Redhawk Caldera I thought of just your face, relaxed and floated into space

He worked out some of his negative energy by resuming his patrol and making not one but two rounds around the caldera. He stopped only when night fell and thirst drove him upslope in search of water. Peregrine reached the rim and trotted down to the lake, gulping thirstily. The icy water felt heavy in his stomach as he sighed and dropped wearily to his haunches.

He still couldn't believe Dante's gall. What worried Peregrine most was Junior's condition. He hadn't found out what had happened to her or what her prognosis was. The only thing that stopped Peregrine from disregarding Dante's wishes and marching over to the plateau was the knowledge that she was in Blue Willow's care. She truly couldn't be in better hands. Another thing gave him pause too: Junior purportedly didn't want him to come see her.

He sighed again, bitterly. Peregrine then rose and began making his way toward the den he shared with @Fox. He needed to tell her about the tense conversation with Dante at the borders. He had no idea how his mate would feel about the plateau's—well, its Alpha's—decision to refuse their offer of sisterhood. Fox likely never intended to go near the plateau again, so it wouldn't affect her the way it would impact him. In any event, Peregrine hoped he could draw some comfort from his mate's company.

Because, if Dante really upheld this asinine ruling, she was all he had now and they were entirely on their own out here. The plateau was not their sister pack, which defaulted their statuses to rivals in Peregrine's opinion. Who knew how it would play out in his relationships with his best friend, previous lover, sister and children over time? Perhaps it didn't even matter, now that winter was closing in on them and travel was unlikely anyway. They would become isolated planets, their spheres no longer touching.