Seeing my mate stand up for himself and earn the trust of almost three hundred outsiders filled me with pride. He was stepping out of his comfort zone, learning to be brave, and I couldn’t be happier for him. At the same time, there was a single thought inside my head that saddened me. Would I ever find my strength again, and have the courage to face my fears head on like I used to? Like he just did?
As we stepped down the improvised stage to make our way back into the Town Hall, I put on my brightest smile. One thing I had learned was that foxes were extremely good at perceiving emotion. On top of that, Fintan was my mate, so I knew he wouldn’t be fooled by my façade for long. But I hoped he would be too proud of himself to notice, at least for now.
I have been through a lot in my life.
