Madam looked me over, her eyes on our interlocked hands and the cloak in my other hand.
"How is your stomach?" She let go when we were far enough away from the rest and turned to face me. "Are you feeling better?"
I nodded and shook my head. Yes, my stomach was fine. No, I was not feeling better. I didn't mean to be disrespectful to her, and could only admit that she was right in her assessment of me.
"They are males...there's no other way for me to be around them. I can't treat them like Madam does, I'm sorry." I apologized, the words coming out easier than expected.
She paused in her step, her eyes growing even colder.
"I've caused them enough pain because of my ignorance," she said and took her cloak back from me, "I don't want to get in a fight over a female with my mates again, so do whatever you want from now on. Just leave me out of it."
She walked back to the campfire, "You are dismissed," leaving me standing in the middle of the clearing.
I followed her with my eyes. She grabbed Vick's hand and sat in his lap, burying her face into his neck.
He widened his eyes and patted her back, his lips moving with questions, but Madam didn't say a word.
The males were confused by her sudden change, and when their eyes landed on me, I quickly looked away.
Were they going to punish me for upsetting Madam? I looked at my empty hands. I no longer had the cloak's protection.
"Little Miss, come here," Vick called out to me, "We are not going to do anything to you because of this. Come and sit down. It's alright."
I stood rooted to the spot, not moving.
Vick sighed, "Romeo."
The male stood up and walked up to me, but Madam stopped him.
"Don't touch her," she ordered, and I took a step back, "Don't look at her. Don't talk to her. Don't acknowledge her. I don't want her around me at all. Not even the mention of her. It's either me or her."
I looked down at my hands. They were trembling. My image of Madam crumbled to the ground. I had admired her so much. She had saved me from the cell, and I had wanted to thank her. To repay her, somehow. Why did I think she would be different?
The dream had ended, and reality was crashing down on me again. Hope had been lost, and it was time to go.
"Thank you," I said to her and her males, "It...it was a pleasure meeting you. All of you. I'm glad you bought me. Thank you so much. For everything."
I bowed and walked away as quickly as I could, smiling to myself.
Today was a good day. A really good one. I was grateful. So grateful I could die.
The woods were dangerous, so I didn't go far. Just enough to get out of sight and hearing range.
I found a bush with some berries and sat under it. A rabbit hopped next to me, and I broke off a few grass blades for it.
My eyes would peek at the males every now and then. None of them were paying any attention to me. They were focused on Madam.
They were a family. And it was fascinating to see them interact. To watch a group of males care for a single female, while they seemed to love each other just as much, was something that I didn't know existed. Something I didn't think was possible.
But it was right there. In front of my very eyes. Not even a hundred steps away.
I nibbled on the grass, watching them as the sun went down. And when the moon hung in the sky, I shifted into my sheep form and curled into myself to sleep.
The rabbit snuggled close to me, our warmth providing each other comfort in the dark.
I was a black sheep, and today was the day I had learned what love was.