Dark Empathy by Archibald Bradford (inspiring books for teens TXT) 📕

“What the hell is this?!” The rancher demanded; “Get yer hands of my Alice!”

Nina grabbed him by the seat of his pants to keep him from jumping on the Minotaur, while Linda put herself between him and his granddaughter.

“We… only...stopped… her… from… leaving.” Even in the excitement of the moment, the Gnome still spoke with deliberation.

“Leaving? Why the hell- Alice! What have you been up to?!”

The teen, now hanging limply in Milly’s grip, matched the Minotaur’s pout tenfold.

“Nothing.” She said with a sullen whine.

But as she spoke Bruti loomed over her, taking a short sniff to catch her scent, then poking her none-too gently in her budding chest.

“Her. Was mixed up with the males, couldn’t tell it was female.”

“Ow! Hey!” She cried out, but the bear ignored her.

Still trapped in Nina’s unrelenting grip, the rancher wagged his finger at the girl.

“Alice so help me you tell the truth or I will take my belt to your hide!”

“No you won’t! You’re too much of a chicken! Always talking about how I remind you of mom.” She jutted her jaw out pugnaciously; “I told you and that stupid judge I didn’t want to live on some dumb farm! I wanted to go to the city and live with my dad! At least there I could do things!”

“‘Things’ are overrated child.” Volka said.

“Stop calling me child!”

“Oh are you an adult then? Can we try you as one?” Erica asked.

Alice stopped talking as her blush deepened from the misstep.

“We’ve talked about this, your daddy: he ain’t fit to care for you.” Ethan said with worry in his tone.

Nina had since released her grip on his pants.

The Gigas had her arms crossed over her chest as she glared, having no patience for the bratty girl’s tantrum.

“Mister Davis. As much as I don’t want to interrupt your family crisis. A crime has been committed, several crimes actually.” Grant said.

“Nu-uh!” Alice was suddenly looking rather smug; “I never did anything! It was Marvin and Patrick, not me!”

“Heavens protect us all from the ignorance of children.” Volka murmured before tilting her head and explaining the situation; “Setting aside your admission of knowing the other two, as the apparent ringleader of this little conspiracy you are as culpable for these crimes as they are.”

“Yeah, w-well, you can’t do anything to me because I’m underage!”

But Ophelia, Mistress Ophelia, was done holding her peace.

“Enough of your nonsense!” The Flutterby declared as she lifted the girl’s chin to face her scowl directly; “You have caused a great deal of grief already, how many Lambda were victimized by your idiocy? Not to mention your two compatriots who are likely to end up in a dig-site over this mess!”

Alice blinked rapidly, her eyes shining as her pout intensified.

But the stern woman would have none of it.

“Don’t try that on me young lady! or I will tan your hide. This is not a game! Monster girls were hurt and people could have died! Do you think the Aegis will take this lightly just because you’re fourteen?”

“Almost fifteen.” Alice whined.

“Even closer to being tried as an adult.” Erica insisted.

Ophelia ignored them both as she continued.

“Tell us the extent of your little scheme right now. Or I swear I will sick my bond-sister on you!”

Nina perked up then, her arms uncrossing as she audibly cracked her knuckles.

“Oooh, I hope she means me.”

Finally cowed, Alice slumped in Milly’s grip, genuine tears seeping down her cheeks.

“None of them were supposed to get hurt, I told the boys to make sure of that.” She muttered.

Her grandfather was sitting on the stairs, his face in his hands and looking older than he was, meanwhile his employees were all around on the porch watching the drama unfold, but giving him a wide berth.

“What were you going to do with the wool?” Grant asked after giving a sidelong look at Ophelia to make sure he was allowed.

Alice sniffed again.

“Sell it. Then go to the city to find my dad.”

“Not much of a plan.” Nina said drily.

“Who were you going to sell to?”

“Everyone in town. Marvin’s been adding it to the bins at his uncle’s store, a little bit at a time, then pocketing the extra coins and fudging the logbooks to keep anyone from noticing.”

“Clever.” Grant admitted; “But my guess is you were severely restricted in the quantity your friend could move through his store like that?”

She squirmed in place, distinctly unhappy that Grant saw through everything so easily.

“Yeah, we’ve only made like a hundred coins so far, and Patrick spent half of it on that stupid shirt!” She said sourly.

“And you were keeping the wool here in case things went sideways? To use your grandfather as a scapegoat?”

Her eyes boggled and she looked to the old man in alarm.

“What?! No! That shed was just the best option we had! Nobody uses it for anything, it’s where me and Patrick would go to have se- er… to kiss and stuff.” She finished with a mumble and a blush.

Her grandfather shook his head in his hands as if to unheard what she had just said.

By that point though, the activity on the ranch had drawn the Lambda out of their comfortable enclosure, the dozen or so girls hesitantly drawing closer as Ethan lifted his face and looked towards Grete with an anguished expression, his granddaughter’s sex life forgotten.

Silence fell over everyone, even the girl as the vulnerable Lambda looked between her and her owner.

“She… did this to me?”

The rancher had to look away, unable to meet her hurt expression.

Ophelia broke the silence, fluttering over to the Lambda.

“I’m afraid so dearheart.”

“For money?”

The Flutterby nodded once, putting a comforting arm over the sheep’s shoulders.

“We knew she didn’t