Blackfoot Forest I sense a darkness in you...

Could this man who had called himself fearless admit his fear he had gained while being a member of being in her pack? He swore off love, only recreating the feelings with more substantial drift in her direction. Slade was a hypocrite. An undeserving hypocrite. 

"I left because I was foolish enough to feel, Meldresi. It is feelings that make one like myself naive, and because of the feelings I had begun developing for you, I fled. You had Bane. If anything, I thought you were betrothed too the Ivory Warrior. I had observed him as I spoke of you inbetween our duties, and his demeanor moved as one who was mated. It was only to your name in which he acted of such. "

Slade turned from her, his shame unbridled, ill constrained, and bordering wrath at internal wills within himself. 
Dark auds flicking behind him, he shook his head, repeating himself.

"I was afraid."