I'm just the homewrecker now

He shouldn't have been surprised that Basil would act no differently than Vail had. The primate was so much more willing to bare his teeth than Vail had been as she loomed over their daughters. Rhyme's ears fell to his head and he backed away several paces. Okay, he deserved that. Solitude didn't even bother to come to his rescue. Basil yelled and Alma showed her teeth. He had done both.

"I did." He admitted, knowing he could utter a thousand excuses and none of it would excuse what he'd done. They were parents together, he knew very clearly how she felt about him and he didn't say anything. "I am so sorry. I know it doesn't mean much, but... you can't leave. Not yet." He wasn't going to stop her, but the winter was harsh. She was becoming incredibly self sufficient but she was likely going to her death and taking Noir with her. "I broke one promise I can't break the other." He was going to protect her, he couldn't just let her go. "You were never any of that." But had he loved her? Had he just been stringing her along, pretending everything was still the same as that night? Yes. "What can I do to keep you here? Until spring at least." He asked, desperate to convince her to stay. To be the mother their children needed, and to give him a chance to be a father to Noir. He'd lost one son, and he'd come close to losing the other and their mother. Verse especially deserved to know her.