Sparrow wasn't sure what else to do now other than wait for the Abraxas to arrive. The alphaess really wondered if they would be able to transition easily. She was sure they wouldn't, but she wasn't sure just how many conflicts to expect.

Sparrow couldn't help feeling like she had just made a deal with the devil. She was keeping her pack safe, right? Above all, that's what mattered, right? Wasn't that what it meant to be an alpha?

No, if she were a true alpha, she would have fought and drove Malleus out of the pack.

But if she had lost, who knew what could have happened to her pack members?

Sparrow remembered the stories from Zephyr and Caelum. She remembered what Dragon had said. She just had to hold out hope that by giving the Abraxas this much, they would keep their calm like they did with Talis rather than tearing her pack apart like Dragoste.

Sparrow flopped down beneath some brush. Really, she was just tired.

It was hard not to feel shaken up over this whole Abraxas ordeal. It was strange - he felt like an entirely different wolf than he once was. Just years ago he would've scoffed at the mere thought of someone not fighting against someone for control of Abaven. Such a thing would've seemed deeply cowardly to him back then. But now? So long as he and his family were free to come and go as they chose, staying under their rule didn't sound like such a bad thing. So long as Rhea, Aiden, and Corvus were free to grow up - and perhaps under the Abraxas they might even receive some solid training - he would be content. It was less clear what Sparrow thought about it all. There was no general consensus among the pack.. some wanted to go along with the takeover, only to gather information and try to destroy the group from the inside. Others wanted to downright fight. He'd be damned if they did anything to risk the safety of his family. Lark heaved a heavy sigh as he considered this all, catching a whiff of Sparrow's scent. It had been a long while since he'd spoken to her, and even more than he feared what she might say (about him, or Lillie, or their kids - or really anything at all) he feared her silence. He huffed quietly as he redirected toward her scent, offering a quiet dip of his muzzle as he approached her. She looked about as tired as he thought she should, and he could relate, only in a different way. Lark sighed, moving to sit by her side. "Hanging in there, sis?"

Sparrow's brother's scent hit her first, initially making her freeze up. His voice chimed in a moment later, "Hanging in there, sis?" Lark sat by Sparrow. She didn't have the willpower to move. She didn't know what to say either. Should she play it off with sarcasm or tell him honestly? They felt so... disconnected. It was hard to believe they were siblings.

Sparrow didn't know what she felt towards Lark any more. Was it resentment? He sloughed off his duties and went and slept with probably the worst possible candidate and had pups. Was he enjoying his life? Had he filled all those holes in his heart yet? Did he sleep well at night?

Sparrow let out a sigh, "I'm still alive, aren't I?" she asked. "The pack is still here- more or less, right?"

Sparrow didn't move to make eye contact with him.

"All my pack members are safe for now. They may not be happy with me, but they're safe. At the end of the day, isn't that all an alpha can ask for?"

Lark wasn't sure how Sparrow would react to him, but his hesitation wouldn't stop him from giving it an honest effort. He'd enjoyed their last few conversations - and though it still was ironic to him that she was one of his only siblings left here out of all of them, out of the ones he'd been so much closer to.. well, this was what life had given them. And though they'd once bonded over that fact, they'd grown even more distant lately, a thing that felt as much his fault as hers. Her comment once might've brought a slight chuckle, as he'd always been a fan of cynical humor, this time it didn't seem all that humorous. He merely sighed in response, nodding slightly. "Here, more or less," Lark answered softly, his voice hardly even sounding like his own now; it sounded weak and uncertain, qualities he had always tried to shy away from. He was merely a shadow of what he'd once been - though so weren't they all, right? He wondered if those strong, leader-like qualities were more like personas than actual personality traits. His father hadn't been all that much like a leader when he'd left without a word. Sparrow probably didn't feel like much of one now, either. He grunted in response to her next question. "Safety matters more than happiness now." Once, freedom was the core of Abaven's traits, but was fearing for one's safety and having to watch over their shoulder really true freedom? Or was knowing they had somewhere safe to rest and rear their families equally as valuable? Lark didn't know anymore. "I think you're doing as good as you could be. If I was in your position, I doubt I'd be able to make those choices." Lark frowned, shaking his head as he eyed her. "I'm proud of you, you know. Even if you don't feel the same." The elephant in the room had grown increasingly obvious, even if he didn't fully grasp how everything had come to fruition. Lillie seemed to be at the center of it all, and whatever relationship he had begun to form with Sparrow had all but ceased to exist at the news of Lillie bearing his children. He didn't want to press her on it, either - talking about it seemed pointless now, but that wouldn't stop the slight tinge of sadness from creeping into his voice.