Amias hears the mandate of vengeance, and every fiber of his being; the Alpha, the son, and the avenger, wants to scream "Yes!" and commit to this final, grand gesture for the woman he finally sees. But the logical, meticulous core of his mind, the part that survives on calculations and risks, slams the brakes.
He kneels beside the bed, still holding his mother's cold, delicate hands. His grief-stricken eyes trace the network of small, blue veins beneath her pale skin. He is no longer just seeing a dying woman; he is seeing a cautionary tale and a prophecy of ruin.
"Mother," he begins, voice stripped of all arrogance. "I swear I want to grant your last wish. I will do anything to honor you, to bring justice to your name, and to spite Father." He pauses, wetting his dry lips. "But I have to ask you, and you must give me the truth that your wolf knows."
