He really had some nerve. Hell, she practically felt each and every hair on her body stand on end as he spoke. Each word just made it worst and yet, she was torn between a frown and a jaw-dropped expression of confusion and awe. In fact, her features practically cycled through the entire range of emotions before she tried to quite literally shake her thoughts straight. It worked - to an extent. Finally, her face settled on a stubborn frown and she sighed once more. It was the calm before the storm, because once her mouth opened, it seemed like it wouldn't shut without the final word.

"You know you can't just do that, right? You can't pretend like leaving somehow absolves you of what you - what we - did. You think you're the only one who had to deal with it?" Her brows fell into an even deeper frown and though she was tempted to raise her voice, she kept it low and between the two of them, practically speaking between her teeth. "You don't get to say you thought you loved me. You don't have the right. You helped cause a storm and then you fled during it and now, you come back. You could have stayed. Things could have been different - not just for you, not just for me, but for so many others."

For starters, her mother Brooke and her mate Beowulf would not have had to have been sworn in to some kind of secrecy. If they hadn't had to have done that, then maybe they would not have vanished into nothingness. Maybe Melek wouldn't have been Melek. Maybe Malina wouldn't have had to have worried about her daughters and sons being out in the world doing exactly what she hoped they wouldn't do. Didn't he see that, too? The way she saw it, he should have stayed. They should have made the damn effort. Even if neither of them even wanted to raise the pups, at least they could have been there to help or do something. Instead, he had left and it had left a bitter taste in her mouth that had made her sick for so long. And now?! Now she had to hold herself back. Her heart had started to pound in her chest.

"If you're going to stay, make the damn effort this time. Don't dismiss me just because you can't deal with yourself."

The words had practically come out of nowhere, savage in their intent to be heard. It felt good to say it, though. If he wanted to stay then she wanted some kind of commitment. They had screwed up together. They had to deal with it. Their relationship might have been turbulent from the start, and she had no doubt it'd continue to be as such, but they had mistakes they had to clean up after. For her failures as a mother to Melek and Iscariot - well, failure as any family member, really - she had to atone for. She had Rogue now. They had Mana. Los. Alcmene. But that didn't mean she was free from the things she had done years ago. Neither was he.

She was partially glad when the topic shifted back to Melek. She, too, breathed out an almost exasperated sound - a combination of relief and where to start. Had she been outed? Honestly, Malina hadn't a clue. It showed. Her features were thoughtful and yet, ultimately lost.

"If I'm honest, I don't know who knows. I haven't been anywhere near the other assassins in years. I only know because my interests lay with her."

If it had been anybody else's daughter, Malina knew she would not have paid so much heed. Instead, she had been consistently watchful and even more investigatory. Still, she listened closely to him. She pondered it deeply, mulling over what he said as she fell back to be seated. Rogue had expressed a similar sentiment some time ago. Her interest, however, had not laid in the consumption of blood - just... a fascination, a desire to see it, to smell it. Perhaps there was some kind of link, or something to be learnt from Rogue's own management methods. Of course, the thoughts had been cut short when he suddenly demanded something of her. Instinctively, his tone made a short, quick-to-die growl rise in her throat.

"Melek. She's a loner now. Somewhere out here, with some white wolf that's just as suspicious. I don't know for certain but... I find her scent from time to time."

She paused then, an ear flickering back towards the labyrinth of stone. For a moment, she could have sworn she had heard something.

"As for you. Did you ever try... the deceased? What of their blood? There has to be something. Prey? There needs to be some kind of substitute."