Lisa stroked Fen's back in slow, deliberate circles, her voice dripping honey-sweet tones that grated against Audrey's ears.
"Don't be afraid, Fen. It's okay. From now on, if you want… I will be your mother."
Audrey's chest tightened, a bitter, wounded laugh clawing its way up her throat. She nearly barked it out, sharp and raw.
Mother? She had never been Fen's mother by blood—not in the way the pack counted—but every ounce of her being had been devoted to him from the moment Rowan had placed the infant in her arms.
And Lisa did not even have to do anything to be granted that title so easily.
She remembered every sleepless night, every fever nursed with trembling hands, every tantrum she had soothed with quiet patience. She had taught him to eat properly, steadied him as he learned to walk, held him through nightmares and full moons alike when his small wolf howled restlessly into the dark. Every babble, every stuttered "Mom," had been hers to nurture, hers to protect.
