Fox's Glade Seafoam Eyes said, "The water's safe"

Etienne did not blame this on Anselm. He did not blame it on himself. Sometimes, no matter how hard you tried bad things happened.

His family lived dangerously. Frankly, his mother's, grandmother's, sisters. Their want to keep men out of their lives only when breeding. That bred a naivety that they had learned the hard way was not good. And men you did not know, but spent nights with grew possessive. So he lay blame solely at the feet of those who had hurt them and fate.

Etienne had not been happy in a very long time. Even qhen he had joined the pack of Anselm's father. He had been running. Running hard.

Eti turned golden gaze on white patterned face. Ear turned upwards in hearing. A rare vulnerable look on his gentle face. Would Anselm leave him too? Could he let him? Or would he do the faux pas and beg him not to leave him like everyone else did. Would Etienne finally break. And it was unfair. Unfair to lay his happiness at the feet of another. But Etienne no longer knew what to do.