Redhawk Caldera Ten things you didn't know

Phox had been off hunting, as he so often did these days. With none of the kids around, he felt a bit like an empty nester. Of course, there would be plenty of pitter-pattering feet around in the next month, and Niamh's belly was proof of that. Towhee's, too. They were going to have their hands paws full this year, no doubt. They'd been full last year, but they hadn't even known about Meerkat until she popped into the world. This year, the signs on Towhee were astoundingly obvious. Maybe her body had been saving up to spend all its energy on this year's litter.

Daydreaming about the chaos that would surely unfold when their kids came into the world, Phox was shaken out of it by two howls in rapid succession, both in Niamh's voice.

The message was clear: Usurper! Reyes! Betrayal!

What. The. Fuck.

Phox admittedly hadn't taken the time to get to know Reyes, but this already left a bitter taste in his mouth. Abandoning his hunt, tearing through the packlands, Phox arrived to see Reyes running away and Niamh folding her leg close to her. Was that the same one that had been hurt before? He couldn't remember.

The fuck happened? he asked, immediately keen to inspect her leg, but knowing he couldn't do much about it. He also knew that, if she was in pain, she'd likely lash out at him unintentionally, so he kept enough distance that he could pull back if that was the case.