There had been several hints for the young faerie that perhaps her boyfriend had had a rougher past than she had imagined. Raven had inquired if she knew of his past, which she didn't, and now Nadya seemed to mention that there was something different about the way that he had grown up. That his parents had been killed was enough to see the girl pause, a look of sympathy crossing her features. "Oh, Nadya," She murmured, biting her lip. There were no words remaining on her lips, no ability to display the sadness that would come from losing parents. For Sam, she had lost them, but there was still the knowledge that they were still alive, that they were, at the very least, still okay. For Nadya, she would never have that comfort, never be able to think of her parents in a current tense again. The faerie girl ducked her head down, unable to comprehend how much that must hurt, how much that must ache. But even then, the woman's emotions were hardly that of sadness. Nadya's emotions didn't flicker from the despair she felt over the other Alpha and the situation, never once growing in strength from the thoughts of her parents.


That she would have to ask Aiden about his past was another matter entirely. Sure, she had considered it after Raven had asked how much she knew about it, but no, it was his past. When and if he told her would be on his terms, and she would never inquire about anything that she didn't absolutely need to know. She didn't need to know about how he grew up, didn't need to know about his parents. She needed to know him, and the way he felt about her, and that was absolutely enough for her. Still, her mind couldn't help but latch on to what Nadya spoke of, her mind wondering what exactly had happened to the man that had caused everyone he knew to be so protective over him, so fiercely loyal.

She was glad, really, when the conversation shifted immediately back to the thoughts of the other Alpha and the offer Nadya had received. "I think..." Samantha said slowly, biting her lip as she tried to decide how exactly to word the statement. "I think that in the end, you're going to have to decide what is the most important to you, and how to make it work so that you're happy." She reached out, pressing a hand on top of Nadya's in a gesture of utter fondness. "But you have my support, for what it's worth. I'll do anything in my power to help ease Aiden for you, if you want." She was unsure of what exactly she would be able to do to smooth things over, but if there was anything she could do, the faerie girl would offer it to Nadya. It was the least she could do after everything the panther had done for Samantha.

It was Nadya's questioning of why she couldn't go to her own parents that had led her to shift in her seat, clearly uncomfortable. "No, I wouldn't kill them, but I just can't explain it. They know nothing about the supernatural world, and I don't want to put them at risk by telling them." She shook her head, biting her lip. "How could they be proud of me, Nadya? I'm technically dead. And what would I tell them? That I got kidnapped and tortured and murdered? What relief would that bring them? No, it's better they think whatever it is they think rather than have their dead daughter show up at their door not looking a day over eighteen." She shook her head, the pain clear in her voice. "I may miss them, but it's better this way."

The girl stood, pacing around the room in an attempt to rid herself of the anxious energy that seemed to have attached itself to her as she inquired about the Ark. It was not only the mention of her parents and the longing she had to see them, but rather the notion of keeping them safe. She knew there were faeries looking for her â€" Frost had assured her of such â€" and the idea that they might harm her parents was enough to make her cringe. No, she could never go back to them. But still, she couldn't help but take the opportunity to inquire after Aiden's business practices. She was aware, for the most part, that the two stayed out of each others affairs, so she was hardly surprised by Nadya's lack of knowledge as to what exactly he did within that steel fortress of his. At the mention of whether or not she should ask Aiden, the girl shook her head quickly. "No, I won't do that," Samantha said quietly as she crossed the room, picking up two shards of glass and holding them in her hands as if she could meld them together.

"I was just curious, is all," Samantha said softly, though her voice contained anything but curiosity. No, she stared at the pieces of glass in her hand, her mind racing to Frost's warnings. Could Frost be onto something regarding what Aiden did? Did Aiden trade with faeries? After all, he'd led her straight to the burlesque and had kept tabs on her ever since. If Aiden was buying and selling things that even Nadya didn't know about, who was to say that Frost wasn't right and there wasn't a tab on Samantha's own head. He claimed to care about her, but was it all a game meant to ensnare her? The young girl tensed, her fingers wrapping around the piece of glass in her hand as her mind raced, the faerie queen unaware of the shard in her hand as it sliced up her palm, dripping blood onto Nadya's desk. No, she was too preoccupied with the what-ifs and the overwhelming possibility that Frost was right, and Aiden was going to harm her.