Samara helped him home to Abaven, he managed to remain on his feet but collapsed readily once they were safely behind Abaven’s borders. The once alpha didn’t keep a den, but finding a nice cave in the plains was easy enough. Rhyme didn’t remember much from the return, after hitting the ground his exhaustion took over and he didn’t stir for a day.

Rhyme was beginning to wake up now, it was night and darkness reigned. He blinked open his blue and lavender eyes as wakefulness began to take him. As he regained consciousness the weight of the world settled back upon him and Rhyme closed his eyes again as tears began to well up within them. He was closer to reality than he had been in the weeks previously and his loss weighed massively upon him. His chest had a gaping hole within it where his heart had been torn out.

Involuntary whines fell from his lips as he wallowed helplessly, again he yearned for the fog of illusion. He wanted to see Shaye and yearned for her sweet embrace. Samara’s scent was heavy in the den, and the old man tried to focus on her. To focus on reality despite the pain in him was easier with Rara so close. The mental clarity was both blessing and curse as he lay incapacitated on the den floor.

After her talk with Theory the woman had returned to the temporary den she'd settled Rhyme in, busying herself with trying to get things ready for when he'd inevtiably wake up. She'd taken a few moments to scoure the plains near the cave she's managed to find juvinile Cannabis and some Valerian roots but dared not rove to far. As Rhyme stirred the woman was busy sorting her small herb collection, musing aloud softly to herself. She suspected that the cannabis would do more to help Rhyme in his current state but she also didn't want to make him dependant or risk making his hallucinations worse, on the other hand, the valerian root wasn't likely to help him much unless his anxiety was spiking. Rhyme's whining reached her and Samara pulled herself from the depths of the cave. "Rhyme you're awake." She said gently, taking a moment to nose at his form, searching for any sign he'd managed to hurt himself, but also she hadn't failed to notice the way he'd reacted to her touch earlier. The truth was she was exhausted, she'd been giving her whole attention to helping the man since she'd found him, the last time she'd slept had been when they'd been at the base of the volcano. ""

Accepting Shaye was gone was like losing her all over again. As time went on the tall once alpha was coming to realize his folly without being pushed too harshly by those around him. So far they could see his pain and wanted to help him but had no way how. He had to choose to help himself before he could move on. There was no past to get back to, despite his haunting and desire to sink into the insanity.

Having Samara at his side and his daughter in his corner Rhyme could feel a hope trying to live. He didn’t feel complete without Shaye, but he was being guided gently towards a path of healing and independence. He saw the light at the end of the tunnel but getting there would be impossible alone. Rhyme sighed softly and relaxed against Samara as she spoke his name, his soft whimpers grew quiet.

”Yeah,” he answered her just as quietly unsure if he wanted to be awake. He felt so weak and incapable and he wondered to himself if Abaven would have been better off with his position switched with Shaye. He was worthless in this state and his existence an unnecessary weight to the pack he loved.