Blacktail Deer Plateau The show must go on [pack meeting]

"Not great," Junior answered Saena's question, "but definitely better than before. They tell me I went out of my mind? Did you get to witness any of that?" she wondered, burningly curious. But before they could delve into a conversation about Junior's mad antics during her spell of fever, the rest of the pack arrived and the humming and buzzing died down as the Alpha male prepared to address the assembly.

The first sentence out of Dante's mouth made Junior's blood run cold and she looked at Saena, dread blooming in her chest. Had he gone to tell Peregrine about her condition? Fortunately, his next few words alleviated this fear—or at least distracted her from it—and now it was a sense of justice ballooning within her at this unexpected turn of events. It was a bittersweet relief and the youth wondered what had prompted the pewter Alpha's decision.

Dante hadn't asked for it and certainly didn't need it but Junior's voice rose up in a yip of approval. She looked at Saena again, hoping to share in a smug smile with her sister. Surely Saena would also be pleased at this development. The black youth wondered what Pura and the rest of Peregrine's relatives might think. Strangely, she didn't see Osprey anywhere and Lasher was looking in another direction at the moment. She also couldn't read Pura's expression from here.

A burning question suddenly came to mind and Junior's lips parted to voice it when she thought better of it and pressed them together in silence. She pictured Finley waiting back at the den, oblivious to what was being discussed at this very pack meeting. "I have asked that all caldera wolves stay off of plateau lands," Dante had said. "...this is our home and all members should feel safe and content within its borders. This would not be possible for some should Peregrine and his wolves have access to our lands." Indeed, Junior didn't like that Finley was living it up in Blue Willow's den, mooching off the plateau's resources.

She had no idea whether the leaders intended to escort her way from the territory following the meeting. Junior licked her lips and decided she would get a jump on that for them, just as soon as she could slip away, back to the Healer's den. Junior would positively delight in enacting her Alpha's will on the silver bitch. Something of a cheshire grin wound over her dark lips, though anyone that looked her way would probably think it was in response to the news about the caldera. After all, it was no secret that there was no love lost between Peregrine and the daughters he'd left behind.