The cycle of the sun and moon continued to grind forward, each day a heavy repetition of labor and each night a theatre of hidden, libidinous shadows. Following the explosive tension of the previous days, the household had settled into a fragile, deceptive equilibrium. Lara, ever the opportunist, had claimed her territory with a quiet, voracious intensity. The previous night had ended in the dark, stifled corners of the hut, where she had used her practiced skills to coax Fuyu into a state of total surrender. She had welcomed his release into her mouth, swallowing with a deep sense of possessive satisfaction, a silent victory over both her mother and her aunt before drifting into a peaceful, predatory sleep.
