Duskfire Glacier He's one of the good ones

Lane probably knew a lot more than Tuuluuwaq about why Issorartuyok seemed so suddenly down on the prospect of a mate and children, given that she'd been taken into Meerkat's confidence. A broken heart was a tough thing-- Lane had been there. "You know, Moonglow has a matchmaker: the alpha, Kukutux. I mentioned it to Issorartuyok ages ago, but I don't think he took me seriously. Maybe he would hear the advice better, coming the second time from his brother." Lane raised a conspiratorial eyebrow. "Kukutux is well-connected, and a northerner herself. She would understand Issorartuyok. If anyone could find him a match, it would be her." 

When Tuulu admitted to his concerns with serving as a second-in-command, Lane replied, “Well, you can be third-in-command then. I’ll be second-in-command.” She nudged him, smiling teasingly. She had given a cheeky reply, but truly, she understood what Tuulu was getting at-- he didn't think he was cut out for leadership. Lane hadn't thought she would make a good leader either, but everyone kept insisting that she was doing great. 

"You already help me bear the weight of leadership," Lane insisted, speaking sincerely this time. Everything she needed from Tuuluuwaq as a beta, she already got from him as a zeta. He deserved the recognition for the work he was already putting in. "You're going to be fantastic," she insisted. 

Shyness slowly crept up on her as she ran out of words, and she she realized they had somewhat  danced around the concept of beta pair that Lane had mentioned. Tuuluwaq was a traditional man, and so as much as Lane liked the idea of tying everything up in one neat conversation here and now, she assumed that Tuulu wanted to be the one to officially propose mateship. She could be patient. She could wait until he was ready. God knows he had waited long enough on her to be ready to court.