17

I was so engrossed in the task, immersed in the peaceful quiet of my thoughts, that I didn’t hear the faint sound of shifting soil as someone approached me from behind.

Finished, I straightened, dusting my hands off on my work jeans. I could already imagine the vibrant colors that this next harvest would bring to the lot. It was brown and boring now, but in a few more weeks, that would change—

I froze as I felt heat against my back. I knew it was Troy even before I turned to face him. My shoulder brushed his chest as I moved, and he shoved me away from him. I staggered but stopped short of losing my balance.

“You’re not clean enough to touch me, human bitch,” he snapped.

I stared at him, my blood rushing through my veins. “Why are you here?” I asked.

“What do you mean? This is my territory now. All of this,” he gestured to the field that he had never put even a minute’s work into, “belongs to me. That includes the land, its resources, and everyone living on it.”

I clenched my hands so