AARYN

He frowned and opened his mouth, but Elreth got in first.

"Let me reassure you, Delarys, that Aaryn will never be alone again in his life as long as I live."

His mother took a deep breath, as if she struggled to do so. "That is good. That is good, Elreth. I knew… I knew you were a good female, even as a friend. And now a ruler. But he will need you."

Elreth's eyes sharpened as she asked the question he was too terrified to ask. "Why?"

His mother seemed to struggle. "His father was a good male, Elreth, no matter what you hear, believe that. He was a good male."

"I do believe that," she said firmly, which dropped Aaryn's jaw. He'd never spoken of his father if he could help it. "He chose you as his mate, and brought Aaryn into this world. Good males beget good males," she said.

"Yes!" his mother said, fiercely again. "The stories of him, of what he did—or did not do—they are… skewed."

"Skewed how?" Elreth asked sharply, likely aware that her father was the one who had declared his father a traitor—another reason Aaryn rarely spoke of his dad. He didn't want to remind Reth whose son he was, and give him a reason to question him.

"There are members of our pack who know the truth, but the truth was buried in order to save others… and I do not begrudge them… I do not blame them. The living must always take priority over the dead. But Aaryn will be seen as the offspring of a traitor until his dying day, and... I was not always this way, Elreth. I was not always this tired. I know the strings of power—and the bows that play them. You will be told that your mate has bad blood. He does not. Do not listen to them."

"Mom, what are you saying?" Aaryn asked, terrified of her answer.

His mother turned her head to look at him. "Your father's name was bloodied in order to save the life of another—and I did not think, at the time, about the way that would impact you, Aaryn. I'm sorry, Son. I'm sorry I didn't think about your life. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you more."

"Mom, there's nothing… it's fine. What's wrong? Why are you talking this way? Are you sick?"

"I don't know…" she said, and her face crumpled. "I'm just so tired and… but hearing you two tonight, it's given me hope. I haven't felt hope in such a long time."

Aaryn swallowed the pinch in his throat. "That's a good thing, right? Why are you crying?"

"Because… I'm just so glad that you have each other. That's what everyone needs, no matter who or what they are. Everyone needs to find the person the Creator made for them. And to stay together, to work through everything, no matter what, no matter how bad. Because… because when the day comes that one of you is taken, you need to know that you did everything to show him that you loved him. You need to know even if he's gone that you don't regret a minute, because he knew you loved him, and in the end, that's all that matters."

Something cold and sick sat in the pit of his stomach. "That's… that's good advice, Mom, we'll do that, okay? You don't have to worry. I'm not giving Elreth up for anything."

His mother turned to look at Elreth then, whose eyes were wide, but she swallowed and nodded. "Aaryn is my heart, Delarys. I'm sorry I made him wait so long. I didn't see it sooner. I just… I was blind. But I'm not anymore."

"It was that way for me too," she said quietly. "Don't apologize. You'll be a better mate because you didn't give yourself away to just anyone before you got here."

Elreth blinked and her eyes shot to him, then back to his mother. "I'm… I mean, I don't think—"

"It's okay, I was talking about hearts, not bodies," she said, and she sighed so heavily and was quiet for so long, Aaryn thought she might have fallen asleep again. But then she took a deep breath and pushed herself back up to sit. Her hair was greasy and she pulled the sweater around her tight. But she fixed her eyes on Elreth and leaned forward. "Promise me you'll never leave him alone."

Elreth took a deep breath of her own. "I never will. He's my True Heart's Call. I don't feel complete when he's not there," she said, then blinked, as if she hadn't planned to say it.

His mother put a hand to her chest and smiled the brightest he'd seen her smile in years. "Thank the Creator he found you. My heart can finally rest. Thank the Creator," she said, then settled herself back down on the couch. "I'm so tired, Aaryn, I just need to rest. Don't mind if I sleep down here tonight. If I feel like it, I'll climb the stairs, but if I don't, this is fine," she said.

"Okay," he said quietly. "But I might keep you awake if I'm walking around. I could carry you up—"

"No, you go with Elreth tonight. I want to be alone and talk to your father," she said, her eyes now pinched shut, like she was in pain.

"Mom," Aaryn said, adrenalin shooting through him. "Dad's…"

"I know he's dead, son. But I can still tell the Creator what I'd say to him, and the Creator will share it with him. I know you don't believe it, but your father was a good man. He's in heaven now, make no mistake about that."

Aaryn gaped at her. Elreth was staring at him, he could feel her eyes on him, but he didn't look at her because he was afraid he might actually cry if he saw sympathy there.

His mother was losing it. Actually losing it.

What the fuck was he going to do?!

"Mom—"

"Go, Aaryn. I insist. I'm going to talk to your dad, and I'm going to sleep. We can chat in the morning after your meeting. You go be with your mate, then talk to the Elders, then come tell me about what they say, okay?"

She didn't open her eyes at all, and a moment later her breathing went slow and even.

He and Elreth crept around, getting the soup in the chillbox, and washing the two dishes, but eventually, he was just standing there staring at his mother sleep again.

Elreth took his hand, twining their fingers, and led him to the door. But he felt like something was pulling him back.