how to be a leader (and a sister, and a daughter...)

Theory sighed deeply, closing her eyes and letting Motif's voice slide over her. It felt comfortable, like a cushion she could sink into at the end of a long, hard patrol. It felt like home. She had had some difficult decisions to make lately, between the raid and Tempo asking for release from the pack. Life continued to challenge her in unexpected ways. Being an alpha was so much more difficult than she'd bargained more. With each passing day, she began to understand why Shaye had staggered under the weight of it all. Even with Rhyme to help shoulder it, the burden was almost unbearable. She hesitated to place any of the difficulty on Poem and Motif, but she needed reassurance desperately. "That was beautiful, thank you. May the ocean and Ocean continue to make you smile," Theo said, a glint of humor in her eyes. "But, I have to ask your opinion on something. Tempo came to the border... and asked me to release him from the pack," she said. Her voice was a bit strained. Beat's face when he had heard that his brother planned on leaving still haunted her quiet moments. Had she made the right choice? "I granted his wish. He seemed so troubled, like he was convinced this was the only thing that might help him. I'm not sure if I did the right thing." Oh, it was hard to keep her voice from breaking.