Sunspire Mountains he threw me on the needle bed, across my dress he laid

"twirly-tailed", lol'd

Riley hadn't hoped the same for him, but Orlaith revealed that while he had earned her teeth, he had yet to earn the hard bite of her enmity. For that, he was surprised -- and unexpectedly overcome with a feeling that was not exactly unpleasant.

As for what he hated? If he was a joking man, he might say 'this interminable rain' -- but Riley did not joke, not that way. His features set into stone and he found himself talking about something he did not usually dare utter.

"I found a girl in the woods recently." He was not sure he should be telling the phoenix this; the flames she cast were far and wide, and she might again think he (or Donovan) somehow had root in what transpired. "She.." He sucked in a big breath. "Someone did something to her. They -- he ..." The yearling helplessly trailed off, unable to say the word rape; his aunt had never said it outright... How had she phrased it? The memory was foggy and he struggled to grasp it. "She was too young." My mom was too young. His tone turned to grit. "I hate men like him. I hate wolves like my aunt. Hardened. Mean. I hate arrogance. I hate cruelty, I hate most of the world, I hate your queen --" Here he tipped back his head, feeling the ugly emotion control him. "I hate being told what to do, or what I am -- I don't even know who I am, how can someone tell me that?"