Chapter 76: Absolution

RETH

"Lucine was untouched," Behryn said through his teeth. "She was a sacrifice."

"Untouched by any but me," Reth said through gritted teeth. It was perhaps the greatest regret of his life. "It was weeks ago. I knew—I knew the wolves were going to send her. She told me. We were at the Harvest and I had too much to drink and wandered into the meadow to stare at the stars and she followed. She was there and made herself available. She talked to me for hours about how we were destined—how she was the strongest sacrifice. I had no doubt of that. But she had me seeing it—that it didn't matter if she waited, because she was going to win the Rite, and we would be mates. And frankly, I was out of my mind about the whole Rite to begin with—so barbaric. It appealed to me to subvert it. I wasn't thinking clearly. I… gave in."

Behryn shook his head. "You broke the Rite, Reth. I can't believe you broke the Rite—and then rejected her?"