"Neque porro quisquam est qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit..."
"There is no one who loves pain itself, who seeks after it and wants to have it, simply because it is pain..."

She had to get further from the swamps, further from the den, further from the memories of her mate and children so she could breathe. She thought it would be okay, moving on after Arkane took off. She knew how to survive long before he asked her to be his mate. She would be fine, right? She forgot just how much she'd come to lean on him since they made that vow to each other, since they started their family together. Raising those three children were the highlight of her life. She loved them with every fiber of her being. Apollyon, Raziel, and Ontari were her lifeline, her purpose. But Raz went off with Arkane and she'd never felt more alone. But she had a pack to run and two children that were still growing and learning and they still needed her. They needed her to be strong for them just as the pack needed her to be strong.

She found herself wandering into the fields outside of Iromar. The air somehow felt lighter here. Her tail brushed against the long grass as she wandered through the fields. Her ears flicked back and forth, aimlessly listening as the crickets chirped and the birds sang. It was actually quite peaceful out here. The grass was dry and crackled beneath her paws but the sun warmed her back. For a moment, she stopped and closed her eyes, just inhaling the summer air. She felt Cae's presence in her soul like a soothing balm, but even it wasn't enough to conquer the ache of her heart for her other half, her chosen mate.