Bramblepoint countless

She wasn't wrong: he was free now, and there were some aspects of his freedom that he was thankful for. But it had also been unexpectedly disappointing. He spent his whole life with a purpose, whether or not he agreed with it, and to suddenly have none had been somewhat of a shock. It had left him feeling incredibly lost. The feeling had lessened since finding Nirali and her family, at least, and even more so since being distracted by the spark that had formed between he and Eleni. He thought briefly about sharing these thoughts with her, but then decided against it. No need to dump his heavy thoughts on her today and ruin the moment. 

He studied her face as she answered his question, expression curious. He had never heard anything like that before. What is a patron? he asked when she finished, eager to know more about something that seemed to be important to her. His eyebrows drew together when she asked about his former pack, and he shook his head. No. We were warriors. Our purpose was to protect Drageda and serve Heda. He explained, tensing a little at the reminder of what he had turned his back on.