Blacktail Deer Plateau Brothers under the sun

His brothers seemed disturbed by his display. Peregrine nonetheless remained motionless. Although he'd committed no wrongs of his own, it dawned on him that he also couldn't do anything right in this situation. No matter what he did now, Atticus and Crete would be displeased with him. It made his heart clench both in anger and pain. Never before had Peregrine felt so thwarted.

Atticus told him to get up and Crete's silent look said the same. Slowly, the Alpha rolled onto his stomach but did not rise. His ears flattened when Atticus spoke, expecting him to spew yet more bitterness. Although he spoke softly now, his words were no less damaging than if he'd lit into Peregrine all over again. Peregrine's lips parted, though his mouth closed a second later and his jaw muscle clenched visibly at the allegation that Atticus was more affected than the other two by everything that had happened with Tyrannus.

Before he could figure out what to say, Atticus pressed his head to Crete's neck, then left, the nearly lack complete of acknowledgment tearing at Peregrine's heart. "What did I do? What the fuck do I do? What the fuck would you have me do?" he muttered at his sibling's back. Realizing he was babbling, Peregrine shut his mouth forcibly again.

He looked up at Crete, his eyes shimmering now, then let his head sink to the ground. Defeated, he simply planned to lay there a while as he didn't currently have the will to move. Tyrannus had scarred him—had scarred all three of them—but Atticus had just inflicted new wounds on Peregrine's spirit. For the moment, the Alpha either didn't or couldn't blame him, yet the whole thing left him motionless and breathless with pain during a time that should have been the brightest of his life.