Blackfeather Woods You cannot let your parents anywhere near your real humiliations

As she spoke, he turned away. Xan kept his head lowered, with his muzzle facing away from her, as he stared at the ground. Time and time again she had reassured him that she’d never leave, that he didn’t need to worry about being abandoned by her, but he’d found himself to be doubtful anyways. Fear, anger, and even hate drove him to feel such a way, knowing very well that words meant little—that was all she’d ever given to him, after all. Words, words, words. He’d yet to see a single moment where she’d backed up her useless speeches with legitimate actions, so how could he know for sure that she wasn’t lying to him? The more he thought about it, the more flaws he saw in everything she’d ever told him. She could, and would, not be there for him. Neither then nor ever, and not even in the past. Where had she been when Cicero had attacked him? Why had she never visited him whilst he’d been confined to Wolfskull? As his fear guided his thoughts, he’d finally been able to see the light: Nemesis didn’t care about him, and she never had. Even before the birth of her children, she’d only ever peered in his direction when doing so could benefit her status in some way. She didn’t care, she wouldn’t speak to him, and she was sure to leave him behind.

With a shake of his head, the yearling retreated a step or two, refusing to look at her. “You’re lying,” he stated, tone harsh. “You’ve been lying all this time. You say you won’t abandon me, but you already have. You abandoned me, just like my mom.” She hadn’t been there to save him—she could have helped him, she could have stopped Cicero. Where had she been whilst he suffered? With her real children? He didn’t blame them, no. How could he? They were so small, so… useless. Never would they have been able to do anything to stop his attacker, but Nemesis could have. If only she’d paid a bit more attention to Alexander, perhaps he wouldn’t have had to go through what he had, but she hadn’t. No one had, for everyone had abandoned him.