Macklyn had been outside, dusting out a rug, when Mara announced the arrival of Bran and Eric. The house wasn't quite ready yet, he hadn't expected Eric to show so immediately, though he was glad that there hadn't been any hesitation.
Finding the other man was easy. Both of their scents had faded from this place, so Macklyn just followed to where Eric's scent was strongest. Mara stayed outside, finding Bran and sitting near him.
He entered the home and found his mate immediately. Externally, Eric looked good. Healthy. He'd been taking care of himself. Though he was clearly not happy. His eyes were pools of sadness, misery. And the emotions in their connection were dark.
Even if they couldn't repair themselves completely right in this moment, during this conversation, they had an eternity to work on things. Macklyn was willing to do everything he could to convince Eric that this was still something that he wanted.
But first things first.
"Eric." The word was an exhale of so many things. A purging of anger and an exclamation of desire.