ARIA'S POV
The moss beneath my bare feet felt cold. The wind moving through the trees chilled my skin, but I wasn't sure if I was shivering from the breeze, or from the weight of what had just happened.
I felt empty, and used.
Like something inside me had been bruised.
As I stepped back into the clearing near the cabin, the moon still hanging heavy in the sky, I caught sight of Thorne. He was leaning against a post, chewing something in his jaw, probably dried meat. When he saw me, his expression shifted instantly.
"Aria?"
He dropped the snack he was holding and was in front of me within seconds. His nose flared, and his brows drew together in alarm.
"Where have you been?" he asked. "Why do you smell like…" He cut himself off. But his expression darkened.
I didn't answer him right away. Not because I didn't want to… but because I didn't know how to. The words were trapped in my chest, tangled in fear, fury, and shame, all at once.
I walked past him, heading for the cabin.
