Redhawk Caldera [joining] smoke and mirrors

Peregrine couldn't explain it to anyone, least of all himself, why something inside his stomach simultaneously tightened and caught on fire when Pantaleimon said, "If you'll have me..." and then glanced up at him from beneath hooded eyelids before quickly averting his gaze again. He felt an unfamiliar urge to protect this outcast... and the simmering in the pit of his belly spoke of something else. There was something about Pan that appealed to Peregrine in ways Lasher or Luke never had. Those two were both supremely confident in their respective ways, while Pan was so... vulnerable.

It was this sudden, inexplicable magnetism that prompted the Alpha to say, "I'll have you." Quickly, though, he amended, "We'll have you. But keep in mind what I said: you have to do your part and earn your keep. Start by resting up, feeding yourself and getting to feeling better. You're more useful that way. Make a point to meet your new pack mates, namely Fox, the Alpha female, and Finely and Elwood, the Betas. And as soon as you're feeling up to it, call on me so we can talk about the Gamekeeper trade."

If Pan had been any old recruit, Peregrine might have left him to his own devices then. Instead, he said, "Come on, let's fetch you something to eat. How long has it been? Since you've eaten, I mean?" He motioned for his newest subordinate to follow, then began to lead the way within the pack's borders, to one of their many well-stocked caches.