My Pet Sold Me novel · Chapter 12 of 24

Chapter 12: Give It Back

Lara's POV

Dane sat down on the log beside me and held out his left arm, palm up.

"Give me your hand."

"No."

"I'm not going to hurt you."

"That's a low bar."

He did not argue.

He drew a small black knife from his boot, laid it across his palm, and waited.

"What is that?"

"There's a rite for giving a bond back," Dane said.

"It's old and nobody uses it.

"It takes the clause off me and puts it on you, with the fox and every right a holder has."

"Why would you do that?"

"Because it's yours."

"You paid fifty-one thousand dollars for it."

"I paid it so you wouldn't be sold to the Elder."

"I know. You said that. Why else?"

He looked at the fire.

"I wanted to see your face," he said.

My stomach turned over.

"What?"

"I've had that photograph for seven years. I have looked at it every day. I wanted to see who you were."

"You bought me," I said, very slowly, "so you could look at me."

"I bought you so no one else could."

"You didn't say a word to me."

"I didn't know how."

"You could have said, I was there."

"I was afraid you would walk out."

"Dane." I stood up. "I'm walking out."

He was on his feet at once.

"Lara, listen."

"You stood there."

"I know."

"I said, you'll have to shoot me, and you stood there.

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