"Mother, please..." Tears blur my vision.
"You will not yield," she says firmly, and there a hardness in her voice I haven't heard in years. "You will not let him win. Not after what he's done. Not after what he's taken from us."
"I can't lose you," I whisper, my voice breaking.
Her expression softens and for a moment, she looks like the mother I remember from before the poison…strong, fierce and loving.
"My darling girl," she says gently. "You already have me. You've always had me and I have been so proud to be your mother."
"Don't." I shake my head, tears streaming down my face. "Don't talk like that."
"Seek justice, Penelope. For your father, for this pack and for everyone he's hurt." Her eyes burn with intensity. "Don't worry about me. I've been dying for three years so let me di
