Silver Creek memberberries

she was right. Aria had driven out Rowan, pregnant, and then had abandoned Deirdre and Emaleth to their own devices. that his own twin had supported the pale bitch in this enraged Casmir to no end, and this showed in the tightening of the muscles along his jaw, the way he glanced away from Rowan until the sight of her children soothed his anger. it was too late to go back, and Casmir didn't think he even wanted to do so, but the dread in his gut told the boy that without the expert leadership of an adult who had known Lasher, Donnelaith might well fall before the winter had even peaked.

he couldn't do anything about it now -- the Creek needed him, and Dee knew where to find him if she was alone. easier for her to travel across the mountains than it was for Rowan to return home with her young children. "of course it isn't," he told the grey-eyed woman, wanting to snap the words but realizing what she meant by them. "i don't -- i'm not fit to rule. i never wanted this, but the pack needs me, and i've always been there for Saena. i'll do whatever i need to do to keep us going."

as to the rest of her questions, Casmir sat down and raised his heavily furred shoulders in a shrug. "i don't know what else to do. i want you to feel like you're at home, and ... that's Donnelaith, isn't it? that's where my dad is buried. that's where you found out you were pregnant. we're Mayfairs. don't we belong around our family?" he was pleading with her now, asking for the answers to questions he didn't realize he had.