The yard was colder than the hall, and the whole pack came out with Linnea.
Verity held a folded paper and did not hurry to open it.
Linnea's legs still shook from the walk out. She kept her chin up anyway.
Verity: Your mother's debt. Every coin of it.
Verity: She cannot pay. So the Alpha house takes the debt in flesh.
The pack murmured. Somebody laughed low behind her.
Her face burned in the cold, and she did not turn around.
Siv pushed through them with her shawl pulled tight.
Her mother's face was gray, and she would not look at Linnea's eyes.
Siv: Sign it.
Linnea: Mama.
Siv: Sign it and be quiet. You have cost this family enough.
The pen shook in her mother's hand, but it moved.
The scratch of it was small, and it was the loudest sound in the yard.
Verity: Good. She sleeps where the dogs sleep and eats what the pots leave.
Verity: Most would give her less.
The laughter came from every side then. It went into Linnea like cold water.
She looked at Torren, because she could not stop herself.
Torren: Don't look at me.
Torren: You're nothing in this house. A bucket and a back to bend over it.
Torren: If some man wants to put you behind the store, that's his business, not mine.
Her chest went hollow. The bond pulled anyway, stupid and warm.
She hated it. She hated that it still reached for him.
She made herself breathe. Then she found her voice.
Linnea: I'll go.
Linnea: But I won't crawl.
Her mother's hand came fast across her face.
The ring split her cheek, and the blood was hot in the cold air.
Siv: You will crawl if they tell you.
Siv: You will crawl and you will thank them.
Siv turned and walked away with the shawl over her mouth.
Verity caught her chin before she could follow. Her nails dug in and left marks.
Verity: Say that again in my house and I'll have you on the ice by morning.
Linnea believed her. Her whole body believed her.
Then a warm hand closed over hers.
Jessa: I'm here.
Jessa: Whatever they make you do, you do it standing up. I'll be at the healer's door.
Gratitude came up so hard it hurt her throat.
Behind them, Torren's hand closed on the gate post until the wood creaked.
He did not say anything. He looked at the blood on her cheek, then at the snow.
Linnea wiped her cheek with her wrist and walked toward the Alpha door.
The pack had to move out of her way.