Sleepy Fox Hollow Where I thought I knew it all before I knew what love was

Much as she wanted to say something snippy in response, Wylla could understand Mahler's reasons. His initial ones, at least. It wasn't so different from why she searched for Tiercel now, stopping off in these wilds to chase nostalgia—hopeful that maybe her daughter had returned from whence she came to relive those days, too.

He did not know until it was too late to say it. If he had, where would he be now? Where would she be? Her daughter? That knowledge had had the potential to change everything, but hindsight was always 20/20, and now knowing he'd followed her out of an unrequited love, and that she'd spurned him in spite of his respect for her—the only wolf at the time who truly had respected her—was painful to swallow when the shock had worn off.

I was ... so angry, she mumbled, finally tilting her head to peer at him through one guarded yellow eye. She took the opportunity to sit as well, sagging under the smoldering remains of her outrage and shock. She threatened my life and none respected my authority there, not even my own sibling. I assumed when the pack remained that all had chosen her.

Who could blame them? It was unbelievable that anyone could respect Wylla. She'd been arrogant and combative and expected respect for having a fancy title rather than any merits she had, and little of that had changed. She thought she'd done everything for Grimnismal, and believed their disrespect was unwarranted and wrong. She'd pinned the blame on the only wolf foolish enough to come for her after the fact, needing somewhere to channel her pain.

She still believed all that, but wasn't as fervently furious. Grimnismal would have been too hard a land for her daughter and she knew it was for the best they'd left before Caiaphas could get her claws in Tiercel like she had Lycaon when they were born and before her daughter's life was the one threatened.

I didn't believe you, she admitted, swishing her tail uncomfortably. I thought you came to shame me more in favour of her. After my brother died, I couldn't handle more pain. I turned it on you.

It took more effort and strength than anything she'd ever done, but eventually she peeled her tongue from the roof of her mouth and said, almost inaudibly for the hot lance of humiliation it caused her, I'm ... sorry.