Chapter 182: You made your males hurt me because you knew I wouldn’t speak

Chapter 182: Chapter 182: You made your males hurt me because you knew I wouldn’t speak

Her voice was sickly sweet.

"Tell her exactly what you thought would happen after she ate it."

Nerin stared at Selka.

His face had gone so pale that even his lips had lost color.

Around them, Ironwood seemed to stop breathing.

Nobody cared about the captured Veilkin anymore.

Nobody whispered.

Nobody moved.

Even Selka’s three newborn wolf cubs had quieted inside their hide-lined basket, their tiny bodies curled together near Brann’s feet.

Swanly watched Nerin.

Not Selka.

Nerin.

His silver deer ears were pinned flat. His broken antler trembled faintly. His hands had curled so tightly at his sides that his nails dug into his palms.

Selka smiled.

There was satisfaction in it.

She had wanted exactly this.

She wanted everyone staring at him.

Doubting him.

Judging him.

Just like they had once stared at Swanly.

Nerin finally spoke.

"I thought..."

His voice failed.

Selka tilted her head.

"Oh?"

Kael’s tail lashed behind him.

"Speak."

Nerin flinched.

Kael’s voice had not been loud.

It did not need to be.

His dark golden eyes were fixed on the deer with a look that promised something terrible if the wrong answer came out.

"You carried something drugged to my female."

Nerin swallowed.

"I didn’t know."

Selka laughed.

"There it is again."

"I DIDN’T KNOW!"

The sudden shout startled everyone.

Nerin almost never shouted.

He seemed startled by it himself.

His chest rose sharply.

Then again.

His eyes filled.

Swanly’s expression changed.

"Nerin."

He looked at her.

And whatever control he had left shattered.

"It was after sunset."

Selka’s smile thinned.

Nerin continued.

"You were upset."

Swanly said nothing.

She did not remember.

But Arion did.

His amber eyes shifted.

"That night..."

His face hardened.

Nerin nodded weakly.

"You had argued with Arion earlier."

Arion’s jaw clenched.

Maela glanced at her son.

Something uncomfortable passed through her proud face.

Nerin looked down.

"I saw you leave alone. I wanted to follow you, but..."

His ears lowered further.

"I thought you would tell me to leave."

Selka scoffed.

"You always were pathetic."

Nerin ignored her.

For once.

He looked only at Swanly.

"Selka came to me."

Swanly’s blue-gray eyes narrowed.

"What did she say?"

Nerin breathed in shakily.

"She said she knew I wanted to make you happy."

Selka shifted on her knees.

Her wrists remained firmly bound behind her.

What nobody could see was the thin piece of sharpened bone pressed between two fingers.

Still hidden.

Still slowly rubbing against the thick rope.

Not enough.

Not yet.

Nerin continued.

"She had a bowl."

His voice became quieter.

"Sweet fruit mashed with something inside."

Selka immediately cut in.

"And you never wondered what?"

Nerin’s head snapped toward her.

"You told me it was calming herb!"

A murmur swept through the crowd.

Selka’s eyes flashed.

Nerin pointed at her.

"You said Swanly was upset because of Arion."

Arion’s expression darkened.

"You said if I took it to her, it would calm her."

His voice cracked.

"You said she would be happy I was the one who brought it."

Selka smiled.

"I said she might finally appreciate you."

"You said she would like me!"

"And you wanted that."

Nerin’s breath caught.

Selka turned toward everyone.

"Do you hear him?"

Her voice turned innocent.

Almost wounded.

"He wanted her."

Brea stared at her from the ground.

Even she looked disgusted.

Selka continued.

"He wanted Swanly to look at him. Wanted her affection. Wanted her gratitude."

She looked toward Nerin.

"And what a wonderful little coincidence. He carried her something that made her desperate for a male."

Several Sunmane survivors shifted.

The whispering started.

"He did carry it..."

"He admitted that."

"Maybe he knew."

Nerin heard.

His whole body shook.

"No."

Kael took one step forward.

Nerin immediately looked at him.

"No, Kael."

Kael’s claws slid out.

"You gave it to her."

"I gave her food!"

"Drugged food."

"I DIDN’T KNOW!"

Kael’s growl rolled low through the clearing.

"That night destroyed her life."

Nerin’s eyes filled completely.

"I know."

That answer stopped Kael.

Nerin’s voice dropped.

"I know."

His chin trembled.

"That is why I have hated myself for it every day since."

Swanly went still.

Selka’s smile vanished for half a heartbeat.

There.

Swanly caught it.

Nerin wiped his face roughly.

"I didn’t understand what happened at first."

His breathing shuddered.

"I only knew Swanly ate what I brought her."

He looked toward Kael.

"And then she disappeared with you."

Kael’s expression hardened with the memory.

Nerin continued.

"By morning, everyone knew."

His voice broke.

"Swanly had lost her innocence."

Arion looked away.

Maela’s mouth tightened.

Nerin’s tears fell faster.

"They mocked her."

Swanly’s chest tightened.

"They called her shameless."

His hands shook.

"They blamed her."

He looked at Swanly.

"And then I found Selka."

Selka’s eyes sharpened.

Nerin laughed once.

A horrible, broken sound.

"She was smiling."

Silence.

Swanly slowly looked toward Selka.

Selka’s expression remained composed.

Too composed.

Nerin continued.

"I asked what she had given me."

Selka said nothing.

"She told me it did exactly what she intended."

Gasps erupted.

Brea’s head whipped around.

"Selka!"

Selka snapped:

"Shut up."

Nerin’s voice grew stronger.

"She told me if I said anything, nobody would believe I didn’t know."

His green eyes burned.

"She said I carried it."

His hand struck his own chest.

"I gave it to Swanly."

Another tear fell.

"And everyone knew I liked her."

Swanly suddenly understood.

Everything.

Nerin’s fear around Selka when they first arrived.

The way he obeyed too quickly.

The way Selka spoke to him as though she owned something inside him.

The shame.

The broken eye contact.

The way he always seemed to expect punishment.

Nerin whispered:

"She told me she could ruin me whenever she wanted."

Selka laughed.

"You make me sound very powerful."

"You were."

He looked at her.

"You knew I couldn’t tell anyone."

"You could have."

"And say what?"

His voice rose.

"That I carried the food that ruined Swanly’s life?"

Silence.

"That I wanted her to love me?"

His broken antler trembled.

"That I was stupid enough to trust you?"

He shook his head.

"You used it every time you wanted something."

Selka’s face hardened.

Nerin stepped forward.

"Every time I refused you."

Another step.

"You reminded me."

His voice was shaking, but now it was anger.

"You told me you would tell Swanly."

Another.

"You told me Kael would kill me."

Kael’s jaw tightened.

Honestly?

Old Kael probably would have.

Nerin looked toward Brann.

"You made your males hurt me because you knew I wouldn’t speak."

Brann went still.

His face changed.