fuck the Sorens too. Fuck anyone who doesn’t think I can stop my father from spreading his evil greed across these beautiful, pristine woods.”
Determination buzzed through her, energizing her with newfound resolve. She didn’t need anyone’s help. And maybe if Warren—er, the entire Soren village—maybe if they saw how hard she was working to thwart her dad, they might start to trust her again. Sitting upright, she grinned at her wolfy friend.
“They can question my motivations all they want. I’m still going to do everything in my power to stop him, to keep these woods wild. First things first, though. I need to get back and finish my platform. Then I’ll go file that injunction first thing tomorrow. After that, it’s just a waiting game, so I suppose I’ll lie around on my… treehouse.”
An image of Warren pounding nails into the platform popped into her head unbidden. His smile, his toned but not bulging biceps, his gentle and generous nature. She’d never met anyone quite like him. Maybe one day he could forgive her. If not, she’d survive, but life might be just that much duller.
Pulling herself to her feet, Persia planted her hands on her hips, a la Wonder Woman, and grinned down at the wolf. “Mark my words, friend. I won’t come down out of that tree until I hear Wolf Woods will remain wild.”
He barked his approval and then trotted off in the opposite direction from camp, as if that was what he’d been waiting to hear all along.
Chapter Eleven
Warren sat on the treehouse platform, the last rays of the orange sunset warming the muscles of his bare chest and arms as he affixed a low railing. The little treehouse was shaping up to look like a proper, serviceable stand with enough room for a couple of people to lie down comfortably. He wiped the sweat from his brow and stared down at the camp, finding a familiar redheaded figure trudging across the clearing toward his tree.
Right on time.
Nobody would ever know, but Warren had probably set a record for how fast a wolf could run clear across the woods back to the camp via a roundabout loop. He’d jumped into his work pants as he headed for Persia’s chosen tree but didn’t bother with his shirt. Once he’d learned she liked the way he looked without it, he wondered if he could go his whole life shirtless just to impress her. Probably not, but building her treehouse was a perfect excuse.
None of the other protestors had tried to stop him from getting back to work, but they’d all been far too busy discussing the latest gossip about Persia to bother joining him. He’d barely caught his breath before he heard her progress through the woods. Quickly moving the rudimentary railing into place, he started nailing like mad until she came into view.
Stopping at the base of the tree, she looked up with wide-eyed surprise. “Warren?”
Her voice sounded like a whisper of hope on a cold, dark night. It broke his heart.
“Hey, what took you so long, Red? Figured I’d have a condo up here by the time you decided to help out.”
A sea bass couldn’t have done a better impression of a fish out of water, mouth opening and closing with nothing coming out except a few little squeaks. With a confused shake of her head, she tied a loose rope to the handle of her small toolbox and pulled on the other end of the rope.
“I’m coming up!” she called after he grabbed the toolbox. She ignored the suspicious, angry and hurt looks from the others as she climbed into her harness, which he’d deliberately left on the ground for her.
When she reached the tree limb, he extended a hand to hoist her onto the platform with him. Her eyes locked onto his broad, glistening torso and he pretended not to notice. He couldn’t stop a smile from playing at his lips, though, so he quickly turned back to the railing before she caught him.
“I didn’t want to broadcast this conversation by shouting up at you, but what are you doing here? Don’t get me wrong. I’m glad, but after what happened earlier, I didn’t think anyone from your village would be interested in helping me anymore.”
He shrugged as he hammered a nail into the railing. “Have to admit I’m not a fan of being lied
to.” When she opened to her mouth to protest, he held up a hand to stop her. “Yeah, yeah, you didn’t lie. I’ll rephrase, counselor. I don’t appreciate you keeping such a big secret from me… us.”
Because mates don’t keep secrets, he thought, but managed to swallow the words. They had a lot of ground to cover before they could be so open with each other. They’d get there, he knew it in his soul, he just needed to remain patient.
“I like to think I’m a good judge of character,” he continued, glancing over his shoulder and catching her gaze skimming his back. Her fair skin stood no chance of hiding her embarrassment. “I’m certain you had your reasons for hiding your connection to McNish, but some people in my pa—” He covered the near-slip with a fake sneeze and continued. “Some people in my village don’t exactly see it that way. They wonder how dedicated you are to your cause.”
Pink turned to red in her cheeks, mottling along her neck and down her chest, where it disappeared under her shirt. The sadness in her eyes as they dropped to inspect the toes of her boots wrenched his gut.
“Not me,” he quickly added, “or I wouldn’t be here right now. But you have to understand that my people have been burned by strangers too often. That’s hard for us to shake, Red.”
Instead of arguing, she looked thoughtful for a moment and then met his eyes without a shred of defensiveness. “Your chicken farm plan is solid. That was some quick thinking that my father should have jumped at. Anyone else in the same position would have. Then again, maybe if anyone else but me had presented it, he would have.”
Warren rolled back onto his ass, taking a much-needed break from being all sweaty and manly for her. “Maybe he’ll see the light.”
“Maybe.” Though her tone held zero hope of that happening. “But that’s not really his style. Railroading people is though. I think that’s what really revs his engines, forcing people into positions where they have no other choice. And maybe I inherited that gene because I’ve already got all the paperwork ready to file first thing in the morning. It’ll take time for the injunction to be granted, but I have no doubt it will. In the meantime…”