Blacktail Deer Plateau i shot down the sun with bow and flame

He listened as Peregrine went on to explain his thoughts on the possibility that Crete might be injured, but with each passing moment, Atticus grew more somber, his brows more furrowed. If what Perry said was true, it did indeed look as if Crete had deserted them. The evidence was pretty damning. Peregrine was a grade-A tracker, so he knew that there was no chance that Perry had followed an old trail or had somehow been misled. "I can't believe he'd do that," he commented after Peregrine had finished. "What a bitch." He was sure that Crete's reasons had seemed valid to him -- after all, Atticus had damn near left too and he'd felt pretty damn justified himself -- but…damn.

His eyes fell to the puppies again, and he couldn't help grinning despite his ire with Crete. They were just so adorable! He'd seen his younger siblings in their puppyhood, but he'd been so young himself at the time that the memory was distant and faded. This was fresh and real to him, and it had a new significance to him now that he was not only old enough to appreciate just how precious this furry, sleepy treasure was, but also now that he was himself a father. He found himself wondering what Bones looked like when she was this little. He still couldn't believe he had a daughter.

"Perry…" he started, his voice halting a little with hesitation. He wasn't sure how his brother would react to this, but he knew he had to tell him. Not only because Perry was his Alpha, but also because Perry was his brother and his child's uncle. "I…found out something kinda…kinda huge recently." He looked up at Peregrine's face, his pale eyes full of apprehension and uncertainty. "I have kids."