Facing Shadows

He didn't know what all she had been through, but judging by the scars she wore physically and seemed to wear emotionally and mentally, her life hadn't been pretty. Along with the lack of eyes and her foot...he could only imagine the things she'd been through. And then hearing that Rhyme abandoned her in some form, and Shaye yelling at her for not having kept a better eye on her child when it was clear she couldn't do it alone, well...he wasn't too happy about any of it. What happened to Tana before Ruina and Abaven wasn't really his concern. But she was a pack mate, and they were their alphas. He couldn't fathom being treated that way, and he knew that if they had turned on him like that, he'd have no problem fighting back. But Tana couldn't do that, she wasn't a fighter which was why she was here. He knew that much. All she had known was fear, and pain. He hadn't known fear, but he knew pain of all kinds.

When she mentioned Shaye getting what she wanted and Rhyme having used her, his hackles rose slightly. It wasn't right. But he felt she was giving up too easily. And when she said she might have been better off with Elias sacrificing her, he growled. "Elias is a fucking psychopath! He'll never claim anymore lives once I get my teeth into his throat." He could feel his anger rising, but he steeled himself against it. "Your children need you, Tana. You're stronger than this. You don't have to keep running and hiding anymore..." Why? Because...because he had a plan, and he aimed to see it to fruition. He would see it to fruition. "I'm starting my own pack soon. If you wish to find a place there, you're welcome to do so." It was a genuine offer, and he wondered what she might have to say about anything if at all.

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