And that was when Ally finally comprehended just what Rachelle had been trying to accomplish all along. Not drive Ally out of the pack. Not have her banished or executed—or at least not yet, anyway. No, Rachelle had been trying to isolate Ally. Trying to take away everything that was important to her. She wanted Ally to be miserable and alone, and she wanted a front-row seat to the show.
“All you have to do is apologize,” Zeke repeated.
Laughing humorlessly, Ally leaned forward. “Apologize to her? I’d rather exfoliate my skin with barbed wire and then dive into a pool of chlorine.” Something that Rachelle would know perfectly well. “Besides, I’m not in the habit of saying sorry for stuff I haven’t done.”
Zeke cursed under his breath. “Ally, she’s trying to help you here.”
Ally shook her head sadly. “I never thought you’d be so easily fooled.” If his mating bond with Rachelle had fully developed, he would have sensed that she was lying. But still, he should have known that Ally was innocent. Should have known that even if Ally had attacked Rachelle in a moment of rage, she wouldn’t have lied about it. Ally owned her shit. “So if you’re not going to cast me out, and she’s not going to challenge me, what’s the punishment for my fictional crime?”
“If you don’t apologize to Rachelle, we’ll be forced to relieve you of your status.”
The words were like a blow to the head. Status was everything to wolf shifters; it gave their wolves a clear purpose and stability. As such, to strip a wolf of their status was a very serious thing, designed to cut deep, to hurt both the wolf and the human side. And it did. “I see.” Her tone was flat, empty of any emotion, and gave away none of her wolf’s righteous anger.
“Ally, look at me.” Whatever Zeke saw in her expression made him stiffen, as if bracing himself for impact. “I didn’t want things to be like this. Dammit, they don’t have to be like this.”
“You’re right, they don’t. But they are because your mate is a goddamn story spinner.” Seeing that he was about to deny it, Ally quickly added, “Okay, explain to me why I would do these things she’s accused me of.”
“Jealousy makes people do things they wouldn’t normally do,” he mumbled as he averted his gaze. The words sounded rehearsed. Ally got the feeling they were Rachelle’s words.
“You know me, Zeke. You know me. How could you believe this crap? How could you believe I’d begrudge you for mating? We both knew the score when we got together; we knew it would end if one of us found our mate. This shit happens to shifter couples all the time,” she added with a nonchalant shrug.
A mixture of irritation and hurt flashed on his face. “Don’t downplay what was between us, Ally. We came close to imprinting. Don’t deny it.” He raked a hand through his hair. “Look, I can understand if our abrupt separation and Rachelle’s presence here hurts you. I sure as hell wouldn’t have liked it if the situation were reversed, but I’d have respected it.”
“I do respect your mating.”
“Then why did you attack her?”
“Oh, for God’s sake, I did not touch her.”
“Then how do you explain the injuries she’s sporting?”
“She must have done it all to herself!” Yes, Ally knew how that sounded, and it made her cringe. It was like the more she denied the allegations, the worse she looked. “I know she’s your mate, but I thought we were friends. You won’t even listen to me, you won’t even give me the benefit of the doubt!”
“Because the evidence is all there! Rachelle’s got claw marks on her back, a bruised and swollen jaw, and the youths claim you left to pursue her. Then there are the text messages, the times you yelled at her, and the way you’re constantly angry—”
“Wouldn’t you be angry if false accusations were being slung at you, and no one believed a word you had to say?”
He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Why would she falsely accuse you of all these things?”
“Personally, I’m thinking it’s to make you and the entire pack hate me, to leave me isolated and unhappy. But I’m open to the explanation that she grew up on a diet of paint chips and glue.”
“I could never hate you.” He released a tired sigh. “I care about you, Ally, and I always will. But Rachelle’s my mate, and I can’t let you target her like this. Regardless of what you think, I really don’t want to ask you to step down from your position. But right now, the pack doesn’t feel like they can trust you.”
Which meant they didn’t trust a word she said, and so any visions she claimed to have wouldn’t be trusted either. There was literally no place for her here. “Get me a transfer.”
“A transfer?” He looked genuinely shocked. Um, why?
“Yes, get me a place in another pack.” Leaving did feel a little too close to fleeing, and her pride balked at that. But it was better to leave than to entertain Rachelle with her misery any longer. Of course, Ally could go back to her childhood pack. Her foster uncles would welcome her with open arms. But it wasn’t a safe place for her; it would make her life more complicated and dangerous than it already was.
Zeke seemed to struggle with words for a moment. “That’s not necessary. I know everyone’s upset with you right now, but their anger will cool. Things will be back to normal within a month.”