Big Salmon Lake Blood stutter

He let Lasher pour out yet more vitriol, despite a growing urge to reach out and throttle the words from his former flame's throat. He didn't stop, even for a moment, to consider Peregrine's take. No, he just ranted... and ranted... and ranted. Some of the words he used, the Alpha couldn't even hope to comprehend. But he understood quite well the gist of it.

He wanted to throw words back, accuse Lasher of being the weak one, the terrible father, if he would let someone off the hook for trying to kill his children just because of their relationship. Oh, to be such moral perfection! Yet Peregrine bit his tongue. Let Lasher think what he wanted. Let the entire rest of the wilds think what they wanted. He stood by his actions, his mate's actions and his pack's actions. He had not enjoyed killing his own daughter, yet he would not apologize for it either.

"When your child's life is at stake, you do not stop to think about who is trying to kill her. You don't hesitate. You just act. May you never find yourself in that position, Lasher." For your children's sake, he thought with an internal shake of his head. But he didn't aspire to cut down the man before him, much as Lasher seethed with hatred and insulted him in every possible way.

"I've made mistakes in my life, lots of them. I'm not perfect." Like you, he thought pettily. "Thank you for calling my attention to it. But I take responsibility for my actions. And you know what? I would take the same actions against anyone who threatens my home or family, no matter who they are. Because all I want is to protect the caldera. That's what I did and what I will continue to do." His nostrils flared as he issued the thinly veiled warning. "Despite what you or anyone else thinks of me, I do not seek to harm anyone. But if someone seeks to harm me or mine..." Well, the caldera would do to them exactly what they'd done to Junior.