Duskfire Glacier He's one of the good ones

Tuuluuwaq spoke understandingly, and without a trace of disappointment. He extolled her actions and decisions, and she chanced a small, shy glance upward. These were compliments that Issorartuyok had also spoken, but they sounded different coming from Tuuluuwaq. Her characteristic half smile tugged at a corner of her mouth. 

Tuuluuwaq suggested that she name a successor, and that gave Lane pause. She really didn't have one. The kids were too young, and the others were too new. Untested. The only wolf who Lane thought might be up to the job was Tuuluuwaq himself, and Lane knew him well enough to know he would balk at the idea of replacing her. 

"I was kind of hoping Issorartuyok would do that for me," she admitted, speaking to the idea of alpha selection. "I thought he would have chosen a mate by now." If Issorartuyok decided to elevate his mate to the alpha rank beside him, that was a move that none would question. It was the normal thing, to have a mated pair in the alpha positions. It was a natural thing, to want to stand in a rank beside one's own mate. 

Speaking of which. 

"I don't know if I would give it all up, just the big-decision-making stuff. I like being in a position to help my packmates, and I like being an ambassador. I think I could be a good beta to Issorartuyok and his wife, or maybe.. I could be half of a trusted beta pair..." 

Lane's eyes glowed when she next met Tuuluuwaq's gaze. What would he think of this? Would he enjoy the thought of standing beside Lane as her equal, and serving his brother as his second-in-command? Lane hoped so. She understood that in this scenario, she would be giving up a large piece of her power to some unknown woman of Issorartuyok's choosing, but that seemed well worth it if it meant she could have Tuulu beside her, equal in all ways.