When I made my demand, I saw Grant hesitate.
His brows pulled together. "RIley… it's freezing outside."
I laughed, sharp and tired.
"Cold?" I said. "So now you remember what cold feels like?"
He stiffened.
"Don't forget what you did when I was ten."
The memory came back without warning.
That winter, they'd brought me back to the pack estate for the New Year. Lincy accused me of breaking Grant's prized vase. Monica made it sound like a crime against the whole family.
Normally, Grant wouldn't have cared about a stupid object.
But I didn't defend myself. I stayed quiet. And silence, in this house, had always been taken as guilt.
They dragged me outside and forced me down into the snow.
My knees burned. My hands went numb. The ground stole the warmth from my bones inch by inch.
If Lena hadn't arrived when she did, I don't know how long they would've left me there.
The cold wasn't the worst part.
It was learning how easily I could be made small.
