Swiftcurrent Creek and I am beholden to no gods here.

Tears of joy filled her oak eyes, squeezing free to mingle with her mate's dark coat as she trembled, tail wagging fiercely as she struggled to remain on her feet. She was exhausted, both from the trip and from the disease that had weakened her. The loss of her limb, no matter how damaged it had been prior to the bolt of electricity, had not helped with this situation at all - she was lucky to still be conscious. 

He withdrew suddenly, causing her eyes to open in confusion. Something tugged at her from the recesses of her mind, something that told her to fear the words to come, but Liri ignored it - assuming he had an explanation or that something, anything else was coming. 

Not this. 

The trees spun sickeningly, or was that she? The cold of winter struck her heart with icy ferocity - so painful she feared it would kill her right there. 

When the gasping sound registered in her ears, she realized it was her own breath that was coming in short pants as panic overtook her. Yet again in the few short years of her life, Liri's world had been ripped apart by loss. 

This time, she simply couldn't comprehend it. Refused to believe. 

"No," she protested weakly,  the word thick with unshed tears and shock. Her entire body shook with the weight of realization. 

Kavik was not her mate. 

He loved another woman now. She was carrying his children. Her. Not Liri. 

"How...," she swallowed, closing her eyes briefly as the words refused to fall from her lips. Speaking of it made it real. 

How is it possible? I'm your wife. You love me. You wouldn't...how could you? Teary eyed, she could only stare at him numbly - words and questions locked behind trembling lips. 

"Was I so easily replaced?" The words would hurt him she knew, but Liri couldn't control herself. Part of her wanted to hurt him as he had so ruined her with those few sentences. They were born of the part of her that was in pain, that felt as if it were dying. 

Selfishly she wanted to beg that he abandon her. That he forget his responsibilities and run away with Liri to start over fresh, somewhere in her heart she could forgive him - if only it meant he would be with her. 

But the rest of her knew it was cruel. She could not blame the children - Kavik's children, she thought with a pained stab, whom would call another woman Mother - for her former mate's mistake. Liri could not ask him to abandon them for her, no matter how much she loved him or he, her. 

Ask me to stay. Tell me you can't live without me. Tell me you need me. She begged silently, tears coursing down her cheeks. I would stay, if only as your second woman, just to be near you. I can't do it again. I can't lose you. 

But he had not asked her to stay. He had only stated that he would be staying, to care for his new family. 

He didn't want her. 

"I wouldn't want to make things difficult. I won't bother you again." Devoid of emotion, for she was still in shock, the words sounded empty even to herself. Liri could force no joy into them nor could she meet his summer gaze and offer any sort of fond wishes for the pair. 

She wanted to flee. She wanted to be gone from this place and the only man she had loved. She could not bear it a moment longer. 

Tear-stained face carefully collected into a mask, she raised her gaze to him one last time. The fae drank him in, as if seeing him for the first time, so as to commit him to memory. 

With an audible swallow, her lips parted. The healer visibly broke. "I can't.."

 She turned from him and ran, the image of his dark silhouette on the snowy borders forever imprinted into the black canvas of her eyelids.