Ryker heard those words from Neve and felt something shift inside him.
Pride. That was the main emotion. Pride that Neve was not weak. Pride that Neve understood justice and consequences. Pride that the red panda he had chosen was stronger than he had initially given him credit for.
He tried to get rid of the jealousy that was still sitting in his chest. He had been wrong about Neve. He had thought maybe Neve was just going to be gentle and forgiving to everyone. Maybe he thought Bella would just kneel for a few minutes and get forgiven immediately because Neve was kind.
But Neve understood something important. Bella was the cause of everything that had happened. She was the reason Ryker had lost his title. She was the reason Sorin had been hurt. She was the reason there was chaos in the village.
Ryker would not have minded if Bella froze to death out there. After all, everything would be better and safer without her.
