Horizon Ridge You like to drink and to smoke to take away the pain

Nieve thought Cam would be pleased to be invited along, but his response was quite the opposite. She supposed Rosalyn's embrace might've been overwhelming, but she wasn't prepared for him to issue nothing but a clipped response before turning and running from them. Her eyes flew wide as he fled. The look she shot to Rosalyn was helpless, confused, and brief as Nieve leapt after him, going only a few feet before calling out, Cam!

She skittered to a stop on the precarious slope, sending pebbles raining down the side of the ridge. A thick lump lodged itself inexplicably in her throat. She did her best to swallow it before turning back to her mother, ears splayed as she asked, I guess we should go home? There was no helping the boy with the beautiful emerald eyes if he didn't want to be helped. Nieve would regret letting him go, even if she hadn't been able to stop him; he'd seemed so upset, and that alone doused a lot of the excitement Nieve felt at reuniting with Rosalyn.

She made a mental note to keep an eye out for him while she searched for her siblings, too.