RIKA
Rika was finding this conversation the most wonderful, and the most terrifying she'd ever been a part of.
Elia held her gaze, unwavering. "Rika, if you've been hurt before…" she said quietly, "with the exception of my mate, Gar's father, there is literally no better set of hands that you could place your heart in. Gar will not just protect you, he will… cherish you. He is strong and more powerful than he gives himself credit for. Everyone he meets wants to follow him without him even knowing it. But he's been hurt too. He fears. A lot. And it makes him see himself in a way that is… less than he is. If you give him a chance, he will make you so happy."
Rika had to swallow tears. She'd yearned for conversations like this with her own mother countless times. But her own mother was so weak, always only looking to keep the peace, her advice only ever pointed Rika at keeping her father happy.
