Blacktail Deer Plateau Heart weighs a ton

From the minute the howl lighted the air, Kaihra prepared for the worst. She wouldn't let herself get caught off guard like she had when Peregrine had inducted Fox as their Beta. Though all had turned out well in the end, she'd let her nerves get the better of her and muddle her thinking beyond clear thought. She was keen to keep her mind clear this time around.

Kaihra was one of the last to arrive at the gathering and took a place near the side of the group. She felt more at ease in that position, where her back was turned to no one, and Kaihra took to analyzing the faces of her packmates as she waited for the meeting to begin. New sat among old, and some who had been at the past meeting were no longer present. She wondered how many absences followed Fox's sudden rise to leadership. Kaihra knew she'd almost been one of them, but the dark woman chose to give the ruddy girl a chance, and so far Fox proved a reliable Alpha. Their pack still stood strong and united under her reign, and they would need this as the harsh blows of winter approached.

But as Peregrine began to speak, his words quickly rendered all her thoughts irrelevant. He spoke in a hurried voice news that should have been anything but rushed, and soon she felt her steady expression fall into a hard pressed frown. How could Peregrine be leaving them? He was their Alpha. If anything less, she'd have nodded a firm farewell, but Peregrine had responsibilities here - and here he was throwing them all away because Fox wasn't happy? Kaihra sat in stunned silence, her eyes darting back and forth in search of understanding. The wolves who stood opposed to Fox's leadership had already left - and those who had stayed had done so trusting she would not let the pack fall beneath her paws. But now? Kaihra tasted a bitterness on her mouth and she flashed her worried eyes to Blue Willow and Dante - and noticed their shared expression of equal shock and anger. A startling thought hit her - had the Betas even been informed of this? Or were they hearing this news for the first time, too?

A mixture of voices rose in the clearing, some filled with excitement and others with outrage. Some outright left. She felt her paw begin to quiver, but Kaihra remained otherwise still and silent, settling her eyes on the large male as she waited for Peregrine's response.