Heron Lake Plateau now i’m free from what you are

By the third or fourth sharp prod with the stick, Towhee's desire to maim her brother lessened significantly. There was something about his helpless, submissive flailing that actually made her feel a little sick (to her stomach? To her soul? A little bit of both?). She began to back off him even as X materialized and alighted on her shoulder blade, his weight calming her and the subtle pinch of his talons grabbing her full attention. She withdrew, spitting the stick on the ground.

Only then did she actually process what Phox was trying to tell her. She blinked, slowly, twice. "Is it true?" she barked, the question not directed at the wolf but at the raptor seated on her back. He gave her flesh a telling squeeze. "Show us," she commanded, unconsciously including Phox even as she spun on a heel, her back to her brother as the hawk lifted back into the air.

When Towhee arrived, she saw Niamh first and her heart jumped into her throat. Was Niamh attempting to usurp Raven? Before Towhee could possibly process that, she noticed Caiaphas positioned just beyond the Beta female. Oh, thank fuck, Towhee thought a little insanely when it became clear—mostly by the Theta's body language—that her Person wasn't the one attempting to unseat Raven.

That Caiaphas was gunning for the matriarch's rank was nearly as perplexing, but in entirely different ways. Who did she think she was? Even if she could make a case against Raven, there were half a dozen much more eligible wolves between the Theta and the Alpha female rank. Although everyone in the pack was technically a Redhawk, she wasn't even part of the two families that comprised the pack's legacy. Towhee couldn't help but curl her lip and suddenly think of Caiaphas as, Outsider...

After taking a few beats to assess the situation and deliberate how to react, Towhee moved forward, stopping beside the Beta. She'd helped handpick each of the current leaders and she didn't take kindly to Caiaphas's bid for leadership. Raven wasn't perfect, yet the mercenary would absolutely defend her. Even if the rank was unoccupied, Towhee wouldn't stand for Caiaphas as Alpha. She respected her, yet in that moment, the yearling realized she would never accept anyone but a true Redhawk or Blackthorn in a position of power in this pack. #ElitistAF

Orange eyes boring into Caiphas's haunting yellow eyes, Towhee grated out, "No." She made the ptero sign simultaneously. "Just—no."