Lyra POV

Lyra grins at her as she loads her plates into the dishwasher and turns around to leave the kitchen.

Kathleen is waiting for her as soon as she exits the kitchen.

"You don't understand what it was like," Kathleen blurts immediately, wringing her hands.

"Oh, tell me what it was like then," Lyra snipes, her politeness replaced with the cattiness she was trying to avoid.

"It was hell," Kathleen growls, "I had nobody to talk to for six months. Nothing to do. It was horrible."

Lyra stares at her blankly.

"You're speaking to somebody who never had a mate. You got yours for at least part of the...