Phoenix Maplewood It's all part of a grander plan

"If you don't ask," Saena chided, "they'll never help you. The best thing to do is admit your mistake and learn from it." Some sound life advice that Saena herself never, ever followed. She wasn't her best adviser, but she had the potential to advise others. Even if she didn't often take her own advice, occasionally Saena proved to be more than just a hotheaded yearling. She shifted so that her hind legs splayed off to her right while she tucked her forepaws in under her chest, and then she chortled lightly when Esaro suggested he needed to protect the pups. While she appreciated the sentiment, she reminded him that, "they'll have two alpha parents to look after them. They'll be just fine.

But if you want to," said Saena, "you can help guard the den site and rendezvous site when the pups are born and get older." Reek would probably hate her for extending the opportunity to Esaro of all wolves, but she saw in him what she had always seen in Valtyr at the plateau as adolescents: potential, if they could just get past their crippling insecurities. Esaro made a lot of stupid mistakes but in a lot of ways he reminded her fondly of her red-eared friend, perhaps giving her cause to go easier on him than she often did on anyone.

"Get over feeling like you screwed up, Esaro," said Saena lightly as she stretched out on her side, lifting her head to shoot him a teasing grin. "You did, but you're pack. They won't be mad at you forever, and you need their help to succeed, so just ask."