Ouroboros Spine He's heading out the door

her mind pulled to itself memories of the night. raimo was not worshipful; he was driven. ambitious. and it had been so, a tangle of paleness into shadow that left her wanting, even in the face of what adrastus had said. and would say. 

so he had not changed. kukutux felt somehow that she knew how the hunter boasted to other men, for he had done it before her very eyes. and now she had given him more a cause to do it, for she had allowed desire to rule her, and to rule her body. not again. never again — that. she must speak to sialuk quickly. and she must speak to her raindrop perhaps as another woman now. 

raimo had threatened to take the girl, to possess her. kukutux saw now underneath the anger was a great fear, a spreading hurt. maybe she had gone to the firsthunter in silent adulation, and now it had changed nothing. she had meant that they would take pleasure in one another. and now before her gaze, the snowhunter had come and described her new nulettukutik as boastful.

what had raimo boasted of? surely you know. his brashness addled your mind for an entire night, and even now. you must mend this.

"what does he say, of me and of sialuk," but it was not a question, not truly. she wished fiercely, angrily that there were more hunters within moonglow and that zane would take up the role of brother, for then she would not need to be so consulted. so ashamed before herself again.