Heron Lake Plateau If he ever singles you up, if he's ever stupid enough

Maybe it was a good thing that Fiadh didn't seem very interested in her idea—Tegan would never forgive Towhee—but the Alpha felt an unkind bolt of frustration when her sister didn't answer either of her own questions. She tried to muster her patience, since Fiadh's concerns were valid and seemed deeply-rooted, to boot.

"Tegan might have disobeyed me, but I know he works hard and will one day make a good scout," Towhee replied. "Like I said, we factor lots of different things into how we decide ranks." She paused, trying to catch Fiadh's eye. "In any case, Fi, ranks are fluid. Except for leadership, they'll change a lot from week to week. And I need you to understand they're not somehow proportional to how much I personally like someone. Whether you were an Alpha or Omega, I'd like—love—you just the same."

Sensing that she was probably saying all the wrong things, Towhee tacked on, "If you still have questions, you should talk to your mom and dad too. I may not be explaining this very well."