Redhawk Caldera all for nothing

Although Peregrine stiffened somewhat at the mention of Reek and Redtail Rise, he did not remove his nose from Pan's right away. He lingered, then gave the male a distracted nibble as he withdrew just far enough to look his companion in the eye. When he didn't immediately capture the Epsilon's gaze, he waited silently until Pan looked at him.

"There's nothing to be done, Pan. All wolf packs are at odds; we are natural rivals," he said softly. "Granted, the stakes are a bit higher with certain packs," he admitted, then lapsed into a silence that lasted a good twenty seconds before speaking again. "I won't go as far as to forbid my members—my adult members anyway—from exercising their free will. But it might be dangerous to go that far from the caldera. We can't protect you out there. I'd hate it if something happened to you..." He reached up and brushed his muzzle along Pan's temple. "I'm not sure what to tell you, Pan, but I'm sorry you're hurting."

He didn't feel like he'd done a particularly good job at comforting his pack mate, yet Peregrine was having trouble sympathizing, particularly because of the wolf in question. (What drew the tenderhearted Pan to that mouthy piece of shit anyhow?) He had loved ones out there too, in packs that would otherwise love to hurt him. It was definitely difficult, no matter how much he resolved that only his pack mattered. He could understand Pan's conflict to some extent, though more and more these days, Peregrine was going back to his old ways: stay close to home, don't mingle with outsiders and protect the pack.