21 SILUS
After days of not having anyone around me but Pria, it was strange to be surrounded by other people. Males in particular. Every time Vruhag or Qong looked at my mate, I tensed up. They tried their best to keep their distance, knowing exactly what it felt like to be a male who hadn't claimed his mate yet, but sitting at the same table with them was hard. I wanted to pull Pria onto my lap, both to feel her body against mine and to show a clear sign to everyone else, but I didn't want to overwhelm her.
She'd broken down completely and let me be a witness to her grief. I'd been honoured that she'd let me stay with her. It was proof of her trust in me. I'd feared that she might push me away, blame me even for her loss, but she'd coped much better than I'd anticipated. After falling i
