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Tam chuckles wryly and finds a comfortable position, which doesn't involve trying to sit or lie on his back. He fast running out of options here.

"So the green eyed monster is still in residence?" he says to Fortuny with a gentle smile, turning his quiet accusation into a tease.

Tam rolls his eyes. "Fortuny... I'm not talking about Honorian... I'm talking about you." He pulls her close and give her a hug, urging her to lie down beside him. "This way I don't have to look up at ye. Yer kind of intimidating ye know. A bit too intense. Sometimes I don't know whether to hug ye, love ye or run away. And I think you know why. Do you honestly believe Hope would even harbor such a thought... with me or with anyone... for that matter. He loves you. And what makes you think he'd even want such a frigid thing as me anyway?"

Tam digs his fingers into her fur and finds a good scratching spot just behind her left ear. "Let me say this much in your defense, dear one. Had I known him... had he approached me before he partnered with you.... I might have been tempted. He's a wonderful person, truly he is. But he is yours. You know that, don't you? He loves you. You must never forget this... he is worthy of trust... and so are you... do not doubt yourself. Simply be. You do not need to ties him to you by means of force. He is already bound by ties far stronger."

"Fortuny... I feared this would happen... that is why I questioned yer motives. But ye need to move away from that. It is not as I would have settled it, true. But it was a fine and justifiable means to an end. We all wanted Kero safe and we wanted no one to be harmed or hurt. You had what you felt was the best of intentions. Did you not?" says Tam gently, forcing her to look him in the eye. At her hesitant nod, he kisses her on the forehead. "Did you know I have children?" he asks quietly.

Tam sighs. "In a way, you can almost draw a parallel between you and me, dear one. Only for me there was a price to pay. I have been banned from ever meeting my children, forbidden to talk or touch or even to let them know I know they exist. In their eyes, I am most likely the one who abandoned them and their mother, and although in many ways they'd be correct in believing this that is not entirely the case. Their mother was the sister of a very dear friend who entered her heat far from her clan. It was, in many ways, either I or her brother who went to her. That she may have done this on purpose is beside the question. Truth is, it happened... and at the time I did what I thought needed to be done in the context of things. In the light of the fact she conceived and bore young to a male not of her pack or tribe, not even from her time frame, it was a very foolish and dangerous thing I did. Be that as it may, it happened. How I have learned to live with what I have done is something else entirely. Of course having good sound friends rapping me up aside the head from time to time to keep my head on straight has helped."

"That and the knowledge that what you did was a good thing. Remember that, Fortuny. Always. Hope is not going to hold it against you. The only person here who is going to do that is right here..." he taps her on the forehead and smiles fondly at her. "And when ye do, we are all going to rap ye hard... got it? We love you, dear one... all of us, but Hopian most of all. Don't drive him away with your fears... cause iffin ye do... I might just be waiting there to pick up the pieces." he winks at her and waggles his eyebrows. "Capiche?"

"Why's that?' asks Tam out of curiosity.