[Bren's eyes fell shut at the press of those lips. And Essek did offer absolution. Bren could feel the argument start in him, that the things he had done were his actions no matter what force may have set him on that course, but he couldn't form the words. They were stolen away entirely by what Essek said next.

He let his head be tilted, eyes opening to seek out Essek's in undisguised wonder. Still his love? Still his mate?

Swallowing against the tightness in his throat.] Then I am still your mate?

[Essek would have always been his mate even if the vampire had turned him away. Bren knew that. He would have left, would have removed himself from Essek's life, but his heart would never have forgotten him, forgotten who it ought to belong to.

He tilted his chin to lift towards those words that he could feel and taste on his lips.]

Essek... [The slightest nod, not wanting to move too much, to introduce space between them.] I want to kill him. I am not the only one he has caused harm to.

[Bren was certain that his story was not all that different from many of the wolves that Trent had created and collected -- though there had been personal touches in his case given the history of Ikithon and Essek and Caleb Widogast.

And all this did not touch upon the spell that he did not yet know was laid upon him that kept so much of his soul locked away, even if that piece of him, that used to be Caleb, had begun to find small cracks in the curse since he had met this beautiful man.]

But more than I want him dead... I want to live with you. To love you.