His mother, his woman - 6

As Jaegar studied Diana's painful expression, the full weight of her suffering crashed over him like a tidal wave.

The year of his absence had etched new lines of worry around her eyes, dulling the once-vibrant spark in her gaze. He was the reason she had been drawn into this mess in the first place - an ordinary woman caught in the dangerous crosscurrents of the magical world.

With a heavy sigh, he reached for the whiskey bottle again, the liquid amber catching the dim kitchen light as he poured another measure. "I'm sorry that this all happened to you," he said finally, his voice low and rough. "It won't happen again."

Diana's laugh was bitter, almost brittle. "Baby, I know we have a very complicated relationship, but you have to understand that I can't stay like this while you leave out there in your own world."