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“I can see him in your eyes,” he said, still looking at me. “You may have your mother’s features, but you’ve got your old man’s eyes.”

I whispered, “Axl,” and he nodded.

This man was my uncle, my father’s brother. I hadn’t seen him since I was six, since the time my father had come to Toke’s clan and—

“I promised him I would bring you home.”

“No thanks,” I said, my voice shaking with so much anger and fear I was surprised I’d gotten the words out. He was an elder now. Axl, an elder.

Why had no one told me?

His jaw flexed, the only sign of his displeasure. “It’s what he wanted,” he said, “why he came back here looking for you like he did. It was hisone desire, to have you back in the right clan. A man’s child ought to be in his own clan.”

Roan pushed me more squarely behind him and stepped closer to the man, pulling my uncle’s gaze from me.

“Alright, we’ve heard what you have to say,” Roan said calmly, “but surely this is not the time or the place. We thank you for the fire. Runehall’s people have done us an honor.”

He had my uncle by the shoulder and was gently encouraging him out. Axl hesitated under Roan’s nudging, but his companion echoed the sentiment.

“That’s right, let’s be on our way,” he said.

They all moved past me towards the door, and I could see Axl cool a bit, his temper receding under the men’s persuasions. I could hardly believe he’d have such strong opinions about me and how I should live, this stranger who was also my father’s brother, and I wanted him out, never to step back into my world again.

I was about to get my wish when his idiot friend had to go and open his mouth.

“This is a matter for you and the other elders anyway, like I said to you before, and when you’re all gathered is when you need to make your case.”

And my blood thrummed with rage. They reached the door, Roan was about to open it, and I should have just let them go. I knew what I should do, but I was suddenly full of myself.

I was going to do what I wanted.

“It’s not a matter for the elders,” I said, a bite to my words and heat in my chest. “I’ve decided formyself,and I don’t want that piece of shit’s clan. The two of you can go to hell.”

The words had poured out; of course they had.

The ones that got me into trouble always did.

There was one moment of pure bliss. My defiance was thick in the air and the awe on the faces of the three men before me made what was about to come worth it.

And holy thunder, did it ever come.

Axl lost it. He lunged for me, and it was all Roan could do to get a hold on his tunic and haul him back. Roan threw him against the door and yelled at him to stand down. Axl tackled him, cutting off his words and sending them both sprawling across the boards.

“That bitch needs to be taught a lesson!” he said, but he seemed to be giving the lesson to Roan on my behalf. He was pissed at me and taking it out on him.

They were scrapping. The reasonable man tried to talk Axl down, but my uncle wouldn’t have it. It was a flurry of fists and arms as both men clawed to be on top. That was when Roan took a hard cross to the cheek. I covered my mouth with my hands, I couldn’t help it. When Roan looked back at the bastard, it was with hell in his eyes.

Axl threw a jab, but Roan managed to block it. Then he slammed his fist into my uncle’s nose so hard he sent him flailing backwards. Blood was streaming from both nostrils, and Axl blinked dumbly as Roan hauled up to his feet, opened the door, and dragged the son of a bitch out into the dark.

“Thanks again for the fire,” Roan said to Axl’s friend as they shimmied around each other in the doorway.

“Yeah, go burn off your dick.”

Roan closed the door, drug the bolt in place, and turned back, his hands on his hips. He was breathing heavily from the exertion, his chestrising and falling under his rumpled shirt. The skin was split at his cheekbone and blood trickled down to his jaw. A bruise was already blooming there, and his hair was more disheveled than I’d ever seen it.

Then there were those slashes from the bear and the trees.

“Really?” he huffed.