Gallus slowly lowered his hand from his chin and laid it flat on the table, staring at it with a sterile frown. He blinked once, then twice. "It's not just my failings, Ri'vashi. It's our responsibilities." Gallus could not bring himself to face her. "You can't abandon your clan and I can't tear my pack from their home on a whim. Even then, you don't know that I've changed."

Far from leaving it there, Gallus brought his hand up to Ri'vashi's hand on his shoulder and comfortingly rubbed it with his thumb. He turned to look into her eyes guiltily. "You have been a great friend. You...may not know it, but you are capable of finding other friends and even mates." Gallus looked down, "Me? I'm...I can't be anything more than temporary and hurtful. You have to understand that."