Sleepy Fox Hollow To the house in the pines where the road ends

She was oblivious to all the thoughts in his head, and good thing, too. After her vulnerability a moment ago, on top of opening up enough to even tell him of her remaining ambition, it would hurt her immeasurably to know that he was stung by her goals. Was it not the way of the wolf? Wylla believed it was, but she'd been raised on harsh ideals and lived a harsh life. She'd coveted the very same in Swiftcurrent Creek. The only difference was that she hadn't breathed a word of it to anyone but Tiercel's deaf ears, and she'd left when she realized how dearly it would likely cost her. This, too, could cost her, but she was ignorant of it.

His question struck her as strange, but fair. Why would I want your rank? she asked, wrinkling her nose as if appalled by the very idea. She understood why he asked. If she had the ambition to strive for second then why would she stop at that? The answer was much more complicated than she could put words to, rooted in their sexes first and foremost, but the simplest breakdown was that, I would stand beside you, Mahler, not against you. In due time. Not right this second.