Heron Lake Plateau i can see a shitfaced brother that i covered for what must've been the last ten years

Perhaps some other alpha might have preferred grandiose promises of undying loyalty, but what Raven got was blunt honesty, and she actually found she appreciated that. Caiaphas's words revealed that she was a smart wolf, cautious, and -- to Raven's immense approval -- concerned about her children's welfare above her own. The onyx Redhawk nodded, indicating her understanding and her agreement. She gestured at Niamh, exhausted and frightfully blood-soaked, and commented, "This is Niamh, and you just met my sister, Towhee. The two of them just returned from tracking down and killing the last wolf who dared try to harm a child in this pack." She'd lost almost half her litter to the asshole who had once been her brother and surrogate son.

She didn't share that particular fact, but if this group were granted acceptance into the Redhawks' fold, sooner or later they would find out all the details and then, perhaps, they could appreciate the seriousness with which Raven took the safety of her young. Nobody, not even her own blood, was above judgement where puppies were concerned. "There isn't much I can promise you, but I can promise that your children will be protected and cherished here." She felt a swell of maternal emotions toward the tired, confused children at the white wolf's feet, and although she knew their presence was swaying her judgement somewhat, she found it hard to think of that as a bad thing. "So it sounds like we have something of an agreement, then. I'm curious, though. Which pack do you come from?" There was only one test left to pass: as long as the loners' answer wasn't Blackfeather Woods, then she saw little reason to deny them entrance to the plateau.