Page 152 of Salt Between the Wolves

"You think this is a mark," she said, gesturing toward his chest. "You think it's a symbol, a declaration, or some way to claim a mate."

Her gaze hardened.

"It was never any of those things."

The room suddenly felt smaller.

Soren remained motionless, waiting.

Varda crossed to the window, where snow drifted beyond the glass in a landscape of white silence.

"When these bonds were first recorded, they were feared."

That caught his attention immediately.

"Feared?"

"Not by everyone. But enough."

She folded her arms.

"The surviving records are fragmentary. Most of what we know comes from copies of copies, stories repeated across generations."

Soren waited.

"The one thing they agree on is that the bond was never treated lightly."

He glanced down at the mark.

"It looks unpleasant. That's hardly a revelation."

Varda's gaze hardened.

"This isn't about appearance."

The room fell silent.

"The mark is changing."

"I noticed."

"No." Her voice sharpened. "You noticed the blood. I noticed everything else."

For the first time since entering the room, uncertainty slipped into her expression.

"I don't know what this means yet."

That answer surprised him.

"You don't know?"

"No."

The admission seemed to irritate her almost as much as it irritated him.

"I know it shouldn't look like this. I know I have never seen anything similar. And I know the old records contain enough warnings to make me deeply uncomfortable."

Soren leaned back in the chair.