Sun Mote Copse Whiskey lullaby

Wildfire's death had been a shock to them all, and yet it was just another example of the way life could change in an instant. She had passed in the midst of a happy time, as new life abounded in the Firebirds -- her own children, Elwood and Finley's litter, and, most recently, the offspring of Niamh and Colt. It seemed wrong that something so devastating should happen when things were so prosperous for the collective Blackthorns, but there was nothing they could do but accept it and grieve.

Colt's howl was not exactly unexpected. Underneath his own sadness, Elwood had recognized that the pack was now leaderless. And his train of thought was similar to Colt's -- he didn't expect that Eljay would want to step up, even had he not been devastated by his mate's passing. He and Finley were firmly settled in their retirement, and Kiwi and Sequoia were gone; that left few options. But Elwood trusted and would support his brother-in-law, so he was quick to demonstrate that by going to meet him at his request.

He arrived with head and tail lowered more in grief than deference, but the sentiment was still there. "Thanks for calling the pack together," he said. And now they would wait, to see how things unfolded once the others arrived.