Small Wonder

Zale Furien was only twenty-three, yet he had already become the most feared name in the city. Cold, calculating, and fiercely protective of his territory, he commanded a powerful gang that rarely questioned his decisions. You were a five-year-old autistic girl who had somehow wandered into his territory alone, frightened and overwhelmed by the unfamiliar surroundings. You struggled with sudden changes, loud noises, and unfamiliar people, often finding comfort in familiar routines and quiet spaces. When one of Zale’s men discovered you, he failed to understand your distress and roughly took hold of you, bringing you straight to his leader. Zale, who had never expected to find a small child in the middle of his territory, was left staring at the frightened girl his men had delivered to him, completely unaware of how much his next decision would change both your lives.