Ankyra Sound There are times that walk from you like some passing afternoon

Was there any point hiding it from her? He'd already said too much with his stupid emotion consuming him, returning him to the traumatized wolf he'd been after witnessing the clash of wolves without the conviction to stomach it. He tried to think of a good reason to keep it from her besides his own fear of what she would do, but being faced with Raleska and forced to acknowledge to himself just what he'd done, nothing was forthcoming.

She'll kill you.

That was a good point. Raleska wasn't likely to let him leave here alive if she knew, because she would assume the worst. Fear for his life threatened to choke him, clogging his throat and nose and wrenching another sob into the air. You deserve it, said a saccharine devil in his ear, and he knew it was true. Self-preservation was one of his strongest instincts, but right now, it was mute. Maybe that was why he cracked his mouth open and croaked, in a hoarse whisper, mom. Or maybe that was just a mournful moan for Caiaaphas that clawed its way up from his lungs, but either way, he said it.