Facing my choices

"Eska"

Ulric invited himself in and she could tell that there was something wrong by the twisted expression on his face. He looked terribly stressed out. Once he'd shut the door behind him and settled himself, Eska seated herself as well. Not terribly close, but close enough that she could see his expression in the light from the window. Close enough to reach out and touch if she needed to.

Dark ears swiveled towards him, catching his voice as he filled her in on the events of the past. His mate. His children. Another woman. Her children. His order for her to leave. Her return. The situation that he had found her in. Eska's eyes, usually warm and inviting, hardened. This deplorable woman had tried to murder her children. She may have even succeeded. There was no real telling until the day they were due to be born. How did he even know that these children were his? She was obviously a loose woman with loose morals. There was no certainty that they were his.

Finally, Ulric informed her that he'd ordered the woman to leave, but he seemed conflicted by his decision. He'd offered her the use of dens on Hallows lands and would send the packs healer out to tend to her. Free meals. Free room and board. Free protection. All rewards for being a child murdering adulteress.

There was a war within Eska. Her initial reaction was to choose coldness. Violence. The woman didn't deserve to live for what she'd done to both her children and to Ulric. If the remaining children lived, there was no telling what the poison would do to them. Would it stunt their growth? Would they come out deformed? Would their minds be weak?

Ulric was a different kind of wolf than she was, however. He leaned towards kindness while she leaned towards hard justice. He would feel compassion towards the woman after his temper cooled. Even if she advised him not to, no doubt he would want to keep the potential mother of his children close. Eska had to find a balance between her feelings and those of Ulric since he'd genuinely asked her opinion.

The brindled fae took a deep breath, exhaling low and slow. She raised her eyes to meet Ulric's silver orbs, so full of pain and anguish. "Do you believe that they're truly your children?" At his nod, she continued. "There's no way of knowing what the poison has done to the remaining children. No telling if they'll even be born alive." She continued to stare straight into his eyes. "If you ask it of me, I can go and erase the entire problem right now. A woman who murders children doesn't deserve to live."

Reaching out, she placed a paw upon one of his much larger paws and sighed. "But you are a good man and you feel deeply. If keeping this woman close will ease your conscience, if caring for her until she bears the children that could be yours will allow you to sleep at night, then do so." Eska personally wouldn't like having the murderess within the walls of the Hallows, but it wasn't her pack and it wasn't her decision. "Whatever decision you make, I'll stand beside you and help you as much as I'm able."