Redhawk Caldera lazy afternoons

Finley calling him names was nothing new. But never before had she used epithets in such a serious, venomous voice. Rather than rile him, the words stung. His ears flicked backward, only to sweep forward again as she hurled several accusations at him. Peregrine didn't know what to do with his Beta's anger. He had never had to deal with it before, not in the two or three years he had known her. It was awkward and made him want to cry, if he was being honest with himself.

He sucked in a breath, blinking hard against the tears that brewed behind his gaze. "Yes, you two should've talked to him," he agreed, pausing before continuing, "but you didn't. You weren't. It's been going on long enough, Fin. He was confusing the Firebirds." He licked his lips, feeling strangely shaky all of a sudden. "I'm not going to dignify the rest of what you said with a response," he finished dully, knowing it was just her anger that made her spout such untruths.

He had to turn away then, because the moisture in his eyes was threatening to spill over. He told himself it was a lot more about Peter and Eljay than Fin's nasty words. But it was really all of the above. Fin's pain was his pain. Eljay's pain was his pain. And as the dead boy's father, he had a lot of his own pain too. He hated this situation and cursed the bitch who'd done it to his family, not for the first nor last time. Peregrine also sniffled like a big baby, still trying to hide his face from his irate second-in-command.