“I’m sure he felt the same way about you,” Celeste replied quietly, reaching over to rest her hand on my thigh. She gave me a gentle squeeze. “You’re a tough nut to crack, Fenris, but whenever you speak about him…I can feel how much you care, even if you don’t say the words. I’m positive he knew.”
I looked away. “I did my best to always have his back in return,” I replied, staring at the blank wall across from us. “But Lyka was the natural leader, not me. He had—oh, he had charisma, even more than our father. Before the madness seized him, he had so much more patience than I did, too. He took more after our mother.” I looked back at Celeste. “And I’m not being humble saying this, either,” I said, not wanting to be dismissed. “Lyka was suited for blending in with humans. He cared deeply ab
