The Sunspire the veil lifted

Charon understood her problems, because the Bay had been dealing with the same. He wondered if Levi had returned in his absence; he hadn't seen his brother a few days when he left, which was very unlike Levi, who tended to stick around all the time and watch the pups. He wasn't away from home that often. And who was to say Aesop would stick round this time? He'd seemed repentant of his departure, but he'd left once before. Maybe Charon should've tied him to a thrall contract like Saskia, too.

When Amekaze asked about the Bay, Charon frowned as he thought of Thistle Cloud. He loved her because she was his mother, but she hadn't been really present in a while. "Thistle's been very absent after Ragnar died and she lost one of her pups to a bear." Most responsibilities already rested on Charon's shoulders, and he wanted what was best for his pack. Maybe it was what was best for Thistle, too. "I've been making most decisions anyway since I stepped up. I'm sure she'd agree on whatever's best for the pack, 'cause she does care for it." Charon looked at Amekaze to see her reaction. He found himself hoping she wouldn't judge him too much for his take on his own adoptive mother, but he felt that she wasn't in the best place to make decisions right now.

"I think," Charon said and he looked at Amekaze with a confident smile on his face, as though he trusted she'd say yes before speaking the words. "That we should take our wolves and start anew somewhere. Find a really good place to live, and leave behind what slithers of packs we've got now to make a strong pack together. I think we could be really good together, as Alpha pair, leading our combined packs into a plentiful winter." He had never mentioned his current position in the pack, but he hoped it was clear enough that he had enough experience leading the pack to be a responsible Alpha despite his young age; still, just to be sure he was looking for equal terms, he needed to emphasise this to her, that he was going to be an Alpha beside her in this new pack. From what Charon had seen, Amekaze had a level head, and while he hated to admit it (and probably admitted it to himself for the first time in his life as he sat there upon the Sunspire), Charon knew he could have a temper at times. She'd hold him in check, and he'd do what needed to be done.

On top of what this meant for the survival of their packs, it energised the nearly one year old Ostrega to know that he would finally get what he had craved for many months: the respect and power he deserved as Alpha.