She had expected the kindness this time, and yet she was still surprised when Lana moved to sit beside her. She was close enough for Llinnea to lean into her, but not forcing her into the contact if she didn't want it. The pup thought about it, thought about accepting that comfort and pretending for a moment that it was her mor, forgiving her for her mistake, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. She turned her face away and shrank in on herself as the question was asked.

"I will not let him," she said in a low voice. "I will not let him do it again. I will not let him hurt me. It is why I left." She swallowed the end of the sentence, not wanting to admit she'd abandoned her bror. That's what it felt like, no matter how justified she felt. No matter how much she wanted to feel like he had abandoned her, with all the hurtful things he'd said. In the end she was the one who walked away and left him behind where that monster knew he was.