Heron Lake Plateau Tyrants and kings both meet the same fate, strung up at your city gate

If she'd had any doubts about stepping down a notch, they'd disappeared quickly. Towhee was absolutely certain by now that she'd made the right call not just for the pack but for herself. She had never actually wanted to be an Alpha. She'd had her sights set on the Beta rank since her youth. And though she'd come to realize she was ill-suited to the role, it wasn't until after the fact that she realized just how bad a fit it had really been. It felt a bit like she was now where she'd been meant to be all along, albeit serving under different Alphas that she'd pictured back in the day.

Speaking of which, Towhee hadn't spoken to Raven since that day, nor sought out Quixote yet. She didn't think they'd necessarily handle leadership like her aunt and uncle—the three of them had operated on the same level, more or less—and it might be an adjustment, yet it was one Towhee was prepared to make. She figured none of the three of them knew their style just yet, nor the dynamic that would eventually manifest between the three of them. Only time would tell.

That included quality time, of course, spent in the company of her co-leaders. As dusk gathered, Towhee left X roosting in a tree and began trailing the new Alpha male. She found him headed toward the borders. The Beta barked to announce her presence, moving to flank him as she asked, "Heading out for a patrol? Cool if I join you?"