Loss

After the sudden loss of two sick members at once, the sound of Aurielle's voice - the way the sickness' liquid oozing changed the sound - brought home the fact that more could die. It was sobering - if Aurielle died, if Ardyn who was heir died, would the pack fall apart? Justice wouldn't have wanted that. This had been her home and for all her faults she'd loved this place. And for all that Fidelias didn't - couldn't - feel the same sense of connection she had, this was his home too, and he couldn't imagine not having it. And he'd been loyal to his mother, and in her memory he couldn't abandon her pack even on an emotional level. So he squared his shoulders and pushed into Aurielle's alcove.

His head immediately twisted slightly, dropping his gaze from meeting hers. "Aurielle," he began, his voice coming slowly and roughly. He didn't know how to say it any other way, so he did nothing to sugar coat the news, just spoke it factually and bluntly. "Justice and Domari are dead. I found them together this morning."