Redhawk Caldera We are, we are a different kind

@Fox @Finley and @Elwood - I need to see you in my office. *stern face*

I power played y'all so-o-o much cuz I'm r00d that way.

The day darkened much too soon for Peregrine's tastes, though he didn't let it affect him or his activities; he kept busy hunting and patrolling until late in the evening. Finally, it was time to return to the den he shared with Fox, perhaps have a bite to eat, then curl up around her and get some sleep.

When he came near to their den, he swore her scent smelled different. His heart jumped into his throat and Peregrine raced inside. "Is it t—?" he asked... but she wasn't there. Blinking, he whirled and exited the den, dusky jade eyes scouring the surrounding darkness. His nose twitched, trying to figure out where she'd gone.

As he began to track the Alpha female down toward the lake, he realized she wasn't actually in heat, though there was something changing about her smell. It must be soon! he thought, which added a skip to his step. Puppies began to crowd his brain and he smiled like an idiot. Then his brain backtracked slightly and a fiendish light glowed on his dark face as he began to think dirty thoughts...

That was when, of course, he stumbled directly into his Beta and Gamma, who were conversing at the water's edge. They stopped talking even as he abruptly appeared on the scene and, for a couple of beats, the three of them just stared at each other like startled deer. Meanwhile, a rope of drool stretched out from the Alpha male's jowl and plopped to the ground, freezing on impact.

Shout out to my fellow HIMYM fan *hi5*

Fin had been in the middle of an amiable conversation with the pack's Gamma. Well, as amiable as the two of them got. Actually, it was a rather heated discussion about what was cuter--rabbits or ducks. Fin had been about to tell Elwood right where he could shove the next "adorable" little duck he ran into when Peregrine suddenly stumbled onto the scene, drooling and looking a little rabid. Just as Kat so RUDELY stated, Fin simply stared in surprise for a minute before canting her head with flattened ears.

"You high again?" she growled warily at him. One of these days, they were going to have to go ball tripping together since it seemed they were always missing each other, and yet always there to babysit. Of course, Fin had yet to find out that Peregrine hadn't actually been high the day that they'd mutilated and played with a dead animal, and so she had no idea that her disgruntledment (new word WUT) was misplaced.

Elwood rolled his eyes at Finley's most recently declaration -- how could she even think that rabbits were cuter than ducks? Rabbits were meant for nothing other than eating, and while the same argument could be made for ducks, there was just something he found so endearing about their adorable little webbed feet...

Truthfully, he didn't have a preference one way or the other -- given the option, he would disregard the appearance of both and would just eat them! -- but, as usual, what started out as a normal conversation between Elwood and Finley had spiraled into pure ridiculousness. He was preparing to give some elaborate explanation for his point of view when they were suddenly interrupted by the appearance of Peregrine -- who looked to be a bit...out of sorts.

The Gamma's gaze followed the string of drool as it extended from Peregrine's mouth and fell to the ground. He wrinkled his nose, then looked to Finley as she asked if Peregrine was under the influence. Elwood raised his brows, remaining silent for the time being as all thoughts of ducks and bunnies disappeared from his mind.

Finley's question snapped him out of it. Peregrine's mouth closed with a sudden click and he blinked at her. "What?" he replied in a tone that was both defensive and sheepish. Guilty as charged! Except not, unless it was possible to get high on fantasies of Fox. "No. No, I was just... thinking thoughts. That's all. Don't judge me!"

His eyes flicked sideways to Elwood and the sight of the pewter Gamma reminded him of something. He opened his mouth to say something, then thought better of it. He shut it again, only to reopen it a second later and ask something else. "Have you two seen my wife? That's what I was actually doing: looking for her." Yeah.

Peregrine began to sputter awkwardly at them in response to Fin's accusation. The beta shared a sidelong glance with Elwood as the dark male spoke, mild bewilderment still touching her eyes. He was certainly acting weird, though Fin was realizing quickly what the reason for it was. It wasn't hard for her to scent the pheromones that saturated him, and so she wasn't at all surprised when he admitted to searching for his mate.

"Why? You got a bone to pick with her?" Fin asked, smirking and utterly failing to stifle her own self-appreciative laughter. She bumped her shoulder against Elwood's to make sure he realized that there was a super awesomely clever joke in there, knowing there was no way he wouldn't find it just as humorous.

It was odd to see Peregrine out of his element -- the Alpha male had obviously been caught off guard. Finley was quick to tease him, but Elwood didn't know Peregrine as well; he was a little more reluctant. He certainly didn't miss the humor in the situation, however.

He chuckled at Finley's comment, shoving her back after she nudged him. He responded to Peregrine in a more serious manner, though his tail waved jovially behind him. "Haven't seen her lately, sorry," he said, anticipating that Peregrine would appreciate Finley's jabs but that he really was looking for Fox.

Peregrine stuck out his tongue at Finley's jab, then answered, "Yup," in a rather matter-of-fact tone. "I have a big ole bone and I'm totally ready to stick it in her butt." There, that would shut her up. Maybe.

Seeing the Beta and Gamma shoving each other in such a buddy-buddy way yet again reminded him of something. He bit at his lip and looked around for Fox. She was nowhere in sight. His gaze eventually drifted back to the pair. They would make a cute couple. They could grow old and gray together. Oh, wait.

"Well, since I've got you here... we've been meaning to ask you something, Elwood. I bet Fox would want to be here, though," Peregrine mused, aware that he was possibly leaving his Gamma on some tenterhooks. "You see... my dick actually broke in a freak accident and it turns out we need a surrogate father..." Wait, that wasn't even the right term for it.

The swarthy male trailed off for a moment, wide eyes fixed on Elwood. Man, he was in a weird mindset right now. Eventually, his face cracked and he said, "Nah, man, I'm just kidding. My dick is doing great, thanks for asking. But, seriously..." Cue an awkwardly long pause. "What would you think if I said we were thinking of asking you to be our second Beta?"

Elwood gave an appreciative laugh, probably only just to humor her, though Fin went ahead and didn't notice that. While Fin would have been content to just torment their alpha, it seemed her greyscale companion was to take a different role by dutifully responding to Peregrine's inquiry. What a little stick in the mud.

Peregrine was talking again and Fin decided to let Elwood's better sense be the example she followed by keeping her smart ass mouth shut. She listened quietly as he rambled, although she was sorely tempted to speak up when the alpha joked about having the gamma step in to father Fox's pups. Although she recognized it immediately as a joke, her hackles raised very slightly. It was an involuntary action that she silenced immediately. She had no claim on Elwood, and really, no reason at all to be struck with such a possessive feeling over him. But still...

Before she (or I) could digress into too much introspection, Peregrine posed a rather unexpected question. Fin's brows raised in surprise. Not at all about them wanting Elwood to be beta--that she already knew about--but just at the timing. It was a little random, but then again, Peregrine was so clearly scatter-brained those days that she probably shouldn't have been surprised at all. Turning her gaze to the male at her side, she canted her head and gave him a smile, wondering what he thought of the idea.

Blah blah, ramble ramble...

The playful banter between Finley and Peregrine reminded Elwood of how he usually talked with the Beta. Maybe this was just her standard -- she had a smart mouth and a quick wit, and she didn't hesitate to wield them whenever she could. Peregrine took all of her comments in stride, replying in kind, and Elwood had to admit that he enjoyed listening to the two poke at each other.

In the next moment, though, Peregrine took on a slightly more serious expression. He directed his next words at Elwood, which caused the grey male to perk up slightly. "We've been meaning to ask you something," the Alpha said, and Elwood shifted his weight nervously. Whatever it was, it sounded important...

...or at least, it did until Peregrine again referred to his penis, then asked Elwood to be the surrogate father of Fox's pups. For an instant, Elwood's face looked just like this: O_O Then he gathered himself, trying (and failing) to come up with a retort. Luckily, though he paused for a lengthy amount of time, Peregrine soon got to the point -- and asked Elwood to be the caldera's Beta male.

Again, he stared at Peregrine with a surprised expression. "Really?" was the first thing he managed to say, then he inwardly kicked himself. He had really thrown himself into the pack, working hard to earn his gamekeeper trade and provide for his packmates. But he had only been a member for a month and a half -- did Fox and Peregrine really see him as worthy of this title? Especially since his original intentions -- to leave the pack in the spring -- were still on the table...

He shook his head gently, then couldn't stop a big grin from creeping onto his face. "I mean, this is totally unexpected, but if you and Fox think I'm up for it -- then, yeah, I'd love to do whatever I can to help the pack," he said, his tail swaying behind him. Though he hadn't necessarily changed his long-term plans yet, Avery was currently the farthest thing from his mind. He then looked at Finley, his potential co-Beta. "You mind sharing your position with me?" he said with a teasing smirk, swinging his hips to bump her.

*barges in last-minute*

Fox had been busying herself with pre-motherly duties which mostly included neurotic tendencies like taking everything out of the den and putting it back in several times over. She had been taking a break from that obsession to take a drink, but was planning on going right back to her den re-re-re-re-rearranging. Unfortunately, it looked like there was a horde gathered nearby, and she knew she couldn't just ignore them. Huffing in mild frustration that it would get in the way of her obsessions, she trotted toward them and put on her happiest face.

She came in right on the tail end of Peregrine asking Elwood the Big Question, one that she had been planning to ask since Elwood had fended off the cougar a week into his stay here. Even if he planned to depart in the spring, Fox saw no reason why he couldn't be their fellow leader in the meantime. Besides, if he and Finley would just hook up already, that would mean two power-couples leading Redhawk Caldera, and she could think of nothing better.

“Guess I’m just in time to congratulate you,” she said, slapping Elwood's shoulder with her paw. Fox shot Finley an exaggerated, obvious wink, then gave Peregrine one of her oh-so-charming smiles.

This post is weird. Hell, this thread is weird. I'm in a goofy mood, lol.

WELCOME TO THE TEAM, KIM! :D

Indeed, his timing was rather random. This entire encounter was supremely random. But that's how he liked his wolves, particularly his fellow leaders. He, Fox and Finley had actually discussed this at length behind the scenes. They all felt Elwood would round out the leadership really well. They not so secretly hoped it would help convince him to stay on in the springtime. Or at least that's how the Alpha male felt about it. He would admit it if asked too.

"Really?" was the Gamma's reaction, to which Peregrine deadpanned, "No... no, Elwood. It was just a mean joke." But the look on his face indicated that that was a joke. "Nah, man, I'm deadly serious. And Fin is totes onboard, of course. The two of you are like an OCD person's wet dream—"

Fox appeared then. Peregrine's face lit up at the sight of her, not to mention the smell of her. Yeah, she would be ready soon. That oven was definitely preheating. He couldn't wait to stick his cockloaf in it. But wait. Would that give Fox a yeast infection? Peregrine's face contorted into an expression of disgust. Man, his train of thought could get downright gross sometimes.

"Welcome to the team, man," the swarthy Alpha said to Elwood, all while staring rather intensely at Fox. "Now, if you'll excuse us... Fox, can I see you in my office?" he queried with a playful swirl of his tail. He waggled his eyebrows at her shamelessly, then took a step in the direction of their den.

Though Fin hadn't admitted it as shamelessly as Peregrine, she too was hoping that this promotion might be a way for them to be able to keep Elwood at the Caldera. She, unlike her alphas, would have denied it though. To feel that way would be far too incriminating, especially with the way Fox was always pushing the issue. No, Fin still firmly believed that her feelings towards the man were purely of friendship. A kind of.. possessive, jealous sort of friendship. Where anyone who looked like they might want to make a move on him would get their muzzle shoved in the dirt. Or thrown off a moment. So, y'know. The normal kind of friendship.

Elwood's reaction of disbelief was endearing, though Fin's own to him was similar to Peregrine. She didn't whip out the snarky comment, but she did roll her eyes, albeit fondly. She parted her lips to speak, but Peregrine again did it for her, going on in a way that took a sudden very weird twist. "How exactly--?" Fin had barely started when she noted Peregrine's sudden change of expression, shortly paired with a voice behind her.

Fin turned to spy Fox just behind them and a smile danced to her face. It turned quickly into a glare in response to her wink, the suggestion quite clear. It disappeared only a second later as Peregrine again commanded their attention. There was a sparkle in his eye and a sudden heady musk about him that made Fin immediately uncomfortable. "Oh god..." she whimpered, "Elwood, this is not a drill--run!" She barked at him, turning to push herself against his shoulder in order to encourage him to run away with her before they were witness to the alpha pair's coupling. It was.. kind of a joke. But at the same time not.

I'm now eagerly awaiting the RHC Leader Summit 2015. :D

Elwood laughed as Peregrine commented that the whole thing was a cruel joke. He wouldn't put it past his rambunctious leaders to do such a thing -- well, maybe not Peregrine and Fox, but Finley certainly would be the mastermind behind something like that. Luckily for him, Peregrine was being sincere, though Elwood wasn't quite sure what the Alpha was getting at when he said that he and Finley were an OCD person's wet dream...

There wasn't time for clarification, however, because Fox soon made her presence known -- both by smell and by touch. Although technically Elwood hadn't reached sexual maturity just yet, the scent was enough to make him raise his brows. He looked at Fox as she gave him the equivalent of a pat on the back. The new Beta barely had time to say, "Thank you," before Peregrine was making some very obvious moves.

Finley reacted quickly, giving Elwood a shove away from the horny leaders. "Oh, god is right," he groaned, though he was grinning as he turned and loped after Finley. "Get a room!" he called over his shoulder -- but it was clear that the Alphas were going to do just that.

Cockloaf. *dies* Also, moody Fox is moody.

Almost as soon as she arrived, Elwood and Finley made their exit. Together, no less! Fox grinned girlishly as they sauntered off with one another before turning to Peregrine. Despite his bedroom eyes, she was beyond irritable at the moment. Probably because it was so close to that oh-so-special time when they would be getting it on non-stop. In fact, when Peregrine moved closer to her, Fox shot him a throaty warning growl to let him know she was about as uninterested as she could get. “I need to fix the den,” she said curtly. “Unless you can help, go busy yourself with… something else.” Hopefully, he would understand that she needed her space. A lot of it.

Not waiting for her mate to reply, Fox made an aloof about-turn toward their den, intending to rip out all the furs and put them back in for the umpteenth time. If he wanted to hover over her while she did so, he was more than welcome, but Fox was in one of her oddest moods ever, and he would likely be better off catching some food or tending to the borders.

His mate's rebuff stung, if only because it was so uncharacteristic of her. The moment she turned and marched away, her scent washed over him and Peregrine couldn't help the dopey smile that curved his lips. All was well. His mate would be in season very, very soon. If she couldn't stand his company right now, she would be craving it in a day or two. He wouldn't take it personally.

Sighing wistfully, he trailed after her. He would make himself available if she wanted to give him any specific task but do his best to give her some space. It would be very difficult—even if she didn't already smell glorious, he had a hard time keeping his hands off her anyway—but he would do his best to stand by and wait until that crucial moment finally came.