Blacktail Deer Plateau PACKTIVITY — Then the quiet explosion

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Soon Peregrine found himself surrounded by his pack mates. Blue Willow sat on one side, Fox on the other and Junior planted herself right between his forelegs. Considering he'd thought her dead not long ago, he wasn't about to ask her to find a seat elsewhere (though he did lightly bonk her for her comment). Nor did he make any effort to coax Tytonidae out from her position behind the leadership. The other pups situated themselves nearer Dante, earning a nod of approval from the pack's swarthy patriarch. He made a point to favor his palest daughter with a smile, since she was one of the few being honored.

When Hawkeye appeared, Peregrine felt a sense of trepidation pass through him. He expected not everyone would show the same acceptance and grace as Blue Willow had and he was prepared for that possibility. But he wondered if his former wife might make a scene when she found out the news. Ever since losing her crown and then her mate, she had been understandably distant. Peregrine knew she felt jilted and resented him greatly, even if the feeling wasn't mutual. He expected some measure of backlash.

When all had gathered save for one, Peregrine's ears splayed. Where was Atticus? Failing to respond to the Alpha's call previously was one thing but not showing up at a formal pack gathering was another. He felt he would have no choice but to demote his brother for this. Then he began to worry. What if there was an ominous reason behind his brother's recent absence?

Yet he could not hold off on the meeting. Pushing his concerns aside, Peregrine spoke. "First of all, I'd like to welcome Junior back," Peregrine said, draping a leg across his daughter's shoulder, "and recognize Hawkeye and Saēna for their part in bringing her home. We will hunt together and feast in your honor," he told the three of them, eyes sparkling even when they settled on his former mate.

"Before we head out to hunt, I have other news as well. I'm glad you're all sitting down," he quipped wryly, then suddenly motioned for Lasher to move nearer and glanced sideways at Fox. "You might have noticed this fiery redhead attached to me lately. Her name is Fox. She was the ruler of Swiftcurrent Creek but came here to be with me. Since we have a very worthy Alpha female already, she's been given our vacant Beta female rank." He paused, wondering if anyone would find fault with this. His heart began to thump faster. "And she is not my only romantic interest. You all should know that I also consider myself bonded to Lasher."

He paused for a very pregnant moment before wrapping up his brief speech by saying, "My word is law and I expect everyone in my pack to respect it. If you can't find it within yourself to do that, you are free to leave the plateau without hard feelings." The Alpha male fell silent, hoping for the best but preparing for the worst.