Heron Lake Plateau Bad company

The two males closed the distance between themselves and Elwood, and as soon as their paws came to a halt they began talking. Elwood listened as both Colt and Quixote expressed their concerns with Towhee's leadership and the decisions that had been made as of late. His brows drew slowly together, but he held off on speaking until they had both said their piece.

Quixote seemed especially disgruntled with the move and Towhee's fight with Screech, among other things, and Elwood couldn't help but feel defensive over the young Alpha. Yes, she was inexperienced, but the choice to move away from Redhawk Caldera hadn't been hers alone -- and that, he felt, was the most important thing for him to express to his packmates.

"I understand what you're both saying," he replied, glancing between the two. "Yes, Towhee is the Alpha -- but Finley and I still serve as her Betas, and she consulted us about leaving the caldera. We agreed with it, so we are as much at fault as she is. As for what happened with her and her brother -- no one could have predicted that, but it will be taken care of, and at the end of the day, it's better than living next door to a bunch of murderers." Again, his gaze shifted from Colt to Quixote and back again. "I don't plan to force her to step down. I think it's better that Finley and I continue to coach her so that she can learn and grow as a leader. If you don't agree with that -- I can't change your minds, but I can ask you to give her a chance."