the devil is & always willSven was well aware of the possibility that Ravenna would not be pleased with his choice, perhaps even more angry at him than Morganna's children. She was the wolf that he trusted more than any other, and still that trust was not complete. Sometimes, he wondered how they'd gotten so close, if it was all a fluke that would fall through in the next moment, crumble back into the rightful order that had been established when they were children: Ravenna and the others on top, Sven outcasted to the edge of nowhere.
The prospect was not grand enough to shake him, however. Even as she exclaimed and launched herself back to the earth to face him.
What came from her mouth next allowed Sven to feel a surprising amount of support, but there was a clause. He could thoroughly understand Ravenna desiring to have been a part of the situation and subsequent decision; he would likely feel the same if the roles were reversed. However, what else she had to say in the matter made him glad that she hadn't been present, something he would not admit aloud. They would have disagreed then, showing even greater weakness to Morganna's brats and subsequently, anyone they ran their mouths to.
Before he could respond, Adeltra spoke up. He was glad to have her support, that soft spot which had developed since the first day he'd met her and Romanov growing even bigger.
"I'm sorry Ravenna, but it was a situation that called for immediate action. He's an adult, old enough to breed this coming Spring. Old enough to know how to act. A pup knows you don't tackle your alpha. Letting him stay, even with a demotion, would just reinforce the whole Archers can get away with anything thing. Tell him that it was okay to throw me under the herd whenever he had the impulse to. I mean... take my father, for instance."
How punished not just Skoll, but Piety and Sven, had been when given the title of lowest for his crime, and still the man had done even worse the next year before abandoning his children altogether. It didn't work.
be a gentleman.