Authors: Stacia Kane
“I don’t know.” She leaned her head to the side, resting it on his chest. “I’ll think about it, okay?”
“Think all you want. You’ve got plenty of time.”
The men chatted for a minute while her Yezer started to creep up beside her, some sheepish, some defiant, some frankly supplicant. It didn’t really matter if they apologized. Maybe she didn’t deserve it. Her resentment of what had happened to her, of being forced to deal with them on their terms, had colored her relationship with them to the point where she couldn’t blame those who’d willingly gone with Ktana Leyak. They deserved to feel taken care of, whether she ultimately decided to do the Haikken Kra or not. That was the whole point of a Meegra, to have someone in charge, someone who would take care of you and watch out for you. Someone who would do whatever it took in order to take care of you and watch out for you, like the ritual she’d witnessed. It wasn’t just the continuity or the respect, she realized now. It was both of those things, yes, but it was also the physical proof that a Gretneg would do anything—
anything
—for the demons in his or her care.
She’d do better from now on, be stronger and more in control. Funny how important that had become to her. Funny how important quite a few things had become to her. She’d have a lot of work to do when they got back from the cabin. It was only the wee hours of Saturday morning; they still had Christmas to celebrate, and the start of a new year. A new beginning.
“It’s getting cold out here.” Nick rubbed his hands together. “If we’re not going to toast marshmallows, can we just get back in the truck and go?”
Greyson turned to her. “What do you think,
bryaela,
you ready?”
She smiled up at him. “I’m ready.”
†€…