Swiftcurrent Creek I lied I'm not picking a thread title

Maybe she wasn't being a fool in the way she'd thought. Maybe her foolishness was in assuming that Akavir would only ever assume the worst of her, that he thought her a liar. Maybe she couldn't trust her own thoughts right now.

That was what she told herself, at least. Arric offered Arlette; Akavir was frustrated; Dusty Rose tried to mediate. Reverie could only feel overwhelmed. Of them all, Dusty Rose understood most what sort of turmoil her thoughts were in just now — and she wanted Arric and Akavir to understand, she did, but the thought of speaking it aloud made her feel sick.

Still, she nodded slowly, first to Dusty Rose then to Akavir. Okay, She fought to keep her voice steady; to keep from apologizing again. I woke up like this, so I left my brother with my daughters to find somewhere to... hide. But then he followed me. And I warned him to stay back, but then he - She swallowed hard, fighting not to dissolve into her stammering again. She had warned him. In the language of wolves, she'd warned him, as was her right; it was, after all, his second warning. The first warning for any man of her own blood was the scent. And still he had pursued her, sought to hold her down.

He tried to push me down... Reverie trailed off, gaze going distant with memory. She sucked in a sharp breath and pressed herself more tightly to Dusty Rose. But I got away. I - I'm just a little bruised, I think. But I think... I'd like to see Arlette. In spite of her efforts, her voice wavered on the last words.

She couldn't look at either of the Swiftcurrent Creek leaders anymore.