While I comforted him through his supposed rejection. While I let him mark me, bond with me, build a life with me.
What a fool I'd been.
While I stood there reeling, the old she-wolf shoved me again—harder this time.
I stumbled backward onto the front steps of the longhouse and slid several feet across the icy ground, snow soaking through my clothes.
Snow drifted down in silence, broken only by the sound of the heavy iron bolt sliding into place.
I picked myself up, brushing snow from my clothes, my dignity in tatters. The cold bit into my skin, but my wolf's warmth kept me from freezing.
At least I still had my traveling cart and the horses.
I climbed inside and wrapped myself in the spare furs, but the wind still found its way through the cracks. The wheels would never move through this ice—the horses couldn't find purchase on the frozen ground.
No traveling tonight. I'd have to make do here.
The provisions I'd brought—all preserved meats and honeyed drinks for the gathering—sat untouched in the storage compartment. At least I wouldn't go hungry.
My heart burned with injustice. But I'd be damned if I didn't take care of myself.
Once I'd eaten my fill, I pulled out my communication crystal.