Eivind wouldn't mind doing the same in regards to Lofgren, but that didn't mean Blue's resentment had to extend to the rest of them as a whole. He didn't know how he was going to convince the rest of the pack, but they'd figure something out. There was no other choice.<br/><br/>“Lofgren will get his one of these days. No one who leads with brute force can remain that way infinitely,” Eivind told him. With Sieger, it was different. People respected him. They didn't fear him, and he had a trusted partner at his side. Together, the pair were strong. With Lofgren, one serious injury could shift things out of his favor, since he kept control with fear and aggression. His allies were few, and he'd seen packs turn in on their alphas. Eivind wouldn't have been surprised if Lofgren descended into madness. Something was off about that one, and in the most unsettling of ways.<br/><br/>As they came inside, Eivind started with his own questions, though they were less prying, but apparently no less exasperation. He worried Blue wasn't taking proper care of himself, but at least he was honest about it.<br/><br/>“A project?” Eivind wondered, though he assumed it had something to do with painting since he could smell it on him. Probably harmless. He pulled out a pan and cut off some pieces of the fresh meat before setting them to cook. He didn't want to bother with cooking anything to go with it that evening with it already being late. Not soon after Blue was bombarding him with another difficult question. Eivind looked up to him, brows drawing together. How was he even supposed to answer that?<br/><br/>“There's a reason for it. I don't see a reason to mistrust that instinct, and I suppose I'm just open to finding out why.” For Eivind, he didn't try to over complicate it. He ran on feeling, and instinct, and it had served him well enough. He didn't think he needed to pick it apart and analyze it. Blue needed that, apparently.<br/><br/>“I do like you, Blue. It's.. more than just my body telling me something. I find your attitude endearing, at least when you're not screaming at me. I like how you get when you paint. I'm sure I would have found you attractive, even if we'd not been connected. I probably wouldn't have known what to do with any of it, but I'm still sure I would have been interested in you. It's still difficult to compare you to the others I've been with in the past. I want to know more. I'm trying to play by your rules, while not going by how I've seen things go. We have time, Blue. The both of us, to make decisions about one another.” Eivind didn't know what more he could say to silence Blue's worries.<br/><br/>Eivind picked up a strip of meat that was still mostly rare, not bothering to cool it before taking a bite. He sucked in a hiss of air, but otherwise didn't seem bothered. He was hungry. The meat was pretty gamy, with it being a bull elk, but he was used to eating the local wildlife and it didn't bother him.<br/><br/>“You really should get some rest and stop worrying over things right now. I'm going to head out before I get too comfortable. Please, eat something. Shout, if you need something. I won't be far.” Eivind told him, grabbing another strip of meat before heading back out the front door. It made no different to him if he slept in the woods, or in his bed. It usually just depended on how close he was to either at the time he actually started to get tired, but he stayed close to the house, close enough that he could be there if Blue needed anything. He didn't have trouble sleeping, especially after his run, not that he usually had a hard time. Even in the house, he'd dozed off around Blue easily enough. He woke to Sieger standing over him, arms folded in front of his chest.<br/><br/>“Get up. We have things to deal with this morning,” Sieger told him, and Eivind pushed himself off the ground. He was still filthy from the day before, still wearing the same jeans, but his first through was with Blue, and not about making himself more presentable.<br/><br/>“Hold on,” Eivind grumbled, starting off towards the house. Sieger snatched him by the shoulder, growling, and Eivind turned to stare back at him.<br/><br/>“Synnove is getting Blue. We've things to discuss with the both of you. She wouldn't let me do it. She's a fondness for him, so you don't need to worry yet,” Sieger explained, and Eivind turned his attention back to the house. He didn't like the way Sieger had tacked on yet, and he sounded as if he'd already halfway made up his mind with this.<br/><br/><br/>–<br/><br/><br/>Synnove had spent the better part of the night talking with Sieger about how to handle the situation. She wouldn't let a decision be made until the morning, and at that point they'd gather some of the pack to discuss their concerns as well. They had a right to be herd, even if Sieger was still wanting to do things his own way. She knocked before letting herself in, then called for Blue up the staircase. She went up to the bedroom next, finding Eivind not present.<br/><br/>“I'm sorry for the early morning. We're going to need to talk things over with you, though. We can't just have things hanging anymore,” she told him, a little solemnly. She would have preferred to let things occur naturally, but Blue wasn't one of them, and she wasn't sure if Eivind could be trusted to deal with things on his own. That he wasn't even in the home didn't speak well for their progress.<br/><br/>“Dress quickly. I don't want to keep Sieger waiting,” she told him. Anything further to irritate her mate wouldn't bode well for Blue. He already wasn't in favor of keeping Blue around. “Eivind will be there,” she added, hoping that would put Blue's mind at ease that they weren't walking him to his death.<br/><br/>“I decided it best we discuss this in my home, with only certain opinions being taken into consideration. Not everyone needs to be involved in this,” Synnove explained, thinking it would be better that way. She wasn't sure what Eivind would do if he felt the pack was closing in on them, and so the fewer the better. She walked Blue over to her house, and let him inside. Most of the others were sitting around a large dining table. They were prone to providing big, community meals, and so the table easily sat twenty people. Eivind was standing beside Sieger, and his gaze snapped to Blue when they both entered. He looked decidedly uncomfortable. Alaric was there, along with Freyr, and a handful of others Blue hadn't met before. Most were older, around Eivind's age, male and female both. Their wisdom would be taken into consideration.<br/><br/>“You can sit, Blue,” Synnove told him, giving his shoulder a squeeze before walking over to Sieger and whispering something quiet to him. Her mate let out an annoyed little huff and her pleasant expression turned sharp.<br/><br/>“Blue, what do you expect to happen from this?” Synnove questioned, sitting down at the table. “Where do you see yourself with us? Your old life? Where do you see yourself with Eivind?”<br/><br/>Eivind shifted uncomfortably, like he didn't want Blue to answer any of that just yet.<br/><br/>“I've told you some of our concerns, and not everyone feels like it would be worth it to us to trust you.” Synnove went on, and she heard Eivind edge a little closer to Blue. He was rigid head to toe, ready to act if need be.<br/><br/>“Not everyone thinks Eivind can keep him in his place,” Freyr put in, thinking Blue less consequential.<br/><br/>“You're the bitch who needs to be put in his place,” Eivind growled, changing focus and finding a target. Synnove put her hand up to silence him and Sieger got between the two males. Alaric was laughing.