Redtail Rise I shall be punished for it now, I suppose, by being drowned in my own tears

Fading here!

There was a long pause during which Aventus' heart beat so hard, he thought it might break through the wall of his chest. There was a fuzzy sound in his ears and he could feel his pulse in the side of his neck. Arielle was unmoving. She was awake and breathing, but staring hard at the ground, seemingly unable to look at him. The pair of pups wriggled at her side like grubs.

Who could blame her? He had been a terrible mate, and on top of that, he was away and wandering in her hour of need. Nobody could fault Arielle for not wanting to look at him, not even Aventus himself.

Aves passed his tongue over his lips and found them dry as sand. At last her head did come up and her eyes met his and he saw the pain and misery there and felt sick to his stomach. Then she looked away again and he followed her gaze to the ground, to a lifeless dark figure that turned his blood to glacier water.

Oh, it was not Arielle he blamed for this loss. It was not even the bear's vengenace or his father's ghost he blamed. He wished he could blame those supernatural forces beyond his control if only to curse them more vehemently, but Aventus knew the only one at fault for this loss was him. He crept forward to sniff at the cold body, but found no trace of life there. No hope of reviving her.

He had neglected Arielle in the early days of her pregnancy. He had caused her stress. Her had caused her pain. He had failed to bring her food and comfort, as was his duty as her mate, and then dragged her across the wilds to a new home where she felt out of place, all for his own selfish desires. Their daughter's death was his doing and it would weigh on him always.

The pups were quiet now. Aventus did not look at them, but resolved then and there to be better than he had been, to ensure they remained healthy and hardy. He would not take more from Arielle than he already had.

He hardly felt worthy of touching Arielle or drawing nearer, but when she apologized, Aventus shuffled to her and cradled her in his arms all the same. He would hold her as long as she needed. As long as she would tolerate him. You have nothing to be sorry for, he murmured against her damp cheek. I am the one who is sorry.

Thunder rolled outside. He would need to take the girl's body and bury it, but so long as Arielle needed him here, Aventus would not move. His throat burned with grief and guilt and remorse. Perhaps it was never the bear who had resulted in so much loss for his family, but Aventus himself.

He held his mate tighter.

Perhaps he was cursed.

I'm so, so sorry.