Sleeping Dragon my heart has always been soaked in rocket fuel and sorrow

Thuringwethil doesn’t offer an explanation as Lucani walks next to her, stepping easily along a path she’d started to recognize as familiar. Eli remains behind her without a second glance and it isn’t until Lucani speaks up that slows her down. She’d led her wolves for so long, her actions going unquestioned, that Lucani speaking up surprises her. She does not glance to the side to see her subordinate’s posture, evening out her face and headed further into the territory without answering right away. 

Lucani has no reason to trust her, even if she pledged her life several days ago near the borders. She’d come from a different place, unaware of how she handles things. Speaking about where her former home made her feel uneasy, especially when she’d silenced Snacha of any mention of Seageda. How much can this new wolf really understand of such a savage way? No one else would have blinked twice at her action, perhaps even less if she’d ended the male’s life. 

“I was called to commander when I was eight months old,” she says, feigning slight disinterest. “I did not have a choice.” I do not have a choice.

She finally swallows a lump in the back of her throat she doesn’t realize she had been holding. She’d been fighting the unsteadiness in her chest for much longer than she’d expected but she pushes it down to deal with another day.

“My home had been compromised when a few wolves did not agree, even after months of my reign,” she finally says again, quickly glancing at the woman before she averts her eyes back ahead. Eli hadn’t been one to question her but by the end, she couldn’t trust anyone hadn’t been fooled by those that did not believe her capable, even if she’d eventually brought peace among the other tribes. The male would have to earn her trust again and his willingness to die by her teeth is only the start.