Firestone Hot Springs Good Sleep, a Bath and a Glass of Wine [M]

When she waded out onto the bank, Peregrine followed suit. He paused on the shore and gave himself a hearty shake, sending water flying in all directions. He then reposed on his hindquarters and began licking his crazy fur into place, all the while keeping his damp ears pricked in Ellie's direction.

"First of all," he said when she finished, "it should matter. You should find a pack that suits your needs and vice versa." He paused. "And your apathy is unbecoming. If you don't give a fuck about yourself and what you're doing, I certainly don't, nor will any Alpha in their right mind. Nobody feels sorry for you... including yourself, it looks like," he finished with a shrug.

She seemed ready to go and Peregrine had no reason to ask her to stay, so he replied, "You're welcome." He didn't make a move to leave, though he did turn away from her to look out across the water.

His mind stayed with Atticus. It had been so easy to help Ellie; all he'd had to do was lead her away from the dangers of the hot springs. Why couldn't it have been that way for his brother? Why did this strange, apathetic woman with nothing and not a care in the world get to move on without any ill effects, while his brother—who'd been on the cusp of earning life's every bounty through hard work and dedication—was sitting in a dank den at home, unable to do much more than drool and stare at the wall? Life was cruel and unfair.