When Seconds Tick By

She was relieved that he didn't pull away when she had approached him. Though she was convinced that they all hated her, this moment served to remind her that perhaps she was and had been over thinking everything. That she had been led to believe it all. She wanted to cry when he embraced her, but she refrained and instead leaned into him for a moment before he pulled away. She did not miss the concern on his face, and she realized that she must look like a mess in the state she'd been in for most of the season. At his prompting her to eat, she was about to protest until her grumbling and aching stomach stopped her. She'd been so consumed with everything that she realized she probably hadn't eaten in a while...so instead, she nodded and settled down. And when she started to bite into the prey, the taste reminded her how hungry she really was and she suddenly felt ravenous.

She tried not to wolf it down too quickly though. Ears listened as he spoke, the woman stopping when he asked why she thought it. Honestly, she felt like she had been neglectful and like she wasn't there like she should be. She would rise to a sitting position, looking down at the partially eaten food as she sighed. What brought it on? She wasn't sure how to answer that. Would he see her as weak if she told him that part of it was due to someone else's influence? That she had been so overwhelmed with thoughts since their father left? That she was doubting her abilities to raise them and lead a pack because someone made her believe that she was weak? That a lot of what his brother had told her, made her feel inferior? There was so much...

"I'm...sorry...you all have grown up so fast...I've always felt that I haven't been doing a good enough job trying to raise you on my own..." She glanced at him, brows furrowing slightly. "I often feel like I have been inadequate as a mother. Which in turn is probably why I try to keep us together...I know you're all of age to fend for yourselves, but even so...as a mother, I'm always going to worry." Amber gaze turned up to study him. Ears twitching as she looked him over. "You look so much like your father...but in every way, you're better...I just wish Lykos hadn't taken after him..." There was so much to tell. And she knew that one question seemed to be at the front of everyone's mind. What happened the day mercy was found trespassing. So when his last question came, she breathed in deeply before exhaling. "A lot has happened, Gryphon. I'm...not even sure where to begin...though like Dragon, I'm sure you're wondering about the scar?" The fur hadn't completely grown over yet. And she wasn't sure if it would completely grow over, so until then it remained prominent. Her left side forever marked. Serving as a reminder about the one who chose to step between her, and her family. Deliberately trying to rip it apart.