AARYN
She was worse. Aaryn had been gone for half an hour—less!—but somehow when he got back to the house his mother was worse.
He panicked. He knew pushing her was wrong—shoving her into her instincts. She hadn't growled at him directly until he cornered her, but he didn't know what else to do. His mother had to see that he needed her! She had come back. She had to!
"Please, Mom," he said, his voice cracked and hoarse. "I'm here. I know it's been hard. But Elreth's family, they're… they're wonderful. But they aren't you. I need you. Please…"
When he'd gotten angry, she'd started growling and pacing the two or three steps she could make at the base of the stairs. He knew it was wrong to pin her there, that she was only becoming more agitated. But his head wouldn't stop screaming. His heart wouldn't stop racing, panicking. He couldn't lose her, too. He'd be alone then. None of them left. Only him.
