things change, friends stay the same

Theory sank deeply into the shimmering alpha's embrace, nudging her head between the crook of Aurielle's shoulder and neck. "Thank you," she murmured, closing her eyes and soaking in the hug. Since Thalia had left and her own illness had kept her away from the rest of the pack, some of the last real physical contact she'd had was when she'd tracked Rhyme down before he had passed. Just the thought was enough to bring tears to her eyes, but she furiously blinked them away. Aurielle had always been a (literal) beacon of light in her journey as a young alpha. She was one of the few wolves that Theo felt comfortable shrugging off formalities with. "We're getting by," she admitted once she broke away from the hug. "My father... Rhyme died," Theo averted her eyes, then tipped her head to the sky for a moment to keep her emotions at bay; her blue eyes shimmered, full of unfallen tears. "And we lost Octave. Others have been deeply affected. It's difficult to track how far-reaching the effects are, I don't think we'll know for some time just how much has changed." A deep sigh, drawn from the very depths of her being, escaped her lips. "And Valhalla? Yourself and your family?" She asked, hoping for only good news.