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Of course he agreed with her statement. She hadn't expected him to react any differently; Lilin had spoken the truth, momentarily putting her pride aside to admit her wrong doing. Life had a peculiar way of complicating things. Never once, not even as a loner, had she ever been physically assaulted by a stranger. Her matriarch's religious beatings were as close as she'd ever gotten to suffering. How ironic that she would learn the meaning of true pain now that she had the protection of her pack and family; making her a near unattainable target. She better understood Saul's concerns now, as well as Bran and Niernan's extreme caution exhibited in the face of strangers.
Should anyone aim to harm the pack as a whole, they wouldn't go for the brawny males. Her general size and fighting inexperience made her the bull's eye. Her relatives had understood what it meant to leave one of their females unaccompanied now that they openly imposed their claim on neutral lands. They were waving a pack banner for all to see, exposing themselves to the entire world- the good and the bad. Her willpower and pride were up to par with the boys, if not stronger; but it wasn't enough to keep her safe. Her dam had survived this long due to ruthlessness, barbarity and flawless manipulation. Lilin, on the other hand, possessed compassion where her mother did not. And it made her inept. "I'm sorry," she murmured shamefacedly, clearly disheartened at the idea of being the weakest link.
Her gaze became more focused as time went on. Saul's unexpected sob startled her greatly, causing both of her receivers to lower ever so slightly. "Don't cry, I'm okay," she offered with a whine, her nose twitching with the impending tears threatening to spill. Both young lovers were emotional wrecks. For the Soulstorm heir, seeing her companion and pillar of strength break down in such a way was enough to pain her more than the physical injuries she sustained. Her closest hand was brought to his head, where she allowed it to rest in a comforting gesture. Lilin had foreseen an apology of sorts, but she too was taken aback by the inner workings of her beau's conscience. His words were bittersweet. She'd wanted to hear it for so long but this wasn't the way she'd envisioned the whole thing. Her lower lip quivered uncontrollably as a breath of fresh air was sucked in shakily, only seconds before her own secret rang clear. "I love you too."