Page 160 of Wolf Roulette

“Out at Foley’s cabin?”

“I’ve moved out. I’m in the cabin you had for a bit, actually, but I was at the river at the time. Heard you underwater and all.”

Right.“I don’t play often, no.”

Rhona opened her mouth and closed it. She opened it again. “I wanted to congratulate you on the Sandstone turnover. You understand head stewardship in a way I didn’t and never will.”

To be fair, she only had a few weeks in the seat.

“I’m not sureneveris the right word.” I leaned back. “That wasn’t the best time for you to try the ropes.”

“Dad was right to change his will,” she whispered. “I let his choice get under my skin. I convinced myself the tribe needed me, but really, I became so obsessed with proving he made the wrong decision. My actions were selfish, and in the end, all I did was prove he made therightchoice. It took nearly losing Grids to make me see the truth, then when I realised what I’d done, I ran instead of owning up to my mistakes.”

Whoa.

Fuckingwhoa.

I never,everexpected to hear those words.

What should I say? “You returned to take responsibility in the end. That means something. And you found the strength to tell me all this today. That means something too.”

Rhona looked at her clasped hands.

My turn. “I played a large part in making you feel alone and helpless, and I’m so sorry for that. I lied to you for selfish reasons, and because I couldn’t find the courage to face you. We both ran away, Rhona. Just in different ways.”

“I did horrible things to you.” Her voice broke.

“You were pushing me away. I knew that. I’d done it myself in the past.” If there was one thing a relationship with Logan taught me, it was that.

“How can you ever forgive me?”

This was the moment I’d hoped for and never expected to get. Rhona could do the same horrible things to me in the future. Except when it came to my sister, I’d been a fool so many times, it didn’t make sense to be smart now. “You’re forgiven.”

Tears spilled from her emerald eyes. “Why?”

“You tell me.”

She choked on the words. “Because you love me?”

“Yes. I do. I can’t easilyforgetwhat happened, but with time and effort from both of us, we can rebuild trust.”

Rhona wiped her face. “I want to do that. I don’t know how.”

“For a start, how about you join me in the observation tower next Wednesday? I valued your input during Sandstone.”

“I’d like that.” She paused. “I saw you screaming when Greyson hit the ground.”

I watched her closely. “I thought he was dead.”

“You love him.”

“I do.”

She took a thin breath. “I was remembering what you said a while back about him dying if you were killed. You said his death would break you, right?”

I shuddered at the thought. “It would.”

“It sounded like it when you were screaming,” she said quietly. “I’ve been speaking to the tribe psychologist about Dad. Obviously, what he did was fucked up. I’m trying to wrap my head around it all, and it sometimes makes me think about what Ragna did to you.”

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