Greatwater Lake Sawyer, you're going out a youngster

The Alphas of Redhawk Caldera defined outsiders as anyone who was not part of the pack, though Wildfire didn't get an opportunity to say this. It turned out the stranger had quite a lot to say, much more than the youngster could have anticipated. She began with identifying herself as Junior's sister, which meant that they were related. Wildfire was still processing this knowledge when the woman vented about Peregrine and Fox's past behavior and its effects on both herself and Junior.

By now, Wildfire was reeling a bit. As much as she was starting to feel like a grownup, she was roughly the equivalent of a ten-year-old girl. It was true, she could not relate to abandonment, nor understand the first thing about suicide. It seemed the pale beauty blamed Peregrine more than Fox, or at least that's how it came across when she explained it was specifically Peregrine's actions that had prompted Junior's.

Little did either of them know that she was the one the yearling's mate had assisted. Wildfire was by now so overwhelmed that she would never think to make the connection (besides, the details were quite vague) and she barely even registered Saena's introduction. When she finally lapsed into silence, the youngster just sat there, her cheeks hot and her chest tight. She felt like she had just been slapped in the face, not only by this information but her half-sister's angry tone.

Wildfire had heard some of the caldera's history, of course, as well as her parents' personal stories. She had heard it from her mother, the Chronicler. She hadn't seen this side of the story, of course, and naturally she wondered how much of it was true. She was old enough now to know her parents weren't perfect and she had even begun to defy them in small ways as she shaped her own beliefs. But she didn't believe some stranger over them, not even her half-sister. She didn't necessarily think Saena was lying; but surely she must be exaggerating or skewing the details. And she couldn't help but give her beloved parents the benefit of the doubt.

The silence stretched between them and it became downright uncomfortable. Finally, Wildfire sputtered, "I don't—I don't know what to say."