Chapter 28

Mila sat stiffly in the little folding chair, watching the movie with little interest. Recently, they’d cleared a small movie theater with a working sound system and projector. For most of the young wolves, this was their first time in a theater. For some, like Rori, this was their first time seeing a film at all.

It was a children’s movie. Mila had never seen it before, but it was about fairy tale monsters in some sort of hotel or resort. It was filled with bright colors, catchy music, and childish jokes that had the wolves howling with laughter.

Mila was sitting next to the projector, her gaze dropping every few seconds to the seat where Rori sat. Her foot tapped anxiously.

“He’s fine,” Kody’s voice whispered. “He’s enjoying the movie with the pups.”

And Rori did seem to be having a good time. It had taken some careful tailoring and a lot of coaxing, but Mila had managed to get Rori a few sets of clothes which he wore grudgingly.

With effort, he was able to speak the common language, though he said things with what the wolf children called “a very funny accent.” Despite reservations from several parents, he was even making tentative friends.

The rift that had been brewing for months was growing steadily wider. Winnie had taken Mila’s words to heart, gently pushing the wolf packs to be accepting of all other creatures. As a delicate omega and an expecting mother, she was well-liked within her pack, so her words held a certain amount of weight.

However, Kiara’s pack and allies continued to alienate Mila and her new charge. Whispers about the intermingling of species and the audacity of Winnie’s faction were circulating quite frequently.

From this vantage point, overlooking the rows of seats, Mila could see how the adults were affecting the younger generations. Rori’s oblong, hairless head stood out from the wolf pups. He had only a few willing to sit close to him. Just a small handful of children from Winnie’s own pack sitting around him in a little circle. Then there were Kiara’s packmates sitting on the far opposite side, the ones closest to others sitting rigid even as they enjoyed the film.

Not all of them were as subtle. Mila had had to break up a number of fights before they became too violent between the pups. Some pups had come to like Mila a great deal with her many stories and lessons, so they had taken to protecting Rori who Kiara’s packmates ridiculed whenever possible.

Rori was entirely passive about it. He, like Mila, knew that he was strong. Possibly strong enough to take on the lot if they came at him all at once, but outside of a couple of gentle spars, he didn’t like fighting.

Mila’s continued motherly attitude toward Rori received a great deal of jeers, as well. Some whispered that only a freak could love another freak. That a creepy little thing like Rori was the closest Mila would ever get to a child. That perhaps, this was the child she’d conceived with Jed through some horrible magical means, possibly involving the witches. That, obviously, two monsters like them wouldn’t be able to create anything other than an abomination.

Perhaps, this might not have bothered Mila as much if Jed had taken up the role of father figure to Rori. While he was perfectly courteous with Rori and still close with Mila, Jed hadn’t made any sort of effort to befriend the child. He treated Rori much the same as any of the wolf pups. It was a thing that took up Mila’s time, but of little interest to him.

Instead, it was Kody that was taking an active interest Rori.

Kody was warm and welcoming to the curious child. He took the lead in teaching Rori about pack life, helping him train his strength, and often took him hunting. His kindness toward Rori was hotly debated in the packs as well with some praising his kindness and ability to see past the ugly whereas others thought it was a ploy to keep Mila close.

Mila tilted her head toward Kody, a tight smile on her lips. “I can’t help but be worried for him.”

The wolves were moving toward more densely populated areas. They’d been moving south-east and were now looking to go west toward Toronto and New York. Mila wasn’t sure that Rori was entirely ready to join the warriors in eradicating the remnants. He was so gentle, he hardly liked hunting animals for food.

“I’ve discussed it with the elders and Winnie is willing to look after him if you think he needs to stay behind.” Kody reached out a massive hand to pat her shoulder. “No one will hurt him.”

Mila wasn’t entirely comforted. “He’s still bullied.”

Kody shook his head. “Kid stuff. They’ll grow out of it. You trust Winnie, don’t you?”

That was true enough, but Mila wasn’t entirely sure how long this next trek in their journey would take. Winnie’s pregnancy was nearing its end. Though she’d amassed a fair number of close friends that didn’t despise Rori, there was no guarantee that he would be in the best hands if she went into labor before their return.

“No one will hurt Rori,” Kody said, the tenor of an alpha on his tongue.

No, she was being silly after all. If something did happen to make Rori feel uncomfortable or unwelcome, she wouldn’t be gone for long. Any unkindness could result in discipline via alpha. Or if worst came to absolute worst, he could retreat to the witch’s commune.

Still, doubts continued to nag at her. She couldn’t dispel all of her worries about the apparent speciesism going on. Was Rori doomed to be unloved as long as he stayed among the wolves?

Even as she watched, she could see several of Kiara’s young packmates hocking popcorn at Rori’s head. He didn’t seem terribly bothered, even catching some in his beak like it was a game.

Some of the younglings sitting around Rori turned to glare. Straining her ears, she could hear tiny growls that cut off abruptly when distracted by a funny bit in the film. Would they really grow out of this? Or would they some day become more like Kiara, excluding Rori and any one else that was different?

Was the world that Mila was trying to create even possible?



Jed was of no help. He was growing restless. Having to hold back to allow the wolves to keep pace with him wasn’t fun. While he did an excellent job of clearing buildings, he wasn’t exactly the most necessary fighter. More than half of the time, he wasn’t even able to see Mila, who was the only truly welcoming person.

It was in Jed’s nature to be a free spirit. Vampires rarely remained in large groups, even among their own kind. His affection toward Mila could only hold him back for so long and she was becoming more and more invested in the missions of the packs.