Neverwinter Forest Water from your broken iris fell toward the floor

She knew he would be mad. She knew he would ask questions. She knew it would hurt. What she didn't know was how angry it would make her. Suddenly, she wanted to shout back at Mal, tell him to take his judgment somewhere else. But she didn't; she kept her emotions in check, much more able to do that now that she was stronger—she was stronger, regardless of what Mal thought. 

She let him spout his angry questions, one accusation after another; all the while, her face remained blank. When he was done, she focused first on the little jab at her not going after her attacker. I will still help you kill that piece of shit; whenever you're ready, just let me know. None of this means we can't be friends, Mal. You're the one turning this into more than it needs to be. The words were lacking any of her normal passion as she kept up her mask to keep Mal from knowing anything about how she was feeling. She believed the words, of course, but she hated how upset he was. She wished they could all just coexist. And his existence doesn't put me in danger. He would never let anything happen to me; I've witnessed it with my own eyes. He had saved her from the bear, saved her brother from getting mauled by the pack, and he remained steadfast at her side, lovingly giving her whatever she asked for. But Mal would never see that side of him, few did, and so they would never understand why she chose him over everything else in her life, even after everything that had happened between them. 

It is not weakness to finally stop drowning in my past, she told him, losing her cool for a split second. He didn't know the darkness she had lived with before, no one did. That darkness was all but gone now, leaving her to be more than a damaged wolf, stumbling around, trying to figure out what life was after trauma. And I am not under his paw, she said, shaking her head. I'm not his shadow. I'm more independent than I've ever been, and Kynareth would never do anything to get in the way of that. He likes my strength.

Stop it, Mal, she said when he went on to blame himself. There is nothing to save me from. I want to be with Kynareth, and there's nothing you could have done about it. Of course, she had been abducted, but she wasn't going to give Mal that fuel. She would protect her husband. She understood now why he had done it, and she didn't hold it against him, nor would she let anyone else.