That had Narae’s dark brows spearing down. “Why? Did Koe threaten you?”
“No! I just…” Jury’s gaze slid to the window. “I’m worried about the Biters being out there. I was going to go back for you, but now that you’re here. I don’t ever want to go back there. Not ever.”
“And you won’t,” Narae bit out vehemently. “And if they somehow manage to get their hands on me and drag me back, I want you to promise that you won’t come after me.”
Jury just shot her a look.
“Fucking say it, Jury!” Narae leaned forward in her seat. “Promise me, you won’t go back to Bragga, not ever! Not even for me. Say it!”
Jury sighed, “I can’t do that, and you know it. You’d come for me.”
“I’m your older sister,” Narae argued. “I’m supposed to look after you.”
“No, you’re not,” Jury raged. “I’m not some child who needs watching over. I’m a grown ass woman, Narae.
“You can get as old as you like, but you’ll still always be my little sister, which means I’m always going to look out for you. Mom would want that. I want that too.”
Jury’s eyes filled with tears. “Do you think she knew what she was sending us into when she had us delivered to Bragga?”
“No,” Narae shook her head. “If she knew what he was, it never would have happened. I think she thought that maybe time had improved him, made him wiser…better. She had no way of knowing what he’d become.” Curious, Narae asked, “Do you resent her for it?”
Jury’s response was instant. “No. She did what she thought was best.” Jury went to the bed and plopped down on it. “She did what she could.”
“If I’d have known, we’d have run. I could’ve taken care of us.”
“You were only sixteen, Rae.”
“So, we’d have figured it out.”
Silence descended. Until Jury peeked up with a smile. “So, tell me about Demon.”
That had Narae blushing as she rolled her eyes. “He’s just a wolf.”
Jury’s eyes rounded. “Do you like him? Oh, God, please tell me you don’t have Munchausen Syndrome.”
Narae’s face scrunched up. “What?”
“You know, the thing where the girl falls in love with her captor.”
Narae’s brows winged up. “It’s called Stockholm Syndrome, meathead.”
Jury nodded knowingly. “Yeah,” she jammed a finger toward Narae. “That!”
“No, I don’t have Stockholm Syndrome or Munchausen Syndrome or Down Syndrome, any other type of Syndrome. What I have is just a bunch of questions about this place and about this pack.”
Jury’s attention slowly lowered to the seam on the pillow she held clamped to her chest. “They seem alright,” she announced flippantly.
It had Narae’s eyes narrowing on her.
When Jury glanced up, she rushed out, “I mean, they seem legit.”
“Legit? What is that supposed to mean? Legit.”
Jury shrugged, shoving the long fall of her black hair over her shoulder. “It just means that Koe’s been very protective and patient and…”
Narae shoved up out of her chair and stalked toward the bed. “Has he tried anything with you? Has he touched you?”
“What?” Jury pulled a face. “No. I mean, yeah. I mean, hehadto touch me. I was his prisoner, but he didn’t touch me in the way you mean.”
