Whitefish River the light is always on

Maegi's frosty assertion made Meerkat feel something she didn't often experience: true anger. "No," she refuted just as firmly "he isn't." She could feel herself trembling all of a sudden. Was that because of her fury or how vulnerable she felt talking this way to another wolf?

It was short-lived though, because Maegi made a valid point about saving those pups. Meerkat's lips pressed together, feeling the anger redirect in Niamh's direction and flare brightly, red hot, before just as quickly turning blue. Meerkat felt like she could cry, especially after these rough past few days.

She felt another lick of indignation when Maegi turned and left, though she didn't make any effort to call her back. That's what she wanted, right, for this conversation-turned-confrontation to end? She stood there a while, breathing a little hard, swallowing the lump in her throat when she thought of how her uncle was her dad...

And Peregrine, Prevost and Vesper didn't know any better. Maegi and Mou were the only parents they'd ever known. Meerkat felt a flare of sympathy for them. This had the potential for so much confusion and heartbreak because they belonged with Phox but he was a stranger to them. Then she remembered why he was a stranger: because Mou and Maegi had made sure of it.

Stiffly, Meerkat walked off to find her dad.