Somewhere to belong

Haydee's pitiful cries wrenche at his ribs as if his heart was going to be pulled from his chest. Lia had not moved until he placed the basket before her and she softly refers to scars. That he easily understood. Yes, it makes sense now, his response had triggered something from her past. He felt uneasy at the feeling of someone being scared of him. If he was going to be chief he would need to feel more comfortable with the idea of people potentially seeing him with some fear. He would rather support the pack and lead with a kind paw, but they needed stability and steadfastness as well. Would he be able to hold these two ideals?

Giving her space seemed to have helped her. If he was going to be the leader he needed to know every one of his packmates and they needed to know him. So they could rely and trust on each other. Know each other well enough to nourish deep bonds of kinship that he hoped to instill.

He watched Lia offer her treatment, eager to lend a paw but knowing he would only get in the way. Let her do the job he brought her in for.

"Speech!"