Heron Lake Plateau i.x : who was only a stranger at home

Colt only meant to impede, but next thing he knew, his shoulder was ablaze and Towhee was on the ground like a stone.  He froze, shocked, unsure of what exactly to do.  He'd intended to only make her pause and ended up taking out his packmate, something that turned his stomache and made him immediately look helplessly at Niamh.

Who flew off the handle.

To Colt, it should have been pretty fucking obvious what he was doing.  Ceara was his sister; this girl knew where she'd gone and could potentially lead them to her, whereas killing her got them nothing.  But Niamh came at him like he'd just helped her to rip Towhee apart, and Colt immediately realized that this pack, and her own, hatred had grown to the point where reason couldn't touch.  'Kill her- come back with proof. If you don't, then don't....EVER...come back.'

He stared at her a minute, stricken, before a coldness came on him that was unfamiliar.  She was a stranger.  Screech had obviously destroyed her to the point where she would demand a life so that their mateship could continue.  Colt had killed before, and he didn't mind doing it, but not like this.  Not a girl who had done nothing but come to their borders, and not to appease an ultimatum on something that should be based on love and not this.  Apparently he'd been too blinded by love these past few months to see what Screech had truly turned her, and all of them, into.

Without a word, Colt turned, bolting off in the direction that the Blackfeather woman had taken.  He would follow her.  He would find Ceara and see that she was safe.  And then he would move on.

She shouldn't worry; she wouldn't see him again.