ELIA
Elia covered her own mouth and swallowed her own tears. Aymora's thought resonated within her so purely—like a chord struck on just the right tone—that it stole her breath. She knew those feelings. She understood them completely. "That's love," she whispered, stroking Aymora's arm as her adoptive mother fought tears. "It's good to admire your mate."
Aymora nodded. "It is true. Too many females focus on their mate's flaws, and forget his strengths," she said carefully, clearing her throat. "Just as a female cannot thrive when she is not loved, a male cannot thrive when he is not respected. I… I did respect him," she said quickly. "He knew… he knew I admired him. Spoke highly of him even in his absence. I was… If I erred at all it was that I was blind to some of his faults."
