Lake Rodney In the hall of the mountain king

Fox's unexpected heat caused Peregrine's priorities to shift abruptly. He would not (and could not) forget about the threat presented by the wolves in Haunted Wood crowding their doorstep. It was more important than ever to fortify their claim and eliminate threats to their resources. But Peregrine couldn't afford to leave his mate unattended nor take unnecessary risks, especially if more pups were on the way.

He was torn. Mind crammed with thoughts, the Alpha male briefly left Fox's side to patrol. He wound up on the side of the caldera facing Lake Rodney. He recalled his idle thought from the other day: why had they never thought to claim this area too? It would be difficult to sufficiently patrol that much land, though. His one-eyed gaze drifted north, toward the woods off in the distance, then Peregrine spun in a slow circle, mind whizzing even faster than before.

They would shift their range slightly, he decided. The instant the thought crossed his mind, he lifted his leg and urinated. He then took off like a shot, continuing along the northernmost shore of the lake and leaving various scent marks as he went. He even sprinkled some along the southern portion of Bramblepoint facing the caldera. They would claim these regions and relinquish some of their grip on the caldera's rockier half.

He would have to let the other Wardens know and, of course, make sure his fellow leaders (Fox especially) were on-board. In the meantime, he circled back to the lake shore and stopped for a drink. As soon as he slaked his thirst, he intended to climb back up to find Fox. He didn't like leaving her alone long when she was receptive. He didn't think any of the males in the pack would try anything but he still wanted to stay close. Besides, they stood a better chance of conceiving if they mated as frequently as possible, a though which caused his wet lips to arc into a sultry smile.