Emberwood Remember when you said you loved me?

It was starting to feel to Fennec like every time she wanted to talk about something significant, some crisis happened. It wasn't Bronco's fault, and she knew she shouldn't take it out on him, but knowing that didn't stop her emotions from running with it. She was crushed.

Down. She said, not bothering to respond to any of the rest of it. She didn't know how to right now. He was so off the mark on what she was referencing, she was starting to realize that he actually didn't see the problem. She'd assumed it would get better because she assumed he would want it to get better. But maybe that assumption was wrong.

She left and came back a few moments later with as big a patch of moss she could find. Hold that to it. She set it down, then took a step back. She assumed he didn't want her to help.

And you're wrong. That wasn't it. I don't like it when you hurt yourself, but I know it isn't on purpose. She couldn't summon any anger. It had been too long, and she'd been silently sitting on this to the point that it had worn her out on it. I'm miserable, Bronco. I'm trying. I am really fucking trying. But I feel like you don't trust me, all the time. I can't even touch my own mate. And it makes me wonder why we are even together, when all we are is friends. It was a mistake, anyway, forcing it. I shouldn't have done it.

Her throat caught. She had taken advantage of the fact that he probably couldn't respond with his nose shoved in a bunch of moss, but now she fell silent.

Maybe he wouldn't want to address it anyway. Maybe he was fine as friends. Maybe that's what he'd really wanted all along. Maybe this was all just his way of getting out of it all. So many theories, none of them particularly insightful, but all of them haunting her these past months. She had slowly come to the conclusion that she might never get what she needed from him. The need that coursed in her blood wasn't new, but the season made it strong enough that she couldn't ignore it anymore.

At least she'd finally said it.

Keep holding that until the bleeding stops. she added, hopefully to cut off any response. She didn't need him bleeding out just to answer. He sounded awful.