Because Friday is black for me

Regulus smiled gently as Torin spoke, nodding. “Aurielle mentioned you had children. Congratulations.”

But as Torin went on, the smile faded to a look of sad understanding. He knew the struggle between love and responsibility. Softly he said, “I’ve been there. It hurts. I had to run Celestial, now called Valhalla, while wondering where my mate and son went. And then the news came. Our Nomad allies had seen her and Aramis. It seems your Aunt-In-Law had taken Aramis out on a trip just beyond the pack wall for a lesson on herbs in that area… and a band of slavers captured them.”

The old anger… the old guilt. His teeth clicked softly, grinding together. “We were very lucky, and still are, to have the Nomads allied with us. There are many out there that you and I are related to through my mother and her mother. Still, I had to maintain my duties in the pack, until Aurielle was old enough to take over. When that time came, I went and got my wife and son. I and the Nomads wiped out that band to the man. The slaves were taken into the Nomads’ care. Hopefully they’ve found their strength by now, made new lives.”

He trailed off, eyes dropping to the ground as his ears fell back. “I never truly got Solveiga back. There was hope for a while, on the way home… But a depression struck her. And she never truly came back from it. She died this Spring. Aramis has the same depressive illness… but he snapped out of it… yet he’s missing now, again. Last we saw him he said he was going to the Nomads to find a cure… but they haven’t seen him.”

He blew out a sigh. “I must keep hope. I know he isn’t dead. There’s a knowing when you lose someone you love… a sibling, a mate, a child, a parent… It’s like a colored light goes out in your heart. A loss of something that once was there. A sixth sense, I suppose. I can only hope he’s found love, made a family. That maybe I’ll see him again before I die.”

He shifted, offering a shoulder, a hug even, if his nephew was open to it. He grieved that his nephew had to know such a pain in his heart. He’d at least been able to say goodbye to his own parents, but Faite, and Zuriel…