Blacktail Deer Plateau broken bones

"But there it is." Junior felt a flush of despair at these words. Her father was making it clear he wouldn't change his plans. She knew she couldn't and shouldn't expect that, yet his words somehow added insult to injury. She felt like crying. No matter what, whether she stayed here or ran halfway around the world, her father would be having new pups. Nothing she said or did would change that.

His challenge made her feel very small. When he threatened her, she felt a bolt of fear. Then Junior felt angry in the next beat. Why was he being so callous toward her? She was supposed to be one of his babies. She just took this as evidence that she needed to move on with her life now, not later. Junior loved her dad very much, yet maybe he wasn't the leader she needed.

"I love everyone here," Junior said, fighting tears, "and I always will. But I didn't ask to be born here. And it's not where I belong now. I belong with the Nereides. It's like... it's like when you met Fox and she decided she had to leave her home to be with you. Sometimes you have to follow your heart and my heart's telling me to go with them." She paused to take a breath. "I brought some of them with me in case you wanted to talk to them, see that they're good wolves. They'll tell you anything you want to know. I'll be okay, dad, and we won't be that far away..."

As far as being unwelcome at the plateau, of course that broke her heart. But it didn't shake her faith. "I don't mean to betray you, dad. But if you don't want me here, I won't come back." It didn't occur to Junior that something might happen to prevent the Nereides from settling. So the thought of falling back on the bay didn't even cross her mind. Perhaps she was young and foolish but she was totally confident in the Nereides, their plans and her future with them.