Ravensblood Forest love & regret

You've gone soft.

His jaw firmed at that, shoulders going stiff. The captain had no idea. 'Soft' was far from what Hex thought of himself—except, of course, if their definitions of the word differed, which was possible.

My mother left me and my siblings, early on, Hex explained, feeling a muscle jump in his cheek for biting his tongue. I dunno why—maybe she wasn't happy, or maybe she wasn't there by choice. It fucked me up, though.

And there was the rub. Perhaps, if his mother had found it worthwhile to stay, her children would have as well. Then he'd be a loyal Swiftcurrent wolf, and—

Every pup born here in comfort will be more loyal to you, he went on. They'll owe you their life—and if you treat the mothers with respect and comfort, they'll feel the same way—at least for their children.

He was talking out of his ass at this point. But there was a nugget of truth to it, a realization he hadn't found before.