The Alpha Trials - skydarius11 (2025)

Chapter 1: Challenge Accepted

Chapter Text

“Was it this way? Or maybe it was the other way?” were the second-guessing thoughts that plagued a young girl’s mind as she walked through the semi-known, wooded area.

“Ugh, why didn’t I pay attention when they first brought me here? Or even after prawn? Then again everything looks the same at night and there was a lot going on." the white-haired girl reasoned as she stepped over a large tree root.

The forest itself was absolutely stunning; the sunlight pouring through the porous canopy creating an ethereal feel to it. But right now it felt like a dauntless maze. Her white shoes were getting caked with dark soil as she continued to walk. “It couldn’t have been this far away…” she thought before walking onto a lush meadow with little clusters of trees surrounding it. “Yep, definitely wasn’t this way. Great…just great. I’m lost. This isn’t good. What am I supposed to do now? Howl?” As absurd as that thought was, it seemed to be her best option at this point. She scratched at her throat before taking a deep breath and tilting her head up.

“AAAAARRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOO!” she howled to the sky. She kept it up for a few seconds before she ran out of breath.

“How do wolves do it?” she thought as she reached into her backpack and took out her water bottle. “Good thing I had enough sense to pack some things before I left.” she praised herself and took some hearty gulps.

A few minutes go by as she waits for something, anything, to happen. But there was nothing. Not even a chirp from a passing bird – just the wind rustling the branches and blades of grass. She threw her arms up in the air in frustration and sarcastically thought, “Well, that helped.”

“**sigh** Guess I’d better head home." she sighed in defeat. She touched the moonstone around her neck; the dull rock still reflecting the brilliant rays of sunshine. “Too bad this can’t act like a phone.” she laments, then off her backpack to search for her real phone in the myriad of pockets. “Where did I put it?” But her search is interrupted when she hears some rustling in the woods.

And it was close.

She looks around, but doesn’t see anything. Slowly she lays her backpack down, and clenches her fists. “Howling in an open field to attract who knows what out there. Great job Addison.” she chastised herself as the rustling gets closer. She couldn’t help the small, nervous **gulp** going down her throat, but still remained vigilant. Now whatever it was sounded like it was coming from every direction. She stands up and scans the area – her heart rate increasing with every sound.

“Grrrrr!” she growls, then catches herself. “Why am I growling?! What’s that supposed to do?!” But that momentary pause was all the stalking creature needed.

“GRRAAAH!”

Addison whipped her head around too late, and she was tackled to the ground.

“UUFFF!” she grunted as the wind was knocked out of her. Thankfully the attacker made her land on her back – leaving her arms still free. Despite the stinging sensation coursing through her whole body, she furiously swung her arms before an “OW!” was heard.

“H-Huh?!” she stuttered. When she opened her eyes, she couldn’t believe the familiar figure with her hand to her right cheek was right in front of her!

“**hiss** Glad to know you’re not totally defenseless out here, white hair.” Willa tried to grin, but it was more of a pained grimace as she massaged her cheek.

“W-Willa?! What’re you doing here!?”

“Number one, I live here. And number two, you howled for someone didn’t you? Though you said, “Purple cats hug pine cones.” she smirked.

“You heard me?”

“Yep. You’re lucky I was in the area. I was looking for new trees to tie some handkerchiefs around to so the pups to practice their tracking skills. It’s almost like what you humans call an Easter egg hunt.” she explained.

“That’s cool, but why did you tackle me?” she asked.

The alpha shrugged her shoulders, and replied, “I needed practice.” though Addison could tell she just wanted to mess with her. “Are you okay though?” she sincerely asked, and held out her hand.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Thank you.” She grabbed the offered hand, and Willa helped her stand up. “Way to almost give me a heart attack though.”

“I couldn’t resist. Wolves like to tease too.” she grinned. “But let me take you to the den, it’s not safe being in the open like this. As you already guessed, you become an easy target.”

“That’s actually where I was headed before I got lost.” she replied and slung her backpack back on.

As she led her away from the field, she asked, “Why?”

“To check up on you guys after that big earthquake. It did a lot of damage to our already messed up town.”

“That’s an understatement.” she scoffed, and Addison could only sadly hum at that; one dance couldn’t even begin to erase centuries worth of pain. “But why are you coming now? That earthquake happened a few days ago.”

“I’ve been on lock-down so to speak. I guess the thought of me being buried alive under rubble freaked my parents out. A lot actually.” she explained, surprising even herself. She didn’t really grasp how much they were worried about her at the time.

“You guess? Normally that’d freak out any parent.” she pointed out.

“My relationship with my parents isn’t exactly…normal. …Talk about a household being a living contradiction of what it tries to present.” she mumbled. The alpha heard her but decided not to press into it. “Anyway they finally let me go out, and the first thing I did was come here.”

Willa was quiet for a while as they walked. “…It wasn’t necessary.” she muttered, but followed up with a heartfelt, “But…thank you.”

“Of course! You guys are my friends.” she smiled, and the wolf fondly hummed at that.

It didn’t take them long to reach the outskirts of the den. “…Wow. I was waaay off.” she commented.

“You sure were, but don’t worry. We’ll make sure you can get back here, even with your eyes closed.” she assured.

“Really?” She didn’t mean the doubt to slip through her voice, but she had to be sure.

“Of course, you’re an honorary member of the pack.” she stated, and pointed to the great alpha's necklace tied securely around her neck.

“Heh, that’s a thing?” she chuckled.

“Of course it is, we just haven’t given it out to anyone in a very long time. Consider yourself fortunate.”

“I do. And thank you.” she smiled.

When they entered the tunnel leading to the main area of the den, Willa shouted, “Wolves! Guess what I caught!”

“Caught?” Addison thought before they walked into the sunlit den - its rays casting little prism rainbows off of the moonstone. Needless to say the wolves that were present were surprised to see her, though one was extremely thrilled.

“Addison!” Wyatt shouted, and ran over to give her a big ol’ hug - almost tackling her to the ground just like his sister did.

“Nice to see you too Wyatt.” she laughed before they separated. Though she wasn’t upright for long. Wynter glomped onto her from the side and sent her crashing to the floor. Thankfully it wasn’t as rough as what Willa did…but not by much.

“Uggggh…” she groaned, while the rest of the werewolves chuckled amongst themselves.

“Welcome back Addison! And I mean that this time!” Wynter beamed, and the white-haired girl couldn’t help giggling as well.

“Hello to you to Wynter. This whole…pouncing thing…is a werewolf thing isn’t it?” she asked.

“Maybe.” Willa smirked.

“And I’m never one to turn down a puppy pile.” Wynter added before getting off of her and helping her up. “What’re you doing here anyway? Not that it’s a bad thing! Just…y’know. Curious.”

“We don’t get a whole lot of visitors. Well...any visitors for that matter.” Wyatt explained.

“I came by to make sure all of you were okay after that big earthquake. But…where’s everyone else?” she asked when she noticed that there were only like ten werewolves.

“The pups are asleep, and most of the pack left to retrieve our elders from the hospice area. Now that we have our moonstone back, they can finally be healed.” Willa explained.

“Really?! That’s awesome!” she beamed.

“It sure is.” Wyatt smiled.

“And we’re all good here – just a few dislodged stones, but nothing that we couldn’t fix.” one of the werewolves spoke.

“Thanks for checking on up on us though, that’s really sweet of you.” another one added.

“Of course, I care about you guys.” she replied, and got a few grateful **YIP YIP** out of them. “…Though I did get lost on the way up here. Thankfully Willa heard me howl and found me in her own…unique way.”

“What do you mean by that?” Wyatt asked, and she told them what happened.

The rest of the pack held in their snickers out of respect for their alpha, but Wyatt was laughing like he was a were-hyena. “Way to go Addison!” he laughed, ignoring his sister’s growls.

“Yeah, yeah whatever.” she dismissed with a wave of her hand. “Point is we’re all good.”

“That’s good. I’d hate for any of this to be damaged.” she commented while walking around the den – admiring all of the runes and paintings. “Our school didn’t fare as well; it’s going to be closed for a few weeks. Maybe you can give them a few pointers on how to make it more structurally sound.” she remarked, making them grin and proudly preen their vests.

The werewolves watched her as she studied the walls. Her breath was taken away the first time she saw the artwork, but now that she actually had a chance to really look at them, they felt…alive. “Hey guys? What do these paintings mean anyway?” she asked.

“Uhh…” Wynter uttered, and the rest of wolves looked at each other.

“What’s wrong?”

“Addison…please don’t take this the wrong way, but we can’t tell you.” Wyatt regretfully answered.

“Huh? Why not? …Are they werewolf secrets?”

“They are.” Willa answered. “And we can never reveal those secrets unless you are a werewolf, became a werewolf.” Addison clutched the stone on her neck as a pang of disappointment coursed through her body. “Or became a part of our pack.” she finished.

“Huh? I thought I already was.” she countered.

“You’re an honorary member, that’s the difference. You’re allowed to hang out with us and be in our territory, but that’s about it.” she explained.

“Well, how would I become a part of the pack?” she asked.

“Addison...” Wyatt tried to cut in, but Willa held her hand up to stop him.

“Hold on Wyatt. This is one thing that we can tell her.” she grinned – very much intrigued by her boldness and inquisitive nature. “In order to be a part of this pack, you must pass the Alpha Trials – three challenges set by our ancestors. The Respect Trial. The Hunting Trial. And the Combat Trial. If you pass those, then you become a member of our pack for life.” she explained. Suddenly her irises become golden yellow, and she stares right into Addison’s. “So…what do you say white hair?” she challenges.

“Willa, c’mon-” but before Wyatt could even get a word in, Addison matches her stare and says, “I accept the challenge.”

The rest of the pack stare at her wide eyed. It’s so quiet you could hear an earthworm tunnel underground. They’ve never seen any wolf try to do the Alpha Trials, let alone a human. And she didn't miss a beat.

“Are you sure? We wolves are all or nothing. There’s still time to back out.”

“I’m sure.” she confirms, and there was no waver in her voice.

“Very well.” she acknowledges, and walks to the center of the den. “Wolves! We have one that wishes to take on the Alpha Trials!” she announces before replacing the static air with a powerful “AWWWWROOOOOOO!” The rest of the pack follow suit with their own howls - their necklaces glowing with a lustrous blue light.

Addison grabs her own, and takes a deep breath to steady her racing mind. Sure this may have been impulsive on her part, but she wasn’t about to turn down a chance to belong to a loving community like this one. Not to mention, she felt something stirring in her soul as the howls echoed off the walls. She glanced over at the moonstone. It was glowing as well, but with a purple light. Call her crazy, but it felt like it was calling her…bringing something out. Well whatever power it could give, she would gladly receive it in order to succeed.

Chapter 2: In Over My Head

Chapter Text

“Take a look at this Addison!” Wyatt beckoned as he pointed to something on the forest floor.

Considering that she was a complete green horn when it came to hunting, Willa made Wyatt take her around their territory to show her some pointers before her trial. Or, more accurately, he outright volunteered to tutor her.

His student looked down and saw more than a dozen cloven hoof prints. “Whoooa, a herd must’ve passed through here!” she commented. “Do you know what kind of ungulate made these?”

“Hey, nice observation about the animal type.” he complimented before sniffing the ground. “White-tailed deer. They’re pretty common around this area, and this was only small family. Five or six at most. They just passed by here not too long ago.”

“Are you only able to tell how fresh the tracks are by smell? Because that miiiight be an issue for me.” she confided. It was no secret that she lacked many natural advantages that the werewolves possessed. Though she did mildly impress Willa by determining the cardinal directions without using her phone before they left.

“It’s the most effective way, but you can also tell by how flat the grass is. See how squished the blades are?” he asked, and she nods. “If some of them were standing up, then that means it’s been a couple hours since your target came this way.”

“What if they walked on dirt?” she asked.

“An excellent question, my fine student!” making her chuckle. “Let’s follow these, and see where they lead.” and they continue the lesson.

It was a good thing she ate the lunch she packed and brought her water bottle before they left on this training excursion; she soon realized that any hunting trip could be a multi-day journey. But she was still going strong even after a few hours.

She was also beginning to see how they’ve managed to stay hidden all this time. Following the errant tracks of different animals into secluded areas would make them hard to find, let alone see.

Soon they come upon a dirt part of the path. “Here we go. You can also tell how heavy your prey is by the indentation. The deeper the mark, they heavier the prey. The fact that there are even tracks in dry dirt is a good sign they’re fresh. Can you guess why?” he asked.

She thought for a few moments and replied, “Because they would’ve been swept away or covered up by other animals or the wind.”

“That’s right!” he smiled before instinctively reaching his hand out to ruffle her hair. Though he stopped when she looked at him strangely.

“Are…are you petting me?” she asked.

He immediately retracted his hand and sputtered, “I-I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean-”

“Wyatt.” she spoke, silencing his rambling apology. “It’s okay. I…I actually liked it.” she confessed as a tinge of pink dusted her cheeks.

“Y-You did?” and he could feel heat rise to his face too.

“Yeah, it felt good! No one has ever done that to me before, not that I can recall anyway. I just didn’t think that you guys liked being petted. I thought it’d be an insult or something.”

“Why would you think that?” he asked.

“Um…I just thought it…I didn’t want to...” she tried to convey but couldn’t find the right words to articulate her thoughts.

Thankfully Wyatt managed to put the pieces together. “You thought you’d be treating us like dogs.” he figured out.

“…Yeah.” she cringed.

He just smiled and replied, “Well, dogs are descendants of wolves. So if anything, you’re treating them how you would treat us.” She absorbed his answer and smiled at him, grateful for his understanding. “Ready to finish the lesson?” and they continued walking along the trail.

Before long a small pond came into view. It teemed with aquatic life that remained hidden just below the surface, adding to the wonder of it.

“Coool!” Addison awed and Wyatt chuckled at her amazement. It reminded him of his first time exploring their territory – his curiosity fully sated with every new sight and smell. He was beyond thrilled that he was able to share in this extraordinary experience with her.

“Seems our deer family was thirsty. This is another good hunting tip – stay by a body of water or a river. All animals get thirsty and have to drink water at some point.”

“That makes sense.” she agreed as she absentmindedly shook her green fighting shrimp water bottle.

“The downside is that it can be a loooong wait, but you don’t use up a lot energy.”

“So it’s either get the food yourself or let the food come to you.” she surmised.

“You got it.” he replied, but his ears twitched and he suddenly went still.

“What’s wrong?” Addison whispered when she noticed his abrupt stance change.

He didn’t verbally reply but motioned for her to get low and keep quiet. He sniffed the air a couple of times and grinned. “Looks like lunch is being delivered.” and he licked his fangs. “Stay here, stay silent and don’t move.” he whispered as his eyes turned yellow.

She nodded, and laid down until she was almost prone to the floor. She watched the werewolf slowly walk towards whatever he sensed on all fours, keeping his breathing low and meticulously avoiding dried branches and puddles.

She could feel her heart racing with every step he took. Then he started to speed up to a brisk trot and soon she lost sight of him in the trees. Her curious mind wanted to stand up and see what was happening, but the last thing she wanted to do was interfere with his hunt.

“GRRRAARRR!”

Guess she didn’t need to see after all. She could hear frantic running up ahead as well as his barks and growls. But as quickly as it started, it was over.

Stillness pervaded the air – only the small, random splashes of the pond inhabitants could be heard.

“AAARRRRRRROOOOOO!”

She nearly leapt to her feet when his howl smashed through stillness; it even made some hidden birds scatter and fly away. Even though she had no idea what he said, her gut told her that it was okay to come out of hiding. She carefully stood up, being mindful of anything that could give away her position before ducking behind a tree.

She looked down at her light blue coordinated outfit and frowned at the state they were in. “…Really wish I’d worn darker colors.” she thought, taking note of the deep grass and dirt stains – most of them caused by a pair of pouncing werewolves. Oh well, that’s what washing machines were for.

She peered around the natural wooden pillar and scanned the area, trying to see his familiar figure. A gulp went down her throat when a few minutes passed by.

“Wyatt…where are you?” she whispered to herself. Thankfully her question was answered quickly when she saw him walking back towards her.

“WY-” she was about to shout his name, but remembered that she was supposed to keep quiet.

Wyatt noticed that and internally noted, “She heeds commands to the T. That’s crucial in a pack.” “Hey! It’s alright Addison, you can talk now!” he waved at her and she sighed in relief. “Besides…I kinda did something I wasn’t supposed to do.” he confessed.

“And that was?” she asked as she emerged from her hiding spot. She noticed the state of his clothes. “If I came home like that…I don’t even want to imagine how bad my parents would freak out. Or what they'd do.” she thought when she saw all the smeared blood on him; he was still licking some of it off his lips.

He sheepishly scratched the back of his head with his blood-covered fingers and explained, “I shouldn’t have howled like that. That was a pup mistake. If you howl after you catch your target, it’ll alert any other predators nearby and they’ll try to steal your kill. That’s why I took so long; I had to eat pretty fast.”

“Would you like some water?” and she offers her bottle.

He glanced at the pond next to them and saw a pair of frog eyes before they disappeared. “Yes please.” he graciously accepted. Normally he didn’t mind if an extra snack inadvertently swam down his throat while he drank, but he wasn’t in the mood right now. Not to mention he wasn’t about to pass up Addison’s generosity.

She flipped the spout open and poured it into his mouth – waterfall style. After a few gulps he was satisfied. “Thank you very much.”

“You’re welcome. What did you catch anyway?” she asked when she saw he was holding something behind his back.

“This!” he proudly declared and held up the red-stained, half eaten body of a large brown hare. The catch itself was now nothing more than a hollow cavity of bones and muscles. “It’ll make a nice clothing accessory don’t you think?”

Addison couldn’t hide her surprised, wide-eyed gaze, but at the same time she wasn’t disgusted by it. If anything she was completely amazed and fascinated by his speed and ferocity. “You heard that hare all the way over there?!” she incredulously asked.

“Yep, sure did!” he beamed.

“I don’t believe it…wow. Wow! That’s just…GOSH! The way you took off like that, you were like ZING! And then that howl! I know you said you’re not supposed to do it, but I felt something stir inside of me that made me want to join in too! And-”

Wyatt just chuckled as she continued to gush over and praise his hunting prowess, every sweet word filling his heart with pride. Even though he knew it was a natural thing that wolves do, he knew for a fact that had it been anyone else that saw him, they’d degrade that skill and treat him like a filthy beast.

“Okay I need to stop rambling now. Point is, you’re so cool Wyatt!” she finally finished.

“Thank you Addison. That means a lot to me.” he adoringly smiled. “Mind telling my sister that the next time you see here?” he joked, but all joviality disappeared when he saw her enthusiasm dim. “Hey…what’s the matter?”

“…Wyatt? Do you think I’m in over my head with this? How am I supposed to catch anything the way you do?” she asked.

“Hey, it’s alright. You just do the best you can and catch what you’re capable of.” he replied.

She sighed dejectedly. “…Doesn’t seem like I’m capable of catching a whole lot. If anything for that matter. I am human.”

“And? That hasn’t stopped you from doing amazing things nor these trials despite all the odds against you. Are you going to give up now?” he challenged as he crossed his arms; dangling the carcass in front of him.

He was right. What would’ve happened if she didn’t go to the wolves when they were at the old Seabrook power building despite all the life threatening risks? She didn’t question what felt right to her then, why should she start now?

“No way!” she refuted.

“That’s the Addison I know!” he smiled, glad to see that fire reigniting inside of her. “Just remember, you’re the first human to even attempt the alpha trials. That’s an incredible feat in and of itself. And I know without a shadow of a doubt that you’re going to be the first human to pass them.” She smiled at that. “Though if it were up to me, helping retrieve our moonstone would’ve been more than enough to make you part of the pack…but…”

“I know, I’m not a werewolf. Not yet anyway.” she winked and that made him grin.

“C’mon, let’s get back to the den so you can grab your bag and I’ll take you home.”

“Okay.” and they started to make their way back.

“Y’know, we wolves aren’t picky eaters. So long as it’s meat, we're good.” he explained while taking another bite out of his kill.

“Any kind of meat huh?”

“Yep. It could be anything from elk, to fish, to even lizards.”

“You guys eat lizards?!” she asked disbelievingly.

“Sure. Or any reptile for that matter. Give me a gray rat snake and I’ll be happy." he affirmed.

“Heh heh…yeah. We’ll see.” she nervously replied. She didn’t mind reptiles, she just didn’t want to mess up and grab a venomous one by accident. “Guess I’d better get a fishing rod.” she thought.

After a while they reached the den. But when they walked inside there was no one around. “Where is everyone? Are they sleeping?”

He chuckled and replied, “No. You can hear a den of sleeping werewolves, trust me on that. We’re quiet hunters, but not quiet sleepers.”

“…Oh! That’s why the pups didn’t wake up when you guys were howling earlier.” she realized.

“I think the pups just turn into rocks when they sleep.” he remarked, and that made her giggle. “Anyway, they should be finishing up hunting for dinner right about now, and Willa’s watching over the pups while they play.”

“Gotcha.”

“Wait here and make yourself comfortable. I’ll be back in three wags of a wolf’s tail.”

“Okay.” she chuckled as she watched him go down the corridor. Soon her sight was back on the paintings and various runes. She touched one of the walls that had an image of a group of howling werewolves on it.

“…Soon.” she whispered.

She was so enraptured by the images that she didn’t hear footsteps creeping up behind her, as well as silent snickering.

“GRAH!”

“AAH!”

“OOW!”

“What’d I hit now?!” Addison thought before looking around until her eyes landed on Wyatt.

“W-Wyatt?!” she exclaimed when she saw him knocked on his butt.

“Oooww…oooo…that’s a mean right hook you got there.” he complimented as he massaged his cheek.

“Oh my god, are you alright?!” she asked, and knelt down next to him.

“Yeah…I’m fine.” he assured as he moved his jaw a bit to make sure it wasn’t broken. “In hindsight that probably wasn’t the best idea. I’m sorry I startled you.”

“It’s okay, but jeez! You’re just like your sister.” and she helped him stand up.

“Heh…yeah. Definitely can’t make fun of her getting decked anymore. Mostly. Can you do me a favor and keep this between us? Pleeease?” and he put on his best puppy wolf pout. The effect was instant on her heart.

“And here I thought that was just a cartoon dog thing. Well…dogs are descended from wolves.” she thought before the power of the pout made her cave in. “You got it.” she promised.

“Oh thank you.” he sighed in relief. “But I gotta say, you’re pretty fearless. Almost all the humans we’ve encountered ran away when they heard us growl.”

“You forget that I ran away too when you first came to the school…though I think I was just swept up in the chaos.”

“You were, and you didn’t run very far anyway. Not to mention you still talked to us. Plus, don’t you remember that you didn’t run away when you saw Willa howl?” he countered with a smug grin.

“I remember.” she lightly laughed; after all she accidentally decked Zed the same way. “Seems like I have a bad habit of hit first, ask questions later. Which isn’t a bad thing, but it isn’t typical like he said. When did I get so defensive?” she thought before a lock of her white hair moved over her shoulder. She noticed it and lightly ran two of her fingers through it.

“…Right, that’s why.” she realized.

When she wore her wig, there was always that threat of being exposed and it scared her to no end. No wonder she developed such a harsh retaliation whenever someone unexpectedly touched her. She was actually surprised that made friends with that kind of tendency.

She was so lost in her despondent thoughts that she didn’t hear Wyatt calling her name until he finally yelled, “ADDISON!”

“Hu-Huh?! What? What is it!?” as she frantically looked around.

“Whoa whoa hey. It’s just me.” he assured before gently putting his clean hands on her shoulders. He felt her tense up a bit before relaxing. “Are you okay?” he asked, his voice obviously laced with worry.

“Yeah! Yeah…I’m fine. **sigh**…sorry about that. Just…lost in thought I guess.” she explained.

He stared at her for a moment; it was clear that something was weighing on her mind and he had a hunch it had something to with her hair, given that she was fiddling with it before she shut down. But he decided not poke at it – the last thing he wanted her to do was close herself off completely. For now the best thing to do would be to get her back in the familiar surroundings of her home.

“It’s alright.” he assured. Taking a risk he decided to ruffle her hair again – but she didn’t tense up. Instead she slightly leaned into it. He smiled at that and thought, “She might not be a werewolf, but she certainly has the soul of one.”

After a few seconds he stopped his caresses, much to her disappointment; he could’ve even swore he heard her whine a little. He walked over to the corridor entrance and grabbed her bag where he set it down at. “Shall we?”

“We shall.” she replied as she took her bag and followed him out. Along the way he shows her various landmarks so she could find her way back to the den.

“And that’s the main way to our den” he finished as they came up on the dilapidated gate that separated the forest from Seabrook.

“There’s more than one?” she asked.

“Yep, but I can’t tell you because…y’know.”

“Got it.” she remarks as she swipes through all the pictures she took of the landmarks. “I promise I won’t show anyone these.” and he nods at that.

“Remember, when you get to claw rock you’re halfway there.”

“Claw rock…” and she finds the picture of a boulder that looked like it was a testing site for a massive battle ax. “And then you make a left?”

“Correct.” but then she started chuckling. “What’s so funny?”

“N-nothing. I just thought we’d have that whole confusion of word definitions when it came to right.” she explained.

“…Huh?”

“Y’know. If you had said right, I would’ve taken it as I was supposed to go right at claw rock, but you actually meant I was right.” she clarified but he was still confused.

“…Never mind, it had to happen to make sense. Anyway thank you for showing me the way.”

“Of course. See you around Addison.” he smiled.

“See ya Wyatt.” she smiled back and gave him a hug.

He was taken aback for a brief second before reciprocating it in kind. However something caught his attention that made his eyes widen. “Wha?”

But before he had a chance to confirm his suspicion, she got out of his hold and started jogging back home. “BYE!” she shouted while waving to him.

He meekly waved back and watched her disappear into the trees surrounding the town. “…No way…there’s no way. The necklace didn’t work. And yet…” but his confounded thoughts were interrupted when he heard a howl from the pack, telling him they’ve returned with dinner.

He howled back, letting them know he was on his way home. “…Maybe my nose was reacting to my wishful thinking.” he whispered to himself before getting on all fours and sprinting off.

Chapter 3: Expression of Gratitude

Chapter Text

"Wow…what an adventure!" Addison grinned to herself.

She laid on top of the couch, staring at their manicured version of the wilderness through large paned windows. The soft rumble of the washing machine could be heard as it eradicated the numerous stains on her clothes, just as she herself had removed all of the excess dirt with a nice warm shower earlier.

"I still can't believe I'm doing this. I can't believe Willa is actually letting me do this. I mean…what do I have to offer? What if…what if this is all some kind of joke to them?"

Despite the pep talk she had with Wyatt, those doubting thoughts crept back into her mind like a multitude of buzzing gnats. She shifted her gaze from the window to the ceiling, watching the fan spin around. She sighed as the inner swarm whirled around in her head – infesting her with their presence.

However a slight shade change outside caused her to look out to the backyard again. She saw a few multicolored leaves fluttering by along the invisible current, reminding her of her excursion underneath sun filtered canopy – feeling completely at ease with her surroundings.

"No, that's not it. Willa did says wolves like to tease but they wouldn't do something like that – we're friends. And she wouldn't have Wyatt train me nor would he be so serious about it if it was a prank."

Just like that she pounded those annoying gnats to dust with a mental right hook.

"Still…I don't want them thinking that I only wanted to do this just so I can learn some secrets. It's more than that. I mean other than Willa, Wyatt and Wynter I don't know anyone else's name, their culture or what they're like as individuals. **sigh** I wish I knew how to convey that I don't take this lightly and that I really appreciate the opportunity. And something tells me that words won't cut it."

**PING PING PANG**

A familiar chime from her phone interrupted her thoughts. "Ugh…what is it?" she thought as she reached for it on the coffee table and entered her code to unlock it. Sure enough it was who she thought it was – it was her assigned ringtone after all.

"Long meeting tonight. Your father and I won't be home until late. Here's our number if you want to order in. Get whatever you'd like." and right below it was her mom's credit card info. Then another **PING** came through. "Please delete the last message when you're done."

She read and re-read the messages again to make sure her literacy skills didn't suddenly diminish. "…That's new." she thought. It was no secret that her parents worked long hours – being the mayor and the head of the Z-patrol will do that. But what was really surprising was that they actually sent a message and made sure that she ate. Not to say she was neglected, but she had to learn how to be independent at a young age. "No chicken noodle soup tonight." she thought as a small grin appeared on her lips. She liked the canned commodity well enough, but just the fact that they showed an ounce of caring about her well-being caused it to appear.

"Wait…that's it! Food! I can bring the pack something to eat! Or at least a little something extra. …But what?"

While her parents did say she could order whatever she wanted, she was absolutely certain they would NOT appreciate a massive food bill for possibly over twenty wolves. And besides, what could they eat other than raw meat? Sure they ate pizza and frozen yogurt at Prawn, but that was about the extent of human food that she knew of. Not to mention just buying something seemed…mundane. She wanted this declaration to be special.

All of a sudden an excited gasp came out of her lips and she did a quick search on her phone. "Okay…so long as it doesn't have those ingredients it's safe for them to eat. It'll be perfect! Now I just have to find the recipe."

She got up from the couch and rushed into the kitchen. She went through the cabinet that had all the cook books that they rarely used. "C'mon…where is it? It has to be in he-FOUND IT!" she happily exclaimed when she located a weathered card. It was stained with various sauces, spices, and whatever else they were using to cook at the time, but the words were still legible. "When was the last time we used this recipe?" she wondered. Not long after she spoke those words a stray, almost forgotten memory entered her mind.

A delicious aroma wafted through the entire house as Missy rolled out a large sheet of white dough while a very young Addison watched her every move from one of the bar chairs. Her mother was caked in flour; if she had any on top of her head she'd match her daughter's unique hair color for sure. Addison let out a little giggle.

"What's so funny Addison?" Missy grinned back.

"You look like you lost a snowball fight." she replied.

Missy looked at her clothes and remarked, "Huh…so I do."

"What're you making anyway?" the young girl asked.

"Sugar cookies." she answered as she sprinkled some powdered sugar on top of the dough.

"Sugar cookies?! Sweet!" and Missy chuckled at the unintended pun. "Are they for our dessert?"

"A few of them can be, but these are for my constituents. The people that helped me with my campaign for mayor."

"Really? That's a lot of people. Wouldn't it have been easier just to buy some?" she asked.

"It would have. But remember that lemon cake I brought home that one day?"

"Yea! That was sure good!" She licked her lips remembering that ultimate taste explosion.

"Mrs. Ferguson made that for me as a thank you gift for helping her with a fundraiser. When I told her how much we loved it, she was so pleased. That's when she told me that anything that comes from the heart will shine through and be appreciated, no matter what it is. So that's why I'm making these cookies; I want my appreciation for my team to shine through. Plus this recipe got five stars on Food Network." making her daughter laugh. "Would you like to help me cut them out?"

"Okay!" she enthusiastically replied before hopping out of her seat and grabbing one of the circular cookie cutters.

Addison smiled at one of the bright spots of her childhood. They made over five dozen cookies that day and they were a hit. It was the perfect launching point for her mother's landslide victory into becoming the mayor of Seabrook. But then her lips dipped into a small frown. "…Why'd it have to go downhill from there?" she quietly contemplated, but shook it off. "No, this is about the pack. To let my heart shine with appreciation for them." she resolutely stated and got to work locating all the ingredients. Thankfully they were fully stocked on everything.

She called up her favorite sandwich place and ordered herself a large roast beef hoagie. She shot a quick text to her parent to see if they wanted anything from there, but got a in return. She deleted the text that contained the credit card info before she forgot.

"Alright then, let's get started!" Much like her mother all those years ago, she looked like she lost a snowball fight. But at least there was plenty of dough.

**DING DONG** "Must be dinner." she thought before washing her hands.

The delivery zombie chuckled a bit at the state she was in when she answered the door. "Here you are ma'am." and he handed her the bag.

"Thank you." she smiled.

"If you don't mind me asking, what're you making?"

"Sugar cookies!" she answered.

"Sweeeet." and she did a double take before giggling at the unintentional pun. "Well you have a good night ma'am" and he tipped his baseball cap.

"You too, thank you!" and gently closed the door. She ate her dinner while she waited for the oven to preheat. "That hit the spot. Okay…now where are those cookie cutters?" she thought as she looked through the drawers. "Huh, that's weird. I know we haven't made home-made cookies in forever, but they should've been in one of these drawers. Hmmm…maybe in the closet?"

She goes to the storage closet where everything is neatly labeled and organized. "Let's see…cookie cutters…cookie cut-huh? What's in here?" she thought as she pulled out a smaller, wooden box. "Hey! Cookie cutters!" Needless to say she was astonished – she didn't think her parents were into making animal shaped cookies. Though they were well kept, they were definitely older compared to the plastic ones found in stores nowadays.

But a discovery within the wooden box made her smile split her face. "A howling wolf! Perfect!" she exclaimed. She took it out and put everything else back where she found it. There wasn't any grime on the relic tool, but it got a thorough washing anyway. She coated the edges with powdered sugar so it wouldn't stick to the dough, and soon she was making wolf cookies like a machine. Before long the first two batches were in the oven. The cutting, cooking and cooling process continued until the last crumb of dough was used. In between each batch she cleaned the kitchen a little at a time so she wouldn't have a massive mess to deal with at the end.

"There we go. Good cook, clean kitchen!" she praised herself, and patted herself on the back. But the gratifying action caused a little flour cloud to arise and go into her nose. "AH-AH-ACHOO! **sniff**I'd better make myself a clean cook too. But first things first." She washed her hands, grabbed one of the cooled cookies and took a generous bite.

"MMMMMM!" Her tongue savored every sweet, delicious morsel. "Yep! Heart shining through!" she beamed as she finished off the rest of the cookie. "I'd better stop before I eat half of these." she thought and went upstairs to her room to take a shower.

After a couple minutes she came back down wearing a darker colored attire and her hair done up in the loose werewolf style. She looked at the clock. "Not too late, it's only eight. I'll be in and out before they know it." she decided before sending her parents a text saying she was going to her friends' house. Thankfully they didn't ask which one, though there were only two options: Bree or Zed. She was just glad that they trusted him enough to allow her to go over to his house. "Soon it'll be three options." she thought before grabbing a few empty Danish butter cookie tins, her father's guilty pleasure, and started packing up the wolf cookies. Soon there were only three left after all four tins were filled to the brim.

"…I think I over did it. Oh well, at least they'll have some leftovers." she thought. She eyed the remaining cookies and ate one of them. "Alright, I really need to stop. Guess I'll pack these up for tomorrow." but another thought shot into her mind like an arrow. "Well…it couldn't hurt." and she grabbed two small flower patterned saucers and put the cookies on them. Then she got a couple of mugs and set them down as well. She took out a pen and a piece of paper from her backpack on the floor and wrote, "Enjoy! Love Addison." in the fanciest writing she could muster. "Never thought I'd do something like this. Well, time to get a move on."

She went back upstairs to empty her cheer duffle bag in order to pack the tins. "Keys, cookies, jacket-" and she felt the material – not too heavy and not too light – "and phone. Now I'm set." Slinging the bag across her body, she leaves the house and locks the front door. "Time to test my memory and sense of direction." With her resolve set, she headed towards the forest.

Two hours later…

The sound of a jiggling handle disrupts the silence of the empty house. Walking in are two utterly weary adults whose joints crack with every step.

"I'm going to seriously consider replacing all the chairs with exercise balls. I don't care who you are, no one is meant to sit for that long." Missy moaned as she set her purse down on the living room coffee table and stretched her cramped arms up.

"I agree, but we'll have to at least lay down for a little while to finish this proposal." Dale reminded her as he loosened his tie.

"...Don't remind me." she irritably uttered.

"Regular coffee then?" he asked.

"Please and thank you."

"You got it." and he walked towards the kitchen.

Before Missy could walk upstairs to their bedroom Dale yelled, "Missy! Come here!"

"You don't have to shout Dale, I'm right here." she replied while rubbing her temple. Though she stopped her kneading when she saw the sight in front of her. "What?" she breathlessly asked.

"Looks like our daughter left us a little late night pick me up to go with our coffee." Dale smiled. Missy couldn't help but remain in her stunned state of mind; this was completely unexpected.

He picks up his cookie and looks over the unusual shape. "A wolf. Somehow I'm not surprised. I wonder where she bought the cookie cutter, I've never seen anything like this in any of the stores." he commented before taking a bite. Immediately his eyes lit up. "HMMMM! These are amazing!" and he scarfed his down. "If you don't hurry up and get yours, it will be devoured. I can guarantee you that." he semi-threatened and that snapped her out of it. She picked up the cookie and bit off the top of the muzzle. Her eyes lit up just like Dale's, not only because of the exceptional taste but also recognizing the recipe.

"…I can't believe we still had that card." she thought before chuckling to herself.

"What's so funny? Did she put some tickle powder in those cookies?" he joked.

"No, no. I was just thinking if she won or lost the snowball fight." she wistfully answered.

"Snowball fight?"

"I'll explain later. For now I need some coffee. Stat."

"Right away." He got the "late night" blend and put it in the brewer. As the delectable smell filled the house Missy pondered, "I wonder why she made these in the first place?" but decided it wasn't important. Addison actually thought of them. Not only with the cookies, but also with the nice set-up. She couldn't stop the small grin if she wanted to.

Suddenly a **PING PING DING** from both of their phones ended her internal revelry. Dale still had his phone in his pocket and took it out. He entered his code to unlock it and looked at the screen for a couple seconds.

"WHAT?!" he shouted.

"What?!" Missy asked. He handed her his phone and she looked at the message. "WHAT?!"

Chapter 4: A Little Love Goes A Long Way

Chapter Text

Meanwhile…

“AH!” Addison yelped when her hair attracted the unwanted attention of a dried tree branch. She pulled out the snagged twigs and leaves. “So much for getting there unscathed. I’m going to end up looking like some kind of stick scarecrow instead of a werewolf.” she muttered. Despite the inconspicuous stains caused by snags and a spill onto some slick grass, she was actually making great time. She already passed claw rock so she knew she was half way there. “Hopefully I’ll have enough juice to get back.” she thought as the flashlight app on her phone continued to illuminate the trail.

She kept walking along the dirt path until something caught her eye. “Hey…those look like footprints. My footprints!” she excitedly thought when she recognized the sole pattern of the shoes she wore earlier today. With new found vigor she sprinted along the clay route until the familiar stony area came into view.

“Guess I’ll be fine for the return trip after all.” she smirked to herself when she saw she had seventy percent left on her phone, and that it was only 9:00 p.m. She turned it off to conserve it. After readjusting her satchel of goodies, she carefully walked into the multi-colored lit sanctuary, being mindful of the damp surface. She definitely didn’t want to slip and injure herself. “This feels like a reverse version of Little Red Riding Hood.” she realized the closer she got to the center of the den.

Howls, cheers, and abundant laughter echoed off the decorated walls, bringing a smile to her face; she was eager to see what kind of rambunctious revelry they were getting into. Soon she finally made it to the entrance of the main area, but hid behind some of the stones that formed the arch. She peered around and saw all of the wolves dancing with those long bamboo poles she saw the first time she came here. The moonstone created the perfect back light – pulsing with its life giving glow. It felt like it was joining the celebration too.

Even though she had seen this jollity before, it felt different this time. For her there was sense of longing yet barely contained excitement. It was almost like waiting for Christmas. Counting all the wrapped presents underneath the tree, wondering what each one could be until the day finally arrived to find out. What she was seeing now was the wrapping paper, ribbon and bows. Once she passed these trials, she would be more than grateful to receive the precious gift.

She was so caught up in the display and her thoughts that she didn’t hear someone sneak up behind her until a voice spoke, “You can join in too y’know.”

Addison gasped and quickly turned around with a fist formed. But she hit nothing but air.

“Missed me!” Wynter grinned while sticking out her tongue.

“H-Huh? Wynter?!” Addison exclaimed.

“Yep, that’s my name!”

“But…how did you know I was here? And how’d you get behind me?” she whispered.

“We’re werewolves remember? We smelled ya as soon as you entered our den. Though...it’s kinda different now.” she commented before getting closer and sniffing around her. Addison backed up a bit, still not used to someone being in her personal bubble. She clutched the handle of her bag a little tighter. Wynter’s eyes widened just a bit when she caught a whiff of something familiar. “Hmmm…well, you still smell good. Anyway Willa sent me out to welcome you, so I snuck around using one of our other tunnels. Though I made sure not to get hit like she did.” she explained.

“Oh…sorry about that. Bad habit.” she apologized while sheepishly scratching the back of her head, inadvertently getting another small twig out.

“No, good habit. You’ll need to scrap at any moment.” Wynter refuted.

“But not with my friends.” she corrected.

“Yeah, that’s true.” she agreed.

“But at least now I understand why you guys sneak around; it’s how you hunt. It’s your nature.” she realized.

“Yep! That’s how we roll! But we also like to do it for fun too. Speaking of, what’re you waiting for? Get in there!” she grinned before adding an enthusiastic, “Welcome!”

“W-Wait don’t I have to-” but Addison’s stuttering questions were cut off when Wynter grabbed her shoulders, spun her around and roughly pushed her inside. Thankfully she managed to stay upright. Everyone stopped their activities and looked at her. The older wolves had welcoming fanged smiles on their faces. However, the younger ones were curious enough to sniff the air, but cautious to the point of grabbing and hiding behind a leg of whoever was nearby.

“Um…h-hi.” she meekly waved.

“About time you walked in here white hair.” Willa smirked before walking up to her. “Why were you just standing there anyway?”

“Well…I-I mean I wasn’t sure what to do. I didn’t want to just barge in and interrupt, this is your den after all. Though I kinda did…didn’t I? Sorry about that.”

“You don’t have to apologize Addison.” Wyatt assured.

“My brother’s right. Besides, this is your den now too.” she confirmed

“I-It is?” Addison asked.

“Well, yeah. You’re still an honorary werewolf remember? Our home is your home.” she replied.

“Yeah! Mi casa es su casa!” Wynter chimed in, making her laugh. She looked around and saw everyone else giving approving nods and barks.

“My home.” she happily thought.

“By the way, I’m really proud of you.” Wyatt suddenly said as he wrapped an arm around her.

“You are? Why?” she asked.

“You got here all by yourself, and in the middle of the night no less! Way to go!” he beamed and she smiled back.

“Not to sound rude, but why are you here in the middle of the night anyway? And why is your scent so…different? Did something happen at your house?” Willa asked and Addison could feel Wyatt’s grip on her shoulder tighten just a bit.

“Nothing bad happened, I promise. I just wanted to bring all of you something.” she smiled.

“You wanted to what?” she repeated, a little skeptical of what she just heard because that’d be completely insane. Coming out here during peak predator hours just to bring them something?! Who does that?! Apparently she did.

Curiosity took over the pack and they all gathered around her as she unzipped her bag. When she took the lid off one of the tins, all of them got a big whiff of the delicious treats she made. Sheer delight filled Addison’s heart when she noticed the sparkle of giddy anticipation in their eyes.

“What are those?” one wolf panted, drool dripping from his tongue.

“Cookies! I made them myself. And check it out, they’re wolf shaped!” she proudly stated.

“Umm...” and her attention was directed to a pup girl who had to be at least eight years old. Her skin tone was just a touch darker than Addison’s – sun-kissed by the forest lifestyle. A streak of snow white hair was a stark contrast to her long dark-brown locks, but it worked beautifully. She stepped from behind one of the teen’s legs and asked, “Wh-What are cookies?”

Some of the wolves looked at one another; most of them had never seen let alone eaten a cookie before.

Addison smiled and held the tin out to her, though she backed away momentarily. “It’s a little hard to explain, but I’d be really grateful if you tried one. I-I hope you like it.”

The girl looked at her younger pack mates, and they looked at one another. “Pff! If you’re too scared, I’ll try one.” a little boy declared. He had the same skin shade as Willa, and her bravado as well. Whether or not he was serious or just egging her on was a little hard to tell. His hair was braided into cool zig-zag pattern, with a white braid behind his right ear.

The girl huffed and replied, “I’m not scared!” and grabbed one of the cookies. She looked it over, admiring the shape of the howling wolf. She smelled it again before taking a little bite off the muzzle.

Addison grinned when she heard an “MMMMM!” come out of her throat before she voraciously devoured her treat.

“Did you like it?” she chuckled.

“Mm hm!” she replied while licking her lips. “Can I have another one please?”

“Hey! What about us?” “Yeah, I want one too!” the other pups clamored; the littlest one hopping up and down with her hand in the air.

“Here, there’s plenty for all of you.” Addison assured and handed the tin over to the girl.

“Thank you Addy.” she smiled, and graciously accepted it. “Yeah, you’re awesome!” “Thanks so much!” the other pups expressed before going over to the other side of the main area. Each of them took turns grabbing a cookie and shoving it in their mouths - chewing and savoring each bite.

Addison smiled at that before getting bumped by Wynter. “Hey now, don’t leave us hanging! I want to try one of those wolf cookies.” and the rest of the teens looked at her expectantly - even letting out a few whines.

She couldn’t help but chuckle; they looked like dogs awaiting a treat for following a command. “You got it.” she giggled. She opened up another tin and held it out to them. They reached in with their surprisingly clean hands and took one. It filled her heart with absolute joy when saw their eyes light up after that initial bite before being fully consumed in a matter of seconds.

“These ARE good!” Wynter happily admitted while licking her fingers.

“Yeah! I think they’re better than Elder’s sweet bones!” a wolf complimented. “These certainly are on par with’em.” one wolf agreed. “Are there any more?” another asked.

“Sure are!” and she opened another tin. An unexpected shiver went down her spine as the sweet aroma filled the area once again. She instinctively looked over at the pups and all of them had this look in their eyes. A small gulp went down her throat – she knew that look. It was the same gaze Wyatt had when he hunted that rabbit. “…Oh no.” she thought. In the blink of an eye all of them ran over to her on all fours, pouncing and piling on top of her. Thankfully, depending on your perspective, Wynter grabbed the tin before the treats could be crushed.

“Ugggh.” she groaned while she was being smothered. She managed to make eye contact with Wyatt, who merely grinned and shrugged. She frowned at him while blowing a couple of strands of hair out of her face. But she raised an eyebrow in confusion when she noticed that someone in particular wasn’t next to him anymore. “Hmph, at least I know where I rank when it comes to food. Better brace myself for whatever she has in mind to do to me later.” she thought, and rolled her eyes at the predicament she was in. But it soon gave way to a resigned smile. She couldn’t stay mad at these crazy, lovable wolves if she tried. This is what she wanted after all, to have her adoration for them shine through. But they were starting to get heavy.

“Uh…a little help here?” she asked.

“Nope, sorry. They caught you mate.” one wolf grinned as he grabbed a cookie from the tin being passed around.

“And you’re gonna have to deal with it.” another one chimed in.

“Deal with what?” Her question was unfortunately answered when a boy with a mini faux hawk yelled, “NOW!” Immediately their little claws dug into her body, tickling her mercilessly. Surprisingly it didn’t hurt. Her laughter along with the pups’ made everyone grin and yip merrily.

However Wyatt wasn’t vocal with his happiness. Instead he gazed upon Addison with sheer fondness in his eyes. “She fits right in.” he lovingly thought. He was about to whisper his opinion to his sister, but she wasn’t there. He looked around and saw that she wasn’t even in the main area. “Where’d she go?” he thought and started sniffing the air. It took a minute of sifting through everyone’s scent, but he finally located hers deeper in the den. “…This isn’t like her. She be doubled-over laughing at the sight right now. I wonder what’s wrong.” His concerning thoughts were interrupted when Addison yelled in the midst of her giggles, “O-Okay, okay I give! I give!”

“Alright pups that’s enough.” he commanded through his own chuckles.

They whined and reluctantly got off, finally allowing her to sit up and catch her breath. But the littlest one, a four year-old girl with cinnamon-colored skin and braided pig-tails, glomps onto her and nuzzles her face into her chest. She looks up at Addison and says, “Thank ku. You nice hooman.”

Addison smiled at her and ruffled her hair. “You’re welcome, and thank you for the compliment.” Soon the rest of the pups give her glomping hugs too and she’s back on the floor again. “Y’know, I think I can get used to this.” she remarked as she was being lovingly smothered.

“You’d better, because it’s going to be happening to you a lot.” Wynter grinned.

“Then bring it on! Just…not all at once okay?” she added when she noticed a slight glow in some of the werewolves’ eyes.

“Aww…but that’s the best way.” she whines and the other wolves nod in agreement.

“Don’t worry, I’ll get there.” she assures. The pups get off of her and Wyatt helps her up. He brings her in close for what appeared to everyone else as a hug, but he whispers something into her ear. Her eyes widen and she whispers something back and gives the barest of nods. He nods back and ruffles her hair. “Sooo, I know I saw some of your dance moves at Prawn and all, but I also know that you were holding back. Show us some of those hidden wild moves you got.” he challenged.

She smirked back and replied, “I don’t know…my moves are too hot to handle. They’ll blow your mind!”

“Is that so? Well color me intrigued.” Wynter grinned before starting a clapping beat. The rest of the wolves add to it too. Soon it was an awesome rhythm that could rival any studio production. She grabbed her bag and set it off the side before busting out a couple of spinning backflips and other moves, garnering a lot of hollering and howling. The other werewolves soon joined in and they picked up right where they left off. Wyatt internally thanked her for the distraction and snuck away while they had their fun.

He walked down the large cavernous corridor of the den until he came to an enormous burrow-like room. It had bunched up fur pelts all over the floor. Near the opposite wall was the person he was searching for, despite her best attempts to hide and be inconspicuous by wrapping herself up in fur blankets.

“Willa?” he whispered.

“Go away Wyatt.” she growled back.

Although he couldn’t smell any tears, her voice was thick with agitated emotions. It wouldn’t take much for the dam to break so he knew he had to tread cautiously. Ignoring her demand he slowly approached her on all fours. When he was halfway there and didn’t get a warning growl not to come any closer, he took it as an invitation to keep on going. Soon he was sitting right next to her. He glanced at her exposed hands, gingerly holding one of Addison’s treats. There wasn’t a single bite taken out of it.

“…Not hungry?” he asked.

After a few minutes she replied, “It’s not that. It’s…its stupid.”

“If it’s bothering you then it’s not stupid. Please tell me what’s wrong. I hate seeing you like this and I want to help.”

“Hmph…at least you do.” she muttered.

“Huh?”

“Other than you, no one even noticed that I left!”

“That’s not true.” he refuted.

“Really? Because I can hear all of them right now having another dance party.” she scoffed.

“That’s because I asked Addison to cover for me.” he explained.

“…What?”

“I didn’t want to make a big deal of you being gone because I knew something was wrong. So I asked…well…egged her on to show everyone her “wild” moves.” he elaborated.

“Pfft! She has wild moves?” she chuckled.

“She does actually, but that’s beside the point. She noticed you were gone too. At first she thought you were hiding somewhere, trying to pounce on her again.” he grinned.

Willa opened her mouth to refute that notion, but no words came out. Under normal circumstances she would’ve relished the opportunity, but now…it seemed wrong. “**sigh**She would’ve been right…had I felt like it.”

“What’re you feeling now?” Wyatt asked.

She looked away and uttered, “I don’t even know. I see Addison getting pounced on by the pups and it just makes me feel…inadequate. I don’t know why I feel like this!” she growled in frustration as she yanked the pelt off of her head and threw it to the other side of the room.

Wyatt was quiet for a few seconds, watching her breathe rapidly through her fangs. “Willa. Are…are you jealous?”

“Of Addison!? Are you out of your mind!? Why would I be jealous of her!?” she barked.

“Let me finish!” he barked back, leveling his glare against hers.

“Fine, but this better make sense.” she warned.

“It will. I didn’t say you were jealous of Addison. If that were the case you wouldn’t have even let her attempt the trials, let alone come into our territory. I was going to ask if you were jealous of the way the pack treats her, especially the pups.” Wyatt clarified.

She stared at him for a couple minutes, the party still echoing along the den walls. She sighed and stared at the cookie that she surprisingly didn’t crush. “...I guess I am.” she finally admitted.

“Why?” he asked.

“You saw the way the pups gravitated towards her. And just like that no less!” she emphasized with a snap of her fingers. “And it’s not just them, the rest of the wolves are like that too. Being completely at ease with her. They…they’ve never like that with me. And I’m the alpha, a werewolf, someone that they know and trust.”

“Exactly.”

“Huh?”

“Like you said, we trust you. You protect us, provide for us, and help us when we’re hurting. Just like an excellent leader and a treasured friend. But…I also know that you don’t like to be seen as weak, that’s why you hide when you’re feeling down.”

She huffed at the last part of his statement. She started to open her mouth to refute it, but he held up his hand. “You can call it meditation or whatever you want, but I’m not blind Willa. Why would you be here then huh? All wrapped up and alone when not all that long ago you out there dancing and having fun with us?”

“…Reasons.” she quietly replied. Silence reigned between them again for a moment.

“…Would one of those reasons be that you’re not seen as approachable?” he ventured.

“…Maybe.” she partially admitted. “Addison makes everyone around her feel comfortable.”

“But so far that’s with playing. You make everyone feel secure no matter what we do. Do you think our pack would take you seriously if you just played all the time?” he questioned.

“…No.” she answered.

He grabbed her free hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, making her look at him. He showed her a small smile and commented, “See? Approachable.”

She scoffed and replied, “That doesn’t count. You’re my brother.”

“True. But I still felt at ease enough to come near you, even though you told me to go away.”

“Or you’re just that stubborn.” she countered.

“So are you. If Elder Usawa was here right now, you know what she’d say?”

She sighed and replied, “Scratch off those stinkin’ thinkin’ fleas.”

“Yep.” he simply replied, making her go quiet again. “Willa. Addison isn’t doing anything to take us away from you.”

“I know that! It’s just…and what I saw-”

“Addison is still feeling things out with us, just like what we’re doing with her. We’re figuring out what her boundaries are so we don’t cross any lines, and vice versa. Though I think it’ll take a while. She’s so excited right now that she doesn’t mind the…the…”

“Chaos?”

“I was gonna say affectionate gestures, but yeah.” he amended, getting a tiny grin out of her.

“**sigh** I hate it when you’re right.” she muttered. Wyatt smiled at that because he knew it was her way of saying “Thank you”. “Still…I want the pack to be comfortable with me like that.”

“You want to know how?” he offered.

“How?”

“Do what Addison did.” he suggested.

“What? Make cookies?” she disbelievingly asked.

“No. Just say “I love you” in however way you want.” he corrected.

“What? She never said that!” she refuted.

“Yeah she did, through her cookies. She poured her heart into making these treats and you can taste it.” he explained.

She skeptically eyes her un-eaten cookie. “You’ve got to be kidding. That’s just sappy.”

“If you don’t believe me, then take a bite. Of course if you really don’t want it, I’ll take it.” but she pushes him away when he tries to reach for it. He chuckled when he landed on his back. Willa just rolled her eyes at him before bringing the cookie to her lips. She takes a tiny bite off the tip of the tail and chews the piece of sugary goodness.

Wyatt smiled when he saw her eyes light up and she hastily devoured the rest. “I’m guessing you liked it.” he cheekily grinned as he watched her lick her fingers.

“…It was alright.” she partially admitted. “Too bad they’re probably all gone now.” she whispered to herself, but Wyatt still heard her. Taking that as a victory in and of itself he stood up and offered her his hand. “Ready to go back out?”

“…No.” she answered.

“No?”

“I don’t want the pack asking me a bunch of questions as to why I wasn’t in there. I’ll just stay here and fluff out the pelts before I go on patrol. That’ll…that’ll be my way of saying “I love you.” she explained.

He did a double take before smiling at her. “Then I’ll help too.” he offered, still holding his hand out. She graciously grabbed it and he pulled her up. However he was taken aback for a moment when she pulled him in, giving him the biggest hug she could muster. He quickly got out of his stunned state of mind and returned the embrace wholeheartedly.

“Thank you Wyatt.” she expressed.

He smiled and replied, “See? Like I said, approachable.” before giving her a lick on the forehead, making her chuckle. “C’mon, let’s get these fluffed out.”

They shook out the pelts, getting rid of any debris caught in the fur. Then they raked them with their nails, making them comfortable to lay on. However they noticed that the sound from the main area was getting quieter and quieter.

“Sounds like the party's coming to an end.” he commented.

“Good thing we’re almost done.” she replied as she combed through another pelt. Just as they finished shaking out the last one, they heard a loud howl coming from the main area.

“Goodbye? Who’re they saying…no. No way!” Willa rushed out of the room with her brother hot on her tail. They almost crashed into the pack in the corridor.

“There you two are!” Wynter exclaimed. “At first I thought you guys were just getting a drink to wash down those delicious cookies, but you were gone waaay too long.”

“Why didn’t you tell us you needed a break from the party?” one wolf asked.

“Yeah, we could’ve kept it down. We know you have to do your patrol tonight alpha.” another wolf added.

Willa couldn’t help but do a double take at the concern they expressed. “…They did notice. They really did. God I’m such an idiot!” she mentally chastised herself.

Wyatt gave his sister a little shoulder nudge, breaking her out of her self-depreciating thoughts. She looked at him and he gave her a little smile, albeit a cheeky one. In this instance she didn’t mind – she deserved it for letting those stinkin’ thinkin’ fleas latch onto her in the first place. “Don’t worry about it, we didn’t want to interrupt your fun. Willa took it upon herself to fluff out the pelts” he explained.

“You did?” Wynter asked.

“I did, and Wyatt helped out too. They’re nice and soft for all of you.” she smiled.

“Aww! Thanks you guys!” Wynter grinned as she grabbed them and gave them a bone-crushing hug.

“Y-You’re welcome.” Willa gasped out and they were promptly let go.

“I’m so sorry! Bad wolf! Bad wolf!” she chastised herself.

“It’s alright Wynter, you’re not a bad wolf. Strong, but not bad.” she assured.

“Really?”

“Really.” she smiled. Wynter happily shuffled a bit in place at the compliment.

The alpha looked at the rest of the pack. Even though it was plain to see the exhaustion in their eyes, they also displayed the gratitude they had for her and her brother. She got another nudge from him, hearing “See? Approachable.” echo in her mind. But the sentiment disappeared when she remembered why they were running out of that room in the first place. “By the way, where’s Addison?”

“She just left.” a wolf answered.

“What?!” both siblings exclaimed.

“Yeah, we offered to walk her home–” the wolf explained.

“Insisted actually.” Wynter added.

“–But she was really adamant about doing it on her own, especially when she saw how tired the pups were.”

Willa and Wyatt looked down at the pups; they looked like they were about to collapse and fall asleep right then and there. If they weren’t holding the hands of some of the older wolves they probably would’ve. “We didn’t want to make her feel incompetent, so we reluctantly let her go” the wolf finished.

“…I see.” Willa understood.

“Y-You’re not mad are you?” Wynter asked.

“Of course not. If Addison’s going to do these trials, she needs to build her confidence. And getting to and from our den is one way to do it.” she explained.

“But Willa…y’know how dangerous it is at night.” Wyatt reminded her.

“We tried to tell her that too.” one wolf added.

“I know, that’s why I’ll be tailing her.” she replied.

“Huh?” everyone asked.

“I’m guessing you guys promised not to follow her?” and they nodded. “Well, I didn’t. Besides, how dare she leave without saying goodbye to me!” she growled.

Wyatt grinned at the loop hole she exploited and that she’d taken the bait. “Hopefully Addison didn’t wander off too far.” he thought.

“Alright, you guys get some sleep. I’ll be back soon.” she assured.

“Okay**yawwwnnn**good night alpha.” “Yeah, goodnight.” “Be safe out there.” were some of the verbal endearments spoken to her.

“I will. Sweet dreams everyone.” she smiled. All of them gave her and Wyatt some form of physical gesture, from hugs to head ruffles before heading towards the sleeping area. “Get some rest brother, you earned it.” she urged. He nodded and gave her one last lick on her forehead before leaving to catch up with the others.

“Alright, time to find white hair before something else does.” Taking a deep breath, she channels the moonstone energy into her body. Her irises turn yellow and all of her senses are heightened to the extreme. She gets on all fours and sprints out of the den. Once outside she leans her head down to smell the ground. **sniff sniiiff sniff** “Found you.” and ran in the direction Addison’s scent was coming from.

Thankfully she didn’t have to run very far. A little ways off the main trail she found her laying comfortably against a tree – almost about to fall asleep herself.

“Seriously?!” she thought. Her irritation bled into her vocal chords when she shouted, “Addison!”

“H-Huh? Oh, hey Willa.” she greeted before a yawn escaped her lips. She didn’t even get a chance to fully stand up before Willa tore into her.

“What the-what’re you doing out here!? Why are you hiding? Did something see you? Look, I know you want to prove how capable you are, but going off by yourself was extremely dangerous! Only an alpha can go out at night by themselves-”

“I know.” Addison managed to say in the middle of her concerned rant.

“And why didn’t…wait…you knew what?” the alpha asked.

“I knew that you’d be out here. Wyatt told me that the alpha does a quick patrol of the area, scaring away any potential threats while the pack slept. Somehow I actually heard you come out of the den. I was going to howl to let you know where I was, but I decided to let you find me with your keen sense of smell instead.” she explained while brushing the debris off of her.

“Why?”

“First, I didn’t want to say something stupid again. Second, I didn’t want to let the rest of the pack know I was still here after telling them I left.”

“…Why?”

“I…I wanted to talk to you. Alone.” she confessed.

Willa flinched a bit when Addison carefully grabbed her hands. She watched with nervous fascination as she rubbed her thumbs over the backs of them. “Willa.” When the alpha met her gaze, she was startled at the apprehension in her eyes. “I-I’m sorry for upsetting you. I swear I meant no disrespect, you have to believe me!”

“W-Wait what? I don’t understand.” she replied, trying to comprehend this sudden outburst.

“After the pups got off of me, Wyatt pulled me up and whispered that you were gone. At first I thought you were going to pounce on me, but he said that you weren’t playing. You really disappeared. He told me you only act like that if something was wrong. So I figured I did something wrong by bringing cookies to the pack.” she explained with such a sad look in her eyes.

“…He planned this.” she realized, but her annoyance was instantly replaced with gratitude. Now she could set the record straight. “Well…you were definitely wrong.” and the white haired girl shuddered a bit. “Wrong about the reason I was upset.”

“H-Huh?”

“**sigh**In the end it was a stupid reason – it’s not even worth mentioning. But it had nothing to do with you.”

“R-Really?” Addison dared to hope.

“Really.” she assured with a fanged smile. Addison's forlorn look disappeared in an instant as a relieved smile graced her face. “Can I ask you something though?”

“Sure!"

“Why did you make us cookies? Don’t get me wrong, we appreciate it and all but…why?”

Addison took a deep breath to steady her nerves and replied, “Y’know…Wynter asked the same thing, and I get it. I know you guys still don’t trust people and I hope I wasn’t out of line when I asked to take your pack’s trial. I don’t take this lightly and please don’t think of the cookies as a bribe – I truly didn’t mean to have it come across like that. It’s just…I really do care about you guys. I wanted to show that I really appreciate the opportunity to become a part of your pack. And…and I thought I wouldn’t be able to convey that with just words. That’s why I made the cookies. I remembered my mom telling me that anything that comes from the heart will shine through and be appreciated, no matter what it was. Though…I guess I should’ve asked if wolves like sugar cookies instead of taking a gamble like that. But that’s what I want to do! I want to learn how to be a wolf…even though I’m not one. I want to know what you guys like and dislike, what’s true and untrue so I don’t offend anyone, and learn your beautiful language. I want to know about you.”

Before Willa could even begin to formulate an acceptable response to her heartfelt answer, Addison let go of her hands. She whined a little when her warmth was taken away. She knelt down next to her bag and pulled out one of the tins. Facing her again she said, “I noticed that you only had one before you disappeared. I managed to save you a few…if you want’em that is.”

The alpha looked inside the tin when she opened it, seeing five in there. How she was able to save them was beyond her, given how the pack devoured them on the spot.

But…it was still a lot to take in.

For all intent and purposes here was still a complete stranger wanting to befriend herself and the pack. Out of her free will and not pressured into it. As a werewolf and especially as an alpha, it was hard to let her guard down after hearing the stories of what their kind went through. But…was she willing to hold that against Addison? That’d make her no better than the humans – judging based on preconceived notions. After a minute of debating with herself she spoke, “Yeah…you should’ve asked if we liked cookies. But I’ll admit that they turned out…alright. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome!” she smiled, especially since she didn’t waste any time scarfing down the rest of them. Seeing her enjoy them, even down to the last crumb on her claws, was the real testament in her eyes.

“I smell you have more.” she sniffed the air and eyed her cheer bag.

Addison held her arm out and replied, “Hold on a sec! It’s only three, and they’re for Wyatt since he didn’t get as many as the rest of the pack either.”

“He doesn’t need them.” she refuted.

“Now you’re just being greedy.” she countered, pointing a finger at her.

“It’s not my fault you made them so good!” she defended, crossing her arms.

“Ooooh! So they’re more than alright now huh?” she teased as she grabbed the bag and zipped it up.

“As your alpha I command you give them to me!” she growled.

Seeing where this was going she started to back up. “Nope, that won’t work. I’m not part of the pack yet.” she reminded.

“Then forget the trials!” Now the wolf was walking towards her.

She stuck her tongue out and shouted, “Nuh uh, it has to be fair!” before sprinting off in a random direction.

Willa grinned at her futile escape attempt and her eyes turned yellow. She easily caught up to her and yelled, “How’s this for fair?!” before pouncing on her.

“GUH!” she grunted as she was pinned to the floor for the umpteenth time tonight. But like all the other times it didn’t hurt...much; thank God the pack was gentler than they appeared to be. Though that didn’t make them any less ferocious. And Willa displayed that by giving her an unrelenting tickle attack.

“H-Hey! Cut it out! I-I can’t take it!” she laughed.

In a flash the alpha grabbed the bag off of her body and howled in victory.

“C-Cheater!” Addison wheezed as Willa got off of her.

“I call it being opportunistic.” she corrected as she helped her up and dusted the dirt and grass off her clothes.

“Riiight. Jeez, you’re just like the pups.” she pointed out.

“Who do you think taught’em?” she grinned.

“Fair point. At least I’m not the one who’s going to deal with an annoyed brother. I am not responsible if he does that to you.” she warned.

“What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him. And I was just messing with you; I’m not going to eat them.” she assured.

“…Uh huh.” she skeptically replied as she watched her take the cookie tin out of the bag.

“You doubt the words of an alpha?” Willa asked, quirking an eyebrow up.

“No! Of course not! Of a cookie loving sister…ehhhh.” and she playfully punches Addison’s arm and gives her back her bag.

“You really are something white hair.” she smirked.

“Why thank you alpha.” she smiled back before another yawn came out. “Well, I’ll be heading back now.”

“No you’re not.”

“Huh?”

“You’re staying at the den tonight. And I’m not taking no for an answer.” the alpha firmly asserted while crossing her arms.

“What?! Willa, are you sure? It’s not that late.” Addison took out her phone, turned it back on and looked at the home screen. “See? It’s only 9:45pm. It only took me hour to get here so I’ll-”

“Didn’t you hear me?” she barked, startling her into silence. “I said I’m not taking no for an answer. I wasn’t kidding when I said it’s dangerous out here. There are plenty of animals that would love to have you as a late night snack. As alpha it’s my job to keep everyone in the pack safe, including you. Regardless if you’re a werewolf or not. You’re still an honorary member and our den is still your home.” she finished.

Addison was stunned. Her passion and sense of responsibility deeply impressed her. Still…she knew her parents wouldn’t approve of this, but at the same time they definitely wouldn’t like it if she were eaten either. And she didn’t want to take Willa away from the den to be her escort, that’d be downright selfish. “Alright, I’ll stay.” she relented.

“Good.” Willa nodded approvingly before wrapping her arm over her shoulders. “Also, consider it punishment for not saying goodbye to me or my brother earlier.” and she poked her face with her finger.

“What? I was going to see you.” she argued.

“Well I didn’t know that! I thought you just ditched us.” she countered.

“…True. I’m sorry Willa.”

“I forgive you, just don’t do it again.” Addison did a double take before she started chuckling. “What’s so funny?”

“Nothing, I’m just really happy that you care about me.” she smiled.

Willa quickly adverted her gaze and said, “Don’t get it twisted white hair, I just needed to have a body count. That’s it.”

“Uh huh, whatever you say alpha.” she grinned, her façade not fooling her in the slightest.

“C’mon let’s go.” Willa ordered, and she grabbed her hand to lead her back.

Their walk back passed by a little too quick for Willa’s liking. Once again a little discreet whine escaped her lips when she had to let go of her hand. They entered the main area and she pointed to the corridor. “Just head down there and go into the first room on your left. Or follow the snoring sounds, trust me you can’t miss it."

“Got it. I’m just going to head up there to see if I can get a signal for my phone.” Addison replied, pointing to the stairs leading to the lookout deck. “I need to let my parents know where I’ll be for the night. …Hopefully it’ll end well.” she quietly muttered.

“Alright then, good night white hair.”

Before she left, Addison questioned, “Heeey…wait a second. Where do you think you’re going with that?” pointing to the tin in her hand.

“Right here.” Willa huffed and put the tin in a little nook in the wall that had an illuminated rune above it. “Happy?” she irritably asked.

“Very.” Addison smiled. “Be safe out there, okay?”

Willa was momentarily caught off guard by her concern for her, but confidently grinned and replied, “You know it. Sweet dreams.” before taking off in a flash.

“Whoa…she’s fast. Hopefully I won’t have to fight her for my combat trial.” she thought, and went up the stairs to the lookout point. A chill breeze blew past her as she gazed upon the illuminated townscape as well as the shimmering lake in the distance. “Well…here goes nothing.” she gulped as she took out here phone. Again, depending on your perspective, it was either a good or bad thing that she actually had service. She pulled up her parent’s numbers and created a group chat.

<Hey mom. Hey dad. I’ll be spending the night at the werewolf den. They’re the friends I went to go see.> After taking another deep breath, she hit send. The breeze got a little stronger, whipping her hair up a bit. She almost dropped her phone when it vibrated with an immediate reply. Without looking at the screen she already knew they weren’t pleased. “I wonder if that breeze was them shouting at me.” she wondered.

She looked at the message from Missy. <What do you mean you’re at the den?! Why are you out in the Forbidden Forest anyway!? And at this hour?! That’s who you made the cookies for?!>

Deciding to focus on the positive of her mother’s reply she texted back, <Yes. I left some out for you and dad because I knew you’d be home late. I thought you could use a pick me up. Did…did you like them?>

A couple seconds go by before her phone vibrates again. <They were absolutely delicious but that’s beside the point! We’re coming to get you right now!> Dale replied.

<Dad no! You don’t know where the den is unless you know the landmarks.> she wrote back.

<Then we’ll meet you by the broken fence.> Missy texted back.

<Mom, I can’t go out into the forest this late. Willa said other animals hunt at night.>

<What?! This is insane!>

<I assume your wolf friends have experience in dealing with these other animals right? Why can’t she or someone else take you to the fence then?>

<Because she’s the alpha! She has to stay and protect the pack, and that includes me. I’m an honorary member. Not to mention they’re asleep right now and there are children here. I can’t ask her to leave them. Being in the den is the safest place for me.> she reasoned.

This time there wasn’t an immediate response, which meant that they were hopefully considering it. Addison started pacing back and forth on the deck, trying to work out this nervous energy.

Suddenly her phone vibrates. She quickly unlocks the green bubble and looks at the message…only to see it was a PostBook ad. “Oh c’mon! Really?!” she groaned but another message comes right after. <…Alright. You can stay. But you text us the second you wake up and the second you come home, understand?>

She couldn’t help but grin and giddily bounce in place. <I promise! Good night mom, good night dad.>

<Good night Addison. Sleep well.>

She let out the biggest sigh of relief in her entire life. She turned off the phone to conserve power and walked down the stairs; soon she was right in front of the wide corridor entrance. “Willa and Wyatt weren’t kidding.” she thought when she heard growling snores coming from down there, but she was strangely excited. Never in her wildest dreams did she think that she’d be sleeping in a cave, let alone a werewolf den. Well, as the old saying goes, “Live long enough and you’ll see just about anything.” And she had the greatest opportunity to see and learn a different side to them, slowly immersing herself into their ways. “Or at the very least get a few hours of sleep.” she thought as another yawn came out.

She walked down the dimly lit stone-built pathway, marveling at the painted hieroglyphic-like images. It felt like she was walking into an ancient temple. Soon she reached her destination. She crept into the room, eyes up and scanning the rather large area. There were a few holes in the walls to let in natural light as well as fresh air. “…I wonder if bugs get in through there.” she gulped. The last thing she needed was a giant cockroach on her face, or accidentally eat some other insect.

However those fears were put on the back-burner when she noticed the massive mural of howling wolves on the ceiling – almost as if they were offering prayers of protection while the pack slept. “Whoooa.” she whispered, a wide smile adorning her lips.

But…when her gaze shifted downward to look at the actual wolves, her mouth hung open in absolute shock. All of them were sleeping in what appeared to be a giant communal bed made of pelts. Having sleeping bodies cuddling or laying on top of each other is one thing, having nude bodies cuddling and laying on top of each other is something completely different. Every werewolf was naked, save for wearing their vests – which didn’t amount to much in her opinion. Thankfully the little pups wore some semblance of pajamas short bottoms, though their chests were bare. She looked over and saw all their clothes and shoes folded up and neatly put away in what she equated to cubby holes in the opposite end of the room.

“What in the world did I get myself into?!” she thought as she quickly looked down at the floor. Forget gradual immersion, this was like jumping off the highest diving board into the ocean! There was no way she could ever tell her parents about this. Shoot, there was no way she could even be here! But Willa commanded her to be here…so she’d make the best of it. She used her hands to create a visor over her eyes so she could scan the ground for a free pelt. In the midst of her frantic search she thought she heard…whimpering?

“Huh? What was that?” Now she had a new target to find, and it didn’t take long to locate the source of the sounds. A pup bolted upright with a yelp, followed by erratic breathing. She recognized the long-haired girl, even in reduced lighting. The pup quickly looked around before her eyes met Addison’s. There was no mistaking the moist sheen covering them. She quickly looked away and brought her knees to her chest in an attempt to try and calm herself down.

Addison slowly walked over to her, making sure not to startle her again before sitting near her. “Hey…are you okay?” she gently asked.

The pup didn’t respond nor make any eye contact. Instead she curled up tighter on herself.

“…Bad dream?” she follows up. With that she notices her shudder a bit, giving her the answer. “Yeah…those aren’t fun.” she agreed. Soft snores fill the air as she pauses her dialogue. She doesn’t even look at the pup, instead focusing on the mural above. “I’m glad your guardian wolves got rid of it.”

That comment causes the pup to loosen her grip on her knees. She looks over at Addison before following her gaze to the ceiling. Then she looks back at the white-haired teen again and starts walking on all fours towards her. She bumps her head against Addison’s arm and lets out a little whine. Their eyes meet again. The older girl smiles at her before wrapping an arm around her shoulder. She snuggles into her side and closes her eyes.

“…Do you want to talk about it?” Addison asked, and she could feel her vehemently shake her head "no".

“I-I’m a t-tough wolf, n-not scared of nothing.” but the tears falling on Addison’s shirt contradict her shaky proclamation.

“…Y’know, I’m kinda scared right now.” she admitted.

Sniffing back some snot, the pup looks up at her with wet eyes and asks, “Y-You are?”

“Mm hm. Not of you guys. But being in a new place…away from my home…from my mom and dad.” and she paused at that. Even though they were completely overbearing a few minutes ago, she was surprised to find her missing the familiarity of at least having their presence around. “…It’s overwhelming.” she expressed.

The pup nodded in understanding. She used her hand to wipe her eyes and whispered, “I-I miss my mom and dad too. I know they said they’ll always be with me-” and Addison noticed the way she tightly gripped her moonstone. “And I have my brother and we look out for each other…b-but…”

Addison impulsively pulls her into her lap, rocking her as the tears continue to pour. The earlier discomfort of seeing the pack in their nude state vanishes in an instant. The only thing on her mind now was comforting the child nestled in her arms.

All of a sudden it dawned on her – why she felt such a strong sense of community within the pack. Everyone here were most likely orphans – all they had were each other. Sure they had the elder werewolves returning, but how many of them were left? And how many of them were actually directly related to someone in the pack? The old saying “it takes a village to raise a child” came to her mind. They may be strays, but they’re still family. Addison was absolutely honored that this little pup trusted her with such a personal piece of herself, even though they just met. And she aimed to prove that trust was well placed.

“Little one, can I ask what your name is?” she inquired.

“W-Wiley. Wiley Howlfitz.” she whispered.

“That’s a cute name.” she complimented and felt her nod against her chest. “Can I ask you for a favor Wylie?” and she felt her nod again. “Can…can you be strong and brave for me? Like I said it’s a little overwhelming for me, but being next to you makes me feel better. Is it alright if I sleep next to you? Please?”

Wylie quickly got out of Addison’s lap, causing an **oof** to come out of her when she pawed her stomach a little too hard. She went over and grabbed the pelts she was laying on earlier. Addison put her jacket, shoes and socks into her bag and set it down where the packs’ clothes were. She marveled at how smooth and cool the floor was underneath her feet. At least she wouldn’t have to worry about feeling small stone shards through the pelts.

Soon both of them were snuggled together underneath the surprisingly soft fur blankets. “If it’s alright…can I sing a little? It helps me feel better.” Wylie nods and snuggles closer to her, letting a yawn escape her lips. Addison started to hum a bit as lyrics formed in her mind. In the quietest voice she could muster the words flowed out of her mouth, smoother and sweeter than any honey.

Once all alone
I was lost in a world of strangers
A few to trust
On my own, I was lonely

Addison could feel Wylie grip her core a little tighter when those personal statements came out of her mouth. She smiled at that and lightly ruffled her hair before resuming her song.

You suddenly appeared
It was cloudy before but now it's all clear
You took away the fear
And you brought me back to the light

You are the sun
You make me shine
Or more like the stars
That twinkle at night
You are the moon
That glows in my heart
You're my daytime, my nighttime, my world
You are my life

Unbeknownst to the snuggled duo, the rest of the packs’ ears perked up to Addison’s singing. They kept their eyes closed and stayed in their sleeping positions – save for one. Wyatt gradually opened his eyes and slightly lifted his head up to witness the interaction between them.

Now I’ll wake up every day
With this smile upon my face
No more tears, no more pain
'Cause you love me
You helped me understand
That love is the answer to all that I am
And I'll, I’ll be your wolf friend
Since you taught me by sharing your life

As she sang the chorus again, more pack members joined Wyatt in wanting their eyes to experience this amazing and intimate concert. They heard Addison sing before when she first came here, but this was completely different. Vulnerable yet powerful at the same time, almost like them. Not to mention this strange, tingling sensation they all felt. It wasn’t anything bad – quite the opposite. It felt like a warm, comforting embrace – just like what she was doing to Wylie right now. They couldn’t help but smile at the fluttering butterflies in their system, but Wyatt spotted something that looked completely unnatural.

“Is…is her hair glowing? No…my eyes must be playing tricks on me.” he reasoned for as soon as he saw it, it disappeared as she sang the next verse.

You gave me strength
When I wasn't strong
You gave me hope when all hope was lost
You opened my eyes when I couldn't see
Love was always here waiting for me

Addison caught herself when her voice got a bit louder than she intended and glanced around to see if she disturbed the others. They managed to get back to their resting positions before she noticed. Sighing in relief she continued to sing the chorus a few times, punctuating the ending note with little howl.

The pack had to resist the urge to join her – they didn’t want to blow their cover. For once she didn’t say anything weird or obscene. In fact there was no literal translation – just an all-encompassing feeling of compassion and security. They watched as she lifted the pelts to check on Wylie.

“Fast asleep without at care in the world.” she smiled with satisfaction and covered them back up. She glanced up one more time at the mural before closing her eyes – letting her mind arrive at the peaceful slumber station.

A few minutes go by as the pack watched the duo, ensuring that they were indeed asleep. All of the sudden the rest of the pups quietly crept over to them with blankets in hand. The older wolves couldn’t help but internally gush as the pups laid down around Addison, with Wyatt sporting the biggest grin. Eventually exhaustion crept back into their bodies making them close their eyes, giving them an even better sleep experience.

An hour or so goes by when Addison starts to stir. Beads of sweat slide down her back - saturating her shirt. **Yawwnnn** “When did it get so hot?” she grumbled as she opened her eyes, the blurry area coming into focus. She looked down at her pup – still fast asleep and nestled against her – before sitting up and looking around. “Oh…that’s why.” she realized when she saw the new arrangement.

She couldn’t help but smile at how the rest of the pups were circled around them, almost protectively in a way. They may be small, but their bodies were like mini furnaces. She was actually surprised that Wylie didn’t have a drop of sweat on her considering how close she was to her. Now she understood why they slept naked. She may not go that far, but she definitely needed to do something or else she’d never get any sleep.

“…At least no one will see me. I’ll put’em back on in the morning before they wake up.” she decided. Moving her hands underneath the back of her shirt, she unhooked her bra and pulled both of the damp garments off in one swift motion. She sighed in relief as the cool air passed over her moist skin. Then she folded up her clothes and flung them like a Frisbee towards the wall closest to her feet.

She tried to scoot over to give Wylie some room, in addition to being uncomfortable being top-less near a child. However the pup wasn’t having it. She whined and sleepily latched back onto Addison, rubbing her head against her stomach. She fought back the giggles as the action tickled her. Once the urge subsided, she let out a relenting yet content sigh and pulled the pelt back over them. After a few deep breaths she fell back asleep.

**click…clack…click…clack**

Wyatt’s ear twitched when he heard the soft sound of clacking boots walking down the corridor. He opened his mouth wide to let out a growling yawn. It took a minute for his night vision to re-adjust his eyes to the inky environment, but once they did he wasn’t surprised at what he saw. Everyone, including him, subconsciously got closer to Addison while they slept – forming the same protective circle as the pups did. He couldn’t help but chuckle, especially when he saw that he and Wynter were closest to her.

His mirth was interrupted when he heard a huffing bark from the entrance. He looked over and saw his sister standing there, scanning the arrangement. He internally sighed in relief; she didn’t appear to be injured. There was always that chance whenever she went out on patrol. That's why he made sure to train himself to listen out for her footsteps, even when she was tiptoeing. He signaled with his finger to head into the main area; she got the silent message and walked away. He quietly stood up and carefully stepped over his pack mates to exit the sleeping area. He caught up with his sister and quickly enveloped her in hug. “I’m glad you’re okay.” he whispered before releasing her. “You are okay right?” he asked with his hands on her shoulders.

She smiled and replied, “Yes Wyatt, I’m okay. But why is Addison surrounded by everyone? Did something happen?” It wasn’t uncommon for wolves to huddle close together – they loved to snuggle, especially when it was cold. But given that it was the middle of spring and the specific shielding arrangement she saw, she deduced that someone needed to be comforted.

“You could say that.” and he proceeded to tell her what he witnessed. She smirked a bit when she noticed the adoring look in his eyes as he described her voice. “I have no idea what prompted her to start singing though. But I do think it had something to do with Wylie.”

“Wylie? Why do you say that?”

“She was cuddled up next to her, and it seemed she was singing specifically to her.”

“…I see. Well, we’ll get the details later. For now I’m glad everything's alright.”

“What about between you and Addison?” he asked.

“Huh?”

“You guys talked right? Is everything good?”

“Pfft, wouldn’t you like to know.” she bit back.

“I would actually, since I set everything up.” he cheekily grinned.

“Uh huh. Well thanks to your meddling, we did have a positive conversation.” she replied.

“Want to elaborate?”

“Nope” she stated, popping the “P”.

“Figured as much. Well, so long as you’re good then that’s all that matters.” and let it be.

“I’m more than good.” she smiled to herself.

“What’re you smiling about?” he grinned.

“Nothing. Actually…hold on a sec.” She went over to the little nook in the wall and grabbed the tin. “Addison saved these for you. She said she noticed you didn't get as many as the rest of the pack.” and she took off the lid revealing the last three cookies.

Wyatt’s grin got wider. “She truly is amazing.” he thought. “Thanks sis. I’m actually surprised you didn’t eat them.”

“I had my fill.” and she subconsciously licks her lips, remembering the tantalizing taste. “But don’t tempt me.”

“Too late.” and he holds out one of the cookies for her.

“…Huh?”

“I want you to have one. Fill your mind and your belly with lovey goodness before bed.” he smiled.

She just shook her head at the gushy message but graciously accepted the treat. “Thanks little bro.”

“You're welcome big sis.” They clinked the cookies together before devouring them in an instant, with Willa even going so far as to lick the tin.

“Guess they’re more than alright huh?” he chuckled.

“I just don’t like to waste food.” she refuted.

“Surrre, whatever you say.” he drawled out, earning himself a punch on the arm.

“C'mon you knucklehead.” and both of them walked into the sleeping area.

“Goodnight sis.” he whispered, giving her one last hug.

“Goodnight bro.” and she returns the embrace. They let go and she watches him return to spot he was laying on before. Soon her gaze shifts over to Addison comfortably sleeping away. She hums contemplatively before taking her clothes off and storing them in her cubby hole.

She tip-toed across the polished floor, giving a gentle head ruffle to her pack mates. The effect was immediate; they stretch out a tiny bit and blissful rumbling growls filter through their chests. Satisfied with the results, she settles down next to her brother and he instinctively drapes an arm over her abdomen. An exhausted yawn escapes her lips and her eyelids start to droop. Before they close, she reaches her hand out to Addison and lightly ruffles her hair. She wasn’t too surprised to hear her hum in content.

“I’m just really happy that you care about me.” her words ring in her head.

“I could say the same thing about you white hair. Wonder what I’ll get to learn about you?” she smiled before falling into a delightful cookie coma.

Chapter 5: Learn from Pain So You Can't Cause It Again

Chapter Text

**yawwnn…mmmm** The immortal bond between the Earth and the sun awakened the young alpha as its life giving rays filtered through the tiny holes of the stone sanctuary. Glancing upward, her blurry vision focused to behold the monumental mural of the howling guardians against the golden super-moon backdrop. Following their implied lead, Willa let out her own good morning howl. The ears of her pack-mates twitched in response to the tender sound. Yawns and growls were heard throughout the cavernous room as they stretched out their muscles, returning them to their limber state.

However, a few were determined to stave off the awakening process.

Everyone looked down and saw the pups sprawled out along the floor – still snoring away. Their protective circular arrangement folded onto their newly christened charge, becoming more of an oblong mosh pit. Seeing the pups still asleep didn’t surprise the teens; they could sleep through ten of those earth shattering tremors without any issue. However, they were surprised to see Addison still sleeping despite all the activity going on around her – especially given her skittish nature. It worked out in their favor though, they got to enjoy the absolutely adorable sight.

“Awww! They’re so cute!” Wynter quietly gushed and everyone nodded at the sentiment.

A little smirk appeared on Willa’s lips – even she had to admit that it was pretty cute; though she’d never say it out loud. Wyatt on the other hand let his admiring smile articulate the multitude of delightful adjectives running through his head.

“As pleasant as this is, I have to say it’s a bit…weird.” Willa whispered.

“Huh? How so?” Wyatt asked as he was taken out of his revering stupor.

“Even though this is her home now and I told her to stay, it’s just…surreal. Having someone here that isn’t a werewolf, being in our intimate space, and covered by the pups like its nothing. Like she was meant to be here.” she elaborated, and everyone hummed at that.

“Well, she will be soon enough.” Wyatt fondly remarked.

“You’re right.” she agreed, and her brother did a double take.

“I am?” he asked.

“Well, yeah. Whatever Addison sets her mind to, she typically achieves it. She’s that stubborn, just like you.” she explained, making him smile again. “Still, the pups would’ve been pouncing on everyone by now. We even woke up later than usual. I’m starting to think she put some kind of sleeping agent in those cookies.”

“Not unless you count love as a sleeping agent.” he grinned, and she rolled her eyes at the mushy remark.

“Sooo, are we going to leave them be for now?” Wynter asked.

“For now. We’ll deal with their pent up energy after we catch something to eat. Besides, I’m sure Addison’s tired from training and dancing with us yesterday. I have to admit, she has a lot more stamina than I originally thought.”

“She is full of surprises.” he praised.

“I’ll be very surprised if she can handle playing with the pups.” she replied. “Alright, let’s get ready. Wyatt, you’re staying behind to keep watch.” she commanded, and he had mixed feelings about that.

While the thought of spending the morning with Addison put a small smile on his face, it quickly morphed into a sour frown when he realized that he’d be tackled and nipped by overactive pups. He let out a low growl, garnering some sympathetic pats on the back and encouraging thumbs up from his pack-mates. But in the back of their minds they were glad it wasn’t one of them. It was a team effort to handle those pups. When they woke up early they were able to burn off some of their energy with play fighting. It also provided a nice warm up before the actual hunt. But now Wyatt was the lone solider going off to battle so to speak.

“Oh don’t be like that!” Willa huffed. “Don’t tell me my little brother afraid of some big bad pups?” she teased, making him growl indignantly. “Besides, if Addison can handle getting pounced on by me, she can handle them. And I know you’ll be there to protect her if they get too rough. Plus, what better way to wake up than experiencing “affectionate gestures?”

Wyatt couldn’t help chuckling at that. “True.” he conceded.

“But you should wake her up though, just to get her from up under them. The last thing I want is for her to get accidentally scratched.” and some of the wolves grimaced at that. It was always a point to put gloves on all the pups so they wouldn’t accidentally hurt themselves or others. But sometimes they forgot and they paid for it. A few of them sported some scars from their wild, unconscious actions. “If she wants to go back to sleep, she can.” she added.

“Alright.” he agreed and crouched down near her head. But just as he was about to whisper “Good morning” into her ear, that strange yet similar scent tickled his nose, making him yip. Now he knew for certain that his senses weren’t playing tricks on him nor responding to his wishful thinking.

“What’s wrong?! Is she hurt?” Wynter whispered.

“No. She…she smells like us.” he revealed.

Willa quirked an eyebrow up and quietly deadpanned, “Well duh. She’s sleeping in our den, in our pelts, surrounded by the pups. What’d you expect?”

“Not like that!” he bit back in a hushed tone. “Like she really smells like us! She has our scent! Check for yourself.” he urged.

Willa internally groaned but did what was suggested to her. She leaned down near Addison’s neck and inhaled. Immediately her eyes widened.

“See? I told you! She really is one of us!” he whispered.

“So that’s why!” Wynter quietly exclaimed.

“That’s why what?” Willa asked.

“I thought my nose was acting funny yesterday because I could smell our scent on her too. But I figured it was the cookies making her smell weird.” she explained.

Still, Willa wasn’t fully convinced; she knew for a fact that they were the only werewolves around here. Not to mention she was human. It was impossible…yet she had it. Even if it was muted with a sugary cookie coating. Well…there was only one thing left to do to confirm whether or not this was legit.

“Good thing she’s asleep – she’d probably freak out for sure.” she thought.

Willa effortlessly contorted her body so as not to disturb her or the pups and leaned her head down near Addison’s pelvic area. With a few deep inhales the answer was crystal clear. “…No way.” she uttered as she stood back up. “She really does have our scent.”

At this point the pack couldn’t contain their curiosity and leaned down to smell Addison as well; all of them had the same wide-eyed reaction. In the midst of their own smell investigation, a blue light caught Willa’s eye. “What the?” It was as fleeting as a field mouse but it drew her attention to the inert stone around Addison’s neck. At first she was going to chalk it up being a reflection of the sun’s rays, but at this point everything needed to be thoroughly investigated. She turned her irises yellow to focus on it and let out a tiny gasp. There was a slow, minuscule pulse emanating from it.

“What’re you looking at?” Wyatt asked when he noticed her eyes shift back from her wolf out.

“…I’m not sure, but there’s definitely more to white hair than meets the eye. And nose in this case.”

“I still can’t believe she has our scent.” one wolf whispered.

“I know right?” another one agreed.

“How’s it that we didn’t notice this before when we first found her?” Wyatt wondered.

“Well, we were preoccupied y’know – what with trying to find our moonstone and all.” Willa reminded. “And our senses were dulled a bit due to not being at full strength.”

“Right…that makes sense.” he agreed, and everyone nodded at that.

“But Addison is quite the anomaly. She’s a human, but smells like a wolf. Not to mention she didn’t change into one when she put on a fully charged necklace.” one wolf summed up.

“I know, it’s definitely a mystery. But we’ll figure that out later. For now let’s get dressed, it’s a little chilly out there.” she replied and everyone quietly walked over to their cubby holes, grabbed their clothes and walked out of the sleeping area to the main area. “Wyatt, I’ll need you to sweep the corridors and shake out the pelts once they wake up.”

“You got it big sister.” he replied.

“Thank you.” she smiled. They gave each other a little fist bump before she left to catch up with the others; some of them were already dressed.

“Hey Willa? When do you think our fur will finally grow in?” Wynter asked as she put her vest back on over her shirt.

The alpha stroked her arm, feeling the fine black hairs that covered it. “Hopefully soon.” she answered.

“I hope so too. Don’t get me wrong I like our fashion style and all, but there’s nothing like being free, y’know?”

“I know exactly what you mean.” she agreed. Soon everyone was ready. “Alright. Wynter, Willow, Rwylo, Wen and Wei, head toward Yunjo fields. Willie, Warren and Row, you’re with me and we’re going to Tillamook ravine” the alpha commanded and the pack howled at that.

“Sounds like they left.” Wyatt noticed as the faint echoes traveled to the back of the den, not disturbing the sleeping occupants one bit. If anything they cuddled closer together, making him grin. “I’d better start cleaning.” and left them be.

The pack’s cleaning regiment was about as strict as any military base. Having a clean, organized area made things easier for sure, but it also got rid of any insects that decided to make their den their home too. Especially spiders. Just one little egg could result in never-ending itching torture. Same thing went for small rodents. Sure it made for a convenient snack, but fleas and ticks weren’t partial to any one animal – if there’s blood, they will feed. “At least all the chrysanthemums will be in full bloom soon.” he thought. That was one good thing about the humans being in their former territory. They brought that foreign flower with them and their ancestors discovered it helped repel a myriad of insects. Needless to say they gathered as many buds as they could and planted them all around whichever den they were in at the time, preserving the seeds to upkeep the floral shield for generations. Still, there were always a few bugs that bypassed the barrier and Wyatt was dead-set on eliminating them.

He reached the room that served as the cleaning closet and grabbed the straw broom as well as the duster – a large stick with green contour duck feathers and pelt strips tied at the end of it. He sharpened his sense of sight by wolfing out and got to work. Thankfully there were only a couple of small spider webs in the lit corridors and just the usual dirt and leaves tracked in from being outside so he finished up rather quickly. He shook out the duster, put the cleaning materials back in the closet and went back into the sleeping area to check on them.

They were still snoring away.

He stretched his arms up, hearing some cracks along his spine before scratching his head. “Hmmm…I wonder if I should wake them up now – it’s almost mid-morning. The longer they sleep, the more hyperactive they’ll be. But if Addison’s this tired…I guess a few more minutes couldn’t hurt.” He settled his internal debate and walked back over to his original sleeping spot. He got on all fours and pawed the pelt underneath him for a bit until it was fluffed up to his liking. But just as he was about to close his eyes, a startling **SNARFF!**made them shoot open. He pushed his upper body up and saw the pup with a now messed up faux hawk smacking his lips together.

“GRRRRMMMMM!” he growled as he stretched out all of his limbs, inadvertently nudging some of his pup-mates. It was like domino effect; one by one the rest of the pups arose from their slumber. Wyatt quickly got up, ready to help Addison in case they decided to get too rough. But it didn’t happen – they just yawned and stretched like the teens did. That was such a relief to him. However all that gentle pawing gradually woke her up too, so he backed up to give her some room.

“Hmmmm.” she stretched out and her vision focused, allowing her to see Wylie’s bright-eyed face as well as the rest of the beaming pups. “**yawwwnnn**Good morning.” she smiled.

Wylie greeted her with her own high pitched howl and the rest followed suit, making Addison giggle. She sat up and the pelt slid off her upper body. “How’d all of you sleep?” she asked.

She got a round of “greats” and “amazing” for an answer. “I’m glad.” she smiled.

“What about you Addy? Did you sleep well?” Wylie asked.

“I did, thanks to all of you. I felt really safe with all of you surrounding me.” she explained, making a couple of the boys puff out their chests a bit.

“You got it Addy.” the pup with the faux hawk replied.

“Yeah! You’re part of team Run B&B now and we got your back.” the pup with the braids added with a thumbs up.

“Run B&B? That’s new.” Wyatt thought while still being inconspicuous; he was completely invested in the interaction taking place.

“What does B&B stand for?” Addison asked.

“Bark and Bite.” they answered.

“Ahh, right. I should’ve guessed.” she sheepishly replied. “Though P&B would’ve been more appropriate.” she thought. And they proved her right when all of them pounced on her. They licked her face and shoulders, inadvertently tickling her. Once again her laughter was as infectious as a catchy melody – Wyatt couldn’t help but chuckle as well.

“H-Hey cut it out! T-That tickles!” she laughed, and Wyatt was surprised when they actually heeded her command.

“…Wow.” he quietly marveled. Normally it’d take him or Willa stepping in to get them to back off. The fact that they already respected her authority spoke volumes of how high they regarded her. “Heh, leader of Team Run B&B. What other surprises do you have in store?” he mused to himself.

“Hey Addy! Do you want to play?” Wylie asked.

“Yeah! Let’s play!” the rest of the pups chimed in.

Sensing the possible danger in their levity, Wyatt stepped in and made his presence known. “Hold on pups, we’ll have plenty of time to play after everyone comes back from hunting. In the meantime Willa wants us to shake off the pelts.”

“Okay.” they replied and got off of Addison.

“Good morning Addison.” Wyatt smiled as he fully entered her line of sight.

However her eyes widened to the size of dinner plates and her voice got caught in her throat when she saw that he was nude. She quickly glanced down at herself and realized that her shirt was still off to the side! She was topless in front of him! In front of the pups! For all this time! “CRAP!” she internally screamed and quickly covered her chest with her arms.

“What’s wrong Addy? Are you cold?” Wylie asked when they saw the sudden movement and felt the anxiety rise within her. It’s no secret that animals are very perceptive to emotions, and having hers flip from complete bliss to absolute terror felt like a swift punch to the gut; even Wyatt stumbled a bit from the mental whiplash. The pups took initiative and covered her with a pelt.

“Betta?” the youngest one asked, but Addison was still a stuttering mess.

“Holy crap! I’m naked in front of Wyatt! In front of the children! What’s wrong with me?! Why didn’t I wake up earlier?! They probably think I’m weird! What if they think I’m…ugly?” were just a small sample of the rampant, poisonous thoughts speeding through her mind. She tightly closed her eyes and started shuddering, even though she wasn’t cold.

Wyatt’s heart ached when he sensed the panic within her. He whined full of regret, for he knew why she was acting like this…and that he was the cause of it. It didn’t dawn on him that his nudity could be uncomfortable for her because she just looked so at ease with the pups. But whether she had their scent or not, she was still raised as a human. He knew they were very self-conscious about their appearances, especially when it came to other people seeing them nude.

The pups looked between him and Addison, desperately trying to figure out where this sudden tension came from. Wyatt grabbed a pelt and wrapped it around his waist before stepping forward. The pups moved out of the way and he crouched down in front of her, being mindful to give her some space. “Addison.” he spoke but she flinched and didn’t make eye contact. Another guilt-coated dart pierced his heart and he whined again. “I-I’m sorry.”

When she heard him speak with such a defeated tone Addison instantly opened her eyes and met his gaze. And what she saw in those copper eyes rocked her to her core; she couldn’t prevent herself from letting out a small gasp.

Shame.

A forlorn look that she herself displayed numerous times for many years whenever she had to put on that dreaded wig to conceal her natural hair. Sure her white hair was out in the open now and had been deemed more or less acceptable…but the scars remained. The uplifting pep talks she would give herself in the mornings, complimenting her looks and strength, could only go so far before that spark was snuffed out by the aceys or some other jerk. Though her friends were always there to support her and reignite that spark, the fact remained that she was still always the odd one out.

But with the werewolves, it was different. They were the ones who made her feel normal – like she belonged. Sure she was perceived as this destined God-send at first, but when that turned out not to be the case, they didn’t reject her. They still treated her like one of their own and it was an absolute honor to be associated with such a proud, self-assured community. But to see that look on Wyatt’s face was wrong on so many levels. It should’ve never appeared, but it did…and it was all her fault.

She didn’t even know where to begin fixing damage her bodily response caused, but Wyatt kept talking, “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable, I swear I didn’t!” His hands hovered near her and she desperately wanted to lean into his touch as she did so many times before, but her body was still frozen in fear, in ingrained judgement, in her own insecurities cultivated by condemning human hands.

He sighed and retracted his hands, bunching up the pelt above his knees. “I-I’ll put my clothes on right now.” When he uttered that last crushed syllable, something inside her snapped. She wasn’t about to start growing damaging weeds in his mind like the others did to her. She was not stooping to their level, inadvertently or not. Her stuttering vocal chords started moving coherently and she shouted,

“Wyatt NO! Please don’t!”

The vulnerability yet strength in her voice stilled everyone. The prominent blush that was already there got even redder when the double implication of what she said caught up with her. “A-And I didn’t mean it like that!” she quickly backtracked and took a deep breath to get her thoughts in order. “What I mean is, I’m sorry. I’m the one being inconsiderate…and just down-right silly. This your den, your territory. Please please please don’t change for me. Your uniqueness is what makes your community so amazing!” and that managed to put a small smile on Wyatt’s face. But she wasn’t done. “All of you have been hiding for who knows how long, trying fit into the human world practically overnight to try and find your moonstone. You were put in a difficult position in having to come out of your comfort zone and confront your biggest fears. …What kind of person would I be to make someone feel inadequate in their own home?" she silently asked as her shoulders slumped in the very shame she was trying to dispel.

Wyatt was completely slack-jawed; he couldn’t believe what he heard. In that moment he remembered that fleeting thought that entered his mind when Addison praised him after catching that rabbit. Granted the prawn may have dissipated some of the prejudices against werewolves, but if people were to see them now…would those prejudices return? He hoped not, but the possibility was high. Yet once again Addison exuded profound compassion and discernment beyond anything he’d ever experienced before. His stomach felt like there were a million jumping grasshoppers in it and his body immediately responded in part to the sincerity that came out of her. He quickly pulled her into a tight yet comforting embrace. He felt her stiffen up as their bare chests touched – her heart beating just as fast as his. He hoped against all odds that she’d forgive him for his outburst, but he needed to have his say. Through a shaky voice he whispered, “You have no idea how much it means to me to have you say that…to feel normal with someone else other than my pack. Addison…thank you.” He sucked back in a shuddering breath and leaned his head down into the crook of her neck, taking in their shared scent to ground himself.

Addison could feel tears pooling in her eyes when she heard his confession; even the wolves weren’t immune to insecurities. Wyatt felt her un-cross her arms and return the embrace with just as strong of a grip. She rubbed his back and whispered, “Believe me, I know what it feels like. I had to hide my hair for eleven years…even in my own home. But I couldn’t live a lie anymore. That was the ultimate disrespect to myself. And I didn’t want to do that to you. But I did…and I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to! I just…**sigh** more bad habits I guess.”

He gradually separated himself from her but still kept his hands on her shoulders. He took in her puffy countenance and tears marks on her cheeks. He could feel himself getting emotional as well but on the opposite spectrum. He was just so moved by the concern she showed for him that he couldn’t help getting a little misty. “Addison, you could never disrespect me. Even with your crazy howls.” and he licked her tears away, tickling her a bit.

“R-Really?” she asked as she rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand.

“Really.” he replied, making her smile. They hugged each other once again – their earlier shame vanishing in an instant.

Sensing the tension dissipate the pups pounced on top them and licked their faces, making everyone giggle.

“A-Alright, a-alright! There’s still a j-job to be done.” Wyatt managed to say in the midst of his laughter and pups got off of them. He stood up first then offered his hand out to her. She graciously accepted the assist and stood up too. He didn’t miss how taut her shoulders were from still being shy about her appearance, but slowly and surely they relaxed as her nervousness disappeared.

“Wyatt.” she spoke.

“Yes?”

“I meant what I said.” and she glanced down at the pelt around his waist.

“…Are you sure?” he hesitantly asked.

“I am.” she assured with such conviction that he couldn’t help but relax.

“…Okay.” he agreed and undid the loose knot holding it up. It fell to the floor without a sound, letting his body be on full display once again. Her eyes couldn’t help but roam over his muscular physique, taking note of the rune tattoos on his arms and legs; not to mention a couple of scars on his tan skin. Wyatt smiled at her modesty when he noticed her eyes glance up from time to time before reaching the pelvic area of his body, even though that part was mainly obscured by newly sprouted fur.

“Your body is stunning!” she sincerely complimented, making him blush.

“Thank you. Your body is quite lovely as well.” he praised while continuing to admire her own athletic build underneath her supple skin. Her blush returned and she clasped her hands behind her. She shuffled in place, a little bit embarrassed but happy nonetheless. “Y’know, in our pack we view and treat our bodies like a sacred temple. Allowing others to see it is a sign of complete and absolute trust.” he smiled.

Her eyes widened when the implication of what he said clicked in her head. She looked at the pups and they smiled at her too. She started to get choked up again and she knew she was sounding like a broken record when she whispered, “R-Really?”

“Yea Addy! You’re really nice and pretty!” Wylie assured as she hugged around her midsection; the rest of the pups followed suit with the littlest one grabbing her leg.

“T-Thank you.” she managed to speak, her voice nearly overcome with emotion. She wiped the budding tears out of her eyes and affectionately rubbed each one of their heads. “All of you look absolutely darling too.” she praised, making most of them giggle.

However the pup with the braids scoffed and replied, “I ain’t darling. I’m cool! See?” and he let her go and flexed his little biceps. Addison had to cover her mouth to prevent herself from cooing at how adorable he was being, even more so when the pup with the faux hawk and another caramel-colored boy with a nicely trimmed black faded hairstyle with a white patch on the back of his head started having a flex-off.

“You’re right, my mistake.” she amended. The rest of the pups let her go so she could crouch down. “May I feel your muscles?” she asked.

The boys didn’t need to be asked twice and all of them held out their arms. She gave each one a gentle squeeze and complimented, “Wow! I bet you guys can knock out a bear with one punch!”

“You know it!” the boy with fade agreed, making her chuckle.

Then something occurred to her. “Y’know, I haven’t had the chance to learn your names yet.” She looked to Wyatt and asked, “I-Is it alright if I know their names? I mean I know Wylie’s because of…mitigating circumstances. But I understand if I can’t until I pass the trials.”

“Of course you can know their names. And everyone else’s for that matter.” he chuckled. “What were you going to do in the meantime if you couldn’t?”

“Give you guys nicknames I guess?” Addison shrugged.

“Just like Big Mama!” Wylie said.

“Who’s Big Mama?” she asked.

“One of the elders. Her name is Usawa Stoneclaw, but everyone calls her Big Mama. She gave everyone in the pack a nickname.” he explained.

“Really? What’s yours?” she asked.

“I’ll tell you later, I promise. For now, pups! Go on ahead and introduce yourselves.” and they heeded his command. The pup with the faux hawk went first. “My name’s Wylan Howlfitz and I’m Wylie’s little brother.”

“Could’ve fooled me.” Addison thought when she saw the noticeable height difference; he had at least four inches on her.

The boy with the braids pointed his thumb to himself and said, “And I’m Kraw Oakpaw.”

"Heh, K.O. would've been a perfect nickname for him" she internally grinned.

“My name is Trew Rivertail.” a little boy quietly spoke. He had a few freckles on his cream-colored cheeks and shoulders. He had dazzling green eyes and curly brown hair with the signature white spot on the right side of his head.

"Awww! He's as gentle as a lamb." she smiled.

“My name is Gnaw Rawro.” the pup with the fade said. “And this is my little sister Nawnu.” and the little wolf waved at her; Addison smiled and waved back.

“I’m Wanda Yipfern and it’s nice to see you again!” a mocha-colored girl introduced herself. She was one of the bigger pups along with Wylan and Kraw. Her loose, curled hair was parted down the middle and tied into two cute little side puffs, her white streak on the left side.

“Nice to see you again too.” she replied, recalling how she not only danced with Wyatt when she first came here, but also hung out with Zoey. “You’re Zoey’s friend too, right?”

“Yeah! Actually, she was talking about possibly being pen pals – writing letters to each other. I told her I would…but I remembered I don’t know where she lives.”

“Say no more. Consider me your personal postal person! I’ll take your letters over to her whenever I can.” Addison replied.

“Really?!” she squealed.

“I promise.” and she crossed her heart.

“Thanks Addy! Oh, I should make her a gift too, right? Is that something pen pals do?” she asked.

“You can send whatever you want, so long as it’s not dangerous.” she explained.

“Cool! I’m gonna get started!”

Just before she ran off to wherever she was going, Wyatt said, “Hold on Wanda, we still have to shake out the pelts remember?”

“Oh yeah...right.” she sheepishly scratched the back of her head.

“Here, I’ll help too.” Addison offered.

“Thank you Addison.” Wyatt smiled.

“Just let me grab my phone so I can text my parents once we’re outside.” She went over to her bag, took it out and turned it on. “Wow…I slept in pretty late.” she thought when she saw that it was almost 9am. She stuck in her pocket and said, “Ready.”

“Cool. Just pick up as many as you can.” he instructed.

“Got it.” Everyone grabbed some and took them outside the den entrance; the only cloth still on the floor was her folded shirt.

They put them in a pile on top of the rocks proceeded to shake out each one. Some of them were pretty big and it required Wyatt and Addison’s combined assistance. Kraw thought it’d be cool to bounce around on top while they did that so he hopped on.

“Woohoo! Yeah! This is awesome!” he laughed.

Wyatt didn’t have the heart to scold him, especially since Addison was laughing as well. He was more surprised that she had the strength to do it. Soon everyone got a turn on the makeshift wave trampoline. In no time at all they were done.

“Great job everyone!” he praised, and they gave each other high-fives.

“Hey Wyatt? What exactly did we shake off anyway? Just dirt and dust?”

“And bugs.” he added.

She gulped and instinctively she looked over her body, expecting to see swollen red dots. But there weren’t any. “Don’t worry, we typically don’t get bugs in our den until summer. And even then it’s not a lot thanks to the chrysanthemum.” and he pointed to a few yellow and magenta flowers near the entrance. “It repels insects.”

“Huh, I didn’t know that.” she commented.

“Yeah. There'll be way more flowers than that, but it doesn't keep'em all out; some bugs are resilient. We’ll give them a real washing later.” he said.

“I see. But then why do you have little uncovered holes in the walls of the sleeping area?” she asked.

“They’re not uncovered, they have clear sugar-pine sap over them. It’s porous enough to allow fresh air through, but sticky enough to keep bugs out so we can have little windows.” he explained.

“Such ingenuity.” she marveled.

“That’s nothing, wait til you see the rest of the den. In fact, let’s give you a tour! After all this is your home now too!” he grinned and the pups agreed.

“Yeah!” “C’mon Addy, we’ll show you where we keep our treasures!” and they started tugging on her hands.

“Okay okay.” Addison laughed. “I just need to send a message my parents really quick.”

They let go of her hands so she could take out her phone and text them. Thankfully she had a couple bars of service. <Good morning mom. Good morning dad. I’m awake and safe.>

A few seconds later she hears a **PING** <That’s such a relief! When will you be home?> her mother replied.

<In a couple hours. My friends want to show me around their home.> she responded.

<Ok. Text when you get home.> and that was that.

“Huh…that’s surprising. I’d thought she’d put up more of a fight and insist I come home this instant. …Maybe they’re saving their energy up for a long lecture.” she internally groaned. “Well, I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it.” She turned the phone off and stuck it back in her pocket. They gathered up all the pelts and put them back in the sleeping area, laying them all over the floor like before.

“Shall we?” Wyatt asked and offered his hand.

“Let us shall.” she smiled and placed her hand in his - melding perfectly together.

Chapter 6: Welcome To Your New Home! (roughousing encouraged)

Chapter Text

“WELCOME TO THE WOLF’S DEN!” Wyatt gestured with his arms out wide.

Addison chuckled at his grandiose re-introduction of the area she had grown so fond of. The light of moonstone and luminescent rocks blended beautifully with the sunlight spilling in.

“This is the main area – the equivalent of a human living room.” he described.

“I wish my living room was like this.” she thought. No matter how matter times she walked through it, the architecture and artwork never ceased to amaze her. She could spend hours just lying on her back staring at all the aesthetically pleasing elements.

He noticed that she was looking up at the ceiling, and decided feed her curiosity. “The ceiling apparatus closes up with a crank right over here.” he explained, and led her to a little nook underneath the stairs. He opened a rectangular, stone-slab door and there was the mechanism. “We seal the den whenever it rains or snows, but it makes one impressive art piece. It even acts as a sun dial. C’mon, we’ll show you!” and they led her upstairs to the lookout deck. Sure enough there was a yellow orb past the nine o’clock position on the floor.

“Cool!” she expressed.

“If you think that’s cool, wait til you see the view!” he grinned, and the pups took initiative by turning her around. A loud **GASP** full of awe and wonder came out of her mouth when she saw it. Her eyes drank in the stunning scenery like she would never see it again. It was a lush composition of trees in every shade of green imaginable, with interspersed bouts of spring colors – all complimented exquisitely by the shimmering cerulean lake in the distance. A myriad of words came to her mind to describe this hidden paradise, but the only one she could say was, “Incredible.”

“Yea, it sure is.” he agreed as he gazed upon her, but noticed her awestruck smile fading away. “What’s wrong Addison?”

“…I’m sorry that your pack lost so much of it.” she sadly expressed. He followed her line of sight to the outskirts of Seabrook; its painted-over grey construction acted as a shadow to the forest.

Wyatt quietly hummed in acknowledgement. That sentiment was a long-standing one within the pack…until recently. “Y’know…whenever we would get down like that the elders would tell us not to focus on what we’ve lost, but what we’ve gained. And I’d say we gained a whole lot.” he smiled, and gently tousled her hair. Addison smiled and nodded at that. “And this is just a small area of our territory. Just wait til you see the rest of it!”

“Yeah! Wherever the sunlight and moonlight touch, we go.” Wylan added, making her chuckle. “What’s so funny Addy?”

“Nothing. What you said just reminded me of a scene from one of my favorite movies.” she replied.

“What a movee?” Nawnu asked.

“It’s like a story with moving pictures.” she explained.

“We have that!” Gnaw exclaimed.

“You do?”

“Yeah. Elder Smithy can make the pictures on the walls can move.” he explained.

“What? Really? How? Or is that a werewolf secret?”

“…Yeah, it is. Sorry.” Wyatt apologized.

“Don’t be, it just gives me something to look forward to when I pass my trials.” she stated, and he could feel her competitive spirit.

“You sure will, there’s no doubt about it! And that won’t be the only thing you’ll get to look forward too. When you pass your hunting trial, you’ll get your own custom-tailored vest!”

“But you guys already gave me one.” she reminded.

“Yeah, but that was just a spare that happened to fit. This one will be personally made for you in your own style.” he clarified.

“Really?!”

“Yep! Y’see, our vests are very important to us because they’re made out of our first kill.” he explained as they walked back down the stairs. “Obviously alterations are made as we grow up, but the fur stays the same.” he added while running his claws through the white/brown fur adorning his garment.

“Wow! So that fur is from the first animal you ever hunted?” she asked, and he proudly nodded at that. “What did you catch?”

“This!” and he pointed to a picture of a little werewolf holding a brown and white rabbit by the foot.

“That’s you??”

“Uh huh!” he smiled.

“Whoa…that rabbit’s huge.” she commented.

“Yeah, that’s a snowshoe hare. I was able track down one of the fastest, most elusive animals in the woods. And just as winter was ending no less. They’re practically invisible to the naked eye due to their changing coat, but I caught it all by myself.” he fondly remembered.

“That’s amazing!” she praised.

“Heh, thank you.”

“How old were you?” she asked while still looking at the painting.

“Seven. My mom and dad were there to watch me, but for the most part I was hunting solo.” he answered.

“I know they were super proud of you.” she smiled.

“Yeah…they were.” he replied as his mind took him back to that eventful day. Remembering how his dad spun him around when he showed them his kill, his mom peppering him with praises and kisses, and even Willa initiating a game chase to see if he was really that fast enough to catch a rabbit.

Addison didn’t miss the wistful tone of his voice, nor the faraway look he was sporting. She put her hand on his shoulder, startling him out of his reminiscent stupor. He looked at her, seeing the empathy in her eyes. He even could’ve sworn he heard her whine a little. He smiled at her affectionately and rubbed her head again. “I know we’ll be proud with whatever you catch, and I’m sure Elder Moss will make you an exceptional vest” he remarked.

“Elder Moss? Are Moss and Smithy nicknames?” she asked; for the most part all of the werewolves had a W in their name. Whether or not it was just coincidence, she wasn’t sure.

“Yeah, they are. Elder Moss’s name is Wanbli Tyetooth and he’s an excellent tailor. He’s been making and teaching the pack how to make clothes for as long as I can remember. And Elder Smithy’s name is Worion Stoneclaw.”

“Stoneclaw? Is he related to Elder Usawa?” she asked.

“He’s her mate.” he answered.

“We’ll show you why we call him Elder Smithy when we get to the treasure room.” Trew added.

“Okay.” she automatically replied, but Wyatt sensed her mind was elsewhere.

“I can tell you have something on you mind. Don’t be afraid – go on ahead and let it out.” he assured.

“…Are you sure? I don’t want to learn any secrets if I’m not supposed to.”

“I’m sure. Besides, the elders always tell us that getting knowledge is the wisest thing anyone can do. So we’ll consider it a pre-trial lesson.” he smiled.

“…Okay.” she hesitantly agreed before taking a moment to formulate her question. “I understand the significance of the vest, but why do you guys wear clothes and shoes if for the most part go without it? Not that there’s anything wrong with it, your style is awesome! I was just…curious.”

He mentally debated whether or not he could share the reason. “Hmm…this should be fine, it isn’t anything too revealing. Plus I don’t want to be a hypocrite.” he decided. “…At the time, we didn’t have a choice.” he replied, and led her to another picture. This one had numerous werewolves that kinda resembled the ones Addison had seen in movies before transitioning to nude figures that were huddled together. “Before the moonstone was stolen from us, we didn’t need clothes because we were covered in fur – just like our ancestors. Our hands and feet also had paw pads on them, making us resistant to the ever-changing surface we walked on. We were well-protected from the cold winters and sometimes blistering summers, especially from the bugs. The only ones that needed clothes were newborn pups and it was mainly sown together pelts. But once our necklaces started losing power, we couldn’t maintain our true forms anymore. Whatever remaining power we had was used solely for defense. So in order to combat the harsh climates, we all started wearing our own style of clothes and shoes” he finished.

“…No way.” she whispered. “So this is what Willa meant when they needed the moonstone to become their true werewolf selves. I couldn’t even begin to fathom the void left from being separated from a major part of yourself.” she thought.

“…Yeah. Most of our history isn’t…ideal.” he bitterly expressed.

“…Most peoples' aren’t.” she whispered to herself as she thought about her own upbringing. She was taken out of her melancholy when she felt someone grip her hand. She looked down and saw that Wylie was the one holding it. A small **whiiiine** came out of her, and she squeezed it a little tighter – comforting her the only way she knew how. Addison looked around and saw the worried looks on the rest of the pups’ faces. She offered a small smile and said, “But it’s like you said Wyatt, we need to focus on what we’ve gained. And I’m so glad you guys are gaining your true form back! I can’t wait to see it when I become part of the pack.” and that made everyone perk up.

“Heh, you’re absolutely right.” Wyatt replied.

“But I’m going to apologize in advance.” she suddenly stated.

“Huh? For what?” he asked.

“If your fur is as soft as your hair I won’t be able to resist petting you all the time.” she confessed and that made everyone laugh.

“I won’t mind if you do.” he grinned. “What about you pups? Will you mind?”

“Nope!” they all replied.

He nodded and said, “C’mon, we still have so much to show you.” Wylan grabbed her other hand, and the little siblings led her down the lit corridor.

“By the way, what makes these stones glow?” she asked.

“Luminescent bacteria. Our ancestors found this huge quarry where they live and excavated some. They’re not dangerous, and we return them to their habitat once their stone is almost whittled down so they can find another one to live in.” he answered.

“Wow, that’s so cool! The entire forest is chock-full of amazing things!”

“Oh you have no idea.” he grinned as they walked back to the sleeping area. “This sleeping area is where adolescent wolves and pups rest.” To bolster his description, the pups flopped down on the pelts and rolled around a bit.

Now that it was fully illuminated she grasped just how big it really was…and how big their pack used to be. But she quickly dismissed that thought – things were going to be better now. “My house could fit in here.” she realized as she looked around, seeing not only the ceiling mural but dozens upon dozens of paintings as well; those were a bit more childlike in their design. She smiled at that, this whole area felt like a storybook.

Wyatt chuckled when he saw the wonder within her eyes before gently grabbing her hand and leading her to the next area across the way. “And this is where the adults and newborn pups sleep.”

“Oh my God…looks truly are deceiving. Just two rooms could be a million dollar estate.” she thought. This room was vastly different from the adolescent area. There were still beautiful illustrations on the walls, but this room looked like it had separate areas within it – almost like hotel rooms without doors. Each one was separated by different colored stalagmites that blended perfectly with stone construction, and they were padded with comfortable pelts.

“Wyatt, how old are you?” she asked.

“Seventeen.” he answered.

“Huh…you’re a year older than me. Or it could be just a couple months.” she realized.

“Why do you ask?”

“I was just wondering how old would you have to be until you’re able to sleep in this room. I’m guessing the age to be considered an adult is different for a werewolf than it is for a human.” she replied, and that made him blush.

“Um…well… I mean given everything that happened…technically the pack is old enough to sleep here, except for the pups obviously. It just…depends.” he got out despite his stuttering.

“Depends on what?” she asked, still not getting it.

“If a male and female are…y’know…mates. And if they’re…well…active.” he squeaked out.

Realization coupled with a deep, red blush dawned on her face. “Ooooohhhh r-right! You did say newborns could sleep here too.” she recalled, and glanced at the wandering pups. Yeah…it’d be better to have privacy for that kind of activity. Then again she didn’t know how mating dynamics worked in the pack, and she wasn’t about to ask anytime soon. She barely had the talk with her own parents.

“**ahem! ** Let’s continue, shall we?” he suggested trying to clear the awkwardness in the air, and she nodded wholeheartedly. The pups looked at each other – clearly missing something going on between them. But it didn’t feel like the emotional storm Addy had earlier, so they let it go.

They walked past the sectioned areas until they reached the back wall – a giant, purple paw-print was painted on it. “This is our emergency exit. Only someone from our pack can open it.”

“Wait a sec…our pack? That means there’s more than one?!” she exclaimed.

“Observant hearing.” he noted, but had to put his foot down in this instance. “I’m sorry, I can’t answer that for you yet.” he regretfully said.

“Right, right sorry! I’ll keep my mouth shut.” and she clamped her lips tight.

“You don’t have to do that. Besides, I like hearing your voice.” and that made her smile.

He put his hand on the wall, and his moonstone started glowing. He barked something in the native werewolf language, and the paw print lit up too. But while he was barking, something started humming inside her ears. She swiped the air around them, thinking it was a buzzing bug, but that wasn’t the case. Then the humming started turning into letter sounds. “Huh? Nanu…Strength? What’s going on? Who’s talking?” She looked around and saw that Wyatt was the only one still speaking. But now it was starting to sound like regular English! “Wh-what? I can understand it now?!” She was taken out of her thoughts when the immediate area suddenly started rumbling. The wall shifted over to the right, revealing a hidden passage way. “Whoooa.” she awed; it was like something straight out of an adventure novel. But it was pitch black inside.

“Don’t worry, we’ll be right here.” he assured when he sensed her trepidation. He gently grabbed her hand and she nodded. “Alright Team Run B&B! Lead the way.” he commanded, and Trew took the lead.

The tunnel wasn’t nearly as wide as the corridors of the den; they had to walk in a single file line. In the midst of the inky depths she could make out a light up a head. With that little bit of illumination, she noticed that there wasn’t any stone construction along the walls – it was all dug out like a giant gopher tunnel. She could even see a few big roots overhead. Soon they came to the bright spot and she wasn’t surprised to see more luminescent rocks. But these ones were giant, crystal-clear boulders – each one was placed in front of a different path.

“The wolves of the past set up decoy paths in case we were ever followed by any threats. Pups, which way do we go?” he asked.

“Green is mean, red leaves you dead, but blue is true,” they recited.

“…Interesting rhyme,” Addison thought, but was thoroughly confused. “I-I don’t see anything.” she admitted.

“Wait for it…” Wyatt replied, and in a quick flash each stone lit up with the corresponding color – the safe way being off to the left.

“Oh wow! How does the bacteria do that?”

“We’re not sure. We figured that the composition of these particular rocks makes them glow like that. But they’re not in any pain, we know that much.” he replied.

“That’s good, but I’m not surprised. Your pack is quite nurturing.” she praised, getting a smile out of him.

They continue leading her down the right paths as the tunnels branch off every couple of meters until they reach a supposed dead-end. Wyatt lets go of her hand, and maneuvers around the pups to reach the wall. He places his hands on the ceiling and wolfs out. With a grunting **GROWL** he pushes up, making a panel above him shift and move. Addison and the pups shield their eyes with their arms as some dirt falls on top of them. Sunlight streams through the opening, and he went out first. Addison made sure all the pups got out okay before he put his arm back in to help her out.

“Whooooa.” she gasped when she saw the sight in front of her. The whole area was covered with ash-white trees; dozens of butterflies, beetles, woodpeckers and other magnificent animals fed on the oozing, golden tree sap. Another hidden gem in this diverse ecosystem. The pups ran towards the trees trying to catch the fluttering insects. She chuckled at their playful antics, especially when they all stopped to see a couple of monarch butterflies perched atop Wylan’s head.

“Are we still in The Forbidden Forest?” she asked.

“Yup. Like you said, our territory is chock-full of surprises.” he grinned. “And by the way, our territory’s name isn’t The Forbidden Forest. That’s just what the humans decided to call it.”

“Really?”

“Yep. Still doesn’t stop them from coming in though.” he cheekily grinned, and poked her ribs with her elbow.

“Oh ha ha.” she sarcastically laughed, and pushed him away. “What’s the actual name then? Maybe I can have my mom bring it up in the next council meeting to change it on the maps and surrounding signs. It’s about time that Seabrook started treating the pack with the respect they deserve.”

“I appreciate that, I really do, but Willa and the elders will have to decide on that one. Even though they named it The Forbidden Forest because they were scared of the stories about us, in the long run it helped keep our pack safe from human attacks…for the most part.” he quietly added, and the realization dawned on her.

“…Now I understand. Having it be called The Forbidden Forest really reinforces the “Do Not Enter” warning written underneath it on the signs.”

“…Yup.” he confirmed. He didn’t miss the regret nor disappointment her whole body displayed as she glanced at the ground, and kicked a couple of pebbles. He put his hand on top of her head, making her look up at him. “Addison, we don’t need respect from that superficial town. Your genuine compassion, bravery and respect for us is something that we’ll treasure forever.” he passionately spoke. She did a double take before his heartfelt words truly settled into her soul. She smiled and nodded – his message clear as day. Quality, not quantity.

“Thank you Wyatt.” she graciously said.

“No, thank you.” he replied, and ruffled her hair a bit. “Would you still like to know the true name of our land?”

“Yes please!” she eagerly replied.

“We call it Amartiwok Woods.” he answered.

“United wolf woods.” she translated, making him do a double take.

“Y-Yeah, that’s right. How’d you know that?” he asked.

“I-I don’t know, I just…did.” she replied, a little confused where that knowledge came from as well.

“Did you happen to understand what I was saying when I opened the entrance to the emergency exit?” he asked.

“Uhhh…kinda? You were barking pretty fast, but it sounded like Nanu strength?” she admitted, and his eyes could’ve been mini bird baths with how big they got. “…I was way off wasn’t I?”

“N-no! You’re…you’re actually really close.” he replied, still a little stunned by this new development.

“What?! Really?! But how?!” This was beginning to be a little too much for her mind to process. “Is the moonstone doing something to me?!” she asked, nervousness and excitement rolled into her tone.

“I don’t know. Try howling something.” he advised.

“O-Okay.” and she thought about what she wanted to say. She took a deep breath, and let out a short howl. Somehow she didn’t startle the feeding animals in the slightest. But the pups ran back over to her, concern written all over their faces.

“Addy, its okay! The butterflies won’t hurt you.” Wylie assured.

“Wait what?”

“You just said, “I’m scared of butterflies.” Wyatt clarified.

“What?! No! No no no, that’s not what I meant to say! I was trying to say “I love wolves.” garnering a few “AWWWWSSS!” out of them. At this point she was pacing back and forth. “Okay, now I’m really confused. I can somewhat understand werewolf language now, but I can’t speak it? How does that work?” she exasperated while rubbing her forehead.

“I’m sorry Addison, I wish I had an answer for you. It’s definitely a mystery.” he replied. But in the back of his mind he thought, “I wonder if this has anything to do with her having our scent, or whatever Willa saw on her.”

But he was taken out of his thoughts when the pups squealed, “A mystery?!” and a twinkle appeared in their eyes.

“Don’t worry Addy, we’re great detectives!” Kraw boasted. “Let’s start with the clues.”

“Uh Kraw? We only have one clue.” Trew pointed out.

“One’s better than none.” he replied.

“Uhh…alright. Well…Addy can kinda understand werewolf words, but can’t speak them.” Trew listed.

“But only werewolves can understand our language.” Wanda pointed out.

Then Wylie gasped, “Does that mean you’re one of us?! I mean you are, you’re an honorary wolf and all, but I mean-” and Addison smiled at her.

“It’s alright Wylie, I know what you meant. But that’s not the case. …I wish it was though.” she quietly added as she touched her moonstone necklace.

“Hmmm…maybe the necklace made you half wolf.” Gnaw guessed.

“Hooman wolf.” Nawnu added.

“Technically that’s what a werewolf is, by human definition anyway.” she thought. “You might be right. Maybe the necklace did give me some abilities. If so, that’s flippin’ awesome! That makes me feel even closer to this pack.” she grinned.

“Yeah!” everyone replied.

“Wyatt, what exactly did you say to open the emergency exit anyway?” she asked, and he stilled at that.

A part of him so desperately wanted to repeat the words but he knew that that was an absolute pack secret. “…I’m sorry, I can’t tell you. Not yet. It’s one thing to figure it out, but something else entirely to divulge a major werewolf secret.”

“Don’t be sorry, I understand. I don’t know what I was thinking asking for a password, that’s a secret thing for anyone. Guess I got ahead of myself.” she sheepishly scratched the back of her head.

He smiled and replied, “It’s alright. I don’t blame you for being excited. Don’t lose that enthusiasm though, okay?”

“Okay.” she promised.

He nodded at that and said, “C’mon, let’s head back.” The pups took the lead again, and led her back to the den while he made sure the exit was properly sealed.

“So, where to next?” she asked.

“Let’s go to the treasure room!” Gnaw excitedly suggested. He and his little sister dragged her out of the adult resting area with everyone else catching up. Soon they arrive at a room near the adolescent area that actually had some semblance of a wooden door in front of it.

“Ready?” Gnaw asked, practically bouncing up and down in place while his hand was on the doorknob.

“Ready!” she eagerly replied – his enthusiasm latching onto her too.

“Welcome to…” and he paused for dramatic effect. He pushed the door open and an inviting yellow, glory light spilled out – only thing missing was the angelic music. “The treasure room!”

She gasped and slowly walked inside. In the room there were shelves upon shelves filled with all kinds of toys, instruments, and other knickknacks. It felt like she was in Toys R Us museum, and it fascinated her to no end.

“I take it you like our little collection?” Wyatt chuckled when he saw that she was too amazed for words for a few minutes.

That snapped her out of it and she fervently nodded. “Where did you guys get these toys?” she asked pointing to some that were clearly from a store.

“Like I said, even with a name like The Forbidden Forest it still doesn’t stop people from coming here. Humans would come by, especially during summer and autumn, to camp. For the most part we leave them alone, but whenever they would get too close to our territory we’d scare them off by barking at them. When they left, we cleaned up whatever they left behind so it wouldn’t damage the forest. Sometimes they left toys, and these were always my favorite.” He reached up and grabbed a wood-carved wolf whose legs and jaw were able to move, and a push-down green top. He held them out to her, and she carefully took them out of his hands.

“Wooow, this one is beautiful.” she awed while taking in the intricate details on the wolf. “I can’t believe someone would leave this behind.”

“No one left that behind. Elder Worion made it for me.” he explained.

“He makes lots of toys! He can make just about anything – that’s why we call him Smithy.” Wylan added.

“He sure can.” she praised, and rubbed her thumb over the polished wood. Then she turned her attention to the top.

“This one used to light up, but it stopped a few years ago. None of the batteries from the other toys we found could fit in it. I tried to use my moonstone to charge them, but it didn’t work either.” he explained, and she could hear the disappointment in his tone. She handed him back his wolf and examined the top. She turned it around and saw the compartment opening for the batteries. She popped it open and saw what the problem was.

“Hmm…these type of batteries aren’t used that much, so they’re not as common as others. But I can get them for you if you’d like.” she offered.

“Really?!”

“Of course!” she smiled, then let out a small “Oh!” when he brought her in for a hug.

“Thank you Addison!” he happily expressed.

“It’s my pleasure.” she replied, and returned the embrace. Once he let go, she turned her attention to the pups and asked, “Do you guys have any toys that you want me to see if I can get batteries for?”

They wasted no time in taking a few toys off the shelves – from robots to tiny pianos to RC monster trucks. “Oh…oh wow. Hopefully I’ll have enough money for all this.” she thought while looking at all the toys near her feet.

Sensing her train of thought, Wyatt grabbed a treasure chest coin bank and opened the top. “Here Addison, this should help with the cost.” and gave her a crumpled bill. She took it and opened it up. Needless to say her eyes bugged out when she saw it was a $100 bill.

“The humans leave more than just toys.” he smirked. “We have no use for money, but we thought it’d be a good thing to hold onto just in case.”

“T-Thanks Wyatt, this’ll help out a lot.” she gratefully expressed.

“Of course.” he smiled.

“Could you help me carry these back to my bag please?” she asked the pups. They heeded her command and each one picked up as many as they could carry. They all walked back to their sleeping area, and she emptied her bag to make room for the toys. Thankfully everything, including what she brought, fit inside.

“Nice. Let’s keep on touring,” she said, and grabbed Wyatt’s hand again.

He glanced back at her shirt that was still on the floor, and fondly thought, “She really is comfortable around us.”

This time they went down a corridor that branched off the main one, and an aroma tickled Addison’s nose. Wyatt saw her nose twitch and asked, “Can you guess where we’re going next?”

“The kitchen.” she smiled as the scent of herbs and spices got stronger. Just like the other rooms, this one could’ve been a five-star kitchen in a mansion. Shelves were built into the walls and contained a plethora of wooden canisters; each one labeled in their language. Surprisingly she couldn’t make out the words. Up above were various peppers and other herbs hanging from twine. “I didn’t know wolves liked spicy foods.”

“Only a few do. Me, not so much. Bleh!” he replied while sticking his tongue out, and the pups followed suit; Addison giggled at that.

There were also plates, cups, jugs, clayware, cast iron pots and pans and other cooking utensils stored near a copper basin that looked like it had red stones embedded into it. Around the basin were little slits in the floor. Right above it was an intricate carved stone wolf head that had a few drops of water dripping from the fangs – she guessed that it was the sink area. In the center of the room was massive wooden table that doubled as a dual, detachable cutting board. Underneath it were drawers that contained stone knives that could rival the sharpest blades. There were also large, beautifully painted pottery all around – sealed tight with matching clay lids.

As she walked around, being mindful not to bump into any of the drying spices, she came across a double door. “What’s in here?” she asked.

“Our hunting weapons.” he answered, and opened it to show her their arsenal. There were a multitude of bows, arrows, nets, spears and even a couple of slingshots.

“I had no idea you guys used weapons too.” she said while admiring the craftsmanship.

“Yep. Elder Warrick and Elder Smithy made all of these, but Elder Warrick is the weapons master. She can hit a buck three miles away right on the head with her eyes closed.”

“Really? That’s amazing!”

“It sure is, but we don’t use’em all the time. After all, we’re the ultimate weapons.” he grinned; Kraw and Wylan backed him up with another bicep flex.

“I’d say so.” she smiled. “So when do you use them?”

“Mainly during the winter; it’s hard to be stealthy when you’re walking on crunchy snow. Plus, when the birds migrate over our area it’s easier to hit them while standing on our observation deck. We even make a retrieval game out it.” he explained.

“Kinda sounds like that old duck video game.” she thought. “What about the spears and nets?”

“We use those for fishing. We’re not patient enough to wait for a fish to bite a hook like humans. And we’re definitely not like bears where we sit in freezing water forever waiting for a fish to hop in our mouths.” he answered.

“Hmmm…I might need to borrow those for my trial. Fish might be the most realistic thing for me to catch.” she admitted. “Though I’m not sure how fish can be incorporated into a vest.”

“You’d be surprised.” he grinned. “But whatever you want to use, it’s yours. You can even borrow a canoe if you’d like.”

“You have canoes!? You’re sea wolves too?”

“Yup!” and he pointed to the ceiling. She looked up to see a pair of well-crafted, sleek canoes.

“Whooa!” she marveled.

“We only have two here. The rest of them are in another area near Glacier Lake, as well as the ocean.”

“Oh wow. I knew your territory was vast, but I didn’t realize it went all the way to the coast.” she remarked.

“Even further than that. And I can’t wait to show you all of it.” he smiled.

They took her out of the kitchen to a room next door that had many more wooden canisters. “Is this an extra pantry?” she asked.

“No, this is our medicine cabinet.” he replied.

“Wow you guys have a lot! Then again your pack is huge.” she noted.

He nodded and added, “Our forest is filled with all kinds of medicinal herbs to help with just about anything – from headaches to bacterial infections. We go out and gather them, then take’em to our drying shed out in Sininuk meadow. It’s the perfect spot to dry our plants.”

“I’ll say, especially for a place called Sun Beacon meadow” she agreed, but caught herself translating again. “…Really wish I knew why I can understand these words all of a sudden. Anyway, that’s amazing! You guys are natural pharmacists.”

“There was a lot of trial and error.” he admitted.

“That’s with anything. I bet what’s in here is a lot better than some of the synthetic stuff we use.”

“Not necessarily. I have to give the humans credit for developing crucial medicines. They did create vaccines for rabies and parvo after all, and we’re healthy because of them.”

“Wait what? How’d you guys get shots? We just found out you guys exist.” she questioned.

“We’d sneak into the town’s animal hospital, and our healers would give us shots. We’d get them every three years or so, though we haven’t gotten them in a while because of…well…everything.” he answered, and she understood.

“Maybe I can ask Willa and the elders if it’s alright to ask my mom to consider giving all of you free vaccinations.” she offered.

“I swear her compassion is infinite.” he thought before replying, “I’m sure they’d appreciate it, especially when it comes to keeping our pack strong and healthy.”

“Aww…do we have to? I hate shots!” Kraw whined.

“Yes Kraw, we have to. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to have acid foam in my mouth.” Wyatt replied, making Trew shudder.

“That sounds horrible” he quivered, but Kraw on the other hand hummed in contemplation.

“…Y’know, that’d actually be a cool way to defend oursel**OWW! ** what was that for Wanda?!” he yelled as he rubbed the back of his head.

“To knock that crazy idea out of your head.” she replied while uncurling her fist.

“I was joking!” he growled, but she just raised an eyebrow up.

“Uh huh.” she skeptically uttered.

Before they could go at it, Wyatt stepped in and said, “Alright, that’s enough you two. Maybe one day they won’t hurt so much.”

“…I hope so.” Addison agreed, and she instinctively rubbed an area on her right shoulder where her doctor gave her the last booster shot. “Seriously, who tells someone not to flinch anyway with a big needle poking them in the skin?!” she thought, remembering the doctor’s instruction.

“But it’s not all bad Kraw. Elder Moss and Elder Walden give us sweet bones when they’re done healing us.” Wylie reminded.

“Yeah, yeah I know.” he grumbled.

“Huh? Elder Wanbli is a healer too?” Addison asked.

“Sure is. Wolves can do whatever we choose – that’s why we work so well together. Also, Elder Walden is a stone mason. He helped build this den long ago with the other masons at the time.” Wyatt explained.

“Whoa, really?! That’s incredible!” she marveled, but suddenly her enthusiasm dimmed a bit.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“Oh…it’s nothing. I was just thinking what my niche would be when I become part of this pack.”

“Don’t limit yourself Addison, you have plenty of options to choose from. But for now, I’d say just be you. After all, no one can do it except you.” and he booped her on the nose. She smiled and nodded at that.

They left the medicine cabinet and showed her the cleaning supply closet, the soap storage area, and the towel closet.

“No wonder your hair is so soft, these soaps smell incredible!” she complimented after taking a big whiff. “Hmmm! Cinnamon and lavender. It’s so amazing how you guys make your own stuff.”

“Yep, the forest is our beauty supply store too.” he grinned.

“Is there cotton in the forest too? Is that how you made all these towels?” she asked.

“Nope, no cotton here. We made them from animal fur and some cotton discarded by the humans a long time ago. We also incorporated some of the forest plants so they last much longer and prevent bacteria from ruining them.”

“What?! People are dumping trash into your forest!?” she angrily exclaimed.

“No no no, not anymore. Like I said that happened a long time ago, before any of us were born. Humans have gotten more environmentally friendly lately. I mean there are a few exceptions, but it’s not like they’re making our home a dump.” he clarified.

“That’s good, because I was going to make sure that mom enforced some rules about that.” she growled.

“And probably tear a new one into somebody too.” he thought.

“But you guys are amazing weavers!” she praised as she felt the soft cloth.

“Amazing what you can do with a few sticks and some sinew.” he smirked. “But you might want to grab a hand cloth though.”

“Huh? Why?” she questioned.

“We’re headed to the water room next, and you have a little dirt on you.” he pointed out. She looked at her arms and sure enough there was a light layer of dust from when they were in the tunnel. He handed her a hand cloth and a bar of cinnamon soap while the rest of the pups grabbed their own.

As they went down another corridor and deeper into the den, she could feel surprisingly warm moisture on her skin. “Here were are, the water room!” he announced.

In front of them were two stone doors with the same paw print design etched onto them. He pushed one of them open and a rush of mist came out. Inside was an immaculate bathhouse lit up by the soft glow of blue gemstones. Two gigantic stone-carved wolf heads were located high up on the walls facing each other. Clear water flowed at a leisurely pace out of their mouths down a series of stacked grey marble rectangular dividers – creating a wide waterfall shower effect. At the bottom of each waterfall was a massive, yet shallow marble pool embedded into the ground. Off to the side were dozens of small teak wood stools stacked neatly in a corner. There were even teak wood towel racks attached to the walls.

“Amazing!” Addison awed as she slowly spun around, taking in the sights. The pups went over to one of waterfalls to soak their cloths and clean their faces.

“How long did it take to build all this?”

“Many, many years.” he answered.

“I believe it.” she replied. “Definitely can’t rush perfection. You guys should seriously have your own construction company – the whole den is magnificent!”

“I’m glad you like your new home.” he smiled. “But there's still two more rooms I can show you."

“That you can show? Is the last one off limits?” she asked.

“Yeah…I’m-”

“Don’t you dare apologize!” she cut him off by pointing a finger at him. “I understand. Every house has an area that’s off limits.”

“Thank you for understanding Addison. You’ll get to see it when you become a part of the pack, I promise.”

“I look forward to it, just like everything else. And don’t think I’m disappointed just because I can’t see one room. Today I got to see architectural feats I didn’t think were possible! Just the fact that there’s running water in a mountain is beyond impressive! How were you guys even able to do that?” she asked.

“The wolves at the time diverted water from a nearby river to flow into our den. Take a look at this.” and he led her to the edge of the pool. She noticed the same red stones that lined the copper basin were inside the bath too. “We found out that those rocks trap and hold heat, so we lined our tubs and dividers with’em.”

She dipped her hand in the water, and it was the perfect temperature. “Incredible! How do you charge them back up so to speak when they run out of heat?”

“We take’em out, and put’em in our cooking hole. It takes about a week to recharge them.”

“How long do they last?”

“About two full moons.”

“Two full…oh! Two months? That’s crazy!”

“Crazy good; they helped us get through some tough winters. The steam from the room filters throughout our den through little slits in the walls, making it nice and cozy.” he added.

“Nice and cozy is right.” she agreed. “But…how is it that the water doesn’t overflow?”

“There are little slits in the floor and tubs too. The water drains down into an underground reservoir; it keeps the nearby lake full, and waters the plants as well.”

“That explains the holes I saw in the kitchen.” she thought, then suddenly let out a little “Ah!”

“Addison, what’s wrong?” he fretted.

“Nothing, it’s nothing. Just an eyelash in my eye.” she dismissed. “Good thing you handed me these.” She dipped the cloth in the water, and cleaned her face. “Aww…there we go.” she sighed as she finally got the loose follicle out. Then she lathered up her rag, and washed the dirt off of her body. “Wow, my skin feels amazing!” she noticed after rinsing off the suds.

“It is amazing.” he complimented, making her cheeks blush. He then walked over the waterfall, and cleaned himself off too. “You’re more than welcome to take a dip if you want.” he offered as he sat down, and stuck his feet in the pool.

“Thanks, but I’m fine. After all we’re going to get dirty again after playing with the pups right?”

“Right!” Wylan’s answer rang throughout the room, making both of them laugh.

“Fair enough.” he chuckled and got out.

Everyone dried themselves off and neatly hung their towels on the racks. They left the bathhouse and entered the room next to it.

“This is the salon room, where we do up our fabulous looks.” he explained while dramatically preening his hair with his claws. Addison giggled at his antics, but this area was no joke.

Inside the yellow and blue lit room were massive mirrors set into each wall. They were framed with tiny wolf carvings that looked like they were running around the reflective glass. There were large, teak carved vanity tables that had numerous drawers. A few dozen padded benches were in front of each one, nicely lined in a row. Curiosity took over and Addison opened a couple of drawers. There were combs, brushes and even manicure tools. Not to mention there were a lot of pumice stones for pedicures.

“This is simply incredible! I knew you guys were amazing hair stylists but to see your salon…wow. Just wow!” she beamed.

Wyatt grinned and said, “Well, let us “wow” you again. Go on pups.”

Before she could even get out a syllable, they grabbed her and sat her down on one of the padded benches.

“Wha? What’re yo-?”

“Addy, clus eyes puweez.” Nawnu instructed.

“Umm, o-okay?” and did as she was told.

She could feel a comb gently touch her scalp, as well as their tiny hands working through her hair. “Annnd…done!” they announced.

“You can open your eyes now.” Wylie grinned.

Addison slowly cracked each eye open, and beheld wonderful hairdo on top of her head. It was similar to the style she’d gotten when she first came here, but with a few variations. There were a few more braids and it was tied up to give it a pseudo-fade effect, not to mention it wasn’t as wavy. They were able to combine her human style with the werewolf style. “Wow!” she exclaimed.

“Nailed it!” Wylan fist pumped and the pups gave each other high-fives.

She faced them and praised, “You guys are so talented!” They puffed out their chests so to speak when they heard her compliment. “I’m definitely coming to you guys when I have to go back to school. I’m going to look sooo good.”

“You always look good. We just enhanced your natural beauty.” Wyatt corrected, and she blushed again. “Ready to keep on going?” he asked and she nodded. “Alright. Just stay close to me okay?”

“Okay?” she replied, not sure where this cautious tone came from. It was even more confounding when he took off his vest and put it on her; she could immediately feel his lingering warmth.

“A-Are you okay with this?” he asked. He wanted to make sure that really having his body on full-display didn’t make her uncomfortable.

“Yeah I’m fine, but why are you giving me your vest?” she questioned.

“You’ll see.” he replied, and they left the salon.

As they walked deeper into the den, she noticed that the air was getting chillier. Now she understood why he gave her his vest; wolves must have a higher body temperature compared to a human. No wonder they’re walking around un-phased by the frigid air. Wyatt put a hand on her shoulder brought her closer to the side of his body.

“Wyatt, where are we going?” she asked.

“The cold room. Don’t worry, we won’t go inside.” he assured.

Soon they came upon a metal ring in a stone wolf’s jaw attached to the ground. “This is it, the cold room.”

“You mean you guys have a freezer?” she asked.

“Yup. This is where we store all of the extra meat from our kills. We’re a little low – that’s why the pack went out hunting.” he explained while leading her away.

“How does it stay cold?” she inquired.

“Remember those heat rocks in the water room? We also found ice rocks and we lined the cold room with them. The water that leaks through the slits on the floor travels over that room on its way to the reservoir. Since the temperature drops the further you go underground-”

“The water acts as a coolant and charges the ice rocks!” she finished.

“Exactly.” he confirmed.

Soon they were back in front of the water room. “Thank you.” she said, and handed him back his vest.

“Of course.” and he put it back on. “Are you sure you’re okay though? Do you want to warm up a bit in the water room?”

“I’m fine, really I am. You’re my big, warm, cuddly wolf after all.” she winked, and that put a blush on him. He could even hear some of the pups giggle at his new moniker, but he wouldn’t change it for the world.

They walked back into the main area and Wyatt gestured to the air again. “Well Addison. That completes the tour of your new home.”

“And I love every bit of it!” she smiled.

“Are you going to move in?” Wylie asked.

“I don’t think my parents will let me, but I can stay the night a few times for sure.” she replied.

“Cool!” they responded.

“So, are you guys ready to play?” she grinned.

“Yeah!” they enthusiastically answered.

“What do you want to do?” she inquired.

“Wrestle!” they answered.

“…Oh no.” Wyatt gulped.

“Awesome, let’s do it!” she smiled.

“Hold on a sec, you need your gloves!” he quickly reminded. “No one’s getting scratched up on my watch.”

“Okay!” they replied, and dashed back into the den.

“Oh yeah, I forgot about their claws.” Addison realized.

“…Addison, are-” but his warning came up short as the pups rushed back in and yelled, “We’re ready!” and shook their covered hands in front of them. “C’mon Addy, let’s go!” and they dragged her out of the den – her infectious laugh echoing down the entrance tunnel.

“**sigh**…I hope this ends well.”he worriedly thought, and went after them.

They took her to a little meadow near the den. The lush grass was soft and plush underneath her feet; she couldn’t help but wiggle her toes in the natural carpet. “Alright, how do we start?” she asked.

“We take turns going up against each other. One versus the whole team. If you get pinned, you lose. Whoever pins everybody wins.” Kraw explained.

“What if there’s more than one winner?” she followed up.

“Then we do a face off. Whoever wins that gets a pebble from the loser.” Wylan answered.

“But I don’t have any pebbles.” she replied.

“That’s okay, we’ll count those cookies as pebbles.” Gnaw grinned, and the rest of the pups nodded at that idea.

“Heh, alright. I can do that. How do we decide who goes first?”

“Howl off! Whoever can howl the longest goes first.” Wylie replied.

“Okay!”

“Addison.” Wyatt spoke.

“Yeah?”

In his mind he wanted to warn her, to dissuade her from even participating in their hardcore activity. But like Willa said, she needed to build her confidence in order to tackle the trials. So going against every fiber of his being that screamed “Don’t let her do it!” he smiled, gave her a thumbs up and said, “Good luck.”

“Wait, you’re not joining in?” she questioned.

“Someone has to be the referee.” he replied.

“Gotcha.”

“Alright everyone, howl on three.” and everyone nodded at Wyatt’s command. “One…two…” and they took a deep breath. “THREE!”

The silence surrounding the area was quickly replaced by their resounding howls; it even startled some birds out of the trees. Wyatt smiled at the euphoria exhibited in Addison’s howl – she was definitely having a great time. Unfortunately it didn’t help her win.

“Huh, third place. Not bad for a first time.” he thought. The order ended up being Wanda, Kraw, Addison, Wylan, Wylie, Trew, Nawnu and Gnaw. Wanda walked out into the middle of the meadow while Addison and the rest of the pups sat in a line.

“Kinda feels like a dojo sparring match.” she thought.

“Are you ready Wanda?” Wyatt asked. Her moonstone glowed and her irises turned yellow. She let out a short **grrrrowl** - signaling she was ready. “Alright Kraw, you’re up” and the boy smirked as he stood up. His necklace flared to life – changing the color of his own eyes. He growled at his opponent – trying to intimidate her. But she didn’t flinch, and merely huffed at him. He cracked his knuckles and got down on all fours.

“No biting this time around, understand?” he relayed, and everyone nodded. “Alright. Ready…set…GO!” and the two pups went at it.

Needless to say Addison was shocked at how ferocious they actually were. Good thing they were wearing gloves or else they’d be leaving scratches on each other left and right as they tried to grapple one another. Eventually Kraw made Wanda tap out when pinned her to the ground with her hands above her head.

“Heh, and that’s why I’m the reigning champ!” he spoke – cockiness evident in his tone. But he was still a good sport and helped her up and dusted her off.

“Hmph, whatever Kraw. Just you wait.” she growled, and sat at the end of the line.

A small gulp went down Wyatt’s throat when it was Addison’s turn. All of the pups were strong for sure, but Kraw was relentless – he could find a way to keep going even if all of his limbs were broken.

“Addison, are you ready?” he asked.

“Uh huh!” she replied without any waver in her voice. She stood up and walked over to Kraw.

“I’m not gonna go easy on you just cause you’re a human.” he warned as he got back down on all fours.

“I wouldn’t want you to.” she smirked back, and got on all fours as well.

“Go get’em Addy!” Wylie cheered, and that made her smile.

“**gulp**…Ready? GO!”

“GRAH!” Kraw barked and lunged at her like he did whenever they’d pounce on her.

“Not this time.” she thought, and laid on her back.

“What the-?” was the collective thought of the onlookers until she clamped down on his waist with her legs.

“Whoa!” the pups marveled.

“GRRRR! RARRH!” Kraw struggled and squirmed in her grip, desperately trying to use his hands push her legs apart.

She turned over using her hand and her full weight was on him. She managed to grab his flailing arms and hold them above his head, just like what he did to Wanda. He continued to thrash and kick but ultimately tired himself out and yielded.

“Way to go Addy!” Wylie and Wanda cheered, with little Nawnu clapping as fast as she could. But the boys were stunned.

“No way...she took down Kraw.” Gnaw whispered.

Wyatt was definitely impressed; the teens always had difficulty wrestling him because of his tenacity, but ultimately subdued him because they had the size advantage. To see Addison do it so effortlessly was just amazing.

“Are you alright Kraw?” she asked as he helped him up.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Good match.” he smiled, and held his hand out.

“Good match.” she smiled back, and shook it.

“But I’m gonna get you next time for sure!” he declared before going over to sit next to Wanda.

“Told you.” Wanda smirked.

“Pfft, whatever. I still beat you.” he shot back.

Now that all of his fears were put to rest, Wyatt was looking forward to see what else she could do.

Wylan tried to tire her out by running around, but she kept up with him and pounced on him. The bout between her and Wylie was more of a tickle fight and the young pup was easily subdued. Trew managed to latch onto her legs, but she did the equivalent of a whale tail water slap and got him off. Nawnu jumped into her arms and she spun her around in a friendly game of Ring around the Rosie. Gnaw was a little trickier in their match. He managed to get on her back to get her off balance, but she did a cartwheel and that freaked him out a little so he let go, making it easy to pin him. And despite her earlier match with Kraw, Wanda had plenty of energy to spare. Their bout lasted the longest due to her scrappy zig-zag movements, but Addison eventually caught her and pinned her too.

“Wow Addison! That was amazing! You pinned everyone!” Wyatt praised.

“T-Thanks.” she replied, a little winded from wrestling Wanda.

“Hey, are you okay?” he fretted.

“Y-Yeah…I’m fine. But wrestling you guys is a major workout. Not even cheer camp was this intense.” she breathed out.

“No kidding.” he agreed.

“But I had a lot of fun too!” she genuinely smiled.

“I’m glad.” he smiled back. “But you can take a break until there’s a face off. If you want.”

“That’s sounds good to me.” she readily agreed as she stretched out her back and arms. She took a seat behind the pups and continued watching the matches – her eyes fixated on every move that they made.

In the end there wasn’t a face-off, and the pups looked positively beat – all of them were flat on their backs.

Wyatt couldn’t help chuckling at the sight. It wasn’t a surprise though; they gave more than one hundred percent for almost two hours or so – on an empty stomach no less.

“Are you guys okay?” Addison asked.

“Uh…huh.” Wylan tiredly replied, but it didn’t convince her one bit.

“Did I go too hard on them?” she asked Wyatt.

“Don’t worry, you were great. They just wiped themselves out. I can’t blame’em though, it’s been a long time since we had a surplus of energy.”

“I see.”

“Aww…and I really wanted a pebble too.” Gnaw whined.

“There’s always next time Gnaw.” Wyatt assured.

“But what about Addy? Does she get something?” Trew asked.

“Yeah, she beat us. And on her first try too.” Wylie added.

“No one can wrestle her, we all lost. That’s the rule.” Wylan reminded.

“Wyatt wretl!” Nawnu pointed out, and everyone immediately perked up.

“W-What?”he stuttered.

“Yeah Wyatt! You wrestle her!” Kraw encouraged.

“Not happening.” he firmly stated.

“Why not?” and he was shocked to hear Addison ask that; she even had her arms crossed in front of her chest. “I mean you guys pounce on me all the time, I want a shot at it. Plus, it’ll be good practice for my upcoming trials.”

“…For the record I’ve never pounced on you, that was mainly Willa.” he corrected.

“I’ll get her later. C’mon Wyatt, let’s do this! I’m all rested up and ready to go!” To prove her point she got down on all fours again.

“…I don’t know.” he worriedly replied.

“Pleeeease?” she begged, and it didn’t help that all of the pups gave him the big, pleading eyes too.

“**sigh**…Alright.” he reluctantly agreed.

“Yeah!” the pups cheered, and suddenly their energy was renewed. They quickly got up and sat in line; Trew acted as the referee.

“Don’t go easy on me Wyatt. If I can deal with Zed then I know I have a chance against you.” she stated, and he huffed through his nose.

“A zombie’s got nothing on me.” he growled as his moonstone changed his eye color and enlarged his fangs.

“Are you ready?” Trew asked, and both of them nodded their heads. “Okay. Ready…set…GO!”

Wyatt made the first move, and sprinted towards her.

“He’s fast!” she realized and narrowly dodged him. But he wasn’t through. He quickly pivoted his position and went after her again. Seeing that being on all fours was a disadvantage for her, she quickly got up and did a swift pirouette of her own to dodge his pounce again. Now they were both staring each other down – walking in a circle trying to anticipate each other’s next move.

Wyatt couldn’t stop the smile from forming on his lips – he certainly wasn’t expecting this, but it made it all the more thrilling. The pups were clearly enjoying the spectacle as well, if their rambunctious cheering was any indication.

After circling each other for a while, Addison decided to take a page out of Wanda’s book sprinted towards him in a zig-zag fashion to try and confuse him. All the while he remained rooted in place. “Just like that snow shoe rabbit.” he thought, and made his move. With lighting quick reflexes, he anticipated where she’d step next and lunged – landing a full body tackle.

“GAH!” she yelped. But at the last second she had her hands in front of her, and tucked her legs in so her feet were on his stomach. As her back hit the ground she used the momentum from his attack to cause both of them to roll and slightly kick him up with her legs. Once she was on top she pushed him down with all her might.

“GUH!” he grunted, momentarily stunned. Just like she did with Kraw she clamped her legs around his, and tried to pin his hands above his head. But he got out of his stupor, and flopped like a fish out of water to knock her off balance. He quickly turned the tables and pinned her back on the ground. Try as she might she could overcome his natural strength, he had the size advantage here. She growled and reluctantly tapped out. Wyatt instinctively howled at his victory, and the rest of the pups followed suit. His eyes returned to normal, and he got up off of her.

“That…was…awesome!” he panted as he helped her up. Even though she was catching her breath, the tired smile she had echoed his sentiments exactly. The pups felt the exact same way as they ran over and pounced on top of them.

“GUHUH! Oooo…I’m gonna feel that in the morning.” she thought when she landed on her back again; but seeing the joy and admiration on everyone’s faces momentarily erased her soreness.

“Addy you were so cool!” Wylie praised.

“Yeah! That rollie thingy was awesome!” Wylan added.

“Heheheh, thank you. I guess all that tumbling practice helped out after all.” she grinned.

“And you’re so fast Wyatt!” Wanda gushed.

“Supa fast!” Nawnu added.

“How’d you know where’d she be? I could barely keep up.” Trew asked.

“Anticipation and instinct. You’ll develop that when you go hunting too. Trust me on that.” he assured.

As the pups got off of them, Addison asked, “So does that mean you win the face off?”

“Heh, no no. I didn’t pin all the pups after all. But if you feel inclined to make some victory cookies for me, I won’t stop you.” he grinned, and she chuckled at that.

“Well, I wanna wrestle you now.” Gnaw challenged.

“Huh? I thought you were tired.”

“Nope! I’m all pumped up!” he declared.

“Yeah, I wanna wrestle you too!” Kraw added.

“Heh, alright. You’re on!” he accepted, and his eyes turned yellow once again. But before they could face each other, everyone suddenly froze then looked towards the trees. Addison recognized this attentive stare; something was out there. But she quickly realized it was a friendly presence when she heard a faint howl. Wyatt and the pups answered whatever message was relayed with their own howl.

“Food’s here!” Wylan exclaimed, and all of the pups ran towards the den. Wyatt merely chuckled as he and Addison followed them.

“I hope they caught a lot; they used up a lot of energy. At least they’ll take a nice long nap afterwards” he commented.

“They won’t be the only ones.” she replied as a little yawn escaped her lips, followed by a tight pain in her stomach. “Guess I burned through all my reserves.” she thought as she massaged her rumbling tummy. “I'd better get ready to head home so I can eat something too.”

When they got to the entrance, all of the pups were eagerly awaiting the arrival of rest of the pack. They didn’t have to wait very long before the blood stained wolves emerged from the trees with proud smiles on their faces. All of the pups started drooling when they saw what they caught. Willa’s team killed two medium-sized fawns, while Wynter’s group caught eight rabbits and a mule deer calf; they set the bigger animals down on the ground.

“Welcome back!” Wyatt greeted.

“Yeah, good morning everyone! Or is it afternoon now?” Addison asked.

“Hmm…just barely.” he replied as he shielded his eyes so he could glance at what position the sun was in.

“Really? It felt like we were playing for a long time.” she remarked.

“I know humans say time flies when you’re having fun, but it can also move as slow as a snail in order to prolong it.” he grinned.

“And I’m okay with that too.” she smiled back.

But Willa and the rest of the pack were completely shocked by what they were seeing. Not so much the fact that Addison was talking with Wyatt, but the fact she was doing so without a shirt on! Not even he nor the pups had their clothes on either. They were taken out of their trance when Kraw exclaimed, “Alright! Deer and rabbit meat!”

“I call dibs on a fawn leg.” Gnaw added.

“You want a whole leg?” Willa incredulously asked.

“Yeah!” he replied.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if he ate the whole thing – they played for a long time. Addison even wrestled all of them, and pinned’em down.” Wyatt proudly stated.

“You did?!” Wynter exclaimed.

“Yep! She even wrestled Wyatt and did this cool roll move and almost got him but he escaped and pinned her.” Wylan got out in one breath.

The wolves thought they were shocked before by her appearance, now they were absolutely stunned when they heard all that.

“Wait til you have some of the calf Addy, its super tender.” Wylie said.

“Thank you for offering Wylie, but you go on ahead and eat your fill.” Addison replied.

“Huh? Are you sure?” she asked.

“Positive. I’ll be fine.” but her grumbling tummy contradicted her statement.

“Addy hungee.” Nawnu huffed, and she looked like she was about shove a piece of meat into Addison’s mouth.

“Well…just a teensy tiny bit, but I’ll be okay. Besides, I don’t think my body can handle raw meat. The only raw thing I’ve ever eaten is sushi.”

“What’s sushi?” Trew asked.

“It's different kinds of raw fish wrapped together with vegetables in rice and dried seaweed.” she explained.

“SEAWEED?!” the pack exclaimed in disgust.

“It’s…an acquired taste.” she admitted.

“You got that right. But we can catch you some rainbow trout, if you don’t mind waiting.” Wynter offered.

“Or even cook you up some of this rabbit or deer.” Wyatt followed up.

“Guys, don’t worry about me. I’ll eat something when I get back to town.” but her stomach protested that idea.

“Forget it Addison. You’re under my care, and it’s my responsibility that everyone eats.” Willa refuted, and Addison sighed – this was going to be just like last night.

“If I may.” a tall, lean werewolf with chocolate-colored skin and dreads spoke up. “I have an idea that’ll be agreeable to Addison’s stomach.”

“Oh right, Tamuialuk! That’ll work!” Wyatt agreed.

“Has anything sprouted yet?” Willa asked.

“Yep. A few bushes started bearing already, so it should be plenty for her.” he replied.

“What sprouted? I mean, I get that we’ll be going to a place called the Chewing Foothills, but am I going to eat…grass? Not that there’s anything wrong with it, I’m sure it’s delicious but-”

“Addison, it’s okay, you’re not going to eat grass. You’re not a rabbit, even if you move like one.” he grinned, and rubbed her head. “What Row has in store for you is something way better.”

“Oh, okay.” she replied, relief evident in her tone. And her stomach voiced its excitement about what was potentially going inside with another growl.

“Don’t worry, it’s not that far away. Right Row?”

“H-Huh? Oh yeah, it’s not far at all. But uh…you might want to put some shoes on. We’ll be going over rocks.” he cautioned.

“Okay, I’ll be right back!” and she ran into the den.

Once she was out of earshot Willa questioned, “Alright Wyatt, what’s going on? Since when can she understand our language? And how is it possible that she pinned all the pups? Also, she does realize that she’s not wearing a shirt right?”

“She does. Look, I promise I’ll explain everything while Row takes her to get something to eat.” he assured.

A moment later she emerges from the den with shoes on, but is still shirtless. “All set!” she announced. “But we can go after you eat something, I don’t mind.”

Row smiled and replied, “Don’t worry about it, there’ll still be some meat left over. Plus, I’ll have a snack once we get there.”

“Alrighty then, let’s go.” she smiled. Row smiles back and leads her hand in hand to a new location that’ll undoubtedly fascinate her.

“…Definitely didn’t see that coming.” the alpha remarked as the pack watches them walk off.

“Like I said, Addison is full of surprises.” her brother grinned.

“That’s for sure. C’mon, let’s cut these up and make ourselves full” and they carry their kill inside – ready to feast like no tomorrow.

Chapter 7: The Trial of Respect

Chapter Text

“Almost there Addison, just a little further.” the tall, debonair werewolf assured. Addison politely nodded, but her stomach made it known that its patience was waning. In all honesty he was quite surprised at her endurance and balance. The path to Tamuialuk was a little hazardous to say the least, what with climbing and leaping across giant boulders. Not to mention the steep terrain. But she kept up with his pace and soon they were near the finish line.

Just one final obstacle remained. A sheer drop to a level dirt path below.

Addison gulped when she saw how far of a fall it was. “Uh…how do we get down? Is there a secret compartment that has a rope or something?” she asked.

“Nope, although that’s not a bad idea in case we have a broken claw.” he acknowledged.

“Wait a second…we’re going to climb down?!” she incredulously asked.

“I’m climbing down. You’re going to hold on to my back.” he corrected.

“What? Are you sure?”

“Yup. Besides, I’m used to having two pups on my back, and I know you won’t squirm like they do.” and she vehemently shook her head no. “Plus there’s a padded mat at the bottom in case I slip. But that won’t happen, I never slip. Not with these.” and he brandished his claws.

She looked over the edge again, then back at him with apprehension evident across her face. “…I don’t know.” she warily spoke.

“We’ll be fine, I wolf’s honor.” and he crossed his heart with his moonstone. With that she finally accepted his proposition; she may not be privy to werewolf knowledge, but she knew for a fact that their necklaces were their lifelines. For him to stake it showed just how serious he was about keeping her safe.

“All aboard!” and he crouched down so she could climb up on his back. “HUP!” he grunted as he stood up – she made absolutely sure her limbs had an octopus grip over his body.

“Are you sure I’m not too heavy?” she asked.

“Nope, you’re good. Are you ready?”

“…Uh huh.” she hesitantly replied, tightening her hold.

“Then away we go!”

“Just look at the rock. Just look at the rock. Don’t. Look. Down.” she mentally commanded; she tried closing her eyes, but that just made it even scarier.

Thankfully he was going at a nice, steady pace with very little jostling. As he climbed down, she noticed multiple little holes in the rock where he would stick his fingers in. It wasn’t complete free solo climbing, but she was still impressed at the incredible strength and grip he had to climb this.

The bouldering werewolf managed to catch a glimpse of her out of the corner of his eye. He was surprised to see she had her eyes open – though it looked like she could bore another hole into the stone. “Heh…she’s just like me during my first time going down.” he thought. Soon his feet landed on the squishy pad underneath. “There were go.” he announced, and Addison let out a breath she didn’t even know she was holding. She carefully unlocked her limbs and got off his back.

“See? I never slip.” he repeated with a confident grin.

She matched his grin with a relieved smile. “Yep, you were right. Thank you very much…um…Row was it?”

He nodded and replied, “Yep, Row Muzzrile. Aptly named too because you’ll never find a faster swimmer than me! Not even someone in a canoe can out row me. My pop always said I’m probably part salmon.” and that got a chuckle out of her.

“I believe it. You have incredible strength to not only climb that but also have someone on your back.” she complimented, making him shuffle a bit in place under the praise.

“Thank you, but I wasn’t always like that.” he replied as they continued their trek. “My grand-pop actually pushed me off the edge my first time down here.”

“WHAT!?” she screamed.

“I’m kidding, I’m kidding! …Mostly. He jumped off the edge while I was on his back.” he clarified.

“What?! That’s insane!” she blurted out, until she realized that that could be a normal werewolf thing and what she said could be considered offensive. “Uh…I mean it’s unconventional for sure, but you would get down faster and uhh-”

“Addison.” he spoke, cutting off her rambling, run-on defense. “It’s okay. And you’re right, it was insane - I was crying like a new born pup. But he kept on doing it until I kept my eyes open all the way down. My pop and auntie didn’t like what he did one bit– that was one heated yelling match lemme tell ya. Grand-pop’s methods were hardcore for sure, but in the long run they worked. It taught me that if I didn’t want to break every bone in my body, then I’d better keep my eyes open and my grip as firm as an alligator lizard. And to this day I have never slipped. One of life’s many unconventional lessons."

“You can say that again. But please don’t do that to me.” she implored.

“Don’t worry, I won’t. I wolf’s honor.”

Soon they came upon a fork in the path. Fortunately the correct route was visibly marked by hieroglyphics carved into a pair of trees off to the right. They walked along the route for about half a mile until they reached a clearing. Standing atop a flat ridge Row excitedly declared, “Here we are! Tamuialuk!”

Addison walked up next to him and gazed upon the open landscape with an open mouth. “Whoooa!” she marveled.

Below them was a fertile valley with three developed plots of land, each one about the size of two football fields. They were lined with multiple rows of trees, bushes, and other foliage - ready to bloom into scrumptious fruits and vegetables. Nearby were a couple of interconnected ponds that kept the area well-hydrated. She could even make out a log cabin in the distance.

“I had no idea you guys had your own farm! No wonder this place is called the Chewing Foothills. I remember Wyatt telling me that you guys aren’t picky eaters, but I didn’t know wolves liked fruit too.” she expressed.

“Oh yeah, our diet is almost as diverse as a humans.” he replied. “That field right there contains raspberry, blueberry, blackberry, and strawberry bushes. The plot next to it is full of my family’s one of a kind Rufus apples. Beyond that there’s another plot with carrots, green beans, peppercorn and chili peppers, but those aren’t ready yet. I’m still trying to get the hang of bell peppers though – that’s my next project.”

“Wait…you take care of this place all by yourself?!”

“Sure do. This is my special zone. The rest of the pack will help out if I need them to, but for the most part it’s just me.”

“Wow…that’s amazing. And a lot of work.”

“Eh, I don’t mind. My auntie always told me so long as you have fun and put your heart in whatever you do, you’ll never work a day in your life. This is all a labor of love, and I can’t wait for you to taste it.” and he practically dragged her down to the fields. The wonderful aroma of ripe fruit sent her stomach into a growling frenzy. “It won’t be but a tick longer Addison. I just gotta get a few things, and I’ll start picking breakfast right away.”

“Row, it’s okay. Don’t listen to my stomach, I’m fine. If anything I’m just really excited to taste what you’ve grown.”

Soon they arrived the log cabin she saw earlier, and she just stared at the impressive structure – admiring every aspect of it. Once inside, she realized that it was a well-organized garden shed containing every kind of tool imaginable. There were multiple skylight windows to illuminate the building, each opening coated with the same clear sap just like back at the den. In addition, there was a large room off to the side that had pelts covering the floor – like a mini sleeping area.

“This place is incredible! You guys seriously need to have your own construction company!” she praised.

“Heh, thank you. The pack during my grand-pop’s era built it out of the trees around here. They’re the ones that cultivated this whole area; before it was just a secluded lakeside plain. If it was still around you would’ve been eating grass.” he joked.

“Even so, it feels…cohesive. Like it belongs here, if that makes any sense.” she tried to explain.

“It does. They were able to integrate our farm with nature instead of overpowering it.”

“Yep, that’s exactly it.”

He scanned the area until he found the items he was looking for. He put on a pair of leather gloves, and a belt with a knife holster on the side; a small blade was already tucked inside. Next he grabbed a little hand cloth and a wooden spoon, placing the items in his vest pocket.

“Just as a heads up, the only thing bearing right now are a couple strawberry and blueberry bushes. There are a few apples that are early bloomers though. Is…that okay?” he asked.

“That’s more than okay. Thank you Row.” she assured. At this point her stomach wouldn’t mind eating grass.

“Would you mind holding these for me please?” he asked, holding out two tan wicker dishes with geometric designs weaved into them.

“Sure.”

“Let’s go to the apple field orchard.”

He grabbed two wooden buckets with matching lids, and they left the cabin. She followed him to the field containing a plethora of petite trees. “I had no idea apple trees could be this short. They smell amazing though.” she remarked as she sniffed some of the white/pink blossoms.

“Yep. Our Rufus apple trees are a dwarf variety. Makes’em easier to pick for sure.” he explained.

“I’ll say. It’s better than trying to climb a bunch of thirty-foot trees.”

“I wouldn’t mind.” he smirked.

“Heh, I know you wouldn’t.” she smiled back.

After a bit of walking they reach the lone fruit bearing tree. The coloring of the apples themselves looked like a cross between a golden delicious and a gala apple, but a lot bigger. “Must be all the love poured into it.” she fondly thought.

He set the buckets down, and grabbed one of the wicker dishes out of her hand. He circled the tree and used his exceptional senses to select the best ones - only five made the cut. He bowed his head and said, “Thank you for this nourishing food that we are about to receive” he exalted, and she respectfully repeated his words. “Here you go Addison, try one.” he urged and handed her the wicker dish.

She didn’t need to be told twice and grabbed an apple. She could barely hold the fruit in her hand but it didn’t stop her from taking a generous bite. “WAWF! **gulp** This is the best apple I’ve ever eaten! It’s crisp, sweet and tangy all at the same time! You have a green thumb for sure!” she praised.

“And that’s not even the best part! You stay here and finish eating that apple, but hold off on eating the rest for a tick. I’ll be right back.” He grabbed one of the buckets, and went into the surrounding woods.

Addison continued to happily munch away while walking around the orchard – taking in the beautiful surroundings. The chill atmosphere was amped up another notch when she heard melodic howling in the distance. “Wow…all of the wolves have such wonderful voices. Hopefully I’ll be able to howl like that one day.” she mused to herself as she closed her eyes and swayed to Row’s song. But just as quickly as he started, he stopped. “Well…that’s disappointing. I wonder what that was all about.” she thought. She didn’t have to wonder for long until the wandering vocalist came back.

“Hey, sorry I took so long.” he apologized.

“You weren’t gone long at all. I heard you howling earlier – you have a lovely voice.” she complimented.

“Thank you.” he smiled.

“Just singing a little song to yourself?”

“No, I was actually singing to my bee friends.” he explained.

“Bees? You’re friends with bees?” she incredulously asked.

“Sure am. I know, a little odd right?” he ventured.

“Not at all. Besides, remember who you’re talking to. I’m the epitome of what’s considered odd.” she replied.

“Yeah, you’re definitely not normal. And that’s awesome – I’d take your normal over regular ol’ human normal any day.” he complimented, and that made her smile.

“So how’d you end up becoming friends with bees anyway? Did you give them names?”

He chuckled and replied, “No, that’d be way too many to name. Plus, most of them pass away every few moons.”

“Really?”

“Yeah...that’s just their lifespan. The queen lives a year or two at most. But they always teach the next generation that I’m an ally.”

“I didn’t know bees had a memory like that.”

“Me either, but I guess I left one heck of an impression. Y’see I saved their hive from a group raccoons a while back. Those little punks were really tearin’ into it too. My pops and auntie weren’t too thrilled when I told them – mainly because I could’ve been stung, or bitten by a raccoon and gotten rabies. But they were proud of me for doing the right thing. I went back a couple days later to check on’em. They moved to a different location and started building a new hive. No surprise there – their old home was jacked up. But when they sensed me coming over, they went into full-on defensive mode. It was liking being in a buzzing bramble bush – they were everywhere! I was about to high-tail it outta there until all of a sudden, they stopped. A few of them approached me, and I didn’t move a muscle. While I can’t understand their buzzing sounds, I can interpret their body language. It seemed like they were sniffing me – I didn’t even know bees could do that. Somehow they were able to sense that I was the one who saved them. Or at the very least I figured them not attacking me was a good sign. And that’s how our beautiful friendship started. I’d protect them from any threats, and they pollinate my trees and give me some of their treasure.” He took off the lid of the bucket and showed her the liquid amber he received.

“Whoa, that’s some dark honey. Or is that just because of the color of the wood?”

“Naw, it’s just the wood. It’s actually really light in color and it tastes great over an apple. Would you like to try some?”

“Sure! But uh…what do I do with the core?" she asked, holding up the remains of her apple.

“You can put it in that other bucket for now, I’ll throw it in the compost bin later.”

“Okay.” and she tossed it in.

He took the wooden spoon out of his pocket and stuck it in the bucket, stirring the honey thoroughly. “How’d you squeeze all that honey out so quickly? And without getting any honeycomb bits in it?” she questioned.

“Their hive is about the size of two of these trees. They show me where it’s oozing the most and I just stick my bucket underneath it” he answered.

“What?! That’s cool! …And scary at the same time.” she shuddered.

“Yeah, you can actually smell it from here. ...Well I can anyway. But approaching a hive that big is just asking for trouble. Then again, getting close to any hive puts you at risk. That’s why I always announce my presence by howling.” he explained.

“Almost like ringing a doorbell!” she realized. “Do they only recognize a certain melody?”

“Yup. It’s pretty funny actually. I was just howling to myself while taking a break one day, and the next thing I know they’re buzzing the same melody right above my head. From that point on that became our code word so to speak.” he replied. “There were go, all set” and she crouched down next to him. Both of them grabbed an apple, and he drizzled the sweet treasure on top. They gave their thanks for the food and simultaneously took a bite. Simultaneous “Mmmmmmms!” came out of their mouths; the sight of her devouring the rest of the apple was more than enough praise for him, especially when she licked the honey off her fingers.

“May I have some more honey please?” she asked.

“Sure you can!” he smiled, and drizzled some over another one.

“Yummmm! It’s like a caramel apple that doesn’t get stuck to your teeth. It’s amaaaazing!” she gushed and tore into it. Pretty soon the wicker dish was empty.

“Ready for the second course?” he asked.

“Yes please!” she replied. He grabbed the buckets and they walked over to the berry field.

“Wow, they look so plump and juicy!” she observed when they got up close to the couple of bushes that were bearing fruit.

“Let’s hope so. The first batch tends to be hit or miss. But be careful though, those bushes are riddled with thorns. I don’t want you getting all scratched up.” he warned, and she backed away. He sifted through the bushes with profound speed and precision, using his knife to gently cut each one off of the stem until both wicker dishes were filled to the brim. “Alright, all that’s left is to clean off any little debris and the next course is served.” He hands her the dishes, and she follows him to an iron water pump.

“Did you guys “permanently borrow” this from Seabrook?” she asked.

“Something like that, but we enhanced it a bit. Mind holding the berries underneath the spout?” and she did what was requested of her. He pressed the lever a few times until water started flowing out.

“Huh, the water’s warm. Are there little heat stones in the well?”

“Yup, that’s our enhancement. It kills off all the bad bacteria that might be swimming around. But how do you know about heat stones?”

“Wyatt and the pups gave me tour of the den while you guys were out hunting.”

“Ahh, gotcha. So what do you think of our humble, little abode?”

“Pssh! Humble is an understatement, and it ain’t hardly little. It’s amazing! Prodigious! Magnificent! I mean, I could go on and on about how phenomenal everything is!” she exalted.

“Well hold on, let’s see if my berries are worthy of such high praise.” he grinned, and took off his gloves so he could wash his hands. He dried them off using the hand cloth and she handed him a dish. He picked a strawberry from the bunch, and she followed suit. They paid their respects and chomped down. Another round of content “Mmmmms!” came out of their chewing mouths.

“I’d say these are a hit and are definitely worthy of high praise!” she acknowledged, and hastily ate another three out of her dish – throwing the leafy tops into the makeshift trashcan.

“I’m glad. Heh, you look like you just caught a moose.” he pointed to the red juice around her lips.

“Pff. Yeah right, that’d be the day.” she replied and licked it off.

“Hey, never say never. You’ve already done some amazing things, why not add “I hunted a moose” to the list?”

She hummed at that. “I guess. I mean stranger things have happened, though it’d take a miracle on my end.”

“I’m okay with delicious miracles.” he said while licking his lips.

“Speaking of, did I get all of it? I don’t want to waste the good stuff.”

He smiled and replied, “Yep, you’re good. C’mon, let’s go eat these somewhere a little more comfortable.”

She followed him to an exquisitely wood-carved bench overlooking one of the small ponds. A few dragonflies skim across the surface, rippling the previously still water. A couple clouds ride along the invisible current, adding to the picturesque scene that looked straight out a vacation commercial.

Addison happily sighs and sinks further into her seat. “This is soooo relaxing. And these blueberries are out of this world!” she complimented as she popped a few in her mouth. "Are my lips blue now too?”

“No, but your tongue is purple.” he grinned, and they got a laugh out of that.

“Y’know…humans could really learn a lot from you guys. I mean, we’re sorta getting back to living with nature and being more eco-friendly, but I wish we realized it a lot sooner instead of just plowing and cutting down everything in sight” she reflected.

“Hmmm…it’s funny you say that. I know that the humans have caused a lot of damage, but we were able to turn their destructive habits into a blessing.”

“Huh? What do you mean?” she asked.

“You wanna hear a story?” he asked. She nodded wholeheartedly and gave him her full attention.

“We didn’t always live in our den. Waaaay before I was born, our pack lived further out in order to hide from the humans. And from what my grand-pop told me, hunting for food in our old territory was pretty difficult. They adapted the best they could, but it was still hard. Then one day a human woman, along with her son and daughter made a home on the outskirts of our old stomping grounds. They cut down trees and started a farm – planting a wide variety of crops. However their activity scattered the remaining herds further away. The werewolves of that time wanted to chase'em off and reclaim their land. But my great great granny, who was the alpha back then, was against it. Of course they were absolutely furious and rightfully so.

“Why should they be allowed to stay!?” “They’ve taken so much already, including our moonstone!” “It because of them we’re here in the first place!” were some of the things they said, and all of them were valid.

But she countered all of that with her own valid point. “Even though their family is small, it isn’t worth the risk. The settlers were few in numbers too, and looked what happened. Too many lives have already been lost at the hands of humans, and I’d rather be a human’s pet than see any more of my pack slaughtered. Instead I suggest we observe them, just as our ancestors have done. If they truly become a threat then we will enact the necessary defensive actions.” They reluctantly agreed to the compromise.

My great great granny took it upon herself to watch them work from afar. She took note of the care the family showed the earth as compared to other humans they’ve encountered. They never took more than what was needed, and always paid their respects to the land that provided for them.

Needless to say she was intrigued by them.

When it was time for the first harvest, she managed to bypass their bell string sensors that would alert the family of any wild animals, and grabbed a few samples of what they grew. Some of the wolves tasted the fruit and were amazed by how good it was. Mind you they had had fruit before, but nothing like this. It wasn’t bitter, dried out or covered in aphids. Great great granny was right in her approach – now they were interested in observing and learning the human’s techniques because it provided an additional, and very nutritional, food source.

But it almost didn’t happen.

One twilit night, the mom was finishing up her chores for the day when three famished grizzly bears suddenly entered her farm. Somehow they managed to get past the bell alarms, which is saying something because bears are pretty clumsy. But the human was completely unprepared for this encounter; it’s one thing to shoo away birds, raccoons, or the occasional deer…but a group of bears was an entirely different story. And they weren’t going to be satisfied with just a tiny sample either. The mother tried to scare them away by swiping at them with whatever farming tool she had on hand, but it didn’t faze’em. They were determined to eat their fill. Of course one of them got aggressive and knocked the tool out of her hand, along with giving her a nasty gash to her arm. Great great granny watched the scene unfold, praying that the bears would see that they bested her and just eat the fruit. While two of them did just that, the biggest one wanted to make sure the threat was dealt with permanently.

All the while my great great granny was having the biggest internal debate of her life. On one hand, if the mom was killed it would be easier for the pack to reclaim their land since the kids would be too distraught to defend themselves. But on the other hand, if she were to perish then they couldn’t observe and learn how to grow their own fruits. Not to mention…she was a mother too. She saw how she didn’t call out for help from her children, how she struggled to stand and face the bear. She was determined to not only protect her farm, but her family as well. And she knew for a fact that they’d be looking for her if she didn’t return. She couldn’t live with herself if she had the opportunity to prevent those children from being orphaned, and didn’t take it.

“My pack…please forgive me.”

She let out the loudest howl she could muster, hoping it would not only scare the bears away but also scare the children into the house, just in case they were nearby. But it didn’t do any good – all they did was stand up and look around to see where the sound came from, then turned their attention back to the injured mother.

Great great granny quickly realized that a standing swipe would instantly kill the human, so she did the unthinkable and rushed in. She tripped the alarms on purpose, redirecting their attention onto her. Using the energy within her moonstone she transformed in a lycanthrope, the true form of our kind, right in front of the human and took on the three bears. Well…the biggest one anyway – the other two had enough sense not to mess with my great great granny and ran away. It really wasn’t much of a fight, but that’s what happens when a bear who thinks he’s all that goes up against an experienced alpha. After getting a few cuts from her sharp claws, he got the hint and took off too.

Meanwhile the mother was absolutely stunned – she didn’t even try to back away. Then again I’d be frozen in place too if I saw all that. But great great granny knew she didn’t have time to dillydally, the rest of the pack would be there soon to provide backup. She quickly tore off a piece of her clothing and tied it around the mother’s arm to try and stop the bleeding. And what was surprising was that the human actually let her; she was able to realize that my great great granny wanted to help. Once she finished tying up the bandage, she ran back into the woods and right into great great grandpop. He was already in his lycanthrope form, ready to maul anything in sight. She assured him that she wasn’t in danger, and promised to explain everything once they were back home. Naturally they had mixed feelings about what she did, but she wouldn’t change a thing. “And you shouldn’t.” great great grandpop told her. “You have a noble heart my love, and you trusted it despite all the potential danger. You did the right thing and I’m proud of you.”

And her selfless act bore fruits of their own.

The family disappeared for a few days after the bear attack, and the pack prepared themselves for a possible fight. But it didn’t come to that. Turns out the family went into town to get medical treatment for their mother. And when they came back it was just them still – no other humans were with them. The kids continued to harvest the crops while the mother recovered. But during that time, the mom would come out despite her injury and howl. And she did it for many days.

Great great granny was confused for sure because nothing she howled made a lick of sense. And she always did it during twilight, the same time she saved her from those bears. She discussed it with the pack and it was decided that she’d answer call, but great great grand-pop and a few others would be nearby just in case.

Soon the time came.

The mom howled again and she entered the farm, tripping the alarm system on purpose. This time her children were nearby and ran over to where she was. Of course they gasped when they saw her. My great great granny was quite imposing even without being in her lycanthrope form. She had that silent air type authority that could make anyone stop whatever they were doing, and those kids felt it. But instead of being still, they pulled their knives out. Don’t think she didn’t growl at them, but the mother quickly interceded. “No! Do not hurt her! Throw your knives away!” she spoke. They looked at each other then back at my growling great great granny. “Now!” she commanded, and they hesitantly heeded her words and flung’em away. That surprised the heck out of the pack when they saw that. And it wasn’t a little toss either, they chucked those things far! Like from here to the apple orchard. Now that the threat was gone, the mother walked up to great great granny…staring at her the whole time. It was almost like what the bees did to me – she was sniffing her in her own way. But my great great granny did it literally. She was sensing if the mother had any ill intentions – it’s one of our instinctual abilities. Surprisingly she was in the clear.

“…It’s you. It’s really you! I was hoping you would come back.” the mother happily said. Great great granny raised an eyebrow up when she heard that. Of course the kids were skeptical.

“Mom…a-are you sure that’s her? She doesn’t look anything like you described.” the daughter whispered.

“And I don’t think she can understand us. She’s just starin-”

“I can understand you, human child.” she cut off the son, and spooked them into shutting up.

“…Please forgive my bluntness, but are you a w-werewolf?” the mother hesitantly asked.

“…I am.” she warily replied, but the mom looked more fascinated than fearful.

“Incredible. I-I hope I didn’t say anything offensive when I howled for you. And if I did, I’m truly sorry. I didn’t know how else to call for you.” she explained.

“Why did you call for me?” great great granny asked.

“To thank you. You saved my life, my children’s lives and my livelihood from those bears. You were truly a God send and I am forever grateful.”

If the pack was surprised before, they were completely flabbergasted when they heard that. The children slowly got over their trepidation and echoed their mother’s sentiments. “Thank you Mrs. Werewolf for saving our mom!” “Yes! Thank you very much!”

My great great granny showed them the warmest smile and nodded in return. “I am a werewolf, but I am also a mother of two as well. I just could not sit idly by.” she explained.

“And again I truly thank you for your kindness. My name is Elizabeth Kirkland, and this is my son Aaron and my daughter Gabrielle. It is an honor to make your acquaintance.” she introduced. “Won’t you please tell us your name?”

“I cannot. I have already put myself at risk by talking to you.” she explained and turned to leave.

“Wait! Please! I understand your concern, but I promise you that we will not tell anyone about you or your kind.” she swore, and the children crossed their hearts.

Great great granny sensed their sincerity, but the pack’s safety always came first. “Thank you…but I must go. My pack is waiting for me.” and to punctuate her point the rest of the pack howled for her. It was also meant to be a warning too – “mess with me you take on everyone” kind of thing.

“…I understand. But please know that you are always welcome here…though I have a feeling you’re the one who allowed me to be here in the first place. I thank you for that too.”

Great great granny was impressed by her insight since she wasn’t too far off. She nodded and replied, “I will return to take you up on your offer…one day.”

“Then I shall wait with baited breath. I look forward to seeing you again…Rufus.”

“Rufus?”

“I respect your wishes that you cannot tell me your name, so I decided to give you a nickname instead. Rufus means “red haired” in Latin and I…well I thought it was perfect for your lovely red fur. Is…is that alright?”

Great great granny smiled and said, “I like it. Thank you Elizabeth.” and took off with the pack. Needless to say there was a lot to discuss after that encounter. Most of them were still iffy, but great great granny decided to cautiously forge a relationship with the humans, now that she knew they weren’t a threat. She met up with Elizabeth again a few days later, and the two really hit it off. And it was a genuine relationship too – not one where she was only being nice just because great great granny saved her. Elizabeth really did care.

And they sure did talk a lot, but it was all good. Great great granny dispelled a lot of the stories that were told about werewolves and even taught her how to howl a proper greeting. Well…at least close enough to one. In turn Elizabeth shared her story. She moved out here for a fresh start after difficulties with her former mate – to prove to herself that she was strong enough to take care of things as well as raise a family, something that great great granny deeply respected.

As they spent more time together she decided to introduce my great great grandpop, great grandpop and great grand auntie to’em. At this point it was like seeing extended family; they were able to see beyond biological differences and be themselves. Elizabeth taught great great granny and great great grandpop farming techniques, how to preserve crops for the winter and even recipes; great great grandpop turned out to be a natural chef. They shared that information with the rest of the pack, and there were plenty of wolves that had a green thumb and a nose for cooking as well.

In return they helped out with harvesting, protecting the farm from wild animals, and providing them with extra meat from their hunts. Whenever it was time for the harvests, Elizabeth and great great grandpop would cook up a big feast with what they’ve grown, inviting the pack to come and partake. Some of them did, but the majority chose not to. She understood their reluctance, but still wanted to include them. So she made dishes for the wolves to take back to the den. Eventually she started to earn their trust. My great grandpop and great grand auntie definitely trusted Aaron and Gabrielle – they and some of the other pups would play with them all the time; it was awesome! The pack even allowed the kids to explore a portion of their territory and pointed out different plants that were safe to eat, increasing their recipe repertoire. Sometimes a few of them would secretly accompany the family when they went into town to get herbs and spices – at least to the outskirts. They could smell out the best ones and give the kids signals before they bought any.

It was a beautiful thing…but not realistic.

Even though these humans were a rarity in terms of their kindness towards us, the vast majority of them still viewed us as monsters. Or at the very least scary legends to tell the youth to keep’em in line. Although Elizabeth never told the townsfolk about us, it didn’t stop her from trying to persuade them to try to see things in a different perspective whenever they talked about us in passing. Of course she got ridiculed and it frustrated her, Aaron and Gabrielle to no end. When she told great great granny what happened, she appreciated the gesture but told her, “You can lead your horse to water but can’t make him drink. You can give a human wisdom but can’t make him think.”

“**sigh** You’re right. I cannot change anyone’s mind if they do not want to. I’ve noticed it’s hard for anyone to accept they’re wrong about anything, but ultimately they’ll have to if they want to truly mature. That’s another thing I’m grateful to you for. Not only for saving my life, but for also opening up my mind.”

“I feel the same way. I’m glad that our relationship has expanded the minds of myself and my pack to different possibilities.”

“And all it took was a little compassion. How can such a simple concept elude so many?”

“Fear has a way of doing that. …I won’t lie, I had to conqueror my own trepidation in order to allow myself to rescue you.”

“I know, and I do not hold that against you. You are still my friend Rufus.”

“Just as you are mine Elizabeth. And our families are one.”

“Indeed they are.”

Eventually Elizabeth grew old, and it was time for her to pass on. The entire pack accompanied Aaron and Gabrielle to say their farewells and pay their respects. Soon it was just my great great granny and her children by her beside.

“Aaron…Gabrielle, you both mean the world to me. Please look after one another. Whoever you find…may they be as kind as the pack. And whatever you do…first and foremost, show compassion. If both of you will stand in agreement with me…my final request is to leave the farm to the werewolf pack. You will have all of the money in my savings and my possessions…but the land is theirs.”

They readily agreed to their mother’s request, but great great granny couldn’t believe it. Before she could even get a word in, Elizabeth stopped her. “Rufus, this is your territory. Thank you…for letting us borrow it. And…for everything. This second half of my life was something I never expected…but incredible all the same. I cherished every moment of it.” she smiled.

With a watery smile, she replied, “As have I. I promise that your legacy will live on with us, for we are one.”

“We…are…one. Thank you…Rufus.”

“Enjoy your eternity of bliss Elizabeth.” And with a final nod…she passed away.

The pack howled at twilight, their way of sending her spirit off to the afterlife. Aaron and Gabrielle gathered everything that was left to them, and said their heartfelt goodbyes. They even gave us the spout and some of the cast iron pans. “Thank you for everything! We shall never forget your kindness. As such, we will do everything in our power to ensure that no one else comes into your woods.” Aaron assured.

And sure enough they kept their promise…in an unexpected way.

Turns out both of them were well-respected botanists in Seabrook – using what they learned from us as well as their own studies. Whatever they said about plants the people usually adhered to their expertise. So they told the townsfolk about aconite, a plant also known as wolf’s bane, blooming at an exponential rate in the forest and making it unsafe for humans to be there. Therefore they suggested that the entire area be closed off until the threat passed; they gave two hundred years or so for the plant to reach its peak amount before dying off. While the plant is poisonous, it actually only grows in a very small area of our woods and we know how to deal with it. They fabricated the report in order to protect us. Most of the people were easily persuaded due to seeing the effects of aconite poisoning firsthand, but there were a few skeptics. They didn’t even budge when they added the threat of territorial predators. Unfortunately it was only when they used their deep rooted superstitions about werewolves that they finally agreed. And boom, you have the Forbidden Forest.

They snuck back to the farm to let great great granny know what happened, and asked for her forgiveness. “For what? You kept your word. You were able to preserve our home and then some; we are truly grateful for what you’ve done. But…I am saddened that this will be the last time we see each other. In order for the ruse to work, you cannot come back here.”

And she was right.

“I hope that one day our descendants will be able to meet each other. Until then, may blessings shine upon your lives.”

They gave their final goodbyes and left to live their own lives in new places, for their scent was no longer in Seabrook."

Addison just stared at him, utterly slack-jawed. “Wow…what an incredible story. But…was it okay to tell me all that? I’m not a part of the pack yet. I don’t want you to get in trouble.” she fretted.

“It’s okay, they’re not werewolf secrets. I was just talking about my family, that’s all. It’s easy to talk about something personal with someone you trust.” he smiled as he glanced at her bare chest.

She followed his line of sight and realized what he meant. “I’m honored.” she smiled.

“Heh, I can sense you have a lot of questions for me.”

“Y-Yeah.” she sheepishly admitted.

“Well, let’s hear’em.” he encouraged.

“Are you sure?”

“Yup. If it’s a secret I keep my lips shut, and if it’s not then I’ll talk your ear off again.” and she chuckled at that.

“I could listen to every single one of the wolves’ stories and not be bored.”

“I know you wouldn’t. But let me refill your dish first.”

“Huh?” and she looked down and saw it was indeed empty. “I-I didn’t even realize I ate them all.”

“Good food always goes well with good stories” he grinned, and poured half of his stash into hers.

“Thank you.”

“Would you like some honey on top?” he offered.

“No thank you.”

He went ahead and drizzled some over his and mixed it all together. “Go on ahead, ask away.”

“O-Oh, okay. Um…you said your great great grandmother was an alpha. How is it that you’re not the alpha, or is that a secret selection process?”

“Secret selection process.” he replied while licking his lips.

“Got it. Okay. Um, I know Rufus was your great grandmother’s nickname, but what was her real name?”

“Yahtow. Yahtow Muzzrile.”

“Yahtow…blue.” She translated.

“That’s right. Her eyes were as blue as the ocean.” he described.

“Just like yours.” she pointed out.

“Uh huh, one of the Muzzrile traits. My whole family on her side had’em, and my mom’s side had hazel. Put’em together and you get these pretty peepers.” he proudly declared, making her laugh.

“I’ll say. Can you tell me the names of the rest of your family?”

“I’ll just go up to my great great grand-wolves, or else we’ll be here a while.” and he listed what felt like his entire lineage.

“…Whoa, that’s a lot. Now I’m suddenly curious about my own family tree." she commented as she twiddled a lock of her white hair in her fingers. "By the way, did your family name the Rufus apples after your great great grandmother?”

“Nope, that was Elizabeth.” he answered.

“After her fur color?” she knowingly smiled.

“Yep.” he smiled back.

“That’s so cool! It’s still incredible how Rufus and Elizabeth were such good friends. And because of that friendship the Forbidden Forest was created. No way I'm going to ask about changing the name now." she quietly uttered to herself. "And not only do you have stories and memories, but you have something actually descended from that time other than children. I mean this whole farm is a living legacy!”

Row looked down at the blueberry between his fingers before looking out towards the pond. “Yeah…it is impressive. For many years my family kept up the farm, making it even better than when it started…until we had to leave our old den. My grandpop, pop, mama and auntie gathered as many seeds as they could and started a new farm here. But…my grandpop passed away before I was born, and my mom passed away when I was two. Soon it was just me, pop and auntie…until they got sick. They went to the hospice area with the rest of the adults while we searched for the moonstone. They…they didn’t make it.” he quietly uttered.

Addison remained quiet, unsure of what to say. Instead she scooted a little closer, offering some form of nonverbal condolences.

“…Keeping this farm going is how I remember them. It’s also therapeutic in a way…what with everything that went on.” he managed to get out, his voice hitching and thick with emotion. He wiped his eyes and let out a deep exhale.

Instinctively Addison put her hand on top of his head and gently ruffled his locs. He jolted out of his blue mood and quickly turned his head to stare at her – blinking quizzically.

Fearing that she had overstepped his boundaries, she started retracting her hand until he showed a soft smile and leaned in. “Y’know…I just realized something. Everything came around full circle.”

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“My great great granny helped a human in their greatest time of need. And when we needed help, you were there. And all it took was a little compassion. Then…and right now.” he fondly said.

She smiled and replied, “It really wasn’t much, I’m just glad I could help. Plus, the same thing can be said about you. You helped the bees in their greatest time of need. And you shared what little crop there was with me. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree huh?”

That got a small chuckle out of him. “I suppose not.” he acknowledged. She gave his head one last ruffle and they resumed eating in comfortable silence.

“Hey Row?”

“Hm?”

“When it’s time for your harvest, would it be alright if I could have a few of your apples and berries to bake with?”

“If we get to taste what you make, then my farm is your farm.” he winked.

“You know it! The blueberries would be especially great inside some pancakes. And with the honey on top, oohh it’d be absolute heaven in your mouth!” and she emphasized it with a chef’s kiss.

“What’re pancakes? Are they like cookies?” he asked.

“Kinda. They use the same ingredients, but they’re cooked in totally different ways” and she told him what they were and how they’re made.

“Those DO sound amazing! I can’t wait to try’em.”

“I’m no pancake expert, but I’ll try my best.”

“Hey, so long as love is put into it it’ll be all good.”

“Just like your farm. I know your family would be very proud of what you’ve continued to do.” she praised.

Row showed a grateful smile and said, “Thank you Addison.” Soon they finished up their meal and washed up their dishes. “You go on ahead and chill here, I’ll put these away.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yup! Be back in a tick” and he grabbed the dishes and the trash bucket.

Addison stood up and stretched a bit before patting her full belly. “Are you good?” she jokingly asked her stomach before licking her sweet lips again. She sighed contentedly as she looked across the landscape. “A little compassion does go a long way.” she thought.

Soon Row came back and offered her a narrow wooden canister. “Would you like some water?”

“Yes please.” and she graciously took it. She drank her fill and handed it back to him so he could hydrate too. He used the spout to refill it and attached it to a holder on the honey bucket. He picked it up and asked, “Ready to go home?” “Yup, let’s go.”

Going back up the wall was a much easier affair, even if she was holding onto him with one arm while she held the bucket.

“Thank you.” he said.

“No problem. I wasn’t about to let go of this liquid goodness.” she replied.

“I can’t wait to pour it over some bones!” he smiled.

“Oh yeah, I remember you guys mentioning something about sweet bones. Is that how you make them?” she asked.

“Oh no, it’s the elder’s secret recipe. Honey is definitely used, but they do something else to it too. They keep it a secret so we don’t snack on’em all the time. Still hasn’t stopped me from tryin’ to recreate it, but I haven’t figured it out yet.”

“Don’t worry, I know you will. Or you’ll make something even better, then it’ll be your own secret recipe.” she winked. He smiled and nodded at that.

When they reached the halfway point Row howled to let the pack know they were almost home; they got an exuberant one in return.

But when they finally walked inside the den, something was clearly amiss.

Willa was standing up with her arms crossed in front of her chest while everyone else was on all fours. Their eyes were as luminous as megawatt lightbulbs, enhancing the shiny fangs all of them were baring. The cacophony of menacing growls echoed off the painted walls; even the light of the moonstone was agitatedly pulsing.

Before Addison could even ask what was wrong, the alpha barked at Row. She wasn’t able to catch what she said, but whatever is was it made him snarl at her – startling her into jumping in place. He quickly got in formation with the others, but in his haste he nearly dropped the honey bucket. She managed to catch it in time and carefully set it down. But if anything that made them growl even louder. She flinched but quickly stood back up. At this point it was obvious that all of this animosity was directed towards her.

“Wh-What’s going on?! What did I do?!” she thought. It didn’t make any sense, especially when she noticed the pups creep closer to the front of the group. I mean just an hour ago they were all playing together! But she didn’t have to wonder for long before Willa strode right up to her; a nervous gulp went down her throat when she noticed her fists clenched at her sides.

“Addison.” she sternly spoke.

“Y-Yes?” she squeaked out; her heart felt like it was beating out of her chest.

“As alpha of this pack I'm always on guard, and I hate being caught off it. So imagine my surprise when my brother and the pups told me what you did.” she growled, baring her fangs.

Oh man…she was livid! Addison could see the simmering rage in her eyes. She gulped again, feeling extremely exposed under her incriminating stare. But she didn’t take a step back nor raise her arms to try and shield her body. These were her friends, and deep down she knew they wouldn’t hurt her no matter what. Whatever she did wrong, she would ask for their forgiveness and hopefully they’d give her a chance to make amends.

“Do you know what this means?” she snarled as her necklace flared up, initiating her wolf out. Addison meekly shook her head “no” and instinctively closed her eyes. “This means…you passed your first trial.” she announced, and Addison’s eyes shot open.

“I- I-wait w-what?!” she sputtered out.

Immediately the packs’ growls turned into happy howls, and the pups ran towards her and affectionately pounced on her. “OOFOH!!” she grunted as she landed on her back; she squirmed in delight as they nuzzled and licked her.

“Way to go Addy!” Wylie praised.

“Addy do good!” Nawnu added.

“H-Heyaha! Holdha h-hold on!” she tried to speak in the midst of her laughter, making the rest of the pack giggle as well.

Willa shooed them off of her and smirked as she watched the girl try and catch her breath. “You alright there white hair?” she chuckled as she held her hand out to her.

“Y-Yeah,” she airily replied, and accepted the assist. “B-But I don’t understand.”

“What’s there to understand? Like I said, you passed your first trial: The Trial of Respect.” she repeated.

“Congratulations Addison!” Wynter exclaimed before she pounced on her too, but she cushioned their descent with her arm.

“Uugggghhh…I should’ve just stayed on the floor.” she thought, but smiled at the gesture none the less.

A devious grin formed on Willa’s lips and she declared, “Anyone else who wants to get in on this better do it now.”

“Huh?! W-Wait HoGUHUH!!” but Addison’s protests fell on deaf ears as the rest of the wolves joined the jubilant pile. She groaned under the weight, but least it didn’t hurt...much. She managed to catch Willa laughing at her expense. “…You’re enjoying this way too much.” she remarked, trying her best to sound annoyed but couldn’t fake it – especially when she was being lovingly smothered.

“Oh you know I am. Besides, it’s not every day we get to celebrate someone actually passing a trial. And the hardest one no less.” she grinned.

“Huh? What do you mean? And what exactly did I even do?” she questioned.

At that everyone got off of her and Willa held her hand out again. She looked at it, then at everyone else. “I think I’ll stay right here on the floor, thank you.” she stated.

“Oh c’mon white hair, they’re done pouncing.” Willa rolled her eyes. Addison still eyed the out-stretched hand skeptically, but eventually took the assist.

“So, how did I pass the respect trial? I didn’t even know it was going on.”

“Sure was, but it was more secretive. Y’see the trial of respect is more of an observational assessment of how the new wolf interacts with the pack. Wolves in the past very rarely passed the trial because while they respected the alpha, they’d always try to assert dominance over the other wolves to the point of bullying them. And that is not tolerated in our pack. You on the other hand respected our ways and our culture just like that” and Willa snapped her fingers for added emphasis. “When my brother tried to conform to your comfort level, you didn’t let him. You made him feel okay being himself with someone other than us. Not to mention little Wylie told us what you did last night. You comforted her after she had that nightmare by relating to her, and of course cuddling her. You even put the whole pack at ease with your singing and heartwarming howl.” she recounted.

“Y-You guys heard me?!” she blushed.

“We did.” Wyatt smiled.

“We didn’t want to interrupt the concert, so we kept quiet and pretended to be asleep.” Wynter explained.

“And may I say, you have a lovely voice.” Row added, echoing the compliment she gave him earlier.

“And you did it all without any prompting, it was all you.” Willa finished.

“But…but it’s nothing special. Certainly not worth passing a trial over.” she refuted.

“It is to me.” Wyatt stepped in.

“Addison, I’ll say this. If every human were like you, we wouldn’t have needed to hide. What you think is commonplace in your sight isn’t the case for others. But that just shows what’s inside your heart.” Willa smiled ,and the pack howled their cheers for her.

Still, Addison had to be sure. “…Really?”

Willa huffed through her nose and asked, “Do you doubt the words of an alpha?”

She did a double take before a small smile crossed her lips. “No, of course not.”

“Then you know what I said is true. Congratulations Addison.” she praised.

“Thank you.” she gratefully replied, but her smile disappeared when she noticed Willa’s eyes change color and narrow a bit.

And she knew what that meant.

“Willa no! DonUHUF!” and she was pinned again. “Uggh…I thought you said you guys were done!”

“Nope, I said they were done. I didn’t get mine in.” she corrected, and booped her on the nose with her finger.

Addison rolled her eyes and asked, “I’m guessing the whole growling act was your idea too?”

“Yep.” she admitted with no shame.

“Sorry we scared you Addy.” Wylie apologized.

“And by the way, thanks for catching the honey bucket.” Row added.

“No worries, though I was more confused than scared; I knew you guys wouldn’t hurt me. But you sure do love almost giving me a heart attack though don’t you?”

“Like I said, we wolves like to tease.”

“More like you like to tease.” she muttered. Willa just shrugged her shoulders when she heard that.

Addison could only shake her head. “You really are something else alpha.”

“And so are you white hair.” she smirked, and helped her up again for the umpteenth time.

“So…what happens now?”

“Now you’ll do the hunting trial.” Willa answered.

“What? Really?”

She nodded and explained, “Wyatt told me how your lesson went and I believe you’re ready. Besides, all the wolves that have attempted the alpha trials typically pass the hunting one first because it’s natural for us. So, show us what you can do.”

“…Talk about déjà vu.” she thought; those were the exact words she told the wolves when she invited them to cheer with the team. They didn’t have any training but they were still impressive. Maybe Willa wanted to see what she could do on her own, especially given what just happened with the respect trial. “I’ll do my best.” she resolutely replied, garnering a few approving nods from the pack.

“I’d expect nothing less. You’ll do it the day after tomorrow. Rest up and be back here at sunrise.” she instructed.

“Got it.”

“On that note you should head home now. I’m sure the last thing you need is for your parents to freak out over why you’re not back yet.” she pointed out.

“Oh, don’t worry about that. I texted them saying I’d be here a few hours because Wyatt wanted to give me a tour of the den. But yeah…my time’s probably up.” she agreed. “Be right back.” and she went down the corridor.

A few minutes later she returned with her bag in hand, but a confused countenance on her face. Willa sported the same look when she saw her, whereas the rest of the wolves showed small, endearing smiles. “Hey guys, I found this inside the side pocket of my bag.” she said as she held up a wider wooden container. “Is this for me?”

“Yep.” Wyatt smiled.

“We put a treat in there for you!” Wylie beamed.

“A treat? For me?” she asked.

“Yeah! Open it!” Kraw eagerly urged.

She did as she was told and popped the top off. Inside was dried jerky, and there was quite a lot of it considering the container wasn’t all that big. “Whoa…this is all for me?” she asked.

“Yep! Since you can’t eat raw meat, we figured you’d like this. We always put some of our kill aside to dry up and store up for the winter.” Wynter explained.

“Wait, what? This is from your winter stock? I can’t eat this, you guys need it.” she refuted.

“Addison, it’s okay.” Wyatt assured. “We want you to have it. Go ahead, try a piece.”

She looked at the container, then back at the pack who gave her encouraging nods. She took out a piece and put it in her mouth. A content “mmm” passed through her lips as she chewed the delectable morsel. It was super tender and surprisingly peppery with a hint of honey and other spices. If she wasn’t so full from the fruit she would’ve devoured all of it. “This is soo good! What do you use to season it? I can taste pepper and a little honey, but there’s definitely more.” she described.

Row grinned and answered, “It’s my great great grandpop’s recipe. Don’t worry, I’ll tell ya when you’re a pack member.”

“Nice! Speaking of being a member, can I know your names please?” she asked the rest of the wolves.

“Yeah, of course. Sorry, we should’ve introduced ourselves earlier.” Willa realized.

“That’s okay. I wasn’t sure if I could learn them at first, until Wyatt said otherwise.” she explained.

“Why’s that? I mean you know our names.” the alpha pointed to herself, Wyatt and Wynter.

“Right, but that’s only because I caught you guys saying them to each other.” she elaborated.

“That’s true.”

“Plus, I thought it was a privilege that I earned after I passed the trials.” she finished.

Willa smirked at her reasoning and said, “Well, let’s say it was. Are you feeling a little bold after you passed one?”

“Nope, just wanted to know my family if I could.” she simply replied.

The alpha did a double take when she heard that before remembering her passionate speech from last night. She smiled and said, “Then get ready to have a lot of siblings. My name is Willa Lykensen, alpha of the Nanukilik pack.”

“Nanukilik?” Addison repeated.

“Yep, think of it like a human tribe name.”

“Gotcha.”

“Can you tell me what it means?” she asked.

“Huh? Umm…” she mulled the words in her head for a moment and answered, “Love is Strength.”

“That’s right.” she grinned.

“Cool.” she remarked, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that she heard that word before. Then it dawned on her, it sounded like one of the words Wyatt spoke in front of the emergency exit. Or it could have been. Either way she was beyond thrilled that she could learn something about the pack, and from Willa herself no less.

“And this is my baby brother, Wyatt.” she introduced, though he grumbled at how much emphasis she put on “baby.”

"Hey!" he growled.

"What? It's true" she grinned at his expense. Addison covered her mouth with her hand to hide her giggles.

Wynter gave her a big squeeze and said, “Wynter Barkowitz! Pleased to officially meet ya!”

“L-Likewise.” Addison gasped, and she let her go. “Definitely has strength to spare” she thought as she straightened up.

Next up the fabulous farmer re-introduced himself. “Row Muzzrile, at your service.” he smiled.

After him was a solid, caramel-colored girl with brown hair done up in a pixie cut; she wore overalls with what appeared to be paint smears on them. “My name is Willow Growlight, and this is my cousin Rwylo.” and a lanky boy shyly waved at her. He had a similar complexion and outfit, but his dark brown hair was long and curly like Willa’s.

“I’m Wen Jinclaw and this is my big bro Wei!” a younger male wolf enthusiastically spoke as he slung an arm around his brother’s neck. Both of them sported Mohawks with white tips and their facial features reminded her of seafaring Polynesians she saw in a documentary.

Rounding out the bunch were two more boys. “Willie Runthorpe’s the name. A pleasure.” he politely bowed. He had a slight accent that Addison couldn’t quite place, the closest she could compare it to would be Australian mixed with someone from Brooklyn. But she could tell that he was just a rowdy as Wynter due to the tears in his clothes and the scars on his slightly tanned skin.

“Warren. Warren Ruffet.” the last wolf quietly barked. If Bonzo had a twin he’d be it, minus being green, but she could tell he was a real sweetie.

“It’s an honor to meet all of you. My name is Addison Elizabeth Wells.” and that made the teens' eyes widen just a bit, especially Row’s.

“Well I’ll be.” the farmer thought.

“But uh…it might take me some time to remember all these names.” she admitted.

“Better get to it white hair, because you’ll be meeting a whole lot more.” Willa replied.

"I can’t wait.” she smiled. All of the pups ran up to her to give her one last hug. “Thanks again for the treat, I’ll see you guys later!”

“Hold it!” Willa barked.

“...Willa, I don’t need an escort. It’s still daylight, I’ll be fine.” Addison groaned.

“Hmph. I wasn’t going to say that.” she huffed.

“Then what’s up?”

“It’s just that I’m pretty sure Seabrook hasn’t earned your trust yet.” she stated.

“Huh?” Addison asked, thoroughly confused before Willa pointed to her still shirtless upper body.

“SHOOT!” she blushed and ran back into the sleeping area; her shirt was still on the ground. “I can’t believe I forgot to put my shirt back on!” she thought as she hastily hooked her bra and pulled the shirt over her head. She walked back into the main area – a light blush still dusting her cheeks. “**ahem**…T-Thank you. That would’ve been bad.”

“By their backward standards, yes. But you already know we’re more than okay with it - that’s why you kept walking around without it. You’re comfortable here, as a home should be.” Willa smiled.

Addison absorbed her words and smiled back. “You’re right.”

The alpha nodded and replied, “But Wynter’s going with you. Just because its daylight doesn’t mean animals aren’t out hunting. Case in point.” and she pointed her thumb back to her pack.

“…Alright.” she agreed; she should’ve seen this coming.

“Don’t worry Addison, if anything even tries to look our way I’ll break’em in two!” and she cracked her knuckles for added emphasis.

“I know you will.” she replied.

“Hold up, one more thing.” Willa spoke.

“What’s that?”

“Give me your necklace, you’ll get it back before your hunting trial starts.” she ordered.

“Oh, okay. Sure.” She unhooks it from around her neck, and gives it to her. “Wonder why they want to give it back to me though. It doesn’t do me any good other than being an awesome accessory.” she thought. Oddly enough she feels a little…weird without it on, but she attributes it to suddenly having her neck be bare after having it on all this time.

"Just so you know, now that you've passed a trial and I have your necklace, you are no longer an honorary wolf. It's all or nothing now." she said.

Addison figured as much, she was actually surprised she had her status for this long. "Understood." she agreed.

“Alright, then that’s it. You two be safe out there okay?”

“We will! Let’s roll!” and Wynter grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the entrance. The rest of the pack follows up behind them until they're outside, waving and saying their goodbyes. Soon they were out of sight.

Eventually they head back inside the den; Willa was halfway through the entrance tunnel until she noticed that Wyatt wasn’t next to her. She went back outside and saw that he was still staring in the direction Addison and Wynter traveled. All of a sudden his whole body slumped and he let out the longest, saddest whine that even made her heart hurt. She walked over to him and asked, “Pebble for your thoughts?” startling him out of his stupor.

“Huh? Oh…I-It’s noth-"

"Don't even try it" she cut off his dismissal. "C'mon, tell me what's wrong." she gently beseeched.

"**sigh** I-It's Addison.” he confessed.

“What about her? You know Wynter will keep her safe.”

“It’s not that. It’s…well…she’s the one.” he explained.

Willa raised an eyebrow at that, then looked down at his pelvic area. Wyatt followed her line of sight and the implication immediately clicked in his head. “W-Willa!!” he yelled as a crimson blush coated his cheeks.

“What? I had to make sure it wasn’t just a physical attraction.” she defended, making him put his face in his hands and groan. “So you want Addison to be your mate.” she stated and he slowly nodded his head. “And what makes you so sure she’s the one? If anything I figured you'd try to make Eliza your mate. I saw how chummy you two were at Prawn.”

“I…I felt what dad told us we would feel when we would find our mates. I-I’ve never felt that way with anyone, not with Eliza nor any of our female pack mates - and you know how kind they are.” he answered and that made her actually pause for a moment. She reaches her hand into her vest pocket, feeling the smooth surface of the great alpha’s, of Addison’s, moonstone.

“…I see.” she simply said.

“God...I’m a wreck. I mean look at me! I know she’ll be back but I’m acting like I’ll never see her again.”

“No kidding. I thought somebody died the way you’re acting. But…would you want to get rid of that feeling?” she asked.

“No, of course not! I mean the unnecessary longing yeah, but not everything else. Even before everything that happened these past two days…whenever we were in the same vicinity during our search for the moonstone it felt…right. I thought it was just because I was excited about finding the great alpha…but now I realize its more than that.” he smiled but it quickly disappeared. “And that’s another thing! I definitely don’t want to mess up Addison’s relationship with Zed. I respect him too much for what he’s done for us. But I can’t help feeling this way, even if I am technically too young.”

“C’mere Wyatt.” and she brought him in for a hug. “Brother, nothing's set in stone. Being boyfriend and girlfriend is just the human way of seeing how compatible you are with each other. It’s still early. Until you see a claim ring on her finger, you still have a chance. But…don’t you think it’ll be a moot point either way? She’s not a werewolf. At least a zombie used to be human.” she pointed out.

“I know…but my whole being is set on her. I couldn’t change it even if I wanted to.” he replied.

“And I know you don’t. **sigh** Well…if you truly love her, her happiness comes first.” she advised. He sighed but nodded at her advice. She let him go but still kept her hands on his shoulders. “For now just enjoy getting to know her and whatever else that comes along. You know I am.” she grinned.

“I know you are.” he fondly smiled. “Watch out though, she’s gonna really get you one day.”

“Yeah right, I’m the alpha. I won’t be so easy to take down.” she scoffed and crossed her arms.

“Really? Need I remind you of that powerful right hook she has?” he grinned.

“And I’m making up for that.” she growled.

“Oooh, so is that the only reason you keep pouncing on her?” he asked as he cheekily raised an eyebrow.

“What are you trying to imply dear brother?” she leered.

“Oh nothing.” he simply replied.

“Good.” she huffed.

Wyatt merely shook his head and gave her a lick on her forehead. “Thanks big sis.”

“Anytime baby bro” and they embraced once again. No matter what comes up on this trail, there was no denying that Addison left her mark on them and everyone else.

Chapter 8: Reactions Abound

Chapter Text

“Annnd there were go” as the last battery slid into place. Scattered all around Addison’s room were the toys and other devices the werewolves gave to her; each one adding their own unique sound to the childlike orchestra.

After Wynter escorted her to Seabrook’s outskirts, she made a quick trip to the store and bought a ton of batteries – earning some very curious stares from the cashier. “That there is a whole heap of batteries miss. What’chu gonna do with’em if you don’t mind me askin’?” the stocky clerk asked.

“Just fixing up some toys for my friend and his younger siblings” she smiled.

“Well alrighty then! Total is $57.77” he announced.

“That’s it?” she thought as she glanced at the paper bag – filled to the brim with of every kind of battery imaginable. “Works for me” she internally grinned and handed him the money Wyatt gave her.

“Here’s your change. Have a good afternoon now!” the clerk smiled and she walked home with a giddy bounce in her step.

“Okay…let’s give this a whirl” and she set Wyatt’s favorite toy on the floor. She pressed the button on top and it immediately lit up with every color of the rainbow – spinning around good as new. Addison's eyes sparkled and a captivated smile appeared on her lips as she watched the mini version of Santa’s workshop waltz across the floor. “Awesome! They all work!” she excitedly declared, but quickly relocated some of them before they crashed into each another. “This is great, and there’s plenty of batteries to spare! I can’t wait to see the looks on their faces” she fondly thought. She watched the little toys roam around for a few more minutes before turning them off.

She grabbed a large, golden duffle bag out of her closet… and there was a reason why it was tucked deeply away. It was dubbed the captain’s bag by her cousin, and it definitely had his aesthetic taste to it. There was a cartoon version of his face sporting his trademarked smile on each side. “If only my bag was just a little bit bigger…oh well, at least I’ll be putting it to good use” she thought as she delicately placed the toys and batteries inside. “Heh, I feel just like Santa Claus. Or Santa Claws” she chuckled at her own pun. “Then again, I wouldn’t be too far off. I have the white hair, I just need some red clothes.”

She set the gaudy bag down by her door so she wouldn’t forget it when she saw them again. Then she flopped onto her bed – grimacing just a tad from the love pounces her body endured. “Sheesh…not even a hot shower could get rid of the soreness. I should’ve gotten some tiger balm while I was at the store. Oh well, what’s a little pounce between friends? I still wouldn’t trade this feeling for the world! I can’t believe I passed a trial!” she squealed at her success, but her exuberant chuckles came to a halt as her mind got down to brass tacks.

“So next up is the hunting trial. Let’s see…” and she started recalling everything Wyatt taught her with precise clarity. Even Wynter chipped in some sound advice during their trek. While they were walking along the trail, her wolf-guard spotted a flock of mountain quail and went after them. Those little birds sure could move – they took off like little Ferraris! But Wynter didn’t give up, even when they started flying away. She leaped high into the air and swatted a couple of them down with her claws – almost as if she were spiking a volleyball. She didn’t even need to sink her fangs into them – just the force of the hit alone killed them. She walked back over with a proud pep in her step while holding her three snacks in hand. Once again Addison wasn’t bothered by it; if anything she was itching and rarin’ to go too!

“Wynter that was amazing! You just knocked’em out of the air like BAM!” she enthusiastically praised.

“Heh, thanks” she grinned as a blush creeped onto her cheeks.

“But I gotta admit, I thought they gave you the slip when they got airborne” she expressed.

“Yeah, it happens sometimes. But even if your prey gets spooked and tries to get away, you can’t give up. You have to be relentless – that’s the difference between having a full belly or an empty one” she sagely spoke.

“One of life’s unconventional lessons. Speaking of, I wonder what kind of “lessons” my parents will try to teach me when I tell them all this” she sighed.

She texted them as soon as she got home, just like she promised, but all she got in return was <Ok>. That alone concerned her; she was fully expecting a dissertation demanding to know why it took her so long to get home and never being allowed to go back to the den. “They were probably just too busy…like always” she thought before a familiar **PING PING PANG** redirected her attention to her phone. “…Or not. This must be it” she groaned and put in her code to unlock the screen.

<Hey honey! We’ll be finishing up work early today, would you like to go out to eat tonight?> her mom wrote.

“…What?” she disbelievingly uttered. She definitely wasn’t expecting that.

“Since when do they get off work early? And when was the last time we all went out to eat at a restaurant? Hold on…when was the last time we even ate dinner together?!” she pondered as she re-read the text to really make sure her literary skills didn’t diminish. “Who are these people and where are my parents?” she half-jokingly considered, but was still befuddled by this…unusual familial action.

“Maybe they’re trying to butter me up before bringing the hammer down.” She didn’t want to have these kind of pessimistic thoughts, but they were pretty hard to ignore - especially given what her parents were like. “Even if they do, it won’t change anything. If it comes down to it, I can go back to the den. Back to the Nanukilik pack” and a small smile formed when she thought of them. “At least I can get a great meal out of it. Hopefully they won’t do or say anything to make me lose my appetite” she prayed and texted back, <Sure, that’d be great> with a little thumbs up emoji.

<Nice, we’ll pick you up at 6> her mom replied. Addison glanced over at the clock on the wall; it was ten to three.

“Hmm… what am I going to do until then? I’m too wired to take a nap, I’ve watched plenty of TV during my lock-down and Candy Crush can only keep me entertained for so long. **sigh** I wonder what Bree’s up to.” Suddenly another familiar **PING PING** comes out of her phone. She looks at the screen and sees a text from said best friend.

<Hey Addy! U still stuck in the house?> she read.

<No, I’m free.>

<Awesome! Bonzo, Zed, Eliza and I are going to Serenity Park. U wanna come?>

Addison looks around the room for a second, expecting to see a genie or an angel. There was no way that two thoughts could instantly become reality. It was just waaay to coincidental. “Well I’m not gonna complain” she smiled nonetheless and wrote back, <Yeah! Be there in 10min.>

<Cool! See u at the grass field> and she ended it with a smiley face emoji.

“Alright!” Addison grinned as she sprung out of bed and put her shoes on. She grabbed her little light-blue backpack and put her phone, wallet and house key inside. Then she dashed into the kitchen to get her water bottle. As soon as she filled it up she bolted out the door – running like those tiny mountain quails towards their meeting spot.

Soon she arrived at the manicured wilderness. She inhaled the scent of lilac from the nearby bushes; it mixed tantalizingly well with the aroma of the tall pine trees. “I wonder who created this place anyway?” she thought as she weaved her way through the foliage. This off the radar park was her sanctuary whenever things got to be…too much at her own home; the tranquility helped quell any awful thought tsunamis she had going on in her mind at the time. She hoped it would continue to be this way, even with all the damage dealt to Seabrook Civic Center due to the earthquake.

Eventually she reached the grass field where she was supposed to meet her best friends, but no one was here yet. “I’m the first one? Huh…that’s weird. Then again Bree did say that they were going to the park, not “we’re already there” she thought. As far as she knew this was the only grass field – though field would be an understatement; it was the double the size of her front yard. Still, it was quaint in its own way. She took out her phone and texted, <Hey Bree, I’m here>. “I’d better set my alarm too so I don’t lose track of time” and opened her clock app and set the alarm so she’d be back before her parents. But while she was fiddling with her phone a hand hastily grabbed her shoulder, completely startling her!

“AHH!”

“OWHH!”

“Oh what now!?” but her agitation instantly vanished when she recognized the tall, green figure sprawled out on Earth’s natural carpet. “Z-Zed!?” She immediately put her phone away and knelt by his side. “Are you okay?!” she fretted while helping him sit up.

“Owoooh**crack**alww” he garbled out as he moved his jaw. “H-Hey…Addison” he managed to say through the stinging pain.

“**sigh** Didn’t I tell you not to rush up to her when you saw her? Sheesh…acting just like a puppy” a familiar voice chided. Addison looked up to see the rest of her pleasant posse walking onto the field with blankets in hand.

“You can’t you blame him for wanting to see her Eliza. It’s been almost a week” Bree defended.

The zombie girl smirked and replied, “Yeah yeah, I know. Hopefully third’s time the charm in teaching you not to sneak up on her – especially since it seems like her punch has gotten stronger.”

“Guruza” Bonzo chuckled, making Zed sheepishly scratch the back of his head.

“…R-Right. Sorry for scaring you Addison” he apologized.

“I’m the one who should be saying sorry, I just laid you out!” she refuted.

“You sure did” Eliza giggled.

“I’m fine, I promise. But…a kiss miiight make it better” he slyly suggested. Addison showed a relieved smile and replied, “Of course” and kissed him right on the cheek. Bonzo and Bree smiled at the saccharine display while Eliza playfully rolled her eyes.

She helped him stand up and everyone else got their hugs in. She managed not to let it show how painful they were on her sore body – especially Bonzo’s. “I wonder if this what they meant when they say “love hurts”” she thought as the friendly giant finally put her down, though he seemed a bit puzzled.

“Addiska.”

“Hm?”

“Locro nejikl wolfilik?” he asked while pointing to her neck.

Before anyone could translate what he asked she simply replied, “Retujo nejikl Wilka.”

That completely stunned everyone, even herself. They did double and even triple takes as they stared at her. “…Uhh…guys? What’s wrong?” she finally asked as the silence was starting to get a little too awkward for her.

“Y-You” Zed stuttered.

“What!?”

“I mean not you you, you’re not wrong! Of course you’re not wrong, you’re never wrong” he hurriedly corrected.

“What Zed is trying to say is that we’re just very…surprised. And impressed!” Eliza clarified.

“Yeah, that’s it! You can speak zombie now?!” he asked.

Addison tilted her hand side-to-side and replied, “Hagn o ra. Chegra atk.”

“Sounds like you have it down to me” Eliza grinned.

“Addiska Prufta!” Bonzo added.

“Yeah Addison, that’s amazing! I can understand a lot of zombese, thanks to my exceptional tutor” and that made her boyfriend blush, “but speaking it is totally different. How’d you do it?”

“Being under house arrest has its perks I guess” she replied. “I borrowed the zombese textbook from school because I didn’t want to keep asking you guys for peanut butter” and they laughed at the memory. “Anyway, I’ve been studying it all this time. Hopefully they won’t charge me any late fees.”

“I doubt it. It’s not like the book itself is in high demand” Eliza muttered.

“Not yet” Addison countered, putting a smile on her face.

“Plus the school is under repair” she pointed out.

“And it’d be pretty messed up if they did” Zed added.

“No kidding” she agreed.

“But that’s amazing Addy! You were able to teach yourself a whole other language” Bree applauded.

Addison bashfully blushed and replied, “Like I said, more or less. But some of the words in there don’t make much sense.” Though in the back of her mind she was just as confused as to why she could suddenly speak perfect zombese. Sure she studied the textbook, but it all still seemed Greek to her…until now. “This is just like the werewolf words! What the heck?! Am I part zombie now too!? Then again my grandfather had half his ear bitten off by a zombie. Maybe some of their genes were transferred into him and remained dormant as they passed down my family line. Well why not? I mean what’s one more anomaly for someone like me?!” she mentally exasperated.

But her rampant thoughts skidded to a stop as she snapped back to the present when Eliza asserted, “I’m not surprised. I doubt the authors even asked a zombie for educational input. But that’s going to change!”

Her zeal for societal improvement put a smile on Addison's face. “If you’re leading the charge, I know it will” she complimented, making Eliza shyly shuffle a bit in place, but happy all the same.

“Addison” Zed tenderly spoke before giving her the warmest embrace possible. “Gar gar zinga” he whispered into her ear.

“Gar gar zinga ko” she affectionately whispered back and returned the hug. “Well…no matter how it happened, I’m glad it did” she joyously thought.

Once they separated Eliza asked, “Sorry to switch reels, but what do you mean you gave your necklace back to Willa? When did you see her?”

“Yeah Addy, we need some details stat” Bree added.

They walk over the center of the field and laid the blankets out. Once they were all sitting down they gave her their full attention. She chuckled and began, “Heh, alright. So my parents finally let me get out of the house yesterday, and I went into the forbidden forest to check on the pack. I was worried about them since that earthquake damaged the town even more. They’re all good, but I was intrigued by all the paintings on the den walls. When I asked them what they were about, they told me they were werewolf secrets. Willa said I could only learn them if I was a werewolf, became a werewolf, or completed the alpha trials.”

“What’re the alpha trials?” Zed asked.

“They’re three challenges established by the pack’s ancestors. If you pass those, then you become a member for life. And I just passed one of them!” she beamed.

“Way to go Addison!” Bree squealed and gave her a big hug.

“Uh…Addiska? Ifn mebeji wolfilik” Bonzo pointed out.

“Yeah, I thought you were already part of the pack. That is why Willa gave you the necklace in the first place, right?”

“Right, but-”

“And are we part of the pack too?” Zed interrupted.

“Zed! Let her finish” Bree scolded.

“O-Oops…I’m sorry” he apologized.

“It’s alright, but I can’t answer that. I know we’re all friends with them for sure, but pack status is something totally different. When Willa gave me the necklace it only granted me honorary status. I could see them and be in their territory, but that’s it. But I wanted more than that. I wanted to learn how to be an actual wolf, even though I’m not one. I wanted to know what they liked and disliked, what’s true and untrue so I didn’t offend anyone, and learn their language. I wanted to know about them, just like I’m learning about you guys” she finished, stunning everyone once again.

“Just when I thought I couldn’t be more in love with her” Zed admiringly thought.

“Well look at you, being a little anthropologist” Eliza grinned.

“An anthro-what?” Zed tried to repeat.

“Anthropologist. Someone who studies human societies, cultures and their development” she explained.

“But she’s not studying human cultures or societies” he pointed out.

“True…hmmm…then she’s an Adisopologist” she amended.

“A what?? Now you’re just making stuff up.”

“People make up stuff all the time Zed – at least this one is a proper description of what Addison is. Someone who’s respectable and relatable to everyone they meet, and I think she fits the bill. I mean she brought this whole community together and rallied them to help the werewolves. All by being an expert in Adisopolgy” she finished.

“Totally” Bree agreed.

“Lunvinbi” Bonzo added.

Addison blushed from the compliments and said, “Thank you, Zarga ye. But I think it’s more than that. So long as we show a little compassion to one another, then we’re all practicing Adisopology. In fact, all you have master’s degrees” and they all respectfully smiled at that.

“By the way, which trial did you pass?” Bree asked.

“The trial of respect; the alpha observes how the new wolf interacts with the pack to see if they’re compatible. Willa said it’s the hardest one because incoming wolves would appease the alpha, but assert their dominance over the rest of wolves to the point of bullying them” she explained.

“Well if that doesn’t sound like a certain person and posse we know” she huffed.

“Bujiki ja acrik” Bonzo spat.

“Though it doesn’t surprise me at all that you passed that one. Like I said, Adisopolgy at work” Eliza grinned.

“Yep! That’s my cheer captain!” Bree exalted, making Addison chuckle.

“Um…so what’re the other two trials?” Zed asked.

“Darbka and Refroga” she replied.

“WHAT!?” he yelled.

“Jeez Zed, are you trying to make us deaf?!” Eliza irritably asked as everyone uncovered their ears. “You heard what she said!”

“I did, but what do you mean combat!?” he hysterically asked.

“What else would combat mean? She’s going to fight someone” she spelled out.

“When!?” he sharply addressed Addison.

“I-I don’t know. I’ll be doing my hunting trial the day after tomorrow right at sunrise. Willa said she’d give me back the necklace then” she replied.

“Wow, that’s early” Eliza commented.

“Skrujika Bujiki cok limnra pracvka” Bonzo countered.

“No kidding. I know we had a limited time at cheer camp, but did we really need to wake up an hour before dawn?” Bree added.

“At least it turned out to be good training for my trial…though I would’ve been fine without his singing as an alarm clock” and all of the cheerleaders cringed at the memory.

“But what are you going to even hunt?” Zed asked.

“I’m not sure, but at least I won’t be limited” Addison replied.

“What do you mean?” Bree questioned.

“Wolves aren’t picky eaters; they’ll eat anything from fruits to fish to even lizards” she explained.

“LIZARDS?!” they shouted, completely aghast.

“Trust me, I said the exact same thing. But no matter what happens I’m going to do my best” she affirmed.

“That’s right!” “Addiska bruga!” Bree and Bonzo cheered.

“I doubt I’ll go after a lizard though, unless I spend all day tomorrow studying which ones around here are poisonous. I’ll probably end up borrowing one of their fishing spears” she commented.

Zed couldn’t help but conjure up a hot mental image of Addison wielding a spear like an Amazon warrior. Unfortunately his fantasy made a huge grin appear, drawing all the attention towards him. “Thibkio Zedski?” Bonzo questioned.

“Nothing! Nothing at all! Yep, all good here” and he looked away from their curious gazes so Addison couldn’t see his blushing cheeks.

“Ookay” Eliza smirked; she had a pretty good idea of what was going on in his head, but decided to spare him the embarrassment. “Anyway, there’s one thing I don’t understand. Why is Willa giving you the necklace back?”

“Y’know, I was wondering about that too since it doesn’t do me any good. Maybe it’s a ceremonial thing” Addison ventured.

“Sooo…since you’re taking the trials, does that revoke your honorary status?” she followed up.

“Yeah. Willa told me that werewolves are all or nothing” she replied.

“Whoa…that’s bold, but so you” she complimented as she recalled when she revealed her white hair on the football field. Addison sheepishly scratched the back of her head and grinned at her appraisal.

“Addison” Zed spoke, redirecting her attention onto him. He grabbed her hand and let out a long exhale. “I-I know you’ve already completed your first trial, and you get so determined whenever you set your mind on something…but I don’t want you to get hurt. We saw how strong they are, and that was with limited power” he expressed.

Addison released a short exhale of her own and gave his hand a gentle squeeze. “Zed…thanks for worrying about me, but I knew what I was getting myself into. I wouldn’t have agreed to it if I didn’t think I could handle it. Not exactly my style” she convincingly replied.

“Yeah Zed, have some faith in your girlfriend. Besides, you know firsthand how strong her right hook is” and the rest of the crew chuckled at that – eventually so did he. “Heh…you’re right. Just…promise me you’ll be careful, okay?”

“I will” she assured and brought him in for another hug. But she suddenly pushed him off so she could look straight into his eyes. “ZED!!”

“Wha-what?”

“I just had the best, and possibly craziest idea! Can you be my sparring partner?” Zed didn’t even have a chance to formulate an answer before she kept on talking. “You can even work on controlling yourself without your z-band on and I’ll wear football pads for protection. In fact, all of you can spar with me! By going up against different techniques I’ll be ready for the combat trial for sure, no matter who I’m matched up against” she excitedly proposed.

Just as he was about to speak a syllable Eliza chimed in, “That’s an excellent idea! I can monitor our progress and show that zombies have evolved beyond the need for z-bands!”

“Kinjo!” Bonzo happily volunteered.

“Whatever you need, I’m here for you Addy!” Bree readily agreed. “We can even do it on the football practice field, there’s plenty of space there!” she added and Addison nodded at her suggestion.

Zed felt the passion and excitement within the group and knew he didn’t have the heart to kill the mood with his understandable reservations. He let out a resigning sigh and said, “…I’ll do it. But the second training gets out of hand you put my z-band back on, deal?”

“Deal! Oh thank you Zed! Thank you!” Addison lauded and kissed him repeatedly on the cheek – he sported the happiest and dopiest grin when she was through. "Thank you guys so much!" she gratefully expressed and gave the rest of them hugs.

"You got it Addy" Bree smiled.

“Just make sure you go easy on him” Eliza smirked.

“I will make no such promises. This is training mode now” she seriously stated, making Zed nervously gulp. That is until her stone-faced façade shifted into a sly smile, making him feel a little bit better about the upcoming combat drills.

“So, what have all of you been up to?” she eagerly asked.

Their engaging conversations ranged from Eliza new rally speeches, Bonzo’s quirky yet highly functional inventions, Bree’s surprise interest in trying out for softball, and Zed talking about spring football practice for new players and his dad’s hectic new work schedule.

“He’s not going to be working too hard is he Zed?” Addison fretted.

“Naw, he has plenty of help and he’s getting paid handsomely” he emphasized by rubbing his thumb and fingers together. “He was even talking about taking us on a family vacation once they’re done repairing all the damage. He said the school should be done in the next month or two” and everyone groaned at that.

“Hopefully it’ll be on the later end. Being off has given me plenty of time to arrange protests” Eliza replied.

“And doing it in style as always” Addison praised and they did their little finger wave.

“Speaking of repairs, do you think they’re still going to build a new cheer pavilion where Seabrook Power used to be?” Bree asked.

“I don’t know. My mom is supposed to have a meeting about the reconstruction sometime this week. Maybe they’ll do something new; with everything that’s happened a cheer pavilion seems kinda...pointless. And that’s saying something coming from me” Addison commented.

“Not really. You don’t eat, sleep and breathe cheer like your cousin. For you it’s a hobby – one that you’ve used to help others rather than boost your own ego” she replied, making Addison adorably blush.

“Well, hopefully they’ll be open to suggestions. I have some ideas in mind” Eliza voiced.

“I know you do” Addison smiled. All of a sudden her alarm chime goes off. “…Darn it. Why couldn’t time move as slow as a snail this time around?” she grumbled as she took out her phone and turned off the clock app.

“What’s wrong Addy?” Bree asked.

“It’s nothing. My parents are about to get off work and they want to take me out to dinner” she replied.

Knowing her family’s…situation, she tried to infuse some positivity into her outing. “I’m sure it’ll be nice” she ventured, but Addison just absentmindedly hummed at that.

“Um…do they know about the trials?” Zed cautiously asked.

“Not yet. I’ll tell them tonight after dinner” she replied as she stood up; her friends followed suit.

“No Addiska rhduk” Bonzo assured.

“No worijbi. No snukjrla minpro” she resolutely stated.

“Still, text us how it goes okay? And if you need to spend the night-” but Addison cut her off by putting a hand on her shoulder.

“Thank you Bree, I appreciate that” she smiled. Bree brings her in for a hug and the rest join the squish circle. This time she can’t even feel the pain. “I’d better get going. I’ll see you guys later” and takes off.

“…Do you think she’ll be alright?” Zed asks.

“Honestly…I’m worried about her parents. If they set her off, they'll regret it for sure” Eliza replied.

Addison made it back with twenty minutes to spare, giving her plenty of time to freshen up and change into something more semi-formal. “Okay Addison…it’s just dinner, nothing to freak out about. If I go in with a sour attitude then the whole evening will be sour. Just enjoy yourself” she internally hyped herself up as she finished fixing her hair. “Looking good” she smiled – admiring the “tame” werewolf look she was going for. She put all of the items from her mini backpack into her mini purse and left her room.

Just as she was walking down the stairs she hears the doorknob jiggling. A moment later Missy walks in rolling her shoulders, and Dale comes up right behind her loosening his tie.

“Hi mom, hey dad” Addison greets, startling them for a sec; they didn’t see her on the stairs.

“Hi honey, you look lovely” Missy…smiled? Normally her mom would either hum in response or give a small wave of acknowledgement before diving right back into work. And that’s if she saw her. Not to mention her compliment was…sincere; they didn’t squabble over colors or style for once.

“Thank you” she automatically replied, but as she approached them she noticed how exhausted they really were. “Um…are you guys okay? You look like you're about to collapse.”

“Just a little tired, but nothing a good meal at Vuey’s won’t fix” Dale replied.

“Vuey’s?! We’re going to Vuey’s!?” She couldn’t conceal her excitement even if she tried.

“Is that alright?” her father knowingly grinned.

“Yeah!” she gleefully squealed, until she realized how uncouth her response was – Missy was a stickler for proper etiquette. But instead of being reprimanded for her lack of manners, her parents lightly chuckled as well. And it wasn’t condescending at all. It was…endearing; like they were actually happy that she was happy.

“I’m glad” her mother replied. “Just give us a few minutes to freshen up and we’ll be on our way” and they walked upstairs to their room, leaving Addison completely dumbfounded. “…I swear I’m in an episode of the Twilight Zone. Did that earthquake unearth some alien doppelgangers?” she thought. It was a lot easier to accept that preposterous idea than believing her parents actually…changed. “And if they did decide to change, why now? I know better late than never, but still. Well…I'm just enjoy myself. Especially since we’re going to Vuey’s!” she grinned.

Her parents come back down a few minutes later - looking refreshed and quite stylish in their matching blue business-casual attire. “You guys look great” she complimented.

“Thank you” Missy kindly replied. “Ready to go?”

“Yeah!” she readily replied. Soon they were in their pink Fiat and on their way. Normally the drive to Vuey’s took about forty minutes, but they were hitting all the green lights and arrived in half the time. Addison couldn’t help but smile as she got out of the car – the restaurant was just as amazing as she remembered. It was a rustic wooden and brick building, painted in eccentric hues of lavender and blues with huge windows overlooking the surprisingly peaceful boardwalk. The ocean waves rippled under the twilit sky, adding to the amazing ambience. Thankfully it wasn’t all that busy since it was a weekday, and by the looks of things they just missed the dinner rush; if it were the weekend they’d be waiting a half hour just to get into the parking lot.

Dale held the door open and the ladies walked inside. Behind the tastefully drawn-on hostess stand was a young zombie lad wearing the sky blue crawfish logo uniform t-shirt, black slacks and matching non-slip shoes. And it just so happened that Addison recognized him.

“Frenzch!”

“Hey Addy, good to see you! Mayor and Mr. Wells, thank you for joining us at Vuey’s this evening” and he respectfully inclined his head.

“The pleasure is ours. Addison, would you mind introducing us to your friend?” Missy asked.

“Uh, s-sure. This is Frenzch Zakzon and we have algebra and biology together. I didn’t know you worked here.”

“Uh huh, started a month ago and it’s been great! It’s so chill here and my little gator bank just keeps on getting fuller and fuller” he grinned.

“Nice! I know you were talking about getting that new game system” she recalled.

“Already ordered it, and come next week I’m taking my little gator to snap it right up” he cheerfully revealed, making her chuckle. “Now, where would your family like to sit tonight?”

Addison looked at her parents, but they gestured to her to make the decision. She peeked in the dining room; it was half full, nothing too boisterous. But the thought of being cooped up inside felt…odd, especially after being outdoors almost all day. “The upper patio please” she answered.

“You got it” and he grabbed three menus. “Follow me if you please.” They walked up the stairs to the balcony – marvelously lit by industrial pendant lights. “They almost look like hanging moonstones” Addison thought as they sat down. They were the only ones out here – it felt like a private VIP experience. “Here are your menus, and your server will be right over.”

“Thank you Frenzch” Addison kindly replied.

“No problem Addy, I’ll see you around. Enjoy your meal” he politely inclined his head again and headed back to the hostess stand.

“He’s certainly a sweet young man” and Addison awaited the snippy “for a zombie” ending to her mother’s comment, but she astonishingly didn’t say it.

“…Uh-huh” she agreed with a suspiciously raised eyebrow.

Before they could even glance at their menus, their server appeared with three cups of ice cold water with lemon wedges on the rims. She had the same complexion as Addison but was pretty tall; she’d had no issue playing basketball. She had a few freckles on her cheeks and her long, brown hair was plaited into a singular braid. “Hey there everyone, how’re you doing this fine night?” the server amiably inquired.

“Very well thank you. How about you?” Missy asked back.

“Amazing, thanks for asking! My name is Olivia and I’ll be your server. Can I get you started on any drinks or appetizers?” she politely asked.

“Water is fine for me, thank you” Missy replied.

“I’ll have lemonade please” Addison answered.

“And I’ll have an Arnie Palmy please” Dale ordered.

“Arnie and a lemonade” she jotted down on her note pad.

“And we’ll need just a few more minutes to look” Missy requested.

“Of course, take your time. I’ll be right back with your drinks” and she takes off. Not a moment later a busser comes by and set down a plate full of piping-hot cornbread. “Enjoy!” he encourages and left little saucers with the same crawfish logo painted on them.

“Oh we will” Addison assures and he leaves them to it. She wasted no time in grabbing a saucer and couple of pieces. “Hmmm!” she contentedly hummed and her parents followed suit.

“Just as tasty as you remember?” Dale asked.

“Even better!” she cheerfully attests.

“I agree. It’s been far too long since we’ve been here. We’ll have to make it a regular outing, at least once every two months” Missy expressed.

“I’m okay with that” Addison smiled.

A little while later Olivia returns with their drinks. “Did you folks need a little more time?” she asks.

“Nope, I think we’re ready” Dale responded and the ladies nodded in agreement.

“Cool! What can I get for you?”

“I’ll have your muffuletta chef salad with balsamic vinaigrette on the side” Missy ordered.

“I’ll take your crab cake sandwich, light on the mayo please” Dale requested.

“And for you ma’am?”

“Crawfish etoufee please” Addison grinned.

“Personal favorite?” Olivia smiled and she hummed affirmatively. “Would you like to make it a combo and add shrimp as well or just the crawfish?”

She looked over at her parents for their decision. “Whatever you want honey” Missy assured.

“I’ll take the combo please” she requested.

“You got it. Alright, got a muffie with balsamic, light mayo crab and the combo” she read back.

“Yes ma’am” her father confirmed.

“Sweet! I’ll see you folks soon” and she left to give the order to the chefs.

Addison grabbed her delicious lemonade, savoring each sip as she watched the sky transition from sherbet to inky black; the tiny sliver of a crescent moon hung high in the sky.

“So Addison” her dad starts.

“Hm?”

“How was sleeping in the werewolf den last night?”

“Oh great…here we go” she thought and sat her drink down. “Amazing actually” she replied, keeping her stare on them level and unflinching.

“Really?” Missy asked. She wasn’t surprised that there was a hint of skepticism in her tone.

“Yes. I was quite warm and cozy; my friends made sure I was safe. The alpha always made it a point that I had an escort while I was in their territory – that’s how wolves are” she emphasized. She wasn’t even going to give their minds a chance to believe that the only reason they kept her safe was because she was their daughter and there’d be consequences otherwise. And they remarkably understood.

“So we see” Dale replied as he looked over his daughter – not a single scratch nor hair out of place. “I am curious though, what is their den like? You said they gave you a tour today, correct?”

Addison debated for a minute whether or not she could share that information. “I should’ve asked Willa about this. Hmmm…so long as I stick to just the structure it should be fine” she decided and told them all about their extraordinary construction expertise. Needless to say they were absolutely stunned.

“They were able to build all of that inside a mountain?!” Missy exclaimed.

“Yes, and please keep this between us. The pack is understandably secretive about aspects of their lives” she explained.

“No offense, but I don’t think anyone would believe us even if we told them. I can hardly believe it myself” her mom confessed.

“Heh, trust me the feeling was mutual until Wyatt showed me around” she replied while cracking a small grin, her earlier tension disappearing. Just in time too because Olivia and two other servers appeared with their sizzling-hot dinners and another platter of cornbread.

“Thank you! It’s look delicious” Addison praised.

“You’re most welcome! Would you like drinks refilled?” she asked when she noticed their half-empty glasses.

“Yes please” Missy replied and they handed their cups off to her efficient assistants.

“We’ll be right back. Enjoy your dinner” she said and took off.

Addison bowed her head and said, “Thank you for this nourishing food that we are about to receive.” Her parents looked at each other and followed her example – giving their own thanks before digging in.

“OHMYGOD this is so good!” Addison blissfully described as she savored each spoonful; it was even better with crumbled cornbread bits on top. The sweetness from that combined with the savory roux was like her taste buds went to heaven – and it would be the third time today! Even though it was a combo it seemed like they doubled the amount they would typically give out, and she was more than okay with that.

“I glad you’re enjoying it, but please slow down. I don’t want you to choke” her mother warned.

Luckily she didn’t have worry about that as Olivia returned with their refills. “I guess I don’t need to ask how it was, half-eaten plates are always a good sign” she smiled.

“Indeed, please give the chefs and staff our highest regards” Missy warmly replied.

“I will, thank you very much!” Addison noticed that her stride was a lot more…relaxed as she left their table. “She must’ve been so nervous about serving my family. Everyone for that matter. It’s not every day you get to see the mayor and the head of the patrol, other than at town hall meetings. But they were phenomenal! Hmmm…if they could conquer their anxieties about facing them, then maybe I can too” she thought.

The rest of dinner was spent peacefully enjoying each other’s company; Addison even chimed in when it came to work matters and they didn’t dismiss her input. Everyone sat back in their chairs fully satisfied with empty plates in front of them.

“Looks like we’re all going to be in food comas when we get home” her dad commented. The rest of the family hummed in agreement; Addison covered her mouth as a little content burp escaped her lips.

Olivia came back with the check and as well as a large brown paper bag. “What’s this?” Missy asked when she set it on the table. “Three fresh slices of peach cobbler. They're on the house; the chefs wanted to thank you for the kind words” she explained.

“How sweet!” and her husband and daughter chuckled at the unintentional pun; Missy rolled her eyes at their antics. “Thank you very much for a wonderful evening Olivia, we greatly appreciate it” and she put her credit card in the check presenter. “My pleasure ma’am” she smiled and took the card to ring it up.

“Thank you mom and dad. This was fantastic” she gratefully expressed.

“Your welcome honey, I’m happy you enjoyed yourself” Missy smiled back. Addison happily hummed at that while patting her full belly.

Olivia came back with the credit card and said, “I hope we’ll get to see all of you again soon.”

“You can count on it!” Addison replied.

“Then we’ll make sure to have a fresh pot of etoufee waiting for you” she kindly winked and bid them all a goodnight.

“How much was it?” Dale asked.

“Don’t worry about it” Missy replied and he acquiesced. She left a generous tip and they left the restaurant.

The drive back was quick yet surprisingly quiet. Missy and Dale didn’t miss how distant Addison had suddenly become. She hardly looked like she was succumbing to a food coma; it was as though she had the weight of the world on her mind as she watched it pass by through the window. As they pulled into the driveway Addison let out the longest exhale in her life, and that’s saying something since she was carried down the side of a sheer cliff earlier today. They got out of the car and Dale held the front door open for them.

Missy stretched her arms up and said, “I’m glad we won’t have to go into the office so early tomorrow, though the following day will be a different story. I swear I’m going to be seeing numbers in my sleep after finalizing the reconstruction budget.”

“Mm hm. Not to mention re-delegating the monster patrol and coming up with a new name for the agency” Dale added as he put the peach cobbler in the fridge.

His statement caught Addison’s attention. “Huh? What did you say?” she asked as he walked back into the foyer.

“Hm? Oh right, we didn’t tell you yet. The council voted today to rescind all anti-monster laws permanently” he explained.

“Really?!” she excitedly exclaimed.

“Well, after everything that happened we felt that this was the best course of action” Dale smiled, and she read between the lines. It was because of her efforts that this happened and she was completely elated! “We’ll announce it at a town hall meeting tomorrow.”

“Cool!”

“However” Missy spoke, dimming her enthusiasm a bit. “While this was more-or-less a majority decision, the only stipulation was that the monster patrol had to remain intact.”

“…Oh” she dejectedly uttered.

“Addison, we can’t leave these people without jobs – this is their livelihood, despite the nature of their occupation” Dale emphasized.

“Right, right…I get it” she begrudgingly understood; it would be difficult for an entire task force to suddenly find new jobs, and some might not want to. She knew how deeply rooted some people’s views were about zombies, or anything strange for that matter. All it would take were a few disgruntled former employees to take it upon themselves to “maintain” the peace. That’d be a disaster waiting to happen.

Sensing her train of thought Missy emphasized, “However, they will be strictly utilized as a national guard of sorts instead of constantly patrolling the city; that’s what our police department is for and they are quite effective, seeing as our crime rate is virtually non-existent. They will only deployed if and only if our citizens are…hmmm…how can I put it?”

Addison knew what she meant, but the fact that she didn’t single out zombies, called them citizens and was trying to be tactful about describing them spoke volumes. “It’s okay mom, I know what you mean” she assured, but it was huge step regardless. Now the zombies wouldn’t have to live in fear of being seized just because of who they were. “But…I’m guessing the alarm towers will still have to be up.”

“Yes, they will. But only in areas where people congregate, such as the school or the park” Dale explained.

“Got it.” Still a lot better than having’em on every other corner like stationary robot sentries.

“Not to mention there will be new trainings and screenings implemented in order to be a part of the patrol. We will focus on subduing confused citizens without extreme force unless it is a last resort” he added.

“Guys, this is incredible!” and her parents could feel how proud she was of them through her admiring smile. However they were taken aback when her countenance suddenly shifted from admiration to apprehension. “And…this may make it an easy transition for what I’m about to tell you.”

“What’s wrong Addison?” Missy asked.

“We should probably sit down for this” she suggested and they went into the living. Addison sat on a cushy chair across from them and took a deep breath. “Mom…dad…I’m doing the alpha trials of the werewolves.”

“The what???” Missy asked.

“…How can I explain this…ummm…okay, so think of the pack as a separate country. The alpha trials are the equivalent of a citizenship test so I can become a part of their nation” she explained.

"I still don’t understand. Why do you even need to take these trials? I thought they already accepted you after the extremely reckless and dangerous stunt you pulled” she reminded and Addison groaned at that. “Mom, I’m alright. Everything turned out fine in the end.”

“Thank God for that!” she responded.

“**sigh**Alright fine, it was dangerous” she admitted just so she could get her off her back. “Are you going to keep me inside again?”

“No, we're not. Unsafe as it was, you still did the right thing. But you’re mother has a point. I thought when the alpha gave you the necklace it was their seal of approval, so to speak” Dale followed up.

“Speaking of, where is your necklace?” Missy noticed. “Ever since you got it you’ve never taken it off.”

“Willa, the alpha, took it back but that’s beside the point. When she gave me the necklace it granted me honorary status, kinda like getting a green card. I’m allowed to be in their territory and around them, but that’s it. But I wanted more than that. I wanted to learn about their culture, what they like and dislike, what’s true and untrue so I don’t offend anyone, and learn their beautiful language. Kinda like being an anthropologist, but ultimately I wanted to understand my new friends” she explained.

“I see” Missy replied, though Addison could see in their eyes that they were clearly impressed by her endeavors.

“So I’m going to assume having the alpha take back the necklace revoked your honorary status” Dale stated.

“Yeah, the werewolves are all or nothing. But Willa said that I’d get it back before I start the next trial the day after tomorrow. I’m sure it’s part of some kind of ceremony” she ventured.

“Next one? You already passed one?” Missy asked and she nodded her head. “What kind of trial was it? And how many trials are there exactly?”

“There’s three of them and I passed the trial of respect” she answered and told them what it entailed.

“Somehow it doesn’t surprise me that you passed that one” Dale smiled.

“And quite easily as well. But there’s something I don’t understand. If your previous actions regarding the moonstone aren’t be used in determining your character, how is it that you could convince the alpha so quickly that you were compatible with the pack? While the cookies you made were absolutely delicious, I doubt those alone would have that kind of influence” Missy pointed out.

“You’re right, they didn’t. But they really liked them though – they were licking their fingers and everything” she chuckled.

“Again, I’m not surprised” Dale repeated.

“Anyway, my intent wasn’t to have those cookies be a bribe. I just wanted to show how much I really appreciated the opportunity to become a part of their pack. And I thought I wouldn’t be able to convey that with just words. Then I remembered what you taught me.”

“…What did I teach you?” Missy curiously inquired.

“Anything that comes from the heart will shine through and be appreciated, no matter what it was” she responded.

Her mother did a double take when she reiterated the lesson that surprisingly stuck with her. Then she smiled and asked, “Did you lose the snowball fight?”

It took a few seconds for Addison to catch the meaning of her question, but once she did both of them lightly giggled.

“One of these days you two are going to let me in on the inside joke” her dad commented.

“One day, but you’re right mom. There was a lot more that happened that led to her decision.” She told them how she comforted Wylie after her nightmare, and how she didn’t let Wyatt conform to her standards in order to make her comfortable – omitting the part about all of them being naked.

“I didn’t want to make him feel inadequate in his own home…what kind of person would that make me?” she said in hushed finality, stunning her parents into absolute silence. Unintentionally or not it felt like she was asking them that question. They watched as she didn’t make eye contact with them, only focusing on her wringing hands. But each hand movement felt like a stab from a pickax – removing caked on layers of dirt over their proverbial eyes, exposing them to a truth they knew was there…yet buried it to justify their foolish actions. All this time they willed themselves to view their daughter as if she had a visible, disgusting ailment that needed to be hidden. But who gave her that “defect” in the first place? Who exacerbated the consequences of possessing the “so-called” defect to fear harsh criticism from her peers? Who made her even dread speaking her thoughts as though the defect could spread like a deadly virus?

Missy started to puff up indignantly as the questioning thoughts invaded her mind, flatly denying that she was that kind individual. But another glance at her child, this time making brief eye contact, actually made her gasp. Addison quirked an eyebrow up at that, especially since her mother adverted her gaze to rub her temple. Then she shifted her gaze over towards her father; it looked like a boulder just dropped on his shoulders. He rubbed the back of his head and released a long, dejected sigh. “…Not a good one” he quietly uttered, causing her to do a double take.

She wasn’t expecting an actual answer nor anticipating them to look so…remorseful. She’d like to think it was because they finally “saw the light”, but she knew that was too good to be true. Just like Elizabeth said to Yahtow – in order for anyone to truly mature they’d had to admit and accept that they’re wrong. And the day her parents actually admitted they were wrong about the way they treated her will be the day she becomes an actual werewolf. And given that that transformation didn’t occur, that meant them professing their mistakes would never happen.

“Still, it’s amazing and we’re proud of you Addison” Dale expressed; her mom finally looked at her and nodded in agreement.

“It’s not that big of a deal. All I did was show a little bit of compassion” she brushed off.

“Nonetheless, it’s still you. Therefore you’re amazing” he reiterated.

“Thanks dad” she smiled.

“So…what are the other two trials?” Missy pried and a tiny gulp went down Addison’s throat.

“The next one I’m doing is the hunting trial” she revealed.

“That makes sense” she acknowledged and Addison was a little surprised by that. She thought for sure she wouldn’t want her daughter to participate in something so…beastly. Even though farmers kill livestock all the time in order for them to have meat, but she digressed.

“But what exactly are you going to catch?” Missy asked and Addison explained the wide variety of things wolves ate.

“They can eat all that?!” Dale asked.

“Mm hm. I don’t know what I’ll be able to catch, or find for that matter. I’m just going to go out there and do the best I can” she resolutely stated.

“I’d expect nothing less. And for the final trial?” her mother inquired.

Addison mumbled something that they couldn’t hear. “What was that?” her dad asked.

“**sigh**I said the combat trial” she repeated.

“WHAT!? COMBAT!?” they concurrently yelled and Addison couldn’t help but laugh a little on the inside. “Heh, I wonder how they’d react if I told them that they reacted just like Zed did” she thought, feeling grateful for the earlier conversation she had with her friends. At least she had some semblance on how to proceed.

“Mom…dad” she tried to placate but it went in one ear and out the other.

“You can’t be serious!” Missy disbelievingly declared.

“I am. Look, even though they look like people they're still wolves. They have to fight to protect themselves, their family and their territory. How is that any different from us?” she defended.

“…She does have a point” Dale noted.

“Dale, are you out of your mind!?” she incredulously questioned.

“C’mon Missy, you know those meetings can get just as heated” he reminded.

“And lawsuits prevent them from escalating to MMA fights! This isn’t just some office disagreement, this is a duel! She can’t fight them!” she strongly refuted.

“Gee…thanks for the vote of confidence” Addison muttered.

Missy took a moment to breathe and slow her outrage over this ludicrous contest. “Addison. We know you’re capable of amazing things, but please be realistic” she clarified.

“Your mother’s right. The patrol needed specialized equipment in order to…subdue them. And if I’m not mistaken, they weren’t even at full strength” her dad pointed out.

“Exactly!” Missy agreed.

“I know, but it doesn’t matter” Addison denounced.

“What do you mean it doesn’t matter!?” Missy shouted.

“The werewolves know that I’m human mom! Or at least something resembling a human” she quietly muttered. Although her parents couldn’t hear the last part of that sentence, they assumed it had something to do with her hair. They didn’t miss how she restlessly touched the few locks that cascaded over her shoulder. Addison shook out whatever was going through her head and continued, “Anyway, I’m positive they’re going to take that into account and match me up with someone at my skill level. I’m sure they’ll train me beforehand, like how Wyatt gave me hunting lessons. At least I have experience fighting them. I had bunch of sparring matches earlier today!”

“You had sparring matches? With who?!” and she told them how she played with Wyatt and the pups.

“Impressive” Dale admitted.

“How is it that you’re not black and blue all over from being pounced on so much?!” Missy quizzically inquired.

“Because I’m stronger and tougher than I look” she replied while crossing her arms – almost daring them to say something else.

There was a long pause while they stared each other down.

Eventually Missy let out another long sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Something tells me no matter what we say you’re still going to do this.”

“Mom, I knew what I was getting myself into when I agreed to do the alpha trials. I know my limits; I mean I just went into a crumbling tunnel to help carry a giant moonstone out of a blown-up building” she reminded.

“That’s not helping ease my anxiety Addison!” Missy countered.

“Missy” and she looked at her husband. “Let’s give her a chance. She is a smart girl after all – she’ll pass those trials with flying colors” and that made her smile. “If nothing else we can learn about them through her.”

“Wait what? You actually want to learn about werewolves?” Addison dubiously questioned.

“Why not? They are our neighbors after all and I’d be remiss if we didn’t have the opportunity to make amends for our…recent encounter” he replied.

Addison skeptically took in his response. “Feels more like “keep your friends close and your enemies closer” kind of thing” she thought. “…We’ll see what they allow me to share with you. Like I said, they are secretive.”

“Anything is better than nothing. Either way, you have my support” he agreed, leaving Missy as the last undecided party. “…I cannot believe I’m actually going along with this. Addison, you can do the rest of the trials” she relented.

Addison couldn’t help but beam at her response. She thought for sure her mom would put her foot down, and then she’d have to put her feet to work by running back to the den to defy her command…no matter how conflicting it would be. But now it didn’t have to come to that!

“However, and I can’t stress this enough, Please please please be safe. It was already hard enough watching you fly through the air when you first started cheer” she implored.

“I will, I promise! Thank you mom! Thanks dad!” and she walked around the circular coffee table and gave both of them a hug – startling them for a moment. “This really means a lot to me...thank you for your support.”

Their eyes widened when she heard her whisper that appreciative sentiment; they gradually moved their arms to reciprocate the action that had become so foreign to them. Luckily their muscle memory was still sharp and their embrace was a perfect fit, just like the batteries she put in those toys. Reluctantly they untangled themselves, but Missy still had her hands on her shoulders. She slowly moved one of them to run her fingers through her daughter’s soft, snow white hair. She felt her flinch at the contact and tense up afterwards. She quickly stopped the caresses pulled her arms back to her body. Missy let out a short sigh as she watched Addison anxiously fix her hair. “Addison” she spoke and it took her out of her fidgety, styling trance. “I know you’ll be an excellent werewolf” she smiled.

Addison eyebrows went up in shock at what she said. She somehow managed to keep her composure, but on the inside she felt like a twisted up, big-eyed, rubber-hose cartoon character who discovered something absolutely shocking. The only things missing were a couple of foghorns and explosions. “Did…did she just say that? She just said that! I knew it, I am in the Twilight Zone!” were some of the thoughts speeding through her head. She looked over at her dad and he nodded in agreement.

“But” Dale began.

“Okay…now we’re coming back down to Earth” she thought when she heard that.

“If you come home with any broken bones, you’ll be grounded for life” he semi-threatened.

“Okay…maybe not” she thought and finally gave in; she was going to stay on this crazy ride and just see where it took her. “Got it. I’ll make sure I’m extra careful” she swore. “With the way Willa’s been guarding me that shouldn’t be an issue” she respectfully smiled.

“Good. Now, you said you’re doing the hunting trial the day after tomorrow right?” Dale asked.

“Mm hm.”

“When?”

“Sunrise.”

“Then you’d better get to bed. You’ll need all the rest you can get” he ordered. Seemed like her body agreed with his words because she let out a little yawn; or she could’ve been exhausted from all the stress. Either way, sleep sounded really good right about now. “Alright. Goodnight mom, goodnight dad.”

“Goodnight Addison. We love you” Missy expressed.

Addison stared at them for a brief second when they said that before showing a slight smile. She didn’t say anything, but gave them another hug before heading upstairs to her room.

She took a quick shower and put on some pajama shorts - opting to go topless like she did back at the den. “I think it’s about time I feel comfortable in my own home...a little bit at a time anyway” she thought before turning off the lights.

As she was getting under the covers, her phone let out a recognizable **PING PING**. “That’s right! I was supposed to text Bree!” she remembered and unlocked the screen.

<How’d it go?> she read; there’s was a scared face emoji at the end of it.

<It actually went well> and punctuated it with a big grin and thumbs up emojis. She got a bunch of relieved faces in return.

“You and me both” she smiled. <I’ll let you know how my hunting trial goes.>

<Catch a big one!> Bree replied and put a deer emoji after it.

She chuckled at that; it reminded her of what Row said. “Well, a miracle already happened tonight so why not?” she grinned before powering down her phone. She snuggled into her comforter and released a relieved exhale – thankful that for once she didn’t have to dream up a fantasy where her parents actually cared about her. At least in this moment in time…they did.

Meanwhile…

“That could’ve gone better” Missy muttered as she slid into bed next to her husband.

“To be honest I thought it was going to be a lot worse” Dale admitted. “I didn’t think she was even going to accept our dinner invitation.”

“No kidding – that definitely caught me off guard. But she might as well declined…it was painful to see her so uncomfortable” she sadly noted.

“I know…I saw it too. She looked like she was avoiding any sort of hidden trap. She was completely defensive and took our words with a grain of salt. She was only at ease when she spoke to Frenzch or while she was eating” he recalled.

“To think that a mere classmate, or a pack of werewolves could have a better relationship with her than us...makes me feel absolutely rotten” Missy grimaced as she rubbed her forehead, feeling a migraine coming on.

“**sigh** I wouldn’t be surprised if she thought we were replaced by doppelgangers or if it was some alternate universe” he dejectedly uttered.

“…It almost could’ve been” she whispered.

Obviously Addison didn’t tell them the whole story of what happened at Prawn, other than she helped the werewolves get their moonstone back and the dance was moved to the den. It wasn’t until they saw the news report that the gravity of the situation hit them. They could’ve lost their daughter…their only child without even telling her that they loved her. But…when was the last time the actually told her that? When was the last time they even hugged? When was the last time they really listened to her?

It was then they faced a real ugly truth; she could’ve died believing that she was despised by her own parents. The ones who made her wear a wig most her life. The ones who covertly criticized her at every opportunity whenever she went against the norm. The ones who blamed her for having, in all honesty, a minor mutation that was no fault of her own.

They’ve seen it plenty of times in movies and various news outlets; they’d ask themselves how oblivious could you be to see that your child wasn’t suffering. …Apparently you can be that oblivious. Even when she brought up how she passed the trial of respect, Missy could feel the denial rise up within her…but it lost its force when she saw how fragile her daughter looked in that instance. They weren’t her parents…they were her masters - molding into what they saw fit instead of letting her discover herself and guiding her along the way. If it wasn’t for the last little flicker of parental impulse inside of them, they most likely would’ve done what any master does with things that don’t work out…discard and move on. It was a devastating pill to swallow.

Immediately their protective instincts took over and they kept her inside in order to keep her safe. But when the knee-jerk reaction wore off, they realized they were imprisoning her – punishing her for showing a little bit of compassion.

“Why?” she whispered more to herself.

“...Why what?” Dale hesitantly asked, for that one word was loaded with so much baggage and Missy let it all spill out.

“Why did we treat her like that?! Why did it take for her almost dying for us to even see what we were doing was wrong?! Why…how did it end up like this? To where she can’t even trust us?!” she angrily spat. Dale brought her in for a hug as hot tears and snot streamed down her face – a complete opposite of the composed, collected mayor she presented for the world to see.

“Missy…we know why” he gravely spoke and she flinched at his words.

“No…no! That can’t be the only reason!” she refuted.

Dale gave her a beaten look and sighed. “Honey…”

“No! I refuse to believe it!” she yelled in a subdued voice, making sure Addison didn't hear.

“Missy!” and this time he firmly grabbed her shoulders and made her look at him. “…No one is immune to insecurities. But we could’ve prevented a lot of them” was all he said, making more tears appear in her eyes. He brought her back in for another hug while she stained his nightshirt with her overflowing emotions. All the while he tried his best to keep it together…but even he couldn’t help the little hiccupping exhales.

“Do…do you think Addison will ever…” and Missy couldn’t even finish that sentence. She couldn’t stand the thought of her child treating her like a complete stranger.

“…I don’t know” he honestly responded.

It wasn’t lost on them that she didn’t even say “I love you” back after they said it to her…and they couldn’t blame her. What do expect when you’ve grown up in an environment where love is conditional? Only given if you meet ungodly, crippling expectations at the expense of your own well-being?

They fell short.

No…that’s not it. They fell into an abyss and now they had to climb out of their own grave in order to even begin to reconcile with her.

“I was foolish to even think that this could be a one day fix” he revealed, each word dripping with shame.

“You’re not the only one” and she wipes her eyes with her hand – both of them settling into a reflective silence.

“…Addison won’t be the only one doing the alpha trials” Dale finally says.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that we’ll fight anyone to protect her, respect her interests and…and”

“Hunt for the love inside of us in order to give it to her” Missy finishes with a bitter chuckle. “Who knew we’d receive an unexpected lesson from werewolves?”

“But a welcomed one nonetheless. It won’t be easy…although it should’ve been had we done right in the beginning” he reflected.

“Initially we did…until we got off track” she whispered. Dale knowingly hummed at that.

“Seems like Addison still remembers our initially correct initial ways. Even though she made those cookies for the pack, she still set some aside for us. I think that’s a good sign that our bridges aren’t completely burned” he noted.

“…I suppose, though they’re hanging on by a thread for sure” she wistfully replied.

“Then we’ll use that thread and start sewing it back together” he replied with a tiny smile.

“…You’ve never sewed anything in your life” she slightly joked.

“For the sake of our family I’m willing to learn – no matter how many times I get pricked” he stated and she nodded at that. “C’mon, we can’t get anything done without rest.”

“You’re right” she agreed but got up to go to the bathroom sink to clean her face. She got back in bed and nestled against him. He stroked his fingers through her gingerbread colored hair, helping her to relax.

“…I hope Addison can truly enjoy head caresses one day” she thought. “Goodnight Dale” she whispered.

“Goodnight Missy, sweet dreams” he replied and soon both of them closed their eyes.

They weren’t sure how sweet their dreams could be; a dreamless night would be far better than a horrific nightmare where they were the indifferent monsters they painted others to be. Because for a long moment in time…they were.

Chapter 9: Transformation and Connections

Chapter Text

Sluggish footsteps across the forest floor. Small splashes from various aquatic life. Lush branches swaying along the mild breeze passing through. An exquisite melody signaling the finale of another night cycle before the light of dawn revealed the natural dyes of the world. However, one pulsing light dyed the only conscious wolf in a familiar blue hue - though with much more radiance than before.

“…What in the world happened to you?” Willa asked the inanimate pendant nestled in the palm of her hand. The stone seemed to answer her question by pulsating faster – communicating in its own Morse code; but she had no clue what it translated to. “Well…one way or another I’ll get my answer” she thought as she gripped it tighter. Though when she did, she noticed something peculiar. “Huh…that’s odd. I can’t feel its energy” she realized. But her ears certainly noticed something. Bare footsteps were exiting the den tunnel and her nose told her exactly who was coming outside to join her.

“You’re up early” she commented.

“So are you” Wyatt responded as he stood right next to her.

“I’m the alpha. I’m always the first one up” she reminded.

“You were always up first, even before you were chosen. I’m starting to think you’re using your rank to make everyone acclimate to your inner clock” he ventured.

“Hmph!” she scoffed.

“I’m not hearing a no” he smirked.

“Because I refuse to deign myself by responding to an audacious claim” she refuted.

“Ouch, got the fangs that time” he replied, making her victoriously smirk.

“Still, this is early. Even for you” he noted.

“What? Can’t a wolf enjoy being outside? It’s actually quite pleasant” she remarked.

“And so is back inside the den. **sigh** Why can’t you just admit that you’re just as excited to see Addison as I am?”

“Because I’m not” she quickly shot down.

“Really?” he disbelievingly asked.

“Yes, really.”

“Are you worried about her then?”

“No. I know she can get here cartwheeling backwards if she wanted to. I’m just…just…waiting to hear what she’ll howl and get a good laugh out of it” she finally said.

“…Uh huh” he skeptically voiced.

“What? Are you doubting your alpha?” she challenged.

Wyatt raised an eyebrow and remarked, “You do realize we can sense when someone is hiding something right? You’re not above detection big sis.”

Willa huffed at his accusation. “I’m not hiding anything. I’m just…keeping certain things close to the vest” she clarified.

He placed his hand over his heart – feigning shock. “**GASP** I’m not privy to the knowledge of the alpha anymore? Even though I’m her brother?? Double ouch!” he whined earning a shove from her.

“Whatever Wyatt. You know you’re my right hand wolf” she vouched, making him smile. “I just…I don’t want to get your hopes up” she disclosed.

“Huh? What do you mean?” he asked.

Before she could answer their ears perked up to a faint howl in the distance. “At least she said “I’m here” Wyatt grinned.

“She could’ve left out the rest of the words though. That’s a lot of pebbles for the swear wolf jar” she snickered. “Go back inside and wake everybody up. It sounded like she was past claw rock so she should be here soon” she ordered and he eagerly followed the command. Willa looked up at the sky, seeing a small, white sliver as the sun was starting to spill its light over the land. “It’s a good thing she showed up early, she’ll need all the time she can get” she thought before responding to Addison’s howl with her own.

A few minutes later she heard excited yips and barks echo throughout the tunnel. “Impressive, they managed to get the pups up. Then again, the leader of team Run B&B is returning so I shouldn’t be too surprised” she reasoned. In fact she was just as ecstatic to be seeing Addison again, though she’d never admit it to Wyatt – she had an image to maintain. Speaking of images, she opened her hand to look at the necklace again. She was surprised to see it shining brighter than before. “You’re excited to see her too huh? **sigh** I just hope it’ll be something that she’ll welcome. I know she’s been lone soul for so long, but it’s still a big change” she thought as she tucked it away in her vest pocket.

Suddenly Kraw and Wylie come dashing out of the den and latch onto her legs.

“I won!” Wylie declared. “Did not! I did!” Kraw refuted.

“Well, good morning to you too” Willa smiled and affectionately rubbed their heads.

“Good morning alpha” they respectfully replied.

“I’m guessing I’m the finish line to your race?” she surmised.

They nodded and let go of her. “I won, right alpha?” Wylie asked. “She did not! Tell her I won!” Kraw countered.

“Sorry pups, kinda hard to tell when you come up behind me. I don’t have eyes on the back of my head, despite what my brother might say” she apologized.

“Oh…right” they realized.

Soon the rest of the pups come out of the tunnel. “Good morning alpha!” they simultaneously greet.

“Good morning pups” and she gives them all friendly head rubs, making them giggle. “Where’s everyone else?” she inquired.

“They’re still washing up” Wanda answered.

“We got done fast because we wanted to see if Addy was here” Wylan added.

Then a mischievous smirk appeared on Willa’s lips. “She’s not here yet, but Wyatt and I heard her howl. It sounded like she was past claw rock."

"That’s really close!” Wylie beamed.

“Sure is. So how about a little challenge?” she wagered.

“What kind of challenge?” Gnaw asked.

“Nothing major, just a little race. Whoever pounces on Addison first will get five pebbles” and that made all of pups’ eyes change color. “Just make sure she can see you or else she won’t be able to tell. Then the winner will howl” she explained.

“Got it” they all responded.

She leaned down and used her claw to draw a line in the dirt; the pups lined up and got on all fours. “Ready?” and all of them gave an affirmative bark. “On your mark…get set…GO!” she shouted and they took off, spraying dirt and leaves behind them.

Moments later the rest of the pack come out in time to see their leader laughing like no tomorrow. "Um…Alpha?” Warren hesitantly called out, getting her attention.

“Hehahah oh hey! Good morning everyone" she greeted.

“Uh…what’s so funny?” Wyatt asked.

“**gasp** Was it something Addison said?” Wynter grinned.

“And where are the pups anyway?” Willie noticed.

“Addison should be getting a nice welcome from the pups any minute now” she cheekily smiled.

Sure enough everyone hears an “UHUFOF” nearby, along with laughing and victory howls from Gnaw. “Gnaw won? That’s a surprise” she commented.

“Won what? What did you have them do?” Wyatt asked.

“What? I thought you were okay with Addison being greeted with affectionate gestures” she reminded. “Although this could also be considered punishment for all those words she howled earlier.”

“I knew it!” Wynter chuckled.

“What did she say?” Row asked.

“Trust me, you don’t want to know. Let’s just say the swear wolf jar would’ve been filled five times over” and that made all of them go “oh”.

“Willa, you still haven’t answered my question” Wyatt border lined growled.

Willa finally acquiesced and explained, “I gave the pups a racing challenge. Whoever pounced on Addison first would get five pebbles from me.”

“What?!” Wyatt and Wen exclaimed, though for totally different reasons.

“Awww! Why didn’t you tell us? I could’ve taken bets” Wen whined.

“Sorry Wen, it was a spur of the moment kind of thing” she replied.

“Bets? Really?!” he incredulously asked, making him submissively shrink back. “I can’t believe you had them pounce on her just before her hunting trial” he fumed.

“Oh stop being such a worry wolf” she denounced, but in the back of her mind she expected as much given his feelings for her. “You know Addison is a tough girl. She can handle just about anything.”

“Yeah…she sure can” he admiringly replied. She rolled her eyes at his mushy response but smiled nonetheless.

Rustling footsteps redirected their attention to the path obscured by foliage. Gnaw dashes out and runs straight to his leader. “Alpha, I won! I won!” he happily proclaimed.

“So I heard” she grinned.

“Not exactly a face-off but I guess you got your pebbles after all huh?” Wyatt added.

“Yeah! Can I have them now? Please? You promised.”

“I did and I will, once Addison starts her trial” she assured.

“Okay!”

“Is everyone else right behind you?” Willow asked.

“Uh huh, they’ll be here soon. Addy saw some fresh rabbit tracks along the way and wanted to remember which direction they went” he explained.

“A rabbit huh? You don’t say” Willie remarked. “Wouldn’t that be something if her first catch was a hare? It’d be just like you mate” he smiled at Wyatt.

“Heh, it sure would be special” he agreed. “But I’ll be proud of whatever she manages to catch” and everyone nodded at that.

“Well, I definitely admire her enthusiasm. Not only did she get here early, she’s even getting a head start on tracking her prey” Willa acknowledged.

“That’s my pupil!” Wyatt proudly stated.

She grinned at his declaration and replied, “Alright teacher, care to make a wager on your student?”

“What’s the point? We all know she’s going to catch something” he dismissed.

“I didn’t say she wouldn’t. I’m just curious what you think she’ll catch. Mammal, reptile, bird or fish” she listed. “Anyone game?”

“Oh you know I am” Wen replied, rubbing his hands together.

“I’m starting to think you have a gambling problem” Wei remarked.

“I do not! You’re just jealous that my collection is bigger than yours” he scoffed.

“Uh huh, and who gave you half of those again?” he countered, making him falter. “That’s what I thought.”

“Pfft, whatever. You want’em back? Bet half and I’ll bet what you gave me. Double or nothing!” he challenged.

“Fine by me” he accepted.

“On what?” Willa asked.

“I think she’ll catch a fish” Wen replied.

“Bird for me” Wei answered.

“Got it” she mentally noted.

“…This is crazy” Wyatt muttered.

“No, this is showing confidence” his sister refuted. “So what’s it going to be brother?”

“...You’re going to make me do this even if I say no aren’t you?”

“Yup.”

“Uggh, fine. I believe she’ll catch a mammal. A big one” he cast.

“See? Showing confidence. But there’s no bonus for size. Alright, anyone else want to join?” and the rest of the pack put in their guesses.

Row, Wyatt, and Warren chose mammal. Willow, Wen, Willa chose fish. And Wynter, Willie, Wei and Rwylo chose bird.

“Huh, no one for reptile” Willa noticed.

“Hey! What about me?” Gnaw asked.

“Sure, you and the rest of the pups can place a wager too” she assured.

“Speaking of, I thought you said they were right behind you” Willow recalled.

“Yeah, they were” Gnaw confirmed. Everyone sniffs the air to see if they could locate their whereabouts.

“Well, they’re still around” Willie comments.

“Maybe she really did get a head start and decided to go after the rabbit” Wynter ventured.

“With the pups in tow?” Wyatt asked.

“What? You know they’d want to be witness to whatever she caught. Plus maybe it was close by - that’s why their scent is still around” she defended.

“Nuh uh, Addy wouldn’t go. She was carrying a few bags when we found her and she said one of’em was for us” Gnaw reported.

“Then I wonder what’s keeping them” Willa pondered.

They didn’t have to wonder for long before a chorus of stampeding footsteps came charging right up to them.

“We’re here!” Wylan announced.

“Welcome home Addy!” Wylie beamed.

“Thank you” she smiled back.

The pack grinned at the cuteness exuded by Addison as she set her two duffel bags down and took Nawnu off of her back.

“Thank ku fo rie Addy” Nawnu expressed.

“My pleasure Nawnu” and she ruffled her hair.

“Heh, did you like the good morning greeting I sent your way?” Willa smirked.

Addison chuckled when she heard her voice. “I did. To be honest I was expecting…!” but the rest of her words fell to the wayside when she finally looked up and saw everyone else. A small blush crept onto her cheeks when she noticed that the only thing the entire pack was wearing were their vests. She didn’t think much of it when the she saw the pups in their vests and pajama bottoms; she figured they couldn’t wait to see her and having Willa turn their enthusiasm into a contest was just a bonus for them. But to actually see the whole pack nude and consciously aware that they were was an entirely different matter.

Just before her eyes shifted down towards the ground, they locked onto Wyatt’s. He showed a reassuring smile and that’s when she remembered the meaning of this natural display.

“Y’know, in our pack we view and treat our bodies like a sacred temple. Allowing others to see it is a sign of complete and absolute trust.”

Wyatt adoringly nodded at her when he noticed her tension suddenly disappear. Willa caught on too and smirked, “Expecting what white hair?”

“...Expecting you to appear out of nowhere and pounce on me” she finished, showing her own relaxed smile.

“I still can, if you want” she grinned as her necklace glowed – turning her eyes yellow.

“Let’s wait until my victory wolf pile” she compromised, making the rest of the wolves laugh.

“Fair enough” she agreed and her eyes returned to their normal ebony color.

“And…um…” Addison stuttered before nervously shuffling in place.

“Hm? What’s wrong Addison?” Wynter questioned.

“Did the pups pounce on you too hard?” Wyatt followed up, almost glaring at them.

“No! We genty” Nawnu refuted.

“Yeah! We didn’t even knock her over! Well…until Trew jumped on at the end” Kraw explained.

“B-But I was careful” Trew timidly defended.

“No, no. They were fine – affectionate as always. It’s just…um…h-hold on.” Willa quirked an eyebrow up when she began unzipping her dark blue jacket; the rest of the pack were just as confused. But their countenances soon morphed into pleased smiles when she removed it and the matching t-shirt.

Addison stretched her arms up and merrily hummed, enjoying the crisp, comfortable air on her bare skin. Though that action lasted all but a second when her “human side” realized she was more or less putting on a show. “Oh don’t even go there” she mentally chastised, but it was still difficult to ignore all the mental alarms telling her to cover up.

So she did.

She covered her bags by setting the clothes on top. “How about that?” she internally bit back and caged the pervading thoughts; though they tried their hardest to escape when she spoke to the pack. “Th-thank you for…um…well…all this” she sputtered as she gestured to their bodies. “I’m truly honored you feel that way about me. And I feel the same about all of you, I really do! It’s just…um…”

“Addison, we know” Willa assured and everyone else warmly nodded; Addison showed a kind smile in return.

“Besides, I’m guessing you were planning on taking your shirt off anyway since you weren’t wearing your bra. Am I right?” she deduced, making her blush reappear and spread even more. She meekly nodded at that.

“And were you going to do that becaaause?” Willa encouraged.

“Because…I feel comfortable in my own home” she smiled, finally sealing away those foul thoughts for good.

“Exactly” she smiled back.

“And if I may, all of you look absolutely fabulous! Especially with your new fur” she complimented. There were lush portions of fur on their shoulders, upper back, elbows and calves; it meshed perfectly with their skin.

The pups giggled and happily shuffled in place while everyone else proudly preened themselves up a bit. “Thank you Addison” Row smiled.

“I figured as much. Your eyes were roaming all over our bodies” Willa teasingly noted.

At that point Addison could’ve been mistaken for a giant Rufus apple with how deep her blush was. But she managed to regain her composure and replied, “It’s not every day I can behold such beauty and confidence. Can you blame my eyes for wanting to take it all in?”

That heartfelt response stunned everyone; it even put a small blush on Willa’s face. “N-No. I suppose not” she replied, and the pack were quite astonished to hear her bashful tone. Wyatt couldn’t stop grinning even if he wanted to. “But don’t make it sound so finite white hair. Your eyes will get to enjoy this for moons to come. But first, let’s go inside so we can initiate the hunting trial.”

“Right!”

“Here, let me grab your bags” Wyatt offered.

“Thank you Wyatt, you’re such a gentle-wolf” she smiled, making that jumping grasshopper sensation fill his stomach again.

“N-No problem” he replied.

She folded her clothes first and stuck’em inside the bag before he picked them up; they followed everyone into the entrance tunnel. “Uh…was this gift from your cousin?” he asked while holding up the bag with Bucky’s cartoon face on it.

“Eh…kinda. That’s the cheer captain bag. As you can see, he designed it” she replied.

“Yeah. It is…interesting” he described.

“That’s one way to put it. If it were up to me I’d combine the fighting shrimp logo with one the packs’ runes” she depicted.

“That’d definitely be an improvement” Wynter chimed in.

“Speaking of designs, I’m really loving your fur patterns!” she gushed now that she had a closer view of their bodies.

“You wanna feel it?” Wynter offered.

“Huh? Really?”

“Sure, go ahead” she insisted and held her arm out. Her fur was tawny colored with striking butterscotch yellow, burnt orange and cream stripes.

“Woow…it’s so soft” Addison marveled.

“Thank you!” Wynter stated before giving Wyatt a stern stare down. “See?!”

“What? I never said it wasn’t soft” he denied.

“Uh huh. Didn’t you say, “Wynter! Get your coarse elbow out of my mouth!”? she recalled.

“Okay, that’s not fair and you know it” he frowned.

“Is it? You don’t seem to have a problem when you bite through the fur of whatever animal to get to its innards” she countered.

“C’mon Wynter, I said that just as I was waking up yesterday. Gimme a break.”

“Only if you admit that my fur is soft” she demanded as she poked his furry shoulder.

“…Fine. Your fur is as soft as a snowshoe’s pelt” he complimented.

“That’s better” she smiled and he rolled his eyes. Addison inconspicuously giggled the interaction.

“Hey Addison, you wanna check out mine?” Willie offered while flexing his arm.

“Yeah!” she gladly replied. His fur was jet black with a silver and caramel patch pattern. “Oh wow Willie, yours is really silky!” she remarked as she petted it.

“Thanks mate” he beamed.

“Feel mine Addy!” “Mine too” “My fur is waay softer” the pups pushed against her, making her laugh.

“I guess we are irresistible, huh Addison?” Wyatt grinned as he watched her lovingly pet each pup.

“Well, I did tell you that I wouldn’t be able to help myself. That’s why I apologized in advance” she reminded.

“And like I said before, we don’t mind one bit” he reconfirmed.

“Still, it’s amazing how fast your guys’ fur grew in. Does that mean you’re getting close to regaining your true forms?” she asked.

“We already have. Y’see this is what we’re supposed to look like” Willie explained.

“Really?”

“Uh huh. This what the elders call our balanced form. When we’re low on energy, we more or less look like humans. When we’re full and synchronized, then we look like this” Wyatt explained.

“And when you turn on the switch so to speak, you turn into lycanthropes” she ventured.

“Exactly” he confirmed.

“Heh, talk about coincidental” she chuckled.

“Why’s that?” Wyatt asked.

“Because I brought your toys, and all of them work just fine” she giddily revealed.

“Really?! YAY!” the pups cheered.

“I had a lot of fun testing them out. Your top was extra enjoyable Wyatt – I can see why you like it so much. And there are plenty of batteries to replace’em whenever they run out of juice” she assured.

“You are too kind. Thank you Addison” Wyatt gratefully replied.

“Your welcome, but you don’t have to thank me – you paid for them after all. And I have your change too.”

“Keep it” he insisted.

“What? No! I know you guys said you don’t have a use for it, but there was surprisingly a lot leftover and it’s still the packs’” she rebutted.

“Exactly. And you’re gonna be part of the pack, therefore it’s yours” he smugly countered.

“…Wyatt.”

“Then consider it a tip” he suggested.

“Wyatt!”

“Addison! If you give that money back to me, I’ll have no choice but to pounce on Willa repeatedly” he threatened.

“What? How’d I get dragged into your silly squabble?” she asked as all of them filtered into the main area.

“Because you’re the alpha. You settle disputes” he replied with a straight face.

“…Really” she deadpanned with a raised eyebrow.

“Yep” he confirmed.

“He does have a point” Wynter giggled.

“And how is pouncing on me-”

“Repeatedly” he reminded.

She growled at him and continued, “Anyway how is that supposed to solve anything?”

“I dunno” he shrugged his shoulders. “I know it’d make me feel good.”

“…I see” she smirked and Addison gulped; she did not like that impish glint in her eyes. “Then whatever you do to me, I’ll do to Addison triple-fold” and she showed a gleaming, fanged smile while cracking her knuckles.

“Okay, okay! I’ll keep the change!” Addison quickly gave in. She didn’t want to risk finding out whether or not she was joking. And even if she was, she still didn’t want to be on the receiving end of any triple-strength pounces.

“I’m glad we came to an understanding. Thank you alpha” Wyatt bowed to his sister.

“Anytime” Willa bowed back.

Addison just shook her head. “You two are something else” she commented.

The siblings put their arms over each other’s shoulders and smiled. “Why thank you!” they simultaneously replied, making all of the wolves laugh at their antics.

“Alright, let’s get you on your way so you can catch something. You’ll need all the time you can get” Willa stated. “Rwylo, go get the marking paint please.”

“Right away alpha” and he went down the corridor to retrieve it. Wyatt let go of his sister and went down the corridor as well to put Addison’s bags in the sleeping area. Both of them return a moment later and all of the wolves get in formation behind their leader.

“Addison Wells, you are about to attempt the hunting trial of the Nanukilik pack. The rules are simple – you must track and kill your prey of choice, then bring it back to the den before the sun sets. If you fail, your challenge will be over and you will never be allowed to interact with our pack nor be allowed in our territory so long as I am alpha” Willa states.

“WHAT?!” Wyatt barked; even the rest of the pack looked upon her with incredulous gazes. But everyone submits to her authority when she lets out a menacing growl – it doesn’t stop her brother from furiously glaring at her though. However that glare was replaced with a look of pure shock when Addison bowed and replied, “I understand and accept your terms alpha.”

“Very well” she acknowledged before signaling to Rwylo to step forward. Addison straightened back up as he approached her with a wooden box in his hands. He opened it and there was purple paint, a little brush and a mini mirror inside.

“Hold still please” he said and she heeded his request. He dabbed the tiny brush into the ink and started painting underneath her right eye.

“What Rwylo is painting on you is the mark of our pack” Willa explained. His experience showed because he was done in no time. He handed her the box so she could use the mirror to take a look.

“Whooa” she marveled. It was four triangles that almost resembled a sharp-clawed paw print; only thing missing was the center paw pad.

“Those four marks represent the earth, air, water and ourselves - forever connected as one” Willa explained and Addison respectfully nodded at that. Rwylo steps back to join the rest of the pack while Willa walks up to her.

“Just one last thing” she said and pulls the moonstone necklace out of her pocket. The light never ceased to mesmerize Addison; it was like seeing it for the first time all over again.

“Addison” Willa spoke, snapping her out of trance. “If you’re serious about completing these trials, then I present this necklace to you. However…if you put this on, there is no turning back.”

Addison looks at the necklace in Willa’s hand – how pulses like a heartbeat. Yet she’s utterly befuddled by what she heard. “Alpha, I mean no disrespect but I can’t accept the necklace – I’m not a wolf. Please don’t misunderstand me though, I want to do the trials. But you should save it for the next werewolf” she insisted.

Willa couldn’t help but smile – not only at Addison’s compassion, but also at the irony of what she just said. “Don’t worry about that. We have plenty of necklaces for generations to come” she assured.

“But I-”

“Addison” she firmly cut her off. “I gave it to you after Prawn knowing you weren’t a wolf. You accepted it then, and if you choose to do so, please accept it now” she implored.

Addison stared at her – mulling over her words. Then she looked back at the necklace and was surprised to see it beating faster; it was like it could barely contain its excitement about being reunited with her.

“I accept” she declared and moved her hair out of the way so Willa could tie it around her neck.

She steps back and looks over Addison for a few moments with baited breath…but nothing happens. “**sigh** So much for that” she dejectedly thought, but kept her disappointment from showing on her face. Addison still wanted to be a part of the pack and that was more than good enough for her. “It still looks good on you white hair" she fondly smiled.

“Thank you alpAAAAHHH!” Addison abruptly yelled out in pain.

“ADDISON!” everyone screamed. “WHAT’S WRONG?!” Wyatt yelled.

“STAY PUT!” Willa commanded and it took every ounce of self-control the pack had not to rush over and assist their hurting friend. She carefully eased the shivering, crumpling girl to her hands and knees. Her eyes were screwed shut and had one arm wrapped around her cramping abdomen in an instinctive, yet futile attempt to ease this sudden pain.

“W-What’s going on!? Did my period start or something!? Oh God this HURTS!” and leaned her forehead down to touch the cool stone floor. Every muscle that was visible were as taught as wire cables; it was as if she just did the last set of an intense weight training workout.

“GYAH…UNUH!” she grunted in the midst of her profuse panting. She clenched her free hand into a fist and pounds it on the floor repeatedly, trying to will the pain away. “GRAAAAH!” she painfully growls.

Willa carefully approaches her and places a hand on her back. She gasps and retracts it for a brief second due to how warm she was. But she gets over the initial shock and starts rubbing her back, desperately trying to provide any semblance of comfort. “You’re going to be okay Addison, you’re okay, you’ll be fine. It’ll be over soon, I promise” she assuredly murmured into her ear, but her mind wasn’t anything like the calm persona she presented. “Why is this happening!? What’s going on?! Oh God, what have I done?!”

“RAAAAHHHHHHHH!” she screams and curls in tighter on herself. Suddenly the scent of blood hits everyone’s nose.

Willa backs up and notices her uncurled hand sliding against the floor, leaving behind red smears. “Claws!” she realized. Sharp, keratinized claws were coming from up underneath her nails; thankfully the cuts quickly healed themselves as fast as they appeared.

“GRUH! AAHH!” Addison yowled and slowly moves her sore legs to try and flick her shoes off. Willa got the hint and hastily took them off her feet. Everyone was completely floored when they saw her toe claws shred through her now blood-stained white socks.

And that wasn’t the only visible change.

White fur started sprouting along her shoulders, calves, and elbows; not to mention her ears morphed into the signature pointed ones of a werewolf.

“…No way” Wynter gasped, matching everyone’s shocked sentiment.

Addison lifted her head up just a tiny bit and moved the hand that was around her waist to her forehead. Her heart was beating insanely fast – like she had consumed eight shots of the world’s most concentrated expresso; the resulting headache was damn near excruciating. She clenched her newly grown-in fangs together, inadvertently poking her lips in the process. But like every other wound it healed up instantaneously. Yet despite all the pain she endured, she did not shed a single tear. The same couldn’t be said for the pups as they latched onto any nearby leg, desperately whining and praying for her pain to stop. Willa was about to massage her tight body again but was taken aback when Addison abruptly leaned up on her knees.

“GGRRRAAAAARRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOO!” she howled and her necklace lit up like a blue inferno.

All of a sudden the moonstone matched the luminosity of Addison’s pendant and illuminated the whole area; everyone had to close their eyes due to the sheer brightness. Soon the blaze within her necklace died down, ending the dazzling display.

“Gyuh…rrragh…” Addison moaned; she started to sway but Willa caught her before she face-planted the floor. She was still warm and panting arduously, but she was alive. And truth be told Willa was extremely thankful that she was unconscious; at least she wouldn’t feel any other transformations that still needed to happen. “Don’t worry Addison, I got you. You’ll be fine, I promise you will” she thought and gave her limp body a gentle squeeze. Suddenly her ears picked up on her pack mate’s cautiously encroaching footsteps; they froze on the spot when she made eye contact with them. The pups came around Warren’s and Willow’s legs and carefully sniffed around them.

“Is…is it over?” Wanda gulped.

“Is Addy okay?” Wylie worryingly inquired, tears threatening to spill again.

“It isn’t over” Willa answered; she noticed Addison’s body was still throbbing and sprouting white fur. “But it seems the worst has passed” she followed up, making everyone sigh in relief.

“But…how is this even possible?” Wynter asked.

“I don’t know…but at least it explains a lot of things. For now let’s get her cleaned up and comfortable” she suggested.

“Here, I’ll carry her” Wyatt outright volunteered.

“…Alright, but be gentle. Wolves, keep your voices down. I don’t want anything startling her” she whispered. Everyone nodded at that and went down the corridor to prep the necessary supplies.

Willa helped lay Addison in Wyatt’s awaiting arms. He held her close to his body if she was a newborn pup, which in a sense she was. Both of them whined when they saw her exhausted, pained countenance. However those sounds morphed into small yips when her now pronounced scent hit their nostrils.

“Willa…her scent!” he whispered.

“I-I know, but there’s no way” she refuted.

He sniffed her again just to be sure and he couldn’t help but let out a content hum. It was intoxicating – meshing perfectly with his. But…that only happened when… “Unbelievable” he uttered.

He wasn’t quite sure what to make of all this; now he understood why Willa said she didn’t want him to get his hopes up. While part of him was ecstatic that Addison actually turned out to be one of them, it begged the question…did she really want to be a werewolf? Sure she wanted to be part of the pack, but being one is something completely different. Not to mention all the pain she went through; if she had known it had entailed all this…would she have still accepted the necklace? But it was a moot point now; like Willa said, there’s no going back from this.

“C’mon, let’s go to the water room. We’ll figure out all this later” she said and he nodded.

“Please be okay Addison” he internally pleaded and gave her a little lick on her forehead. No matter what he would make sure that she was not only comfortable in her own home, but in her own skin as well.

“Nnnnggh…guuuuhh…” a weary soul moaned.

Her eyes strained themselves to lift the heavy lids that were closing them off from viewing the surrounding area. When they finally succeeded…it was not the environment she was expecting to see. A multitude of blue amoeba-like sparks were spreading their pseudopods, connecting with one another to create a giant version of itself.

“Wh-what? Where am I?” she asked.

That question wasn’t answered, but the massive amoeba appeared to have noticed her presence and launched its tendrils towards her.

“GAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!” she screamed as they latched onto her body. It felt like millions upon millions of IV needles were being inserted into skin, filling her with whatever electrical essence they contained. “GYUHAAH! PLEASSSE…STOOOP!” and the amoeba seemed to have heeded her command. They were still attached to her, pumping in whatever substance, but it wasn’t nearly as intense.

“…Sorry."

“H-Huh? GAH!” she grunted as another burning wave of pain wracked her body. She opened her eyes again to see the same illuminated space. Through labored breaths she managed to shout, “W-Who’s there!? What’s happening to me?!”

“Have to…want to…need to” the voice spoke.

It didn’t sound like anyone from the pack; unless all this pain caused her to be delirious. For all she knew this was some really messed up dream that felt a little too real for her liking. But she was surprisingly aware, despite conventional wisdom denouncing this type of bizarre setting. Left with no other options, she decided to respond to this ethereal voice.

“Need to…what?” she hesitantly asked.

“Have to…reconnect. Want to…be whole” it replied.

“Whole?” she repeated.

“Need to…be with you. Together…we are one.”

“We are one?” and somehow she could feel this being nod its head inside of her.

“…Sorry for pain. Didn’t know. Excited to reunite” it expressed.

“Reunite? Where did you even come from?” she asked.

“Moonstone” it replied.

“Moonstone? **GASP** You’re from the necklace!?” and it gave a small, affirmative flash in response. “Then…all this…and that means…I’m a werewolf?!” she exclaimed but she could feel the voice shake its head “no.”

“Need to…finish. Have to…reconnect. But…no want pain. Want pup safe.”

“…Pup” she mentally repeated - smiling at her new designation. There were so many questions she wanted to ask, but now was not the time for them. If she couldn’t get past this step, then it’d all be meaningless anyway. She managed to glance around at the bright blue amoeba still attached to her, but she could tell it was treading cautiously around her. She took a deep breath to steady herself for what was about to occur.

“It’s alright, I’ll be fine.” She could somehow sense the being’s hesitation. “It’s okay, I was just caught off guard. Like when my pack pounces on me” she explained, hoping the analogy would reassure it. “Now that I know what to expect, I promise I can handle it. I am tougher and stronger than I look” and the being couldn’t help but nod in agreement with that.

“…Pup sure?” it asked.

“I am. Do whatever you need to do, and don’t stop until we are one” she commanded.

She felt it nod at the issued order, albeit with some reservation. The amoeba gradually flared back to life – almost as if it were giving a countdown.

Addison closed her eyes and exhaled, bracing herself. But they instantly shot open as the energy flooded into her being. “GRRAH! AHHHH! GYUHHHH!” she screamed and writhed in agony, but the amoeba didn’t stop – just like she commanded. With one last push the entire area was covered in a blinding white light.

“GGRRRAAAAARRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

All of a sudden the light vanished, leaving her utterly limp in this strange void. Her eyes tried to lift the lids, but found it to be much more difficult this time around.

“Gyuh…rrragh…” she moaned; she was completely exhausted. Try as she might her eyes slowly closed with no intention of reopening. However…she could’ve sworn that she saw a golden eye looking back at her before she drifted off.

“Pup did it, we are one! Rest now. Promise be better soon. Guardian make sure.”

“Hrrrmmm…grrrrr…”

“Hey, hey! Look!”

“Grrrrmmmm…”

“She’s waking up!”

“Everyone go over there!”

A nose twitch. A few grumbles. A slight wiggle of a few fingers and toes. These normally unnoticed actions caused a great deal of nervous fervor within the pack. The conductor of those actions slowly opened her eyes, beholding the wolf mural on the ceiling – still protecting everyone.

“Uuugghhh…” Addison moaned as she eased herself up into a sitting position. She blinked her eyes a few times to get rid of the blurriness. “Ah…Ahh…ACHOO! **sniff** Wha-! **GASP**” and her sight snapped into focus when she spoke her first word through her fanged mouth. Her tongue gently ran over her new, enlarged canines – eyes widening with every stroke. She hastily lifted her hands up and saw that she now possessed razor sharp claws, though it looked like they had some work done to them; they were polished and filed. When she curled her fingers she was expecting to feel pricks on the palms of her hands, but she didn’t feel a thing! They looked normal but felt…tougher. She stuck her fingers in her mouth like a teething toddler to really make sure those canines were attached to her gums. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed white fur on her elbows. She took her hands out of her mouth and twisted her left arm to get a better look. She tentatively touched it and was definitely surprised by how luscious and velvety it was. Then she quickly straightened out her legs; just beneath the cuff of her heather-gray Capri sweatpants she saw more fur on her calves. Her breathing bordered on hyperventilating as she carefully ran her claws through her hair.

“It…it wasn’t a dream? This…this is real? HOLY CRAP, IT’S REAL!? OHMYGOD, I’M A WEREWOLF!?” Shock, happiness and trepidation all came out in her declaration as she tried to scramble to her feet, but it was a little hard on the slick, stone floor. All of a sudden her ears twitched – someone was approaching. She didn’t even have a chance to look up to see who or what it was before she was pushed back into the pelts.

“Addison, please relax. You’re alright, you’re safe” Willa gently whispered into her ear as she engulfed her in comforting yet restraining embrace. Adrenaline still flowed throughout Addison’s body, but slowly started to dissipate as Willa rubbed her head. The alpha moved back just a tad to allow her to move her arms to return the hug. She could feel her rapid heartbeat as their bare chests touched. “Just focus on me, okay? Can you do that for me? Please?”

She heeded her request closed her eyes, taking slow calming breaths. Willa felt her slack a little in her grip, but she suddenly gasped and tensed back up again. Addison pushed her off a bit but still had her hands on her shoulders; her eyes met her brighter cerulean ones. “Addison? What’s wrong?!” she frantically whispered.

“Y-Your scent! I can smell it! You smell like me! But…not me? And I hear-”

“Addison” Willa firmly whispered, stopping her rambling description. She embraced her again and softly commanded, “Just relax. I know it might be a little overwhelming, but your other senses are fully awake now. How do you feel? Dizzy? Nauseous?”

“N-No, not really. Just a little hungry” she replied.

“I see. We’ll get you something to eat, I promise. But first I’m going to ask you to do a few things, is that okay?” and Addison nodded her head. “Alright. Close your eyes” and she complied with her command. “Can you tell me five things you can hear?”

Addison sifted through the sounds entering her twitching ears – each one painting a picture within her mind. She opened her eyes and answered, “The packs’ heartbeats and breathing, rushing water, ducks flying, tree branches rustling in the wind and buzzing bees.”

“That was six things, you little overachiever” she praised and booped her on the nose, making her chuckle. “Okay. Wyatt, come over here please” she quietly called out.

The rest of the wolves were standing near the entrance of the sleeping area – all of their eyes glued to the unfolding scene. Normally he didn’t need to be told twice to get closer to Addison, but now he was wondering if that was such a good idea – especially given her new scent. He looked at his pack mates and all of them gave him encouraging nods.

“It’ll be fine Wyatt” Wynter said and gave him a reassuring squeeze on his fuzzy shoulder. He took a deep breath to steel his nerves and walked over to them as Willa was helping her stand up.

“Oh wow” Wyatt thought. Now that his mind wasn’t bogged down with worries over her well-being, he couldn’t help but admire the new, ravishing additions to her already fabulous body. Addison fiddled with hair and shuffled a little bit under his awestruck gaze.

“I take it you like what you see” Willa whispered, snapping him out of his trance. He smiled and quietly replied, “I always have.” “Me too” she adoringly added, making Addison blush and happily yip. The siblings chuckled at that, then shared a knowing look; it was time to see if this truly was a fluke or fate. A nervous gulp slid down her brother’s throat.

“Addison” Willa whispered.

“Yes?”

“I want you to close your eyes again and smell me. Tell me what my scent is like” she softly ordered.

“O-Oh, okay” she replied and did as she was told.

“No boundary issues, that’s for sure” she thought as she got up close and personal while she did her olfactory investigation – starting from the pulse point of her neck before shifting down just below her belly button. Addison seemed to realize how low she going because she scrambled away from her; her eyes were still closed and her cheeks were as a red as a male sockeye salmon.

“Addison” the alpha gently called out. The girl in question slowly opened her eyes but didn’t make eye contact with her, opting to look at her wiggling toes. Willa got closer and softly put her hands on her shoulders. “C’mon, I thought you said I looked fabulous” she lightly jabbed and eventually that got the blushing wolf looking at her. “I’m glad you still think so” she grinned.

Addison tried to reciprocate it, but all she could manage was a long whine. “Addison, you don’t have to be embarrassed. You’re a werewolf now and we do smell that area” she explained.

While her tone was patient and reassuring, that just made her squirm even more. “O-Okay” she squeaked out.

“Good. So, what did you smell?” she asked, getting her mind back on track.

“Um…your scent has a lot of forest elements in it – like sugar pine trees, grass, and clay. I can smell lavender on you too. And like I said you also smell like me…but not completely. We have this…sourness tinge, but it’s not bad at all! It’s kinda like…ummm…grapefruit flavored sour punch straws next to a baked potato with olive oil on it” she described.

“What??” the siblings simultaneously asked.

“I know it’s weird, but that’s about as close as I can describe it. It has a sour yet savory sweetness” she clarified.

“What the heck are sour punch straws?” Willa whispered.

“It’s a human candy” Addison explained.

“Sounds…interesting. You’ll have to bring some next time so I can see them for myself.”

“I will, I promise.”

“So besides that, what else did you smell?”

“There’s this rich, comforting scent that only you have. It’s like freshly roasted granola with cinnamon and a tinge of sage” she elaborated, making her do a double take. She mainly expected forest smells while having the rest be summed up as just her. She certainly wasn’t expecting tangible things, and an eclectic collection of items for that matter.

“I can also smell mint and some kind of animal bone on your breath. And I don’t know how I can tell, but you’re super healthy” she added.

Willa giggled at that and quietly explained, “Well, smelling down there is how we tell” making Addison blush again. “If someone or something is ill, they’ll give off a slightly foul variant of their natural scent. But I gotta say, that was really impressive! Great job Addison” she complimented. She humbly scratched the back of her head and smiled at that. “Now, smell my brother. Again, take your time and don’t feel awkward about it. He’s a wolf, just like you.”

Addison looked at him and he gave her a reassuring nod. She nodded back and closed her eyes again to focus on his scent. Her examination wasn’t as long nor nearly as invasive like what she did to Willa. They didn’t miss the apparent confusion she exuded when she opened her eyes. “Wyatt…your scent. It…it compliments mine” she revealed.

“H-Huh?” he tried to play dumb; he prayed that she didn’t awaken her ability to sense someone hiding something.

“I-I don’t know how to explain it. You smell like the woods but…rockier, if that makes any sense. And you’re healthy too. But after the sour punch potato smell there’s something else I can’t describe. It’s like…I can cuddle up next to you and be perfectly content forever” she elaborated.

“She can smell it” Willa realized, but her brother wasn’t nearly as calm and collected on the inside.

“Oooh crap! This is bad!” he thought. In any other circumstance he’d be howling happy notes till kingdom come, but she was already in a relationship and that threw a major wrench into things.

Taking their silence as a negative assessment she said, “…Sorry. That probably didn’t make any sense.”

“No, it does” Willa quietly interjected.

“Really?”

“Uh huh. Certain smells can bring about a sense of comfort and familiarity” she softly explained.

“But…I smell that with you. And especially being in the den. But with Wyatt, it’s a lot stronger. Is it like that for you too?” she asked him.

Seeing how was going to be found out one way or another with the way her senses were developing, he decided to be honest with her. “…Yes” he bashfully whispered.

“Really?!” she exclaimed and he confirmed it with a small nod, trying desperately to keep his blush at bay. “Wow, that’s amazing! Does it mean anything?”

“The elders will have to answer that one. All I know is that its rare phenomenon” Willa whispered, and Wyatt was completely grateful for the out. It certainly was a rare phenomenon but instinctual nonetheless; a sure fire sign that you found your perfect mate. But until she realized it, it’d be nothing more than a strong friendship…which all things considered was still way better than nothing.

“Well, it seems that your senses settled in a lot faster than I thought they would” Willa spoke in her normal volume.

Addison heard the difference and something clicked. “Is that why you were whispering all this time? So you wouldn’t hurt my ears?”

“Yup” she confirmed.

“But…how is this even possible? How am I a werewolf? Why didn’t the necklace work the first time I put it on? And was the transformation supposed to hurt like that?! It felt like a period cramp kicked up ten notches while hot needles were attached to me! I mean I feel great now, I just wasn’t expecting that. And I have all this energy too; how long was I knocked out? Wait…THE TRIAL! Did I miss it!?”

“Addison!” Willa shouted and grabbed her shoulders again. “Relax. Breathe with me, okay?” and she did just that.

“Okay…I’m okay” she assured.

“Good. Now I don’t know everything, but I’ll try my best to answer your questions. Anything else we’ll have to ask the elders when they return.”

“O-Okay.”

“But first, the rest of pack is pretty eager to come in and see you. Are you okay with that?” she asked.

“Uh huh” she replied.

Willa looked over at the entrance and gestured for them to come over. They trickled in and Willa and Wyatt moved out of the way so they could come up to her; they kept a close eye on her to make sure she was alright with all the new smells. The pups approached her first – sniffing and touching her.

“Addy fur soft” Nawnu complimented as she petted the hair on her calves, tickling her in the process.

“HehehWhoa!”

Wylan and Trew each grabbed an arm and ran their little fingers through her elbow fur. Eventually she eased herself to the floor so it’d be easier for them to examine her.

“You really really smell like us now” Trew marveled as he sniffed her neck.

“I know, crazy right?” she replied, the true meaning of his words going over her head.

“No cryzee. Addy allsway one uff us” Nawnu replied.

“Yeah, you are the leader of team Run B&B after all” Kraw confirmed, making her smile.

“Hmmm! You also smell like the sun” Wylie described as she sniffed her stomach.

“I do?” she asked.

“Yeah, like how the sun heats up everything, that’s what you smell like. It’s soothing” she explained.

“And something else too…but I can’t figure it out” Wylan added as he continued sniffing her, even pressing his nose into her upper back fur. “It’s sweet, but not like cookies or sweet bones. Then it’s kinda nutty but not like acorns.”

“You smell like cotton too, but that’s probably because of your pants” Wanda realized.

“Nuh uh, I smell it here” Kraw refuted getting close to her ribs.

“She was wearing her shirt earlier” she reminded him.

“Oh…right” he agreed.

While this interaction was adorable, Addison was fighting every fiber of her being not to push them away. She may have gotten better when it came to them invading her personal bubble, but she had limits – especially when Gnaw got a little too close to her pelvic area. But she wasn’t about to reprimand them for how they naturally investigate things.

Sensing her discomfort Wyatt stepped in and said, “Alright pups, let’s give her some space” and they all got off of her.

She let out a miniscule sigh of relief and shot him a “thank you” smile. Soon her gaze locked onto the rest of the curious on-lookers.

“C-Can we come over to you?” Wynter asked.

“Of course, I don’t mind” she smiled.

The teens respected her boundaries a lot more than the pups; they more or less hovered around her. Warren and Rwylo each gently grabbed a hand and inspected it.

“Addison, how do claws feel?” Warren inquired.

“They feel fine” she replied.

“Oh good” Wynter sighed in relief as she played with her toes. “We gave you a manicure and a pedicure while you were sleeping, but it’s kinda hard to do with limp limbs. Plus…we didn’t want to startle you and put you in more pain. We weren’t sure how well we did.”

“I was wondering why they looked so polished” Addison remarked.

“Yeah, your hands and feet were pretty…bloody” Wei confirmed.

“That doesn’t surprise me. It definitely hurt when everything came through” she recalled.

“But all of your cuts healed up super-fast” Wen added.

“Really? Is that normal?” she asked.

“Yes and no. We are pretty resilient and heal a lot faster than humans, but with you it was like the cuts were closing as soon as they were made” Willa explained.

“…Wow” she marveled and the two wolves let go of her hands so she could flex them. “And thanks for cleaning me up. They look and feel amazing! Like I told Wyatt you guys really need to open your own salon, especially if you can do this while someone’s unconscious” she praised, and they were beaming brighter than the luminescent rocks.

“You’re welcome mate” Willie grinned.

“We we’re going to paint them too, but like Wynter said we didn’t want to startle you. That and it’s a long process” Willow explained.

“Wait, your claws aren’t naturally black?” she asked.

“They are. I meant painting on our runes” she elaborated and showed Addison her nails.

“Yeah, I believe it. But the detail is impressive and impeccable” she admired.

“Why thank you” Rwylo smiled.

“You did this? Then again I shouldn’t be surprised – you painted the pack’s symbol like that” she emphasized with a snap of her fingers, making him smile wider. “But what’s on my claws now to make them so shiny?”

“A protective sap polish; it prevents chipping. We do some hardcore stuff after all” Row grinned.

“Yeah you do” Addison agreed. “Well, my claws are your canvas. After I do my trial.”

“Addison.” The pack backed up a bit so Willa could kneel down next to her. “You don’t need to take the trial.”

“W-What? What do you mean? Was I asleep too long?” she worryingly asked.

“Surprisingly no. The sun rose not too long along, but that’s beside the point. Don’t you remember what I said about what you needed to be in order for us to reveal our secrets?” she asked.

“You said I needed to pass the alpha trials” she reminded.

“That’s doing. I asked what you had to be” she corrected. It took a minute but everyone grinned when the realization dawned on her.

“…Or become a werewolf” she whispered.

“That’s riiiight” Willa smiled.

“Congrats mate! You’re one of us!” Willie happily declared.

“W-Wai”

“Alright Addison!” Wynter cheered.

“H-Hol”

“Now I can teach you all of great great grandpops recipes! Maybe you’ll even end up enhancing them a bit, I know you got a nose for cooking” Row added.

“Ju-just”

“…Aw wolf, that means no bets” Wen muttered, earning a slap on the back of his head from his brother.

“H-Huh?”

“So what do you say Addison? Are you ready for a gentle victory wolf pile?” Wyatt smiled, but all of a sudden her moonstone started to glow.

“STOP!!”

Her bark reverberated throughout the room and everyone quickly backed up.

The pups hid behind some of the teens when they saw her teeth bared and blazing lavender eyes. This was the first time they had seen her so irritated, and over what should’ve been considered a joyous occasion. Needless to say they didn’t know how to proceed.

Thankfully they didn’t have to.

Addison closed her eyes and shook her head a bit. “Grrugghh…” she moaned as she rubbed her forehead. She slowly reopened them and they were back to her natural shade of cerulean blue. She looked up to see the nervous, almost submissive, countenances of the pack; although Willa looked more surprised if anything. Before she could utter a single word, the alpha slowly approached her and said, “Don’t apologize Addison.”

“But…but I barked at you” she remorsefully whined.

“So? We’re wolves. Wolves bark. We’re the ones who’re sorry – we got too close and overwhelmed you. All you did was “nip” at us to give you some space; it’s perfectly natural” she assured.

Wylie came around Wyatt’s leg and said, “S-Sorry Addy” and the rest of the pups whined their apologies too.

“It’s okay. I…I guess I was feeling a little overwhelmed with everything. Even so, this is without a doubt the best day of my life! I finally know what I am and I couldn’t be happier to be a part of this community. But…that’s just it. I’m not. Not yet anyway. Not until I pass those trials” she insisted.

“But Addison, you’re a werewolf now. You get to learn about us and how to be one of us” Wyatt responded.

“…You’re right. And I don’t want you to think that I’m ungrateful. It’s just…at least for me…that sounds like someone who’s an observer. I don’t want that, then I’d really be an anthropologist” she expressed.

“A what?” Wynter asked.

“Anthropologist. Someone who studies human societies, cultures and their development. Or in this case werewolf society. But I don’t want to study you guys. Yes I want to learn, I really do! But…I also want to be one of you. I mean I am, obviously I am. How I don’t know, but that’s beside the point. What I’m trying to say is…I want to be a part of this pack not just because I am a wolf, but because I’m a Nanukilik wolf. And the trials help you determine that” she explained.

“…Now I understand” Willa spoke. “You want these trials to be implemented the same way our ancestors conducted them, is that right?”

“Yes! Yes, that’s right” she nodded. “Plus, I initiated these trials while I was human. You said yourself that wolves are all or nothing, which meant that you were challenging all of my capabilities, regardless of what I was, in a werewolf capacity. And since those parameters were officially set, nothing can change them – not even a transformation.”

“Hmmmm…that is a good point. And as alpha it is my duty and responsibility to not only implement the rules of our pack with a discerning eye, but heed them as well. We all do.”

The rest of the wolves murmured amongst themselves, coming to terms with her well-reasoned argument. But for Wyatt this felt like a devastating gut punch; he did not like where this was going at all.

“However, I’m not going to send you out there if you’re sore and discombobulated” she asserted.

“I’m not! I swear I'm fine!” she assured and stood up to prove her point. There was no stutter or waver in her stance – she even stretched a bit. “See? All good!” she confirmed…that is before her stomach started growling.

“All good huh?” Willa skeptically repeated while standing up too. “Well…I did promise we’d get you something to eat.”

“And once my belly is full, there’ll be nothing I can’t do” she affirmed.

“…You just won’t quit will you?” she smirked; she could see the stone-set resolve in her eyes. Still, she had to be certain. “Addison, are you absolutely sure about this? The conditions of hunting trial are still the same. If you don’t bring something back before sunset, then your challenge will be over. You won’t be able to interact with our pack nor be in our territory so long as I am alpha” she reminded her.

“Then I’d better get a move on” she confidently smiled, sealing her decision. “But, if I could borrow one of your spears and some rope that’d be great.”

“Of course. Warren, go grab those for her please. And Row, bring her some berries” she commanded.

“Yes alpha” Warren saluted and took off.

“Would you like honey on top?” Row asked.

“Yes please” she politely replied.

“You got it” he and tailed after Warren towards the kitchen.

“Good choice, you’ll need all the energy you can get” Willa acknowledged.

“And it tastes great too!” she replied, garnering a chuckle out of the pack.

“Addison.”

“Hm?”

“I respect your commitment to finishing what you started, despite the odds. Even before your transformation you always had the heart and tenacity of a werewolf” Willa reverently spoke and gently rubbed her head.

“Thank you alpha. That means a lot to me” Addison smiled.

Soon Row and Warren return with the items in hand. Addison ate everything out of the bowl, even licking up the last drop of honey, before washing it down with water. “Thank you Row, they were delicious!”

“I can tell” he grinned and took the clayware.

Wei and Wen helped tie the spear holster and rope to her body. “Thank you Wei and Wen.”

“You go it Addy” Wen replied and gave her a thumbs up. “Anytime” Wei smiled.

“Wow Addy, you look like a rook!” Gnaw complimented and everyone nodded at that.

“Thank you, but what’s a rook?” she asked.

“A guardian – one of the roles of our pack” Wei explained.

“Think of it like this. Our pack is the kingdom and every kingdom needs knights to protect it” Willa elaborated.

“Oh wow” she marveled.

“She looks more like a goddess to me” Wyatt thought as he stared at her completely awestruck. Willa rolled her eyes when she noticed him staring at her with a dumbstruck smile.

“Then you guys are like Swiss army knives – you're able to do a bit of everything” she remarked.

“We all have our strengths Addison, that’s why we work so well together. Now we’re about to see yours. C’mon, let’s go” and everyone follows her out of the den. Once they’re outside, she faces Addison and puts her hands on her shoulders. “Alright white hair, from this point on you’re on your own. Remember what Wyatt taught you and be careful of other predators. Trust your senses and let your wolf instincts lead when necessary. But most importantly, don’t forget what made you you in the first place.”

“Got it!”

“Then…what’re you waiting for? Show us what you can do” she smirked and let her go.

She didn’t need to be told twice and took off - her new speed greatly surprising her. “WOW! I’m waaay faster than what I used to be! And my feet don’t hurt at all – I can barely feel the rocks or twigs! God this awesome!” she happily thought until her ears perked up to the pack’s howls. She was about to turn back thinking Willa forgot to tell her something, instead the sound turned into phonetic sounds before finally morphing into words.

“Good luck Addy!” “Do your best!” “You’ll do great!” “Catch a big fish!” “I’ll cook you up a delicious meal with whatever you catch!” were some of the things she heard and she couldn’t help sporting the biggest smile ever. “This really is the best day of my life!” With added motivation she picked up her pace, speeding through the natural grocery store until she found something to her liking.

“Well, that ought to put a pep in her step” Willa smiled, but it disappeared when she heard an irritated huff. She looked over and saw Wyatt with his arms crossed in front of his chest.

“…Big sister” he growled.

“Baby brother” she simply replied.

“Why did you let her go!? And what’s all this crap about her not being able to come back here if she fails!? I don’t remember that being a condition of the hunting trial!”

The rest of the pack warily looked between them. On the one hand, rules were rules; they were created to keep them safe and secure. On the other hand Addison was practically family, and now she was actually one of them. It just felt all kinds of wrong to kick her out based on a little technicality.

“Then you weren’t paying attention to the elder’s teachings” Willa countered, making him bare his fangs.

“Don’t start with me” he warned.

“Likewise brother” she growled back. “Wyatt, like it or not that’s the rule for outsiders. It’s been that way since ancient times, even more so since the red duel. And anyway, here I thought you thought she was amazing.”

“Of course she is!”

“And we believe she’ll succeed. That’s why we held a bet collection in the first place, right?”

“Well…yeah but-”

“Then that’s that” she concluded.

“Willa” he exasperated.

“Wyatt. You and everyone else saw how I tried to dissuade her from doing this, but she made up her mind. Besides, even if she accepted the bypass entry it would’ve been reluctantly at best. She definitely wouldn’t have been too happy about it” she surmised.

“Why not?! It doesn’t make any sense!” he argued.

“Based on the little I’ve heard, it seemed she had to operate in unconventional ways in order to gain approval; so I’m going to guess that nothing was ever handed to her just because. Despite her argument, what she’s doing is the norm for her” she explained.

“But it’s not like that with us. We could’ve shown her how we operate as a unit and how differences are our biggest strength.”

“That’s just it though. The alpha trials determine if a new wolf can be relied on and contribute to the pack. Being a benefit instead of a detriment.”

“I think she contributed the most when she found our moonstone!” he fired back.

“You know that is completely irrelevant to this challenge! Remember, she wanted this and agreed to it even though she was a human. Besides, the rule stands so long as I’m the alpha. I can’t believe you didn’t catch that” she pointed out.

“Oh…I heard it loud and clear” he snarled. His necklace flared to life and turned his eyes yellow. “Grrrr! You’re supposed to have the discer-”

“I’m going to stop you right there before you say something to really make me mad” she cut him off with her own snarl while poking his chest. “If you had focused on what I said, you would’ve realized that Addison will have multiple chances to join the pack.”

Needless to say that completely blindsided him. “What?! But you said-”

“So long as I am the alpha” she overemphasized the single letter.

“Ooooh! I get it!” Wynter exclaimed and the rest of the teens seemed to catch the hidden meaning of the trial condition; though the pups were still out of the loop.

“Get what?!” he barked.

“Let’s say Willa has to go somewhere with the elders for a few days. That would make you acting alpha until she got back since you're next in line – which means you can enforce your own spin on the trials!” she explained. A round of relieved “ohs” came out of the little ones and all of Wyatt’s agitation instantly disappeared.

“…Oh” he meekly said.

“Loophole baby brother” and she softly knocked against his forehead.

“W-Willa…I’m so sorry I doubted you” he guiltily whined.

But she waved it off and replied, “I’ll let it slide this time. Besides, it’s not your fault. You care about her and that clouded your mind. Plus I expected this kind of reaction – it’s not every day you smell your kinjataak.”

“Willa!” he blushed.

“What? It’s not a secret. Well…to Addison it is” she amended.

“Thank you for that by the way” he gratefully acknowledged.

“Don’t mention it. While I do have to follows the ancient rules, my pack’s happiness and safety always comes first” and everyone happily howled their appreciation for their alpha.

Wyatt went over to her and licked her cheeks. “You’re the best big sis” he expressed.

“Just doing my job baby bro. Now c’mon, let’s put down the bets and catch something nearby. I don’t know what she’ll bring back-”

“It’ll be a fish!” Wen chimed in.

“Heh, so you say, but I doubt it’ll be enough to feed our pack. Pups, you’ll be joining us.”

“For real?!” Wylan asked.

“Why not? Our new pup is out there hunting so we should start your training now too” she reasoned.

“Awesome!” they gleefully exclaimed.

“But Row, I’m going to need you to follow Addison” she ordered.

“What?! Why Row?” Wyatt frowned.

“Because I want someone nearby in case she has a few bumps and bruises when she succeeds. I want her to come back safely, and I know for a fact that you’ll go running to her side if she stubs her toe on a rock. She needs to do this on her own. And like it or not, Row is the quietest one out of all of us and knows how to keep his distance” she rationalized.

“Comes with befriending bees” he commented.

Wyatt let out a resigned growl. “Oh relax, you’ll see her soon enough. And if she’s all sore and dirty maybe you can help her bathe” she recommends, making him blush. “Like I said, enjoy getting to know her and whatever else that comes along, especially since it looks like she’ll be spending a lot more time here now.”

“…I’m okay with that” he concedes.

“Good, now go on Row.”

“Yes alpha! Oh, and put down eight pebbles for my choice please” he requests.

“Will do” Willa assures.

With that he takes off after the white bullet, eager to see what she’s able to take down and hopefully increase his little treasure collection.

Chapter 10: The Hunting Trial

Chapter Text

“Well…that was disappointing” Addison growled.

The annoyed werewolf was sitting on a large flat rock by the edge of a nearby pond. She stuck her feet in the cool water to give them a much needed reprieve from all that running. A few frogs and other water critters came up to investigate the new entity in their territory, but as soon as she wiggled her toes they quickly dispersed.

“I wonder if werewolves eat frogs. **sigh** probably not. I know wolves aren’t picky eaters and Wynter did eat Bree’s homework that one time, but even they have to have limits. I think a slimy frog might be pushing it” she sighed.

Her quest for the rabbit wasn’t as fruitful as she hoped it would be. She actually found it quite easily, but it was so flippin’ tiny that not even Nawnu could get full off of it. So she trudged through the woods – trying to pick up any errant scent. Instead her wandering feet led her to this mini lake surrounded by shrubs and massive sugar pine trees. She looked up at the sky, seeing a few leaves sway with the breeze. “Wonder what time it is. Then again, I probably shouldn’t think about it. I can’t afford to be stressing over every minute. Just…please move as slow as a snail today” she prayed. A couple of splashes from the aquatic life brought her sight back down to the teeming pond. She lazily moved her feet side to side as she tried to figure out her next course of action.

“…What am I going to do now? I can’t just sit here and wait for something to show up, that could take all day! And I know Wyatt said he’d be proud of whatever I catch, but showing up with a dinky little animal isn’t impressive nor my best. Especially now that I am a werewolf.”

Suddenly she was pulled out of her internal dilemma when her ears twitched to an oncoming honking orchestra. Looking up she saw a flock of Canadian geese fly overhead in a V formation – although one of them was lagging behind. “I should’ve asked to borrow a bow and some arrows instead. Pfft, who am I kidding? I’m not some red-headed, Scottish prodigy in archery. I’d be lucky if I didn’t poke my eye out trying to nock an arrow. **sigh** I wish I could be up there in the sky, then I could see every…wait…THAT’S IT!”

Addison snatched her feet out of the water like they had been burnt and shook them dry; the hasty action inadvertently created a mini tsunami that pushed a few frogs out onto the shore. She carefully stepped over them and approached one of the natural pillars. “Okay…just pretend you’re Row and go slow and steady like he did. It’ll be a piece of cake – I’ve done flips scarier than this. I got this!”

She took a deep breath and shook out her limbs to steel her nerves. With a mighty vertical jump that would’ve put a wide receiver in the NFL combine to shame, she latched onto the tree’s rough bark with her claws.

“Don’t look down. Don’t slip. Don’t look down. Don’t slip” was her mantra with every upward movement. All the while her moonstone was subtly glowing – providing her with the energy she needed to accomplish this feat. “…I should’ve worn my shirt” she thought as some of the pine needles brushed against her skin; they didn’t cut her, but they were becoming an itchy annoyance for sure.

“Just one last…branch” and she grabbed it with an iron vice grip. She pulled herself up and stood on a pair branches beneath it. “I…I did it? I did it! I flippin’ did it!” and she let out a little victory howl. But her howl morphed into a stupefied “Whooooa” when she saw the expansive landscape. Forest photos in any geographic magazine didn’t do this scenery any justice. It was just like what she saw back at the den’s observation deck, but on a much larger scale. A range of frosted tipped mountains, multitudes of shimmering sapphire lakes and colorful plants painting the rolling slopes.

“Whoa! I ran all the way from there?!” she disbelievingly noticed when she saw her new home off in the distance. “Heh, they’re gonna start calling me Sonic instead of white hair. Okay, gotta focus. Let’s see…” and she scanned the area with her enhanced eyesight. “Hmmm…AHA!” she exclaimed when she spotted what she was looking for.

Due north west was a large field of grass. “And grass means food for animals. Hopefully bigger ones.” With the direction locked in her internal compass, she carefully climbed back down. “Yeah! Just like watching cheer formations from the bleachers” she grinned before sprinting off.

“Guess she won’t have to ride on my back anymore” her concealed observer grinned. He got a quick drink from the pond and took off after her.

Blurs of browns and greens whizzed by as she ran across the untamed land, not even feeling fatigued in the slightest. The only thing that coursed through her was unbridled euphoria – reconnecting with a primal side that had been dormant and concealed for so long. She couldn’t help but merrily yip every now and then as she bobbed and weaved through the natural obstacles. But everything came into focus when she was forced to stop. Right in front of her was a massive gorge that seemed to stretch on for miles in both directions. She peered over the edge and saw a rushing river at the bottom of it.

“**gulp**…That’s a long way down.” She quickly backed up as a few small rocks crumbled from the edge and dropped into the rapids. She looked around to see if there were any sturdy trees that she could climb to get a better view, but all of them were more or less fledglings that couldn’t support her weight. The only thing nearby by was a rocky precipice that looked more like a diving board into the roaring waters below.

“Great, now what?” she thought. She considering running the length of it to see if there was an easier crossing point, but that could take a while – even with her speed. And heaven forbid it got wider, making her have to turn around and double back.

“Jump.”

“H-Huh?” and she looked around; she could’ve sworn she heard someone’s voice just now. And if she did, they were crazy for even suggesting that she could jump across this chasm. If she had to guestimate, it’d be like jumping from one side of her neighborhood to the other. But unlike a nicely paved road, this surface was uneven, crumbly and slippery. One wrong move and she’d be swept away.

“Pup can do it. Tougher and stronger” and she gasped. “I recognize that voice! I guess it wasn’t a dream after all. Hmm…I wonder if that’s the “wolf instinct” Willa talked about” she thought.

Regardless if it was her new instincts or her own mind trying to hype herself up, her resolve was set. Her eyes turned lavender and she ran away from the edge. Feeling that she ran far enough, she circled around and sprinted with all her might back towards the gorge. She ran up to the edge of diving precipice and jumped.

At that point everything felt like it was moving in slow motion – her arms were moving like windmills, her legs were acting like they were riding an invisible bicycle, her snow white hair swishing in the air, her conquering bark coming out in drawn out syllables.

In reality she cleared the chasm in a matter of seconds, rolling onto all fours well beyond the edge. Her eyes returned to their normal cerulean color as she started panting, more so out of having the adrenaline wear off. She looked around to make sure that she actually did it. Once she realized she was safe, the biggest grin came upon her face. “Alright! Yeah!” she cheered and hopped up and down for a minute before running again.

“…” Her silent watcher peered over the edge with a contemplative look. “Hmmm…nope” he decided before taking off to the right where the pack would normally cross Piyomat gorge.

“Oh wow! I wonder if anyone from the pack has been here” Addison thought as she traversed the soft moss and brown pine needle covered ground. She slowed her pace down to a brisk trot to take in the arboreal surroundings. Strange yet fantastical mushroom-like lichen covered dozens of trees. Their multicolored surfaces shined beautifully in the sunlight spilling through the semi-porous canopy. But she was taken out of her awestruck trance when an absolutely rancid smell entered her nostrils.

“OH GOD! What the heck is that!?” she thought as she covered her nose with her hand. “Uggghh…I’ll never go hunting without wearing a shirt ever again!” and gagged, spitting up some saliva at the noxious stench. “Is this how strong wolves’ noses are?! Blehuugh! This is definitely going to take some getting used to.”

Just as she was about to turn the other way the mysterious voice whispered, “Follow.”

“Follow?!” she incredulously repeated, until her brain started rationalizing the command. “Then again, I haven’t seen a single track. If that is some kind of animal, then it might lead me to more of them. …It better not be a skunk” she grimaced. She could already imagine Willa teasing her for days on end if she got sprayed by one. “Won’t know until we see” she decided and ran towards the direction of the putrid aroma.

Luckily she quickly found the source of the nasty fumes. Thankfully it wasn’t a skunk, but the smell could definitely give it a run for its money. A single ray of glory light illuminated what she had been searching for; she could almost picture hearing some deep, ancient voices saying “We’ve been waiting on you.”

Right in front of her was a big ol’ disgusting pile of excrement. The amount of flies buzzing around it signaled how fresh it was. It was like a whole buffet had been delivered to them, plus free refills on drinks. The size of scat itself was no bigger than a marble; there were just a lot of them.

“What kind of animal made that!? And how can something so small stink so badly?!” she thought. She got as close as her nose could stomach and noticed there were some large hoof prints in the ground going in the same direction where the grass plain was. This time there weren’t any verbal instructions – she could feel her instincts take over. She was close and she wouldn’t let this opportunity slip away – no matter what was on the other end of this bygone trial.

Her moonstone glowed, shifting her eyes back to the lavender hue. She got on all fours and took off – keeping her nose low in case the tracks went off in a different direction. Suddenly she came to an abrupt halt when her ears picked up on something. It was a scrapping sound – like someone was trying to chop wood. The scent of her target permeated the area, so she couldn’t fathom another person being out here. Still, she had to be careful. One misstep could alert her prey and she didn’t have the time for a game of chase. “Time for another aerial view” she thought and started climbing a nearby tree.

Once she was halfway up she saw it – the lush meadow. It just beyond a few rows of trees, and she saw that one of them was moving. Thankfully most of the trees were close enough in proximity to where she could just walk along their branches. “Hopefully whatever I’m tracking will think I’m just a bird” she thought as she took the high road.

She finally reached the shaking tree and looked down; needless to say she was stunned by what she saw. Addison couldn’t help but internally chuckle. “Hallelujah” she thought.

Right below her was a young moose; it couldn’t have been more than a year old but it was still massive. There were a pair of little velvet-covered nubs on top of its head, indicating it was a male. It was standing up on its hind legs to reach the supple green leaves of the birch tree. It was alone and completely distracted – a perfect target.

Addison started to reach for her spear, but somehow she could feel the entity within her shake its head "no". “Ultimate weapon” she heard it say.

“Just like Wyatt said” she thought and looked down at her new claws. She clenched her hands a few times, somehow feeling the power within them. A small smile crossed lips and nodded at the voice’s description.

However she nearly slipped out of the tree when a loud **SNAP** startled her; it did make a few nearby birds fly away. She looked down and saw that the moose had torn off a rather large branch and brought it down to the floor. Now its vision was towards the ground as it kept on munching away; this was her chance! She slid the spear out of the holster and carefully set in the crook of a few branches; nothing was going to slow her down. Thanks to her incredible balance she was able to ease her way onto the tree it was eating from; now she was directly over her still oblivious target. Her necklace glowed again, filling every fiber of her being with its powering essence. Like a silent assassin she leapt out of the tree and landed square on the moose’s back.

“BRRAAUHHHH” it painfully brayed. It desperately tried to buck her off, but Addison’s claws were deeply embedded into its flesh – she could even feel the warm liquid coating her nails. Time was running out though, she couldn’t ride this thing forever – it even ran up against the side of a tree to try and knock her off. However in doing so it caused its legs to buckle a bit, making it take a few seconds to steady itself. It was just the opportunity she needed. She took her claws out of its back and dug them into its neck, just below the base of its skull. It brayed again and reared up on its hind legs, flailing about. Addison’s moonstone shone with an intense light and she felt her muscles overflow with even more potent power. With her newfound strength she jumped off its back, swung to the left side of its body, and used the moose’s neck like a gymnast’s bar. Only she made sure that it wasn’t sturdy.

**CRAAACK**

She let go midway in the air as if she were jumping off of a swing, and rolled onto the floor while her prey fell. She got up quickly and bared her fangs – expecting a last ditch desperate struggle. But there wasn’t one. She cautiously went over and sniffed it. No pulse.

Its wood brown eyes were glazed over and she saw the damage her agile feat did; there was no coming back from a twisted spine, especially in the cervical area.

“…I did it? I did it! I really did it!” She had to resist the nearly overwhelming urge to howl her accomplishment, but she did do a couple of jumping twirls. As her exuberance died down, Addison’s irises shifted back to their standard cerulean color. However…when she stared at her catch again, something inside of her changed.

Her countenance morphed into a contemplative, conflicting one. Despite seeing Wynter and Wyatt hunt first hand and experiencing her own joy just a few seconds ago, only now did she realize that their survival came at the cost of another life. “**sigh**…Definitely easier to eat meat when it’s all nicely packaged. I wonder if the pack felt like this after their first catch. Or maybe it’s just me.” She crouched down next to it and ran her hands through its black/brown fur – feeling the lingering warmth. She closed her eyes and let out a long whine, coming to terms to what she did. Ultimately it was a necessity. She didn’t kill for pleasure nor power. She wasn’t a murderer, she was a provider – a respecter of the environment that had so graciously accepted her. “Moose, thank you the fur that will keep my pack warm. Thank you for your flesh and bones that will nourish them. Thank you for your life so that my family can continue to live” she honored the slain beast.

Now another long exhale exited her mouth when she realized a major conundrum with her catch.

Carrying it.

“Oooh man…this is going to be one heck of a leg work out” she thought as she nervously scratched the back of her head.

“Pup stronger. Pup tougher” the voice assured, garnering a smile out of her. “You know what? You’re right! Okay, let’s do this!” she affirmed. Her moonstone responded to her declaration and charged her body right back up – switching her eyes from blue back to lavender.

She effortlessly scaled the tree and retrieved her spear. After climbing back down, she undid the rope across her body and tied up the moose’s lanky legs to the weapon – creating a very crude plow-like mechanism. But when she set the spear handle against her stomach to push it, it almost snapped in two. “So much for that” she frustratingly growled. She thought for a moment until a crazy yet simple solution enters her mind. “Well I’m not about to give up now. I’ve come way too far” she thought and rolled her shoulders up and back to warm them up.

She undid the knots around her spear and slung it back in the holster, but still kept the moose’s legs tied. In a bold move, she bent down and slipped her head through the circular opening its upper lanky legs created. With a hefty grunt, her moonstone lit up like a shooting star and she lifted the upper half of its body. She wavered a bit due to the weight, but she managed to jump a little in place in order to reposition the body so its head was dangling over her shoulder.

“Okay Addison…you got this. Just put one foot in front of the other, and soon I'll be walking 'cross the floor” she told herself and slowly took a single a step. Soon her steps increased in stride and speed. “Yeah! There we go, there we go!” she cheered as she started making some head way, leaving behind the plain that blessed her with this bountiful meal.

“She is truly a noble and amazing wolf. Way to go Addison!” her lone witness internally praised. Not only did he witness his earlier predicted miracle manifest itself, there were about to be a lot of pebbles added to his collection. The only obstacle now was time. He looked up at the sky to gauge the position of the sun. “Good, it’s barely mid-morning. If she keeps this up, she’ll back just in time” he thought. He checked the surrounding area to make sure nothing dangerous was around before he started tailing her again, praying with all his might that she wouldn’t suffer any legs injuries along the way due to overexertion or an uneven path.

“OKAY! BREAK!” she yelled and her moonstone agreed with her exhausted sentiment. As soon as she got from up under her catch and took out her spear, she all but collapsed on the cool ground and the light in her necklace instantly went out. It took her about three hours of steady walking to make it back to the gorge.

“Oh my Gooood….holy flippin’ shuck n’ jive! How can something get so heavy just by eating plants!?” she exasperated – her chest rising and falling with every deep breath. Her legs felt like boulders, both in weight and to the touch. Searing pain spread throughout all of her joints; each vertebrae in her spine felt like they were unfolding and sliding back into their original places. Thankfully a cool breeze brought some mist up from the river – helping cool her hot body.

As she laid there enjoying the natural air conditioner, another issue entered mind. “Crap! How in the world am I going to get this moose across the gorge?!” she realized. There was no way she could pick it up and throw it over. Her best bet would be to find a way around it. But…which way should she go? She knew that while time was still on her side, it wouldn’t be that way for long.

Just as she was about to eenie meanie miney moe, a familiar smell entered her nose. She turned her head and looked over to her right. “I must be delirious…I can smell the pack” she tiredly thought, especially since it was so faint compared to the scent of the moose and the surrounding area. And why could she smell it now and not earlier when she jumped over the massive gap? Not that she’d change it; it was still an incredible feat that she couldn’t wait to tell them about. Then again, she was only focused on what was in front of her at the time. Plus her senses have been completely on point thus far, why wouldn’t they still keep working? “Guess I’m going that way…after a quick nap” and she closed her eyes, letting her mind drift away.

About half an hour passes by before she starts to stir. Her eyes flutter open and she lets out a long yawn through her fanged mouth. “Grrrrmmmmm” she murmured, feeling a tinge of soreness as she stretched out her limbs. She used her spear like a cane to help her stand up and did some full body stretches. Now that she was all limbered up, she sheathed her weapon and slung the carcass over her shoulder – stumbling just a bit until she got her balance. “Alright, let roll!” she declared and the flame within her moonstone reignited.

Turns out she wasn’t delirious after all. The further she walked along the gorge, the stronger the scent of the pack got. More specifically Row’s scent – there was no mistaking the aroma of Rufus apples. Though it was a bit odd…especially since the scents of all the other wolves were so stale. It was like he just walked through here. But she’d ponder that later; at least she knew they’d travel along this trail.

Soon she saw why.

Up ahead the two sides converged to create an easier crossing point; now all she had to do was take a large step to get across. Not to mention there was a waterfall pouring from up above, creating the rapids below.

“Oh thank God!” she happily shouted and got up from under the moose. She went over to the natural water faucet and cupped her hands underneath it. She’d worry about the possible ramifications of drinking unfiltered water with bloody hands later – right now it was a soothing relief for her parched throat. After she drank her fill, she rubbed some of the water on her body to wipe away the grime and give her a nice coat of moisture to keep her cool. “C’mon big guy, let’s get you home” and she put the moose back on her back.

Now for the moment of truth. While it was still only a rather big step, she still had to drag the body across a slick surface. One little slip is all it would take for her to end up being washed away. She took a deep breath to quell her nervousness; lavender covered blue once again. Using every single muscle fiber in her legs she propelled herself forward. “HRRRRRRNNNNNGHHHH!” she grunted and kept on taking lunging steps until the moose’s entire body was safely on the other side.

“Y…Y-Yeah!” she tiredly fist pumped. She took a couple minutes to catch her breath before continuing her trek – using her family’s scent to guide her down the well-traveled trail.

After walking along the gorge for a bit, she finally arrived at the rocky path that led her to it in the first place. It was lined with the same white ash birch trees that were near the emergency exit. Interspersed among the rocks and trees were a plethora of shrubs and other vegetation that fed on the sunlight filtering through the porous, leafy canopy. “I bet this place it absolutely gorgeous during the fall” she smiled as she watched the branches sway with the welcomed breeze.

Even along the natural gravel path her feet still didn’t hurt all that much; she even picked out a little pebble to kick around to keep her mind occupied with something other than sagging weight on her back. But she kicked it a little too hard and it ended up sailing right between two trees. “Goooal” she chuckled to herself and kept on walking.

That is until her ears picked up on something rustling nearby - making her stop in her tracks. She closed her eyes and tried to focus on where exactly the sound was coming from. Soon a strange scent permeated the area. Addison’s heartbeat started to accelerate; it felt like she was the one being watched…like she was the prey. Thankfully her stalker was inept at keeping quiet for a loud, hissing growl rang out. She immediately pinpointed the direction of the battle cry and fell to floor just as a large furry body sailed over her – skidding to a stop on the other side of the path. Addison quickly wriggled from up underneath the carcass and stood up to see what tried to attack her. Her onlooker peered around his hiding spot to see what had the audacity to attack a werewolf. But both of them couldn’t believe their widened eyes.

“COUGAR!!” they concurrently thought.

It was a known fact that cougars inhabited the forest too – it was just hard to know their exact territorial boundaries. Not to mention they were typically nocturnal or crepuscular hunters; they were Willa’s main concern whenever she went on patrol. “What the heck is this cat doing here!? It wasn’t here before. They don’t even come to this part of the forest!” he tried to figure out until a horrible realization entered his mind. “Ooooh crap! It probably woke up from the sound of Addison dragging her catch across the gravel path! Xiktz!” he swore in his native tongue. Row was sweating bullets; he’d never seen a cougar try to attack a werewolf. Sometimes they’d be wandering around close by, but they always had enough sense to leave; the pack managed to leave quite the dangerous impression on the local fauna, even without being at full power. But to see a lone wolf carrying a moose almost double her size – no predator would dare pass up that opportunity. A massive gulp slid down his throat as he nervously watched the intense stare down.

The big cat paced back and forth, letting out a low growl. Addison defiantly glared at the feline and responded with her own snarl. At this point her instincts had completely taken over; even the challenger paused for a moment when it saw her intimating posture. Her white fur stood on end – looking like thin cactus needles. All of her muscles swelled up due to the adrenaline and extra nutrients flowing through her bloodstream. Even her lavender eyes looked like they were shining with an unbridled fire. Nonetheless it snapped out of it and glanced at the potential meal on the floor. Addison saw its shifty eye movement and stepped in front of it – obscuring its view and asserting her dominance. She barked at it and unsheathed her spear; there was no flippin’ way she was about let some pussycat come in and steal her hard-earned catch.

“She…she’s going to fight it!? What is she thinking!? Xiktz! What do I do, what do I do, what do I do!? I know Willa said she had to do this on her own, but this is nuts!” Row thought. In this instance he felt like his great great granny; watching to see how things would play out and only able to intercede when absolutely necessary. “Please don’t be like the bears, please don’t be like the bears, pleeeease don’t be like the bears!” he prayed.

Addison carefully watched its movements as it started to circle around her. Seeing how fighting with a massive trip hazard could prove detrimental, she went against conventional wisdom and gradually approached the cougar. It hissed at her but she growled back; she tightened her grip on the spear and started thrusting at it. The action, however crazy, worked and it started backing up.

“C’mon…c’mon, leave already darn it!” Row whispered; it seemed to have heeded the hushed command because it suddenly turned tail and ran down the path. “Oh thank god” he sighed in relief, but it was short lived. He noticed that Addison didn’t relax one bit – if anything she seemed to be bracing herself for an oncoming pounce. Good thing she did because a spine chilling roar echoed throughout the area and that determined cougar came barreling back at full speed!

She hoisted her spear above her shoulder and threw it at the cat with incredible precision. It dodged a hair too late and it managed to slash its left hind leg before landing on the ground. “RMROW!” it yowled as blood seeped from its gash, but it still came at her undeterred. It did a quick pivot on its right hind leg and leapt towards her with its left paw raised and claws unsheathed. Addison anticipated it being pretty agile, but it was like going against a supped-up Wyatt; she barely sidestepped it in time to dodge the onslaught.

Or so she thought.

The cougar cleverly used its right paw to initiate an equivalent of a side hook that she noticed a hair too late. She was able to contort her body a bit, but it still gashed the side of her abdomen and nearly sliced through the holster. “GAAAHHHHHHHH!” she screamed and it quickly hid in the foliage just before she could land a retaliatory swipe. She staggered for a moment but immediately regained her balance. She looked around the area and had her ears tuned to any possible noise, but it was deathly quiet. It was still around though; the scent indicated that much. It was most likely inspecting the gash it received and debating whether or not to continue the fight. She took the opportunity to look down at her own wound and couldn’t help but gasp at the sight. There were three clean claw marks about a centimeter deep - slowly oozing out blood. Thankfully no intestines or other organs were spilling out, but they stung like hell. She let out a pained whine and fell to one knee – instinctively applying pressure to her abdomen by using her hand.

“THAT’S IT!” Row internally snarled as his own necklace flared to life; he was about to tear a new one into that damn cat if it decided to show its face again. But just as he was about to take a single step, Addison let out a near deafening bark. She squeezed her eyes shut and her moonstone shined as blindingly bright just like it did back at the den. “Wh-what’s going on?!” he thought as he shielded his eyes.

All the while one thought kept running through Addison’s mind…but it wasn’t her thought. “Must protect pup!”

Pops and cracks were heard within the light; Addison’s entire musculature expanded exponentially, nearly tripling in size. Her spine wriggled and stretched before making the sacral bone protrude just above the waist band of her pants. It continued to elongate until it reached its desired length. The palms of her hands and soles of her feet morphed and swelled, creating rough yet extremely durable black paw pads – complimenting radiantly with her longer digits. “GRAHH! AAAAAHHHHH!” she yelled as the muscles and bone around her face and neck twitched and snapped, growing just like her spine. Her jaw felt like it was going to unhinge, but it kept on pushing forward until it created the tubular shape it desired. It was adorned with a few hair-like sensory additions near her now black, wet nose. All the while her skin was the soil to new follicle growth.

Soon the light faded away. Row uncovered his eyes once the harsh glare disappeared; the bottom of his jaw could’ve hit the floor with how hard he gasped when he saw the figure in front of him – covered in fur as white as freshly fallen snow. “…I can’t believe my flippin’ eyes. She…She transformed in a lycanthrope!” he quietly gawked. But the fact remained that she still smelled like blood, and now she was on both knees with her forearms on the ground...un-moving.

Unfortunately the other observer noticed that too.

Row was suddenly taken out of his stunned stupor when he heard a string of short growls and rapid rustling. “NO!” he thought when a flash of reddish brown fur sped towards her – aiming to spill more red from Addison’s body.

It wouldn’t get the chance.

She fell into a low wide plank position and the cougar sailed right over her again. “GROAWR!” it roared before resuming its slow stalking stride. However it froze in its tracks when the newly transformed wolf stood up, almost shadowing it in her impressive and threatening stature. Even Row was taken aback by how much taller she had gotten. She wasn’t a pipsqueak by any means, but her head only came up to just above his elbow when she was a human. Now she looked like she was at least two meters tall! And with her furry, chiseled physique she looked absolutely unstoppable. Addison finally opened her eyes to see the combative cat defiantly hissing at her. She leered at it with her now heterochromatic blue and gold eyes and let out her own deep, menacing bark.

“GRRAH ROWARR ROARR!” the cougar belted out and did a little quick step before lunging at her again - eager to leave a deeper, permanent impression.

Addison quickly widened her stance; once it was in her vicinity she grabbed its outstretched paw, digging her own claws into it.

“RAWORRRR!” it yelled. Using its momentum as centripetal force, she started spinning it around. “GUYAAAH!” she yelped when it used its other paw to dig into the top of her forearm with its retractable claws, trying to make her let go. And it got its wish. With a mighty “GRRAAHHHH!” she threw the cougar hard like an Olympic discus thrower. It did manage to get a last little parting shot when its claws were ripped out of her skin, making her scream. But it was nothing compared to the sickening **CRACK** from being thrown right into a tree, and the resounding **THUD** when it fell to the ground. Chunks of white bark and dried leaves covered its still body.

Row was absolutely floored; his eyes could’ve popped out of their sockets by what he just saw. But he didn’t dare relax until she did.

Addison kept growling at it; its chest was still rising and falling, signaling it was alive. To everyone’s shock the cougar actually got up, albeit on very wobbly legs. It slowly lifted its head – blinking its golden eyes and dilated pupils until they made contact with her menacing glare.

“GRRAAAAOOOOWWWLLLLL” she snarled, issuing one final warning and giving it the chance to leave in one piece. She got her answer when it slicked its ears back and bared its fangs – releasing a loud, uncompromising hiss. It crouched down low and lunged towards her – aiming for her chest. But her last attack did a massive amount of damage because it moved much slower than before, and she was able to easily sidestep it.

Once again everything appeared to be moving in slow motion as the cat sailed past her. She interlocked her fingers together to create a giant fist, raised’em up and brought’em down like a sledge hammer onto its upper back - driving it into the ground.

“GRRROOOOA-GURK!” it tried to yell out, but was cut off when she dug her right hand underneath its mandible. With a devastating twist a second **CRACK** was heard – only this time there would be no getting up from that.

Addison removed her claws from its flesh, shaking off the new coating of blood-red polish. In this instance she closed her eyes and ignored Wyatt’s warning about howling, belting out a powerful declaration to anyone nearby not to mess with her; Row even gulped and submissively crouched down at the ferocity of her howl. As her howl got fainter, she took in a deep inhale and tiredly exhaled. When she opened her eyes, her normal cerulean hue had returned and saw the dead cougar in front of her. “Did…Did I just do that? I beat a cougar…HOLY FLIPPIN’ GOD I BEAT A COUGAR!???” she disbelieving thought until that familiar presence entered her mind again; it felt like it was proudly acknowledging what they accomplished together while utterly satisfied that she was safe. “…You can’t be just “wolf instincts”. Well whatever you are…thank you so much. For everything. There’s no way I could’ve done this without you” she gratefully smiled.

She could feel the “wolf” nod back. “Help each other. Strong together. We are one.”

“We are one” Addison quietly repeated until her throbbing injuries brought her back to the present. She lifted her arm up and was shocked by everything she saw. “BLOOD?! FUR?! TALLER!? PAW PADS?!” Even though it hurt to do so because of her injuries, she quickly turned her head around and saw her beautiful flowing “TAIL!!!???” It was a dark royal blue on top and it blended in splendidly with the white on the bottom; the dark blue coloring also appeared on her upper back, shoulders, elbows and calves – where she first sprouted fur.

It was A LOT to take in, but at least her frazzled mind was coherent enough to inspect her wounds. The gashes on her arm were jagged and a lot deeper than the ones on her torso; that repeated raking motion from its retractable claws and its last little parting shot did a lot more damage than she realized. Thankfully blood wasn’t gushing out despite how awful it looked. She instinctively started licking it – surprisingly it was very soothing. Then she undid the spear holster and the drawstring of her sweatpants – gingerly sliding the articles off; somehow both garments managed to accommodate all of her fluffy, muscular girth. It was a little tricky given that she only had one good arm to work with. Not to mention the painful abdomen cuts hindering her movements.

“I’m glad I decided to go commando after all” she thought. Willa wasn’t too far off with her deduction when it came to being comfortable with the pack, but she would do it at her own pace. “Thank God I’m covered in fur. Nothing’s showing.”

She took out the drawstring and tore her pants in half. She used the string to wrap one half around her arm while she stuck the other half to the cuts on her obliques; she put the spear holster back on and tightened as much as she could tolerate so it would stay in place. Satisfied with the temporary first-aid job, she looked back at her kills. “I know they’re not going to expect this…I just hope I can carry them home” she thought before walking down the path to retrieve her spear.

She undid the rest of the rope that was around the weapon and sheathed it back in the holster. With the items in hand, she walked back over to the dead animals; the cougar’s glazed over eyes captured her attention. Addison could feel the “wolf’s” ire towards the slain cat, but she was more confused than anything. Even if she was a walking dinner plate, then again any animal was for that matter, why didn’t it quit after it got thrown against a tree? Or even when its leg got cut by the spear? When she picked it up by the scruff of its neck, she gasped and immediately understood why. It was substantially lighter compared to the moose, even with her new lycanthrope strength. It was that hungry…that desperate enough to keep fighting until the very last breath.

In that moment, the respect and admiration she had for the werewolves increased one hundred fold. The Amartiwok Woods were truly gorgeous, but it was still a harsh environment – you had to be beyond tough to thrive in a place like this. No wonder the pack’s ancestors devised these trials. It was conducive to have those you can trust and rely on no matter what.

“…I’m sorry you had it hard. But thank you for the fur that will keep my pack warm. Thank you for your flesh and bones that will nourish them. Thank you for your life so that my family can continue to live” she whispered and dragged it over to where the moose was. After some careful maneuvering and adjustments, she tied the cougar on top of the moose’s back. She slipped her head through its lanky legs again and slowly stood up. Thanks to her increased height the bottom half of the moose didn’t touch the ground – just the tail of the cougar. They were still super heavy and having cuts certainly didn’t help, but at least it felt like she was carrying a backpack instead of lugging around dead weight – no pun intended.

“Alright, I still have a trial to finish and I’m not going to give up now!” Her moonstone heeded her decree and her irises changed to the lavender hue. But once they did, her sharpened sense of smell surprisingly picked up the scent of Rufus apples again. She sniffed the air until her gaze locked onto a cluster trees in the distance. She contemplatively hummed for a moment but decided to disregard it – so long as it wasn’t another cougar it was all good. “Okay, just like before. Five…six…seven…eight!” and she got to steppin’, finding it a lot easier to do this time around.

“…She killed a cougar. She KILLED a flippin’ cougar! I can’t believe I just saw her take down a big, ol’ fully grown cougar! And now she’s walking back like its nothing! Just like an rook! Or even analpha.Oh wolf…she’s gonna need medical attention when she gets back. Do I go back and let the rest of the pack know? No…I need to stay by her just in case. She can’t fail…she won’t fail! I’ll carry her on my back if I have to! There has to be some loophole for that, there’s no way Willa can deny her after what she’s done! Oh please don’t let anything else happen. Pleeease don’t let anything else happen” he prayed and followed after her.

Meanwhile…

A raucous medley of various electronic devices rang across the plain as the pups played with some of the toys that were contained within that gaudy cheer bag. Their laughter being the perfect compliment. Wylan and Wylie raced RC trucks, Wanda and Kraw engaged in robotic battles, and Trew, Gnaw and Nawnu played with a hovering UFO that responded to motion – it was almost like a self-moving Frisbee. That is until it got stuck in a tree branch.

“I’ll get” Warren volunteered and hopped up and got it out.

“Thank you Warren” Trew gratefully expressed.

He smiled and nodded before rejoining the rest of the lounging teens – resuming his colorful cube puzzle. Though one wolf refused to enjoy the tranquil setting, instead keeping his ears tuned for a very particular sound.

“Wyatt!” Wynter called out.

The aforementioned wolf looked over to see her lying on the grass with her eyes closed and the back of her head resting comfortably on his sister’s stomach. “Relax” she advised.

“Yeah brother, your worrying is giving me a headache” Willa added while gently running her claws through her friend’s hair – getting a few involuntary yet content foot taps out of her.

“Hmph, well excuse me for being concerned. You can move y’know” he frowned.

“Hmmm…no thanks” she replied.

“Yeah, the sun’s perfect right here” Wynter added.

“Besides, we already talked about this so I don’t know why you’re freaking out so much. Scratch that, I do know why but it still doesn’t make sense either way” Willa quirked an eyebrow up at him.

“I know, I know. It’s just that it’s almost sunset-”

“Right. Almost” she cut him off. “Until the sky turns black, she still has time to pass her trial. And in case you forgot, Row is out there keeping an eye on her.”

“I hope they get back soon though. He’s going to have to put his cooking skills to work to stretch what we caught” Wynter pointed out.

“…True, but I didn’t really expect a big haul. I was surprised we actually found three rabbits so close by. And the pups did great for their first time out in the field. Once their endurance builds up, they’ll be excellent hunters” Willa appraised and they hummed at that.

“Still…what if we can’t hear her all the way out here?” he worriedly expressed.

At this Willa turned her head to look at him. “Seriously?” she deadpanned. “In the midst of Rwylo and Willow whittling away on their wood art, Willie playing his flute, and all these toys I can still make out a sparrow chirping waaayyy over there” she pointed to a far away tree. “If I can hear that, I know you can hear her howl when she does.”

“**sigh** But now it won’t be fun anymore” Wynter frowned.

“Huh? Why would it be fun in the first place?” Wyatt asked.

“Now she’ll know what she’s saying to us” she explained.

“Heh, true. Some of the crazy stuff she said was pretty funny, and cute at the same time. At least she won’t be a swear wolf anymore” Willa grinned.

“Got it!” and everyone looked at Warren as he proudly held up his color coordinating cube.

“Way to go Warren!” Wynter beamed.

“Yeah, you were working on that for a while. Good job” Willa smiled and the pups gave their cheers.

“Thank you” he smiled.

“So are you going to tackle that pyramid next?” Wyatt asked and he nodded his head. “Then keep it rollin’ big guy” he praised and Warren let out a happy yip.

All of a sudden their mirth increased ten-fold when everyone’s ears perked up to a howl.

“Addy’s back!” Wylie exclaimed.

“Sounds like Warren’s not the only who got it” Willa grinned. “And you were worried over nothing” she ribbed her brother.

Wyatt took the shot in stride - nothing could wipe the proud smile off his face. “That’s my pupil!” he happily declared.

“She did sound really tired though” Wynter pointed out as she stood up.

Willa followed suit and commented, “I bet, its first hunting trip after all. She was probably running around some pond all day trying to spear some fish.”

“Yeah!” Wanda and Kraw agreed.

“No way, I bet she was chasing some mountain quail. Or a mallard. Those little birds are tricky” Wynter refuted.

“Yeah, she caught one of’em for sure!” Wylan agreed.

“Well what are we waiting for? Let’s go find out!” Kraw excitedly shouted.

“Hold on Kraw, we gotta pick up our toys first” Wanda reminded.

“Don’t worry Wanda, we’ll get them this time. You pups go on ahead with Wyatt and we’ll catch up. But don’t pounce on her, understand?” Willa stated.

“Okay!” “We won’t!” “Thanks alpha!” and they ran off with Wyatt. The remaining teens chuckled at their enthusiasm.

“They sure don’t waste any time huh?” she asked.

“Nope” Wynter and Warren concurrently grinned.

“Heh! Warren, can you go get Rwylo and Willow and meet us back at the den please?” the alpha asked. He nodded and went off deeper into the woods. The girls picked up all the toys and started walking back home.

“I really hope she caught a bird though” Wynter said.

“I bet you do. Well whatever it is, it’ll be a nice addition to whatever stew Row decides to cook. Good thing Wei and Wen started boiling some water” Willa replied.

“I hope it’s the five spice one!” Wynter licked her lips, but the alpha didn’t seem all that enthusiastic about the potential choice.

“So long as it’s not too spicy” she replied.

“Psh, you don’t know what you’re missing” her friend countered.

“Yes I do, and I’m okay with that” she affirmed.

But what their ears didn’t miss were the frantic and desperate howls for help.

“What the!? Wynter! Go get everyone out of the den and bring them to where we heard Wyatt and the pups!” Willa commanded and she handed her the toys in her arms.

“R-Right!” Wynter stuttered as she watched her leader take off on all fours.

“What the heck happened!?” she thought as all the possible scenarios ran through her mind. The pack only used that howl when something was seriously wrong or someone was in danger. Along the way she heard the rest of the pack howl, saying they were on their way. Soon she heard worried whines and the strong scent of blood hit her nose. “Nonononono!” she repeated until she finally tracked them down. “What’s wr-**GASP**!”

She couldn’t even finish her sentence, the answer was there for her to see.

In the midst of the whining and whimpering group stood Addison. The same girl that initially got lost coming to the den, that boldly took on the alpha trials, that made her pack cookies, that passed her respect trial by comforting her own, that let out awkward howls, and that had just found out she was a werewolf…was standing right in front of her as a lycanthrope. Not only that, she had two animals on her back – one that took at least three wolves to subdue and another that she should’ve never come across, one that the alpha alone protected the pack from. But the biggest thing she noticed were her red-tinged coverings and her exhausted panting; she looked like she was going to collapse at any moment. It was through her sheer will power and flaming moonstone that she was still upright.

“A-Addison” she hesitantly called out.

The enervated werewolf slowly cracked her eyes open and saw the worried countenances of her friends. A small reassuring smile graced her muzzle and she gingerly slipped off her catch from around her neck. The slain animals landed on the ground with a **THUD! ** but she still held onto the tied up hooves of the moose. “I…I did it. I did…my best. I didn’t…I didn’t give up” she tiredly spoke, but pride was dripping with every syllable.

Willa and Wyatt couldn’t even begin to formulate a proper response before her strength finally gave out. “Nngh…gyyyyuuh”

“ADDISON!” everyone shouted and the older siblings caught her just before she fell to the ground. “Hey! C’mon white hair! Stay with us!” Willa ordered, more so to steady her own rattled nerves.

Wyatt was a worried, whining mess and he started licking her cheek - desperately trying to stimulate her.

Nothing.

She was completely slack in their grip; the only thing conscious was her beating moonstone.

“NO! Addy!” Nawnu and Gnaw cried.

“S-She’s not…dead, is she?” Wylie fearfully asked.

“Of course she’s not dummy!” Kraw refuted, startling her. “Anyone who beats me at wrestling can’t die! Th-That’s the rule!” but his tough façade was breaking down as frightened tears started springing through.

As they were trying to rouse her, Willa noticed that her breathing was shallow. Her chest wasn’t fully expanding and she quickly realized why. “Wanda! Undo the spear holster now!” she commanded.

“O-Okay” and she snapped into action. But her nervousness negatively affected her movements; her fumbling fingers had a hard time undoing the belt.

“Wanda-”

“I-I know, I’m sorry I’m sorry” she cried.

“Hey, it’s okay. Just relax for me” Willa soothingly spoke, knowing that yelling at her to hurry up would be detrimental.

She nodded and took a deep breath. Her fingers were still shaky but she finally undid the straps. Wyatt caught the weapon before it fell on her tail; without any prompting Wylan came over and took it out of his hand. The beta gulped as the cloth covering whatever wound she received was starting to slip off. He delicately grabbed the edge of it and looked at his sister. She nodded, silently telling him to go ahead. He slowly peeled it off – the action not even eliciting a small whine out of Addison. But they weren’t prepared for what they saw, even though she carried the animal that inflicted those injuries.

The pups gasped in abhorrent horror at the three gashes on the side of her stomach, before shifting their worried gazes to her bandaged arm draped over Willa’s shoulder; they didn’t even want to know what other gruesome sight was under there. But for Wyatt and Willa…it was a horrible, horrible sense of déjà vu. “…No, not again. Not again!” they simultaneously thought.

Everyone was taken out of their shocked stupor when they heard some rustling nearby. The pups nervously clustered together while the alpha and beta let out a menacing growl, but they stopped when a recognizable scent hit their noses. Row emerged from the foliage with his vest filled with a plethora of white willow bark and goldenrod. The siblings just stared at him – he was honestly surprised that Wyatt’s gaze wasn’t a murderous one.

“Alpha, Beta. I promise I’ll tell you everything. But Addison needs medical attention now” he strongly advised.

“If that isn’t the understat-”

“Not the time Wyatt!” Willa growled, cutting of her brother’s curt remark. “Row’s right. We need to start helping her instead of just standing around” she agreed and switched into leader-mode. Before she could issue a single command, the rest of the pack arrived on the scene.

“We’re here! Wh-!” A round of startled **GASPS** came out of everyone’s mouths when their wide eyes took in the sight in front of them.

“Wolves!” Willa barked, snapping everyone to attention. “Addison WILL be fine if we act fast. Wei, Wen, and Warren. Grab the moose and cougar, skin it and put the meat in the cool area. Make sure those pelts are intact.” The boys nodded and quickly carried the carcasses back towards the den.

“Row, do we still have blueberries?” she asked.

“Yes alpha, and raspberries too” he answered.

“Good. You, Willie, and Rwylo help Wyatt carry Addison to the water room; Wynter, Willow and I will clean her up. While we’re doing that, you guys prepare a large batch of mamittuk. Pups, we’re going to need hot water – Wen and Wei already starting boiling some out back. Gnaw, Wylan, Kraw, and Trew, I need you to get as much firewood as you can and keep the fire going. Then fill up some buckets and bring them down to us so we can disinfect the wounds. Keep refilling the pot until I say otherwise. Wylie, Wanda and Nawnu, I need you to make a comfortable spot for Addison in the sleeping area. Everyone understand?”

“Yes alpha!” came the resounding salute.

Willa moved out of the way so the boys could be a living stretcher; Row handed her his vest full of plants.

“We’re going on ahead to get things set up” she spoke and the rest of the wolves followed her. Row and Willie got a leg and Rwylo grabbed the other arm.

“Don’t forget her tail!” Wyatt pointed out.

“Right!” and Willie slid that into his grip.

“On three” Wyatt commanded. “One…two…three!” and with a mighty **HUP** they hoisted her up. “Everyone got a good grip?” he asked and they nodded. “Good, let’s go!” and they speedily yet cautiously carried her back home.

They brought her into the water room where the girls had a bunch of benches placed next to each other – creating a makeshift exam bed with towels covering it. They carefully laid her down just as Gnaw and Wylan yelled, “Hot water coming thorough!” They burst onto the scene cradling buckets close to their chests. “We didn’t spill a drop, we swear!” Wylan assured.

“Thank you, keep bringing them in. But next time bring us the wringing forks” Willa ordered.

“Got it” and they ran out.

The older boys left to prepare the mamittuk, though Wyatt lingered at the entrance for a bit before finally closing the door behind him.

“Alright, let’s wipe her body down” Willa stated. “Right!” Willow and Wynter replied. The alpha poured the boiling water into the bathing pool. After a few seconds she stuck her elbow in it to test the temperature. Satisfied with the higher yet tolerable heat, they each dunked a washcloth into the pool and started cleaning off all the dirt and debris in Addison’s fur – being mindful not to touch her stomach gashes. Once she was adequately cleaned and dried, now came the hard part. Willow and Willa didn’t miss the worried whine that came out of Wynter.

“Wynter…it’ll be okay” Willow assured.

Willa nodded and added, “But I underst-”

“No! No…I-I want to be here. I want to help” she confirmed.

“…Are you sure?” her leader asked and she gave a firm nod in return. She gave into her decision and used her fangs to bite through the drawstring holding the cloth to her arm. The makeshift bandage was a little harder to take off compared to the one on her stomach; it felt like it was stuck on using sugar pine sap. The squelching sounds did nothing to ease their anxieties and they were thankful that Addison was unconscious through all of this. With one final pull the soiled cloth finally came off, but the blood smell was overwhelming.

“OHMYGOD!” Willow shouted – covering her mouth in nauseating shock. Wynter was whining even more as tears started to break through. Willa wanted to break down and cry herself, but she managed to confine the feeling underneath her composed, stone-faced exterior. Still…she made the decision to put Addison out there and brushed aside Wyatt’s valid concerns. Now the ramifications were right there for her to see.

Thick strips of skin were smushed against four jagged cuts; it was miracle that no bones were exposed.

“It’s your fault! What were you thinking, sending her out there!? Some alpha you are!” were some of the poisonous thoughts flowing through Willa’s mind. She defiantly barked those away for now and snapped, “Wolves!”

“S-Sorry alpha!” Willow straightened up.

“Sorry! I-I’m sorry! Bad wolf!” Wynter apologized and quickly rubbed her eyes to get rid of the tears.

“**sigh** You’re not a bad wolf Wynter, but I need you two to focus” she stated and they nodded wholeheartedly.

“Willow, go grab the scissors and the hand resin out of the medicine room. On your way back, tell the boys to bring the bandage cloth, mamittuk and green gel to the sleeping area.”

“Yes alpha!” and she took off.

“…Wynter” the alpha softly addressed her friend; she looked at her with slightly puffy eyes. “It won’t be like last time, I promise. We may not be healers like Elder Moss or Elder Walden…but we won’t lose her” she swore.

“**sniff** M-Mmhm” she choked out and rubbed her eyes again.

Suddenly the door reopened, but it was Trew and Kraw. The blood smell immediately hit their noses and they gasped. “Leave them there!” she ordered. “I…I don’t want you to see this.”

They understood and left the buckets and the wringing forks on the floor before leaving to get some more; Wynter brought the items over to Willa. Not long after that Willow returned. She put the antibacterial resin coating on Willa’s hands while Wynter dipped the blades in the hot water to sterilize them. Once the resin was dry she said, “Hold her down in case she flinches.”

Willow held the patient’s shoulders while Wynter kept her hands near the uninjured side of her abdomen.

“Ready?”

“Yes alpha.”

She nodded, then looked down at Addison. Even though she had been eerily still this whole time, save for the rise and fall of her chest, she had to make sure she was completely unconscious. “…Addison. I’m going to cut off this loose skin. It’ll hurt, but only for a second. I promise I’ll be quick” she assured. After a few moments there wasn’t a response. “…Good” she sighed in relief and lifted up the first strip of red tinted fur.

“Ready?” she asked again and her assistants nodded their heads. “Three…two…one” and she cut through it; it was smooth and clean like a hot knife through butter. There was a small twitch in her hand, but otherwise no major reaction. Everyone sighed in relief; one down, three to go.

She efficiently repeated the pattern as well as getting rid of the raised jagged edges of skin until she was done. “There we go” Willa declared. “Just one last thing.” She grabbed a couple of clean towels and used the forks to dunk them in the water so she wouldn’t get burned. She twisted them like noodles to ring out most of the excess water. With a washcloth in hand she said to the girls, “…This’ll sting. Be ready in case she wakes up” and she received confirming barks. “…Three…two…one.”

This time there was a major reaction. “AOOOWWLLLLL!” Addison painfully yowled as the hot washcloth felt like it was searing her lacerations. Despite their combined might, Willow and Wynter didn’t have the strength to hold her down; she scrambled out of the makeshift bed – shifting some of the stools underneath. Her moonstone was furiously blazing; they were taken aback by the two-toned hue her eyes had taken and the snarl she voiced - they could've sworn it sounded like someone else entirely. But Addison's ire slowly disappeared as everyone uttered constant apologies.

“I’m sorry Addison! I know it hurts, but I have to clean your cuts! I don’t want you to get an infection” Willa hastily explained.

Addison leered at them for a few seconds until her stinging injuries made her acquiesce. She let out a long whine and her eyes returned to their cerulean color; she was not looking forward to this. Willow and Wynter put the stools back together and she sat down instead of laying down. She held her arm out to Willa but turned her head in the opposite direction.

“I promise I’ll be quick and gentle” she swore and Addison nodded at that. “Here I go” and she picked up where she left off. Addison grit her teeth and squeezed her eyelids tight – trying her best to stay still. All the while her pack mates petted her and whispered any sweet thing they could think of in order to comfort her.

“We’re almost done Addison. I just have to clean your stomach cuts and we’ll wrap you up. You’re doing great” Willa praised and rubbed her head. All she got was a weak whine in return. “God this sucks!” she thought as she readied another set of washcloths; to see her in so much pain hurt her dearly. She moved to the slashed side of her core and did another countdown. Thankfully Addison didn’t have another jarring reaction, but her body was a tight as a coiled rat snake. Even the tiniest pats elicited hiccupping, shuddering breaths.

“That’s it! We’re done!” Willa announced and everyone backed away.

“Oh thank God” Wynter breathed out, voicing everyone’s sentiment.

But their relief was short lived as Addison started panting profusely again. Willow came over and helped her lay down so she wouldn’t bend forward.

“Willow, I need you to get Wei, Wen and Warren and go to the main area. I’m going to call my brother and Willie to help us carry Addison to the sleeping area. Once she’s situated, we’ll meet you guys there” Willa ordered.

“Got it alpha” Willow affirmed and left. Willa howled for her two assistants and the summoned wolves appeared in no time at all.

“How is she?! I thought heard her cry out!” Wyatt frantically asked.

“You did, but she’s fine. …I disinfected her wounds” and the boys winced at that. “Is everything set in the sleeping area?” she asked.

“Yes alpha” Willie replied.

“Good, then let’s go.”

Wyatt and Willie grabbed a leg while the former held her tail; Willa and Wynter grabbed an arm, the latter opting for the uninjured one. They arrived at sleeping area and saw Row and Rwylo next to the nice arrangement of pelts Wylie, Wanda and Nawnu set up. Everyone moved out of the way so they could carefully lay her down.

“Gel please” Willa requests and Rwylo hands her a clay jar. She smeared the goopy substance on the wounds and everyone could see Addison’s body visibly relax as the cooling sensation worked wonders on her cuts. “…She’s going to need to sit up so we can wrap her” Willa regretfully noticed.

“Hey…Addison?” Wyatt softly called out, and gave her cheek a lick for good measure.

“Hey mate, can we see those pretty peepers of yours…please?” and Willie gave her the tiniest of shakes on her shoulder.

Wylie, Wanda and Nawnu hovered around her, offering their own little whines and yips. Eventually all that external stimulation caused her to crack her eyes open, though it looked like they would shut any second.

“Addison” and the tired lycan looked over at her worried leader. “Can you sit up for us…please? We need to put the bandages on” she explained.

She heeded her request and tried to use her good arm to prop herself up; Wyatt and Willie gingerly eased her up the rest of the way. Row held up her arm so Willa could wrap it, while Rwylo assisted Wynter in bandaging her stomach.

“Just one last thing Addison” Willa said and Row handed her a bowl of mamittuk. “Eat this, it’ll help with your injuries” she implored.

Addison sniffed the concoction and slowly opened her mouth. She gagged when she initially tasted the weird mixture, but ate every spoonful until it was all gone. Row brought over a water canister and helped her drink some – washing away the strange aftertaste. “There we go” and he petted her head. She barely gave an inclination of thanks as her eyes struggled to stay open. Willie and Wyatt laid her back down and the pups covered her with a large pelt.

Willa rubbed her head and said, “…Get some rest Addison. You earned it.”

She didn’t need to be told twice and her eyes automatically closed. A long exhale exited her nose and not a moment later her even breathing signaled she was knocked out. They all quietly left the room and Wylie goes outside to get the rest of the pups. Once everyone’s inside the main area, they all stare at the lone witness of Addison’s trial.

“Alright Row, what the hell happened out there?!” Willa demanded.

“…You guys might want to sit down for this” he advised and the wolves heeded his suggestion. He started off by explaining that Addison wasn’t satisfied with the rabbit she tracked and how she located the Ineripi Coppice by climbing all the way to the top of a sugar pine tree.

“She went all the way there!?” Wynter asked.

“Yup. She was zoomin’ and having fun the whole way” he fondly replied.

Then he transitioned to how she jumped over Piyomat gorge, garnering impressed “whoas” from the pups. Next came her finding the moose yearling and the strategy she used to take it down.

“Heh…just like a cheerleader to be high up” Willa chuckled.

“Yeah, but it’d be good to incorporate that in our own hunting practices” Wyatt suggested.

“I agree” his sister replied.

Now came the dreaded part…her fight with the cougar.

“Why was it up anyway?” Gnaw growled.

“Yeah, I thought they only came out at night” Wanda added.

“Any animal can wake up whenever they want. Don’t forget, sometimes we go out hunting at night too” Willa replied.

“But since when did a cougar live out near Piyomat gorge?” Rwylo questioned.

“I don’t know. There wasn’t one when we walked along that path the first time. It must’ve woken up to the sound of Addison dragging the moose across the rocky path. Or it could've been passing through and saw her. …No predator would pass up the opportunity to challenge a lone wolf to get that kind of meal - that's why it ambushed her” he quietly added. Wyatt was about to ask the obvious question, but Willa stopped him with a growl and nodded for Row to continue.

At first he smiled as he recounted, “I wish you guys could’ve seen her, she was absolutely fearless; she wasn’t about to give up her catch to that cat. She thrust her spear at it and I thought it ran away for good. But…it came back. Addison dodged the first strike but that sneaky little piece of xi-”

“Row! Language” Willa chided, even though the feeling towards that cougar was mutual among them.

“Right…sorry. As I was saying, it snuck in a sweeping hook swipe onto her stomach then hid in the trees. I was about to jump in and help when that bright light came out of her moonstone again and transformed her into a lycanthrope.”

“Was she in pain when she transformed?” Wyatt asked.

“No. I mean she did yell a little, but it was nothing like when she first put on the necklace. It was a lot quicker too” he explained.

“Interesting. I suppose the initial shock would cause the most pain, everything else would be pretty seamless afterwards” Willa noted.

“So what happened next?” Wen asked.

“The cougar rushed out of the woods before I could, but she dodged it again. When it tried to slash her, she caught it by the paw and spun it around; it gashed her arm trying to make her let go. And she sure did alright. Threw it straight into a tree” and he emphasized the **SMACK** with a clap of his hand.

“Ooooo” the pups cringed.

“Served it right” Wyatt growled.

“So how did she kill it?” Wei asked.

Row re-enacted the movements and the **CRACK** sound effect at the end, making everyone squirm yet grin at the same time.

“She really is full of surprises” Wyatt marveled.

“You can say that again” Willa agreed.

“I can’t believe she carried a moose all the way Ineripi Coppice and added a cougar half way from Piyomat gorge! That’s insane!” Wen asserted.

“Too right, that’s way too reckless” Willie agreed.

“…Yeah, all that’s true. But remember, it’s in her nature. The best or nothing. She’s an overachiever” Willa reminded them as a wistful smile crossed her lips. “Seems you weren’t too far off on your observation Gnaw. She really does have the ferocity of a rook.” The comparison unintentionally made Wynter whine again and everyone looked at her.

“S-Sorry” she meekly apologized.

“Hey, there’s nothing to be sorry for Wynter” Willow assured.

“But we deal with injuries all the time! And I know it’s not like last time but I can’t help it! Stup-”

“Hey! Don’t you dare call yourself stupid” Willa snapped, making her straighten up. “**sigh**I know…it’s a lot to process” she quietly replied. “But bottom line, Addison will be fine. She won’t let this keep her down for long, she’s too stubborn for that” and everyone nodded at that.

“Hey…how about we go keep an eye on her?” Wyatt suggested to Wynter and she agreed to that.

“Good idea. The rest of us will finish cleaning and organizing the den. But let me clear, no one is allowed touch the moose or cougar meat until she wakes up. Am I understood?” the alpha asked.

No arguments there. The pack even took it one step further.

“Alpha.”

“Yes Warren?”

“Not eat til Addison awake” he declared.

“Neither will I” Willow added.

“Intermittent fasting is good for the body after all” Wei chimed in and the rest of the pack voiced their support. Although they wouldn’t admit it out loud, they were still worried about Addison. Worried that she may have given her life to provide for them. It didn’t sit well with them to even eat anything unless she could share in their bounty. After all, wolves were all or nothing.

Willa smiled at that and respected their decision. “Then let’s get to it, I want this place shining when she wakes up” and they all stood up to get started on their chores.

But Row stayed behind when Willa leveled a stern gaze at him. “Row” she border lined growled. “We need to talk.”

“**gulp** Yes alpha.”

Chapter 11: Recovery, Regrets, and Residual Fears

Chapter Text

One, two, three…in. One, two, three…out. That repetitive breathing pattern was music to the ears of the two guardians. Although one of them faltered a bit for her body also wished to participate in the peaceful sleep pattern.

“Mm…nmmm…” Wynter mumbled as her eyelids started to droop.

“…Wynter?” Wyatt asked when she slumped against the side of his body.

Her eyes instantly opened and she fired out, “What?! I am awake! Wh-”

“Whoa whoa hey. Relax” he soothingly spoke and gently put a hand on her shoulder. “Heh…déjà vu huh?” he lightly joked, trying to bring some levity into the situation. It didn’t work. She ended up whining and looking completely crestfallen.

“…Sorry” she gloomily replied.

“No…that was my fault. Too soon” he admitted, but she lightly shook her head “no”, refuting his apology. In her mind he was in the right all along. She whined again…though it morphed into another yawn. “Wynter. If you’re tired, then rest. I can look after-”

“No!” she shouted, but immediately toned her voice down. “…I mean, I’m fine. I can watch her with you” she clarified.

“…Alright. If that’s what you want” he acquiesced.

“…I wanted this to have never happened” she whispered. She brought her knees into her chest and folded her arms over them. She set her chin on top and let out an additional despondent whine.

Wyatt stayed quiet for a few minutes, mulling over what she just uttered. “…I miss him too” he finally said.

Wynter lifted her head and looked over at him with wide eyes; soon tears were pooling in them. “Nng…mnng” her hitching breaths turned into quiet cries and he immediately hugged her; she nuzzles him as her tears fall onto his chest. After a while her cries devolve into sporadic hiccups.

“…Do you want to talk about it?” he asked.

She wiped her eyes with her wrist adornment and shakily replied, “**sniff**I-I know she’ll be fine, and I know we’ve all lost our parents, and I know I’m beyond grateful that I still have paw ma and”

“Wynter, you shouldn’t feel bad about missing someone. We all miss our loved ones. I mean Row got emotional when he took Addison to Tamuialuk. …Even I felt a little blue when I told her about my first catch” he admitted.

“…I know. It’s just that seeing Addison all cut up in her lycanthrope form reminded me way too much of what happened to paw pa. …And I couldn’t do anything to help him” she sadly replied.

“None of us could…we were only pups. He protected us, just like a noble rook” he praised. She nodded at that and wiped away some dripping snot. “Is that why you’re pushing yourself to stay awake?”

“…Yeah. I…I don’t want to take any chances. I know we have the moonstone and all…but I just don’t want it to be where the only thing we can do is give her one last hug and -!” She suddenly gets out of his hold and walks over to Addison.

“Wynter? What’s wrong?” Wyatt asked as he followed her.

She unexpectedly leans in towards Addison’s forehead and plants a kiss on it.

“What’re you doing?” he asked again.

“Fulfilling the promise” she answered and Wyatt’s eyes widened in remembrance.

“I’ll always be watching over you. All of you. Every time you howl, I know that our pack is going strong. …I wish I could’ve seen the Great Alpha, seen all you with fully charged necklaces in person…but I’ll settle for seeing all that from afar. But if you could promise ol’ paw pa one thing. When the Great Alpha returns, give’em some sugar for me and tell him or her welcome to the family.”

“…Wynter” he uttered.

“I-I know Addison still has to pass the combat trial, and we don’t even know if she’s the great alpha…but as far as I’m concerned, she’s a part of this family” she stated.

He did a double take then smiled at her. “No doubt about that” he replied and she moved out of the way so he could place a kiss on her forehead as well. “Welcome to the family” he whispered.

Both of them back up and continue watching over her – just like the painted guardians were doing right now. Eventually the weariness from today’s events finally catches up with them and they fall asleep on top of each other.

While they were sleeping, Addison’s moonstone inconspicuously lit up with a golden glow. Her stature condensed, her fur and tail receded back into her body and her paw pads returned to being rough yet supple palms – completing the revision back to her balanced form. The large pelt that previously covered her up to her chest while she was a massive lycan now engulfed her completely. The fine hairs of the blanket tickled her face, making her grumble and hum. She lifted her lead-heavy good arm to move the pelt down. Her eyes slowly opened up and once again she saw the illustrated sentinel wolves. “Mnnrrrmm…” she tiredly growled as she rubbed her eyes. However she did a double take when she saw that her hand wasn’t furry and didn’t have paw pads anymore. “Huh? Wh-What happened? I could’ve sworn…was it all a dream?” she thought. When she tried to move her other arm from up under the pelt, her stinging cuts made her realize it wasn’t a dream. “YOWLL!” she yelped, startling her two lookouts.

“**SNNRRF! **Gru-huh?” and Addison turned her head to look at the source of all the vocal commotion.

“ADDISON!” Wyatt and Wynter simultaneously shouted when they saw her.

A smile initially formed on her lips, but it disappeared when she saw them rushing towards her. She instinctively tensed up and closed her eyes – preparing to be bowled over. Thankfully they restrained themselves at the last second.

“You’re awake!” Wyatt cheerfully observed. “And…you’re not a lycanthrope anymore” he noticed, though completely confused as to how it happened.

“Are you okay?! Wait, what am I saying!? Of course you’re not! You got slashed by a freaking cougar!” Wynter rambled.

“No kidding! How’re you feeling?” he added.

“…Sore. My whole body aches. And I’m starving too” she sluggishly replied.

“I bet, you used up a lot of energy after all. You carried a flippin’ moose yearling all the way from Ineripi Coppice! That’s at least seven hundred pounds on your back! That’s incredible! If it were me I would’ve have to eat some of it before I carried it back to the den” Wynter praised.

Addison’s jaw dropped as she balked at the number. She knew it was heavy, but she didn’t realize that it was that heavy. No wonder she felt like she ran six marathons while dragging 4 tractor tires; she was surprised her legs were still attached to her body. But something else caught her attention too. “Ineripi Coppice? Where’s that?”

“The place that has all those tall trees with little orange and red lichen mushrooms on’em. That’s where you killed the moose” she answered.

“Hold on…how’d you guys know where I was?” Addison asked.

“Willa had Row secretly follow you in order to monitor your progress and only jump in if necessary” Wyatt explained.

“So that’s why I could smell Rufus apples!” she realized, but she was taken out of her thoughts when he gently ruffled her hair.

“Addison, I’m so proud of you. We all are. When Row told us what you did, we were so amazed with your hunting prowess and cleverness. You instantly embraced your inner wolf and combined it with your Addison flair. Like Wynter said, you’re incredible” he smiled. She shyly chuckled at his wondrous words, but it morphed into a string of “Owowowow!”

“Addison!” they worriedly fretted.

“I-I’m okay! I’m okay. It just hurts to laugh…or do anything I suppose” she amends. Her friends understandably nod, though in the back of their minds she was very fortunate to be alive.

“Can we check your bandages?” he asked.

“O-Okay, sure” she nodded and Wynter started pulling the pelt down. However Addison noticed one critical thing when the blanket passed her navel.

“WAIT!” she shouted and they quickly backed away.

“What’s wrong!?” Wynter asked.

“Nothing! Well, nothing bad. It’s just…um…can you hand my other bag please? I’d…I’d like to have some pants on” she blushed.

“Right! Of course, I’ll grab it” Wyatt volunteered. He went over to the cubby holes while Wynter helped her sit up.

“Here you go Addison” and he set the bag right next to her.

“Thank you Wyatt.”

“Do you want me to help you put them on? I can close my eyes if you’d like” Wynter asked.

“…Yes please” she squeaked out, though in the back of her mind she was being extremely silly. She was certain everyone saw her while she was a lycan, but on the flipside she was covered in fur so nothing…private was revealed. She’d prefer to keep it that way for now.

“…One day” she thought as she unzipped her bag and pulled out a pair of dark blue sweat pants. Without any prompting Wyatt closed his eyes and for added measure he put pelt over his head; Addison smiled at his respect for her modesty.

She handed Wynter her sweats and the wolf sealed her peepers too before slowly easing her up. As she stood, she noticed that her bandages were a lot looser now that she wasn’t a behemoth any more. There were red blotches where the material was still sticking to the wounds, but it was very minimal. “That’s good” she thought.

Wynter slightly opened her eyes, but kept her sight strictly on the floor so she could see what she was doing. She scrunched up the pants and held them out by Addison’s feet – watching her she gingerly put each foot through the holes. She closed them again and pulled them up to where Addison could comfortably reach the waistband. She let go when she felt her hands take over.

“You can open your eyes now” and the wolves heeded her command, eager to see her hopefully healed visage. They weren’t surprised to see the loose bandages, but they were a little shocked to see blood on them.

“Definitely need to re-wrap these, but how do they feel?” Wyatt asked.

“They still sting, but it’s nothing terrible” she assured.

“That’s good, the mixture worked” Wyatt sighed in relief.

“What was that stuff anyway?” Addison asked as she remembered the strange tasting mush.

“Mamittuk” Wynter replied.

“Mamittuk?” she repeated. “Heal” she translated.

“Yep! It’s our all-purpose medicine made of honey, blueberries, raspberries, a chili pepper, black pepper, cinnamon, maritime oil and some willow bark” Wyatt listed.

“Oh wow…okay. I know most of those ingredients are full of antioxidants and that helps with inflammation, but what’s the willow bark for?” she asked.

“To help with pain and headaches” he answered.

“Neat.”

“Let’s make these tighter for now and get you something to eat. We’ll clean’em up again afterward” he suggested.

“Oh…o-okay” she replied.

Wyatt grabbed the loose ends of her arm bandage while Wynter grabbed the ones on her abdomen. They double wrap them – being mindful not to expose the cuts. “That’s not too tight is it?” she asked.

“Nope, it’s fine. Thank you guys. Not only for this, but for tolerating my…um…”

“Addison” Wyatt spoke, cutting her off. He gently grabbed her hand and said, “This is your home. And how do we want you to feel?”

“…Comfortable” she smiled at the obvious answer.

“That’s riiight” he smiled back and let go of her hand to ruffle her hair again.

“Still, thank you for everything” she lauded.

“No problem, happy to help!” Wynter smiled and gently nudged her shoulder.

“Now you wait here and rest. Row will cook you up some of what you caught and we’ll bring it here; it shouldn’t take long” Wyatt assured.

“And wait til you taste his great grandpop’s marinade” Wynter added.

“That sounds great! But…um, if it’s alright, I’d like to eat with everyone in the main area” she requested.

“…Are you sure? You shouldn’t put too much strain on your body. Not to mention everyone will be excited to see you, especially the pups. They might accidentally pounce on you. We barely stopped ourselves from hugging you” he confessed.

“I’ll be fine” Addison smiled.

“I swear that smile is her most powerful weapon” he thought.

“Besides, you two will be my rooks right?”

“Of course we will!” Wynter stated.

“Then I’m good to go” she affirmed, and both of them nod at that.

Wynter howled to let everyone know that Addison was awake and that they were headed to the main area. All of them could hear frantic footsteps, no doubt rushing from whatever they were doing in order to greet her.

“Do you want me to carry you?” he asked.

“No, that’s okay. But if I could hold both of your hands that’d be great” she replied.

“You got it” Wynter agreed and took the hand of her uninjured arm while Wyatt grabbed the other. They took a few slow steps to see if she was alright. “Does this feel okay?” he asked.

“Mm hm” she hummed and they carefully walked out the sleeping area.

Addison whined and grimaced a few times, but she assured her rooks that it wasn’t anything major; just working through all the pins and needles. Though she did end up having to her put un-cut arm around Wynter’s shoulders for better stability. “…Are you okay with this?” she asked.

“Totally!” she assured and they kept up their easy pace.

But when they finally reached the main area, the trio noticed that everyone was behind Willa in the same formation as this morning.

Though something was clearly off.

The alpha was unquestionably irritated while everyone else exuded tense trepidation. Addison noticed that even the pups were hiding behind the legs of any teen they could latch their tiny hands on – nervously whining all the while. This definitely wasn’t like last time when Willa tricked her before revealing that she passed her first trial.

“What’s going on?” she thought.

But her speculating mind was interrupted when Willa crossed her arms and growled at Wyatt and Wynter, ordering them to get in formation. The two wolves gave her their silent responses. Wynter instinctively stepped a little closer to Addison, while her brother outright defied her by baring his fangs; they weren’t leaving her side.

“Now” she deeply growled; a chill ran down everyone’s spine when they heard that tone. Even the pups gulped and clutched their designated hiding legs a little tighter.

Not wanting to see a fight break out, Addison took her arm off of Wynter’s shoulders and her hand out of Wyatt’s grip. She teetered on her feet as she tried to get her balance, making the pack gasp and tense up even more. On the other hand Willa looked like she was about to bore a hole right through the wall with her agitated glare. Her rooks were about to assist her, but she snapped at them – making them step back. They incredulously stared at her while she stood up as straight as possible. She gave them an apologetic yet reassuring smile, letting them know that she’d be alright.

They got the message. They didn’t like it…but begrudgingly accepted it. They stayed by her side for a few more seconds before joining the rest of their pack mates; Wyatt irritably growled at his sister as he passed by. Willa didn’t bat an eye at what he said, instead letting out a long exhale. She uncrossed her arms and walked up to Addison. “Addison Wells, you have passed the hunting trial. I’ll admit…I definitely didn’t see this coming. Your results were surprising and impressive to say the least.”

Despite herself, Addison smiled a little. She could almost make out “you little over achiever” in between the lines of what she said.

“But”

And just like that, her self-congratulatory grin vanished when Willa got right up in her face and snarled at her – staring right into her startled eyes with her livid yellow ones. “What in the world were you thinking fighting a cougar all by yourself!? Didn’t I tell you to be careful around other predators!? Didn’t I!?” she yelled. Addison was about to open her mouth to stutter out an answer but Willa kept on shouting, “Why didn’t you howl for help?! You know we have good hearing! Or why didn’t you abandon your kill and get away!? Well!? Answer me!”

Most of the pack submissively stepped back and whimpered when they heard the sharp tone of her voice. It’s been a long time since they’ve seen her so irate. But…there was something else that the older wolves could sense underneath that layer of agitation.

Addison’s mind resumed trying to figure out what was amiss as well. While her concerns were valid, everything she said contradicted the parameters of the trial. She tried to defend her choice and replied, “B-But you said I was on my own. And if I left the moose behind, then I wouldn’t have had enough time to catch something else! T-Then I wouldn’t have passed the trial! And if you did hear me howl, it’d take a while for you to reach me. Not to mention I wouldn’t want to put you guys in danger and I-” but she shut her lips when Willa snapped her fangs at her. Her words went in one ear and out the other.

“I don’t care if you’re on the other side of the flippin’ country! We’d get to you! The safety of my family supersedes any rules! Don’t you get it?! You could’ve…could’ve” she paused as her composure was cracking. She clenched her fists by her sides and shouted, “YOU COULD’VE BEEN KILLED!”

The den was silent as the faint echoes of that statement faded away. Hard swallows slid down the throats of some of the wolves as the gravity of what could’ve been settled in. Yes they faced danger all the time whenever they hunted, even from the meekest prey. They were even knocking on death’s door not too long ago. But for Addison to possibly lose her life after giving them a second chance at theirs…that hit harder than a skull crushing kick from a buck. “You…you could’ve died. …And it would’ve been all my fault” she confessed and the tears started running down her face. Her head hung in shame as she gripped her hairy shoulders. She dug her claws into her skin...wanting to enact some kind of penance for the pain she caused her, but she couldn’t follow through. “Look at you! You’re pathetic! You’re no leader, you’re a fraud! A pup playing pretend!” those vile voices condemned, making her cry even harder. She didn’t dare look Addison in the eye; she could feel her stare exposing everything…and rightfully so.

“…Willa” Wyatt whispered as he watched his sister’s body tremble – wracked by the fear of what her decision almost did. He sorrowfully whined, instantly regretting the harsh growl he uttered to her earlier. The pups fared no better as they started to cry into the legs they latched onto. The teens tried to keep their composure as they comforted them, but found it extremely difficult as a few hiccups escaped through their shaky exhales.

All the while Addison was absolutely silent – her eyes taking in everything. She could feel their worries, their fears, and their love…all for her well-being. And in the forefront was their leader who exemplified all of them.

“Willa” she spoke, unintentionally making her flinch. The alpha immediately chastised herself for it – she deserved whatever punishment Addison wanted to enact. She opened her puffy eyes and slowly lifted her head up. She couldn’t help but gasp at what she saw; there wasn’t a snarl, a frown, or even an indifferent thin line on her lips. Instead…it was a small smile.

“When I took on the alpha trials, I had an idea of all the dangers I’d be facing. But you and everyone else made sure I had the proper tools and teachings; ultimately it was up to me to utilize them correctly, just like with any other test. No matter what happened to me, it wouldn’t have been your fault. That cougar was looking for a meal, just like I was. How does that make me any different?” she asked.

All of the eyes of the older wolves widened in shock when she said that, but Willa didn’t have a comeback for her question so she continued, “You said the safety of your family supersedes anything, and I’m truly honored that you already consider me part of your family. In that sense, making sure you guys were fed to ensure your well-being supersedes anything that could’ve happened to me. Like you said, wolves are all or nothing.”

Willa growled at that because she was absolutely right and hated that her words were being used against her.

“…I’ll admit that fighting a cougar wasn’t the smartest thing in the world to do, but I wasn’t about to let it steal your guys’ meal nor ruin my chances of becoming a Nanukilik wolf. Guess I’m too stubborn for my good” she lightly chuckled. That got a tiny grin out of her because of the déjà vu; she used that very word to describe her earlier…but it disappeared as the crushing guilt set back in.

“And when I saw what the cougar did to me, I wasn’t worried. Do you know why?”

Willa and the rest of the pack remained silent, unsure of where she was going with this. She used her good arm and gestured to her entire body; her smile got a little bigger when the realization dawned on them.

“You…you trust us” Willa whispered; in the back of her mind she knew that much was obvious, but after everything that’s happened she couldn’t help but sound unsure.

She nodded and replied, “I knew when I got back to you guys you’d help me get better no matter what. After all, we help one another because we trust and rely on each other right?”

“I swear can she get any more amazing?” Wyatt fondly thought as she put the lessons of the two trials together.

“Willa. Everyone. I know these cuts I got look really bad. And I won’t lie, they still hurt like heck. But I won’t see them as a bad thing, and I never will. For me, these scars will be badges of honor – a visible reminder that I proved to myself that I’m more that capable of being a wolf. And I couldn’t be happier. It’s no different to all the bruises and sprains I got during cheer practices; they were steps into helping me improve my skills and ultimately become captain. What happened to me is step one of becoming the best Nanukillik wolf I can be” she smiled, stunning everyone with her sincere words.

However they were taken out of their daze when they heard Willa whimpering again. Just as Addison was about to reach out to her quivering friend, the alpha beat her to it and grabbed her in a tight hug – leaving her arms free. She put her face in the crook of her fuzzy neck and inhaled deeply, taking in her similar yet unique scent to ground her. She was here, she was safe, and she wasn’t going anywhere.

Addison grit her teeth and held back her pained moan; she didn’t want to make Willa feel bad about embracing her, even if it was bit strong on her aching body. But once the initial pain subsided, she could hear her subdued sobs and feel the desperation in her hold. “…Willa” she whispered and hugged her back with as much strength as she could muster.

Needless to say the pups were shocked by everything Willa did – they’ve never seen their alpha so emotional before. She was always so serious and level-headed, even in the direst of times. Even Wyatt was surprised; he knew how secretive his sister was about revealing this side of her. Still…for the older wolves it was like reliving an awful event, but at least this one had a happy ending.

Suddenly Addison took a deep breath and released a powerful howl. Willa’s cries quieted down a bit as the translation entered her ears while everyone else recognized it as one of the stanzas she sang that night.

You gave me strength
When I wasn't strong
You gave me hope when all hope was lost
You opened my eyes when I couldn't see
Love was always here waiting for me

That familiar tingling sensation touched everyone – filling them with a comforting presence. The rest of the pack couldn’t help themselves and they howled as well – their voices providing a marvelous melody full of compassion, understanding and gratitude. Despite everything that happened, they were still one.

Hot tears continued to pour from Willa’s eyes at the unbelievable feeling. This shouldn’t even be happening. There shouldn’t be harmonious, loving howls. There should be condemning barks and snarls. It was incomprehensible, and yet here it was. She didn’t dare lend her shaky voice to the amazing vocal arrangement and settled for offering her appreciation by squeezing Addison a little tighter.

As Addison’s white hair blanketed her face, she felt something…weird. A good kind of weird. She opened her watery eyes and saw the strangest thing. For a brief second she could’ve sworn that that her hair was glowing. But as soon as she stopped howling, the light disappeared. “What the?” but she was taken out of her thoughts when both of them were abruptly, yet gently jostled.

Addison glanced down and saw Wylie attached to her leg, crying relieved tears into her sweatpants. Willa’s ears perked up to the pitter-patter of the rest of the pups as they carefully glompped onto them too. But she gripped Addison harder when she heard the heavier steps of her pack mates approach them; only now did she realize that everyone saw her in her inadequate state. She shamefully buried her face further into Addison’s hair, not wanting them to see her any more than they already have. But when Wyatt wriggled his way in to hold her from behind, he nuzzled the back of her head – sending an important unspoken message. “You are not weak.” She took a shuddering breath, but didn’t give any inclination as to whether or not she agreed with that sentiment. “You know I’m right” he quietly conveyed with another gentle squeeze and he saw her finally give the barest of nods in return.

Wynter latched onto Addison from behind and soon everyone was in on the tender mosh pit. While the duo undoubtedly appreciated all of the love and support being given out, both of them were starting to feel a little uncomfortable – physically speaking for Addison and emotionally speaking for Willa. The pack heard their subdued whines and one by one they let them go. Addison heard her leader whine again as she reluctantly started pulling away; she could sense that she still wanted to maintain the embrace, but didn’t want to hurt her anymore. Against the protest of her aching body she brought her back in and gave her an affectionate cuddle, nuzzling her face into her furry shoulder. Willa’s eyes widened at the action as another silent message was conveyed. “You could never hurt me.” A part of her couldn’t accept that…but she appreciated it all the same and replicated the gesture.

Eventually she did let go without any hesitation, but immediately looked down to avoid making eye contact with her. But Addison wasn’t having any of that; she put her good hand on top of her head and lightly ruffled her curly hair. She instinctively looked up, revealing her tear stained face. Before she could advert her gaze again, Addison leaned in and licked the tears off of her cheeks. Willa was briefly taken aback by the intimacy, but soon smiled at the gesture. “T-Thanks” she whispered as she wiped away the rest with the back of her hand. Addison smiled and nodded back.

“So…would this count as my gentle victory wolf pile?” she lightheartedly asked, feeling it was safe to do so.

It had the desired effect and it got a breathy chuckle out of her friend. “Y-Yes. Yes it does. Congratulations Addison” she proudly smiled and the wolves howled their praises. They would’ve kept going if a loud rumble from her stomach didn’t cut them off. And just like that, Willa’s leader-mode was switched back on.

“Wei, Wen, Warren, cut up plenty of meat and bring it out here. Willow and Rwylo, grab the cups, plates and water jugs. Row and Wyatt, start cooking. Willie, go get some more of that mamittuk. Wynter, pups let’s go ahead and wash up. Will you be alright here by yourself for a little while Addison?”

“Uh huh” she nodded.

Willa helped ease her down onto the ground so she could sit. “We’ll be right back” and everyone left, leaving Addison alone with the moonstone to keep her company.

She glanced down at her own necklace - its pulse in perfect synch with the radiant relic. “I bet you need a recharge, you helped me out a lot today” she said, but surprisingly didn’t get a reply. Taking that as a “yes” she slowly rose to her feet and hobbled over to the life giving stone. When she took off her necklace she felt an unexplainable pang of anxiousness. It was almost as if it was afraid of being separated again. “Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere” she assured and placed it against the giant rock. “Huh…that’s weird. It didn’t need as much energy as I thought it would” she noticed when it barely absorbed anything. “You must have your own way of recuperating” she surmised and tied it around her neck, feeling the equivalent of a light nuzzle within her body. That got a few giddy chuckles out of her, though it hurt to do so. “Owowo…ooo…okay, gotta stop doing that” but she smiled nonetheless. She looked at the moonstone again and placed her hand on it. “You ended up bringing something out of me after all. Thank you for helping me discover what I truly am. Regardless if I’m the great alpha or not, being a part of this a pack is the greatest title I could ever have” she gratefully expressed. Shockingly, her necklace and the stone glowed in tandem before fading away. “Hmmm…Interesting” she thought before limping back over to her original spot to lay down – letting the cool floor soothe her sore body.

Meanwhile…

The kitchen was bustling with activity as the wolves were completing their assigned tasks. Wei and Wen were gutting the skinned carcasses while Warren washed the bones and set them aside. “Think that’ll be enough?” Wen asked everyone present.

“I’d say so” Wei replied as he eyed the tall pile of meat.

“What you think Warren?” he asked, knowing the wolf’s voracious appetite.

“Uh huh” he agreed.

“Oh yeah! And look at the marblization! This is going to taste great when we cook it up” Row smiled as he stirred the marinade.

“I hope so, Addison said she was starving when she woke up” Wyatt commented.

“She did? Hmmm…we’d better cut up some more” Wei voiced and the trio got to work. Rwylo and Willow walk back inside and see the pile. “Whoa, that’s a lot” Rwylo whistled.

“No kidding, good thing we filled up five water jugs” Willow replied. They went over to the built-in shelves near the water basin and grab enough cups and plates for everyone. “See you guys out there” she called out and went back to the main area to set up.

“Alright, I think that’ll be enough now” Wei commented as they finished dicing up some more meat. “Have at it Row” and the chef selected the choicest cuts to put in his marinade.

“Got’em” Row confirmed.

“Are you sure that’ll be enough?” Wyatt asked as he eyed the nearly overflowing plate.

“We’ll start her off with this for now and we’ll cook more if we need to” he compromised and he nodded at that. The butcher trio carried the remaining uncut parts of carcasses out of the kitchen and back to the cool room while Row mixed Addison’s share in the tangy sauce. He licked the tip of his finger. “Hmmm…needs a little more. Can you hand me the salt and thyme please?” Wyatt got the needed ingredients and Row sprinkled them over the meat chunks. He mixed it and tasted it again. “Perfect” he nodded in approval. “Can you put these on skewers please? I’m going to go start the fire” he said as he rinsed his hands and filled up a couple of water buckets.

“Sur-” Wyatt didn’t even have a chance to finish saying the word before he was out the room. “…Okay?” he thought, perplexed by his hasty departure but still did what was asked of him. Soon he had seven skewers set; he washed his own hands before leaving the room with two plates in hand.

When he walked into the main area, he saw Addison laying on the floor with her eyes closed; he quickly passed through lest he disturb her. “Hopefully this food will get her strength back up. …It’s the least you can you after what you did” he growled at the skewer made from the violent animal. Once he was outside, he could smell hickory. He walked for a bit until he arrived at a rocky area west of the den. There he saw Row near the cooking pit tending to the logs with the fire stoker. He threw another log in and watched the flames rise up through the large elevated grill mesh before they settled down. His ears twitched when he heard Wyatt’s footsteps, but didn’t look at him. When Wyatt reached him he asked, “Is the fire ready?”

“Uh huh, it’s ready. Here, I’ll take that.” He held his hands out and Wyatt gave him the full plate. Row placed the skewers on the grill, making sure the wooden ends were out far enough so they’d be safe to turn. After he was done, he set the plate down and grabbed the fire stoker again – though he sat as far away from Wyatt as possible. The beta raised an eyebrow at that; something was clearly up, but decided not to press into it. When he was ready to talk, he’d listen. For now he’d focus on watching the meat.

“It smells really good. You still got that magic touch” he complimented.

“…Thanks” Row replied as he moved a wood chunk over.

“Hey…Wyatt” he hesitantly said.

“Yeah?”

“Are you…still mad at me?” The beta looked at him and saw the regret in his eyes, even though he still refused to make direct eye contact.

“For what? You did what Willa told you to do” he replied.

“Even so, she tore into me too…just like she did with Addison” he countered as he started turning the skewers – watching the flames sear them.

“…That doesn’t surprise me. She was scared and frustrated; put those together and she’s not our rational alpha” he explained before letting out a heavy sigh. “Yeah…I was mad. Mad at the cougar for hurting her, mad at you for not stepping in sooner, and mad at Willa for even sending her out there. I was even mad at Addison for fighting that stupid cat in the first place! But…it all worked out in the end…just like our alpha believed it would. Addison feels proud about what she is and what she’s done. If that’s what it took, then I wouldn’t change it for the world” and a small smile formed on his lips.

“…Still”

“Row, you did nothing wrong. This was all one big unfortunate situation.”

“…Yeah. It’s just…it’s been so long since we’ve all been so scared. And poor Wynter…she must’ve had some terrible flashbacks” he whined.

Wyatt nodded and said, “…Mh hm. I’m surprised you’re handling it well. I mean, you were right there.”

“Yea…but I’m alright. A cougar doesn’t scare me, I’m not a pup anymore. I was more scared for Addison…and it sucked having to battle with wanting to help but couldn’t until I really had to. But no matter what, I wasn’t about to let what happened to Elder Winston happen to her” he stated.

“I know you wouldn’t have, that’s why I’m not mad. I know how serious you are about keeping her or any one of us safe. You showed that when you appeared with all those healing ingredients in your vest. Willa made the right choice in sending you” he acknowledged. Row did a double take showed a small smile in return – all of his earlier uneasiness instantly dissipating.

After a few minutes the kabobs were finally done and Row put them on the clean plate that Wyatt brought. “Time for the taste test” he said and selected a skewer. He blew on the top chunk of meat to cool it down and slid off. “Thank you for this food we’re about to receive” he spoke and took a small bite. “Mmmmm! That’s some good eats right there” he grinned and held out the rest to Wyatt. He pinched it between his claws and popped the morsel into his mouth. He matched the expression and gave the chef a thumbs up as he chewed the tasty piece of meat. “Like I said, still got the touch” he praised getting a happy yip out of him. Wyatt dumped water that Row brought onto the fire. Once the flames were fully extinguished, he grabbed the dirty plate and they left the area.

As they were walking back Row commented, “Y’know, it’s crazy though. All the stuff that Addison was saying was just like what Elder Winston said.”

“I know. She never ceases to amaze me” Wyatt smiled, but Row could sense a little longing in his tone.

He gave his shoulder a little nudge and said, “Hey, hang in there bud. If all of this could work out, then who knows? Maybe it could work out for you two too.”

“…Maybe” he mumbled.

They returned to the main area and everyone was already seated; Willie was feeding Addison her last spoonful of mamittuk and gave her a cup of water to help wash it down.

“Thank you” she expressed.

“You got it mate” Willie smiled and set the bowl aside.

Soon the delicious aroma of the cooked delicacy wafted through the area and entered everyone noses. “Oh wow that smells amazing!” Addison praised as Row set the plate down in front of her.

“Trust me, it tastes amazing too” he winked.

“Thank you chefs” she gratefully replied and both of them smiled at her before going off into the water room to wash up. A moment later they return just as Wei, Wen and Warren were setting down the charcuterie board.

“Wow, you guys are professional butchers! Any restaurant would love to have you” Addison complimented as she eyed the massive pile of meat.

The trio happily yipped at the compliment and picked an empty seat; Row joined them while Wyatt sat next to his sister. Once they were all situated, Addison saw everyone bow their heads and she quickly followed suit.

“Thank you for the flesh and bone we are about to receive. We thank and honor the animals for nourishing our bodies” Willa spoke and everyone barked in agreement. They lifted their heads up and looked over at Addison.

“Uhh…a-am I supposed to say something else?” she asked.

“No, you’re supposed to eat silly” Wynter replied.

“Yeah, you caught most of this meat so you get the first taste” Wen added.

“But I thought pups eat first” she countered.

“We don’t mind” Gnaw replied.

“Addy eat” Nawnu added.

“Heh, Alright. If you insist” she chuckled and picked up one of the still pippin’ hot skewers. She cooled it down with her breath and bit into a piece, sliding it off. “Mmmmmm!” she contentedly hummed as she chewed and savored the delectable chunk. She wasted no time in eating the rest of the meat off the skewer before moving onto the next one.

“I think she likes it” Wyatt grinned as the pack watched her eat without restraint.

“I’ll say” Row added as she devoured the last skewer, letting out a content burp while politely covering her mouth.

“…Wow” Warren commented as she downed her water. No one even reached for the meat pile yet.

“That was DELICIOUS! You are a truly gifted chef” she exalted Row.

“Th-thank you” he blushed under the sincere praise.

“And thank you too!” she addressed his assistants, getting fond nods out of them.

“What seasoning did you use?” she asked.

“I used my great grandpop’s masu kannu marinade. Savory with a little hint of spiciness. I’ll teach you how to make it one day” he assured.

“Cool, a generational legacy! I can’t wait” she replied, garnering a smile out of him. “Which animal did you cook up anyway?” she asked.

“The moose” he answered. “You caught a really good one. The marbling on it was superb!”

“And it was a real bulky one too! This is only a quarter of it” Wen pointed to the tallest pile.

“Yeah, we’re set for a few days thanks to you” Wei added, making her smile.

“What’s that pile?” she asked.

“Cougar” Warren answered and a few growls escaped some of the wolves’ lips. “And that rabbit.”

“We helped catch those” Wylan proudly declared.

“You did?”

“Yep! Three of them” Trew added.

“Nice! Good job you guys!”

“Go ahead and try some Addy” Wanda encouraged.

“I still have some marinade left over; it won’t take long to cook some up” Row assured.

“Thank you…but if it’s okay, I’d like to eat it raw” she admitted.

“What? Really?” Willa asked.

She nodded and replied, “I don’t know how to explain it, but raw smells really good to me.”

“There’s nothing to explain. You’re a wolf now and we eat raw meat. Still…are you sure? I don’t want you getting sick in addition to being in pain” she warned.

“I’m sure” she resolutely stated.

Willa heeded her request and gave her a tiny piece of the rabbit. She sniffed it a couple times and popped it into her mouth. “Oh, oh wow that’s tender! Melts right in your mouth. You guys caught a good one for sure” she praised.

“I know right?” Kraw beamed and the rest of pups dig in.

The older wolves couldn’t believe it. Addison’s lips were getting just as blood drenched as the pups, yet she had no issues whatsoever.

“Aww! She’s enjoying her first kill” Wynter gushed. Everyone nodded at that and started filling up their plates too.

Soon the room was filled with lively conversations as the pups retold their own dramatic hunting venture – completely captivating Addison as her ears hung on every word.

“Next time I’m gonna catch a bison all by myself” Wylan boasted.

“Maybe when you’re a wee bit bigger mate” Willie chuckled.

“I didn’t know bison live out here” Addison commented.

“Oh yeah, but they’re waaaay further out. It takes a few days to reach Kaunak fields, that’s where they live” Rwylo explained.

“Fat fields” she translated.

“Yep, because that’s what we become after eating one” Wei grinned.

“Well I’m feeling almost full and fat right now” she smiled as she licked the remaining blood off of her lips. Just as she was about to reach for another chunk Willa shouted, “Hold on Addison!”

“Wh-what?! What’s wrong? Did you want that piece?” she asked as she retracted her arm.

“No, but I want you to save room for something else. Wei, did you guys happen to take out the life spreaders?”

“Yeah, I’ll go get them” and he went down the corridor to the cold area.

“What’re life spreaders?” Addison asked.

“You’ll see” she replied.

Soon he came back with a plate that had two large chunks of meat on it. Only they weren’t mere chunks – they were the hearts of the animals she took down. Willa stood up and cleared her throat. “**ahem** As per pack tradition, for every wolf’s first kill they must eat the heart. It is known as the life spreader for it pumps blood – the very essence of all animals. Since it is the hardest working muscle of the body, the elders believe by consuming it that animal’s strength will be passed onto you.”

“That and it’s really good!” Wynter whispered to her.

“I wasn’t sure if your body would be up to this, but your appetite has proven otherwise. Addison, please eat these life spreaders and let their strength, speed and tenacity be added to yours.”

Addison nodded at that accepted the two organs. She picked the slightly bigger one up sunk her canines into it - tearing off a hearty chunk. “Yuff weren’t kiffing Wynfer **gulp** This is really good! I’m surprised at how super tender it is given how much a heart works. And it’s not fatty at all” she noted and continued savoring each bite. “Which one is this anyway?”

“The moose” Wei answered.

“Really? Guess eating nothing but plants will make a heart healthy” she commented.

“Eh...not really. You caught a young one so that factors into it too” he explained.

“That’s true” she agreed and swallowed the last piece. Next came the cougar; it was just as lean as the moose. “Was the cougar a youngling too?”

“Not super young, but it was an adult” he replied.

“Huh…then I wonder how it ended up so skinny if it’s been around for a while. I mean, it must’ve had some experience at being a decent hunter” she commented.

“All it takes is a series of unsuccessful hunts to whittle away any predator” Willow chimed in.

“And cougars are ambush hunters – they go for the one-hit knock out” Willie added.

“So they wait for their food to come to them” she ventured and he nodded at that.

“Only this time it was the other way around; food came to you!” Wen grinned. She hummed at that, though they noticed it wasn’t very enthusiastic. Wen could feel his brother glaring at him and he immediately kicked himself for being so insensitive. Even though she won, it was still a harrowing ordeal. But either something else was on Addison’s mind or she paid it no mind because she continued to eat with gusto. Once she finished it, the pack let out a cheering howl.

“Now I’m feeling full and fat” she grinned.

“Good” Wyatt smiled back.

“Here, let’s get you some more water. Would anyone else like a refill?” Willow asked and a few wolves held up their cups. Rwylo helped out his cousin by grabbing a water pitcher as well and poured some into the raised cups.

“I gotta say, you guys have quite the artistic eye” she praised when she noticed the designs on her cup.

“Thanks! Willow and I were going for a geometric pattern instead of the traditional soft brush like what’s on the walls” Rywlo explained as he filled her cup.

“And no two cups or plates are the same. We wanted every piece to be as unique as us” Willow added. Sure enough she looked at Willie’s cup and there were variations in the artwork.

“Cool! I would love to have a set, if that’s alright” she requested.

“Of course!” they beamed and took their seats.

She smiled at that, but Willie noticed that she wasn’t drinking her water like the others. She was just swishing it around.

“…Something the matter mate?” he asked.

“…It’s nothing, its stu-”

“Nuh uh, none of that. Whatever you’re feeling isn’t stupid so let’s hear it” Willa encouraged.

“…Okay. It’s just…when all of you caught your first animal, did any of you feel bad about…killing it?” she asked.

The pack looked amongst themselves and she got a round of “no’s” “nope’s” “nuh uh’s” for answers.

“…Oh, I guess it’s just me. **sigh** I just don’t get it though. I saw you guys hunt and it didn’t bother me. I was even celebrating my catch when I brought’em down. And I just flippin’ ate it! But…I don’t know. I guess it dawned on me at the time.”

“But that doesn’t mean it’s bad that you felt that way” Wynter assured.

“She’s right Addison. For one thing that’s just who you are. And it shows that you respect all the animals you hunt” Willa added.

“Yeah! And I told them what you said to the moose and even the cougar after you killed them; you honored the fact that their sacrifice is helping us survive” Row confirmed.

“Case in point” Willa pointed to everyone’s full stomach and the almost empty meat board.

“Yeah…you’re right” Addison agreed, though she still sounded unsure.

“Don’t worry mate, you’ll get used to it” Willie assured and gently nudged her shoulder.

“And if it’s not your thing, you can always be a farmer like me” Row offered.

Addison smiled and replied, “I don’t know if I’ll have a green thumb like you, but I know I can be a great taste tester” and that got a chuckle out of them.

But the easy going atmosphere was replaced by pure panic when Addison drank some water and choked on it. Though the sputtering action in and of itself normally wouldn’t be that big of a deal, the convulsions coupled with her injuries exacerbated her pain.

“ADDISON!” everyone yelled when they heard her yowl painfully in the midst of her coughing; Wynter and Willie fretfully rubbed her back.

“I-**coughcoughOWooow** I’m f-fine. **coughcoughcough**”

But in the back of Willa’s mind she sounded far from being fine, and those intrusive thoughts came back with a vengeance. “Look what you did, she can’t even drink water because of you! You put her in this position! You put her in pain!” The alpha closed her eyes and growled to herself – trying to will those thoughts away. But she opened her eyes when she heard Addison take a few gasping breaths.

“I’m**cough**okay! I’m okay, just went **coughcough**went down the wrong pipe” she tried to assure everyone as she pounded her chest. But her grimace nor the way she clutched her stomach did nothing to ease the wolves’ worries; especially when they saw more red on her bandages. They couldn’t tell whether or not it was her own blood or dinner residue.

“While I’m glad you’re fine, we need to clean you up and change those bandages” she stated.

Addison looked down at herself and saw what she meant – it looked like someone used a red-dipped paintbrush on her stomach. She couldn’t help but let out a small, terrified whine at thought of another disinfecting clean up and Willa’s heart just sunk.

“See? She’s afraid of you! You hurt her!” She shook those nasty thoughts away and assured, “Don’t worry, I won’t use any boiling water. They’re already disinfected. It’ll just be a quick wrap up, I promise.”

“…Okay” she complied and Willie and Wynter helped her to her feet.

“Wyatt, you’re with me” she ordered and left the main area.

Her brother came around and grabbed her hand again to support her. “Ready?” he asked. She nodded and they slowly followed his sister down the corridor – leaving the worried wolves behind.

“…I’m sorry” Addison muttered.

“For what?” Wyatt asked.

“For ruining dinner” she regretfully replied.

He stopped, bringing her to a gentle halt. He let go of her hand so he could put both of them on her shoulders. “Addison, you didn’t ruin anything. We wouldn’t even have this much food if it wasn’t for you. All you did was cough. Remember when Gnaw and Trew were coughing because they ate too fast?” She nodded. “They didn’t ruin anything did they?”

“…No” she responded.

“Exactly. They cleared their throats and kept on eating. We’re just worried about you because you’re hurt. But you’ll be better soon, I promise” and he ruffled her hair. Addison giggled at their signature sign of affection and showed an appreciative smile. He smiled back and they continued walking hand in hand.

Soon they arrived at the water room; Willa was already cleaned up and had the stool and towels set up. She went over and grabbed Addison’s free hand. “Wyatt, go grab the gel and a fresh set of bandages. Bark when you’re outside the door, but wait til I say you can come in. Understand?”

“Yes big sister.” He left Addison in her care and took off, closing the door behind him.

“…I know you’re comfortable with us, but I figured you wouldn’t want Wyatt to see you with your pants off while I clean your stomach. I’ll put a towel over your lap so you’re covered” she explained as she led her to her seat.

Addison smiled at her for being so considerate about her unmitigated modesty. Though in the back of her mind this was getting ridiculous. This was a medical procedure, and it’d undoubtedly go faster if there wasn’t any sort of obstruction. "I guess today is the day" she thought. She took a deep breath to steel her nerves and squeaked out, “T-Thank you, but I-I don’t mind.”

Willa did a double take when she heard that. When she cleaned her off the first time it was done out of urgency, but now she consciously made the decision to allow her to see all of her. “She wants you to see what you did! Remind you of what a poor leader you are!” the thoughts told her, but one look into Addison’s trusting eyes made them scurry away for now.

Addison undid the string of her pants before gingerly pulling them down as far as she could go; Willa took over and carefully tugged them off. She got a good whiff of that area and was pleased to know that she was still healthy – no infection whatsoever. Although she did squirm a bit as she tried not to cover herself. “…Are you sure you’re okay with this?” she asked.

“Uh huh” she assured despite her embarrassed tone.

“…If you say so” she conceded before removing the abdomen bandages. Addison watched with baited breath as she untied them, curious to see how much they healed. However Willa wasn’t prepared for what she saw.

They didn’t close. They were still as large as when she got them. “But…she’s in her balanced form. That means she should have plenty of energy in her moonstone. Why didn’t these heal up like her fingers when her claws came through?” she thought.

But that was neither here nor there – they needed tender medical attention. She helped her sit down and went over to the pool to wet a wash cloth. “Are you ready?” she asked as she rung out most of the water.

Her patient nodded, but closed her eyes to brace herself. Even with the gentlest pats Addison still whined at the unintentional stinging sensation she caused; needless to say those toxic thoughts were having a field day in Willa’s mind. “So much for a discerning eye! First you transform her, then nearly get her killed?!” Somehow she managed to keep up her focused façade and finish the task at hand. Thankfully it was just dried blood – the cuts themselves were already sealed by her own platelets. She gingerly patted them dry before moving onto the arm. Once she removed those bandages, Addison looked over and was astonished by what she saw.

“Willa, what did you do to my arm cuts?” she asked. She knew they were a lot worse than what she was seeing now.

“I used scissors to cut off the loose skin, almost like cutting a finger nail” she explained.

“Wow…I didn’t feel a thing. You’re amazing” she sincerely praised.

“…Don’t mention it” she replied, feeling a bit undeserving of the kind words. As soon as she was done wiping her arm wounds, both of them heard Wyatt bark. “Just in time” she thought and helped Addison put her pants back on. She barked back and he wasted no time coming in. Though when he saw her cuts, he was just as perplexed. “Gel please” she commanded.

“R-Right” he stuttered and hands her the jar. She takes off the lid and scoops out some of the green goo.

“What is that stuff anyway?” Addison asked.

“Aloe and goldenrod. It helps ease the pain and aids in healing cuts” she explained.

“Kind of like Neosporin” she thought and sighed in relief as she felt the cooling effect.

While she coated her arm Wyatt unfortunately voiced, “Willa…we’re going to have to take her home. She’s going to need stitches.”

That made both girls flinch, but for very different reasons. The elders taught Willa how to stitch wounds, but practicing sewing leather and giant leaves together was nothing compared to sewing flesh. Even though taking her to a doctor was the logical course of action, she knew the procedure would undoubtedly hurt her; she didn’t want her to be in any more pain than she already was – even if it was to help her get better.

On the other end, Addison nervously whined at a singular word. Home. Only now did it dawn on her that she’d have to explain to her parents that she somehow became a werewolf. And she didn’t know which version she was going to get – her regular parents or the “alien” doppelgangers.

“Addison” Willa softly called out, taking her out of her thoughts. “…I know you’re scared, but I promise we’ll be right by your side” she assured.

She couldn’t tell whether or not she meant being by her side while she got stitched up, or when she talked to her parents. Either way she nodded at that – appreciating it all the same. Wyatt wrapped her arm while she did her stomach and helped her stand up. They cleaned the room and set the dirty towels off to the side for now. Wyatt became her living crutch again and the trio walked to the door. As they were coming out they saw Willow, Rwylo and Wynter walking up with the pups in tow.

“Addy!” the little ones exclaimed and they ran up to them.

“Is everything alright?” Willow asked.

“Everything’s fine. We’re about to get dressed so we can take her home. Her wounds need stitches and we’ll be with her until the procedure is done. Wynter, you’re coming with us. With everything that’s…happened, I’m not taking any chances” she explained.

“Got it! I’ll be quick” Wynter said and dashes into the water room.

“Willow, Rwylo. Can you please gather everyone into the main area after the pups wash up?” she requested.

“Yes alpha” they replied and followed after Wynter.

Soon the trio enter the sleeping area. Wyatt starts getting dressed while Willa helps Addison put her shirt and jacket on. “There we go. Does that feel okay?” she asked as she zipped up her jacket.

“It’s perfect, thank you” Addison replied.

Willa nodded and carefully helped her sit down. She handed her the cheer bags before heading over to the clothing cubby holes to pull out her own clothes.

“…Guess I’ll need bigger shoes” Addison commented while looking at her wiggling her toes.

“That won’t be a problem. Elder Moss can make you as many pairs as you want” Wyatt assured as he put his vest over his sleeveless hooded shirt.

“Heh, then everyone will ask me where I got the awesome kicks from” she smiled.

“Too bad for them, it’s an exclusive line” he grinned back.

Willa smiled a little at their frivolity, but it vanished as those foul thoughts kept her from fully enjoying it.

Meanwhile Addison took her phone out of her bag and turned it on. “…Well, at least it’s not super late” she thought when she saw that it was half past nine. “Hopefully they’ll still be up by the time we get back; they had a super early start like I did.”

When she looked at the bottom of her screen, she noticed a few blue message bubbles. She tapped the app and saw they were from her mom and Bree, asking how the trial went. <I passed the trial! I’ll tell you what I caught when I see you, it’ll shock you for sure> she replied to them, but also texted her mom <I’m leaving the den now. I’ll see you soon>. “It’s going to be a real shocker alright. Too bad I didn’t get a picture” she thought as she tucked it in her jacket pocket.

All of a sudden Wynter barged in and said, “Sorry! I’m sorry I took so long!” and went over to her cubby hole. Before anyone could refute that notion she was instantly dressed. “Okay! All set” she declared.

“Then let’s go” Willa ordered. Wyatt helped Addison up while Wynter grabbed her bags. When they walked into the tidied main area, everyone was waiting for them. “Wolves” Willa addressed. “We’ll be escorting Addison back home. Her wounds require stitches” and that got some worried whines out of them. “I don’t know how long the procedure will take, but we’re going to be with her until it’s done. Until we return, everyone stay close to the den. And no one goes on patrol tonight, is that clear?” and everyone nodded their heads. “Not that we need to; Addison probably scared everything away with her earlier howl” they thought.

The pups ran up and gave each of them a hug. “Bye guys” “Goodnight” “Be careful” “Get well soon Addy” were some of the endearments they said before the teens followed up with their own harmonious howls – praying for safe travels and a speedy recovery.

Addison smiled at that and replied, “Thank you. We’ll be back before you know it.”

“We’ll hold you to it mate” Willie smiled and they watched them walk out the tunnel.

The night was beautifully illuminated by a full moon and a bounty of twinkling stars. Not that she needed the natural light, for her eyes adjusted accordingly.

“Whoa…night vision” she marveled, getting an amused chuckle out of her escorts. At least they’d be able to enjoy the sight for a while, it was going to be a slow trek. But having the medicine inside and outside her body did wonders – she managed to keep pace without too much issue. However they briefly stopped when Addison’s phone vibrated and lit up her jacket pocket. When she took it out and looked at it, the three wolves immediately sensed her anxiety spike.

“Is something wrong Addison?” Wyatt asked as she put her phone away.

“…No, it’s nothing. Let’s keep going” she replied and grabbed his hand again. They decided to not press into it; the faster they got her the needed medical attention, the better. Though as time went on it became harder and harder to ignore the worried aura surrounding her. Just as Wyatt was about to gently inquire again Addison suddenly asked, “Willa?”

“Yes Addison? What is it?”

“Um…it’s just…how exactly did I become a werewolf? Why didn’t it work the first time I put it on?”

Wynter and Wyatt were curious about that too initially, until it got put on the backburner after everything that happened. Willa continued walking but talked along the way. “You became a werewolf because you were always one of us. How I don’t know, but you showed the signs.”

“You mean when I could translate your language?” she asked.

“That and you had our scent even before you transformed” Willa revealed.

“I did?”

“Uh huh. My brother was the first to notice.”

“Really?! When?”

“Well…to be honest, it was when I took you home after our hunting lesson. At first I thought my nose was messing with me…and responding to my wishful thinking” he muttered to himself.

“Same here. I thought my nose was acting funny too when you came back with those cookies” Wynter chimed in.

“Sooo…how exactly did you confirm that your sense of smell was correct?” Addison asked, though she had a pretty good idea how.

“You tell me” and she could hear Willa’s smirk, confirming her suspicions.

“…When?”

“While you were sleeping with the pups. All of us could smell it then” she explained and Addison sealed her lips to keep an embarrassed groan from coming out; after all she did just sniff her and her brother down there this morning.

“Looks like Gnaw was right in a way. The necklace did awaken a part of you” Wyatt realized.

“Then how did everything else wake up so to speak?” she asked.

“While we were sniffing you, I noticed that your moonstone was pulsing with a weak light. Normally with a glow that low it means that the energy was running out. But the light wasn’t green. If anything it looked like your moonstone was coming back to life.”

“Really?”

“Yep. I didn’t notice how low it was at first when you gave it back to us because there was so much going on.”

“…Yea. Having your moonstone in an exploding building will take precedence over…well…everything” she uttered.

“Uh huh. But make no mistake, it was fully charged when we first showed it to you.”

That’s when something clicked in her mind. “…Zed. Something must’ve happened to it when he took it” she realized and she could feel simmering anger within the entity residing inside of her moonstone.

“You’re probably right, that’s the only thing that makes sense. In any case, it’s in the past now. We’re safe and healthy thanks to you both” she replied.

Soon Addison started putting two and two together. “So when you asked for my necklace…it was to charge it back up.”

“Yes.”

“Did…did you know this was going to happen?”

“No” she quickly refuted. “But I had to check and make sure. While I was impressed that you chose to do the alpha trials despite being a human, I am realistic. I wanted to give you every kind of advantage to succeed, whether by awakening a few werewolf abilities or by giving you any weapon we had. But I certainly wasn’t expecting that kind of transformation; that has never happened before. …I’m really really sorry you went through all that pain. I didn’t mean for that to happen” she whined.

“I know you didn’t, so there’s nothing to apologize for” she assured, but Willa didn’t seemed too convinced and replied with a mere hum. “Still, it’s amazing. All this time I was a werewolf. …But wait. How is it that I was able to survive without having the moonstone? Or anyone in my family for that matter? I mean, you have to be born one right? Then again, you said I could learn about you guys if I became a werewolf. So is it just a sudden mutation then?” she asked.

“I don’t know. I’m sure the elders will have more answers for you – we’ll ask them when they get back” Willa replied.

“Oh, okay. Just uh…one more thing. How did I transform into a lycanthrope? And how did I even change back while I was asleep?”

“…Again, I don’t know” she growled – absolutely hating feeling useless in this situation.

“Hey it’s okay. We’re still feeling things out” Addison tried to assure her, but Willa spins on her heels and rebuffs, "No it’s not! We’re werewolves! We should know how to transform, it’s our nature! But we don’t! Yes our ancestors did it, but no one has been allowed to transform for years! You’re the first one!”

“Wait, what do you mean you weren’t allowed to?” she caught and she could instantly feel everyone tense up. Wynter lets out a small whine and Willa clenches her fists, growling to herself.

Addison quickly tries to retract her question. “I-I’m sorry! I take it ba-”

“No” Wynter cuts her off. “I-It’s okay. I can tell you.”

“…Wynter” Wyatt utters.

Willa quickly turns away, not wanting to see the pain her careless outburst caused. “Shameful!” the horrid voice spoke, and she didn’t disagree with it because she knew it was right. A murmuring whine came out of her throat before she started walking again. As the trio followed suit Wynter asked, “Addison, do you know the names of our elders?”

“Umm…let’s see…there’s Elder Walden, Elder Wanbli, Elder Warrick, Elder Usawa, and Elder Worion. That’s all I know” she answered.

“…Those are the only ones now, but there was another. My paw pa, err, grandfather…Elder Winston.” Addison saw a small yet somber smile grace her features. “He was a super strong rook, but he was also very kind. He had this gruff laugh and always gave squeezing hugs and kisses to whoever he saw. Heh…he even had this crazy catchphrase, “Paw pa mauls you all!” whenever he would chase us. But we’d always pounce on him and end up rolling around wherever we were…just having fun.” The trip down memory lane was momentarily paused when she quieted down - her wistful smile disappearing as she stared at the darkened landscape with a far-away look in her eyes.

“…Wynter?” Wyatt gently called out.

“H-Huh? Oh…sorry” she apologized and wiped her eyes.

“I can tell her the rest if you want” he offered.

“No…that’s okay” and she took a shuddering breath before continuing. “One day when Willa, Wyatt, Row, Wen, Wei and I were pups he took us to explore and play around in our territory. All of a sudden he tells us to get behind him and stay low. Our curiosity got the better of us and we peered around him. Off in the distance we see this huge grizzly bear eating whatever it caught.”

“Alright everyone…just keep quiet and walk away. It won’t bother us if we don’t bother it” he told us.

Unfortunately…it didn’t end up that way.

Some stupid crows were making a lot of noise overhead; they always appear whenever any predator makes a kill so they can get the scraps. But that bear wasn’t having it. It roared at them to scare’em away, but by doing so it took its attention away from its meal. Then it started sniffing the air and looked over at where we were. Somehow it picked up on our scent and started running towards us” her breath hitched and she nervously wrapped her arms around her stomach.

Wyatt fared no better as small whines came out of him. Even Willa wasn’t doing too well as her footsteps stomped a little harder as she walked ahead.

“Wynter…please. You don’t-” but she shook her head at Addison’s leniency and she continued telling her sad tale.

“Paw pa told us to run, but we didn’t want to. We wanted to stay and fight. We told him we were strong, brave and fierce like him!”

“I know how tenacious you munchkins are, but you have to listen to me! The bravest and toughest thing that any of you pups can do is making sure that your pack is safe, no matter what! And sometimes that means running away.”

“We still refused to listen until it was almost upon us. We all froze when we saw how big and ferocious it really was; it was terrifyingly massive and waaaay bigger than him.”

“GO! NOW! And don’t look back!” he shouted.

“…If it wasn’t for Willa pulling us out of there” she paused, trying to compose herself. “We ran. We ran as fast as we could and didn’t look. The last thing we heard was his battle bark, “Paw pa mauls you all!” I knew that bear wouldn’t stand a chance…I just knew it, but I was still so scared. When we finally reached the den, we cried and told everyone what had happened. My paw ma, Elder Warrick, led our strongest wolves to where he was fighting the bear. We waited forever for them to come back…the worrying only made us cry even more. Our parents comforted us the best they could…but I just wanted my paw pa back. And then we heard their tired howls; they brought him back. All of us ran out of the den with big smiles, ready to pounce on him and have him squeeze us like he normally would…but we stopped dead in our tracks when we saw him. He was in his lycanthrope form with deep gashes all over his body; there was so much blood oozing out of them…staining his beautiful sand colored fur. But the worst part was that his moonstone was green and fading fast.

“Children, go tell Elder Walden and Elder Wanbli to prepare for a medical emergency! Now!” my paw ma cried; she was completely beside herself. Willa and the others did as they were told, but I stayed by his side – I wasn’t going to leave him again. Behind him I saw the rest of the pack carrying the carcass of the bear. That mean, stupid ol’ bear! Paw pa got’em good just like I knew he would, but it didn’t make me feel better.

They carried him to the main area and laid him down. Just as Elder Wanbli and Elder Walden were about to start treating him, he stopped them.

“Don’t…don’t do it. Don’t heal me.”

“Winston?! What’re saying!?”

“Warrick…my darling, ferocious fireball. You…you know my energy is almost gone. It’s…it’s not worth it.”

“Shut up you rock head! Yes it is!” and that got a chuckle out of him, but he shook his head.

“Heh…been a while since you called me that…twiggy.” When he called my paw ma by her old puphood nickname…that made more tears come out of her. “Warrick…we knew this day would come. We knew our time was limited. I’m just glad that ol’ paw pa was able to…protect you all” he smiled, but coughed up blood right after.

“Elder Winston!” “No!” “We’re sorry!” “We should’ve listened to you!” “Please don’t go!” we all cried. I even offered to give up the energy in my necklace to save him.

“Hey now…none of that. This wasn’t anyone’s fault. That bear…was protecting its kill, nothing more. It didn’t come near our den…nor threaten us until it sensed us. And based on the number of scars it already had…it didn’t want to take any chances” he explained. We listened to his reasoning, but we still didn’t like it.

“It shouldn’t haven’t even been here! This is our territory!” she recounted what Willa yelled, making her friend pick up her pace.

“True…but how many time have we entered another animal’s territory in order to hunt?” he asked us and we didn’t have a comeback for that. “I know it hurts…seeing me like this. And I’d be lying if I said that**cough**I don’t feel a thing. Contrary to legend, I don’t have iron bones” he gruffly laughed, though it came out much more pained. “But right now…I couldn’t be happier because everyone I love is safe. Now…come on over and let me give everyone some sugar.”

“One by one he gave each member of the pack a kiss on the forehead. When…when it was my family’s my turn, Warrick helped him sit up so he could give us a hug as well as a kiss. I begged him not to go and my family told Elder Walden and Wanbli to transfer some of our energy from out necklaces into him. “Hey! **coughcough** What did I s-say?!”

“B-But paw pa!”

“Don’t worry Wynter…I’ll always be watching over you. All of you. Every time you howl…I know that our pack is going strong. Now…send me off with a smile…ya little munchkins.”

A-And all of us did just that through our tears.

“Thank you…and remember…paw pa loves you all” she finished.

Addison was stunned into silence as she watched Wyatt and Wynter shudder and shed a few tears; even though Willa was further away, there was no doubt in her mind that she was displaying the same reaction.

Now everything made sense. What happened to her was almost similar to what happened to Elder Winston. No wonder Willa reacted the way she did, and how worried everyone else looked. She was taken out of her stupor when Wyatt wiped his eyes and elaborated, “It was always a rule to only transform when absolutely necessary. But ever since that day…the elders truly forbade us from turning into lycans since our necklaces were running out of power. That’s why we never learned.”

And thus her tactless question was answered.

Feeling that words were futile for what she wanted to express, she stopped in her tracks – jolting Wyatt to a halt as well. She grunted at the abruptness, but pushed aside the temporary pain – it was nothing compared to what her pack mates were feeling now. She removed her hand from his grip, making him raise an eyebrow up in confusion. “A-Addison? What’re-” but he was cut off when she nuzzled underneath his chin and into his chest. She wasn’t sure what exactly the gesture meant, but it felt right in her spirit. Wyatt gratefully smiled at that and wrapped one arm around her while the other hand delicately stroked her hair. She stepped back so she could see his adoring face and he gave her an affectionate lick on her forehead. She smiled and he let her go.

Just as she was about to go over to Wynter, she beat her to it and embraced her – letting a few choked sobs come out. “…I couldn’t help paw pa, but I’m glad I was able to help you” she whispered. Addison returned the hug in earnest despite all her muscles protesting against the tightening action. Her hand moved behind her right ear and she lightly scratched it; instantly she could feel her friend’s body relax. “Wynter, you’re so brave. Back then, and right now” she whispered back and slowly let her go. She smiled and nodded while wiping the remaining tears away.

All the while Willa stopped and stood as still as a tree; her eyes unwilling to even glance back at them. They were screwed shut as the vile voices scolded her. “You just can’t stop hurting wolves can you? Got your best friend over there crying like a puppy! Some al-” but those horrid thoughts were hastily shut down when she felt something grab her clenched hand. She looked over and saw Addison using her thumb to rub circles on the back of it - warmth spreading through each miniscule caress. The alpha did a double take before finally looking over her shoulder to see the rest of her comrades running up to them. “…She walked from all the way back there...for me” she realized as she looked at Addison again and noticed the slight trembles in her body from overexerting herself. But none of that mattered to injured wolf, her attention was focused solely on her coiled fist. Willa slowly unfurled her hand and Addison wasted no time sliding it in – giving it a gentle squeeze. When she looked at her, she noticed that she refused to make eye contact – opting to stare at the darkened path. However…the alpha did squeeze back and that put a smile on Addison’s face. “Wyatt, Wynter. Take the lead” she unexpectedly commanded, startling the two wolves.

“Y-Yes alpha” and they got in front of them, resuming the brisk pace from before. Wyatt looked behind him and saw that Willa had taken his place as Addison’s crutch. And he didn’t mind one bit.

After almost two hours of walking they finally reach Seabrook’s border. Thankfully there weren’t any people out due to the late hour; the only things that were awake were the various insects that buzzed around the multitude of lit porch lights. But as they neared her domicile within the manicured wilderness, she couldn’t help but let out worried whines.

“Addison?” Wynter said and everyone stopped – but something made Willa’s nose and ears twitch. The alpha let her go so she could discreetly investigate, and so Wyatt could put his hands on her shoulders. “Hey, what’s wrong?” he asked.

“I’m…I’m just nervous. About seeing my parents” she finally admitted.

That’s when he recalled some of the details of the stifling atmosphere she grew up in. “Do…do you regret turning into a werewolf?” he asked.

“What!? No, of course not!” she resolutely answered, making all of them smile despite the situation. “Like I said this is best day of my life! I finally know what I am. But at the same time…despite all the contradictory and oppressive things they’ve done…they’re still my parents. I know I shouldn’t care what they’ll say about me, but I’m still scared. I already know they’re going to freak out over my injuries-”

“And that should be their only concern” Willa cut her off before letting out a long, loud howl.

“Willa! What’re you doing?!” Wyatt growled.

“What? Can’t I say how proud I am that our potential newest pack member brought down a moose and a cougar with her bare hands? That she even sustained critical injuries in order to provide food for us? That she became a beautiful werewolf and even turned in lycanthrope without any instruction?” she yelled.

“Well, I mean…all that’s true, but are you trying to wake people up?! They’re still a little wary around us!” he countered.

“Yes I am” and she pointed to something behind them.

The trio turned around and Addison nervously yipped as her anxiety spiked through the roof. Oh how she wished there were three cougars instead of the two familiar figures in front of her house.

“Wha bu how?” Wynter stuttered her question.

“I smelled them and heard some sort of conversation through their open window” she explained.

An uneasy gulp slid down Addison’s throat as she started fiddling with a few locks of her messy hair.

“Don’t worry Addison, Wynter protects you all” she stated and Wyatt nodded at that.

She took a few deep breaths to steady her nerves, and hesitantly walked hand in hand with her fearless rooks towards the biggest challenge of her life – the mountain of bigotry within her own household.

Chapter 12: Truce Between Two Sides

Chapter Text

Silent.

That’s all Missy and Dale could be as their minds tried to rationalize everything that they just heard. For them, this was the crash ending to a rollercoaster ride of assorted emotions that they’ve been on for the past few hours.

Initially there was understandable worry – it was late and there was no word from their daughter on how the trial went.

Then overwhelming relief propelled their cart when they heard the designated chime for her on their phones – speeding up to unadulterated loop-de-loops of joy as they learned that she passed her trial and was on her way home.

Next came anticipation as their proverbial cart clacked along the track – both of them eager to hear her regaling tale of whatever she caught, though Missy wasn’t sure if she was ready to hear that she caught some dangerous reptile. Nonetheless, they were ready to laud her accomplishment and plan a well-deserved celebration.

Though as the minutes morphed into hours, fear started to set in as their cart overlooked the sheer drop. Where was she? Why was it taking so long? Did something happen along the way? One uneasy question after another filled their minds to the brim with crippling anxiety; Dale was just about to mobilize the Protect All Deviants, or P.A.D, patrol to find their daughter until a heart-stopping howl blew through their open windows.

“Oh please let that be them and not just a dog walker passing through” they thought as they ran outside to see if Addison was truly home. “Oh thank God she’s safe!" they internally sighed in relief as their racing pulse slowed down.

However, their heart rates stopped on a dime when they heard one of the children shout, “Can’t I say how proud I am that our potential newest pack member brought down a moose and a cougar with her bare hands? That she even sustained critical injuries in order to provide food for us? That she became a beautiful werewolf and even turned in lycanthrope without any instruction?”

“…What? No…no that’s…that’s impossible!” Missy thought as she looked at her husband, who sported the same look of absolute shock she did. If everything that girl said was true…then Addison…the child she gave birth to was a…

She couldn’t even finish that internal sentence before all the children turned around and faced them. They didn’t miss how gimpy Addison’s stride was as she hesitantly walked towards them, confirming at least half of the declaration they heard. And when they passed underneath a street light, they saw her bare feet adorned with razor-sharp nails, making the rest of the statement true as well. But for now that was neither here or there as their examining gazes softened considerably. They could feel the sheer fear radiating off of her; she looked like an innocent prisoner walking up to face corrupt judges that would shackle her with one snap of their fingers.

Addison felt small and exposed under what she perceived were incriminating stares. Although she was used to her looks being constantly criticized, it still wasn’t a nice feeling. It was almost like smoking cigarettes; eventually the body adapted to tolerating it…even though it was killing you on the inside. But now her life wasn’t just at risk. She didn’t get to finish voicing her concerns before Willa howled. Her biggest fear was that her parents would attack the pack, believing that they forcibly turned her into a…monster. It’s one thing to support different beings from afar, but it’s another thing to tolerate it within your own home. And Wyatt and Wynter’s defensive growling wasn’t helping matters at all, even though they meant well. Willa stood behind them with her arms crossed, waiting to see how this would all play out. Addison unintentionally let out another nervous whine, making her rooks clutch her hands a little tighter.

“**gulp**...M-mom…dad. I-I’m”

“Hurt? We heard. Let us see” Dale ordered, stunning the werewolves.

“And we’re going to what exactly? We’re government officials, not doctors” Missy reminded him.

“You’re right, you’re right. I’ll call 911 now” he amended and pulled his phone out of his lounge pant pocket.

“No, an ambulance would take too long. Call Seabrook Medical and let them know we’re on our way. We’ll use the bypass siren” she reasoned.

“Good idea” and he pressed an app that started their pink Fiat.

“Everyone in” Missy ordered while Dale waited for the operator to pick up.

“H-Huh?” the trio uttered while Willa showed a tiny smile.

“You heard her, get in” she reiterated.

“B-But mom, all of us can’t fit” Addison pointed out.

“And we’re not staying behind” Wynter asserted. “We can follow on foot, we’re just as fast as any car.”

Missy raised an eyebrow at that - clearly questioning the validity of her claim before refuting, “Out of the question. Addison, you’ll sit on your father’s lap while the rest of you sit in the back. It’ll be a bit of a squeeze, but there’s room.”

“But what about your clothes?” she asked pointing to her nightgown. She knew how much her mom prided herself on being well-put together.

But she was thrown for a loop when her mother replied, “Who cares?! I’m covered! Your well-being supersedes anything I’m wearing – period and the end!” giving her a serious case of déjà vu while getting an affirmative nod out of the alpha.

She was taken out of surprised stupor when she heard her dad finally get a hold of the operator. “Hello, this is Dale Wells, chief of the P.A.D. My daughter has been viciously mauled by a cougar and we’re bringing her to the hospital right now. I expect everything to be in place by the time we arrive.”

“Exactly my point. Just let me get my purse and we’re leaving. Here, hand me her bags” she said. Wyatt and Wynter give her the duffle bags and she dashes into the house with Dale trailing right behind her.

Addison, Wyatt and Wynter stood there completely befuddled for a few seconds. Needless to say none of them were expecting that kind of reaction, even though they needed that kind of reaction in order for Addison to get the medical help she required. And Willa reminded them of that when she barked, “Wolves! Do what the alpha Wells said and get inside!”

“R-Right!” they snapped to attention.

Addison opened the passenger door and pressed a button on the side of the corresponding front seat to scoot it up so her friends could squish into the back. “I’m sorry that there isn’t more room” she apologized as she readjusted the seat, being mindful not to bump Willa’s knees.

“Don’t be sorry Addison, we’re fine” the alpha assured.

“Yeah, it’s all good. After all, half of the pack hid in your school’s air duct so we could sneak in and find you” Wynter added.

“You did? I didn’t know that” she commented.

“Uh huh, we’re stealth masters!” she declared.

“I’ll say” she chuckled.

“Not to mention our ancestors slept in dens smaller than this” Wyatt added.

“What!? Really? How?” she asked. After being in their magnificent estate of a den it was hard to fathom them living in such a cramped environment.

“It’s a long story and a werewolf secret. But we’ll be able to tell you soon” Willa smiled, garnering a small grin out of her as well.

“Addison, you should sit down too” Wyatt advised.

“It’s alright, I’m fine standing. I’ll wait til my parents come out and I’ll sit down then” she replied. In actuality, getting up and down was still painful for her sore body. She redirected her gaze to the front of her house as a few thoughts emerged from the depths of her cynical mind. “At least I got the “Twilight Zone” version for now…but I better not get too comfortable. Mom sure was quick to use the bypass siren instead of calling an ambulance. She probably didn’t want any unnecessary attention drawn to them, even though it’s nobody’s business. **sigh**Why am I even thinking like this? My body is literally carved open! Other people’s opinions should be the least of my concerns…and yet.” She sighed again and draped her arms over the top of car door to lean against it. Her companions looked at each other when they sensed her despondent aura. Just as Wyatt was about to offer some comforting words, all the lights in her house turn off and her parents come out.

They were wearing long, semi-formal coats and proper shoes, but still had their pajamas on. Missy opens the driver’s door and gets behind the wheel. She pushed a button that looked similar to the one that activates the hazard lights; this one made the lights underneath the main headlights and brake lights flash blue…as well as blare that loud, annoying siren. All of the werewolves immediately yowled and covered their ears.

“Shoot!” Missy said under her breath and quickly turned down the volume. “Sorry! I’m sorry!” she hastily apologized as they uncover their ears. “Are all of you alright?”

“Y-yeah…we’ll be fine” Addison replied as her father helped keep her steady; all of them rubbed their foreheads – trying to dissipate the sting from the booming ring.

“…I’m sorry” she remorsefully repeated.

“I-It’s okay mom” she assured and the rest of the werewolves nodded at that.

“No…it’s not” she refuted.

“Mom, you didn’t know. I didn’t even know I was super sensitive to loud noises.”

“And we forgot to tell you” Willa added. “Sorry Addison.”

“Like I said, it’s alright” Addison assured.

Once Dale knew that his daughter was truly okay, he sat down and fastened his seatbelt. Addison slowly eased herself down onto his lap and he pulled the door shut.

“Alright, does everyone have their seatbelts on?” Missy asked as she clicked hers.

“Seat what?” Wynter asked.

Addison slightly twisted her body around and explained, “Look on your right side above your shoulder Wynter and there should be a little buckle. Pull it out and put it in the slot on the opposite side where you’re sitting” she instructed.

“Got it” and she did as she was told. Willa duplicated the same action since she sat in the opposite outer seat.

“Wyatt, yours should be right the-yep you got it” she praised when he found the middle seat lap belt and clicked it in. No one missed the slight grimace she sported nor the pained groan when she turned back around.

“Addison, does this feels okay?” her dad asked as he carefully wrapped his arms around her abdomen.

“Yeah, I’m fine. But are your legs going to be okay with me sitting on them?” she asked; both of their knees were pressed against the glove compartment.

“Oh don’t worry about that, we won’t be like this for long” he assured.

And to prove his point, Missy floored the gas pedal and sped out of the driveway like she was in a dragster – leaving tire marks on their pristine pavement and plastering everyone to their seats. The werewolves couldn’t help but nervously whine as they zoomed by everything while Dale was completely un-phased.

“I take back what I said!” Wynter rescinded.

“No kidding” Willa agreed. Unbeknownst to them, a ghost of a smirk formed on Missy’s lips.

Even though there weren’t many cars out due to the late hour, having the bypass siren was quite handy; it made every stoplight they came across turn green. “Almost there Addison” Missy spoke as the towering Seabrook Medical Center came into view. When they pulled up into the roundabout entrance there was already a squad of five EMT personnel waiting for them with a stretcher, an oxygen mask and a mini defibrillator. One of the perks of being mayor, everyone was more or less at your beck and call.

“…I think all of that might be a bit much” Addison commented when she saw all the equipment.

“No, coming home at the dead of night after walking through the forest with gruesome injuries from a goddam cougar is a bit much” Missy thought before saying, “They can bring out a burnisher and a curette for all I care. Whatever it takes to heal you.”

“…A what and a what??” she asked.

“Dental tools. Your mom was a dental assistant once upon time, but that’s beside the point. If they deem it’s necessary, then so be it” Dale added.

One of the technicians came up to the passenger door and Dale unlocked it so he could open it. “Mayor Wells. Chief Wells. Everything’s ready” said the lead tech.

“Very good, thank you” Dale replied and the tech held out his strong, supple hand to Addison. She hesitantly put her hand in his and helped her off of her dad’s lap. He smiled and said, “I promise we’ll make you right as rain little lady” as he led her over to the stretcher.

There was no doubt in his words. She knew that they would do everything in their power to fix her up…but still. She was understandably nervous. “But…my family” she started to say as she stole a glance of them getting out of the car.

“Don’t worry, they’ll be waiting for you in recovery” he assured.

“Wait what? We can’t go with her!?” Wyatt asked; even her parents looked at the lead tech incredulously.

“Sorry little guy, we have to take her to the operating room and it’s a sterilized area. We can’t risk her getting an infection” he explained as his crew loaded her onto the gurney.

Willa scoffed at that and refuted, “She won’t. We made sure of that.”

“Then you’ve made our jobs easier” and she could sense that he wasn’t just humoring her. “Still, its protocol and we have to follow it” he asserted.

Even though they understood the rule, no one liked it. “…Fine. But be gentle with her” Missy ordered and the werewolves let out small growls as well, echoing the sentiment.

“We’ll treat her like a budgie’s egg Mayor” he assured. “For now make yourselves comfortable in the waiting room and Dr. Wardlaw will see you when he’s done.”

“Thank you” Dale expressed before walking towards his daughter. “We’ll see you soon Addison” and he gently squeezed her hand.

“Okay” and she squeezed back.

He let go and moved out of the way so Missy could approach her. She was about to touch the top of her head, but quickly remembered her aversion to caresses to her hair. Instead she leaned in and gave her a kiss on the forehead. As she stepped back, she gave her a reassuring smile. Addison paused for a moment before silently replying with her own small smile, letting her fangs poke out. Though it quickly disappeared when she saw a quick flash of shock appear on her mom’s face.

“**sigh**…I knew it” she thought.

She was taken out of her despondent thoughts when Wyatt, Willa and Wynter barked their own prayers for a speedy and safe operation; she smiled and gratefully inclined her head towards them.

Now that everyone had gotten their word in, the lead technician commanded, “Alright team! Move out!” and they rushed her through the sliding glass doors – disappearing into one of the many corridors.

“Now then” and the werewolves look over to see a very irritated mother with her arms crossed in front of her chest, and her glaring husband who looked like he was three seconds away from calling the patrol to arrest them.

“I believe you owe us an explanation” she addressed the alpha.

Willa sighed and thought, “This is going to be a long night” before recounting the results of her decision.

Meanwhile…

Addison tried to keep up with whatever medical lingo the technicians were saying as they wheeled her just outside of an operating room. The lead tech pressed a button that activated the intercom. “EMT team 22194 with cougar trauma patient 01147 requesting clearance” he spoke.

“Granted” the voice on the other end replied and the light above the room changed from red to green.

She heard a click and the door automatically opened. “Little lady, if you could close your eyes for me that’d be right nice” the lead tech requested and Addison did as she was told. As they passed through the threshold she could feel a light mist covering her exposed skin. “Must be a sanitizing agent” she ventured as they continued to roll her around. Soon all the moving came to a gentle halt and she heard one of the techs count down, “Three…two…one…HUP!”

“Wh-whoa!” she yelped when she felt herself being lifted up only to be immediately put back down. She felt the soft padding of what guessed was a hospital bed and noticed that it wasn’t as constricting as the gurney – allowing her limbs spread out a bit.

“Thank youz kindly” a silky yet street-savvy voice spoke that sounded vaguely familiar to the girl.

“Any day and all day Dr. Wardlaw” the lead tech replied and Addison felt one last comforting tap on her shoulder. “See you in a humming beat little lady” and she could sense the smile on his face before she heard multiple footsteps leave the room as well as the closing click of the door.

“Miss Addison, youz can open your eyes now” Dr. Wardlaw spoke. She did as she was told, though she had to squint due to the brightness of the operating light above her. “Oop, hold on a sec” and he dimmed it a bit. “How’s that?”

“Much better” she answered and looked over to see who she was talking to. There were a trio of doctors clad head to toe in teal disposable scrubs, matching gloves, masks and shower caps. Although the cap on the doctor closest to her seemed to be stretched to its limits trying to cover the large amount of hair underneath it.

“Nice to see youz again Addison, though I never thought it’d be like this” the doctor with bountiful hair said, and she could sense the friendly aura emanating from him. “You’ve grown up quite a bit since I last saw youz. Then again, youz were only seven the last time your parents brought youz in. Do youz remember me at all?” he asked and she shook her head no, though based on his tone she was able to deduce that he was aforementioned Dr. Wardlaw. “Thought not. Youz probably blocked me out from your memory after that last booster shot I gave youz” he chuckled, and she noticed his assistants roll their eyes at the lame joke while they set up the equipment. But when he said that, something clicked in her mind and a buried memory unearthed itself.

“Wait…you’re the one who told me not to flinch” she suddenly recalled, surprising the doctor.

“Guess youz didn’t completely block out that visit after all” he retracted.

“Then you told me…” and she looked up at his concealed hair again.

“Focus on the broccoli” they simultaneously said.

“Sure did, and it worked!” he grinned and her eyes widened in recognition.

“Dr. Dynamite?!” she exclaimed.

“Dr. Dynamite?” his assistants repeated while they regarded him strangely.

“Hah! I haven’t heard that name in a while! I’m glad youz still remember!” he laughed.

“Uhh…wanna explain that one Tobe?” the male assistant with an inner city tone asked.

“When she was little she asked what shots did, and I told her that I was putting little dynamite sticks in her body to blow up any bad stuff inside. Ever since then she’s been calling me Dr. Dynamite” he explained.

“Ahh, got it.”

“And all that TNT worked, youz rarely got sick. Well…other than that time your mom called freaking out about a little cold youz caught, but youz got over that real quick too.”

“How…how’re you able to remember all that? You must have a lot of patients” she asked in utter awe.

“God-given ability” he proudly replied.

“That and he looked over your medical file before you got here” his assistant cheekily chimed in.

“Way to steal my thunder Reggie” Dr. Wardlaw rebuffed, but his assistant merely chuckled and shrugged his shoulders.

“Umm…this is probably a weird question, but is it normally so…chill in a trauma center?” Addison asked.

“Pfft, I wish” she heard Reggie mutter to himself.

“No no, I’m just trying to make youz feel at ease before we get into the nitty gritty stuff. Is it helping or making it worse?” Dr. Wardlaw asked.

“It’s definitely helping” she assured.

“Are youz sure?” he asked again.

“Yup! I swear I’m alright Dr. Dynamite. It’s not like I’m dying or anything” she replied.

“That’s good” and all of them sighed in relief.

“That’s typically what we see in this area. People unconscious and bleeding like crazy” Reggie commented.

“That’s what we were expecting when they called me up saying youz was attacked by a cougar” Dr. Wardlaw added. “Although I should’ve expected something like this when your dad said they were driving youz up here instead of dispatching an ambulance.”

“So this is a nice change of pace for us. Not you getting attacked obviously, but not having to race against time to try and save you” Reggie explained.

“You can thank my friends for that. They took really good care of me when I got hurt” she praised.

“And what exactly did they do?” Dr. Wardlaw asked and she told them everything they did and what they gave her as far as medicine. “Well alrighty then! Impressive first-aid skills and a good ol’ fashioned fish and nail remedy to boot” he replied.

“Huh? Fish and nail??” Addison repeated.

“It’s an old saying. It basically means a natural or sometimes bizarre remedy can work wonders, even more so than our modern medicine.”

“Like beet juice for high blood pressure” Reggie added.

“Uh huh. But something tells me youz don’t want me to go all the way back to the old school ways of using cactus needles and palm frond strips to fix up whatever injuries youz got” he ventured.

“No thanks!” she quickly confirmed, getting a chuckle out of him.

“Thought not. Now let’s see what we’re dealing with here. But there’s one thing I have to ask. How much do youz love these clothes?”

“Huh? Well, I mean they’re just some old clothes I found in case I got really dirty running through the forest. Why?”

“Because Charlene is going to cut them off, though we’ll be able to save the jacket since it can be zipped open. We just don’t want youz moving any more than youz already have” he explained.

“Oh…okay, that’s fine. Just…uh…I mean I know you’re doctors and all but…uh”

Sensing her train of thought Dr. Wardlaw offered, “It’s alright Addison. Reggie and I will be behind this curtain while Charlene does her thing.”

“…Thank you” she blushed.

“No problem. It’s all youz Charlene.”

“Yes sir…Dr. Dynamite” the other assistant snickered.

“Hey! Only Addison gets to call me that, got it?” he rebuffed before sliding a curtain that was attached to the ceiling to surround them.

She just shook her head and replied, “Whatever you say” before whispering to Addison, “Thank you for giving me some ammo to use against him.”

“I heard that! And that was a terrible pun!” he shouted.

Charlene just giggled before getting back to the task at hand. “Alright, that’s enough messing around. Let’s get these off you sweet pea” she said with a sweet, southern twang. She grabbed a large pair of industrial fabric shears from one of the cabinets and cut through Addison’s clothes like they were bargain brand notebook paper.

“…Whoa” Addison marveled when she was done. She could sense the assistant’s pleased smirk as she twirled the shears in her hand and placed them on a nearby table. "Oh right, my phone is still in my jacket pocket" she realized.

"Gotcha sweet pea" Charlene confirmed. She delicately moved her limbs so she could slide the cloth from underneath her. All the while Addison was puzzled as to why she didn’t say one word about her extra fur or other werewolf features; you’d have to be blind not to notice them. Otherwise she was too considerate to mention anything.

“That didn’t hurt did it?” she asked.

“No ma’am. I’m fine” Addison assured.

Charlene threw the ruined clothes into the hazard disposal bin and folded her jacket, taking her phone out and setting both items down on a nearby chair. Then she put on a fresh scrub covering and a new pair of latex gloves. “Okay sweet pea, I’m going to stick these monitor pads on you” she explained.

“Okay” she yielded.

In the blink of an eye she stuck the circular pads on her sternum, side of her chest and one just above the bandages on her stomach. Soon a chorus of beeps and boops were heard and both of them looked over at the heart monitor screen. “97/65. Heart rate 70. Body temp 98.6” the assistant noted.

“…Is that good or bad?” Addison asked.

“Given your athletic physique this is pretty normal, but we’ll see once we take a look underneath those bandages” she answered before walking over to the sterilization cabinet and took out a folded, blue linen sheet. She draped the thin material over Addison’s her bare body while keeping her injured arm exposed. “She’s all set!” Charlene announced and Reggie and Dr. Wardlaw emerge from behind the curtain.

“Thank youz kindly Charlene. Alright Addison, let’s see what youz got going on under here.” He meticulously unwrapped the arm bandage, but once he was done, all of them gasped at the sight of the gashes despite their professional training.

“Yea…they’re pretty gnarly huh?” Addison commented.

“Believe it or not, we’ve seen worse. I’m actually more surprised at how calm youz are” he replied and looked over at the monitor again. “Reggie.”

“On it” and he checked the device to make sure the readings were accurate. “99/64. Heart rate 72. Body temp 98.6” he reported.

“Guess the machine wasn’t faulty after all. Then again it shouldn’t be after all the money management spent on it” Dr. Wardlaw thought before leaning in to get a closer look at her arm. “Hmmm…no pus…no redness…no oozing blood – they’re all sealed. Thank God no bones are exposed” he mentally noted, though something peculiar caught his eye. “What the?” he questioned and increased the magnification of his surgical glasses. At the very ends of each laceration he saw that they were slowly but surely closing on their own. “Well now, she’s got a surgeon angel over her that’s for sure” he thought before readjusting the magnification back to normal.

“Alright, let’s check out your abdomen.” Charlene puts up a cloth partition in front of Addison’s face in order to alleviate any embarrassment. Reggie removes a rectangular, detachable section of the thin blanket – revealing her bandaged navel.

“Charlene.”

“Yes sir” and she grabs a smaller pair of shears and gingerly cuts through the slightly soiled bandage.

Now that they had their initial shock, no one let out a gasp this time. Dr. Wardlaw examined the wounds and saw they were slowly healing just like her arm.

“Dang…if the cougar did this to you, how’d you get away?” Reggie asked.

“I didn’t run away. I fought it and killed it by twisting its neck” she causally replied, making all of them do a double take.

“…What??” he asked.

“Hey, there’ll be plenty of time to hear this story after we stitch her up. At least we know not get on her bad side” Dr. Wardlaw winked and she smiled at that. “Now Addison, before I get started can youz answer a few questions for me?”

“Yes sir.”

“Cool. Do youz have a rough idea when youz got these cuts?”

“Umm…I want to say around two in the afternoon” she replied.

“And did your friends administer first-aid shortly after youz were attacked?”

“No, I had to walk a few miles before I reached them. I tore apart a pair of sweatpants I was wearing earlier and used it as makeshift bandage.”

“Hmmm…and youz were with them all that time, right?”

“Yes sir. I was in their den.”

“Den?” he repeated.

“Uh huh, my friends are werewolves. And somehow…I’m one too” and she flashed them a shy, fanged smile.

All three of them looked over her body and finally noticed the white fur on her shoulders and arms.

“Huh...that youz are” he affirmed and she could tell that he was genuinely surprised and not at all disgusted. Still…she needed confirmation.

“You…you’re not weirded out?”

“Of course not. First and foremost you’re a patient. If you’re hurt, we try our best to heal youz – simple as that” he replied.

“Thank God some common sense finally reached the political level and they’ve stopped treating medicine like a corporation” Charlene thought.

“And like Reggie said, all kinds of crazy stuff comes in through those doors.”

“Yeah! Like this one time a man had a bunch of parasitic worms crawling around underneath his skin on his back! Oh my GOD it was so nasty! It was like something straight outta that video game with the twisted Parasol corporation” Reggie shuddered.

“Alright man, don’t freak her out!” Dr. Wardlaw chided. “Point is, out of everything we’ve dealt with you’re the normal-est one. I know that’s not a word, but youz know what I mean. Seriously, I have more hair than youz do” he pointed out and Addison couldn’t help but chuckle at the irony. All her life she was abnormal, and now in an emergency setting was the “normal” one? How crazy was that? But she soon found out it still hurt to laugh.

“Owowowowww…” she moaned.

“Sorry Addison, I’m almost done. I know they fed youz that medicine, but did youz happen to eat anything else?” he asked. She nodded and told them what she ate for dinner and at around what time. Needless to say they were stunned. “And your stomach feels okay after eating all that? I know you’re a werewolf now, but still.”

“I know. To be honest I thought I’d be feeling sick too, but I’m fine” she assured.

“Hmmm…alrighty then” but she could tell it wasn’t a good “alrighty”.

“Is…is it bad that I ate that?” she asked.

“To be honest I’m not sure. You’re the first werewolf I’ve ever treated. And I’m pretty sure you’re the first werewolf ever treated by a human doctor. But wolves eat raw meat so that shouldn’t be an issue. It’s the fact that youz ate something that’s the problem” he addressed.

“Huh? Why would me eating anything be a problem?”

“Well, we were going to knock youz out completely with general anesthesia so youz wouldn’t feel a thing. However it relaxes everything in the body, including crucial internal reflexes. One of those reflexes prevents food from being inhaled into the lungs when it's swallowed or thrown up. Although it rarely happens, there have been cases of people choking on whatever they ate during surgery. And given that youz ate raw meat, that’s a double whammy for not only choking, but also getting a bacterial infection in your lungs” he explained.

“…Oh.”

“Yeah, not good. So on a scale of one to ten, with ten being I’m dying to one being it’s just a paper cut, how severe is your pain?”

Addison thought for a moment and answered, “Three.”

“Really? Okay, in that case here’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to re-wrap your wounds and keep youz here overnight to monitor youz. Then first thing in the morning we’ll stitch youz up lickity-split” he explained.

“O-Okay” she agreed.

“Sweet. Now we’ll just need a small blood sample to test for any bad bacteria or parasites. Then we’ll put TNT in youz like last time” and that got a grin out of her. “I’m going to let your parents know what the game plan is and I’ll see youz in the morning. Charlene, Reggie I leave her in your hands.”

“Yes sir Dr. Wardlaw” they replied in unison.

“Thank you everyone” Addison smiled.

“Your welcome sweet pea” Charlene replied and she could feel her smiling back at her. “Now let’s get these cuts cleaned up and get you into a gown” she said and with that Dr. Wardlaw took his leave.

He stepped into the pre-entry room and took off all the disposable medical coverings – finally freeing his signature bushy, broccoli-esque hairstyle. A light sanitization mist covered his exposed chocolate skin before he left the room. He grabbed the clipboard containing her notes and walked down the hall. “Heh…Dr. Dynamite. Still can’t believe she remembers that” he fondly thought. “Good thing I brought that extra strength C-25 amino drink, I’m going to need it keeping an eye on her. Man…a werewolf. You stay in this profession long enough and youz will see just about everything. Shoooot, she might not need stitches the way she’s healing up. And that’s alright with me. Go on and handle it Big Man, youz know her body better than anybody. Youz made it after all” and he waved to the air before flipping through her charts.

Soon he arrived at the waiting room, but there wasn’t anyone around. “Huh…that’s weird” he thought and he went over to the receptionist desk. “Hey Angel” and that startled a young man from whatever he was typing on the computer. “Sorry about that.”

“No, it’s okay. I’m okay. Are you okay Dr. Wardlaw sir?” the young man quickly asked.

“If I didn’t know he was already like this, I would’ve sworn he had an extra concentrated expresso shot” he thought before replying, “Heh, yeah I’m fine. Youz wouldn’t happen to know where the mayor is do youz?”

“No sir, I haven’t seen anyone come in” he answered.

“They must be outside then. Thank youz Angel.”

“Of course sir” and he watched him walk away from the desk.

Soon he came upon the big, bullet-proof glass sliding doors and saw her parents in the roundabout entrance. Though they appeared to be having a very heated discussion with three teens. “Oooo boy…what I am about to walk into?” he thought as the doors opened and drenched him with a wave of unadulterated yelling.

“What do you mean you don’t know how she became a werewolf!?” Missy fumed.

“Look, all I know is that even prior to her change she had our scent and understood our language” Willa exasperated. “She put on a fully charged moonstone and boom, she’s a werewolf!”

“So you did do something to her!” Dale pointed out. “The necklace didn’t work on her before! Did you give her a different one?!”

“The only thing we did was awaken her true self!” Wyatt growled back.

“And no, it was the same moonstone. Like the alpha said, Addison put on a fully-charged necklace” Wynter expatiated that point. “Meaning it wasn’t charged before.”

“But it used to be. It was fully charged when we gave it to her the first time. Then her boyfriend stole it from her and did something to make it lose its power” Willa explained.

“Zed stole the necklace?” Missy questioned.

“I don’t know the whole story but yeah, he did” she confirmed.

“And you didn’t notice it wasn’t charged until now?!” Dale yelled.

“Well excuse us for focusing on not trying to die!” Wynter bit back, and Addison’s parents actually stilled for a moment.

“Before we found our moonstone that was our last lifeline, and we were willing to put it aside until the Great Alpha appeared” Wyatt explained.

“Great alpha?” Dale asked.

“Yes, the prophesied leader that would lead our pack to the moonstone. A werewolf with hair as white as snow” he expounded.

“What!? You honestly think that Addison is the Great Alpha?!” Missy disbelieving asked.

“She helped us find it, didn’t she? And she gathered everyone to help us carry it out!” he defended.

“Don’t remind me” she muttered while rubbing her temple. “And I would consider that a complete coincidence and sheer stubbornness!”

“I agree with you on her stubbornness…that’s why she fought the cougar in the first place” she muttered that last part.

“What was that?!” she demanded.

“…Nothing. Anyway, my point is that the only way our necklace could change her is if she was born a werewolf, regardless if she’s the Great Alpha or not” Willa confirmed.

“No…no there has to be another way. What am I saying? This shouldn’t be another way! I’m certainly not a werewolf and neither is Dale!” she refuted her audacious claim. “There is nothing wrong with us! Addison is Dale’s child, and I’ve been faithful only to him!” she frantically defended and the werewolves could sense something was amiss; she was telling the truth, but she was so desperate to prove her innocence.

“We never said otherwise” Willa quipped back with a raised eyebrow.

“Yeah! Sounds like you’re tattle-telling on yourself” Wynter added.

“W-What the?!” Missy faltered until her husband stepped in. “You are out of line” he seethed.

“Oohhh that’s rich, coming from you” Wyatt sneered.

“What did you say wolf!?” he yelled.

“You heard me!” he barked back. “You humans have always crossed the line with us – whether it’s stealing our land or in your case stealing Addison’s identity!”

“What?!” both of them shouted.

“Oh don’t act like you don’t know! Did Addison happen to tell you how she passed her trial of respect?” he asked.

“She did. She said she didn’t want make someone named Wyatt feel inadequate in your home. …I’m assuming that’s you” she stated, though there was a slight waver in her voice.

“That’s right. She didn’t want me to feel ashamed of being myself in her presence, even though it was completely different than what she’s used to. She didn’t want me to feel what she felt for all those years when you made her wear a wig! Even in her own home!” he snarled, willing himself not to lose control and absolutely maul these people in front of him.

“Yeah! You messed her up big time!” Wynter added, pouring more salt into the wounds.

They were momentarily floored by their harsh words, but Missy’s pride wouldn’t allow her to be called out by a bunch of teenagers. “Why you-! You have no right to judge us on what we’ve done! None of you have any idea what we’ve been through! What I’ve been through!” she firmly stated. Even in the dim light her face was completely red due to a combination of sheer anger and embarrassment.

“Really?” Willa scoffed.

“Oh boo hoo to you” Wynter mocked pouted.

“I think we have every right to judge all humans negatively after what the Seabrook settlers did to our kind! And you’re following in their footsteps…by stealing the identity of your own flesh and blood. That’s low, even for a human” Willa spat and Wynter shook her head disapprovingly, cementing her alpha’s words.

“And if you think for a second we’re going to let Addison live in that kind of atmosphere you’ve got another thing coming! As soon as she’s healed, we’re taking her to live with us and we’ll figh-”

“HOLD IT!” a booming voice roared – startling everyone.

They looked over and saw the relatively tall, husky man with his arms crossed and his glare magnified through his thick, tortoise shell patterned glasses.

“D-Dr. Wardlaw!” Missy sputtered out.

“You’re Dr. Wardlaw!?” Willa asked and the werewolves rushed up to him.

“How’s Addison?” “Is she okay?” “You didn’t hurt her did you!?” But his steel gaze made them all submissively step back.

“I ain’t telling youz nothing until we deal with all…this!” he gestured to everyone. “Sheesh, felt like I was watching a scene from “As the World Turns” he muttered as he rubbed his eyes. “Look, I don’t know the whole story and I ain’t no therapist, but it's obvious there are some deep, ugly wounds in all of youz. Lord knows I got’em too. But one things for sure, all youz better put a Band-Aid on them real quick because Addison doesn’t need any of this!” and everyone froze at his words. “This is a hospital for crying out loud! A place to recover and recuperate. Youz wanna know what’ll really mess up a patient? Stress and negativity. That’ll kill anyone quicker than a bite from a Gaboon viper. Look’em up, they ain’t no joke. Anyway, Addison is in there right now carved up like a honey baked ham. And if that ain’t enough, she just became a totally different species that we’re using guess work in how to go about treating her! Youz don’t think she’s going be stressed out of her mind once reality really sets in?! The main thing she’s going to need right now is stability and support. I ain’t saying act like nothing’s wrong, but to let her know you’re going be there for whatever changes may come. And that can’t happen if all of youz are fostering negative anger between each other!”

“N-negative anger?” Wynter squeaked out.

He hummed and answered, “Anger is a neutral emotion. Youz three are her werewolf friends, right?” and the trio nodded their heads. “Alrighty then, let’s say youz couldn’t catch whatever youz were hunting. Would youz be mad at your prey or the fact youz couldn’t catch it?”

The werewolves looked at each other. “Honestly…I’d be mad at myself because I know my pack depends on me” Willa replied.

“…Alpha” Wynter started before she cut her off.

“**sigh**I know, I know. We depend on each other but ultimately it’s my responsibility” she said.

“And that’s fine, if youz make it that way. Positive anger would be working towards getting better so youz don’t miss your target next time. Negative anger would be blaming and berating yourself or irrationally lashing out at your pack mates for your bungle. Youz get what I’m sayin’?” and the werewolves nodded at that.

He nodded approvingly before turning his steel gaze towards Addison’s parents. “Now lemme tell youz two something” and they were taken aback by his stern tone. In that moment, all positions and rank were meaningless. “If I were youz, I’d be thanking them for giving your daughter immediate first-aid and escorting her safely back to youz. Addison told me everything their pack did for her, but I’m guessing youz didn’t allow them to tell youz any of that before youz leapt on them like that cougar did to her!”

The werewolves couldn’t help but smirk at the just desserts Addison’s parents were getting, but their victorious grins vanished instantly when he glared at them. “And as for youz three! Did youz happen to tell Addison that there’d be a possibility that she’d turn into a werewolf after putting on whatever necklace youz were talking about?”

Willa whined and answered, “N-no sir.”

“My sister just wanted to confirm whether or not she was one of us. To give her an advantage for the trials and an identity” Wyatt defended.

“In other words, youz did something youz thought would be good for her without consulting her” he clarified.

Immediately their eyes widened when that terrible realization hit them harder than any puppy pounce. They were no different than her parents. Despite the completely different circumstances, both of them did what they thought was right for her. They really had no room to judge.

“And for the record, she has an identity. Addison Elizabeth Wells. Creator of my nickname Dr. Dynamite and an all-around amazing little lady, regardless is she’s a human, a werewolf, or even an alien” he stated.

“She most certainly is” Dale agreed.

“No doubt about that” Wyatt chimed in.

“See? Common ground. Now start building respect for each other off of that. Because if youz don’t get it together, and drop all these hostile negative vibes, I am within my legal right to withhold Addison from any perceived harmful environment and youz better believe I’m gonna exercise it” he threatened. “Thank God I work in a hospital that actually puts patients first” he thought.

“W-Withhold her?” Wyatt incredulously stuttered.

“That means she ain’t going anywhere with any of youz unless I say so. And boy, I don’t care if you’re a werewolf, were-bear, or a flippin’ were-dragon! Youz better believe I have no problem layin these hands. I used to send people to the hospital before I started savin’em” and the teens gulped despite themselves when he cracked his knuckles. “All youz got it?” and everyone gave a quick, affirmative nod. “Good” and everyone was shocked how quickly his demeanor changed from menacing to welcoming. “Now, I’d be more than happy to tell all of youz how Addison’s doing. C’mon, let’s go to my office.”

They got out of their stunned stupor and followed him through the sliding glass doors, all the way to an oak brown door with golden plaque that had “Dr. Tobe Wardlaw” etched on it. He opened the door and said, “After youz.”

“Thank you” Missy replied and everyone walked inside. Her parents naturally took the seat across the rectangular desk while the trio took a seat in the chairs along the wall of the surprisingly spacious office. It was well decorated with family photos, his diploma, pennant and various items from his university, human anatomy posters and interestingly enough spears with oblong shaped shields.

“What’s back there?” Wynter asked when she noticed another door at the back of the room.

“It’s like a mini studio apartment. I keep some clothes and a little cot in there to catch some shut eye in between surgeries. Can’t go sewing up people with droopy eyes” he explained.

“Speaking of sewing, how is Addison? Is she recovering well?” Missy asked.

“She’s perfectly fine, but we couldn’t do the stitches” and he explained the complications of doing anesthesia with a full stomach. “We’ll be able to do it first thing in the morning” he finished.

“W-We’re sorry! We didn’t know we weren’t supposed to feed her. She was starving and-”

“Don’t be sorry” Dr. Wardlaw cut off Wynter’s apology. “Who’d deny someone food anyway? An absolute jerk that’s who! And youz three are far from it” and that got a smile out of them. “Youz didn’t know the extent of her injuries. The fact that she was as stable as she was when Lawrence’s team brought her in shows how much your first-aid helped her.”

“Alpha” Dale spoke and the werewolves looked at him. “What exactly happened during my daughter’s trial?”

The trio cautiously leered at him; Willa could barely explain Addison’s transformation before it became a yelling match.

“I promise we’ll have an open mind and be quiet until the end” Missy assured.

Sensing their sincerity, Willa began retelling today’s earlier events – from helping Addison get used to her new senses, minus the compatibility scent between her and her brother as well as the fact that they were nude, to her well-reasoned argument into still wanting to take the trials, her hunting and fighting prowess in taking down and killing a moose and a cougar, and the subsequent treatment they gave her when she returned. Needless to say her story had them completely flabbergasted.

“Holy Shaka Zulu…Addison’s guardian angels were doing overtime for sure. There’s no way someone could’ve survived walking around for that long with large gashes like that” Dr. Wardlaw thought.

Meanwhile Missy looked like she was about to faint; good thing she was sitting down. “Addison. My…my daughter…killed a moose and a cougar with her bare hands. …Unbelievable” she said while running a hand through her hair.

“You better believe it alpha Wells” she replied, but Dale and Missy looked at the young alpha with confused countenances.

“…What?”

“Uhh, alpha Wells?” Dale repeated.

“Well yeah. You are the heads of your pack, right? So alpha Wells” she explained.

“Ah…got it” he confirmed.

“But…I’ll admit I was just as shocked when Row told us what happened too. She really is full of surprises – passing her trial like that after only one lesson” she praised.

“Well…one and a half. I taught her a thing or two too” Wynter added.

“Wait, what? You sent her out there after only one lesson?” Missy calmly asked, though her concealed rage wasn’t lost on anyone.

“Yes, I did” Willa confirmed. “I felt that she was ready after my brother told me how well she handled herself during the lesson. As we’ve already established Addison is a remarkable person, and you should be proud of what she accomplished.”

“Indeed we are” Dale agreed and put a reassuring hand on his wife’s shoulder. “See? I told you she’d pass the trial with flying colors” he reminded her.

“That still doesn’t change the fact that she didn’t keep her promise about being safe! Now she’s lying in a hospital bed!” she hissed. “And another thing! Why didn’t the werewolf you sent out to follow her jump in and help her when she was attacked? Or even after the fight was over? Wouldn’t that be considered absolutely necessary!?” she seethed.

“To give her confidence” Wyatt took over answering when he noticed his sister falter a bit under their harsh, yet understandable questions. “Addison told me how she didn’t feel like she was capable of catching anything, let alone being a part of our pack. But even though she was bleeding and exhausted when we saw her, she had the proudest smile on her face” he fondly recalled.

“Almost sounds like a MMA fighter who’s the underdog in a championship bout, but pulls off the upset of the century” Dr. Wardlaw commented.

“I don’t know what MMA is but yeah! We knew she’d catch something, but no one expected her to kill a moose let alone a cougar” Wynter agreed.

“Look…none of us are thrilled that she got hurt. But for better or worse, Addison feels good about herself and I wouldn’t dare take that away from her. And trust me, Row and I had a very long talk. But…that was wrong. I shouldn’t have scolded him the way that I did. I really need to apologize to him when we get back” Willa admitted. “If he jumped in during the initial attack and she didn’t transform, then there’d be two werewolves to treat. And even if he helped her afterwards, there’d no way he be able to carry her in her lycanthrope form let alone what she caught. He’s strong but not that strong – both of them would’ve been sitting ducks. And if you thought Addison was insistent on doing the trial in the first place, you know she’d go ballistic then be completely devastated if she had to leave her hard-earned prize behind.”

“…Yes, you’re right. Addison can be very…persuasive” Dale agreed, remembering the underground rally. “Y’know she gets that from you.”

“**sigh** I wish she didn’t” Missy replied, but Wyatt huffed at that.

“So what? You rather she’d be quiet and not have an opinion?” he growled.

“I didn’t mean it like that!” she denounced. “I’m just trying to make sense of how she could even want to do this trial if you offered her a place in your pack once she became a…a…werewolf. I’m still having difficulty saying that she is one.”

“You just did, so it can’t be that hard” Wynter stated as a matter of fact.

Missy rubbed her temple and clarified, “What I mean is why would she deny herself something that she really wanted? Why would she feel like she had to…earn” and that’s when the trio noticed the proverbial torch light up in her mind. “…Of course. Of course that’s why!” she harshly whispered to herself – her headache evolving into a full-blown migraine.

“Hmmm…hold on a sec” and everyone’s suddenly startled when Dr. Wardlaw abruptly leaves the office, leaving them alone in the tense atmosphere.

After a few seconds Dale broke the ice and got up from his seat. He walked over to the werewolves, who wasted no time in letting their fangs poke out. He raised an eyebrow at that before releasing a relenting exhale. “Look…I don’t agree with some of the decisions you made, and maybe I never will. But you saved my daughter, and helped give her unbridled confidence that was…missing in her life. For that I am forever grateful.”

Missy got up from her chair too and stood next to her husband. “We…I…should’ve said this from the beginning. Thank you alpha...Willa was it?”

“Yeah, that’s right” she confirmed and stood up as well. “And this is Wynter and my brother Wyatt” she introduced.

“Thank you, all of you” Dale praised and both of them put their hands out for them to shake.

The werewolves looked at the outstretched hands, then glanced at each other before Willa nodded. They shook their hands, but both parties gave firm grips – sending an unspoken message.

“I will respect you for Addison’s sake, but don’t try me.”

Wyatt punctuated his handshakes with miniscule nail pricks on the backs of her parents’ hand – not enough to puncture the skin, but to ensure the warning was heard loud and clear. They let go just as Dr. Wardlaw walked back in with a blue tote bag in hand.

“Well…no one has a black eye so that’s good” he thought before politely saying, “Excuse me please.” Everyone sat down so he could get back behind his desk. “Here’s youz go Mayor and Chief. Nature’s fast food” and he handed them a couple of bananas and cold bottles of water. Then he went into his desk drawer and pulled out an unopened bottle of ibuprofen. “Hopefully this’ll help. Sorry, there wasn’t much in the cafeteria.”

“You’re a life saver Dr. Wardlaw! Thank you very much, I greatly appreciate it” Missy gratefully expressed and wasted no time in consuming the food with the much needed medicine.

“Would youz kids like some water? I wasn’t sure what to get youz for food. Guess I should’ve asked before runnin’ out on impulse” he sheepishly said, making the teens chuckle.

“Water is fine, thank you sir” Willa smiled and he gave each of them a bottle.

“Alright. I know youz told us what happened, but now youz need to see what we’re dealing with” he addressed her parents’ and turned on his tablet. After a minute or so it booted up and green bubble appeared on the screen. He put in his password and read the message in its entirety. “…Well alrighty then” he thought before opening an app. He turned the tablet around to show everyone a standard three-dimensional medical female model on the screen. He drew on the screen with his stylus and explained, “Addison has three lacerations on the left side of her abdomen – about two centimeters deep. That’s about the length of the top part of my finger.”

“What!?” her parents gasped.

“Hey now, it’s not all bad. The good thing is that mainly epidermal damage. I mean there are some tears in her abdominal wall, but none of her organs were harmed” he explained.

“Oh thank God” Missy sighed in relief.

“But her right arm’s a different story. Given that there isn’t a lot of meat on her bones so to speak, the damage was bit more extensive due to the repeated clawing from that cougar. But don’t worry, there’s no nerve or bone damage - she’ll be able to use it” he assured, getting another round relieved sighs out of everyone. “Make no mistake though, we should all be counting our blessings. If that cat scratched up the bottom half of her arm and hit her brachial artery” and he pointed to his wrist “we’d be having a different conversation right now.”

That serious implication wasn’t lost on anyone – Addison could have very well bled to death out there. Sheer fury started rising within Missy and Dale when they realized that were this close to picking out a casket and writing an obituary for their daughter.

However their accelerating annoyance came to a halt when Willa’s water bottle slipped out of her hand and fell to the floor. Wyatt and Wynter fretfully whined when they felt her absolutely devastated aura. She looked like she’d seen a ghost and her stomach felt like it was going to expel her dinner. And those vile thoughts fed on it to bolster their attacks. “See? Instead of a celebration it would’ve been a funeral service! Heaven forbid she meets your parents in the afterlife. Imagine their disgust knowing that you sent her there!”

She put her head in her hands and a few small hiccups came out of her. Missy and Dale’s features softened considerably when they witnessed the children comforting one another. They felt their remorse…their self-imposed inadequacy. They never wanted this to happen - they knew and understood that. They were showing more regret in their decision than they have in all the years they “disguised” Addison in order for her to be accepted. Or so they told themselves.

Missy let out shame-filled sigh before her countenance morphed into her authoritative mayor persona. “Willa” she spoke.

The young leader flinched when her name was called, but eventually looked at her with moist eyes. And just like with Addison she was surprised to see a small, reassuring smile on her lips. “My daughter is tenacious, you know that. She’ll be fine.”

“Youz got that right. As soon as the sun comes up, I’ll stitch her up and she’ll be A-OK. I promise” Dr. Wardlaw assured.

The alpha wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. “**sniff**O…Okay” she whispered and picked up the bottle – twiddling it in her hands. Her brother and best friend kept their hands on her back to offer all the support they could. She glanced at them and gave the barest of nods – silently showing her appreciation.

“Speaking of stitches” Dale asked, bringing everyone’s attention back to the doctor. “How long will she have them?”

“Depends on how fast her body heals. Now this is just a rough guess, but based on what I saw she’ll have’em for about two weeks; afterwards it should take a week for them to close completely. But she’s going to need some willow bark for the pain.”

“Willow bark?” he repeated.

“It’s nature’s version of ibuprofen. Since her body has completely changed, I don’t think our slightly synthetic medicine would be good for her. At least I know that pets can handle anesthesia. I’m guessing youz guys never had our medicine before” he ventured.

“You’re right, we didn’t. The only thing we’ve ever had are vaccines for rabies and parvo” Wyatt explained.

“What? How were you able to get shots?” Missy asked.

“Our healers...permanently borrow a couple of bottles every few years to give to the pack. We haven’t done it in a while because of everything going on” Willa answered.

“I see. Well, we’re going to have to change that” she announced, making them perk up.

“Really?” Wynter asked.

“Of course. Besides, this is the least we can do after our…initial encounter” Dale expressed; though in the back of their minds a diseased werewolf would be just as dangerous as a zombie without their z-band on.

“I can call up my friend Dr. Wabbit and she can vaccinate your pack” Dr. Wardlaw offered, getting a few giggles out of the trio.

“Wolves being treating by a Rabbit. Who would’ve guessed?” Wynter grinned.

“Heh, youz right. That is a pretty funny visual. But this Wabbit don’t mess around when it comes to her job. She can even come to your d-”

“No thanks, we’ll come here” the alpha cut him off.

“Alrighty then, we’ll do that” he agreed.

“…Addison wasn’t kidding about them being secretive. Not like we can blame them” Missy thought.

“Switching reels, we don’t have willow bark” the doctor said.

“We have plenty!” Wynter chimed in.

“Cool, I was just about to ask if youz wouldn’t mind go back to your home and bringing some back so our pharmacists can prep some for her.”

“Of course, I’ll head back right now” Willa said and stood up.

“By yourself? Are you sure? It’s pretty late” Missy asked.

“I’m the alpha, I’m used to it” she dismissed.

“Wait Willa, alpha Wells is right” Wyatt surprisingly agreed.

“What?” she incredulously asked.

“Big sis, after everything that’s happened…I just want you to be safe. We’re all going” he declared and Wynter nodded at that.

“…Alright” she relented, not out of disdain but if she had her preference she wouldn’t want them in danger either.

“Then I’ll drive you three out to at least the edge of the forest so you won’t have so much running to do” Missy offered.

They didn’t sense any deceit in her offer and Willa replied, “That’d be great.”

“Hold up. Before youz take off, there’s one more thing I need to show youz. My assistant Charlene just sent this over” and he opened another app on his tablet, bringing up a document with various numbers.

The werewolves got closer so they could see. “What’s all this?” Wynter asked.

“Addison’s vital reports” he replied.

“Vital reports?” she repeated.

“Yep. We measure blood pressure, blood type, weight, height, among other things” he explained, but to the werewolves everything on the screen was Greek to them.

“So it shows how healthy Addison is?” Wyatt asked.

“Youz got it. But now there are few differences.”

“What kind of…differences? Other than the obvious” Dale asked.

“We took a blood sample and found out that her type has changed. Before it was A+, but now her bone marrow has started producing O+ blood instead.”

“Her body’s not going to reject the blood is it?” Missy fretfully asked.

“No. O types are a universal donor. As far as her body knows, it’s still A+. The old blood cells will pass out of her system and it’ll be purely O+ give or take 3-4 months.”

“Will she be able to receive human blood in case she needs a transfer?” she asked.

“Yep, and here’s the kicker. While her blood matches that of a human, it also matches Canine Erythrocyte Antigen or DEA 4. Basically the equivalent of human A+ in terms of commonness” he explained.

“Waitwaitwait…are you telling us she has dog blood?!” she exclaimed.

“Wolf blood” Willa corrected.

“Actually canine is the correct term, but yeah. She could possibly give dogs and wolves a transfusion if she wanted to” he elaborated.

Dale shook his head and commented, “…This is crazy.”

“You’re telling me. Like I said she’s the first werewolf ever treated by any human doctor. Then again who knows what humans were dealing with back in the day. Either way, we’ll be leaning on your expertise to help her get better” he told the teens.

“…I don’t know how much we’ll be able to help with when it comes to all this” Willa admitted gesturing to the tablet. “This is all new for us too.”

“Hey, every little bit help. You’d be surprised how far a little tenderness goes” he smiled.

“But I know our elders should be able to help when they return” Wyatt added.

“Return from where?” Dale asked.

“Hmmm…how can I explain it…it’d be our version of a hospital” he described as best as he could.

“…Oh. Are they alright?” Missy asked and her genuineness surprised them.

“They’re alright now, thanks to Addison” and everyone nodded at that.

“Good to hear. But yeah, whatever insight they can provide into her biological make-up will help me have a better grasp of her overall health” Dr. Wardlaw said.

“Sounds like a plan” Dale stated.

“Also, the gel youz kids used did wonders on her cuts; there was no infection whatsoever! Shoot, youz three are natural pharmacists” he praised, making them smile. “But we’ll have to wait and see if there are any parasites or bad bacteria in her system from eating all that raw meat” and they whined at that.

“The blood test couldn’t tell you that?” Missy questioned.

“It told us that there aren’t any dangerous viruses nor parasites that cause crypto, hookworms and trichinosis, but only a stool sample can tell us what’s going on in her intestines” he explained.

“Eww! That’s gross!” Wynter gagged.

“Yup, a doctor’s job ain’t pretty sometimes. But if she doesn’t have diarrhea in the morning then we should be in the clear. Still, I’ll double check” and they nodded at that. “Other than that, her heart is as clean as a whistle and everything else is normal.”

“That’s good” Missy sighed in relief. “Then we should get going.”

“Wait” Willa said. “Dr. Wardlaw?”

“Yeah?”

“Umm…when we get back, can you teach me about some of…this?” she gestured to the tablet. “**sigh**Even though I’m the alpha, I know I’m lacking in certain areas. I just want to be better prepared” she explained.

The doctor smiled and replied, “Of course, I’ll be happy to teach youz! And hey, it’d be like my study hall days back in university. We bounce off what we know and find similarities. We could even make songs out of it!”

“Songs??” they all said.

“Hey, don’t knock it. Songs helped me with my multiplication tables, and doin’ the circulation dance helped me through medical school” he stated. Missy and Dale regarded him strangely. “Oh like youz guys don’t know that three is a magic number” he quipped back and they did a double take.

“A man and a woman had a little baby…yes they did” Missy softly sang.

“They had three-ee in the family. That’s a magic number” Dale finished.

“And there youz go” Dr. Wardlaw grinned as his point was proven true, though the werewolves were still out of the loop.

“What’re they talking about?” Wynter whispered and the siblings shrugged their shoulders.

“Must be an older human thing” Willa replied.

“Well anyway, youz should really get to going. When youz get back, do you want to stay-”

“Here” they replied in unison, cutting him off.

“Alrighty then. It ain’t no hotel room, but I’ll have the recovery room where we’ll wheel in Addison set up with some extra chairs and blankets.”

“Thank you, we’ll be back soon” Missy said and the mini pack followed her out the door.

“**yawn** Think I’ll catch me a little shut eye before they get back. Youz can rest in the chair if youz want, I have an extra pillow” the doctor offered as he stood up.

“Thank you Dr. Wardlaw. For everything” Dale gratefully said.

“Hey, it’s all good. Gotta make that diploma more than just wall art” he joked, getting a tiny chuckle out of him.

“Was counseling a requirement for earning your degree as well?” he asked.

“No, but being a defensive lineman on my football team taught me fast, quick, and in a hurry not to take crap from nobody” and a small gulp went down Dale’s throat. “Drama ain’t for nobody’s mama. It’s for books and theater. So unless someone has information on how I can treat a patient better, youz can best believe I’m gonna shut it down before I let it shut me down” he stated.

“…And you do it very well” he praised.

Dr. Wardlaw smiled and inclined his head. He walked around the desk and put a hand on his shoulder. It startled him for a moment, but the reassuring squeeze sent another unspoken message. “You’ll get there.” He took his hand off and walked into the back room to retrieve the pillow. “Here youz go.”

“Thank you” he said and took it out of his hands.

“Youz welcome. Knock and let me know when they get back.”

“Will do” he assured and Dr. Wardlaw went into the back room again for a well-earned nap.

Dale set the pillow on the cleared desk and scooted his chair up to get comfortable. As he laid his head down, everything that transpired today flowed through his mind. “…We will get there” he resolutely thought before exhaustion caused his eyes to close.

Meanwhile…

The car ride to the border of the Forbidden Forest was almost as silent as the night itself; only the low hum of the engine was the only noise. No one said anything, save for the few huffs Missy heard from time to time from the back seat. She glanced at the rear view mirror and saw the children whispering to each other in what she assumed was their native tongue. Even without heightened senses the tension in the tiny Fiat was smothering to say the least. Not that she could blame them. Here was the mayor of Seabrook, wife of the chief of the former z-patrol. The same man who not all that long ago had them bound in silver manacles. Not to mention they just had a heated exchange where terrible and somewhat truthful things were said. They probably thought she was going to take them to some secret underground jail. She let out a long sigh and the werewolves perked up to the dejected sound. “…I’m sorry” she said. The children just stared at her, silently seeking further clarification. “I’m sorry for yelling at you and my hysterical conduct. That was uncalled for.”

“Yeah it was” Wynter bluntly replied.

“But…we understand. We do regrettable things when we’re sad, scared or stressed” Willa followed up, thinking back to how she unreasonably yelled at Addison.

“…Yeah” Wyatt agreed.

“Still…I am truly sorry. Thank you again for treating Addison’s injuries and accepting her, even prior to her transformation” she gratefully said.

“Kinda hard not to accept someone like her” Wyatt replied.

“…Wish I could’ve said the same thing for all of her life” she thought while she sported a small, yet sad smile at the comment.

“Yeah, she’s part of the family! Well, she will be once she passes the combat trial” Wynter corrected and everyone stilled at her words; Missy even veered off into the other lane for a brief moment before getting back in line. Thankfully the streets were still relatively empty.

Wynter looked around at their stunned faces and squeaked out, “…Too soon?”

“No, not at all. After everything that’s happened, my faith in her abilities has increased tremendously. I won’t make the mistake of underestimating her again” Missy replied.

“You got that right” Willa agreed. “But…I think you’re giving us too much credit.”

“Huh? What do you mean?” she asked.

“…If I’m being honest, we probably wouldn’t have sought her out at all if it wasn’t for her white hair. And even then it still took a while for me to warm up to her since she was a human” she confessed.

“I understand…the founders of Seabrook certainly didn’t do your kind any favors whatsoever. **sigh** Just like I didn’t do my own daughter any favors by hiding her unique qualities” she admitted. “I’d like to believe that I did it to protect her…but over the years it was more about image. Normal mayor with a normal family protecting the normal town.”

“And what good did that do? Half of your population became zombies after a freak accident with our ancestors’ stone. And even when you found a solution to keep everyone safe, you still alienated them even though they were once human!” Wyatt fired back.

“…I agree. …It feels like a natural punishment for all the lies that were told and all hurt that was caused. I know it’ll be a slow process to reverse the damage, but thanks to Addison I’m taking my first step into making up for not only what I lack as a leader…but also as a mom.”

“How?” he questioned.

“Well…apologizing to us and giving us a ride is a pretty big step” Wynter pointed out, and the siblings nodded at that. “And I assure you that there will be more steps taken to right all the wrongs. But…I’ll need your help” she requested. “…Especially to help fix my wrongs” she thought to herself. “A Band-Aid isn’t going to cover all…this.”

“Of course we’ll help” Willa promised.

“Yeah! The strength of the pack is the wolf, and the strength of the wolf is the pack” Wynter added and they howled at that, the action making their necklaces glow.

Initially startled by the primal sound, Missy found herself surprisingly intrigued by it. “…I wonder if Addison will be doing that a lot now” she thought.

Soon they leave Seabrook’s city limits and travel along the single-lane highway for a while until Willa shouts, “Stop! We’re here!”

Missy does as she’s told and safely pulls over to a little outlet used to let faster cars pass by slower traffic. “Your den is here?” she asked; she couldn’t see a thing through the thick foliage.

“Eh, close enough” Wynter replied while everyone took off their seatbelts. As Wyatt and Wynter slid out of the car Willa said, “We’ll be quick” and gently closes the door.

In the blink of an eye their forms disappear into the dense wilderness, leaving Missy all alone with her rampant thoughts. “Great alpha…prophesized leader…moose and cougar hunter…a werewolf. My daughter is an actual werewolf! What kind of mixed up madness is this?! This is completely asinine!” she groaned and ran her hand through her hair again. “I swear it’s never a dull moment with that girl. I know I told her she’d be a great wolf, but I didn’t mean it literally **sigh**…I don’t know how much my heart can take” she sighed and slumped in her seat.

No matter how hard she wanted to deny it and think this was some kind of elaborate prank…it wasn’t. This was their new reality now. She moved a couple strands of her blonde hair off of her face until she noticed a single, silver strand. She rubbed it delicately between her ring finger and thumb before sighing again. “…I really did mess her up” she whispered to herself as the memory of Addison’s terrified countenance came back to the forefront of her mind. But in the midst of all this craziness was also a second chance. People were going to question it for sure; she fell into that pit trap once…but there was no way she was going to see her daughter’s frightened face towards her ever again. “…I don’t care how many Band-Aids it takes, I will make it right” she thought before turning the car off; the full-moon now became the sole illuminator of the area. Missy stared at the natural satellite for a moment and thought, “…It’s as luminous as the day she was born.”

The werewolves quickly ran through their territory, with the snow-white moon guiding their way. Leaves crunched underneath their hands and feet; if anything dared to impede their progress there’d be no mercy.

Soon the entrance of the den came into view. They stopped their rapid, rambunctious running and walked through the entry tunnel. Even though they were in a hurry, they knew that if they sped through their hasty footsteps would’ve woken up the rest of the pack. They didn’t have time to answer another round of questions nor did Willa want to. Once they entered the main area she ordered, “You two fill up a canister of willow bark, I’m going to check on everyone. Make sure you drink some water too.”

“What about you? Aren’t you thirsty?” Wynter asked.

“We ran a long way after all” Wyatt added.

“I’m fine. Besides, I still have my bottle back in alpha Wells’ car. I’ll drink some when we get back” she assured.

“…Okay” they relented and hurried down the hallway to get the medicine.

Willa stood at the entrance of the sleeping area and saw everyone fast asleep…but she could sense it wasn’t a peaceful one. They were clustered together instead of being spread out like normal; even the pups were in their protecting oblong formation with a large space in the middle of them – safeguarding Addison in spirit. Worry covered them like a smoky haze, and those sick thoughts sucked in the poison and blew it back in her face. “They can’t even rest and recuperate because of what you’ve done! The alpha is supposed to provide peace of mind-”

“I do give them peace of mind” she growled at those vile voices. She tip-toed inside and gave everyone a soft head ruffle like she normally would after finishing her patrol. It was a little harder to do this time since they were so close to one another, but she gracefully maneuvered around. Immediately the atmosphere felt a little lighter as everyone cozied up into the furry blankets on the floor.

But when she petted Wylie’s head, the pup stirred a little too much. Willa froze as she yawned and blinked a few times – trying to focus on her surroundings.

“Mmmmm…yawwwn…hmm…hm!” Before she could shout anything, Willa quickly put a finger to her lips to shush her and she shook her head, silently ordering her not to speak. The young pup understood and gave a nod in return.

Willa took her finger off and sighed in relief. Sensing her obvious question she quietly barked, “Rrf uff rrr rff.”

Immediately Wylie’s face fell into a dismal frown. “…Rrrf ruu?” she whispered.

“Ruff rufffrf. Rrrf” Willa assured with a firm nod.

Suddenly both of their ears twitched to the sound of another huffing bark. They looked over and saw Wynter standing by the entrance.

“Rff ruff ruu” the alpha smiled and ruffled her head again.

The pup did as she was told and laid back down, snuggling up with her pack mates. She heard her leader’s footsteps leave the room and quietly whined. She looked up at the painted guardians and whispered, “Please…please help Addy get better” and closed her eyes – dreaming up future whimsical moments with Addison.

“Is everything okay?” Wyatt asked as the two girls entered the main area.

“Everything will be fine once we bring the willow bark back. How much did you grab?” she asked.

“This much” and he took out a medium-sized, cylindrical clay canister out of his deer hide pack and opened the lid. “And there’s still plenty leftover in the medicine room.”

“That should be good. C’mon, let’s go” and they race back to Missy’s car. They nearly gave the poor woman a heart attack when they knocked on the door.

“HOLY-! Don’t scare me like that!” she sternly said before unlocking the doors.

“…Sorry about that alpha Wells” Willa apologized as they got into the back seat.

“…It’s alright, I shouldn’t have yelled like that” she rescinded.

“I’d be surprised if you didn’t. I mean, we can be pretty scary” Wynter tried to joke, and it amazingly got a small yet amused hum out of her.

“I suppose so. But you three certainly are fast; perhaps you can keep up with a car after all” she praised, making Wynter smile. “Seatbelts on?”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Good, let’s go.” She turned the car back on and sped out of the outlet – making a beeline back to the hospital. This time she parked in the actual parking lot and they ran all the way to Dr. Wardlaw’s office,

They slammed the door open and Wynter shouted, “We’re back!”

“SNRK! H-Huh!?” Dale shot his head up off the desk at their abrupt entrance. “Jeez! You guys almost gave me a heart attack! Good thing we’re in a hospital” he griped.

“Join the club” Missy smirked. “But we’re sorry honey.”

“**yawn**Well…no harm done. But you’re back a lot quicker that I thought. Then again I shouldn’t be surprised, you were behind the wheel after all” he commented.

“They’re pretty speedy too” Missy complimented, making the teens grin. “But where’s Dr. Wardlaw?”

“He’s in the back. Hold on” and Dale got out of his seat and knocked on the door. “Dr. Wardlaw? They’re back.”

A few seconds later they heard a muffled, “Comin’” and he opened the door. “Hmm…that was a nice nap” he commented while stretching his arms and neck. “Alrighty, let’s see what we got.”

Wyatt took out the canister and handed it to him. He opened it and said, “Yep that should be plenty. Thank all youz kindly for getting that.”

“Of course” Willa replied.

“Cool. I’ll have Angel take youz to the room while I go and drop this off at the pharmacy.”

“Thank you again Dr. Wardlaw” Missy expressed.

“Youz got it. Sleep well and Addison and I will see all youz in the morning” and that put a small smile on everyone’s faces. But just as he was about to dial up Angel’s extension, his office phone suddenly started blinking red. “Good thing I got that nap in when I did. Looks like Lawrence picked up someone else” he thought as he answered it. “This is Dr. Wardlaw” he said and werewolves listened in on the conversation with their keen hearing.

“WHAT!?” he shouted, startling everyone. “Alright, I’ll be right over!” and he hung up. “What the hell man?! Damn!” he muttered while sliding his hand down the side of his face.

“Doctor, what’s wrong?” Dale asked.

“Something’s wrong with Addison!” Wyatt answered for him. “Something about her heartrate being 220/140?”

“WHAT!?” Missy exclaimed. “She could have a heart attack!”

Dr. Wardlaw glared at the werewolves for instigating a panic. “Oh for the love of-are youz three flippin’ FBI spies too?!” he griped as he rubbed his forehead.

“FBI?” Wynter repeated.

“**sigh**Never mind” he irritably grumbled. “I swear…no matter the species kids always gotta be sticking their noses in grown folks business!” he thought before letting out another long exhale. “I cannot believe I’m actually going to do this. Alright, all of youz are coming with me. Something tells me youz ain’t gonna just sit by after hearing your daughter’s heart could possibly burst” and everyone gulped at that. “And I don’t feel like arguing with youz to stay put nor do I have the time. But let me be clear – don’t tell anyone I’m doing this, youz got it? This is a major violation of protocol and I can get fired.”

“I assure you that won’t happen Dr. Wardlaw. And thank you” Dale expressed.

“C’mon, let’s go” and all of them follow him. They arrive at the emergency room where Addison is and suddenly the werewolves yipped in surprise; even Missy uttered “What in the…?”

“What? What is it?” Dale asked.

“I…I don’t know.” Wynter answered.

“It’s just, we felt something…strange. Yet familiar” Wyatt elaborated.

“Well, all youz about to see something strange. In addition to her high heart rate, Charlene said that there was something else that’d she couldn’t describe. That’d I have to see to believe” he explained before pointing to Wynter and Wyatt. “Mayor, Chief and you two are going to be in this room” he commanded.

“What room?” Wynter asked.

Dr. Wardlaw moved aside a small section of the gray wall to reveal a hidden door handle.

“It’s just like the emergency exit” Wyatt thought as he opened it to reveal a room with elevated seats that look like bleachers, but they had long tables in front of them. The doctor turned on the lights and said, “This is our observation room where medical students can get some real life experience. And where we get observed by the higher ups who ain’t got nothing better to do during audit, but either way” he muttered that last part. “You’ll be able to see what we’re doing when youz push this button. Alpha, you’re with me. Let’s go.”

“O-okay” and Willa followed him.

Wyatt wasted no time in pushing the button on the wall. All of a sudden a rectangular section of it opened like side shutters – revealing a one-sided window to the operating room. But no one could even begin to comprehend what they were seeing on the other side. “What in God’s name is going on!?” Missy asked.

“…Youz were right Charlene. I’m seein’ it, but I still don’t believe it” he commented when he saw Addison’s sleeping figure. She was peacefully snoozing away and taking deep belly breaths, completely unaware that her heart was unexplainable working like a supped-up jackhammer. What made it even more puzzling was that her blood test revealed that her bad cholesterol levels were extremely low; there was no reason that her life spreader should be beating this fast. And that wasn’t the only thing that was inexplicable.

“Alright Alpha, help us out here. Make this make sense to us because I’ve seen documentaries about the Radium Girls, and I know for a fact that Addison ain’t radioactive. So why is her hair glowing?” he asked.

Willa just stared at her; she didn’t know what to make of this strange phenomenon either. “It’s just like back at the den! So her hair really was glowing! And this weird tingly feeling…that only happened when she howled. So why can we feel it now?” she thought as she got closer to her.

Suddenly a quick flash of light came out of her moonstone and everyone covered their eyes. Once the glare died down, Addison’s hair wasn’t glowing anymore. However, the monitor glitched for a couple seconds before coming back on; thankfully it was showing that her heart rate was steadily going down.

“What in the?! Excuse me alpha” Dr. Wardlaw said and she moved out of the way so he could place his thumb against Addison’s wrist vein. After about thirty seconds a relieved smile crossed his lips. “That’s good…monitor’s accurate. Don’t have to worry about no heart attack or stroke. But…I’m guessing this is the first time you’ve seen something like this” he addressed the werewolf leader.

“…No. Well, not like this. I thought I saw her hair glowing before, but it happened so fast I thought I was imagining things” she replied.

“And when did youz see it glowing before?” he asked, but she stilled at that, whining a bit. “…Oh. Ugly wound huh?” he softly asked, and she solemnly nodded her head.

“I understand…but I still need to know. How about youz just whisper it to me” he suggested and she complied.

“Uh huh…I see…alrighty then” and she stepped back, still looking at the ground in shame. “Hey, it’s alright” and he put her hand on her shoulder, making her look up. “Youz made things right. That’s all that matters” and she could sense his smile; she gave him an appreciative nod in return. “Alright. Now as far as that flash goes, this happened when she first transformed?”

“Yes sir, but she was knocked out after her body went through the changes and…! Doctor! Quick! Check Addison’s cuts!” she ordered.

“Youz heard her Charlene” Dr. Wardlaw said and his assistant wasted no time in slicing through the arm wrappings. When she peeled them off, all of them were astonished by what they saw. “Looks her surgeon angel was working on hyper-drive” he thought when he saw her cuts were a lot smaller than before, though there was noticeable scar tissue.

Next were the abdominal bandages. Charlene removed the detachable section of the blue sheet and untied Addison’s gown. After she was through cutting the wrappings, they saw the same thing.

“Hmmm…and youz said she was unconscious after she transformed?” he asked Willa.

“Uh huh. She didn’t wake up at all when we cleaned her up” she confirmed.

“For how long?”

“Umm…probably for as much time from when we got here til now. We don’t use minutes” she explained.

“A little over an hour huh?” he guesstimated before looking back at Addison. He used his finger to push down on the side of her neck a few times to stimulate any response; she was out cold. “Charlene, call Reggie back in and prep for stitching. Looks like we won’t need anesthesia after all.”

“What? Are you sure?” she asked.

“Trust me. What I just did could’ve brought a clocked out boxer back to his senses, and it did nothing for her. Plus they’re a lot smaller now. Give me ten minutes tops and I’ll be done” he assured.

“Alright Dr. Wardlaw” and she started paging Reggie.

“…I’m sorry I couldn’t be much help” Willa quietly apologized.

“Says youz. Youz helped out plenty! Now we know that Addison is hardier than humans and she’s a fast healer. But for my piece of mind, I’d like to help it along since we don’t know when it’ll happen again” and Willa understandably nodded at that notion. “Youz go on back to the crew and I’ll see youz when we’re done” he whispered.

“Okay” she replied. Just as she was about to open the door, Reggie came in. “Oops! Sorry about that” he apologized before narrowly bumping into her. “…Heeey, wait a-”

“Eyes on the prize Reggie! I need youz over here helping like she was!” Dr. Wardlaw called out.

“Oh, right! Again, I’m sorry.”

“Its okay” she assured and walked out. She took off the disposable gear and let the disinfecting mist wash over her.

When she entered the observation room, everyone’s eyes immediately landed on her. “They’re about to stitch up Addison’s cuts since she’s completely unconscious.”

“Just like after she transformed” Wyatt realized.

Willa nodded and said, “Uh huh. And after her hair and moonstone stopped glowing, we saw that her cuts closed up a lot more, but they’re still open. So Dr. Wardlaw decided it’d be the perfect time to do it since we weren’t sure when it’d happen again.”

“Okay, but why was her hair glowing? Your brother told us that he saw this happen the night she slept over” Dale revealed.

“You did?” she asked him, also surprised by this bit of news.

“Yeah, when she was singing. I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me because it happened so fast” Wyatt explained.

“…Talk about déjà vu. I saw it too when she was howling after…celebrating passing her trial” she settled on and the werewolves knowingly nodded at that. “But like you said, it was so fast I thought I was seeing things.”

“But what does it mean though? And what about that…weird tingly feeling?” Missy asked.

“What tingly feeling?” Dale questioned.

“You didn’t feel it?” she asked back and he shook his head no.

“Dr. Wardlaw nor his assistant mentioned the feeling, so I don’t think they noticed either” Willa chimed in.

“But we felt it” Wynter added.

“Again…what does it mean?!” Dale frustratingly asked.

“I don’t know” the alpha admitted. “We’ve never seen anything like this before. …I’m sorry.”

“But I’m sure the elders will know something” Wyatt added.

“…I swear it’s just one thing after another with her” Missy muttered while rubbing her forehead. “But bottom line is Addison's alright, right?”

“Yes alpha Wells” Willa confirmed.

“Then that’s all that matters” she replied as she and everyone else looked out the window and watched the skilled medical team do their job.

“By the way, this…tingly sensation you felt. What did it feel like?” Dale asked.

Everyone looked at each other and Willa got the ball rolling. “Well…it kinda felt…electric I guess? Like this **ZING** but it wasn’t bad at all!”

“Yeah. It’s like once you got over the initial shock everything feels so…relaxing” Wyatt smiled.

“Like a big hug” Wynter added.

“They’re right. It was a weird stimulation, yet a comforting one at the same time” Missy confirmed.

“I see. …Well, I definitely did not feel that whatsoever. But…Addison will” he stated and the message was clear to his wife.

Support, not suppress.

They’ve done enough of the latter and without a doubt it put their daughter in this situation in the first place. Now it was time for them to be the surgeons and sew the wounds they’ve inflicted on her. They didn’t know how long it would take, but so long as there was a chance she could be healed...then that was all they could ask for.

Chapter 13: A New Internal Companion

Chapter Text

“Zzzzz…zzzzz”

A soothing melody of peaceful snores accompanied the continuous mechanical beeps and boops that indicated a treasured life was indeed alright. Though one unseen being wanted to hear the voice of its treasured charge and was starting to get nervously impatient.

“…Pup?”

"…Zzzz”

“Pup!”

“Zzzz…zzzz”

“Pup, please wake up. Please…”

“Mmmm…hmmmm”

“Pup!!” The being couldn’t help but voice its excitement when it felt its companion starting to stir.

“Pup!! Pup awake!!” it eagerly exclaimed as it continued to poke and prod the internal space within its buddy’s body – like a wolf licking its pack mates’ face. However one familiar wolf action finally woke up the snoozing patient.

“ARRRROOOOOOOO!” A loud howl echoed off the walls of the sunlit, sky-blue painted room, followed by a second round of howls.

Within the ears of the groggy patient it translated into a glorious “Good morning” greeting, but to others it sounded like it a call for help.

“What’s wrong!? What’s going on!?” Dale shouted as he and Missy burst into the room with coffee in hand; thankfully none of the hot liquid came up through their lid spouts.

“Nothing! It’s nothing!” Willa explained as the wolves scrambled off the blanketed wooden floor. “…Sorry about that. I’m usually the first one up so I wake up my pack with a good morning howl.”

“**yawn** And it’s a lot better than an alarm clock that’s for sure” another voice quietly added.

Everyone quickly turned their heads to the source of the lovely sound and saw Addison with a small grin on her face – though she was still plenty tired as she struggled to keep her droopy eyelids open.

“ADDISON!” her pack cheerfully exclaimed.

Her parents didn’t have the heart to tell them to keep it down for they were just as relieved to see her awake.

Wynter approached her first and leaned on the little bed rail to gently nuzzle her head against hers – Addison instinctively reciprocates the gesture in kind.

“You’re alright! I mean, you are…right? I’m not nuzzling you too hard am I?” she fretfully asked.

Addison smiles though tiredly replies, “Heheh**yawwwn**mmm. Yes…I’m fine. And no, you’re**yawn** not.”

“Sooo, I can still keep doing it?” she asked.

“Please do” she encouraged.

She didn’t need to be told twice and resumed her affectionate caresses. All the while Wyatt and Willa watched them with fond smiles, though they somehow managed to stop themselves from whining for their turn to be next to her. Wynter sensed their antsy spirits but wasn’t about to relinquish her spot just yet. She nuzzled her for a few more seconds before moving out of the way.

Wyatt wasted no time in taking her spot and softly ruffled her hair. “I’m so glad you’re okay” he whispered, before giving her a few amorous licks on her cheek.

The sensation pleasantly tickled her and her little giggles were like music to his ears. She slowly moved her good arm from up under the blanket and lifted it up so she could rub his head as well. His whole body felt like he ate the sweetest honey-covered Rufus apple in the world. Her smile got bigger when she sensed the sheer serenity he exuded under her touch; everyone could hear little foot taps too. Eventually he backed away, though he could’ve sworn he heard her whine when he did. The feeling was mutual; he had to stop himself from climbing into her bed and snuggling up next to her. But now it was Willa’s turn to be beside her.

However, when Addison made eye contact with the alpha, she instantly looked the floor. Trepidation trapped her in place; she still felt lingering guilt over this whole medical predicament. But Addison’s authoritative huffing bark snapped her out of that despondent state of mind. She looked her again and saw the welcoming and keen look in her eyes. She wanted her by her side. Willa let out a breathless chuckle and approached the bed. She didn’t trust her shaky voice to speak, so she settled on grabbing her hand instead. Addison squeezed it tenderly – her warmth spreading throughout Willa’s body as she rubbed circles on the back of it.

Off to the side her parents watched each interaction…each one more painful than the last. Especially when Missy watched Wyatt massage her daughter’s head – looking completely at ease with his touch. “…She does like people touching her hair after all” she solemnly thought. These werewolves who barely came into her life a couple weeks ago truly had a bond with her…which was more than they could say for themselves. Missy fiddled with the insulated cup in her hand, praying that she could provide the warmth for once instead of a frigid air of indifference that she was used to displaying. She was taken out of her despairing thoughts when Dale put on a hand on her shoulder, silently conveying the same message Dr. Wardlaw gave him.

“We’ll get there.”

Missy nodded at that and he took his hand off her shoulder. After an adequate amount of time had passed her parents made their way over to their daughter. Willa noticed them and let go of Addison’s hand to give them space.

“Good morning honey” her mom softly smiled and gently placed her hand on her shoulder. Surprisingly she didn’t tense up, or otherwise that she was too tired to do so. Either way she was grateful for being allowed the physical interaction.

Addison noticed that she was wearing her normal business attire as well as a light spritz of her floral perfume. “**yawn**Good morning mom” she replied, but Missy noticed that she didn’t open her mouth as wide to talk to her like she did with her friends…it was as if she was hiding something.

“How’re you feeling Addison?” Dale asked. He was also wearing his usual business clothes; a white button up shirt and slacks with a touch of his cologne. She contentedly hummed as the combination of everyone’s scents and the coffee aroma made her feel like she was back at both homes.

“Grmmmm…Still sleepy. Did Dr. Dynamite do the stitches?” she asked.

“He did” he answered.

“Cool**yawwnnn** oh wow…anesthesia packs a punch” she commented while rubbing her eyes, though everyone was perplexed by her comment.

“Anesthesia?” Wynter asked.

“Yeah, its-”

“We know what it is Addison, Dr. Wardlaw told us what he was going to do” Willa interrupted. “It’s just…he didn’t use any.”

She froze when that bit of info was disclosed. “…What? Then…how? I mean, I know was super tired from everything but I would’ve felt something like that” she questioned.

“You mean…you don’t know?” Wyatt asked.

“Know what?”

“Addison…relax” Dale assured as he rubbed the top of her head. “You’re alright and everything went well. We can attest to that.”

“What do you mean?” but she was soothingly shushed by her mother.

In midst of asking all of her questions, it finally dawned on Missy why her daughter nearly kept her mouth shut with her earlier. “…Her fangs. She was hiding her fangs from me” she realized and immediately recalled how startled she was when Addison smiled at her while on the gurney. …And how quickly it faded away. “…She probably thought I was scared of her…that I was disgusted by her smile. **sigh** Another wound that needs to be healed” she solemnly thought, but snapped out of it when she heard “Mom?” She looked down and saw the concern etched on Addison’s features. “What’s wrong?”

She quickly dismissed her downtrodden countenance and said, “Nothing honey…nothing at all. I know you’re confused, we all are, but Dr. Wardlaw’s going to come in and explain everything. In fact we were actually supposed to call-”

“Done” Dale announced as he held up a buzzer attached to the bed. Soon a blue light was flashing on the headboard. “Before he gets here, do you need anything? An extra pillow? Blanket?”

“Ummm…I-I need to go” she whispered.

“Go?” Missy repeated. “Go where?”

“You know…go” and she inclined her head towards the restroom door.

“O-Oh! Of course! Dale, please lower the rails.”

“On it” and he pressed the corresponding button that lowered the protective barrier. She handed him her coffee and took all of the sensor pads off of Addison’s body.

“Are you able to sit up by yourself?” her dad asked. She tried to lift her upper body up, but the moment she activated her abdominal muscles she felt the tug of her stitches and yipped in pain.

“Addison!” they fretted.

“I’m okay, I’m okay. But…I can’t” she grimaced.

Wynter and Willa were instantly by her side and the gently lifted her up with their impressive werewolf strength. They carried her to the bathroom door and set her down; thankfully she was able to stand on her own power.

“Thanks you two, I’ll take it from here” Missy assured. They moved out of the way so she could support her while Willa opened the door for them. “Ready?”

Addison didn’t make eye contact, but nodded her head. Missy was about to take it as another sign that she was still uncomfortable around her, until she noticed that the tips of her pointed ears were beet red. As they slowly walked inside she whispered, “Addison, you don’t have to be embarrassed. This is no different than when you were a baby or when you started potty training.”

That just made her face get redder and she whined, “Mooom!”

“That’s right, I’m your mom and this is what I’m supposed to do. Besides, this is nothing. It’s not like the time when you spit up milk and Oreos all over me…though I blame your father for playing around with you too much after you ate” and both of them chuckled at that gross memory before closing the door behind them.

While everyone waited for Addison to finish her business, Dr. Wardlaw walks in wearing the signature white doctor’s jacket, but jungle-tree patterned scrubs with little jaguars on it. “Good morning everyone!”

“Good morning Dr. Wardlaw” they all replied.

“Hey now, where’s our patient?” he asks when he notices the empty bed.

“She’s in the bathroom with Missy” Dale answered.

“Cool, that takes care of one thing on the list” he commented before going over and shutting off the patient alert light. “How long have they been in there?”

“They just walked in.”

“...Huh, alrighty then. She’s actually up a lot later than I thought she’d be. I know none of the heart monitor machines went off due to another spike, but did she wake up in the middle of the night at all?”

“No sir” Willa responded.

“And we checked periodically” Wyatt added while folding up the blankets that made-up their makeshift sleeping area.

“Guarding her like a couple of knights. That’s what I’m talking about!” he praised, making them smile.

A moment later they heard the flushing sound of the toilet as well as and rushing faucet water through the bathroom door. A few seconds pass before they emerge, but Addison keeps her head down to avoid showing everyone her red face.

“Good morning Mayor” he greets.

“Ah, good morning Dr. Wardlaw” Missy replies.

“Good morning to youz too Hercules” he greets Addison.

That gets a small chuckle out of her, but she stutters “G-Good morning Dr. Dynamite” and doesn’t look him in the eye.

Dr. Wardlaw raised an eyebrow up at that until Missy lets out a subdued **Ahem**, getting his attention. That’s when he notices a small, white paper bag in her hand and the proverbial light bulb goes off. “Hmmm…Chief?”

“Yes?” Dale responds.

“Mind if youz, me and the Mayor chat outside for a bit?”

“Of course. Wynter, Willa. Would you mind helping Addison get back into bed please?”

“You got it alpha Wells” Wynter replied.

They picked up the injured girl while Dale handed Missy back her coffee and left the room with the doctor.

“Are you alright Addison?” Wyatt asked as the girls tucked her back in.

“Yes…I’m fine” but she didn’t sound all that convincing.

“Are you sure?” he asked again.

“Uh huh, It’s just…I never thought I’d have to do something like that.”

“Like what? Getting a poop sample?” Wynter asked and she groaned in embarrassment.

“…Did Dr. Dynamite tell you he was going to do that too?”

“Yep, but it’s nothing to be embarrassed about Addison. We just want to make sure you’re healthy” Willa replied before leaning in and smelling around her body, giving an affirmative nod.

A small, appreciative smile crossed Addison’s lips and she said, “…You’re right, you’re right. That’s probably why he took my parents outside to spare my embarrassment. He’s a great doctor.”

“I’ll say” the alpha agreed, thinking back to how patient he was with all of her questions during their little study session.

“Soo…did you have-”

“Everything was normal” she emphatically said, cutting off Wyatt and ending that conversation. Willa may have told her not to be embarrassed, but that didn’t mean she wanted to keep talking about her excretory system.

“Good, I’m glad” he sighed in relief.

“Yeah, because there’s plenty of moose meat with your name on it” Wynter added, making her smile.

“Sounds good to me!” she agreed and unconsciously licked her lips.

“By the way, why did he call you Hercules?” Willa asked.

“Probably because what I did reminded him of the legend” she replied.

“What legend?” Wynter asked.

“The twelve labors of Hercules.”

“Labors? You mean like trials?”

“Yup. He had to complete twelve ridiculously hard trials set by his ill-mannered cousin King Eurystheus in order to be forgiven for killing his family. Heh…once again being in lockdown had its perks” she thought; one of the books she decided to read was about Greek mythology.

“What?! He killed his own family!? Why?” Wyatt asked.

“It wasn’t his fault. He was cursed by Hera, queen of the Greek Gods, to go crazy and kill his wife and children.”

“That’s messed up!” he growled.

“No kidding! Why would she do that?” Wynter asked.

“Ehh…stupid family drama. Turns out Hercules’ dad was Zeus, king of the Greek Gods and Hera’s husband, but…uh”

“But he betrayed his mate and had Hercules with someone else” Willa growled.

“Yeeeah. There’s a bit more to it, but that pretty much sums it up” Addison acknowledged.

“It still doesn’t make sense why she would punish the child instead of her husband. Hercules didn’t do anything wrong” Wyatt pointed out.

“Some humans are just dumb” Wynter commented.

“No kidding” Willa remarked. “So what happened with Hercules?”

“Turns out Eurystheus was one of Hera’s favorite people and wanted Hercules fail in glorious fashion to please her. Hmph…if that doesn’t sound like a certain trio I know” she muttered to herself. “Anyway, the joke was on them because he succeeded. One of the trials was to kill the Nemean lion, a dangerous creature that ate warriors and couldn’t be killed by weapons because its golden fur was super tough. So he cornered it in its cave, stunned it with his club and strangled it with his bare hands. He skinned it using one of its own claws and wore it like armor” she explained.

“Just like you will” Wyatt smiled.

“Yep! It may not be armor, but your vest is going to be amazing” Wynter added.

“I can’t wait” Addison smiled back.

“Eh, I guess Hercules is an okay nickname. I like white hair better” Willa commented.

“Me too. You gave it to me after all, so it has that extra zest and honor to it” she described, making the alpha blush.

“…I don’t know about all that” she muttered while actively avoiding her gaze.

“Well I do, so there” she grinned, making her friends smile as well.

“So what else did Hercules have to do?” Wyatt asked.

Before she could captivate her audience further with more lore of the mythological hero, Dr. Wardlaw and her parents come back in. “Hello again Hercules, how youz feeling?” he asked.

“I feel alright, but I have a lot of questions” she replied.

“Heh, youz and me both. But first, let’s check your vitals and your stitches. Mayor, if youz would.”

“Certainly” Missy put her coffee cup down on the counter and quickly put the patches back on.

“98/62. Heart rate 70. Body temp. 98.4. All good” he reported. “Now, if youz could sit up for me that’d be right nice” he said as he took the stethoscope from around his neck and put it in his ears. Her mom helps her sit up while he warmed the resonator in his hands so it wouldn’t be cold on her skin. “Alrighty then, take three deep breaths for me if youz would” and he places it on her back. She does as she’s told and expands her stomach as far as she can. “Hmmm…cool! Youz golden” he decrees and slings the device back around his neck. Missy lays her back down.

“Now let’s check my sewing” and he starts unwrapping Addison’s arm bandage. A small gulp involuntarily slid down her throat as she and everyone else anxiously waited to see the end result of the surgery. As the last of the clean white gauze came off, everyone gasped at the sight. Thick, black thread sealed the four significantly smaller cuts in a single continuous pattern. Although they all knew that it was meant to help, seeing her skin desecrated like that felt all kinds of wrong. Dr. Wardlaw increased the magnification of his glasses and examined her arm. “No leaking…no pus…no red irritation. Sweet!” he thought. “Looking good” he declared and everyone let out a breath they didn’t know they were holding.

Next were the abdominal stiches. Her parents did the honor of pulling her gown up while simultaneously pulling the blanket up to cover her pelvic area.

“Just as a heads up, I’m not as quick as Charlene” he apologized in advance as he took out a little pair of scissors from his jacket pocket.

“That’s okay” Addison replied and he got to work.

Once again her marred body was on display, but it was way better than what she thought it was going to be. “Sealed up like a pickle jar” he declared and pulled her gown down.

“Thank goodness” Missy exhaled.

“Not that we had any doubts” Dale quickly added, afraid that they might’ve offended the doctor.

But he brushed it off and replied, “Hey, it’s all good. There’s risk with any surgery. Or getting a haircut for that matter” and he touched his perfectly quaffed broccoli hairstyle. Everyone chuckled at that until Addison grimaced a bit in pain.

“Don’t worry Addison, we have some willow bark to help with the tenderness” he assured.

“Thank you. But…how were you able to do this without any anesthesia?” she asked.

“God-given assistance” he replied, and she quirked an eyebrow up at that. “I’m serious; that’s the only way I can explain it. Youz had an extra helper working on youz last night.”

“What do you mean?” she questioned and he told her about her glowing hair, the tingly sensation, rapid healing abilities as well as all the internal body changes. Her eyes were as wide as the full moon when he was done talking. “Dang…she looks like me when I found out where babies come from” he thought when they saw her dazed demeanor. “…Youz alright Addison?”

She didn’t say anything, instead letting out a long exhale and closing her eyes. “Okay…first I smell like a wolf, can understand wolf and zombie tongue, I transform into a werewolf, my body’s now has wolf blood and a new intestinal biome. I can handle that, no problem. I wanted to find out what I am and I got it. But glowing hair!? And I’m exuding some kind of tingly, weird energy?! Are you flippin’ kidding me?! I’m not even a normal werewolf!? Then again, why not? I’m consistently unnatural! Just another thing to tack on to my anomaly list! Seriously, what’s next?!” In the midst of her processing thoughts she could hear the worried murmurings of her family.

“Will she be okay?”

“I’d actually be surprised if she didn’t react this way.”

“True…it’s only natural.”

“Maybe we should’ve waited to tell her.”

When she heard that comment, she opened her eyes and turned her head to look at the wolves with an inquiring yet irritable countenance. “Anything else that you’ve been hiding from me that I should know about in regards to my body?” she snarled, making the trio gulp.

“N-No! Well…I mean yes but-”

“What my brother’s trying to say is that there isn’t anything else that’s…abnormal” Willa carefully uttered.

“Yeah, there’s nothing else! I swear!” Wyatt assured.

She growled in resignation and closed her eyes again, this time covering them with her good arm.

Willa started moving towards her, but Dr. Wardlaw held up her hand to stop her. “Let’s give her a sec” he mouthed and she reluctantly agreed. “Besides, haven’t you done enough?!” those disgusting voices spat; she clenched her fist at that. He did warn them about what would happen when reality really set in for her. Sure she was ecstatic in the beginning, but what if it morphed into something contemptuous? What if…what if she didn’t want to be friends anymore? Or worse? What if she decided to become like the Seabrook settlers and lead a campaign to get rid of them? Those runaway thoughts skidded to a stop when Addison let out another long exhale. Sensing no ire in her breath, Wyatt decided that enough time had passed.

“A-Addison” he timidly spoke. The girl took her arm off of her eyes and looked at him. He twiddled his fingers and whined, “W-We didn’t mean to keep this from you. Honest!”

Her face softened at that and she released another sigh. “**sigh** I know…I know. You weren’t sure what you saw was real” she acknowledged. “I was just worried that I…well…never mind.”

“What Addison?” her mother gently encouraged, which surprised her.

“…That I wasn’t a normal werewolf” she whispered and Missy’s heart just sunk. Not that she’d blame her for thinking that way – they instilled it in her after all.

“White hair” Willa spoke and Addison looked at her. “It doesn’t matter what your body does, you’re still you.”

“Yeah! I mean, our eyes glow but we’re still us – just a fiercer version. Plus it’s really cool that you’re an extra fast healer! You can take a hit and keep on going” and Wynter punctuated her point by swiping at the air with her claws.

“Whoa! Hey! Take it easy there Scrappy” Dr. Wardlaw warned as he blocked one of her punches from hitting the machine.

“Oops! Sorry! I’m sorry!” and she backed up.

“It’s alright, no harm done” he assured. “And your friends are right…but I guess that means youz won’t be needing a doctor any time soon. And that also means it’ll be an even longer minute before I see youz again” he frowned.

“Don’t worry Dr. Dynamite, I’ll still come by and visit” Addison smiled.

“I’ll hold youz to that Hercules. Though I should start calling youz Wolverine instead. Or…Wolf-erine” he grinned and she giggled at the pun.

But the wolves didn’t find it amusing whatsoever. “Why would you call Addison one of those dinky scavengers?” Wyatt growled.

“Yeah. We eat wolverines” Willa added.

“Oh no, I didn’t mean to insult her! When I called her that I didn’t mean an actual wolverine. Wolverine is the name of a fictional character that’s a mutant. He has sharp claws made out of steel on the back of his hands and rapid healing abilities, just like her” he explained, getting a round of “oh’s” out of them.

“I don’t know if my claws will ever be that sharp” Addison commented, looking at her fingers.

“They are. If I can slash through your school’s metal lockers then you can too” Willa replied.

“Please don’t. The town has enough repairs as it is” Missy implored.

“I won’t” Addison assured.

“Alright Addison, mind being a quiz show contestant again?” Dr. Wardlaw requested.

“Sure.”

“Cool. So youz didn’t know this phenomenon was occurring at all, right?”

“No sir.”

“Did youz feel any pain?” and she shook her head no. “Hmmm…what about when your friends saw it glow for that hot second?”

“Nope, nothing. The only thing on my mind was comforting a couple of my pack mates” she explained, and she could sense her leader’s gratitude for keeping it anonymous.

“Interesting” he commented.

“Do you think her state of mind has anything to do with that tingly sensation we felt?” Missy asked.

“Your guess is as good as mine Mayor. We still don’t even know why youz and her friends could feel it and the rest of us couldn’t. For now I’ll focus on what I can treat” he replied. “I’m going to send your sample to the lab to see if we need to blow up any bad stuff inside of youz; we should have the results by end of the day. But as a precaution we’re going to keep youz here one more day to monitor youz. Even though youz have these healing abilities, seeing your heart rate that high was unnerving. Plus they seem to be inconsistent; that’s why I wanted to do the stitches because I wasn’t sure when it’d happen again. I couldn’t leave your cuts open” he explained.

“I understand. Thank you everyone, for everything” and they all smiled at her.

“No problem Hercules. Now let’s go on ahead and wrap youz back up” and he pulled some gauze out of the drawer. Everyone gave him space while he did his thing. “There we go, not too tight is it?”

“Nope, it’s all good” Addison replied.

“Sweet. Well, I’ll see all youz tonight – my shift’s almost up. My assistant Takeisha’s going to be here with your medicine and some breakfast for youz. Gonna keep it simple with fruit and toast for now, until we know what’s going on in your gut. She’ll go over the results with youz if they’re ready. If not, then we’ll go over them when I get back.”

Addison snickered a little when he finished talking. “What’s so funny?” he asked.

“Tobe and Takeisha. TNT” she explained, getting a laugh out of the doctor.

“Hahaha! I like that! That’s clever! Makes my nickname all the more appropriate. But don’t be calling her nurse Dynamite, got it? That’s our thing.”

“Okay” she promised.

“Cool, cool. Mayor, Chief, call me if anything strange happens and I’ll come right over. Management's just going to have to deal with me getting overtime.”

“And we’ll talk to them if they give you trouble. Thank you again Dr. Wardlaw. Enjoy your day and get plenty of rest” Missy replied.

“Heh, now youz sound like a doctor” he chuckled. “Alright, see youz later.”

“Bye Dr. Dynamite!” “Bye bye!” “Thank you” the children said and he left.

“Addison” Missy addressed.

“Yeah?”

“Unfortunately we have to go into the office for a while. Apparently I have to be there to approve the budgets for the ongoing construction. I swear what in the world is video chat good for then?!” she fumed.

“It’s alright, I understand.”

“But before we go, we’re going to the cafeteria and make sure you get the fruits you like. Maybe even see if they have any whole wheat bread. If not, we’ll buy you some.”

“Thank you” she smiled.

“Of course honey. But the second you need us, call and we’ll be right over” she said and reached into her purse - pulling out Addison’s phone and charger. “I’ll leave it right here for you” and she set it down on a little nightstand next to her bed.

“Okay” she promised.

“What about you three? Would you like anything out of the cafeteria?” she asked.

“No thank you alpha Wells. We actually need get back to the pack and make sure they’re alright. Once we know that everyone’s good, we’ll come straight back” Willa explained.

“If you’d like, we can give you a ride back to the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest again before we have to go our meeting” Missy offered.

“That’d be great, thank you” the alpha replied.

“Of course, we’ll be right back” and her parents left to go to the cafeteria.

“Hey guys? Thank you for being with me all this time” Addison expressed.

“Of course. I promised you didn’t I?” Willa replied.

“Yeah” she gratefully smiled. “But now that I’m more or less better, you don’t have to come back. Like you said, the safety of our family supersedes everything-”

“And once we’re done ensuring their safety, we’re coming back to ensure yours. This is all new for us and we’re not taking any chances. But like Dr. Wardlaw said, we'll focus on what we can treat. Or share in this case. We’ll teach you everything about being a werewolf. And whatever I don’t know, we’ll ask the elders. I’m not breaking my promise white hair, and nothing you can say can change my mind” Willa huffed and the rest of the trio barked in agreement.

“Plus if there’s any more berries we’ll bring them to you” Wynter added.

The mention of Row’s fruit made her stomach grumble, until something else crossed her mind. “But wait…wouldn’t those be considered secrets though?” she asked. “I still have the combat trial to do.”

“You won’t be fighting anyone or anything until you’re fully healed and have had proper training!” Wyatt refuted.

“My brother’s right. Besides, teaching you about being a werewolf and fighting like one are fundamental lessons, not secrets. Then you’ll use that knowledge against your opponent. Just like how you used your hunting lesson” Willa added.

“Though you probably won’t need that many lessons since you handled that cougar” Wynter chimed in.

“I agree. But for now, focus on getting better and don’t rush yourself, understand?”

Addison smiled and replied, “I do, and thank you.”

Willa nodded at, though in the back of her mind she would’ve liked to have said, “To hell with the combat trial!” but she had to adhere to and respect the ancestral way.

A few minutes pass until they hear a knock on the door. “Come in” Addison granted.

The door opened to reveal a burly, caramel-colored lady wearing an orange scrub with lemurs on them. Her dark brown hair was slicked back and tied into a long, braided pony-tail. She was holding a sectioned tray with a piece of whole wheat toast and a bowl of fruit. Right behind her were her parents.

“Good morning Miss Addison! I’m Takeisha, but you can me Taki” she introduced herself.

“Nice to meet you Taki” Addison smiled.

“Let’s get some food in you baby. Would one you fine young adults mind moving that table in front of her for me please?”

“I got it” Wyatt volunteered and moved the mini table over her abdomen.

“Thank you kindly.” She set the tray down and pressed a button on the side of the bed to adjust the mattress to a comfortable sitting position. “That alright baby?” she asked the patient.

“Yes, thank you very much!”

“You’re welcome” the nurse smiled.

Addison looked at the tray; inside the bowl was a colorful medley of apple, banana, strawberry and kiwi slices. Off to the side was a small bottle of water and brown pill in a tiny white ceramic dish. “Is this the willow bark?”

“Sure is, and you take it with food” Taki instructed.

“Okay.”

“Alright baby, I’ll-” before she could even finish that sentence Addison prayed her thanks for the meal and wolfed it down in no time at all. All the adults just stared at her while she popped the pill in her mouth and chugged her water. “Good thing I didn’t leave” Taki thought.

“Ahhh…delicious” she remarked and licked her sweet lips.

“So we see” Dale commented.

“Your appetite certainly hasn’t diminished that’s for sure” Missy added.

“Uh…would you like some more?” the nurse asked.

“Yes please” Addison requested.

“Don’t worry baby, I got you.” She grabbed the empty dishes off the table and left the room.

“Is this normal?” Dale asked Willa.

“We wolves do use up a lot of energy. And she did eat a lot after she transformed” she reminded.

“True. Well, if the only thing all that glowing does is heal and increase your metabolism then I’m okay with that” he remarked.

A few minutes go by before Taki returns – this time with two fruit bowls and four pieces of toast. And Addison devoured all of it in a flash. “…We’re going to need a bigger refrigerator” her parents thought as they watched her drink the last of her water.

“Want some more baby?” Taki asked.

“No thank you ma’am. I’m full” she replied.

“Okey dokey. Here, let’s get you a fresh blanket and clean up your cute little face. Mind holding the tray for me young man?”

“Can do” and Wyatt grabbed the tray.

Taki got some cleaning spray from the cabinet and wiped off the table before moving it aside. She handed Missy a washcloth to lather up in the bathroom sink while her husband rolled the dirty blanket off of their daughter. Once Missy finished cleaning up all the juicy residue off Addison’s face, Taki places a fresh blanket over her. “There we go, all nice and cozy” she proclaimed.

“Thank you” Addison smiled.

“Your welcome baby. I’ll check on you later. But if you anything just press the call button.”

“Okay.”

She grabs the dishes and dirty blanket from the guys and leaves the room. Taking that as their cue too, everyone gathered around to give their temporary goodbyes. “Bye sweetie” Missy said and took a chance by gently placing her hand on top of her head. A pleased and relieved smile crossed her lips when she noticed that Addison actually leaned into it. She kissed her forehead before moving out of the way so Dale could get in. “Get some rest honey” her dad smiled and kissed her on the forehead too.

Her pack wasted no time and smothered her with affectionate nuzzles. “See you later Addison” Wyatt smiled, getting a kind grin in return.

“Shall we?” Missy asked. The werewolves nodded and followed her parents out the room.

Now it was quiet. Well…as quiet as you can get with enhanced hearing inside a hospital. But at least Addison now had a chance to sit back and absorb everything that happened over the past twenty-four hours. She released a long exhale and closed her eyes – sinking further into the twin-size bed.

“…A werewolf. I still can’t believe I’m a flippin’ werewolf. I took down a seven hundred pound moose and a dangerous cougar! With my bare hands! And I’m alive. Holy flip…I could’ve died.” That near reality made her pause; a small gulp going down her throat as she came to grips with her own mortality. “I-I really could’ve been-”

“NO!” a familiar voice strongly refuted, making her open her eyes and yelp in surprise. “Guardian protect pup! Pup always safe!”

“…You” she whispered when her heart rate settled down after the initial surprise. “It’s you! You’re okay!” In the midst of everything she’d almost forgotten about the entity living inside of her. She felt the being nod and it asked, “Pup okay?”

“Huh? Y-Yeah, I’m fine.” She felt it sigh in relief, yet there was a tinge of regret. “Sorry.”

“Sorry? For what?”

“Guardian couldn’t fully heal pup.”

When it said that, some things started clicking into place. “…It was you. You healed me last night” she realized, but the being shook its head “no”. “Tried to heal wounds. Sensed stress in body. Tried not to cause pain like before, but did. Overworked body. Sorry for hurting pup’s body more” it sadly explained.

“But you didn’t” she assured and could sense it tilt its head to the side in confusion. “I didn’t feel any pain while you were healing me, even when my heart rate was super high. Dr. Wardlaw didn’t find extra damage, and even if there was, I wouldn’t be mad. You didn’t do it on purpose, it would’ve been an accident. And I know you would’ve done whatever it takes to help me” and the being vehemently nodded at that. “So please don’t feel bad, my body’s just getting used to all the changes going on. Heh…werewolf puberty, go figure” she mused to herself, though the entity still wasn’t all that convinced.

“Pup still want guardian?” it hesitantly asked.

“Of course! We’re one, right?” she smiled.

“Right!” the being happily replied and she felt it do the equivalent of licks and nuzzles, making her giggle. “Guardian keep healing pup’s body?”

“Yes please! We’ll just take it nice and easy” she instructed and the being nodded at that. “But…umm…if you don’t mind, can I ask you a few questions?”

“Pup ask away” it replied.

“Okay. Umm…what are you?”

“Pup’s guardian” it replied like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“…Right. What I meant was what exactly are you? I know you’re my guardian but are you “wolf instincts”? A spirit? A boy or girl? Some kind of alien?” she clarified.

“Guardian for pup only” it repeated. “Moonstone energy combine with pup’s energy, creating guardian” it explained.

“What?! You’re a baby!? I mean obviously you’re not a baby baby, but really!? That’s crazy! And amazing…wow” she marveled. “But…how?”

“Not sure how. Always felt connected to pup” it revealed.

“Really? Even when I put the necklace on the first time?” and she could feel it nod its head “yes”.

“Moonstone energy weak. Enough to make guardian, but guardian weak. Pup energy slowly heal guardian” it said.

“My necklace really was coming back to life!” she gasped when she remembered what Willa said. “That explains why it didn’t need much of the moonstone’s energy after I transformed into a lycanthrope - it recuperates through me! But it doesn’t explain why I’m like this or how I could survive without the moonstone in the first place.” She put those unknowns on her ever-growing mental list before asking, “Does every werewolf have a guardian?”

“No sense others” it replied.

“Wonder why just me” she thought. “In any case, welcome to my body! …Wait, no. That sounded weird. Just uhhh…welcome!” she corrected.

“Guardian happy to be with pup!”

“Me too” she replied, but the being sensed she was feeling a bit blue. “Pup okay? Pup tired?”

“…It’s not that. I mean I am but…I don’t know. I just thought that being a werewolf would’ve taken care of everything. I know what I am, that’s the most important thing. But now I get a million more questions nobody knows the answers to. **sigh** Guess that’s a part of life – gotta roll with the punches. Or roll with the claw swipes in my case.”

“Roll and dodge! Fight and win! Guardian help pup whenever pup need. Guardian with pup forever” the entity assured, getting a genuine smile out of its partner.

“Thank you. You have no idea how grateful I am to have you with me” and she giggled again when she felt it lovingly nuzzle her. “By the way, what’s your name?”

“Name?”

“Yeah. Like how my name is Addison, but you call me your pup – which I love by the way. I think it’s adorable” she readily assured and she could feel it smiling at her.

“Guardian has no name” it replied.

“Ah, that’s right! You are sorta a baby after all. Um…would you like a name?” and the being vehemently shook its head “yes.”

“Pup name guardian! Pup name guardian!”

“Oh, oh wow. Okay, umm…let’s see…” and Addison reaches for her phone to look up baby names. “Alright…how about…” and she scrolls list after list until one catches her eye. “Oh! How about Adelio?” she suggested and it felt like her insides were being playfully pounced on.

“Adelio loves it! Thank you pup!”

“You’re welcome! And Adelio means “noble”, for that’s exactly what you are. My noble guardian and friend” she praised and she felt the tingling nuzzles once again. But her internal revelry is paused when her phone vibrates and a green message bubble pops up. She clicks on the icon and sees a group chat.

<Good morning Addison!>

<Hey there forest warrior! It’s Eliza>

She wasn’t surprised to Bree texting her, but seeing Eliza was new. As far as she knew zombies didn’t have phones.

<You’re probably wondering how I’m texting you. Found a way to hook onto a satellite and now I get free service! Plus I had your number in my system after we tracked you that night you went to the den. I’m that good.> and she followed it up with a smug face emoji.

“She is that good” she thought as an amused smirk appeared on her lips.

<Working on building one for Zed and Bonzo. Big B’s my awesome techie.>

<Bonzo’s sooo multi-talented!> Bree added with swooning emojis.

<And since I’m sooo generous, I’ll upgrade yours and Bree’s phones too> and she could hear the teasing smirk in her text.

“I know my parents will appreciate a lower phone bill” she thought.

<So Addy, I know you’re probably SUPER tired from yesterday, and you can say no, but we’re just dying to hear what happened yesterday!>

<Zed was all proud and calling you an Amazon.>

<We can have a little picnic party at Serenity Park, if u want.>

As delightful and thoughtful as that sounded, she knew it couldn’t happen.

“At least it won’t be as scary as when I told my parents” she thought and started texting them back.

<Hey guys. That sounds lovely, but I can’t. I’m in the hospital> and she punctuated it with a bandaged face emoji.

A second later both of them replied <WHAAAAAAAT???> followed by a string of gasping emojis.

<What happened!?> <Are you okay?!> They asked.

<Yes, I’m fine. But if you want, you guys can come visit. I’d rather explain it in person> she explained.

<Of course we’ll visit! You’re at Seabrook Medical right?> Bree asked.

<Yes.>

<What room?>

“Good question…where am I?” she thought.

<I honestly don’t know. You’ll have to ask the receptionist> she replied.

<I’ll let Zed and Bonzo know too. We’ll be there as soon as we can.> <Yeah!> and that was the end of the messages.

“I better get some rest – something tells me I’ll be talking for a long time” she thought before putting her phone on silent, attaching it to the charger and setting it on the side table. She closed her eyes and cozied up further into her bed. It didn’t take long for her to fall asleep, especially since she had an internal cuddle buddy snuggling with her now.

Meanwhile…

The trek through the woods was quick and quiet. Soon the wolves reached the halfway point and they let the pack know they were almost home with their announcing howl.

“Wow! They’re really excited” Wynter noticed when they heard the return howl.

“I know they are. They can’t wait to hear the good news” Wyatt smiled, but his sister didn’t match his enthusiasm. “And it is good news” he asserted, but still nothing. “C’mon Willa. All things considered it went a whole lot better than we expected.”

“Yeah, we didn’t have to fight anybody” Wynter added.

Willa merely hummed at their words and picked up the pace. They sighed but heeded her silent command and ran faster too – dropping the conversation. It wasn’t long until they saw the den entrance, however a small rustle made them pause for a moment.

It was all the concealed being needed.

Suddenly a flash of brown and purple sprung out of the foliage and pounced on Wynter. Wyatt and Willa were about to slash the threat to shreds until her giggles and a familiar scent put them at ease.

“W-Wazee?!” Willa shouted. The young, high-top hair style sporting male teen with syrup-colored skin and s’more colored fur redirected his gaze and quickly pounced on her – peppering her with affectionate licks. “H-Hey! I’m glad tohahaha! To see you too, but c-cut it out!” she ordered in the midst of her laughter.

He got off of her and helped her up while Wyatt helped Wynter back onto her feet. Wazee went over to his male pack mate and licked his cheeks while playfully tousling his hair, making it stick out in every which way. “Great to see you too buddy” he smiled. “When did you get back? Are you okay?”

He nodded and replied, “Rrruf grrf rugff ruff grruff” preferring to speak in his native tongue.

“If the elders sent you on ahead, where’s everyone else now?” Willa asked.

“Ruff grruf!” he yipped.

“Big Bear Lake?! Really?! That means they’ll be home by tonight!” Wynter giddily exclaimed.

“Yep, our pack will finally be whole” Wyatt smiled.

Wazee merrily yipped, but added, “Grrruff ruff rrrf.”

“I bet. But don’t worry, we have more than enough food thanks to Addison” Wyatt explained.

Wazee tilted his head in confusion and asked, “Addison? Rrruhff gruff?”

“…It’s a long story” Wyatt replied and Willa bristled up a bit and released an irritated growl; Wazee gulped and submissively whined while backing away. The alpha quickly caught herself and regretfully sighed. “…I’m sorry Wazee. It’s just…it’s been a long night. C’mon, let’s go inside and get the den all straightened up before they arrive.”

“Grruf. Ruff urrff” he told them.

“They already started? In that case, we can do a little hunting to add to the moose and cougar meat in the cool area” she amended.

“Urhf? Ruffer? Ruff gruf ruffer?!” he asked, a little shocked that they had cougar meat; it certainly was an extremely rare meal.

“Like I said, it’s a long story. I promise I’ll fill you in” she assured.

Wazee nodded and took the lead with Wynter right next to him – understandably eager to finally see her paw-ma again.

Willa was just a clip behind them until her feet slowly stopped moving; their walking forms becoming nothing but blurs. Soon the only thing around were those belligerent babblings in her mind. "Well, what perfect timing indeed! Now the elders will get to hear all about your poor decision! Better enjoy your last moments of being alpha, you sad excuse for a wolf! They’re going to replace you in a heartbeat! In fact they should outright banish you just like they did the red-”

But she was taken out of that infernal abyss of condescending chaos when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked over and saw her brother – concern written all over his face.

“…Big sister?” he whined.

She turned away from him, letting her curls obscure his view of her face. Wyatt whined again and started nuzzling her, but she remain rooted in place. Then he noticed Wazee and Wynter turn around and sprint towards them, but he gestured for them to keep going. They looked at each other for a few seconds before heeding his request, though it pained them to do so.

Eventually the gentle caresses had the desired effect and she started nuzzling back. “Hey, it’ll be okay. They’ll understand. Don’t stress yourself out, just talk to them when you’re ready. Remember, we’re all alive and well – that’s the most important thing” he softly spoke.

She nodded at that, but he could tell it was just an automatic reply. That dour, stinkin’ thinkin’ flea was determined to stay on, and only she could remove it. For now, all he could was be there to support her – not only as a beta, but as a loving brother.

Chapter 14: Sweetness Begets Sweetness, Bitterness Begets Bitterness

Chapter Text

Meanwhile, back at the hospital…

**knock knock** A gentle tapping slowly brought the drowsy patient out of her serene slumber.

"mmm….grrmm…M’in” she garbled out, but it was enough permission to allow nurse Taki to open the door and peek her head inside.

“I’m sorry baby, I didn’t mean to wake you” she apologized.

Addison yawned and rubbed her eyes. “Mmm, no, no. You’re…**yawwnnn* you’re good. I’m up” she assured. “Come on in” and she walked inside.

“How’re you feeling?” she asked as she checked her vitals.

“I feel great!” she replied.

“I’ll say. Your readings agree with that notion” she smiled, noticing that they were still normal for her athletic physique. “No pain?”

“No ma’am, but…I am a little hungry” she admitted, patting her quietly rumbling tummy.

“After what we all saw during breakfast I’m not surprised” she grinned. “But don’t worry, we have plenty prepped for you. Shoot, you just might have a bigger appetite than my son. He can clean a whole pan of biscuits and six pieces of bacon like that” and she snapped her fingers for added emphasis.

“Oh…I don’t know about that” she bashfully replied.

“Well, when the county fair rolls around and if you ‘n him decide to enter one of their eating contests, my money’s on both of you” she winked, making her smile. “By the way, you have a few visitors. A sweet young lady and a posse of darling zombies” she revealed. A big ol’ grin appeared on Addison’s face when she heard that. “I take it you know them?” she knowingly asked.

“Yes ma’am!” she beamed.

“Would you like to see them now or after you eat?”

“…I’d better eat first. I don’t know if this increased appetite will make me hangry” she reasoned.

“Oh it will. Ask me how I know” she commented.

“I’m guessing your son has a lot of snickers on hand” she ribbed.

“Heh, close. Protein bars. He’s an incoming freshman and he’s going to be trying out for the football team during spring workouts next week.”

“Really?! Awesome! What’s his name?”

“His name is Jamie Revae.”

“Nice! Well, when he makes the team I’ll be sure to cheer him on with all I got! All the way Revae!” she cheered, getting a fond laugh out of her.

“Thank you baby, I appreciate that” she smiled. “I’ll be right back with your food” and leaves the room.

Now was the perfect time to check the vitals of another patient. “Hey Adelio?” she called out. She didn’t get a verbal reply, but she could feel a slight nuzzle within her. “…Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you. Just checking on you girl” and she could feel her shake her head, refuting her apology. “…Déjà vu” she thought before gently ordering, “Keep getting some rest okay?” and the presence faded away.

“So cool” she thought. “Wonder what time it is” and she reached over for her phone; she was surprised to see it was half past two. “Whoa…it’s that late already? Then again I shouldn’t be surprised; rest is how the body heals itself. Hopefully I don’t end up falling asleep talking to them.”

A couple minutes go by before Taki returns with a triple helping this time, and Addison scarfs it down in a flash. “Oh yeah, you’re up there with my Jamie” she amusingly commented as she cleaned off her blushing face. “Are you still hungry?”

“…Yes” she meekly replied.

“Say no more, I’ll be right back” and she takes the dirty dishes away.

“I wonder if my appetite spike is tied to Adelio. She did say she gets her energy from me – just like a baby in their mother’s womb. Then again Willa said this was normal; no wonder they cut up so much meat last night.” Her train of thought was interrupted when the nurse came back in with another triple round. “How we feeling?” she asked when Addison ate her last bite of apple.

“I’m full” she announced.

“You sure?”

“Uh huh, thank you very much.”

“Okey dokey then” and she cleaned her face again. “Alright baby, I’m going to send your friends over now.”

“Okay, thank you Taki!”

“You’re welcome baby-cakes” she smiled and left.

It wasn’t long until she heard clamoring footsteps approaching her door…as well as a deathly odor combined with an array of other scents. “Crap! I forgot about my nose! Uggh…whyyy? Why do zombies have to smell like dirt-covered rotting meat?” she internally groaned. The last thing she wanted to do was lose her lunch by being around them, so she did the only thing she could think of. She reached over the side of the bed and grabbed the clicker to activate the call alarm. A few seconds later she heard, “Excuse me children, give me a sec please” outside her door before Taki walked inside. “What’s wrong baby?”

“Umm…do you have a cloth mask or a nose plug? Or maybe a small sheet I can tie around my mouth? I can smell my friends on the other side and their scent is…horrible” she regretfully admitted.

“Shoot that’s right! You’re sense of smell is kicked up ten notches now! Don’t worry baby, I got you” and she looks around in the drawers before finding a box of disposable blue facial masks. “Here we go, let’s try this out” and she puts it around the bottom half of Addison’s face. “How’s that?”

“…A little better” she replied.

“Hmmm…how about if I open the window?” she suggested.

“Yeah, that’s a great idea” she agreed. Takin slightly opened the windows and Addison immediately sighed in relief. “Oh that’s waay better” she said as the scent of the forest permeated the area.

“Are you sure? I don’t want you getting nauseous and start vomiting. It’ll pull on your stiches and your wounds could reopen” she warned.

“I’ll be fine. If it gets to be too much I’ll ask them to leave” she promised.

"...Alright baby cakes, but call the moment you need something okay?”

“I will” she promised and Taki left the room.

She could hear her telling her friends to keep their distance but no mention about being a werewolf. “Probably wouldn’t believe her anyway” she thought before the door slowly opened and the first face she saw was Bree’s.

She tried to keep her shock from showing but Addison still heard a small gasp. “A-Addy” she breathed out.

“Hey Bree” she warmly greeted.

“H-Hey. Um…are you sure you’re okay seeing us? We can come back tomorrow when you’re feeling better” she offered.

“I’m fine Bree, really” she assured.

She nodded and fully opened the door, allowing the rest of her friends to come in. None of them were subtle with their shock - not that she expected they would. “ADDISON!” Zed shouted and ran over to her. “Are you alright?!” he asked, his hands gesturing wildly over her – not sure whether to hug, give a shoulder squeeze or grab her hand.

Addison almost gagged due to his scent and had to resort to breathing through her mouth to somewhat tolerate it. “Hey Zed, I’m-” but she was abruptly cut off by a hand gesture she wasn’t expecting – an incriminating pointing finger.

“You promised me you’d be safe! You promised! What did you do out there?! I knew this was a-OW!” his runaway reprimand was shut down when Eliza slapped him hard on his back. Good thing too because during his verbal onslaught, Addison could feel Adelio stirring inside of her and the guardian wasn’t happy; moonstone energy crackled throughout her body – determined to initiate a wolf-out in order to defend her.

“Did that knock some decency and manners back into you?!” Eliza quietly scolded while Bonzo grabbed him by the collar of shirt and pulled him back.

“Seriously Zed, what’s wrong with you?! Yelling at her like that!” Bree added, almost ready to deck him herself.

“B…But” he meekly tried to defend himself but it fell on deaf ears.

“No buts Zed, you were out of line and you know it! I know you’re scared, but she doesn’t need any of this! You think she wanted to be in a hospital?” Eliza asks.

“…No” he replied.

“Apojico Zeddski!” Bonzo added while crossing his arms.

Zed sighed and rubbed the back of his head in shame; he couldn’t even look her in the eyes. “I…I’m so sorry Addison. I-I didn’t mean…but I did. I was just so worried and I…I don’t know why I got mad. I just…blow up like an idiot.”

“So I noticed” she thought, recalling the other time he let his emotions get the better of him.

“I’ll leave if you want me to, but…are you truly okay?” he finally asked.

She could still feel Adelio’s ire towards him, but also sensed how remorseful he was. “No Zed, I want you to stay. All of you make me happy. And I’m alright, I promise”

“Good” he smiled.

“Addiska, un chimko paeria?” Bonzo asked.

She nodded her head and they grabbed chair – heeding Taki’s earlier instructions and sitting a couple feet from the foot of her bed. Eliza was next to Zed while Bree sat near her boyfriend. She managed to hold back a laugh as all of them stared at her – eagerly awaiting the epic saga to be told. Though she could’ve sworn Zed, Eliza and Bonzo were sniffing the air. “So, are you guys ready to hear the most amazing, dangerous and improbable story ever told?” she asked. Bonzo quickly nodded his head though a gulp slid down Zed’s throat.

“At least we know it has a happy ending! You’re one step closer to becoming part of the pack! Congratulations Addison” Bree praised.

“Addiska bruga!” Bonzo cheerfully exclaimed.

“I’m really proud of you Addison” Zed smiled. “But…they are going to wait until you’re better before you do the combat trial, right?”

“Really Zed?” Eliza deadpanned. “We know the wolves are hardcore but c’mon. You’d really think they’d fight her after getting hurt?”

“What? We don’t know their ways! What if they test stamina?” he countered, and Eliza begrudgingly agreed with his point.

“I’m pretty sure they will, but yes Zed. I’ll only be fighting someone when I’m fully healed” Addison assured.

“Okay…okay good” he sighed in relief.

“Before you tell your story, can I ask something?” Eliza requested.

“Sure” Addison granted.

“Did you use a spear?” she asked.

“Yup!” she proudly replied.

“Oooh…I see” and she couldn’t help but smile smugly at Zed, who covered his mouth with his hand to try and prevent any awestruck gaga sounds from coming out. Though it didn’t stop the blush from forming on his cheeks.

“C’mon Addy, don’t keep us in suspense!” Bree implored.

“Yeah! Though it’s going to be hard to beat some of the spectacular and surprising stuff you’ve done” Eliza noted.

“Topnk Addiska zombie” Bonzo joked, but when Addison didn’t refute it right away everyone stared at her with wide eyes.

“A-Are you part zombie?” Zed asked.

“No” she replied and he somehow kept himself from showing his disappointment.

“Jeez, way to add dramatic effect” Eliza said.

“I think that’s one thing you got from Bucky” Bree noted.

“Hopefully that’s the only thing. But…another transformation did happen” she said before taking a deep breath. She brought her good arm from up under the blanket, making sure her elbow fur and claws were proudly on display, and slid the mask off of her mouth – showing off her pearly white fangs. This time their gasps were extra audible. “…Ta daaa! I’m a werewolf” she revealed.

“WHAT????” everyone shouted; thankfully they kept their volume down.

“Wha-buh-how?! What did they do to you!?” Zed questioned and Addison glared at him.

“They didn’t do anything Zed!” she growled, making him back off and sink further into his chair. “I don’t know how, but I was born one.” She explained the transformation, being mindful not to reveal the more intimate details, and the new differences in her body before sliding her mask back up. She did notice that Zed was actively looking at everything except her when she talked about why the necklace didn’t work on her initially. “…One day I will hear that story” she thought.

“Oh wow…so that’s why your scent’s different” Eliza realized. “I thought it was just all the sterilization cleaner they use.”

“They were sniffing me after all. Heh…zombies and werewolves are more similar that I thought” she noticed.

“Macisk…bvrok smiwo?” Bonzo asked.

“No, you don’t smell. Zombie scent is just a little…potent for my supped-up nose. But I know I’ll get acclimated soon” she assured.

“What?! Addison-”

“Zed, I’m fine. Having the mask and an open window helps. Besides, I really wanted to see you guys.”

“Um…if you don’t mind me asking, what do I smell like?” Bree asked.

They could see the top part of her face crinkle into a smile and she replied, “You smell like toasted bread, chocolate, bananas, mint, lilac, shea butter and a little bit like Bonzo” and that made the couple blush.

“Um…what about us?” Zed asked.

“…Please don’t take this wrong way but you guys smell like rotten meat that’s been in the mud for a while. Although” she paused and sniffed through her mask. “You smell like sand, salt water, and vanilla frozen yogurt. You took Zoey to the beach today didn’t you?” she smiled.

“Wow…I did. You can smell her on me?”

“Uh huh, and Eliza also has this melted metal scent” she revealed.

“I was working on building phones for our friendly giants” she explained while gesturing to the boys.

“Watska?” Bonzo eagerly wanted to know.

“You smell like Bree and…a roast beef sandwich with chard, pickles and mustard. With a little pepper” and she giggled when he clapped his hands – he was completely awestruck.

“And by the way, no offense taken. We’ll adjust and give you space when needed” Eliza assured and the rest of her friends nodded at that.

“Thank you” Addison gratefully replied.

“So is that why you’re in the hospital? Because of the strain of the transformation?” Zed asked.

“No. It’s because of what happened during my trial” and she told them her impressive yet harrowing hunting ordeal, omitting Adelio’s presence and powers for now. She wanted a better idea of how her existence came about. Unsurprisingly they were stunned - just like everyone else that heard about her exploits.

“YOU FOUGHT-”

“Zedski! Shuska! Wati hozvibt!” Bonzo chided.

Zed took a deep and tried to speak as calmly as he could. “You fought a cougar!?” At least it was quieter.

“You mean killed a cougar” Eliza corrected. “I knew you had to watch yourself before, but now that she’s a werewolf I’m sooo going to enjoy watching your combat practices” she cheekily grinned.

“Brutzka” Bonzo agreed.

Meanwhile Bree could’ve literally had stars in her eyes with how amazed she was. “…Wow. Wow wow wow! Addison, you’re incredible! You took down a seven hundred pound moose with your bare hands too?! And carried both animals?! That’s insanely cool!” Bree lauded.

“Thanks Bree! And it tasted great too” Addison added.

“Wait…you ate it raw?” she disbelievingly asked.

“They grilled up some of what I caught at first, but afterwards I stuffing my mouth with marbled cuts of meat. The heart was especially delicious” and she laughed when she saw everyone grimace and “ewww”. “Heh, yeah. In the beginning I felt the same way, but I’m a wolf now so my body can handle it…at least I hope so” she mused to herself when she remembered she was still awaiting the test results from her stool sample.

“Addiska no hugriorio” Bonzo grinned.

“That’s true” she chuckled. “Though I wish I could’ve gotten some pictures to show you guys.”

“Forget the pictures! You have these massive gashes on your body now!” Zed countered.

Addison sighed at his overprotective demeanor and replied, “Yes, but I’m healing just fine thanks to the pack, Dr. Wardlaw and his assistants. A few cuts aren’t going to slow me down.”

“It doesn’t change the fact that what you did was extremely dangerous and reckless!” he scolded, earning stares from everyone.

“…What?” he asked, surprised that they didn’t agree with his opinion on this.

“Buranska witj lugha raghe” Bonzo said.

“No kidding. The pot wants to know if you’re black too” Eliza added. “You want a list of all the dangerous and reckless stuff you did these past few weeks?”

Before he could even answer Bree started, “Like how you set up that prawn proposal for Addison in the middle of the road, got hit by our bus and caused us to have an accident where thankfully no one was seriously hurt?”

“Or how at the election you went out of contr-”

“Alright! I get it!” Zed exasperated as he covered his face with his hands, wishing for a hole to appear and swallow him up. He exhaled and looked at his injured girlfriend. “Addison…I know I’m being a hypocrite, but I just hate seeing you hurt. Not to mention now you’re going to be…y’know…viewed differently. Trust me…it’s not easy” and he glanced over as his fellow zombies, remembering the treatment they experienced when they first integrated into Seabrook High. “I…I don’t like that you’ll have to go through that now.”

Addison got real quiet when she heard that. She stared at him incredulously for a moment before closing her eyes. “…Different setting, but the same thing all over again” she thought when she realized he said those exact same words before he stole her necklace. She subconsciously grabs her stone – holding it tight. Adelio instantly nuzzled her, providing any comfort to take away her buddy’s distress.

Eliza elbows him hard in the ribs, making him grunt out in pain. “Seriously Zed?! Do you not know the definition of the word tact?!” she harshly whispered.

“Eliza, y’know what I’m talking about. I-I just wanted to-”

“There’s a time and a place for everything Zed. Being in a hospital while she’s cut up ain’t neither!” she quietly scolded and Bonzo and Bree nodded in agreement.

“…Nor is it accurate” Addison finally spoke, garnering everyone’s attention.

“W-What do you mean?” he hesitantly stuttered.

“Zed, I’ve been looked at differently my whole life because of my white hair. For crying out loud my parents made me wear a wig! Or did you forget that?!” she barked. All he could do was meekly shake his head “no”. “And even if I didn’t have white hair, I’m sure I would’ve been judged based on something else. It doesn’t take much” she added.

“…Yeah” Bree agreed as she adjusted her glasses. It wasn’t all that long ago that she was picked on for wearing them and having all kinds of derogatory names thrown her way.

“So yeah…I already know what it feels like to be seen as a monster” and everyone could feel the thick, heavy emotion in her voice as she decided to look at the ceiling.

Zed mentally kicked himself for putting that on her. He deserved a million hard elbows from Eliza for his lack of sensitivity.

“…But the worst part of it all was the loneliness. Praying with all my might that I could find someone like me. Until reality set back in that was still an outcast…the tolerable eyesore” she sadly described.

Suddenly she heard a sniffle and redirected her gaze back to the foot of her bed. There was moist sheen on Bree’s eyes and Bonzo wiped at his nose before taking a shuddering breath. Eliza looked completely dumbstruck while Zed was folded in on himself – looking at the ground with his hands on the back of his head.

“But please don’t misunderstand me! Being friends with all of you means the world to me” she assured, making them perk up a tiny bit. “The bond we have is truly special. But…you’re not like me. I mean nobody in this world is exactly like another person, we all have our likes and dislikes, but…I was always the one that didn’t have a school of fish to swim with. Until now” and they saw her face crinkle with a small smile, but it squeezed a few tears out of her eyes. “I…I can’t even describe how amazing it feels to find out what I am…where I truly belong.”

“Oh Addy!” Bree got up and gave her a gentle hug. Through her shuddering voice she said, “I don’t care what you are, you’re my best friend and always will be!” Addison felt a few tear drops fall onto the crook her neck, making more tears come out her own eyes as well. She slightly lifted her body up so she could return the embrace as best she could - burying her head into her bosom. After a few seconds Bree lets her go and eases her back into bed. She lifted her glasses up to wipe her eyes while Addison did the same. They looked at each other and let out a breathy chuckle. “Addy…thank you” she smiled.

Addison quirked an eyebrow up and asked, “For what?”

“Letting me be a part of your outcast “school” she replied.

“That goes double for us” Eliza chimed in. Addison could sense that they wanted to give her smothering hugs too, but didn’t want to make her nauseous with their scent. Instead she and Bonzo settled for touching the top of her concealed feet; Zed on the other hand still kept his eyes glued to the floor and hands to himself.

“Addison, thank you for opening your velvet rope and letting us in. That takes a lot of guts…something I aspire towards” she admitted. “You’re definitely the bravest person I know.”

Bonzo nodded at that wholeheartedly and added, “Addiska rupi no knbulk.”

“No kidding, people are missing out. Being an outsider is awesome!” Bree agreed and that got a hearty laugh out of the injured girl.

“Y’know…I think so too. Especially when you have support like this” she agreed and everyone smiled at that.

But suddenly a knock was heard and everyone except Zed snapped to attention. “Come in” Addison answered and Taki came inside. The nurse sensed the heavier atmosphere and saw their puffy faces. However she wasn’t surprised in the slightest – it was a typical occurrence in any hospital. “Hey everyone…I’m so sorry to interrupt, but unfortunately visiting hours are almost up” she apologized.

“What?! Already?” and Addison looked over at the clock and saw that it was a quarter to five. “Dang…that went by quick” she commented, though in the back of her mind she was relieved; she was mentally drained from disclosing all that personal information. But in the end it brought about clarity and a stronger connection, if Bree gently gripping her hand was any indication.

“Don’t worry, we’ll visit again when your nose can tolerate us” Eliza promised.

“Okay.”

“See you later Addy. Let us know if you need us to bring anything” Bree whispered and gave her another hug.

Eliza and Bonzo moved the chairs back to where they were, but Zed was still sitting in his seat – completely zoned-out. The zombie girl sighed and put her hand on his shoulder, inadvertently startling him.

“H-Huh?! Wha-!”

“Zed…relax” she gently commanded. “It’s time to go.”

“What?! No!” he disputed and quickly looked at the clock before locking eyes on Taki.

“Sorry baby, but it is time” she reiterated.

“W-Wait, please! Can I just talk to Addison for a bit longer? Please?” he begged.

Taki contemplatively hummed at his request before looking over at her patient. He followed her line of sight and locked onto Addison’s eyes too, silently pleading with her to allow him to stay. She sighed and nodded at her nurse, quietly giving the “ok.” Zed released a breath he didn’t even know he was holding.

“Alright baby, I’ll give you five minutes but not a second more, understand?”

“Yes ma’am. Thank you” he gratefully expressed.

“Zedski. Erjilo otfzi” said Bonzo.

“Okay, I’ll see you all out there” he replied. Everyone gave their last round of “goodbyes” and “feel betters” until it was just them.

If the air was thick before, it felt like an avalanche of suffocating snow was dumped on them now. Zed nervously shifted from side to side on his feet while rubbing his fidgeting hands together. “A-Addison…I’m so sorry for everything I said. You would’ve found out who you are a lot sooner if it wasn’t for me. I…I was a major moron. I was just scared-” but he stopped on a dime when Addison held up her hand.

“Zed.”

“**gulp** Y-yes?”

“Unless I’m in critical condition, don’t be scared for me. Do not limit the things I can do. Just continue to support me like I have supported you. Understand?”

He nodded wholeheartedly at that. “Y-Yes! Of course! Always!” he agreed until a nervous gulp slid down his throat. “Does…does that mean you forgive me?”

She closed her eyes and became silent once again. At this point Zed was sweating bullets; he knew he royally screwed up and wasn’t sure if he could handle her not trusting him…even though she had every right not to.

She let out a long exhale and replied, “…Yes.”

Zed couldn’t help but let out a huff of a laugh as a big smile formed on his face.

“BUT”

And just like that all of his relief dissipated as he stared into her now heterochromatic lavender and golden eyes. “Don’t test me Zed. If you keep popping off, I will pop back. Or in my case, bite back. Do I make myself clear?”

“**gulp**Y-Yes, crystal clear.”

“Good” and her eyes went back to being blue. Just in time too because the indicating knock sounded. “I guess time’s up” she said.

“Y-Yeah” he replied and put his chair back in its original spot. He was about to come over to her until she shook her head.

“Nuh uh. Tuo sevbto” she reminded.

“Oh! Right, right my scent is stinky to you” he remembered.

“…In more ways than one” she thought.

“Then I’ll just…see you around.”

“Mh hm. Bye Zed.”

“Bye Addison.” and caught one last look at her before exiting the room.

After a minute or so Addison took off the mask and inhaled deeply. “…Well, I didn’t expect that” she sighed. She could feel Adelio nuzzling her again. “Thanks girl. I know I said it already, but I’m really glad you’re here.”

“Adelio always guard pup. Adelio love pup!” she confirmed, getting a fond chuckle out of her.

“Speaking of guards, I hope the pack’s okay” she thought, a little surprised that they hadn’t come yet. Though in the back of her mind it was for the best that they weren’t here. She knew how close Wynter and Wyatt were to attacking her parents if they reacted negatively. If they saw Zed’s outburst…she shuddered to even imagine what would happen. No one deserved that. Still…after what happened last time she expected better of him. Even that apology somehow felt…off to her. “Go figure…my parents roll with my transformation a lot quicker than he did. Then again, who knows what kind of conversation they had with the wolves after I was taken to Dr. Dynamite. But at least they’re cordial and respectful to each other now – that’s a huge step compared to what it was before. …Guess some people adapt to change faster than others.”

She was taken out of her thoughts when another knock tapped on her door. “Come in” she granted and the nurse did just that.

“You alright baby? You looked like you were about to go Mabel King earlier” she asked while checking her vitals; she wasn’t surprised to see them a little elevated due to the stress she endured, but thankfully they were still within the normal range.

“Mabel King?” Addison repeated.

“Way before your time honey, but give her a listen sometime” she advised.

“I will, and I’m okay” she reported.

“Good to hear baby cakes. Do you still want the window open?”

“Yes please” she requested; the aroma of the forest was soothing to her rattled mind.

“Okey dokey, I’ll let you rest then. You know my number if you need anything” she winked and Addison smiled at that. But before she left, there was something she needed to know.

“Nurse Taki?”

“Yes baby?”

“Umm…well…it’s not that I’m not grateful for all your help, I really really am! It’s just…I don’t know how to put it.”

“Then I will. You’re wondering why I’m being all extra when it comes to helping you” she guessed, though by the knowing grin she sported Addison sensed that this wasn’t the first time she got asked that question.

“Y-Yeah” she confirmed.

“Well don’t go thinking I’m only doing this because you’re the mayor’s kid. I follow the golden rule with everybody; treat others how’d you want to be treated. Well, I take that back; my patience can only go so far. Because you can best believe if someone’s disrespectful to me, then I’ll be more than happy to give them another nurse who’ll treat’em like shi-garbage” she caught herself, but Addison understood full well what she meant.

“Does that put extra money in my paycheck? Eh, sometimes but not always. But do I get great, lasting friendships out of it? Oh heck yes! I can’t even tell you how many notes and family pictures I’ve gotten from the patients I’ve helped over the years. I could probably be invited to over two-hundred Thanksgiving dinners! Seriously!” she grinned and Addison laughed at that. “And all it takes is a little compassion.”

“Just like Alpha Yahtow and Elizabeth” she thought as her eyes widened at the déjà vu.

“Just like pup” Adelio added and she shyly smiled at the compliment.

“While I do get paid to walk, my mama and Prince taught me that it’s better if I don’t walk” Taki finished.

“Huh? A prince?” Addison asked.

“Not a prince. Prince. Though he did go by a symbol back in the day” she clarified.

“But what do you mean walk, don’t walk?” she asked.

“Give a listen to that too and you’ll understand” she winked and walked back over to her. She gently ruffled her hair and Addison leaned into it. “You’re a sweet girl Addison, and sweetness begets sweetness. Sometimes it doesn’t turn out that way” and Addison frowned at that – thinking back to not only Zed’s current behavior, but also her parents, her cousin and his posse. “But if they want bitter water, then that’s their choice and more power to’em. But like I said, sweetness will attract other sweet people and pretty soon you’ll all be walking cosmic brownies.”

“Cosmic brownies?” she giggled. “What’re those?”

“Instant cavity inducers. Ask me how I know” she replied as she touched her right cheek. “They are delicious though.”

“Do they still make them?”

“Oh yeah, that’s how dentists make their money” she replied, but surprisingly she could sense there was some truth to that statement. Taki ruffled her hair one last time before saying, “Alright baby cakes, I’ll check on you later.”

“Thank you very much nurse Taki” Addison smiled.

“My absolute pleasure” she smiled back and left the room.

Feeling curious about the musical recommendations, she clicked the Tuby app on her phone and searched for the songs. “Wow…these are old” she commented when she found them. But after she listened to them, she couldn’t help but utter a “…Wow” of admiration. With all those poignant lyrics flowing through head acting as a lullaby of sorts, she slowly stretched out her body before snuggling up into the covers. “The sun will shine upon you one day…if you're always walkin' your way” she softly sang before her eyes closed, going back into recovery rest mode.

As the sun disappeared behind the forest horizon, the rush home begins for hundreds of hard workers seeking their well-deserved respite. Among the herd of cars traveling down the streets, one pink little Fiat pulled away from the group and turned into Seabrook Medical’s parking lot. The **SLAM** of the tiny car door was the exclamation point to a full and exhausting day of work for its two exiting passengers.

“…I swear we need a new treasurer” Missy groaned as she stretched out her back.

“You were impressive today though. No one else could figure out those percentages” Dale praised.

“Thank you, but it wasn’t even that hard” she replied.

“Not to you. Then again, you don’t play when it comes to money” he remarked.

“You got that right. Still, it felt like I was a high school math teacher.”

“I’m glad you were because those papers were starting to look like computer codes” Dale described. “At least that’s one thing off the list and won’t have to worry about.”

“Let’s hope so, but I have a feeling that Waldport will try to weasel its way out of some parts of our agreement. And Lord help them if they try” she growled.

“We’ll cross that bridge if we need to. For now, let’s hope Dr. Wardlaw has some good news for us concerning Addison’s test results. I want her to be able to enjoy this” and he looked at the takeout bag from Vuey’s he was carrying.

They entered the hospital and went up to the receptionist’s desk. “Hello again Angel” Missy smiled.

“Mayor, chief! Yes, hello to you too! Dr. Wardlaw is waiting for you in his office” he replied.

“Thank you” and they went on through the double doors and walked to his office.

**Knock knock knock**

“Come in” spoke the silky smooth voice and they accepted the invite. “Hey there Mayor and Chief! How youz be?”

“We’re doing…alright. Thank you for asking” Missy replied as they took their seats.

“Yeah, youz both like youz had one of those days” he noticed their fatigued faces.

“You have no idea” Missy muttered. “All I can say is thank God for hot showers and laundry machines to wash our clothes” and her husband nodded in agreement.

“Preach mayor, preach. Well, I got some good news to make it better! Addison’s test results came back negative – she’s all good. No dynamite for her” he reported and they sighed in relief.

“That’s wonderful!” Missy exclaimed.

“Sure is! But just keep an eye on her when she does eat raw meat for the next two weeks. Report any signs of food poisoning or something like it. I know she’s a wolf now and we can’t be denying her her proper diet, but I just want to make sure” he advised.

“Of course. But…will she be able to eat this today?” Dale asked holding up the take out bag.

“Oooo, whatdja bring?” the doctor inquired.

“Crawfish etoufee from Vuey’s” he answered.

“Nice! Man, it’s been a while since me and my family’s been there. I gotta take’em and hit up their Sunday beignets breakfast” he mused to himself before getting back on track. “Anyway, yep she’s good to eat that. Taki told me that her appetite was supped-up.”

“Oh yes…we witnessed it first-hand. We made sure to order double” Missy explained.

“Well let’s go on ahead and get that good cooking in her” he smiled and they left the office. When they arrived at her room, Dr. Wardlaw gently tapped on her door. “Hercules?” he softly called out and he peeked inside – but Addison was fast asleep. “Poor girl’s plum tuckered out” he disclosed and closed door.

“Did she take any more willow bark?” Dale asked.

“Not since this morning” he answered.

“What about her hair?” Missy followed.

“Nope, no light shows either.”

“…Should we wake her up? I don’t want it to go bad” Dale voiced.

“No, her body needs rest. I can keep it in the staff refrigerator and we’ll heat it up in the microwave when she’s ready for a late night snack. If you’d like” he offered.

“That’d be great, thank you Dr. Wardlaw” he expressed.

“Youz got it” and Dale handed him the bag. “Now go on ahead in and be with her. All of the extra blankets and pillows are in the bottom right cabinet.”

“Thank you again” Missy smiled.

“No problem. Call if youz need anything” and he left.

Missy took a deep breath and exhaled – feeling a little nervous about entering the room. Up until this point there was always someone around to act as a liaison, but now…

She was jolted out of her nervous demeanor when she felt her husband’s hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him and he gave her a small reassuring smile; reiterating the same message from this morning.

“We’ll get there.”

She nodded and they walked inside; discreetly moving a pair of chairs over to the side of the bed.

“…She looks so small” she whispers as they sat down.

Dale nodded at that but adds, “It’s always the smallest ones that have the most fight in them.”

She hums at that before sighing. “Dale…what are we going to do?” In this instance they felt like new parents all over again – scared and unsure about how to raise their daughter.

“…I don’t know. But at least we know what not to do” he replied. Missy stiffened up for brief moment, thinking back to what Wyatt said.

“And if you think for a second we’re going to let Addison live in that kind of atmosphere you’ve got another thing coming! As soon as she’s healed, we’re taking her to live with us!”

Would it have been better if she gave her up to another family? To spare her all the misery that they gave her?

“No, it wouldn’t have” Dale spoke, startling her out of her thoughts.

“H-Huh?”

“Honey, I can see your thoughts on your face. You love Addison. We love Addison. You almost died to have her. When we held her in our arms, we promised to raise her right and cherish her. …Even at our lowest point we would never abandon her.”

“**sigh** I wish I had your conviction.” she lamented. “For a good while I loved the perception of a family…but not our actual family.” Suddenly, she grabbed her husband’s hand and looked at him with the most sorrow-filled eyes he’d ever seen.

“Dale…I’m so sorry” was all she could say as she tried to keep the tears at bay, but failed miserably. He helped her stand up and she cried into his white t-shirt – staining it with her mascara.

“Missy…I’ll forgive you, if you forgive me too” he compromised and she looked up at him. “…I’m not as upstanding as you make me out to be. We had the same ideals – keeping up appearances under the vise of keeping our town safe…even if it started off that way” he admitted, thinking back to when his father’s ear was bitten off by a zombie. “It’s a miracle that we didn’t become little Orochis” he commented and Missy merely hummed at that. Every political official at one point or another heard the terrible story of the dictator who forced his subjects to smile with chemical agent to portray a happy community, when in reality it was hell on earth.

“…But we were. With Addison…with the town…even with ourselves” she admitted. “We thought we could handle anything…control everything, but all we did was put a wig to cover it up.”

Dale was silent for a moment, absorbing what he heard before replying, “Then thank God Addison snatched all of our wigs off. Now we can wash away all the dirt and dandruff that’s been accumulating all this time.”

Missy nodded at that but regrettably uttered, “…God I feel so ashamed. I’m the mayor who was elected to take care of the town…yet I couldn’t take of my own daughter. Treating her like a…a…” but she shook her head, refusing to even finish that sentence lest she speak it into existence. “And for what!? A stupid, insignificant fear planted by someone else that detests me! And I allowed it!”

“Missy!” Dale harshly whispered and he pulled her off of him – keeping his hands on her shoulders. “…I know we made huge mistakes and we should’ve known better, but all this self-deprecating isn’t helping! Please don’t misunderstand me though. Our feelings are valid, but operating in fear never did anyone any good. It didn’t do the zombies any good, it didn’t do the werewolves any good and it certainly didn’t do our daughter any good. This is no longer about us, this is about her. We hurt her” and she flinched at the harsh verdict. “Even prior to taking the trials she wanted a positive identity, and the wolves gave it to her. I know what Dr. Wardlaw said, but we know it’s the truth and its time we own up to it. She’s practically a new baby now. A big furry one with claws and fangs, but our baby nonetheless. And we’re going to reinforce the fact that the new identity she discovered doesn’t deserve shame. It deserves praise, understanding, and most importantly acceptance. Will it take time? Yes. But the biggest question is are we willing to commit?”

“Of course!” she answered without any waver in her voice.

“Then that’s all that matters. If wolves can be all or nothing, then so can we” he finished and Missy nodded at that wholeheartedly. He took his hands off her shoulders and reached into his pocket to pull out his gold, paisley patterned handkerchief he used to wipe his forehead while he was working. He handed it to her so she could wipe her eyes.

“T-Thank you” she whispers and gives it back to him once she’s finished.

“You’re welcome. I love you Missy, never forget that.”

“I love you too Dale” and they embrace each other again. Soon they separate and look back towards their sleeping child; surprisingly she didn’t stir throughout their whole verbal exchange. They sit back down next to her and Missy carefully grabs her uncovered hand – rubbing slow circles on the back of it. Tears start pouring out again as she whispers, “Addison…I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry and ashamed for everything I put you through… making you feel inadequate. You are more than adequate, you’re awe-inspiring! You’re my daughter and I am so proud of you! You are the “norm” that everyone should be striving for, not our antiquated standards. **sigh** I’m sorry that it took all of this for us to see that. And…and I know you won’t believe me when I tell you that things will change…and I deserve it. I don’t deserve your forgiveness, Lord knows I don’t. But still, we’re going to show you. No matter how long it takes, we’re going to prove that we're the kind of parents that you can come to us for anything. That you can trust us…like before.”

Dale hands her his handkerchief, which she appreciatively accepts, and wipes her eyes again. He places his hand on top of her thigh, gently clutching her knee to provide any semblance of comfort. Through a raspy voice she continues, “We love you Addison. We love who you are and what you are. And I’m sorry for making you feel ashamed of your smile, I’m truly am. Please…don’t hide it. I’ve hidden you long enough. Please don’t let my shortcomings affect you anymore. I-**GASP**” Her sorrow-laced string of words were cut off when she felt her daughter’s hand squeeze hers.

Both of them look at her face and see one eye open – only it was lavender instead of her normal cerulean hue. Her gaze shifted between the two of them before settling on her mother. There was a slight furrow in her eyebrows – enunciating the small glare she sported. The silent message wasn’t lost on Missy.

Addison had heard it all; her un-polished apology with which she was just trying to get her thoughts together for when the time came. Only the time was now. And now her daughter was asking if she really meant every word she said. With all the conviction she had in her body, she tightened her grip and said, “It’s true, I promise.”

This time both of Addison’s eyes were wide open and her glare disappeared. She stared at them for a few seconds before her eyes softened just a tad - showing a tiny smile with her fangs poking through. Missy somehow managed to keep her tears in check and smiled back, giving a slight nod. She looked over at her dad, who also sported a reassuring smile as well, before closing her eyes.

Just as they were about to prevent her from going back to sleep and seeing if she wanted something to eat, her hair started glowing again. Missy gasped when the sensation hit her system; it was like she had ingested three shots of expresso, but afterwards an inexplicable warmth took its place. But while she was lost in her trance, Dale noticed on the monitor that her heart rate was climbing.

“Missy! Her heart!” he shouted.

“Dale, its okay” she assured.

“What?!” and he looked at the screen again and it was past hypertension levels.

“Don’t ask me how, but she’ll be fine. I just know it.”

“But…but we should let Dr. Wardlaw know-”

“I already did” she replied and the blue alarm lights started blinking. “But Dale, you know he won’t be able to do much. We just have to trust that her body knows what it’s doing and let this run its course” she advised.

Dale looked between her and the machine before relenting. “…Alright.” he conceded, but it still didn’t stop him from nervously gripping her hand for support. But their faith was well placed for in a matter of minutes, a flash of light came out of her moonstone – making them shield their eyes.

In the midst of the light show Reggie opened the door. “HOLY-!” and immediately closed it.

Soon the flare died down. When they opened their eyes, they saw that her heart rate was going down too. “Addison?!” Missy called out and quickly grabbed her hand, but it was completely limp in her grip. “…She’s knocked out again” she sighed in relief.

“Guess the etoufee will be tomorrow’s lunch” he commented.

Suddenly the door opened and Reggie and Dr. Wardlaw rushed inside. “Reggie, check her vitals!”

“On it!” The assistant checked the machine as well as doing it the old fashioned way for good measure. “116/78 but going down” he reported.

“How was it? Was it like before?” Dr. Wardlaw asked them.

“Yes sir” Dale answered. “There’s only one thing left to check.”

“Right. Reggie, youz get her stomach while I cut through her arm wrappings” he ordered.

“Yes sir” and the couple moved out of the way so they could work. Dr. Wardlaw and Reggie each pulled out a pair of scissors and cut through the bandages, revealing her stitched up skin. Only this time they were scabbed over, meaning that they were closed.

“Heh! Looks like I got some more good news for youz” the boss doctor announced after looking over her wounds.

“Her stitches can come out!” Reggie beamed.

“Really?!” they exclaimed.

“Really Reggie? Youz gonna steal my thunder again?” he frowned but the assistant merely shrugged his shoulders.

“Too slow Tobe” he grinned.

“Feh…whatever. Anyway, yup! She can have her stitches taken out. We’ll prep for removal right away. Reggie, page Charlene and have her meet us in ER room 407. Mayor, Chief. Lawrence’s team will be right over to wheel her out.”

“Understood. Thank you” she graciously replied to the health team. Both of them nod and leave the room.

“So, did you feel that tingly sensation again?” Dale asked.

“Yes” she smiled. “Call me crazy-” but she was cut off when he raised an eyebrow up at her. “At this point after everything we’ve been through and live in, this is normal. Nothing can surprise me anymore.”

“Fair point. But anyway, when her hair was glowing, it felt like…she was comforting me. Like she didn’t want me to feel…sad” she explained.

“I see…never a dull moment with her is it?” he smiled.

“This is one moment I’ll never forget” Missy replied and both of them looked at her, eager for her physical healing to be completed and for her emotional healing to begin.

Later that night…

Soft snores and steady mechanical beeps fill the recovery room; complete serenity punctuated by the incoming smell of pine trees flowing through the open window. But one foreign clicking sound woke up one of the sleeping occupants.

“Mmm..hmm” Missy mumbled. She slowly lifted her head up off the makeshift mini chair-couch and gradually opened her eyes - allowing her pupils adjust to the darkened space. She looked over at her husband; he was still sound asleep on the portable cot Charlene found and graciously gave them. Then she looking over at her daughter – still curled up and cozy. “…Mind must be playing tricks on me” she thought, but just as she was about to lay back down she heard it again. “Guess not” her now fully awake mind realized and pinpointed the location of the noise – someone was trying to open the door of their locked room. It wouldn’t be Charlene, Reggie or any other nurse because they had keys…unless it wasn’t working.

She was about to get up and talk to whoever was trying to get in until it finally clicked open. Two familiar figures that definitely missed visiting hours peeked inside. Wyatt and Wynter froze when their golden eyes lock onto Missy’s, however she does a “come hither” motion with her hand, allowing them in. They carefully creep inside and close the door behind them. Suddenly their noses twitched to a few faint yet familiar scents, but they brushed that aside for now. They quickly tip-toe over to Addison’s bed to see their friend. Relieved smiles appeared on their faces when they saw her sleeping countenance. Missy allowed them to get a few soft nuzzles in before she coughed out an **AHEM**. The wolves immediately stopped their caresses and looked at her. She stood up and pointed to the door, but they could sense that she wasn’t telling them to leave. They heeded her command and the three of them walked out into the hallway.

“Nice to see you again Wyatt. You as well Wynter” and both of them respectfully nod at that. “Though it's a rather odd hour to visit don’t you think?” she asked as she glanced at a nearby clock; it was quarter past three.

“Our apologies alpha Wells, but our elders came back and we celebrated their return. They were tired from the journey so we didn’t have a chance to ask them about Addison or even tell them what happened to her. But Willa and our pack mates that know about her injuries were worried about her, so we came to check on her” Wyatt explained.

“We weren’t going to break our promise to stay by her side” Wynter added.

“I’m just messing with you two. Believe it or not I can have a sense of humor too” Missy revealed. “And I really appreciate both of you coming over to check on her. But other than being tired, are your elders alright? ”

“Yes ma’am, they’re all healthy” he reported.

“Good, I’m glad” she sincerely replies.

“What about Addison? How’s she?” Wynter asked.

“She had her stitches removed” she answered.

“What?! Really?!” she happily exclaimed.

“Did her hair glow again?” he asked.

“It did and that phenomenon closed all of her cuts. Now her skin and muscles need to finish repairing and rebuilding their strength.”

The wolves were positively beaming and somehow restrained themselves from howling with joy.

“However” and their jubilant smiles quickly vanished.

“While her cuts are closed and scabbed over, she’ll still be sore. Not to mention there is a possibility that they could re-open. Therefore she’s not allow to do any strenuous activity for the next two weeks. Though given her rapid healing abilities, it might not be that long” she explained.

“Of course” Wyatt agreed.

“Yep, no more pounces on her” Wynter added.

“Unfortunately…it’s more than that.”

“What do you mean?” he asked.

“She isn’t allowed to come to your den” she disclosed.

“WHAT?!” but quickly toned their voices down when Missy held up a finger to her mouth to shush them.

“Why not?!” Wyatt demanded.

“Is it about our den!? We keep it clean!” Wynter defended.

“I didn’t say you didn’t - Addison told me about your rigorous cleaning habits, but the surrounding area isn’t. As I said her wounds could reopen. Heaven forbid if she accidentally trips, scrapes herself or gets bit by something; we still don’t know how her body operates just yet. Not to mention the trek to get there would be considered strenuous on her body, even if we did drive her halfway and both of you were to be her crutch again” she explained.

The wolves growled at the logic, but begrudgingly agreed to it. “I know she won’t like it either when Dr. Wardlaw tells her in the morning, but it’ll only be for a few days. In the meantime, you’re more than welcome to visit her at our house…so long as you don’t leave claw marks on my door again” she warned, and both of them flinched at that.

“…Sorry about that” Wynter whined.

“Again, I jest. Besides it was an easy fix, and a tax write-off, so don’t worry about” she assured. “Will you be sleeping here?”

The werewolves looked at each other and sighed. “…No, we can’t” Wyatt declined.

“We really want to though, but yeah…we have to go” Wynter added.

“We have to report back to my sister right away. Hopefully this’ll put her in a better mood” Wyatt muttered to himself.

“I understand. Like I said you can visit any time. Well…at a reasonable time I should say. I know Addison would love it. But please, spend time with your family. If this experience has taught me anything is that time is valuable” she spoke and they nodded in agreement with that.

“Before we go, could we nuzzle her one more time?” he asked and both of them put on their best puppy-wolf faces.

“…I wonder if she’s going to be doing that too” she thought – feeling the effects of the adorable, convincing stare. “Yes” she answered and both of them cheerfully yipped. “Though I would’ve agreed in the first place. You didn’t need to be…extra” she added, and they sheepishly grinned at that.

They quietly walk back inside and Missy hung back by the door – propping it open with her foot so they wouldn’t have to use the handle.

Wyatt went over to her first and discreetly mussed-up her hair. “Goodnight Addison, feel better soon” he whispered into her ear and punctuated it with a small lick on her cheek.

He moved out of the way so Wynter could gently nuzzle against her head. “See you later Addy. I’ll bring you a moose leg bone, I promise” and she stepped back. Both of them stared at her for a few more seconds before going back over to the door.

Missy let them out and they nodded towards her – silently thanking her for letting them see their beloved pack mate. She nodded in returned and slowly closed the door behind them. They lingered outside the room for a moment before stealthily leaving the hospital.

With their speed it wasn’t long before they reached the halfway point. They couldn’t even finish their announcing howl before Willa interrupted them with her own howl.

“**sigh**She’s not going to be happy about Addison’s…restrictions” Wynter voiced, both of them deciding to walk to catch their breath.

“I know. But hopefully she’ll focus on the fact that she doesn’t need those stitches anymore and that her wounds have closed” Wyatt replied.

“…Yeah” she agreed, but he could tell something else was on her mind. “What’s wrong Wynter?” he asked.

“I…I was just thinking about what Dr. Wardlaw said. About her being stressed when reality really sets in.”

“Don’t worry. Once the elders answer her questions and she does some training with us she’ll feel comfortable in her own fur in no time” he assured.

“…That’s not what I meant” she countered.

“Huh?”

“It’s just…most of these humans aren’t as accepting as Dr. Wardlaw and the others. What if they go after her just because she’s a werewolf? Or what if they make up some horrible rumor that we hurt her?” she whined.

He grabbed her in a side hug and nuzzled against her. “Well…it wouldn’t be the first time. But Addison wouldn’t let that happen no matter what; she’s not afraid of some wimpy rumor-mongering human muskrats” and that got a chuckle out of her.

“Heheh! Yeah, I’d love to see her wolf-out and gobble them all up” she agreed.

“And we’d be right too” he replied.

“Playing nice?” she cheekily asked.

“Yep, playing real nice” he grinned back. “Not to mention her parents have turned over a new leaf; they’re on her side now, and by extension our side. She also has Bree, Eliza, Bonzo and Zed.”

“Yeah, I smelled their scents in the room too. I hope Addison’s nose could handle it” she fretted.

“Yeah, me too. But I know she was happy to see them regardless of the zombie smell” he assured.

“…I wonder how shocked they were” she ventured.

“I’m sure they were surprised, but I’m also sure that they took it in stride. They’d never do anything to upset her…not if they want to see the light of another day” he growled to himself, remembering that Zed stole her necklace. But he was taken out of his thoughts when he felt Wynter lick his cheek.

“Thanks for helping me get rid of those stinkin’ thinkin’ fleas” she smiled.

“Anytime” he smiled back. He lets go of her and they resumed their rapid pace. Eventually they reached the den entrance, and Willa was sitting on one of the boulders waiting for them.

She hopped down and asked, “Are you two alright?”

“Yep! All good” Wynter assured.

“And the alpha Wells? How were they towards you?”

“Only the mother was awake, but she was nice and cordial towards us” Wyatt replied.

“What about Addison? How’s she?” Wyatt and Wynter looked at each other before the latter gulped. “What? What’s wrong?” she asked when she sensed their nervous aura.

“Well…it’s like this” he began and they told her everything Missy told them; including the necessary precautions.

And she was not happy.

“GrrrRAGH!” she snarled and slashed at the stone she previously sat on.

“Willa” he addressed, but she didn’t look him in the eye. He whined at that as his heart went out to her; he could sense that underneath that layer of agitation was that guilt-giving flea and he knew it wouldn’t come off without a fight. And he was determined to take it off. “Willa” he said again and this time she actually met his gaze. “It’ll only be for a couple of weeks, if that.”

“Yeah! Maybe she’ll be all better tomorrow and then come by and wrestle the pups again” Wynter encouraged.

“And even if she’s not, alpha Wells said we can come by and visit her” he reminded. “We can still be by her side, like we promised.”

“I promised that I would ensure that she was safe” she countered. “And now she is. I have no desire to go back into that town unless absolutely necessary!” she retorted before running off.

“WILLA WAIT!” Wyatt shouted, but his command was ignored.

“S-Should we go after her?” Wynter asked.

“…No. She’s the alpha, she’ll be fine. She’s probably going to do another patrol around the area to clear her mind” he reasoned.

“Stupid stinkin’ thinkin’ flea” she growled.

“**sigh**I know. She wants to be by her so badly, but she still feels like she doesn’t deserve to be. That it’s still her fault that she got hurt. …I thought for sure hearing about Addison’s full recovery would get rid of it.”

“Do you think she’ll be okay?” she worriedly whined.

Wyatt showed a small smile and petted her head. “She will be. She won’t let that stupid flea suck on her for much longer. She’s always been hard on herself when something goes wrong, but she always snaps out of it” he assured.

“Yeah…yeah you’re right” she agreed.

He nodded and said, “C’mon, let’s get some rest. Everything will be better in the morning.”

“Just like the elders always say. The shadow bugs scatter in the light” Wynter remembered.

“Mh hmm” he hummed in agreement and they walked into the entrance tunnel. He glanced back at the dim landscape one more time, hoping to hear his sister’s footsteps…that those shadow bugs didn’t drag her mind to an irreversible point of remorse. “Big sis…please don’t let them catch you.”

Chapter 15: Cousins in the Mirror

Chapter Text

Two days later…

“Alrighty then Hercules, quiz time” Dr. Wardlaw addressed the casually-clothed, fuzzy-slipper adorned teen sitting in a wheelchair; Taki was behind her holding the handles. “Please tell me again what youz can’t do for the next two weeks.”

“No strenuous activity, which includes heavy lifting, running, jumping, swimming, and especially no cheerleading. Or any other kinds of exercise” Addison answered.

“And…?” he prodded.

“**sigh** I also can’t go to the den” she dejectedly replied.

“…Sorry baby cakes, but it’s for your own safety” Taki regretfully explained.

“I know…I know.”

“Chin up Hercules, you’ll be romping around with your pack soon” he smiled and that did put a grin on her face, especially now that the entire pack was together again! She was beyond thrilled when her mom told her the news and totally understood if she didn’t see them for a while – no doubt there was a lot to catching up to do among them. She just felt so blessed that Wyatt and Wynter made time to check up on her in the wee morning hours after she had her stitches taken out. “I love my pack” she fondly thought, especially since her admittance was about to become a reality. It may take a Herculean effort to pass the combat trial, but she was more than willing to go the distance.

“Okay, next question. What can youz eat?”

“Everything!” she beamed.

“Heh! I knew youz wouldn’t forget that” he chuckled, thinking back to how she happily scarfed down that etoufee last night. “And when do youz take the willow bark?”

“Once every eight hours with food. If I need it.”

“Cool! And what about your cuts?”

“Use Neosporin and don’t pick off the scabs.”

“And how do youz keep them clean?”

“Gentle pat washing. No loofah.”

“Yep. Which means?”

“…Sponge baths” she muttered. It’s not that she didn’t like baths, it was just that either her mom or dad would have to help her since her wounds were still tender.

“Addison, you have nothing to be embarrassed about. Like I told you before, I’m your mother. It’s my job. Besides, other than the fangs and fur we have the same body parts.”

“And don’t forget kiddo I used to change hundreds of your diapers, so there’s nothing that I haven’t seen.”

The replay of her parents’ words in her head made her face go beet red. “Uggghhh” she moaned.

Dr. Wardlaw and Taki quietly chuckled at that, remembering their own similar stage of independence and the extreme desire for privacy. In the nurse’s case, she was dealing with it a little bit from her own son.

“Hey now, it’s all good” he assured. “Get a bottle of bubbles and some bath salts and youz set!”

“Tobe! She doesn’t need no alcohol!” Taki scolded before she suddenly turned Addison around, getting a surprised “W-WHOA!” out of her. She looked her straight in the eyes and sternly said, “Don’t you ever, and I mean EVER, drink alcohol! Your body doesn’t need that crap! Love your organs!”

“Y-Yes ma’am, I promise I won’t ever drink” Addison quickly nodded.

“Good. I cannot tell you how many cirrhosis cases I’ve seen. You do not want to be on dialysis” she warned.

“Hold up, hold up! I didn’t say anything about drinking!” Dr. Wardlaw retorted.

“Uh, yeah you did. Bottle of bubbly?” Taki reminded.

“Bubbles! I said bubbles!” and he turned Addison back around to face him. “Addison, didn’t I say bubbles?” he asked.

“Y-Yeah, you did. The kind you put in water” she confirmed.

“Thank youz!” he emphatically expressed.

“…Oops. My bad” the nurse sheepishly said.

“No kidding! Youz crazy Taki.”

“Whatever, you crazy too” she countered and Addison giggled at their bickering antics.

“Hmph. Anyway, youz right on the money Hercules! Youz are now officially discharged” he smiled.

“Sweet!” she cheered.

“Well dang…and here I thought youz liked hanging out with us” he pouted.

“Of course I do! I didn’t mean-” but she stopped her apology when she noticed he was sporting a cheeky grin.

“You a nut” Taki playfully chided.

“And walnuts are brain food so I’m all good” he added, getting a laugh out of the ladies.

The good doctor put his hand on top of Addison’s head and ruffled her hair. “Take care Hercules, and I’ll see youz in a couple of days.”

“Thank you again Dr. Dynamite. And thank you too nurse Taki. Please give my thanks to Reggie, Charlene, and Lawrence’s team please. You’re all amazing!” she praised, getting proud smiles out of them.

“I’d like to think so” he grinned.

“C’mon baby cakes, let’s roll you on out to your folks” she said and Dr. Wardlaw opened the door for them.

“Bye Addison!” he waved.

“Bye!” she waved back as the door closed behind them.

After walking through a few corridors they exit the hospital; her parents already parked the car in the roundabout entrance.

“Hey there kiddo, ready to go home?” her dad smiled and held out his hand. She smiled back and nodded, accepting the assist. “You okay?” he asked as he helped steady her.

“Uh huh, I’m good” she assured.

“Looks like you’re good to go baby cakes” Taki smiled.

“Yep!”

“Thank you very much nurse Taki” Dale gratefully expressed.

“You’re most welcome Chief. Addison’s one sweet cosmic brownie” she winked, getting a hearty chuckle out of her former patient.

“…Another inside joke I see” he realized.

“Bye Taki!” Addison waved.

“Bye baby, I’ll see you later” and she went back inside the hospital.

Dale opened the passenger door and helped her sit down.

“Hi honey” Missy greets.

“Hey mom” she replies while putting on her seatbelt. “At least I won’t be squishing your legs this time” she smirks at her dad.

“I wouldn’t mind either way” he grins back; he closes the door and gets in the back seat. Once everyone’s buckled in, Missy drives out of the roundabout and speeds down the streets – plastering them to their seats once again.

“Missy? Do you have the bypass light on?” Dale asked when he noticed that they were hitting all the green lights.

“Nope, we’re just lucky” she answered, taking complete advantage of the nonstop access presented to her. He eyed her skeptically, but decided to let it go. It didn’t take them long to pull up into their driveway.

“I swear if we lived in New York you’d be the most sought out taxi driver” he commented.

“All that go-kart driving was good for something after all” she smirked.

“Hmm…it’s been a while since I’ve driven a go-kart” Addison mused to herself as they got out of the car.

“You’re right, we’ll have to start making it a regular outing again. After all, your father is still waiting for a rematch” she grinned.

“Rematch?” her daughter questioned.

“…She cheated” he muttered.

“I took advantage of your negative situation” she corrected.

“Heh…it’s just like me and Willa” she thought, thinking back to when the alpha stole her brother’s cookies. As they approached the front door, Dale noticed a bundle of bones wrapped together with twine on one of the longue chairs. There were also tied-up pieces of leather.

“Looks like your friends left you a “welcome home” gift” he surmised as he picked the items and handed them to her. She took a deep whiff and smiled. “Aww, Wynter brought these over. And the leather’s from the pups” she gushed.

“That was very nice of them” Missy smiled. Her husband unlocked the door and they walked inside.

“By the way, any idea what kind of animal those bones are from? They’re huge” he asked.

“These are from the moose I caught!” Addison proudly stated.

“WHAT?!” they exclaimed. “Are you sure you didn’t catch some rare prehistoric animal!?” Missy asked.

“Nope, it was yearling” she beamed. “And it was super tender too!”

“I bet” Dale commented when he noticed his daughter subconsciously licking her lips. “But what in the world did that yearling eat?!”

“Lots and lots and lots of plants” she emphasized.

“I’ll say; that’s insane and amazing at the same time. We’re very proud of you Addison” he smiled, making her happily yip. They affectionately chuckled at the cute noise that came out of her.

“But don’t eat all of those bones. I want to save one of them as a trophy” Missy expressed and Addison did a double take.

“W-What? Really?” she asked.

“Of course! Those are mementos of your extraordinary first hunt. I’d be remiss if we didn’t display one of them next to all of your other accomplishments” she explained.

“Hopefully we can find a stand big and strong enough to support it. Not to mention cleaning and preserving it; we don’t want it to decay” Dale noted.

“And then the base will need to be engraved; I know the perfect lady for the job” Missy added.

While they talked amongst themselves, Addison glanced at the tiered award shelf in the living room. It contained a variety of shiny trophies and other accolades the whole family had accumulated over the years. The fact that her parents wanted to put something as crude as a moose bone next to all those flashy prizes spoke volumes. “They really are committing” she thought and couldn’t stop smiling if she wanted to. Until her grumbling stomach made her.

“Hungry?” her father asked.

“…Yeah. I thought I’d be fine since I ate ten helpings before Taki wheeled me out” she replied.

“Addison, it’s okay. To be honest, I was expecting you to say that you cleaned out their whole fridge. You’re a growing girl and you need your nutrients. And it’s our responsibility to make sure you’re well-fed” her mother assured.

“Thanks mom” she smiled.

“On that note, what would you like to eat for breakfast? Or I guess I should say brunch” when she noticed the wall clock showed that it was a quarter past ten. “We stocked up on bacon, eggs, sausage – just about anything. I imagine you’re tired of bread and fruit by now.”

“Heh, surprisingly no. But bacon, scrambled eggs and oatmeal would be nice. If that’s okay” she requested.

“You got it kiddo. Cinnamon, milk and sugar?” he asked.

“Yes please.”

“Oj or milk?”

“Milk please.”

“We’ll get right on it” and her parents went into the kitchen.

Addison set the bones on the living room table for now, but held onto the leather sheets as she took her seat at the dining room table. It wasn’t long before the delectable aroma of sizzling bacon and percolating coffee filled the house. While she waited for her meal, she unfolded the sheets. On them were etched in runes as well as a little handprints. “They’re letters” she realized and started reading the messages.

“Feel better soon Addy, I miss you a whole lot.” “Aww…I miss you too Wylie” she internally gushed.

“We’ll catch more rabbits for you! And when I catch a bison you can have two legs.” “I look forward to it Wylan” she smiled.

“I want a rematch! That first one was just practice! So you have to get better quick!” She chuckled at what Kraw wrote; that was so like him.

“Addy betta. Want hop, jup, and pley.” “That is so adorable” she thought when she noticed Nawnu’s crossed out and re-written runes.

“…I’m sad. I don’t like it when my friends are hurt. Please get better soon Addy.” “Oh Trew…I’ll see you soon. I promise” she swore.

“From now on, I’m gonna train and practice really hard so I can be a rook so I can protect you and the pack!” “You go Gnaw!” she mentally cheered.

“I’m gonna help Row grow all kinds of berries for you Addy! I hope you’ll like them! Get well really soon!” “You’re so sweet Wanda, I can’t wait!” she grinned.

But when she looked at the last page, something was off. “Huh? Hello Zoe-oh! This must be Wanda’s letter for Zoey!” she realized. While she wasn’t too keen on going to Zombie Town, mainly because her nose still wasn’t used to zombie scent…and partly because she wasn’t up to seeing Zed so soon after his little outburst, she did promise her that she’d be her personal postal person. “I’ll wait a few days and then deliver it” she thought.

“Sweetie, your breakfast is almost ready. Wash your hands please” Missy announced.

“Okay.” She put the letters on the bar countertop before going into the downstairs bathroom to wash up. When she came back, her parents had a tantalizing spread waiting for her – two bowls of oatmeal, a plate filled with a pile of scrambled eggs and six bacon strips complimented with a large cup of milk; her mouth was salivating. She sat down just as her parents were coming out with their own plates and coffee cups in hand. She was shocked to see them actually have a complete brunch on their plates consisting of bacon and a bagel – Dale opting for cream cheese while Missy had banana slices and peanut butter on hers. For the longest time all she’s ever seen them eat was grapefruit for breakfast.

“Hm? Something wrong Addison?” he asked when he caught her staring.

“H-Huh? No, no it’s nothing really. Just uh…not feeling grapefruit today?” she dared to ask.

“Eh, doesn’t tickle my fancy today. Besides, we’re over that fad diet” Missy replied.

Needless to say she was taken aback, though a smile slowly formed on her lips when she sensed that they were actually glad about eating a hearty meal. They gradually weren’t adhering to the ever changing “perfect” societal standard; it was tiny yet all important step and she couldn’t be happier. “Gotcha” she smiled and gave thanks for her meal before digging in – albeit with proper table manners this time. But even with the slightly slower pace she finished her food pretty quick – not a speck was left. “…Huh. I guess I am up there with Taki’s son after all” she thought as she licked her lips.

“Would you like seconds?” her mother asked when she saw her empty dishes. “No thank you, I’m full**URP** excuse me” she pardoned as she politely patted her mouth with a napkin.

“Really? Are you sure?” he followed up.

“Uh huh!”

“Meat must fill her up more than bread and fruit” they thought. “Alright, if you’re sure” Missy conceded and they finished up their meals. Her parents grabbed the dirty dishes and rinsed them off in the sink before putting them in the dishwasher.

“By the way Addison, what’re these?” Dale asked as he picked up one of the leather sheets.

“They’re “get well soon” letters from the pups” she explained.

“Aww! That’s adorable” Missy gushed.

“If it’s alright, would you mind explaining what a few of these symbols mean?” he asked.

“Sure!” she agreed. “First, these symbols are known as runes” and she starts translating them to the best of her ability.

“Fascinating” Missy uttered in complete awe.

“You’re telling me” he echoed her sentiment. “And you just started understanding their language like that?”

“Uh huh” Addison acknowledged.

“Wow, that’s amazing!” her mom praised and she smiled at the compliment. “Now go to your room and get some rest. We’ll be downstairs in the office if you need anything.”

“Huh? You’ll be home?”

“Yep. We told them about your injuries”

“Quite clearly” Dale emphasized.

“And there isn’t much going on right now anyway – they can handle it. If not, then I’m a Zoom call away. We’re not going to that office unless it’s absolutely necessary” she stated.

Addison couldn’t help but giddily yip at how much her parents were showing concern for her well-being; the loving warmth spreading throughout her body. “Okay” she smiled, but just as she was about to get up from the table, Missy’s phone started ringing with an all too familiar ringtone.

“I swear if I have to do one more budget calculation I’m going to shove those reports-” but she took a deep breath to stifle the sentence she was muttering and got into “mayor mode”. “Mayor Wells speaking, how can I help you?” she cordially answered.

…

“What?! What do you mean they’re coming over?!” she yelled; she left kitchen and walked outside to the backyard finish the conversation in private.

Or so she thought. Thanks to her enhanced hearing Addison could still make-out at least her mom’s side of the conversation through the shut sliding-glass door. “…This can’t be good” she thought as both of them watched her pace back and forth.

“That road construction meeting wasn’t supposed to happen until next week!”

…

“Diverse population? What about it?”

…

“**grr**Let me guess. If they deem our town too dangerous then they’ll withdraw funding for our planned township highway.”

…

“Those greedy sonsof…! Why do we need this highway again?!”

…

“I know why! It was a rhetorical question!” and they saw her pinch the bridge of her nose.

…

“**sigh**“I know you wouldn’t have. …Alright, we’ll be there soon” and she hung up. She released an irritated exhale as she walked back inside.

“Mom?” and she looked at the concerned countenances of her family. “What’s wrong?” her daughter asked.

“Nothing you need to worry about honey. You just focus on resting and getting better. But your father and I have to find a couple of loopholes to initiate an MMA fight on camera” she replied.

“That bad huh?” he asked.

“You have no idea” she hotly commented. “Now we have to find a babysitter.”

“Babysitter? Mom, I-”

“Don’t even try it. You may have you’re healing abilities, but the fact of the matter is that they’re still inconsistent. You need someone to look after you, at least for our peace of mind” she expressed and Addison knew she couldn’t win this battle.

“Too bad Taki can’t come over for in-home nurse services” he commented.

“I’m sure she wouldn’t mind, she absolutely adores you” she complimented, making Addison blush. “But I have no idea how long this meeting will last, and they need their staff at the hospital. Hmmm…your aunt and uncle are still out of town. Perhaps Bucky could look after you” she suggested.

Addison’s eyes got as big as the plate she ate off of when she heard that. “Oh heck no!” Before she had a chance to combat that idea, she got up too fast and bumped her belly hard against the table – making her pained “GAHH!” the only rebuttal to the audacious notion of having her cousin look after her.

“Addison! Are you okay?!” Missy asked as her dad rushed to her side.

“Y-Yeah, I’m fine but-”

“No buts. I’m calling him right now” and she dialed up his number.

Addison internally groaned as Dale led her to the couch so she could sit down. It’s not like she completely disliked her cousin. She tolerated him to a certain degree, but he could be so extra. Not to mention his whole “pro keeping things the same mentality”. The last thing she wanted to hear was how much of a freak she was.

“Perfect, thank you Bucky. We really appreciate it” Missy expressed and hung up. “He said he’ll be happy to do it. He’ll be over in twenty minutes.” Addison merely nodded, not trusting her mouth to say anything sarcastic. “C’mon Dale, let’s go get our boxing gloves on.”

“I’ll be up in a sec” he replied and she walked upstairs. Noticing her dissatisfied demeanor her dad ruffled her hair, making her look at him. “**sigh**I know you’re not happy about this – your cousin can be a little...” He struggled to find the right word, so she gave him one of the nicer ones that she could use to describe him.

“Unyielding?” she offered.

“Hmmm…maybe not that extreme, but yes. Unfortunately we don’t have many options, we’re grasping at straws here. This meeting is going to be intense if your mother’s mood is any indicator, and we’d like to have someone looking after you.”

“I know…I know” she accepted.

“But if anything happens you text and let us know; we’ll leave kicking, punching and screaming if we have to. Don’t be afraid to bark at him like he’s a herd of sheep to keep him in line” and Addison chuckled at the mental visual.

“Okay, thanks Dad.” He nodded and gave her a little hug before going upstairs.

“Uggghhh” she quietly groaned and closed her eyes.

“Pup” her guardian spoke.

“Hey girl” she smiled. “What’s up?”

“Adelio make sure pup’s cousin nice to pup. Adelio bark and bite to keep cousin in line” she affirmed.

“Thanks girl, hopefully it won’t come to that” she replied and giggled a bit when she felt her guardian nuzzle her. Deciding to focus on something a little less…saturnine, she cut through the twine with her claws and looked over the tasty assortment of bones. “Hmmm…which one would be a good trophy? What do you think girl?”

One of her irises suddenly switched from blue to gold and she answered, “That one!”

Addison picked up the suggested bone and held it for a minute. It was as long as one of her entire legs with a nice weight to it. “Yeah! Good choice girl!” She heard the guardian happily yip and her iris covertly changed back to being blue. She carried her trophy and thank you notes upstairs to her room for safe keeping and freshened up a bit. With clean fangs and thoroughly combed hair and fur, she walked back downstairs to the kitchen. She was storing the rest of her bones in massive freezer bags when her parents came down ready to tackle the day. Possibly literally.

“I wonder where he is” Missy questioned as she looked at her watch.

**DING DONG**

“Here” Dale smirked and she rolled her eyes at him.

Meanwhile Addison let out a subdued growl, but quickly stopped herself. “…C’mon Addison, don’t let a sour attitude bring you down” she mentally pumped herself up and went into the foyer to greet him. Her mom opened the door and he was right outside, but his back was towards them. In dramatic fashion he sharply turned around and rested his chin the crook of his thumb and ring finger.

“Did someone call for an extraordinarily handsome doctor?” he asked with his dazzling smile. A small breeze billowed the sparkling white coat he was wearing, contrasting nicely against his lime green V-neck shirt, pressed cream shorts and equally green Crocs that were covered in cheerleading charms – he even had one of his face.

“Ugh…I’d rather be babysat by a bear” the wolf thought.

Missy humored him replied, “Yes we did. Thank you for coming Bucky, please come in” and he walked inside.

“My pleasure Aunt Missy and Uncle Dale! I’m always happy to help out my favorite cousin” he responded as he brought Addison in for a gentle side-hug.

“Pfft, yeah right. I’m your only cousin” she thought as she rolled her eyes.

“Do you remember everything I told you?” she asked.

“Safe and secure in my mental vault” he assured while pointing to his skull. “I promise I’ll take exceptional care of Addison.”

“We’re counting on you” Dale stressed.

“Like I said over the phone, I don’t know how long this meeting will last. The kitchen’s stocked so please help yourselves. You have our numbers so don’t hesitate to text or call. If there’s a medical emergency, call 911 then call Dr. Wardlaw. I’ll send you his contact info” and she rummaged through her purse until she found her phone. She pulled up the doctor’s number and sent it to Bucky.

**PING PING**

He pulled his phone out of his jacket pocket and looked at the green message bubble. “Got it.”

“Okay then, bye sweetie” Missy said and he moved out of the way so she could kiss her daughter’s forehead.

“Get some rest okay?” Dale added and rubbed her hair.

“I will. Bye dad. Bye mom. Have a great day and don’t hurt anyone at work.”

“Punching Waldport’s representatives in the face would make it a great day” she thought but replied, “We’ll try, but I make no promises.”

They watched them speed out of the driveway and went back inside. Bucky clapped his hands together and started to say, “Alright AddiAHHHH!” before screaming at the top of his lungs. He was trembling and cowering under his cousin’s blazing lavender glare and ferociously bared fangs. She wasted no time in setting him straight and snarled, “I’m going to assume that mom told you I’m a werewolf. And if she didn’t, well guess what? I am. So if you say one nasty word about any of this” gesturing to her body “I will throw you out. And that’s if I decide not to bite your face off. Do I make myself clear?”

After un-crumpling himself and taking a few deep breaths to steady his jittery heart he stuttered, “F-Furthest thing from my mind Addison, I promise!”

She quirked an eyebrow up at that – he was actually sincere. “Good” she stated and her eyes went back to their normal cerulean shade.

“However…if I may say”

“What?” she growled.

“You’ll need to get those split ends trimmed fast, quick and in a hurry. Can’t have your luxurious hair breaking off” he commented, making her do a double take. She moved some of her hair from behind her head and looked at the tips; sure enough they were uneven. “…Noted. Thank you.”

“No problem. If you want I can take care of them right now” he offered, eliciting an “Are you serious?” look out of her. “I am” he replied to her silent question.

Naturally she was skeptical, even if her senses told her his proposal was genuine. Years of rude and disparaging comments couldn’t be so easily forgotten. “…Maybe later. Look, I appreciate you taking time out of your busy schedule to watch me, but for the most part I’m just going to be sleeping-”

“Then let’s go somewhere a bit more relaxing” he cut her off.

“What?”

“You’ve been cooped up indoors for the past few days’ right? Why not relax somewhere a bit more picturesque? Like the beach!” he suggested. “Plus your body needs vitamin D. I already have chairs and an umbrella in the trunk of my car. All we’ll need are towels and some snacks and we’re good to go!” he emphatically pitched.

She mulled over his recommendation. It certainly wasn’t a bad idea, and it’d be nice to be outside on such a beautiful day. “That…actually sounds really nice. Thanks cuz.”

“What can I say? I am amazing” he boasted.

“Yep…you’re definitely full of surprises” she replied, fighting the urge to rolls her eyes at him. “Just let me change into something more beach appropriate.”

“And I’ll start putting a lunch together. Any requests?”

Deciding to keep it simple she answered, “Pb&j sandwiches and whatever fruit we have in there are fine with me.”

“How many pb&js do you want?”

“Hmmm…five should be good. Oh, can you also pack that little wooden container on the counter please? The pack gave me some jerky.”

“Got it. Do you guys have an insulated bag?”

“Yep, a purple one. Second shelf in the storage cabinet. There are blue ice packs in the first basket in the freezer” she answered.

He nodded and went into the kitchen while she went to her room. “Definitely didn’t see this coming, but a nice surprise either way” she thought as she changed into a light blue tank top, matching shorts and a pair of white slide sandals. “Alright, now I just need to grab some towels.” She opens her closet to grab her cheer bag to pack them in, and lo and behold the first bag she sees is the cheer captain’s bag; it was almost as if his cartoon face was begging her to take it along. “…Why not?” she conceded and picked it up. She packed her phone and headphones, just in case if he went off into one of his “self-indulging” tangents she could tune him out with her music. She exits her room and grabs a couple of multi-colored towels out of the linen closet. “Got the towels!” she announces as she’s coming down the stairs.

“Almost done with our lunch” he replied back.

She peeked inside the kitchen – curious to see what else he was packing. There were eight sandwiches, five cut apples, a couple bananas, five peeled oranges, some fruit punch juice boxes, a couple bottles of water and her jerky.

“You like?” he asked.

“I do, and you’re really fast” she complimented.

“What can I say? I’m a man of many talents” he grinned. “Besides, putting the snacks together at cheer camp was great training.”

“Wait…you did all that?”

“The aceys and Shrimpy helped out naturally, but yep. It was yours truly.”

“Wow…I had no idea.”

“How could you, I just told you. Sheesh, I wanted to break you guys down, not starve you. That’s one reason why I woke everyone up so early – food’s always good when you eat it as fresh as possible.”

“And the other?”

“Practice time is valuable time of course” he replied. “As the saying goes, “Early to bed, early to rise makes the cheerleader strong, balanced and wise. Page one section three of my cheer captain’s guide to success. I put it in your bag. You did read it right?”

“Riiight…either way thank you for doing all that, and for this.”

“Of course, I promised I was going to take exceptionally good care of you and I aim to do so” he pledged, getting a pleased smile out of her. She helped him pack the food and ice packs, and they were ready to go.

“Allow me” and he grabbed both bags.

She grabbed her house keys off the key rack and ran over to the door to unlock it. “Thank you cuz.” “Your welcome cuz.” they smiled at each other.

She secured the house and followed him to a shiny, Prussian-blue, convertible 1960 El Dorado Biarritz. It had chrome rims, white-wall tires, grey and dark blue seats yet with modern, wood-grain interior display.

“Whooa, I didn’t know Uncle Paul and Aunt Helen had a car like this” she marveled.

“They don’t, this baby’s mine! Meet the Midnight King” he introduced as he put the bags in the trunk.

“Midnight King?” she repeated.

“Fitting name for a president don’t you think?” he smirked as he opened the passenger door for her so she could get in. Once she was situated, he hopped into the driver’s seat and started the car.

“Where did you even get this car? This is something straight out of an auction show” she asked.

“I picked it out and my parents got it fixed up.”

“Fixed up?”

“Yep! Check it out!” and he took out his phone and showed her a picture of a rusty heap of metal.

“That became this?!” she exclaimed.

“Sure did - I already have an appointment set up to get my initials embroidered on the seats. Anyway, it was supposed to be a birthday gift, but since my campaign resulted in a landslide victory they gave it to me early! Wait til you see what it can do” he grinned and took off.

“Impressed?” he asked when he noticed her enjoying the passing scenery.

“Very! This ride is as smooth as silk” she complimented. “I gotta say, I’m surprised you picked such a dilapidated car. I would’ve thought you’d get a brand new one.”

“It’s easy to see the diamonds when you change your perspective” he replied, surprising her.

“Mr. “pro keep everything the same” changed his perspective? Do I have a doppelganger cousin now too?” she thought, but decided to leave it be and enjoy the ride – literally.

Soon they drive through a wooded area that Addison wasn’t familiar with. “Bucky, where are we? This isn’t the way to the beach.”

“Not to the main beach, but trust me there’s a beach up ahead. Also, I figured you wouldn’t want to be around all those different scents.”

Once again she was stunned by his thoughtfulness. “Thanks Bucky” she smiled.

“No problem. But if you could sit back a little please?”

“Huh? O-Okay.”

He pushed a button on the console, activating the convertible roof and windows. “Don’t want any dirt getting in” he explained.

“Dirt?” she questioned, but her confusion disappeared when they veered off the main road and onto a dirt path.

“Hold on! Even with amazing suspension it can get a little bumpy” he warned. Soon they arrived at a secluded area that would serve as their parking spot. “Here we are!” he announces and turns off his car.

When they get out, Addison smells the air but can’t detect any salt – only fresh water. “…You brought us to a lake” she realized.

“Huh? How’d…oh right. You could smell it. Still, prepare to be shocked and amazed!” he emphasized before taking off his jacket and laying it on the backseat.

“I already am. In more ways than one” she mumbled to herself; she picked up the lunch and towel bags while he grabbed the rest of the items.

“Ready?”

“Yup!” and she follows him through the thicket.

They walk a short distance until he stops. “Here we are Addison!” and he gestures for her to walk ahead. Once she passes that thicket line, he was pleased to hear a long “Whooooooa” come out of her vocal chords. “Told you you’d be amazed” he smirked.

In front of them was a pristine, crystal clear lake surrounded by pearl-colored sand and bordered by lush tall trees; the perfect hidden paradise. “I wonder if this is one of the lakes I saw when I climbed that tree” she thought as she absentmindedly followed her cousin. “How did you even find this place?” she asked.

“One of life’s beautiful accidents” he artfully replied without further elaboration.

It took a minute, but she managed to fill in the pieces. “…I see. Well, I’m glad you’re okay” she replied.

“Like I said before, I’m way too important so nothing can happen to me” he stated as he planted the umbrella in the sand.

“Uh huh” she merely replied and helped him finish setting up their spot.

“Ahhh…this is the life” he contentedly sighed as he flopped onto his pink mesh lounge chair; the folded towel serving as an excellent makeshift pillow. Addison followed suit and hummed at that – agreeing wholeheartedly.

The lapping of the waves, the melodic sounds of grebes and swallows overhead, the scent of pine and lilies – she couldn’t help but feel relaxed. It wasn’t long before a hearty yawn comes out of her. He looks over and asks, “Feeling sleepy?”

“No…mm’not” she replied.

He chuckled when he saw her rubbing her closed eyes. “Hey, it’s alright. That why I brought you out here remember? For you to rest and just…get away” he reminded, but she opened her eyes when she heard the wistfulness in his tone.

“…We’re you trying to get away?” she asked.

He was quiet for a moment. “…Yeah, I was” and she was taken aback by his honesty. “I was already planning on coming out here until Aunt Missy called. Then I figured, why not share my treasure with you?”

“Bucky, if you don’t mind me asking…what do you try to get away from?” she inquired. From her perspective he had everything: popularity, a legion of fans, a personal group of crazy devotees, the highest ranked leadership positions in the most prestigious areas, and a normal life. Why would he, the living embodiment of glorification, want to leave any of that?

“…Whatever’s on my mind at the time” he answered.

“What’s on your mind now?” she prodded.

“Honestly…a lot. Look, I like pomp and circumstance. I like being celebrated. I basically exude confidence. But sometimes…I don’t.”

“Like when?” she asked disbelieving. All her life he was the epitome of near-nauseating confidence that bordered being arrogant.

“During my introduction to the political world” he replied.

“Hmph. Having second thoughts about being president?” she questioned.

“No. Well…not in terms of the work I’ll have to put in. I witnessed that on the daily whenever I’d visit your house and see the stacks of paperwork auntie and uncle had to do some days – I expected that. I just didn’t expect to be so…disgusted with myself."

"Huh?”

He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “Remember during cheer camp I said I’d rule the school?”

“How could I forget? The Z-team barely had two seconds to celebrate their victory before you made it about you” she bit back.

“…Right. I’m sorry for stealing your team’s hard-earned thunder” he apologized. “I know I can’t revive the moment, but I’ll make sure the cheer cup is engraved with the Z-team as the winners.”

“Kinda a moot point cousin; we’re all one team now – no divisions” she responded.

“**sigh** And that was my problem.”

“What was?”

“Well…at the time I wanted to be president, I wanted to return things to normal.”

“You mean “pro keep everything the same”?” she guessed.

“Yeah.”

“So what changed?”

“You” he replied

“Me?!” she shouted and sat up indignantly. “What do you mean?” she dangerously growled.

Bucky gulped and stuttered. “H-Hold on! That came out wrong!”

“No kidding!”

“I didn’t mean that you yourself changed! Well obviously now you have, but that wasn’t what I talking about! **sigh** What I meant was that you changed me.”

“I changed you? Seriously?” she scoffed.

“I’m not joking Addison” and the weird part was she could sense he actually wasn’t.

“…Alright, I’ll roll with it. How exactly did I change you? Because you’re one heck of an actor for making me believe that my words were nothing more than puffs of air in your ears” she glowered and he flinched at her harsh observation.

“Yeah…I deserve that. And I’m sorry for belittling everything you said.”

She questioningly quirked an eyebrow up at his apology. “I know…I know. It’s just a puff of air, but I intend to prove that there’s substance behind it” he swore while patting his heart. “But going back to what I started to say. When you rallied some of the students, even the aceys, to help the werewolves retrieve their moonstone…I was stunned to say the least. I mean, I was about to call the Z-Pa…err…P.A.D when they crashed the prawn with the zombies.”

“You were about to what?!” she fumed; she was unaware of that particular detail.

“I know, I know! Old mindset following the anti-monster laws. **sigh**Addison, when you came out of that tunnel and everyone was applauding your and Zed’s heroism…I’ll admit, I was furiously jealous of you two. I thought about jumping in and stealing your spotlight again – saying that you were following my example or excellent job following my plan while defacing Zed’s zombie nature in one way or another. But…it wasn’t until someone asked “Are you okay? Are you hurt?” that I realized how messed up my priorities were. You could’ve died Addison…a lot of people could have and all I cared about was my status? How selfish is that?” he asked more to himself, and Addison already knew he knew the answer to that.

He shamefully shook his head and sighed again before adding, “It really made me realize what an inadequate leader I truly was. A president is supposed to look after their nation, or classmates in our case. The whole lot of them, and you did just that. I was only focused on being popular and keeping things the way I wanted them to be.”

“He sounds like how mom used to be” she thought. “Bucky, there’s nothing wrong with a having a vision of what you want for our school to be. But if that vision involves alienation, rejection and hurt, then you better be prepared for all of that to come back to you one hundred fold. And it might not be as peaceful as crashing a dance.”

“Believe me, I noticed” he agreed, remembering the alpha’s threatening gaze when he was about to pull the alarm. “But that’s what I meant when I said that you changed me. It made me take one hard look in mirror and for the first time in my life…I didn’t like the man that I saw. Even more so when Aunt Missy told me that you were attacked.”

He stopped for a moment and pointed his head up let out long, despairing exhale. To Addison it looked like he was howling mournfully. “…Before she elaborated on how you got hurt, my mind immediately went to someone attacking you…like a hate crime.”

A nervous gulp went down her throat when he said that. Sure she knew she was unique, but hair color alone wouldn’t make someone do something that heinous…would it?

Sensing her question he pointed out, “Cousin, you’re different. Anyone who isn’t blind can see that. Your white hair is the tip of the iceberg, no pun intended. Your overall personality basically goes against everything Seabrook stands for in terms of normalcy. And in actuality…that’s one thing I admire about you. I know I never said it, mainly because I was in denial and stupidly stubborn, but I really do. All these changes with zombies and now werewolves… it’s just so much for me to take in. I can’t instantly go with the flow like you can. And I know there are plenty of others that can’t or refuse to go with the good flow. That’s why I thought that someone tried to attack you…to remove the blockage to the flow they’re used to going. And if it wasn’t for you being my flicker of light…I would’ve been going down the same path. If a hate crime really did happened to you, in some way or another…I know I would’ve justified it as being a punishment for being different.”

“…Bucky” was all Addison would utter. She was completely shocked. Obviously her cousin wasn’t like that anymore, but it just amazed and scared her how much unmitigated darkness could fill someone. It was just like Taki said, sweetness begot sweetness. And now she realized that bitter begets bitter too, and it doesn’t take much to switch from one side to another. I mean the Seabrook settlers’ selfish bitterness made the wolves bitter towards humans. “Pup help wolves be sweet toward humans, and humans sweet to wolves” Adelio chimed in, putting an undetectable smile on her face. But she was taken out of her thoughts when Bucky bitterly chuckled.

“Now that I’m thinking about it…I committed a hate crime. Two in fact!”

“What do mean? You’ve never attacked someone” she pointed out.

“Not physically…not that that makes it any better. I still put zombies in a bad light.”

That’s when it clicked. “…You’re talking about what you and the aceys did to Zed on the football field” and he slowly nodded at that. “Then what was the second instance? Was it with Zed too?”

“…Yes. It was during the election.”

“The election?”

“Uh huh. He was on a roll with his campaign…despite the mudslinging tactics I used. Then all of a sudden he just went out of control – completely zombie feral! I…I took advantage of the situation by putting him in a bad light and won in a landslide.”

“So that’s how he lost! But…it still doesn’t make any sense. The only way a zombie goes feral is if their z-bands are taken off or…**GASP**

“Our necklaces have a way with electronics” Wyatt’s words came to the forefront of her mind as a terrible scenario entered her mind.

“…If they’re turned off. Did Zed somehow drain the moonstone’s energy with his z-band and it had an adverse side-effect? Was he really that desperate to keep me the same that he would absorb the power for himself!?” she snarled.

Taking her earlier gasp and current snarl as a bad sign, Bucky quickly pleaded “But Addison! I didn’t have anything to do with it, I swear!”

His imploring words snapped her out of her ire and she released a long exhale in order to calm herself down. “No…I can’t go making any assumptions. I need to hear Zed’s side of the story” she thought before looking at her cousin. “Bucky, I believe you” she assured.

“Y-You do!?”

She nodded and replied, “Even at your worst you wouldn’t stoop that low again, especially if it puts yourself in danger. Not to mention if you did do it, you wouldn’t tell me because you knew I’d tear you apart. And that’s before I became a werewolf. You have to apologize to him.”

“Yeah…you’re right, and I will. And I deserve to be torn apart it a hundred times over. There’s absolutely no excuse for allowing my jealously to get out of control and being a major jerk.”

“...Funny, you and Zed have a bit in common when it comes to being a jealous jerk sometimes” she remarked.

“What do you mean?” he asked and she told him about how he stole her moonstone necklace in order to prevent her from finding out if she was a werewolf. “…If I’m being honest, I probably would’ve done the same thing. Lately I’ve been thinking that all of this “si boom ba” I portray is just a defense mechanism to give me some sense of control. I guess that’s the real reason why I wanted to be president.”

“Bucky…I had no idea.”

“Of course not…I just told you” he half smiled.

She grabbed his hands and he was amazed at how warm and soft they were; it was like they were wrapped up in a snuggly blanket. “I know it’s not easy…okay…almost impossible for you to admit your faults. The fact that you did and are striving and changing to be better shows great maturity. I’m proud of you and I know you’ll be a great president” she smiled and squeezed his hands.

He smiled back and said, “Thank you Addison, I really appreciate that. More than you know.” She nodded and let go of his hands. “Umm…speaking of knowing, how exactly did all of this happen?” he asked, gesturing to her body.

“It’s a long yet exciting story” she forewarned.

“We have nothing but time and you have my undivided attention” he smiled. “Plus you know me, I always love dramatic stories.”

“Heh, true” she chuckled and regaled him with her impressive yet perilous narrative. “I need to start taking pictures” she thought when she saw his stunned face.

“And you weren’t scared?!” he asked.

“…Of what?” she replied; there were so many “scary” things that it was hard to pinpoint just one.

“Of what!? The cougar!”

“To be honest, once my wolf instincts took over I felt safe. Like I could anything. Kinda like you” she compared.

“Heh, glad I could inspire you. But seriously, never do that again!” he scolded.

“You sound just like Willa” she commented.

“I’m glad your safety is one thing we agree on. That and dazzling attire” he replied, making her smile.

“Y’know, I have to say you’re taking the whole werewolf thing pretty well” she remarked.

“It’s just another thing that makes you you. You’re already going against the grain, why stop now?” he replied.

“But what about you? What if you’re…y’know…a werewolf too?” she asked. If going along with the good flow was hard for him now, she couldn’t even begin to imagine the stress he’d feel if he found out he was a wolf too.

He was silent for a moment while he contemplated his answer. “Then I’ll be the handsomest werewolf ever! Could you imagine me in shampoo commercials? My fur would have its own insurance” he replied. She laughed at the levity he imparted, but this was still a serious matter. “Do…do you want to find out if you’re a werewolf?”

“…You mean just put on a moonstone right?” he asked, because doing the trials didn’t appeal to him whatsoever.

“Uh huh.”

“…Not now, but I’ll think about it. Maybe after you become part of their pack, I’ll ask them” he decided.

“Y-You think I can pass the combat trial?”

“Of course! You’re my cousin and that means you’re a winner!” he bragged, making her to smile. “Did you ask auntie and uncle about putting on a moonstone necklace too?”

“No. If it wasn’t for Willa, I don’t even know how I’d explain to them that I was a werewolf. I know they said they’ll love me no matter what, but just them knowing that possibly one of our ancestors was a werewolf has overwhelmed them enough already. I guess I don’t want to rock this new boat we’re building” she confessed.

“Well cuz, let me offer you some advice. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. It’s almost like cheer practice – you won’t know what formations will work until you try them out. Besides, you just asked me and I didn’t toss you in the lake and run away screaming now did I?”

“No.”

“Then trust them not to overreact. But there’s no rush, take your time.”

The proverbial gears were turning in her head as she took in his words. “Nothing ventured. Nothing gained. Heh, that’s definitely my style – I’m not one to cut corners. If I didn’t venture into doing the alpha trials, or even become friends with zombies and werewolves my family wouldn’t be what it is now, I wouldn’t have a plethora of siblings nor my guardian, and I certainly wouldn’t have heard Bucky apologize to me. And I never would’ve found out what I am…and that I love who I am” she realized. “Bucky…thank you” and he could feel the gratitude within that two-word expression.

“There’s no need to thank me. I know this is a lot for you, heck I’m still shocked, but I know it won’t do you any good just to shut you out and treat you…well…I guess I already treated you like a freak in front of everyone. Multiple times actually. I’m…I’m truly sorry” he professed.

“…I know, and I forgive you. But don’t think I won’t bark at you if you step out of line” she warned.

“And I wouldn’t have it any other way. Don’t worry, your big cuz got your back. Now and always” he swore and reached his hand out to gently pet the top of her head. Not even a few seconds passed before both of their eyes widened at the act and he retracted his hand. “Why did I do that? Why did I just do that?! Is that offensive to werewolves!? I’m so sorry!” he apologized, but instead of a rebuff he got pure, unadulterated laughter as a reply.

“Uhh…”

“Sorry, sorry, I’m not laughing at you. It’s just I did that to Wyatt and I asked him the exact same thing” she explained through her mirth. When she finally calmed down she smiled and answered, “And no Bucky, it’s not offensive at all. I mean, you saw my dad do it.”

“Yeah, that’s true. I just figured y’know…that’s what dads do” he explained.

“No, anyone can do it, so long as I allow them to” she replied.

“Umm…will you allow me?” he hesitantly asked.

“Please do” she smiled.

He smiled back and resumed the affectionate caresses. After a few minutes he stopped and asked, “Feel like taking a stroll?”

“Sure!” and they got up and started walking along the shore.

“Hey Bucky! Check it out!” she beckoned and he came over to little separate pool made out of rocks. “Look at all the little tadpoles! Some of them even have legs already.”

“Heh, that is pretty cool. A lot better than that stupid crab” he muttered when a beach memory resurfaced in his mind.

“Oh c’mon cousin, you provoked it.”

“How’d I provoke it? All I did was try to steer it away from our sand castle!”

“Steer it away? Please! You tried to smack it back into the ocean and it pinched you.”

“Pff, whatever” he dismissed and she rolled her eyes at his recount, but still had a smile on her face as those fond childhood memories resurfaced in her mind as well. “But, thank you for defending our castle from that crab invader. You were a brave rook.”

“Thank you…wait…what’s a rook?” he asked.

“The werewolf equivalent of a knight” she explained.

“Oooh, I see. Then in that case you’re an amphibian, just like these tadpoles. Being able to thrive in both environments.” To punctuate his point, a couple of frogs hop out of the thicket and across the sand back to the tadpole nursery.

“Weird analogy, but I like it all the same. Thanks cuz” she smiled and both of them kept on strolling’, reminiscing, and splashing in the water – just enjoying the scenery and each other’s company.

After a while Addison’s stomach started grumbling. “Guess its lunch time. C’mon, let’s go back; I can’t have you passing from hunger. Or worse, getting hangry.”

“No, you don’t want that. Like you said, you’re always looking like a snack” she replied while licking her lips, making a nervous gulp slide down his throat.

“Kidding! I’m kidding” she laughed. He let out a breath he didn’t even know he was holding.

“Don’t play with me like that cuz! Jeez!” he scolded.

“Sorry, but just know that wolves love to tease. And that was just too perfect” she grinned.

“…I guess” he muttered and smiled despite himself.

It didn’t take them long to make it back to their spot. They unpacked their lunch and prayed their gratitude for the food. As they ate Bucky was shocked by her robust appetite; hearing about it and seeing it were two totally different things.

“Here Bucky, try the jerky! It’s really tender” she offered the container to him.

“Uhh…what kind of meat is it?” he asked.

“Y’know, I’m not sure. I’ve only smelled moose, rabbit, cougar, reptiles, amphibians and various birds, but it’s not any of those. It’s still really good.”

“Hmm…alright, I’ll give it a shot” and grabbed the smallest piece he could find. He popped it in his mouth and she was relieved to hear a content “Mmm!” come out of him. “This IS good! I think if there was a bit more pepper and maybe some bay leaf added to it it’d be perfect.”

“I’ll pass on your recommendation to Row; he’s always up for trying new things when it comes to cooking.”

“And I’ll be more than happy to be a taste tester.”

“Sorry cuz, that’s my job” she grinned.

“Then I’ll be the assistant taste tester.”

“That works!” and both of them share a laugh. Soon the bag was completely empty.

“Are you okay Addison? Should we head back so you can get some more to eat?” he asked.

“No thanks, I’m good. Besides, there’s no way I’m leaving. You’d have to drag me away kicking and biting” she said as she stretched out her limbs – relaxing further into her seat.

“That’s makes two of us” he smiled and got into his comfortable position – reveling in the natural soundtrack of the laid-back atmosphere. Soon her soft snores added to the serene orchestra. Bucky looked at her when he heard that and smiled. “Mission accomplished” he thought. But before he could enjoy his own siesta, a glare of light hit his eyes…only it wasn’t sunlight.

“Huh?...**GASP** A-ADDISON!” he screamed.

“H-Huh?!” she flailed about before hastily sitting up. “What?! What’s wrong!?”

“Your hair! It was glowing!”

“Wha? Bucky, I told you it does that.”

“No you didn’t!” he refuted.

“Yes I did! I told you how everyone was freaking out about it because they didn’t know what was going on, and it caused my blood pressure to be at heart attack levels” she reminded.

“Are you having a heart attack now!?” he panicked.

“No, I’m not. Would I be talking to you if I was?” she deadpanned.

“Okay…okay good” he sighed in relief. “Okay…now I vaguely remember that part, but give me a break! Your recap was long and full of a lot of action!”

“I told you that too.”

“Anyway, why does your hair glow!? Is it a werewolf thing?!”

“I don’t know if it’s a werewolf thing or not. All I know is that whenever it does, my injuries heal themselves a lot faster than normal. That’s why I’m out of the hospital earlier than expected, and why I don’t have my stitches anymore.”

“Can you heal other people?” he asked.

“No, I can’t. But did you happen to feel anything while my hair was glowing?”

“Other than adrenaline from freaking out about you, no. Why?”

“Mom, Willa, Wyatt and Wynter said they felt some kind of tingly sensation. Dad didn’t feel it though, so I was just curious” she explained.

“No, nothing tingly in me. But hold on…shoot! Did I interrupt your healing process!?”

“No, you’re fine. I’m sure it’ll happen again when I fall asleep.”

“Wait…so you don’t feel it happening?”

“Nope, which make sense. I mean, whenever we get cuts we don’t feel them heal” she pointed out.

“True” he agreed.

“I’m glad you did wake me though. Apparently while it happens there’ll be a bright flash of light, then I’m in a deep sleep afterwards.”

“Like how deep? Coma deep?” he asked.

“Yeeah. You’d have to carry me to the car for sure” she confirmed.

“Good to know. In that case, I’m sorry for waking you. Now go back to sleep” he ordered.

“H-Huh? But I-” but he waved his index finger, cutting her off.

“You forget dear cousin that I have supported many cheer pyramids and caught plenty of flying cheerleaders. I can carry you a couple feet to my car if I have to” he assured.

“…Are you sure?” she asked.

“As your extraordinarily handsome doctor, I prescribe immediate sleep” he repeated. She chuckled and heeded his command, nestling comfortably back into her seat. It wasn’t long before she was sound asleep again. “…What an interesting cousin I have” he thought. He watched her for a few minutes to see if it would happen again, but soon he succumbed to his siesta. Now only the shimmering water was the lone witness to her shimmering phenomenon.

**BEEDLE DO DEEDLE DEE**

That playful, familiar chime served as an alarm clock for one member of the dozing duo. Bucky slowly opened his eyes and saw the orange and purple painted sky – creating a stunning backdrop for the forest landscape. He would’ve still kept on admiring it if his phone didn’t keep reminding him that a very important person needed to speak with him. He took it out of his pocket and saw Missy’s icon photo on the screen. “Hey Aunt Missy.”

…

“Yep, everything’s fine. Addison and I are at the beach enjoying a little R&R, prescribed by yours truly.”

…

“Yeah, she’s fast asleep. Her hair glowed earlier today, but she was just peachy.”

…

“That sounds great! I know she’ll be hungry if she wakes up.”

…

“Okay, we’ll see you soon” and he hung up with. “Alright, let’s see if I need to put my muscles to work” he thought as he stretched out a bit. “Addison?” he called out while gently shaking her shoulder. “Aaaaddison” he drawled out and she started to stir.

“Grrmmm…” she yawned and rubbed her eyes.

“Hey cuz, sorry to wake you but it’s time to go home.”

Once her eyes finally focused, she beheld the twilit terrain. “Hmkay. What time is it anyway?”

“Quarter past six. Auntie called and said that they were on their way home, and that they were getting Chinese food from Kowloon for dinner” he explained.

She perked up real quick when food was mentioned. “Really!? I haven’t had Kowloon in forever!”

“Heh, you and me both” he smiled.

“Well we're not waiting on me, let’s go!” and they packed up all their stuff and carried it back to the car.

While they were driving Bucky said, “I was actually surprised you woke up. I thought I’d have to carry you for sure. Guess the healing light didn’t turn on again…sorry about that.”

“Don’t worry Bucky, I’ll be fully healed soon” she replied, but glanced at her arm scars. She smiled when she saw that they were smaller than before. “Thanks girl” she internally expressed and felt a small nudge within her.

Stars were dotting the sky when they pulled up in front of her house. “I hope they didn’t wait long” Addison commented when they noticed her parents’ car in the driveway. Bucky grabbed her two bags out of the trunk and they went inside. Fortunately it looked like her parents arrived only a minute before they did for they were still taking containers out of the to-go bags.

“Hey mom, hey dad” “Hello Aunt Missy, Uncle Dale” they concurrently greeted.

“Welcome back you two” Missy smiled, but they noticed how exhausted they were.

“Um…are you guys okay? Was the meeting that intense?” Addison asked.

“We’re fine sweetie, we won. Waldport’s paying for the road and they’ve also agreed to help out with our infrastructure” she explained.

“Really!? Wow! That’s awesome” she praised.

“You’re telling me” Dale added.

“How were you able to pull that off?” Bucky asked.

“Let’s just say your aunt is more similar to Addison’s wolf friends than I realized. Surprisingly nobody was hurt…well…physically that is” he muttered.

“Huh?”

“Never mind. Anyway, I’m sure you're both starving. Go wash your hands and help set the table please” he requested

“Okay” and the teens followed his command.

“Whooa” Addison marveled when they walked back into the dining room and saw the spread; there was everything from chow Mein to orange chicken to bean sprout fried rice.

“I already know which one you’ll be digging into first” Bucky grinned as he pointed a particular container.

“**GASP** You got the Kowliflower gem combo?” she exclaimed.

“Of course, it’s your favorite after all” Dale smiled.

“Alright!” she cheered

“Please, help yourselves” Missy encouraged; everyone pulled up a chair and said their thanks.

But before they started eating Bucky shouted, “Addison wait! Doesn’t silver hurt werewolves!?”

“Uh…Bucky, the cutlery is stainless steel” Dale said.

“…Oh. Oh yeah” he sheepishly replied.

Addison giggled at that and said, “Thanks for looking out for me though.”

“Heh, you got it” he smiled and they dug right on in. “Man, I forgot how good this place is!” Bucky praised.

“I know right!? And they give you a lot too! Hm? Aren’t you guys hungry?” Addison asked her parents’ when she noticed that all they were eating was wonton soup.

“Trust me, these big bowls will be plenty for us. You just eat your fill” Missy assured.

“…Alright” she conceded and refilled her plate.

“So what did you two do today?” she asked.

“Bucky took me to this amazing, secret lake and we just talked and chilled all day. It was really nice and much needed” and the cousins shared a knowing look.

“Glad to hear you had a good time” Dale smiled.

Soon all of food was devoured. “Good lord, where does she put it all? She’s like a bottomless pit now I swear!” Bucky thought as she ate the last bit of noodles off of her seventh refill.

“Thanks for dinner mom and dad!” she smiled.

“Yes, thank you very much!” he added.

“You’re most welcome” Missy smiled and they all helped clean off the table. “Alright Addison, I’m going to get your bath ready.”

“Actually before you do that, there’s something Bucky needs to do first” she said.

“I do?” he asked

“Yeah…if the offer still stands” and she fiddled with her hair.

He smiled and replied, “Of course it does. Just let me get a broom and we’ll get started.”

“What’re you two going to do?” Dale asked as Addison went upstairs.

“I’m going to make my cousin look fabulous-er” he replied with the broom in hand and left it at that. He went upstairs to her room and saw her already sitting down in front of the bathroom mirror. He walked over to her and saw the tortoise-shell printed comb and a pair of scissors on the counter. “Alright! Time to let the magic flow” he declares as he cracks his fingers and she smiled in anticipation. He grabbed a towel off of the rack and put it over her shoulders, then gently combed through her hair – taking out any little knots. He sandwiched sections of it between his pointer and middle finger and started snipping the ends off.

Initially she kept a close eye on him to make sure he wouldn’t do anything outrageous, but once she saw his razor-sharp focus her body gradually relaxed. Bucky glanced at the mirror and noticed her eyes were closed, but she wasn’t afraid. She completely trusted him with undoubtedly the most vulnerable part of her body, and he couldn’t stop the big smile forming on his lips. “Aaaand…done!”

“H-Huh? Already?” she replied as she opened her eyes.

“Like I said, magic” he smiled while throwing in some jazz hands, making her giggle.

“Would you like me to do your fur too?” he asked.

“Yeah, that’d be nice. Just uh…give me a sec to undress.”

“Got it” and he quickly leaves the room. A moment later he hears her say “I’m ready” and comes back inside. Her tank top was off, but she understandably covered her chest with a hand towel.

“Oh…oh wow! Your fur is so shiny. And velvety” he praised as he touched it.

Addison couldn’t help but grin at his adoring fascination. “He’s just like me with the pack. No one is immune to the fluff” she thought. “Uh…cuz?” she smirked, snapping him out of his trance.

“Huh? O-oh! Right!” and he starts snipping. Once he finished her back, he left again so she could put her tank top back on so she could freely move her arms. He resumed meticulously trimming her elbows and calves. “And there we go” he announced with one final snip.

She stands up and looks herself over. Even with the small trim job, the way her hair was layered was superbly well-done. “Wow, you’re amazing Bucky!” she praised.

“I know” he grinned while twirling the scissors. He set the tools down and said, “I’ll have all this cleaned up in a jiffy so you can take your bath.” But before he could get to work, she grabbed him in a tight hug and nuzzled her face into his chest.

“Thank you cuz” she whispered her appreciation.

“No…thank you cuz” he replied and returned the embrace while using one hand to softly pet her head.

Never in a million years did Addison think that she’d let Bucky take care of her hair – the same hair that had been unfairly mocked and scrutinized. But now that the dead ends were cut off, new growth could occur. Sure it’d be a repetitious cleaving process due to the damage that’s been done, but one day…there won’t be any debris to clean up.

Chapter 16: An Interesting Football Practice

Chapter Text

“I swear, are these people masochists!?” Missy fumed as she and her husband walked down the stairs all dressed up in their quintessential business attire. Addison was eating breakfast while she watched them get their things together – completing their warm-up to the second MMA vocal match they were about to compete in. “Don’t they remember the thrashing I gave them yesterday!?”

“I’m sure they do, that’s why the meeting is only going to be two hours at most” Dale reminded.

“For their sake they’d better make it only one. And why couldn’t we just have a Zoom meeting?! I did tell them my daughter was injured right?!”

“Yes honey, you did. But you should know when it comes to money, people don’t care. To be honest, I’m glad we’re not having a Zoom meeting.”

“Why not?” she quizzically inquired.

“With as hot as you are now, you just might punch through the monitor” he replied.

“Tax write-off” she brushed off.

“Heh, I’d like to see Lulu pull that off when it’s time to file” he commented.

“She’ll be able to” she confidently replied. “This meeting is still a waste of time though.”

“Waldport just wants to go over some particulars of the agreement they signed.”

“But it’s a moot point. They signed it, so there’s no backing out.”

“Unless they find a loophole” he pointed out.

“Then I’ll make sure every hole is filled. They’re not getting out of this” she retorted as she put her earrings on.

“Uhh…you might want to leave those off” he suggested.

“Please. They wouldn’t even dare come within six feet of me.”

“If they really are masochists, they might.”

“Then may God have mercy on their souls” she said in finality.

“Uh…mom?” Addison asked.

“Yes sweetie?”

It amazed her how quickly she flipped from being irritated to being warmhearted. “Have you ever fought any one while you’ve been mayor? Like combat trial fought?”

“No. As I said there are rules in place to discourage fighting” she replied.

“But prior to being mayor, she decked a man all the way to the next continent” Dale answered. “And I was right there punching that jerk with her.”

“What!? When did this happen?” she exclaimed.

“Really Dale? Are you trying to get me more worked up than I already am?” she huffed.

“Not intentionally” he replied.

“It’s okay mom, you don’t have to tell me” she assured.

“**sigh**No, it’s fine. If anything once Waldport’s reps see me now, it’ll be a thirty minute meeting. Anyway, it happened shortly after I found out I was pregnant with you. Your father and I had just started working as administrative assistants for the city. During our first seasonal gala, some jackass decided to grope my butt – his sick version of an initiation.”

“WHAT?!” she barked, completely appalled that someone would do that to her.

Missy couldn’t help but smile at the protectiveness her daughter displayed, especially after everything she’s done to her. “Yes, and I broke his jaw” she stated.

“While I broke his wrists and nearly caved his head in” he added.

“Dannng…now I know where I get my ferocity from” she commented, making them chuckle.

“Perhaps, but we dodged a bullet for sure” he said.

“What do you mean? The council wasn’t about to punish you were they?!”

“They technically could have since we committed assault and battery. But since that knucklehead was the instigator, he was dismissed from the council while we got paid administrative leave for a year. Which worked out perfectly for us; I could relax during the pregnancy” she explained.

“Wow…that’s crazy” Addison uttered.

“You’re telling me. In fact, that physical assault rule was established because of us. It was in the bylaws by the time we came back” he revealed.

“Rule or not, I still would’ve handled it the same way” Missy stated.

“Where is that jerk anyway?” Addison asked.

“No clue; all I know he doesn’t live here anymore” she answered.

“Good” she growled and drank the last of her milk.

“All full?” her mom asked.

“Uh huh, thank you” she smiled and Dale put her dishes in the dishwasher.

“Now are you sure you’ll be alright by yourself?” she asked.

“Yes mom, I’ll be fine. Besides, it’ll only be a half hour right?” she winked.

“Heh…right. But still-”

“Missy, it can’t be helped. Bucky has presidential duties to attend to, and there’s really no one else that we trust with her well-being” he reasoned.

“**sigh** You’re right” she resigned.

“Don’t worry mom. My phone’s fully charged and I’ll call you guys if anything happens” she assured.

“…Alright” she finally conceded and walked over to kiss her forehead. “Bye sweetie, we’ll be back soon.”

“See you later kiddo” he added and hugged her.

“Bye mom, bye dad! Be careful and don’t hurt anyone.”

“We won’t, we promise. Besides, we don’t have the bail money” he muttered, but Addison still heard it as they walked out the door.

“…Who knew my parents could throw down? Then again, I never stopped to think how stressful being the mayor and the chief of the P.A.D could be; and that’s with normal political matters. I guess they were like Bucky in a way, trying to establish their own sense of control in a chaotic environment” she mused to herself as she meandered into the living room and laid across the couch.

“Still can’t believe all of this is happening. My parents actually admitted they were wrong and are changing for the better. It truly is a miracle, and soon it’ll just be everyday life…like it used to be. **sigh**…What in the world made them switch from the sweet side to the bitter side anyway? Mom and dad certainly aren’t the kind of people to take unwarranted flak from anyone” she thought and tried to remember any outstanding detail in her mother’s apology. But nothing stood out.

“…Another story for my long list of things to hear” she muttered, before turning pensive. “…Should I want to know though? What if…what if it just makes things worse again?”

“Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Pup get answers from parents. Pup and parents learn lesson. Pup and parents use lesson to complete and succeed in trial” Adelio spoke.

Addison fondly laughed at that and smiled, “You always know what to say my noble guardian. Thank you.”

“Adelio always here to help. Adelio help make pup happy.”

“You most certainly do” she praised, and giggled again when she felt stronger nuzzles within her. “Ahhh…for once I’m glad to have the house to myself. I needed to sit back and reflect a bit” she thought and closed her eyes.

**DING DONG**

“Welp…reflection time’s over” she grumbled as she opened them. “That was a quick meeting…but why would they ring the doorbell? Unless they actually killed one of Waldport’s reps and need to hide the body” she half-heartedly thought.

But when she approached the door, her nose twitched. Her parents weren’t home, but there were two familiar dead body scents outside. And she could tolerate them! She hastily opened the door and saw Bonzo and Eliza standing in her driveway.

“Addiska!” the friendly giant giddily waved.

“Is your nose okay? Are we far enough away?” Eliza asked. Her question was answered when Addison ran down the porch steps and rushed over to them – giving each of them biggest hug she could muster. Bonzo did one better and spun her around twice, making her laugh.

“I missed doing that” Addison smiled as he put her down.

“Gotta admit…I missed getting them too” Eliza bashfully replied.

“Addiska no smiwo?”

“Nope! My nose has finally acclimated to your guys’ scent!” she happily reported.

“Huraska!” he exclaimed and spun the giggling teen around again.

“Hooray is right! But, what about your cuts? How’re they healing up?”

When she asked that Bonzo quickly put her down and profusely repeated, “Sorjik, Sorjik Addiska!”

“It’s alright Bonzo, I’m fine. Really I am” she assured and both of them sighed in relief. “And my wounds are healing quite nicely. The scabs are a little itchy, but that’s it.”

“Sweet!” she smiled.

“Uh huh! So…what’s up? Not to say I’m not happy to see you guys.”

“We noticed” Eliza smirked. “But yeah, sorry to show up out of the blue like this. I tried to text you, but my phone started acting up. …Hopefully it won’t be a major adjustment.”

“Nothing you can't handle" Addison replied and she happily shuffled her feet at her confident remark. "But what’s with the chairs?” she asked when she noticed the three bagged foldable chairs slung on Bonzo’s back. “We’re you going to ask me to if I wanted to go to the park?” she grinned.

“Uhh…kinda. We uh…wanted to see if you were up for watching spring football practice. We stopped by Bree’s house earlier to see if she wanted to go, but she was doing something with her family” Eliza explained.

“…Zedski worlo sejin” Bonzo warily spoke.

“But we totally understand if you’re not up to it!” she hastily added, knowing that her last encounter with Zed undoubtedly left a sour taste in her mouth.

Addison seemed to catch on what they were implying and surprised them by saying, “I’m up for it!”

“R-Really?” she stuttered.

“Yeah! I know Zed and I have hit some…rough patches, but you guys are my friends. If I can be there to support you, I will. Y’know…so long as it’s not anything illegal.”

She laughed at that and replied, “Addison, you truly are the salt of the Earth.”

“Addiska awfremo!” he agreed and she cheerfully yipped at their kind compliments.

“Still, I can’t believe it’s already time for spring practice. Time goes by too fast sometimes” she remarked.

“You’re telling us” Eliza agreed.

“Hmm…I wonder if I’ll see Jamie out there.”

“Jamie? Jamie who?”

“Jamie Revae – he’s Nurse Taki’s son. He’s an incoming freshman and she told me that he was going to try out for the football team. But I’ve never met him before” Addison explained.

“Well, nothing better than one of your cheers to welcome him to Seabrook High” Eliza smiled and they did their little signature finger wave.

“Zarga ye. I just need a sec to change clothes and pack a few snacks. Please, come inside and relax” she offered.

“Tabn grezkda, zarga ye Addiska” Bonzo appreciatively replied and they followed her back inside.

“Would you like me to pack you guys anything? Mom and dad just did some grocery shopping so we’re stocked.”

“Don’t worry about us Addison, we’re good on snacks” she replied, gesturing to her back pack. “I would’ve packed you something, but I wasn’t sure what you could eat. And I couldn’t ask because like I said, my phone was going all wonky on me.”

“It’s okay, thanks for thinking of me” she smiled. “Do you want some extra bottles of water though?”

“That’s be great. Thank you.”

“You got it” and she went into the kitchen.

Bonzo set the bagged chairs down against the wall and rolled his shoulders around a bit. “You alright Big B? I told you I could carry one of them” Eliza reminded him.

He shook his head and replied, “Linvinbjio.”

“…Alright, if you insist” she relented and they sat at the dining room table. “Did your parents have an early start today Addison?”

“Actually they left a few minutes before you arrived. They were supposed to be home, but Waldport’s been giving them fits over construction costs” she explained.

“Speaking of, did they have a meeting on what they’re going to put at our birthplace site?”

“Not yet. Right now they’re just gathering all the undamaged bricks so they can be re-used. But when they decide on the date I’ll let you know, I promise.”

“Thank you Addison, I really appreciate that” she gratefully smiled.

“Of course!” she replied and put the finishing touches on her four turkey, lettuce, mustard and pepperoncini sandwiches. She put them in little sandwich bags and packed them in the insulated picnic bag along with a couple peeled oranges, extra water bottles and ice packs. After tidying up the kitchen, she went upstairs to freshen up and change. She decided to go with her pink Seabrook cheer t-shirt, burgundy shorts, and slide sandals. “Better grab an extra shirt just in case I make a mess while I eat” she thought and picked out a light blue tank top. She grabs her phone off of her dresser and starts a group chat with her parents. “At least they won’t have to worry about me being by myself” she thought before texting, <Hey mom. Hey dad. Eliza and Bonzo invited me to watch spring football practice. I’ll be with them most of the day.>

A moment later her dad replies, <Can your nose tolerate being around them?>

<Yes.>

<Did you pack enough food and water?> her mother followed up.

<Yes.>

<Alright, be safe and call us if you need anything> they implored.

She was just about to leave it at that, but she decided to add one more thing – something she hadn’t said in a long while. <I will. Love you mom, love you dad> and she punctuated it with a little heart emoji.

After a minute or so they replied, <We love you too sweetie, have fun out there> ending it with a little hug emoji. A small grin appeared on her lips when she read that. “Time for something else to be read too” she thought and grabbed Zoey’s letter off her desk.

“Ready!” she announced as she bounded down the stairs.

“Bvoi roji!” Bonzo declared and picked up the chairs.

Addison put the letter, phone and extra shirt in the front pocket of her insulated bag and grabbed her keys before following them out the door.

“Now you let us know if you need to take a break at all while we’re walking” Eliza ordered.

“Will do” and they start making their way to the practice fields.

“Oh wow…that’s a lot of players” Addison marveled when they finally arrived, and Bonzo echoed her sentiment with a long whistle. There were a multitude of eager young men, human and zombie alike, warming up and showing off their physical skills.

“No kidding. But are you alright? You’re not feeling nauseous are you?” she asked.

“Nope, I’m fine” she assured. “But this is just…incredible. This almost rivals the amount of people that wanted to try out for cheer.”

“Zedski agnfru dotbaw” he said.

“Heh, you’re right. If it wasn’t for Zed, there wouldn’t even be this kind of excitement nor opportunity. All of you helped make this possible” she proudly smiled.

“Like I said before, Adiosopolgy at work” Eliza grinned. “But speaking of, I don’t see our big lug. I wonder he is” and they all scanned through the plethora of potential players.

“Zedski lo Bujiki!” Bonzo gasped and the ladies looked over to where he was pointing. Sure enough the president was walking side by side with the star of the team, and they were actually speaking amiably to each other. Addison smiled at that; although she could tell that their conversation was ending, she had a pretty good idea what they were discussing.

“Ugh, what’s he doing here?” Eliza spat.

“Most likely giving an uplifting speech to the team. He is the president now and one of his jobs is to check on all the clubs” she explained.

“Don’t remind me. Well, I think the computer club can survive without a visit from him. The only thing he can uplift is his ego” she replied.

“If it was the old Bucky I’d agree with you” Addison said.

“Huh? What do you mean?” she asked.

“He’s changed Eliza” and both of them gave her an “Are you serious??” look. “I know it sounds crazy and it’s hard to believe, but he really has. Will it take time for everyone to trust and believe that he has? Oh most definitely! With as many bridges as he’s burnt it’ll take a while for him to repair them all. And he’s starting to repair his connection with me.”

“He has?”

“Yup. Never thought I say this, but Bucky is growing and maturing. And I’m willing to forgive him.”

“Bujiki donospliza” Bonzo coldly commented.

“…I know. I can’t forget what he’s done and I’m not saying I fully trust him yet, but that’s not what forgiveness is. It’s about not holding someone’s past against them, not bringing it up in a negative light at every opportunity as we move forward, and not allowing the hurt we experienced to make us bitter towards the new people we meet. Whether it means forging a new relationship with the one who wronged you, or cutting them out of your life completely and moving on without them. In the end, it’s for my betterment. Ultimately he’s going to have to live with the consequences of his actions. But when certain situations arise and those ugly memories pop up in my mind, it’ll be interesting to see if he falls back into his old habits or if he wipes them away with a new approach. Eventually those memories of his bad tendencies will be washed away, leaving only the new, good ones. That’s how trust is built. But I can’t be impatient nor set lofty expectations. People change at different speeds, and the fact that he’s willing to is a major first step. But you can best believe that if goes back to being the “old” Bucky and is stubborn about it, I’m out” she stated and they just stared at her wide-eyed in absolute awe.

“…Whoa. That’s doctorate level Adisopolgy” Eliza marveled and Bonzo nodded in agreement.

“I don’t know about that. I’m just rolling with the claw swipes and gaining some good advice from sweet people” she winked, making the zombies smile.

Soon they find a nice shady elevated spot underneath an oak tree – providing them the perfect vantage point to see all the action. Bonzo sets up their stuff in no time at all.

“Thank you Bonzo” the ladies simultaneously smiled as he helped eased them into their seats like a true gentleman.

“Yarga ke” he smiled back before taking a seat himself. Shortly after they got settled, their attention was directed back to the field when a whistle was blown.

“EVERYBODY LINE UP!” the fro-yo coach bellowed through his bullhorn and everyone gathered around. His hair got a little longer and curlier over the off-season, but he was still sporting his favorite lime green Mighty Shrimp polo and white pants. “Can everyone hear me?”

“YES SIR!” came the resounding reply.

“Alright cool! Welcome to spring training everyone!” and that got a round of rambunctious cheers. “For all our rookies, my name is Coach Aster and these swell guys are the newest members of our Mighty Shrimp family – because there’s no way I can keep an eye on all y’all. First up, the hard-hitting, defensive ironman himself – Coach Bubbles!” and a burly, bald, chocolate-toned man stepped forward. He was wearing a crimson shirt with the sleeves torn off, long dark-green shorts and red sneakers. The sweat on his skin enunciated his muscles – even the eel tattoo on his left bicep looked like it was flexing. He slid his circle sunglasses to the top of his head and looked at all the players before giving an approving nod.

“…His name is deceiving” Eliza remarked.

“Eh…maybe a little, but Coach Aster said he was a swell guy” Addison offered.

“I think he meant swole. But yeah, can’t judge a book by his cover” she agreed.

“Next up is the fleet-footed special teams’ speedster, Coach Gladiolus!” A lean man who was actually shorter than some of the players politely tipped his white Mighty Shrimp baseball cap to the team. His skin-tight dark blue tank top, black shorts and gold cleats contrasted beautifully against his rich coffee complexion. His physique garnered his “fleet-footed” nickname for sure; he looked more like a track coach than a football coach.

“Rounding out our coaching mentors is the high octane, offensive machine – Coach Daggett!” and a grizzled version of Addison’s dad came to the forefront. He had pork-chop side burns, a woven straw hat, and ice-blue aviator sunglasses. He could’ve gave the werewolves a run for their money with the amount of hair on his arms and legs. He certainly loved color though – opting to wear a neon orange V-neck shirt, striped white/light blue shorts, and pastel-pink cleats.

“And last but certainly not least, the banisher of pain! Or creator of it if you get on his bad side, Nurse Carter!”

“So that’s the school nurse. He’s like a grown-up version of Kraw” Addison thought when he walked up. He definitely was in excellent shape and his luscious beard framed his sharp face exceptionally well. He wore a scrub with the Mighty Shrimp logo plastered all over and black leather sandals.

“I’ve never seen these guys before. I wonder where they’re from” Eliza pondered.

“Brutzda nakil” Bonzo commented.

“No kidding, but being a part of an up and coming winning team is an enticing offer. It’s no different than all of us being attracted to all the sweet flavors in Coach Aster’s fro-yo cart, and nothing’s sweeter than the taste of victory” Addison replied.

“Heh, true” she grinned.

“Alright you guys! This is where the rubber meets the road” Coach Aster spoke.

“He’s right. If you can’t handle the grind, then don’t waste our time. This ain’t no charity hand out this time around” Coach Bubbles added.

“Everyone here hungers for greatness, and only you can bring it out” Coach Gladiolus encouraged.

“If you give it your all, you should have no regrets at the end of the day – regardless of the outcome” Coach Daggett stated.

“If you fall, you can either stay down or get back up. I know it’s an old cliché saying, but it’s true. When I tore my ACL and PCL in a freak accident playing basketball, they told me I’d never be able to walk again. Yet here I am, running around in sandals” and Nurse Carter punctuated his testimony by running around the group.

“Your coaches are right” Bucky chimed in after Coach Aster handed him the bullhorn. “This school was strictly a cheer-centric institution, but thanks to the dominating efforts of last year’s team” and the president cast an acknowledging glance towards Zed “our school is changing - becoming multi-talented and multi-faceted, like a brilliant diamond. So I issue this challenge to you. Shine brightly throughout practice and continue to be the dominating and inspirational force that your predecessors have set before you! Be the strongest athletes you can be! YOU ARE THE MIGHTY SHRIMP!! LET’S GOOOO!” and that got the crowd whipped up in an ultra-hyped frenzy.

“He’s one heck of a hype-man, I’ll give him that” Eliza somewhat praised as they watched him continue to cheer and jump along with the players.

“Cheerio usjn pikola” he replied.

“Heh, you’re right Big B. It was cheer and football that helped bring all of us together after all” she smiled.

“Yeah” Addison softly smiled – echoing the sentiment.

Soon Bucky left to attend his other presidential obligations while the players were given a practice jersey respective to the position they wanted to try out for: yellow for special teams, red for offense and purple for defense. Out of the three, special teams had the smallest number of players trying out; surprisingly there were more defensive prospects than offensive.

“At least Zed won’t have to worry about an up and comer taking his job” Eliza smirked.

“Protiu quesca Zedski” he agreed.

“True, if anyone does decide to play fullback they’d have to be pretty spectacular to top him. Hopefully he won’t get complacent with his abilities. One day raw zombie strength won’t be enough.”

“He won’t. Zed will give it his all and keep pushing forward” she assured before standing up and shouting “SHINE LIKE THE SUN MIGHTY SHRIMP! YOU GOT THIS! WOOOO!”

Everyone turned around when they heard her cheers and hollered their fighting chant right back at her, causing her to heartily jump in place too.

“Addison’s here?!” Zed inwardly exclaimed. He was completely surprised that she even showed up given her sensitive nose, and especially after what happened at the hospital. But a warm and gracious smile appeared on his face when he heard her shout, “SHOW’EM WHAT YOU GOT ZED!! YOU’RE A DIAMOND!”

“No…you’re a diamond Addison” he reverently thought and responded with an emphatic “YEAAAAH!” before heading over to Coach Daggett.

“That put a pep in his step. You have gift of doing that” Eliza smiled, thinking back to all of the sincere compliments she’s given her.

“Zarga ye. Gar gar copini brolsika” Addison replied.

“Huh? Cosmic brownies?”

“I’ll explain later, just know that’s all good” she grinned and sat back down just as Coach Aster initiated practice with a loud whistle.

They watched as the players completed different conditioning drills – from jumping jacks to cone shuffles.

The wolf was wholly immersed in it – watching their footwork with such sharp clarity. “…I wish I could do even a fraction of that. I have all this pent up energy and I can’t do anything with it” she thought as she finished eating her last sandwich.

“Pup?”

“Hm?”

“Want play?” Adelio asked.

“I wish. It’d be nice just to walk around at least. But…I can’t. I have to follow Dr. Dynamite’s orders and stay safe” she internally replied, but it didn’t stop the longing whine from coming out of her throat. Her friends looked at each out when they heard what they perceived was a disinterested moan.

“Addiska.”

“Hm? Yes Bonzo?”

“Sorjik nivxo boroga” he apologized.

“Yeah, we’re sorry. Had we known it’d just be a giant PE class we wouldn’t have asked you to come. You could’ve stayed at home and rested instead of watching this boring activity” Eliza lamented.

“Oh, it’s not boring at all” she refuted.

Eliza skeptically raised an eyebrow up at that and asked, “Really?”

Addison nodded and replied, “Zedski shrume suprufta.”

“Right, we’re supporting Zed. And he sure does look happy out there” she noted as Coach Daggett praised his hustle. “Although it would’ve been better to see him pummel someone, or get pummeled. But we’ll see that soon enough. Eh? Eh?” she grinned as she gently nudged Addison’s shoulder with her elbow.

“Guruza!” he added.

She lightly laughed and replied, “It’ll be an interesting challenge for sure once we all start sparring together. But this practice has been very enlightening. For example, Zed will shuffle two steps then take off in the opposite direction – it’s a good tactic to confuse opponents if they’re not paying attention.”

“Huh…I never noticed that” she admitted.

“Yeah, it’s fascinating to watch each player’s strengths and weaknesses. It’s almost like tracking a herd of deer and deciphering which one would be the easiest to take down” she related, and both of their eyes widened at her comparison. Her words caught up with her and she stuttered, “W-wait! That came out wrong! I-I don’t…what I meant was” but Eliza’s giggles cut her off.

“It’s alright Addison, we get it. I’m just glad you do have a doctorate in Adisopolgy” she divulged.

“H-huh? Why?”

“Had it been anyone else with your scouting perception, they’d be sending people home left and right and potentially hurting a lot of feelings.”

“Fangdrapobo” he chimed in.

“Cutthroat is right. But I know you’d be able to find a place for everyone where they'd fit in perfectly and thrive in their assignment. And you’ll be doing that soon enough when you start leading cheer your own way” she praised.

“Redicjo Addiska!” he beamed, already envisioning the upbeat environment her leadership could create.

Addison blushed at that and replied, “Zarga tuka ye. But going back to what I was saying, I’m not bored whatsoever. I love being outdoors – I feel like I’m in my element. I was just wishing that I-”

But she cut herself off when her ears twitched to an oncoming sound. She sharply turned her head and saw an errant yet swift swivel kick coming right towards them. Before anyone could shout “WATCH OUT!” Addison leapt out of her seat and snatched the ball right out of the air as if she were a professional wide receiver. She rolled on the grass once, sprung back up, pivoted and set her feet, aimed the ball towards where the special teams’ squad was and threw it like a rocket over to Coach Gladiolus. The players that were nearby winced when they heard the **THUD** as it hit him dead in the chest – he was going to have a bruise for sure after catching that.

“Wh…What just happened?” Eliza questioned as both of the zombies’ minds were trying to play catch up to what they just witnessed. Soon safety took precedence over everything and Bonzo asked, “Addiska! Alribnoto?!”

But she didn’t say anything. She was panting, but the grin she was sporting signaled she wasn’t tired at all. If anything it looked like she was raring to go for more, and her moonstone responded to her desire.

“Pup want play. Play make pup happy. Adelio help make pup happy. Adelio make sure pup safe and happy!” the guardian swore and opened the proverbial dam – flooding Addison’s body with invigorating power.

Once again a bright light enveloped her body, causing her friends to shield their eyes. Pops and cracks were heard as well as some rips in her clothes. Her spine stretched out like taffy – protruding the coccyx in order to create a necessary limb. Supple black paw pads adorned her hands and feet. Dark blue/white agouti fur grew on the back of her neck, ears and elongated vertebrae as well as the sides of her mandible and thighs. A powerful “AAAARRRROOOOOOOO!” blasted the light away, revealing a new beautiful form that was neither balanced nor lycan, but somewhere in between.

“Azrimifca…” Eliza marveled.

“Re uh” Bonzo nodded as their eyes drank in the stunning sight before them.

But they were taken out of their stupor when she shook off her sandals and crouched down on her forearms. Her golden/lavender gaze was fixated on the field in front of her and her tail wagged with reckless abandon.

“Huh? What’s she…?” but Eliza didn’t have time to ponder what she was doing for long before she revved up her feet and broke off her imaginary leash. “ADDISON! WAIT!” she shouted, but the command went un-followed.

Fortunately Bonzo sprung of his chair and caught her in a comfortably restraining hug before she had a chance to hit her stride; it took every ounce of strength he had to hold her and he wasn’t sure how long he could last – heaven forbid she decided to bite him in order to get away.

Eliza ran over to them and frantically asked, “Addison, what’s wrong?!”

**whine whiiiiine whine** was the response she got. Thankfully Bonzo could translate it.

“A-Addiska w-wtano balja” he relayed while she still continued to struggle.

“She wants to play with the ball? …Of course!” she smacked her forehead. She wasn’t sure how closely related dogs were to werewolves, but she’d seen Zoey interact with her dog plenty of times to know that that particular stance meant playtime.

“Elizka**urgh! ** W-Whagtno?” he asked; he could feel her breaking away. Before she could even think of an answer, Zed, Coach Gladiolus and Nurse Carter came running over with Coach Aster bringing up the rear.

“Oh my goodness are you all alright?! I’m so sorry! We have a new kicker trying out and he accidentally shanked it” Coach Gladiolus explained as they came upon them. However their eyes weren’t prepared for what they saw.

“Eliza, what’s going on?! Bonzo, Why are you holding her so tight?!” Zed questioned.

“Is she hurt? Are you trying to stabilize her? Wait…it looks like she’s having a seizure! You have to let her go now!” Nurse Carter commanded.

Just as Eliza was about to answer all the questions fired her way, Addison suddenly stilled in Bonzo’s grip. “Addiska?” but she wasn’t paying any attention to him; her eyes were focused solely on the winded fro-yo coach arriving on the scene.

“Whew…I need…to start doing some…of those drills…Jeez” he wheezed before wiping his brow. Everyone looked at him to see if there was anything amiss. “Uh…why is everyone looking at me like that?” he asked before everyone was startled by Addison’s loud whine. That’s when Eliza noticed that the only the thing he had that no one else did was a football. A mischievous glint appeared in her eyes as a plan started developing in her mind.

“Addison?! What’s wrong?” Zed fretted. He was about to reiterate Nurse Carter’s command until Eliza yelled, “Coach Aster! Give the football to Zed! Hurry!”

“Wh-Wha? O-Okay!” and he quickly tossed it to him like it was hot potato.

“H-Huh? W-Wha” he stuttered as he caught it. “Eliza what’re y-”

“Bonzo! Let her go now!” He didn’t even get a chance to really release her; as soon as the wolf felt the slightest slack in his arms, she bolted from his grasp and tackled Zed. “BLAUGH!” he yelled as he landed flat on his back, losing his grip on the ball. A string of “OUHOFFGH!” came out of his throat as she stepped on his stomach and chased after the runaway ball. “Uuuggghhh…owwwww” he moaned as he rolled from side to side.

“You okay kid?” Nurse Carter asked as he helped him sit up.

“…Yeeah, I’ll be fine” he replied and rubbed his sore torso.

And he wasn’t the only one who had a sore torso. Eliza was on her back laughing hysterically. “HAHAHAHAHAAHAHA!” she wheezed while gripping her stomach.

“Would someone please tell me” but Coach Gladiolus’ question was cut short when another howl sounded throughout the area. The men looked over and saw Addison victoriously holding the ball up, then launched it back towards Coach Aster. “WAIT! DON’T CATCH-”

**THUD** “Owwww! Oooo…” But Coach Gladiolus’ warning came too late; Coach Aster was hunched over trying to get the air back into his lungs. ”Hot damn that hurt!” he groaned while massaging his aching sternum.

“Uh huh, felt that pepper earlier” he agreed, the earlier sting still lingering.

“Y-You...you’d better throw it…before she pounces on you too!” Eliza managed to suggest in the midst of her laughter.

He heeded her advice and gingerly straightened back up. “YO TRIPLE B! DOUBLE T! DO ZONE DRILLS! KEEP IT AWAY FROM HER!” he shouted and threw it towards Coach Bubbles. The offensive and defensive gurus gave him a thumbs up before the ball landed in Coach Bubbles’ hands. But he didn’t hold onto it for long – Addison was careening towards him. He threw it away just as she pounced on him.

“Ooooooo!” every player cringed.

Nurse Carter ran his hand through his braids and said, “Oohh I’m gonna be busy today. …At least we’ll see who can take a hit.”

“Good thing Triple B can” Coach Aster added as they watched him get up un-phased by what happened. “Now what the heck is going on?! What’s wrong with Addison?”

Somehow Eliza managed to stop laughing and stand up. But just as she was about to talk, she broke out into another uncontrollable giggle fit when she saw one of the players screaming his lungs out while Addison was chasing him. All of the special teams players stood off to the side and watched the playful yet manic display, forever grateful that they didn’t choose to be on either offense or defense.

“Oh my God this is hilarious! Why am I not recording this?” she smirked.

“ELIZA!” Zed roared.

“Right, right, right, right. So basically Addison wants to play” she explained.

“Play? She can’t play now, she knows that!” he exclaimed.

“Now hold up! Anyone can try out” Coach Aster refuted.

“And with her speed she’d make an excellent kick returner” Coach Gladiolus praised.

“Wha-no! That’s not what I meant! I mean she can’t play because she’s injured” he elaborated.

“Injured? What kind of injuries does she have?” Nurse Carter asked.

Eliza and Zed told them the condensed version of Addison’s narrative. Even with a shorter summary they were absolutely floored. “So let me get this straight…she’s a werewolf?!” Coach Aster exclaimed.

“Well yeah. You didn’t notice the tail?” she deadpanned.

“I thought it was some new accessory. You kids always come up with some crazy fashion designs” he defended.

“Eh…true” she conceded.

“That explains the howls, and why she’s running on all fours” Coach Gladiolus commented.

“Not to sound crass, but you’re taking this a lot better than I thought” she noticed.

“Oh I’m thoroughly shocked that she’s a werewolf, but I’ve coached athletes with disabilities that have thrived and succeeded in football. I assumed that this was her playing adaptation” he explained.

“Wow…that’s awesome” she marveled.

“But that little girl killed a moose and a cougar?! Unbelievable” Nurse Carter uttered.

“Her scars say otherwise” she countered.

“And that’s why she shouldn’t be out there! The doctor told her no strenuous activity for at least two weeks! We have to stop her or she could end up back in the hospital!!” Zed implored.

“Now wait a minute Zed, she might not be in danger” she pitched.

“What?!” he disbelievingly replied.

“What if she’s like us?”

“What’re you talking about?!”

“…Y’know” and she pointed to her z-band.

“Urgjio zombie” Bonzo elaborated.

“What?! I mean…I guess it’s possible” he somewhat agreed.

“What’s possible?” Coach Aster asked.

“Now this is just a wild guess, but I believe that Addison’s “wolf instincts” have taken over. They’ve been repressed for the past few days while she’s been recovering, and now that she’s out in her element they’ve broken through” she hypothesized.

“So she’s a stir-crazy, playful puppy” Coach Aster surmised.

“Right. So all we’ll need to do is find a safe way to wear her out.”

“Well that goes without saying” Zed snapped.

“I meant more so for your teammates” she corrected and all of them cringed again when she tackled another player and recaptured the ball. She howled again and went over to the water station to get drink. All of the players welcomed the much needed reprieve. Once she was fully hydrated, she threw the ball back to Coach Bubbles and got in the same play stance.

“This is some crazy stuff right here” Coach Daggett thought, though he couldn’t help but smile at her eagerness.

Coach Bubbles unknowingly shared the sentiment as he chuckled, “Heh, ready for round two are you?”

She yipped at first, but later growled at him – signaling she was getting impatient. “Hah! I like your guts girl! ALRIGHT! BREAKS OVER YOU GUYS!” he shouted and threw it to a player all the way on the other side of the field.

“Your friend’s right, I don’t think our trainees are gonna last much longer” Nurse Carter commented.

"Then how about she does some kick return drills? It’ll just be me, her and Revae so no one else will be in the line of fire” Coach Gladiolus suggested.

“Good idea, and I could time her!” Coach Aster enthusiastically added.

“Now we just have to get her to sit still long enough for me to explain the process, if she can understand me that is” the speedster coach expressed.

“Bonzo can take care of that, he’s quite the linguist” she lauded and he proudly patted his chest.

“Sounds like we got a plan! Let’s roll!” Coach Aster declared. The adults went back to the field with Bonzo in tow while Zed hung back with Eliza.

“Addison should come to your practices all the time, it really spices things up” she cheekily smiled.

“Glad you’re enjoying it” he bit back. “And why’d you have coach throw the ball to me anyway?”

“I just couldn’t resist, it was hilarious!” she laughed again. “And to teach you ball security. One day you’re gonna meet someone who’ll lay a lick on you.”

“…Uh huh” he muttered before pressing his hands to his forehead. “…Why is this even happening?” he groaned.

“Like we said Zed, her energy has built up. Her “inner wolf” so to speak. Just like we need to zom-out every once in a while, she does too. This is all new for her and I’m sure the pack will explain all the nuances of being a werewolf once she’s fully healed. Which it looks like she is” she noticed as the wolf in question trotted over to Bonzo when he howled for her.

“You’re right…you’re right. Heh, she does look like she’s having fun” he agreed when they saw her prance around a bit before running to the opposite end of the field.

“And her fun will help your kicker improve his accuracy, because he definitely needs it” she commented.

“Gee…way to be subtle Eliza” he muttered and they made their way to the field. “**sigh** How’re you so level headed?”

“Don’t worry, you’ll get there one day” she assured and patted him on the back.

Players that were on the receiving end of her playful pounces walked over to Nurse Carter’s medical tent to get checked out; everyone else lined up along the sidelines to watch the spectacle. Eliza and Zed stood next to Coach Bubbles and Coach Daggett while Coach Aster was near the end zone with a stopwatch hand. They saw Bonzo barking a few more instructions to her while Coach Gladiolus was giving the new kicker a few pointers.

“ALRIGHT, WE READY?” Coach Aster shouted.

“READY COACH!” Coach Gladiolus replied and Addison howled.

“SEND IT FLYIN’ REVAE!” and the wolf perked up at the name. The kicker put his hand up to signal he was set and Aster blew his whistle. He booted the ball high in the air, but it wasn’t going very far. Addison had to come up to the twenty-yard line in order to catch the wobbly ball, but as soon as she did she sprinted faster than her mom could drive.

“TIME!” he announced as she entered the end zone. “HOLY FLIP! 5.43 seconds!”

“What?!” “Oh my God...” “No way! That’s insane!” “Daammn!” were some of the exclamations the players uttered. Even the coaches were amazed.

“Damn! That girl got some K-Gun speed!” Coach Daggett commented.

“No flippin’ kidding!” Coach Bubbles echoed.

“Soo…I’m guessing that’s a good time?” Eliza surmised since she wasn’t an avid football follower.

“Good?! It’s damn near out of this world! The fastest time for running a combine forty-yard dash is 4.24! She did ¾ of the field by only a second more!” Coach Daggett explained.

“Whoa! That is speedy” she marveled now that she understood the impressiveness of it.

“That’s my girl!” Zed swooned.

“Under normal circumstances that’d be cute, but since she’s more or less related to a dog that just sounds weird” she told him.

“Sh-Shut up! You know what I meant!” he fired back as a big ol’ blush covered his face.

“Oh Zed, never change” she grinned.

Meanwhile Addison walked over to Coach Gladiolus and lightly tossed him the ball. “Oh! Thank you young lady, and that was a phenomenal feat of athleticism” he praised, hoping his words could penetrate her wolf-clouded mind. He was pleased when he a got what he assumed was a pleased yip in return, but her eyes were focused solely on the young man next to him. He was about the same height as her and possessed a rich, light brown skin tone. His lanky build concealed the lean muscles within; though the baggy purple tank top and gold shorts he wore did nothing to extenuate it. At least the yellow practice jersey he received complimented his attire perfectly.

“Uh…hi?” he nervously uttered while running his hand through his long, reddish-chestnut hair. “My name’s Jamie. G-Great job out there. And um…s-sorry about earlier. I didn’t mean to kick it towards your group, honest!” Addison just tilted her head at his words and got closer to him. “Uhh…C-Coach?” he sputtered as she crouched down and started sniffing his legs. Suddenly she stood back up, startling them. “W-What?! What’re-” but his question was cut off when she hastily grabbed his shoulders and gave him a long lick on his cheek.

“Rrruf Ruff Grrufff!” she happily barked before letting him go and running back over to Bonzo, who proudly spun her around.

“…Coach? What was that about?!” he asked, using his shirt to wipe off her saliva.

“I have no idea, but whatever she said she sure was happy about it. Her tail was wagging a lot.”

“It was?”

“Yep. If I had to guess, she was probably cheering you on.”

“S-She was?”

Addison howled again and got in her play stance, proving his point. “I’d say so” Coach Gladiolus grinned. “So give it your all!”

Jamie looked at him, then back at the girl whose behavior was…odd to say the least. But it ignited a fire that he desperately needed to burn away his unease about trying out for the team. “Yes sir!” he resolutely stated. He raised his hand again to signal he was ready to kick off, and with newfound confidence he sent it flying all the way to the end zone.

But Addison still caught it and sprinted the whole hundred yards. “Oh please God, let her quit cheer and join the team” Coach Aster prayed when he saw that her time was 6.47 seconds.

Now that she was situated Coach Bubbles shouted, “ALRIGHT, SHOW’S OVER! TRAINING AIN’T DONE!”

“He’s right! You saw her greatness, now let us see yours!” Coach Daggett emphatically added.

With a resounding “YEAH!” everyone got back to their drills, determined to emulate the prowess of the playful pup.

Chapter 17: Unexpected Results Gain More Opprotunities

Chapter Text

**TWEEET TWEEET TWEEEET**

With that final whistle blow, the first practice was finally over. “ALRIGHT, BRING IT IN GUYS! LET’S STRETCH IT OUT!” Coach Aster ordered.

The majority of the potential prospects sluggishly trudged back to the center of the field while Zed and few other veterans managed to jog on over. Still, everyone was positively beat; if they weren’t following along with Coach Daggett’s stretching routine they would’ve collapsed on the grass with no intention of getting up for at least an hour or so. However, if anyone dared to do that, they’d be fair game for the only energetic person left on the field.

Addison was still scurrying around and trying out the remaining drill stations before Coach Aster and Coach Gladiolus could put the equipment away; eventually she settled on pouncing the tackling dummies and they wouldn’t dare deprive her of that, lest they become her targets.

“Alright, take a knee” Coach Daggett ordered and everyone graciously followed that command. “Well done you lot, you made it through day one. And got a dose of what to expect later on to boot” he praised while glancing over at the wolf child.

“Hopefully surviving the first day wasn’t your goal, and if it was…congrats” but they could sense he really didn’t mean that compliment. “I expect to see you all back here ready for tomorrow, because the thing about training…about winning…it doesn’t play fair. It doesn’t care how tired you are, or how sore you are. Shoot, one day the laziest person in the world could win despite all the hard work you’ve done. There’s no justice, no reward, nothing! But before you ask yourself what’s the point of all this, look around. All these people came to be a part of this team. They’re willing to sprint when the distance is unknown. Willing to fight through all the fear and doubt in the pursuit of their goal, winning whatever their game is. Because I can guarantee you that the only thing you’ll get when you don’t pursue it is losing. And to really put it into context, if a wolf decided to give up and stop hunting, we all know what would happen.” That got the crowd murmuring amongst themselves. They cast a few inconspicuous glances towards the subject of his speech, though they weren’t so subtle with their shocked gasps when they saw she managed to tear off an arm of the industrial-grade tackling dummy.

“Like I said before, I don’t want a single shred of regret in you once training is done. If you give it your all, then so will we” he gestured to the rest of the coaching staff. “Be the mightiest you you can be! Inspire others to mighty too! We are the Mighty Shrimp! People may make fun of our name, but I don’t! The smallest things are always the most tenacious! An ant can lift one hundred times its own weight! A single bacteria can fell the biggest beast! And you better believe we’re gonna pack one heck of a punch to whatever we face!”

“YEAAAHHH!” they cheered. With their energy renewed, they started hootin’, hollerin’ and jumpin’ around; even Eliza and Bonzo were getting into it. Addison fed off their energy too and ran circles around the group.

“Bring it in guys!” he shouted and everyone put their hands in the mosh pit. “MIGHTY SHRIMP ON THREE! ONE, TWO, THREE!”

“MIGHTY SHRIMP!” they yelled and Addison added to the declaration with a long, powerful howl. Everyone looked at her and were immediately entranced by the light emanating from her necklace. “Whooaa…” “So cool!” “Is…Is her hair glowing?” “No way man, it’s just light reflecting off of her hair!” were some of the things whispered among them. But for the zombies, it was an entirely different experience. Not only was it a stunning spectacle, but they felt a strange, tingly sensation.

“What the-?” Zed thought. But as soon as he felt it, it instantly vanished when she turned her attention back to the tackling dummies.

Taking that as their cue to leave, the players said their goodbyes and praises before heading to the locker room to get their things.

Zed ran up to Eliza and Bonzo and asked, “Guys! Did you feel something…weird?”

“Y-Yeah, it felt like my z-band was turned off for a hot second” she replied.

“Onjko” he agreed. They checked their bands, but everything seemed to be in working order.

“…Ookay, this is strange” she uttered.

“Addiska nujgkilo?” he asked.

“I…don’t know. Maybe while we were hopping around we brushed against the mechanism that controls the pulses” Zed ventured.

“Hmmm…that makes sense. Besides, we were near the werewolves and their moonstone, and nothing like this happened” she added.

“Speaking of…she’s still going” he commented as they watched her tear apart her prey.

“Werewolf stamina, moonstone energy and her already athletic disposition are a potent combination for sure” she chimed in.

“Addiska mungolijko” he commented.

“No kidding, but what do we do now? It’s getting late and she still hasn’t snapped out of it” Zed worried.

“Hmmm…idrea!” Bonzo exclaimed.

“Let’s hear it Big B” Eliza encouraged.

“Addiska no zombie, so no z-bando. Wolfilik no stuno or hrtzks. Un onl no z-bando reja matkja wehga Addiska” he explained.

“Bonzo, you’re a genius! Her necklace is giving her excess energy, but we can’t take it off since she’ll become sick without it. But if we take off our z-bands, we can match Addison’s energy level and therefore wear her out quicker!” Eliza beamed.

“Whoa whoa whoa! All of us can’t take them off” Zed refuted.

“Jiust onl no z-bando” he corrected.

“Right, Bonzo didn’t say all of us. Just one will do, and it should be you” she nominated.

“What?! Why me?!” he demanded.

“For one thing you’re already warmed up. Second, because you promised you’d be her sparring partner. It’s not fighting, but close enough” she reminded.

“But…but what if I hurt her?” he fretfully voiced.

“Zed” Eliza softly spoke and put her hand on his shoulder. “You won’t. You have more control over your strength than you give yourself credit for. And most importantly, you love her. We all do and we’ll make sure she’s safe.”

“Addiska sefe” he resolutely reiterated.

“…Still.”

“Okay, how about this? I’ll spar with her first and then we’ll take turns. Does fifteen minutes each sound good?” she suggested.

He pondered the proposition for a moment then replied, “Yeah, yeah it does. Thanks you guys.”

“Anytime ya big lug” she smiled and patted his shoulder.

“Just let me go ask coach if we can still use the field and the tackling targets” and he ran back over to the water station where they were.

“Coach! Can I-” but he was cut off when Coach Aster held out some keys.

“You want to keep using those dummies right? These are for the storage shed. Put’em there when you’re done” he smiled.

“…If they’re still intact” Coach Bubbles commented.

“It’s all good, they’re under warranty. You just handle your business captain” Coach Aster assured.

“Thanks coach” Zed smiled.

“No problem at all! It’s the least we can do” Coach Gladiolus replied.

“You got that right. Thanks to your friend, it gave us a good idea where our trainees’ energy and skill levels are at” Coach Daggett added.

“And if she’d like to try out for real she can. Just throwing that bone out there” Coach Aster winked.

“Heh, I’d think she’d be open to it” he remarked.

“That’s all I can ask for. Have a good night Zed.”

“Thanks! I’ll see you all tomorrow!” They nodded and carried the coolers back to the locker room.

Bonzo and Eliza were packing up their little picnic area when he came running back. “They said it was okay” he beamed.

“Cool! Then let’s do it!” she excitedly exclaimed, eager to feel the raw power course through her body.

“Wait, hold on! Let me go get my things. She should wear my football gloves so she doesn’t accidentally scratch us.”

“Ooo, good point” she agreed.

“Be right back” and he sprinted to the locker room.

While they waited for him to return, Eliza showed Bonzo how to record on her tablet. “This is going to be crucial for the fight for zombie rights” she emphasized.

“Re uh. Vurors?” he asked.

“…A little, but I think it’s more anticipation than being nervous. I’m just raring to go” she explained and he understandingly nodded. “What about you?”

“Numbska eru dek noaw” he replied.

“Yeah. It’ll definitely be nice not to feel…numb. Even for a little while” she agreed.

“GOOOT IIIT!” he yelled as he ran over to them. “Bonzo…m-mind having her…put these on?” he wheezed while holding out his pink and green gloves.

“Qui!” he readily agreed and took them over to her.

“Y-You wouldn’t happen…to have any water…would you?” he gasped.

“I think Addison might have some in her bag. Let me check” and she opened the insulated bag. “Wow, looks like she packed for a trip to the desert” she thought before handing him one.

“Th-Thank you” he gratefully replied and chugged it.

“Looks like the gloves fit” she noticed as Bonzo finished clasping the Velcro together.

He came back over and proclaimed, “Addiska redjio!”

“Then let’s get this party started! Zed, would you like to do the honors?” she asked.

A small gulp slid down his throat when he looked at the metal band around her wrist. But he steeled his nerves and replied, “You got it. Just…please be careful.”

“When am I not?” she winked and he unclasped the band.

It felt like a wrecking ball had slammed square into a dam wall. She twitched and grunted as black veins pulsed with all of her unbridled energy. Deep maroon circles formed around her eyes and her complexion became as mottled as a changing leaf. Addison’s ears perked up to the primal roar she released. The feral zombie was breathing heavily from the strain of her own transformation, but eventually it evened out and she looked her way.

The alert wolf cautiously sniffed the air; her whole posture was still and straight – even her fur was standing on end. She let out a low growl, but didn’t bare her fangs. Bonzo kept on recording the interaction while Zed felt like he was about to go into cardiac arrest with how fast his heart was beating. Suddenly Eliza started speed walking towards his girlfriend. The abrupt action startled her and she instinctively slicked her ears back and crouched down into a striking stance.

“Ohgodohgodohgodohgod” he thought when she stopped right in front of her. Eliza took a deep breath and raised her hand. “OH NO! SHE’S GONNA HIT HER!” he panicked.

Bonzo sensed his buddy’s spiking anxiety and managed to keep recording while grabbing the back of his shirt before he could interfere. “Zeddski, no! Relajio!” he begged.

“Relax?! Are you nuts!? Let me go or so help me-” but his words evaporated when Eliza brought her hand down. But instead of a punch, she lightly ruffled Addison’s hair.

“Addiska…yi!” they heard her say before she ran off. All of them blinked a few times until her gruff laugh snapped them out of it. Addison responded in kind with some giddy yips and ran after her.

“…Tag. They’re playing tag” Zed realized and let out the longest exhale of his life.

Bonzo grinned at their antics and smirked, “Juruza.”

“…Yeah, I deserve that” and he gave a small smile back.

They watched as they chased, pounced, wrestled and laughed with each other – letting not only their inner beings be free, but their inner child as well. But it was a bit bittersweet in Zed’s eyes. Sure he had friends to play with, but by no means was it like this. There was hardly any grass in Zombie Town, so they’d had to sneak into the forest in order to play on a softer surface. However that little adventure didn’t last long. Their parents soon found out and after explaining how dangerous it was, they made them swear to stay close to home. And even with a hand-crafted playground, they were questioned on the daily by the Z-patrol asking what they were up to. Soon they had to hide their activities underground in order to have a little taste of freedom. “Well…at least we can enjoy this now. Zoey even more so” he thought.

Soon the timer on the tablet went off. “ELIZSKA! PINFRO!” Bonzo announced.

“Gruuu” she grunted, utterly dismayed that her time was up already. “Addiska, zarga tuka ye. Wntano” she promised and rubbed her head again. Addison whined at that, but heeded her request and laid down on the grass.

She eventually made her way over to them and Zed clasped the z-band back on her wrist. Immediately her complexion went back to her normal shade of green as her veins receded back underneath her skin.

“Eliza…how do you feel?” he asked.

“AWESOME!” she exclaimed. “Oh my God I feel so alive! I’ve never had my z-band off for so long, but I didn’t feel…different. I mean I felt the power and I was sluggish for a few minutes, but after that I was just me.”

“R-Really? You didn’t have any desire to…y’know…eat her brain?” he warily inquired.

She scratched the back of her head and replied, “…Yeah, I did. But it was only for like a hot second until I sensed who she was. And when I touched her head, it was like the fog in my mind cleared up and all I wanted to do was play.”

“…Wow” was all he could say.

“So…are you ready to try? She’s still raring to go.”

“Uhh…” he hesitated. There were so many worst-case scenarios running through his head. What if that brain eating desire lasted a lot longer? What if couldn’t control his strength? What if he reverted back to that primal monster permanently?!

“Zed” and his runaway thought train skidded to a stop. “We won’t force you if you’re not ready. But remember, you had your z-band off in order to move that stone slab so we could escape from the tunnel. That’s about as dangerous as you can get. I just…I don’t want you to have any regrets about not sharing this experience with her.”

And that’s when Coach Daggett’s speech re-entered his mind. Was he willing to let doubt stop him from running with Addison down the unknown path? Was he willing to forfeit his non-guaranteed victory and choose a guaranteed defeat? “I’ll…I’ll do it” he stated and his friends proudly smiled at his bravery.

“You don’t have to do it the whole fifteen minutes if you don’t want to” she assured.

“Okay.”

“Do you want to do the honors?” she asked.

“…Can you take it off? Please?” he requested.

“You got it” and she put her hands on his wrist. “Three…two…one” and she quickly unclasped it.

The same transformation occurs in him and Addison sits at attention when she hears his roar. She tilted her head to the side when they made eye contact. “Addiska” he grunts and beckons her by patting his knees.

She stared at him intently for a few seconds before furrowing her eyebrows. She replied with huffing growl and went back to biting the training dummy. Zed watched her incredulously – she just disregarded him!

“Addiska no wntano Zedski?” Bonzo asked.

“Zedski, no vurors! Addiska no resji vurors” she told him.

Taking her advice to heart, he exhaled and pounded his chest to pump himself up. He strode over to her and said her name again; this time they could hear the confidence in his voice.

Still, Addison didn’t seem too convinced. She leered at him for a bit before abruptly standing up. Everyone’s eyes widened in utter astonishment when she lifted a 130lb undamaged training dummy over her head.

“What’s she doing?” Eliza thought. Her question was quickly answered when she tossed it sixty yards downfield.

“HOLI PUXTH!!” they exclaimed as it landed with a thud. The smirking wolf emphatically dusted her hands and stared him down.

“She’s…she’s sizing him up” she realized. Zed came to same conclusion and grunted – accepting the challenge. He easily lifted the other intact training dummy and tossed it just as far. “Heh, he’s no slouch either” she grinned while Bonzo whistled at the impressive throw.

He gruffly chuckled at his accomplishment, but when he turned to face her, she was gone. “Addiska? Addiska!” he shouted as he scanned the field.

“Where’d she go?! Bonzo, rewind the footage!” she ordered and he paused the recording. He scrolled back, but like her he was focused on the impromptu shot put contest. “Crap! Well, she couldn’t have gone far. Maybe this is another one of her challenges.”

“Tradickew” he suggested.

“You might be right! Zedski! Tradickew Addiska!” she shouted.

He was way ahead of her and started sniffing the air. He pointed to a cluster of trees and exclaimed, “Addiska tefre!”

“C’mon let’s go!” she said.

Bonzo started recording again and they followed him, but kept a reasonable distance. Zed looked around but still couldn’t find any trace of the white-haired wolf.

“Her scent’s definitely around here, but where is she?” Eliza wondered.

“ADDISKA!” Zed yelled and looked out onto the field again, which was just what the hunter wanted. She silently leapt out of the tree, startling the camera crew and her prey, and pounced on him; surprisingly he didn’t fall face-first into the ground. She latched onto his back and victoriously howled.

“Caujo” Bonzo translated.

“No kidding she did. It’s just like when she caught the moose” she marveled.

Zed heard her snickering and decided two could play it that game. He hooked his arms underneath her legs and sprinted out of the foliage – giving her a high-speed piggy-back ride back onto the field. Initially she tightened her grip, but after a while she was wagging her tail and cheerfully barking. Suddenly he stopped and decided to put a new spin on things. Literally. He spun around in place until he started wobbling from side to side. Thankfully he was coherent enough to stoop down to his knees so she could safely get off of him. She teetered on all fours before sitting on her haunches while Zed laid flat on his back. He looked over at her and managed to form some semblance of a smile through his labored breathing. But Addison just stared at him with a curious glint in her eyes while she caught her own breath. Suddenly she stood up and walked over to him.

“Guurrrrghh?” he garbled out when she was directly over his head. She lifted her hand and lightly **BAP** him square on his face. “H-Huhruguza?” he stuttered and sat up on his forearms. Addison stepped back a bit and got in her play stance. It took a sec but it finally clicked in his head. “Zedski…yi” he grunted.

She barked, confirming his answer and scampered away. A gravelly chuckle came out of his throat and he sprang up to chase after her. “Way to go Zed” Eliza pleasantly thought as they watched them romp around without a care in the world.

Soon their game of tag morphed into an intense tug of war contest with the tackling dummy. If throwing the dummy impressed them before, they were border-lined terrified by the fact that Addison was holding her own just by using her teeth.

“Her teeth are like a bear trap” she gulped.

“No fidina” Bonzo nodded.

But the stalemate had gone on long enough in the combatants’ opinion. Zed let loose a mighty roar and his complexion got darker as his veins dilated – engorging his muscles with even more energy. Addison released her own rabid growl and her moonstone blazed like an inferno; her lavender iris switched back to its rich blue hue and her luminescent fur stood on end.

The poor dummy didn’t stand a chance.

Seams were splitting right across its midsection and the next thing everyone saw was a cloud of foam.

“URRRGH!” “YELLLP!” the participants simultaneously yelled as both of them lost their grip on their respective ends and fell onto their backs. The camera crew watched the pieces fly off to who knows where before running over to their downed friends.

“Zedski! Opiko?!” Eliza frantically asked while Bonzo vocalized the same sentiment in werewolf tongue. But what they didn’t expect was unmitigated laughter, and Addison’s voice returning to normal.

“WHAT. A. BLAST!!” she exclaimed and her rapidly wagging tail emphasized her passionate declaration.

“SKURUXICA!” Zed gleefully shouted.

“Ytoapi Zedski, ju Addiska no wolfilik. Gruk z-bando” Eliza explained, though it pained her to end his fun. He understood and held out his wrist. She clasped it on and his veins instantly receded underneath his green skin.

“That…was awesome” he grinned. Eliza knowingly chuckled and helped him up while Bonzo assisted Addison. Before his mind could switch to worry mode Bonzo said, “Addiska gudu.”

“Yeah…just winded” she tiredly smiled. “Do…do I have any water left?”

“Uh huh, let me go get it.” Eliza hurried over to their stuff and retrieved her bag. “Here you go” and she handed them one.

“Thank you” they concurrently appreciated and chugged the hydrating nectar; it was no surprise that they ended up drinking the rest of the bottles that were in there. They laid down on the natural carpet and closed their eyes – letting out content exhales.

Their friends smiled at them, but Eliza noticed that Bonzo’s gaze seemed a little…yearning, and she soon realized why. “Netygo Bonzksi” she whispered and rubbed his back.

He nodded back, grateful for the comfort; he’d have a chance to experience this soon enough.

“Well, that was some spring practice huh?” Eliza grinned.

“I’ll say” Zed agreed and sat up. “But Addison…what exactly happened to you?” he asked.

She opened her cerulean-tinted eyes and looked at her gloved hands; her claws were poking through the fabric. She delicately took them off to avoid causing any more damage and examined her dirty paw pads. Soon she sat up and turned around to look at her tail. It was a bit shorter than if she were a lycan, but she chuckled when it still wagged with just as much force. But it stopped when she handed him back his gloves. “Thank you for letting me borrow these, but my claws poked little holes in them. I’m sorry” she whined.

“H-Huh? Oh, it’s okay. I have more than one pair. You can keep those if you want” he offered.

“Really?”

“Yeah! Go ahead” he assured.

“Thank you Zed” she smiled and her tail was happily wagging again.

“But going back to what you asked…” and she stilled for a moment. She knew exactly what happened, but wasn’t sure how to go about articulating it. Her wonderful guardian granted her desire and made it possible for her to play, and kept her safe while she did. And other than normal exertion exhaustion, she wasn’t in any pain. But she wasn’t ready to reveal her baby’s existence yet – that’d be a whole other Q&A session she definitely wasn’t prepared for. “How am I going to explain this??” she thought.

“Pup say wolf instincts?” Adelio suggested, remembering it was one of the things her pup thought she was.

“Yeah…yeah, that’ll work” she agreed before addressing her friends. “All I know is that I really wanted to be out there, just doing some kind of physical activity. Next thing I know I feel this rush of power flowing through me, but it was primal too.”

“Wolf instincts” Eliza knowingly spoke and Addison nodded at that.

“Uh huh, that’s the best way I can describe it.”

“So…were you aware of what you were doing this whole time?” Zed asked.

“Sure was.”

“…Even pouncing on me?”

“…Yeeah. Like I said, playing was the only thing on my mind and you had the ball…sooo I went for it” she sheepishly responded.

“Went for it is right” Eliza snickered and he shot her an annoyed glare. “Oh don’t be like that! You weren’t the only one on the receiving end of her playful pounces. And you had fun too, don’t even try to deny it” she refuted.

His irritation slowly dissipated and a couple chuckles came out. “Yeah, I did” he admitted.

“Still…I’m sorry if I hurt you two” she apologized, and their slow beating hearts melted at the whine she let out.

“Don’t be, we can take a hit” Eliza assured.

“Yeah, we’re fine! Besides, we’d better get used to it since we’re sparring partners now right?” he grinned.

“Right!” she yipped.

“Still, we were surprised for sure. You acted like a real wolf. I mean you are a wolf obviously, and you’re supposed to be one. Not to say you can’t be something else-”

“What Zed is trying to say is that you acted like us when we don’t have our z-bands on. You were wild and feral, speaking only in your language. I guess we’re more like wolves than I thought” Eliza realized.

“I already knew that” Addison smirked to herself, but respectfully nodded at her analysis. “Speaking of being alike, how was it for you guys not having your z-bands on?”

“It was great! I haven’t felt that good in…well…ever! It was just, WOW!” Zed smiled, and his giddiness was infectious because big grins appeared on everyone’s faces.

“Zed’s right, it was incredible! It felt like I was reconnecting with a long lost part of myself, but I was aware – it wasn’t overpowering at all. It was the more time I was unleashed, the better my two sides meshed if that makes any sense” Eliza tried to articulate.

“It does” she nodded. “It’s like my balanced form, or any time when I transform for that matter.”

“Yeah! Just like that! Soon we’ll be able to achieve our balanced forms” she excitedly squealed.

“Addiska lucno?” Bonzo curiously inquired.

“No, this isn’t my lycanthrope form. I’m…not exactly sure what form this is. No one in the pack looks like this” she replied.

“You still look adorable either way” Eliza smiled and they boys nodded at that. Her tail happily wagged in response to the compliment until she stiffened up when she embraced her.

“I can’t thank you enough Addison; this footage will be crucial for showing that we can thrive without our z-bands” she tenderly beamed and let her go.

She blushed and shyly replied, “Y-You’re welcome. But I’m the one who should be thanking all of you. Thank you for indulging my wild side. Especially you Bonzo, you were a big help by being my translator. Zarga ye” and she gave him a huge hug.

“Plasgri Addiska” Bonzo smiled and returned it earnestly.

“Promijiko tranguil” she whispered into his ear.

His eyes widened at that and he gratefully choked out, “Z-Zarga ye Addiska. Fridko.” He ruffled her hair before letting her go.

“How are you after all that running around anyway? Are you sore at all? Or in any pain?” Zed asked.

“Nope, I’m good! …Although I wish I’d worn darker clothes. Good thing I brought an extra shirt” she commented when she saw the state they were in; they looked like they were tie-dyed with green and brown ink.

“Don’t worry, a little water and vinegar will get those stains right out” Eliza said.

“Dirty clothes aside, I’m glad you’re okay. But I bet your starving, I know I am” he replied and right on cue everyone stomach’s rumbled.

“Fovndo lytcbi” Bonzo said.

“Yep, our bodies were definitely little calorie furnaces today” Addison agreed.

“If you want, you guys can come over to my house for dinner. Dad’s cooking pot roast with potatoes, carrots, and lots of cauliflower and broccoli.”

The young wolf’s tongue was hanging out – salivating at the potential meal.

“I’ll take that as a yes” he grinned. She blushed when she realized what she was doing, but nodded all the same. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you get plenty.” he assured.

“Count us in too. Thanks Zed” Eliza said.

“No problem. Just let me put the equipment in the storage shed and lock up.”

When he said that, Addison’s pupils shrunk when a terrible realization crossed her mind. “OHMYGOD! The training dummies! I’m so so sorry! I-I’ll pay for them somehow!”

“Whoa whoa, Addison it’s okay” he assured and put his hands on her shoulders. “The coaches knew this could happen and they’re were okay with it. Heh, you should’ve seen the equipment when I first joined the team. I’m pretty sure the school got extended warranties because of me. But trust me, this is nothing. And don’t forget, I was right there with you tearing them apart” he reminded.

“…Still.”

“Well…if you really feel the need to make it up to them, you should join the team! We could use a kick returner, and your time running up and down the field was off the charts!” he exalted.

“What? Me? On the team??”

“Sure, why not? It’d be awesome! Plus, you wouldn’t have to deal with the aceys anymore” he pitched.

While that was a nice perk, could she really leave the cheer squad? She was the captain now, something that she’d tirelessly worked for. But…it was like Bree said – she didn’t eat, sleep and breathe cheer like Bucky. For the longest time this was an activity her parents persuaded her to do in order to be accepted, so she really didn’t have much of a choice. And the thought of leaving had crossed her mind from time to time. Football would be a bit more conducive to her new abilities. Not to mention Adelio loved being in the thick of things too. And being the first girl on the football team would be inspiring for others to try new things otherwise believed to be inaccessible to them.

Her friends looked at each other when she didn’t respond for a while. “Addison?” Zed called out.

“H-Huh? Yeah?”

“…Sorry. I wasn’t trying to guilt trip you into being on the team, I swear! I just thought it’d be fun.”

“Oh, I knew that. It’s just…wouldn’t it be unfair? Since I’m a werewolf and all?” she asked.

“So? That’s the other’s teams’ problem to figure out how to stop you guys. Zed’s a zombie, arguably the strongest person on the field, but everyone underestimated the power within his twiggy body. And even when they got wise to the game, they still couldn’t do anything” Eliza pointed out.

“…I don’t know if I should feel good or insulted by that” he muttered.

“Point is that humans are genetically predisposed for certain things, so what’s the difference? You’re already athletic. Being a werewolf is just the cherry on top” she finished.

“Hmmmm. I’ll…I’ll think about it” she eventually decided, but Eliza could see that her words had an impact based on the contemplating look in her eyes.

“And that’s more than enough” he smiled. “You can go change in the locker room while I clean up.”

“No way! I made this mess so I’m helping” she stated and ran all over the field picking up stuffing clumps.

“Well we can’t let her have all the fun” Eliza smirked. They followed her lead and they were done in no time. They carried the intact targets back to the shed and grab a couple of trash bags to contain the mountain of stuffing. Zed and Eliza hauled the bagged debris while Addison and Bonzo lugged the gear they brought.

“Are you sure we don’t have to throw the innards away?” Eliza asked.

“Positive. Coach says that’s evidence that our equipment was defective” Zed replied.

“More like ineffective” she corrected. “This company better step up their game and construct sturdier equipment. Pretty soon they’ll be a plethora of zombies on the team. Heh…never thought I’d see the day.”

“Yeah, but I’m glad we can” he smiled. Soon all the equipment was safely secured. “Addison, you can go in the locker room and change first” he offered.

“Are you sure? You were sweating a lot longer that I was.”

“I insist. Besides, we don’t sweat. We ooze liquid awesomeness!” he confidently stated, making her laugh.

“And I guess our scent is the smell of success” she grinned.

“Heh, you know it. People can’t handle our fantastic funk!”

“Oh my God you guys are corny” Eliza playfully rolled her eyes. “Go on already.”

“Alright, alright” she chuckled and went inside. She entered the large communal restroom and took off her shirt. “Whoa…guess I’m gonna need another trim” she thought as she looked at her reflection; there was fur also along her clavicle and sternum. She combed through all of her hair using her claws and wet a few paper towels to wipe away the dried liquid awesomeness.

“There we go!” she thought after putting her tank top on – giggling a bit when she noticed her tail wagging. “So cool! Alright just need my sandals” and she pulled them out of her bag. But when she tried to put them on, they wouldn’t fit due to her paw pads. “…Or not. Oh well, I kinda have built in sandals anyway” and she packed them and her new gloves back up. She took out her phone and set up another group chat with her parents. <Hey mom. Hey dad. Zed invited me, Eliza, and Bonzo over to his house for dinner. I’ll be home late.> She made sure to emphasize the fact that all her friends were going, just so there weren’t any insinuations on their end.

Her mom sent a thumbs up emoji and her dad asked <How was watching practice?>

<It was fun.> At least that part was true.

<Glad to hear, we’ll see you tonight.>

“Right…well I’ll cross that bridge later” she thought and left the room.

When her friends saw her, their eyes once again admired the sight. “Oh wow…” Eliza uttered.

“Addiska firuoja” Bonzo echoed.

“But where are your shoes?” Zed asked.

“They don’t fit right now, but I’m alright” she assured.

“Um…Addiska?”

“Yes Bonzo?”

“T-Tuchko?” he hesitantly asked.

“Sure you can!” she smiled.

“R-Really? It’s not offensive to werewolves?” Eliza asked.

“Nope. Heh, Bucky actually asked me the exact same thing” she revealed.

“What? Bucky was actually considerate?” she disbelievingly asked.

“Like I said, he’s changing for the better” Addison smiled and walked up to Bonzo. He delicately stroked the fur on her shoulder and a giddy grin appeared. “Vefivio!” he complimented.

Eliza commandeered the other shoulder and softly ran her fingers through it. “It is like velvet!” she merrily agreed. The wolf yipped under their tender touches and her tail swished even faster.

While it was a heartwarming sight for sure, Zed finally realized how much she changed. “…She’s so happy being a wolf” he thought and the guilt of what he almost denied her settled like a boulder in his gut.

“Zed?” Addison called out.

“H-Huh?” he stuttered, snapping out of his deprecating thoughts.

“You can touch my fur too if you want” she assured when she sensed the downward turn in his emotions.

He smiled and replied, “Thanks. Just let me clean up first – don’t want to dirty the lusciousness. …Again” and took his duffle bag with him into the locker room. A few minutes later he returns all freshened up and wearing his casual attire. He locks up the last door of the building and safely tucks the keys away in his pocket. “Now I’m set, if I still can.”

“Of course” she confirmed and he gently puts his hand on her shoulder. Although when he did, she could feel her fur bristle up a tiny bit. “…He’s nervous” she realized, but it faded away the more he petted her.

Wonderment and awe filled his eyes as he complimented, “Soo cool!” garnering a small smile out of her.

“You better be careful Addison. We’re gonna have a hard time stopping ourselves from petting you all the time” Eliza smirked as Zed reluctantly stepped away.

She chuckled and replied, “I said the same thing to the pack too. That reminds me I have a letter for Zoey.”

“You do?”

“Yep, from Wanda.”

“Cool! Then let’s roll” and they head towards Zombie Town. As the sun dipped below the tree line, and the magnificent array of street lights started flickering to life just as they crossed the border; it was a wondrous addition to the amiable ambiance of people mingling with each other. “This isn’t too much for your nose, is it?” Zed asked.

“Nope, I’m all good” she assured. When they got to his porch, her nose twitched and she licked her lips. “Oh wooow, your dad’s pot roast smells divine!”

“And it’ll taste just as spectacular” he boasted and opened the door.

Inside the eccentrically wallpapered house were a menagerie of photos, knick-knacks and repurposed furniture – a complete juxtaposition from the clean and crisp showroom house Addison resided in. But that’s what gave his house its charm; it was cozy and they made it their own. “Hey dad, I’m home!” he shouted.

“In the kitchen!” they heard him reply.

Soon another voice was heard as barking rang throughout the house. “Hey there pupster!” Zed greeted as the fluffy white dog trotted downstairs. But he stopped on the last step and stared directly at Addison; he let out a small growl. “Hey, hey it’s alright. It's Addison remember? She gave you to us.” Just as he was about to pick him up and prevent any mishaps, she stopped him.

“Zed, it’s okay. He just wants to reacquaint himself with me.”

“What? How?”

“Like this” and she walked into the living room. Everyone followed suit and set their stuff on the floor. She crouched down and Puppy cautiously approaches her – sniffing all around. Eventually he reaches her tail and gets a deep whiff. All of a sudden he starts barking and bouncing in place before lying on his back. “Ruff grr ruuu” she smiled and gives him the affectionate caresses he’s craving.

“Wait…you can talk to dogs?!” Zed asked.

“Kinda. Puppy’s accent is pretty thick, but I can make out a few words” she replied.

“That’s incredible!” Eliza remarked.

“Puplinb sajinb?” Bonzo asked.

“He said he wanted his tummy rubbed and a lot of whatever is making the house smell good” she answered.

“Heh, we’ll see about that lil’ pupster. C’mon” and they followed Zed to the dining room. He peeked his head inside the kitchen and saw Zevon checking on multiple crockpots. “How’s it looking dad? Cause it smells amazing!”

“Fork tender and ready to go” he announced.

“Sweet!”

“Hope all that running around built up your appetite champ” he smirked.

“Oh you have no idea” he remarked. “By the way, I invited Bonzo, Eliza and Addison over for dinner. I-I hope you don’t mind.”

“No, of course not. But…Addison’s here??” he questioned and his son moved out of the way so he could see for himself.

“Hi Mr. Necrodopoulous” the teens politely greeted.

“Hey kids, good to see you! Especially you Addison. Zed told me what happened, I’m glad you’re alright.”

“Thank you sir. I feel almost as fit as a fiddle” she revealed.

“Good to hear. Dinner’s almost ready – just waiting on the rice.” Suddenly a high-pitched whistle went off. “Or no we’re not. I gotta say Bonzo, the rice cooker and crockpots you built are top notch!”

“Zarga ye” he bashfully replied.

“Anything we can do to help?” Eliza asked.

“Sure. If you wouldn’t mind getting some plates, cutlery and cups for everyone that’d be great” he replied.

“You got it.”

“Zed, can you and Bonzo grab the extra table and folding chairs out of the garage please?”

“On it” they saluted.

“Addison, would you mind going upstairs and getting Zoey? Last I checked she was doing some art project, and she tends to tune everything out when she’s in the zone.”

“It’ll be my pleasure” and she walks upstairs with Puppy trailing behind her. She knocks on the art covered door and gently says, “Zoey? Sorry to bug you but your dad says dinner is ready.”

Suddenly she hears a loud **GASP** as well as a chair scraping against the hard wood floor. The door swung open and Zoey’s standing in front of her with an ever growing smile. “Addison! It’s really you! So you’re all better now? That’s awesome! And you’re really a…a…a! A WEREWOLF! OOOOOOOOEEEEEEEEEEE!” she squealed while bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet. Thankfully Addison covered her ears in time, but Puppy bolted to a quieter area of the house.

“OHMYGOSH! You look so cute! I mean you were cute before, but now you're double cute! And your fur is soooo pretty! Can I touch it? Pleeease?! Wait, can I see your hands!?”

“U-Uh…okay?” she complied as her mind caught up with all the praises and questions.

When the little zombie girl held her hand, it was like she was holding gold. “YOU. HAVE. TOE. BEAAAANNS! EEEEEEEEEEEEE!” she squealed again, making the wolf cower a little bit.

“Zoey, sweetie. I know you’re excited, but could you not scream so loud please? It hurts my ears” she pleaded and she immediately toned it down. “Ohmygosh I’m so so sorry! I didn’t mean to! It’s just EEE! Your paws are soo cool! And soft!”

“Hey! Everything okay up there?” Zed called out.

“Yeah, we’re fine Zed. We’re coming down now” she answered and they heard him walk away. “C’mon, let’s go eat some good food and I’ll let you pet my fur. But don’t make Puppy jealous” she winked.

“I promise! Thank you! Oh, and I have something for you too!”

“As do I, but we’ll do everything after dinner” she promised and they walked hand in hand to the dining room. When they arrived, the tables were set with a marvelous and delicious spread.

“What was all the hubbub princess?” Zevon asked.

“Sorry, I was just gushing over Addison’s new f-OHMYGOSH! You have a tail?!” she exclaimed, startling them. “Oops! Sorry, sorry! I’ll be quiet now.”

Addison smiled and replied, “It’s alright Zoey, I love hearing your voice” and gently patted her on the head.

“Plus, I want to hear what you’ll say when we show you and your dad something super cool” Eliza grinned.

“Ooo, what is it?!”

“You’ll see after dinner” she assured.

“Then let’s get to eating!” Zed announced and everyone takes a seat. They give their thanks for the meal and start filling up their plates; even Puppy got a hearty serving in his dish.

“Biklopobo!” Bonzo praised.

“Yeah dad, this tastes great!” Zed added. Everyone else hummed their compliments through stuffed mouths.

“Thank you, I’m glad!” he proudly grinned. “Hm? Addison, you can have some more if you want” he told her when he noticed that she already cleaned her plate.

“That’s okay, I can w-”

“Hold on, none of that. Please, help yourself. I want to see these dishes empty, you hear?”

“Heh, yes sir” she smiled and got herself another helping. As he requested, the food was all gone; only the gravy coating the serving dishes was left.

“Hahaha! Now this is the ultimate compliment, empty plates and full bellies” he laughed when he saw everyone laid back in their seats.

“If these chairs had pillows I’d probably fall asleep right here” Zed replied.

“Uh huh” Addison agreed.

“Well don’t fall asleep yet, I wanna hear how practice went. Plus you said you said you had something incredible to show us” he reminded.

“That’s right! C’mon” Eliza eagerly spoke and everyone helped clean up.

Once the area was nice and tidy, they meandered into the living room; Zevon and Zed sat in chairs, Eliza and Bonzo took a seat on the coach while Addison opted to lay on her belly across the rug covered floor.

Zoey plopped down right next to her and started petting her fur. “Woooow! It’s like velvet” she complimented. The wolf let out a breathy chuckle and her tail lazily wagged from side to side. Not wanting to be left out of the petting fest, Puppy trotted over to his owner and laid on his back in front of her. “Heh, I’d never forget about you” she grinned and gave him his tummy rubs, causing his foot involuntarily move. Zed smiled endearingly at his sister; it warmed his heart with how much fun she was having. Eliza did one better and secretly recorded the precious interaction; it was just too cute to pass up.

“Alright! Are you guys ready to hear the most action-packed story ever?” Zed emphatically asked his audience.

“Yeah!” Zoey shouted while his dad chuckled at his dramatics. “Go ahead champ” he smiled.

“Picture this, a field full of grandstanding guys ready to show off their stuff when all of a sudden…**GASP** it’s the president!” he mocked gasped.

“We saw you talking with him when we arrived. What did he say to you or is it confidential?” Eliza asked.

“So get this, he actually apologized to me!”

“What?!” she exclaimed but Addison grinned at the reveal. “Way to go cuz” she thought.

“I know, I couldn’t believe it either! But yeah, he wasn’t just trying to use me to better connect with the team or anything. He was genuinely sorry for all the stuff he did. In fact, he wanted me to tell you two that’d he like to talk to you, if you’d allow him that is. You don’t have to.”

Eliza and Bonzo looked at each other for a moment, then glanced down at the wolf still being lovingly petted. Soon the wise words she spoke earlier played back in their minds. “Forgiveness is about not holding someone’s past against them, not to bring it up in a negative light at every opportunity as we move forward, and not allowing the hurt we experienced to make us bitter towards the new people we meet.”

“Bujiki metzik” he agreed.

“…Yeah, I’d be willing to give him a chance. In my own time” she added and Addison’s tail swished a little faster.

“So what happened after you talked to President Reverse?” Zoey asked.

“President Reverse??” her brother repeated.

“Yeah. He used to be bad, then turned good, then went back to bad and now he’s good again” she explained.

“…Hopefully he stays good permanently” he thought before regaling them about today’s training; Eliza eagerly jumped in when it came time to explain Addison’s transformation. Zoey burst out laughing and held her hands to her stomach when she heard how she pounced on him; even his dad chuckled at his expense though he was inconspicuous with it.

“Ha ha, yes. Very funny” he muttered, but they could tell he wasn’t too annoyed. Then they shifted into some of the drills Addison did and the impressive speed she posted.

“Wow Addison! That’s amazing” Zoey praised.

“Thank you” she smiled.

“There’s one thing I gotta ask” Eliza inquired.

“What’s that?”

“Why did you lick the kicker every time he made a good kick towards you? Is that the werewolf way of saying “Good Job?” she asked.

Suddenly Zed sported a slight frown; that particular piece of unknown info bothered him for some reason.

“It is, but also that was nurse Taki’s son” she answered.

“Really!?”

She nodded and added, “When I heard Coach Aster shout “Revae”, I wondered if it was him. It wasn’t until I sniffed him that my hunch was confirmed because he had almost the exact same scent as her. I could sense he was pretty nervous during the tryouts, so I tried to encourage him.”

After hearing her explanation, the frown on Zed’s face disappeared and he relaxed further into his seat. Addison felt the sudden shift in his emotions, but decided to overlook it. “He’d better curb that jealously” she thought.

“I know that’s one cheer he’ll never forget. It certainly helped his accuracy” Eliza grinned.

“Heh, yeah. I’m surprised he actually let me do it. I’m sure my transformation was a shock to say the least.”

“You forget where we live; shock is the norm for us. I wouldn’t be surprised if aliens wanted to live in Seabrook” she commented.

“That’d be awesome! We’d be friends and they’d give me ride in their space ship!” Zoey exclaimed.

Zed smiled and remarked, “It wouldn’t surprise me if you became friends with an alien – people gravitate towards you.” Everyone chuckled at the unintentional pun.

“Alright, now the moment you’ve all been waiting for” and Eliza brought up the video file. “Check this out!” Zoey was completely enamored by the footage of everyone playing with each other, whereas Zevon watched with an inquisitive mind yet tentative reservations.

“That looks like so much fun! Can I do it with you guys next time? Pleease?”

“Now hold on there, princess” Zevon halted.

“Aw, why not?”

“It’s…it’s just a lot to wrap my head around. So if I saw right…we can function without our z-bands on? Is…is it really possible?” he dared to ask.

“I believe so. We just react stronger than humans when it comes to our emotions. So long as we’re not stressed we’re fine. And that goes for anybody for that matter. We’ll need consistent interactions, both positive and negative, in order to mesh with our “inner zombie” she explained.

“Trugkui” Bonzo added.

“Yep, it’s the first step of our training” she echoed.

“Please dad, can I do training with them?” she implored.

“Just…wait a sec sweetie. Now I understand that this was a spur of the moment kind of thing where you had to wear Addison out, but what made you guys decide to take that approach?” he followed up.

Addison sat up and stated, “It was my idea Mr. Necrodopoulous.”

“What?!” he disbelievingly exclaimed.

She nodded and explained, “One of the werewolf trials is the combat trial. I asked them if they could be my sparring partners so I could be better prepared for whoever I’ll have to fight. And I asked them to do it with their z-bands off.”

“But dad, I swear we were going to take all the necessary precautions. She was going to wear my football pads and either Eliza, Bonzo or Bree would put my band back on the second things got a little out of hand” Zed assured.

“And we agreed to do it because we wanted to see the progress our bodies have made into not needing z-bands” Eliza added.

“And I wanted to keep doing it even after I completed my trial because it’s important to all of you, and I wanted to help” Addison finished.

Zevon closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead. The kids nervously look at one another when he let out a long exhale. “Zoey” he finally spoke and looked at her.

“Y-Yes dad?”

“If you really want to be a part of this training, first you have to ask Addison-”

“Addison, can I join you guys? Pretty please??”

Addison looked at her friends and they gave affirmative nods. She smiled and replied, “Of course.”

“Then you have to promise me that you’ll do whatever they say. And Zed, I know this goes without saying but make sure you look after her” he instructed.

“I promise” he resolutely stated.

“Then you kids have fun out there” he smiled.

“Thankyouthankyouthankyou!” she exalted and gave him the biggest hug ever; even Puppy was running around and happily barking.

“Heh. Rffuff rrr ruf” Addison smiled.

“**GASP** You can talk to Puppy?! You can talk to dogs!? What did he say?!” Zoey beamed.

“There’s a difference in dialect, but I can still make out the gist of what he’s saying. And he said he wanted to join in whatever’s making you happy, but I told him it’d be more of a game of fetch for him.”

“Awww!” she gushed. She let go of her dad and embraced her dog. “You’ll do great out there” she encouraged and got licked in return.

“Frugjikn knfora” Bonzo smiled.

“Oh, that reminds me” and Addison pulled the leather sheet out of her bag. “Here you are Zoey, this is from Wanda. She remembered how you wanted to be pen pals, and I promised her that’d I’d be your personal postal person.”

“Oh wow! Thank you Addy!” She set her dog down and accepted the letter.

“This is all they have to write on since they don’t have pencils or paper” she explained.

“It’s still cool! And I have plenty, I can give them some. Oh yeah! I need to give you my thing, be right back” and she runs out of the living room.

“Heh, been a while since she’s been so happy. All of you for that matter. You kids are doing a great thing and I’m proud of all of you” he smiled.

“Thanks dad” Zed smiled back while everyone gratefully inclined their heads.

A moment later Zoey returns with a couple notebooks, a box of pens and crayons, and a colorful folded piece of paper that had a black paw print and green pomp oms drawn on the cover. “This is for you Addy.”

“Thank you” she beamed and accepted the gift. When she opened the homemade card, her tail started wagging with reckless abandon. Inside was a lovely crayon drawing of herself in her cheer outfit, but there were some additions. She had werewolf attributes and really muscular arms that held up a moose and cougar. Behind her howling figure was a night sky adorned with a luminous full moon and glitter stars. “Get well soon Addy! You’re super tough and super wonderful! Love Zoey” she read.

“D-Do you like it?” she shyly asked. Addison impulsively grabbed her and repeatedly licked her cheek; she giggled as the loving wolf nuzzled against her.

“I think she does” Zed smiled.

She lets her go and smiles, “I love it, thank you Zoey. I’ll put it right next to my moose bone trophy.”

“You’re welcome!” she beamed.

“How big is your moose bone anyway?” Eliza asked.

“The one I picked is about as long as my leg. But there were some that would come up to Zed’s shoulder” she answered.

“Dannnng” they marveled.

“Snajkco” Bonzo grinned.

“You know it” she smirked and started to put the card away.

“Liadro!”

“Yeah, let us see!” Eliza implored.

“Heh, alright” and she held it up so everyone could view the impressive art piece.

“So that’s what you’ve been working on all this time? You got quite the artistic eye princess” Zevon praised.

“Yeah, it’s amazing Zo” Zed added.

“You definitely captured Addison’s inner Amazon warrior” Eliza smirked, and Zed turned his head away in order to hide the oncoming blush.

The petite artist shyly shuffled her feet and whispered, “Thanks.”

“And thank you for the paper; Wanda and the rest of the pups will definitely appreciate it for sure” Addison expressed.

“Oh yeah, her letter!” Zoey took it out of her pocket and opened it. “…Uhh.”

“What’s wrong Zo?” her brother asked.

“I…I don’t understand-”

“Here” Addison chuckled. “I’ll read it to you; consider me your personal interpreter too. Though if I can’t come by to read the letters, I’ll write out what she said.”

“Thank you” and she hands her back the leather sheet.

Eliza peered over her shoulder and asked “What are those symbols?” Zed even walked over to see what was written.

“Rynivk” Bonzo answered.

“Yep, they’re runes. It’s their language. Wait…can you read this too Bonzo?”

“Za! “Wanddaki vockin derta” he translated a few of the runes.

“Hey, that’s right!” Addison praised. “Look at that, you have your own interpreter!” making him blush.

“But how? Have you seen these runes before?” Eliza asked.

He shook his head “no” and replied, “Rynivk fadbn zobim.”

“Huh?” they questioned and took a closer look at it.

“…Sorry Big B, I don’t see the resemblance to our language” she admitted.

“Yeah, me either” Zed echoed. “But if it makes sense to you then that’s all that matters. You’ll just have to teach us your ways.”

“Lunvinbi!” he smiled.

“Would you like to do the honors?” Addison asked. He shook his head “no” and gestured for her to go ahead. “Alright. It’s says, “Hello Zoey! It’s Wanda, do you remember me? How are you? I’m doing great! My necklace is full of energy now and my fur is growing! It’s so soft, I’ll let you pet it however long you want. Do want to play someday? The alpha said I could go to the beach and play with you! I love you! Write back soon!”

“So cool” Zoey awed as Addison handed it back to her. “Dad, can I-”

“You don’t need to ask” he smiled.

“Thank you, thank you!” she grinned and ran out the living room again.

“Wha-where are you going?!” Zed shouted.

“I’m gonna write my letter! I’ll be quick!” she replied before they heard her door close.

“I’ll tell you, it’s never a dull moment with you kids” Zevon chuckled.

Everyone followed suit until Addison yawned. “The food coma’s settling in” she commented.

“But it’s only that right? No soreness?” Zed fretted.

“No soreness” she assured.

“We’ll walk you home” Eliza offered.

“Thank you, but we don’t have to leave right this second. I can wait until Zoey’s done writing her letter.”

Speaking of said child, she ran back into the living room and announced, “I’M DONE!”

“That was quick” they thought.

“Well uh…I guess we can go now” Addison amended.

“Go? You’re leaving already?”

“She has to Zo. Her body still needs rest” her brother explained.

“…Okay. But when you’re all better can you give this to Wanda? Please?”

“I give you my word” she promised.

“Thank you Addy” and she gave her the star-sticker sealed folded pieces of notebook paper. “But before you go, can…can you howl please?” she begged.

“Huh? You want me to howl?” she repeated, to make sure she heard right.

“I-If it’s alright. I just think it’s so incredible when wolves do it” she gushed.

She smiled and replied, “Sure it’s alright.” She stood up and cleared her throat before taking a deep breath. Her moonstone lit up with a blue fire and she belted out the melodic, ferocious sound. “AAAARRRRRRROOOOOOO!”

As her wondrous voice reverberated throughout the house, something also reverberated within the zombies’ bodies.

“H-Huh?” her friends thought when they felt a sharp tingle down their spines, but it only lasted for a split second.

Soon Addison stopped howling. “How was that?” she asked.

“Beautiful!” Zoey praised.

“I’ll say. Even got me feeling tingly all over” Zevon complimented.

“Me too” Zed confirmed; Eliza and Bonzo nodded to that as well.

“Really?” she asked.

“Oh yeah; a great voice will do that and you got an amazing set of pipes there young lady.”

“Quruzicka” Bonzo grinned.

“Thank you” she smiled, but in the back of her mind she wondered, “Did they feel what the wolves and my mom felt?” She was taken out of her thoughts when Puppy released his own little howl.

“Heheh! Yours was beautiful too” Zoey giggled and leaned down to scratch behind his ear.

“Do you know what he said?” Zed asked Addison.

“Nothing really. He was just trying to show me up” she replied and everyone laughed.

“Better watch out Addison! That’s some stiff competition” Eliza smirked.

“I know right? I better start drinking lemon honey tea” she grinned along until another yawn came out.

“Alright little lady, time for you to go home and get some rest” Zevon advised.

Addison hugged him and said, “Thank you again for dinner Mr. Necrodopoulous.”

“Anytime Addison” he smiled and let her go. “You kids be careful out there, okay?”

“We will” Zed assured and picked up his girlfriend’s bag.

Bonzo pointed to their gear and asked, “Chagikla oepowl?”

“Sure, that’s fine with me. You kids did enough running around – no need to lug chairs back and forth” he granted.

Soon they were out on the front steps. “Bye Mr. Necrodopoulous! Bye Zoey! I’ll see you later!” Addison waved.

“Bye Addy! Oh wait…I mean, Awwooooo!” Zoey squeakily howled. They all grinned at that though Bonzo and Addison’s smiles were much bigger than their friends. They waved one more time before setting off. Once they were out of earshot, Bonzo busted out laughing.

“Huh? What’s so funny Big B?” Eliza asked.

“It’s what Zoey howled” Addison giggled.

“What did she say?” Zed inquired.

“G-Gar gar zinga chrjka bigus huts” Bonzo managed to answer and the rest of the crew laughed too.

“Well, it’s the thought that counts” Zed smiled.

“Sure does. At least she didn’t accidentally curse like I did” the wolf revealed.

“Reaaally? Care to share?” he smirked.

“Nope” she shut down and they laughed again. It didn’t take them long to arrive at her house – time flies when you’re having fun after all.

“Thanks again for walking me home guys. And thank you for carrying my bag Zed” she gratefully said.

“No problem” he replied and handed it to her. “Will you be okay explaining all…this to your parents? We can stick around.”

“No, I can’t have you guys to do that. I know you have…mixed feelings towards my family, and I don’t want you to be uncomfortable” she refuted.

“But they already acknowledge us as your friends, right? That’s something” he pointed out.

“…I guess. And it would be easier to show’em what we did rather than just use words. But only if you’re sure.”

“Kiloqeoda” Bonzo affirmed.

“Yep, what Big B said” Eliza agreed.

She smiled and said, “Thank you. I’ll make you guys some hot coco too.”

“You don’t have to do that” Zed countered.

“It’s alright, I don’t mind” she assured.

“Wait…can you still drink coco?” he asked.

“…Good question. I’d better not until I can ask the pack. Milk for me then.”

“Chozo mijuk?” Bonzo requested.

“Yeah, chocolate milk would be great” Zed agreed, knowing that it was a much easier beverage to make.

“I know our bones will need the calcium after all we’ve done” Eliza chimed in.

“Heh, true. You got it” she agreed. Just as she was about to unlock the door, it opened and her father was right there. He took one look at her daughter and yelled, “Addison!?”

“Wha?! Um, h-hey dad. What’re you doing out?”

“I was about to get something out of the car, but that’s beside the point! What in the world happened to you?!” he demanded.

Missy heard him and rushed over. “Dale! What-**GASP**”

“Mom. Dad. Please don’t freak out. I promise I’ll explain everything” she interceded before fingers could start being pointed.

“And I surely can’t wait to hear it” she hotly replied. They moved out of the way so everyone could walk inside. The zombies respectfully inclined their heads towards them, and her parents did the same.

“Is it alright if my friends have some chocolate milk please?” she requested.

“Of course, whatever they want. Wait…you’re not having chocolate milk too are you? Isn’t chocolate poisonous for canines?” she fretted.

“I don’t know if it’s bad for werewolves, but I was going to have regular milk” she replied.

“Then I’ll be right back with your drinks” Missy acknowledged. She went into the kitchen while everyone else took a seat in the living room.

Needless to say the atmosphere in the area was suffocating. Her friends actively avoided making eye contact with the head of the former z-patrol – hard to be comfortable around the man who was responsible for, or at the very least carried on, so many repressive zombie laws. “…Should’ve expected as much” Dale thought as he noticed their restlessness.

Addison’s body fared no better; her ears were slicked down and she suddenly started panting. “Hm? What’s wrong Addison?!” he asked and everyone’s attention was directed onto her.

“H-Huh?” and she snapped out of it.

“You were panting, are you hot?”

“I…I don’t think so.”

“Well, you won’t be now” her mother announced as she walked in carrying a tray of drinks. “Enjoy” she gently encouraged when she noticed her friends cautiously eye their beverages.

They all gave their thanks and took little sips. “This…is actually good!” they thought and drank heartier gulps. Normally they’d point out each other’s milk mustaches, but now wasn’t the time. Once their cups were empty, Missy took them away and put them in the dishwasher. She returned and sat on the couch next to her daughter. Addison took a deep breath and nervously fiddled with her hair. “So…practice was...interesting” she began.

It was a far cry from what the group experienced after telling Zevon and Zoey. There was no joviality, no wisecracks, nothing. Just sheer evaluating silence from her parents. It looked like their souls left their bodies when they finished watching the footage, and hearing Zed’s panicked voice in the beginning of the video did nothing for their frazzled nerves.

“…And that’s what happened” she finished. Instinctively everyone steeled themselves for the verbal whipping of a lifetime.

But it didn’t come.

Instead her parent’s eyes shifted side to side – as if they were reading all the info presented to them. Nervous gulps slid down their throats as the silence dragged on. Eventually Dale and Missy released long, contemplating exhales.

“So” her mother spoke, inadvertently startling the kids into sitting up as straight as planks. “Just so I understand correctly…your “wolf instincts” wanted to play?”

“Yes” Addison confirmed.

“And the resulting energy surge caused your body to transform.”

“Yes.”

“And you were aware of what was going on the whole time?”

“Yes.”

“And you two were able to control yourselves without your z-bands?” Dale addressed Eliza and Zed, and they nodded their heads.

“And you planned to do this in the first place to get ready for your combat trial?” he asked his daughter.

“Yes.”

“And you didn’t tell us?!”

“…No” she quietly answered. “I knew you’d think it’d be too dangerous, especially now with everything’s that’s happened.”

Zed immediately jumped to her defense and said, “Sir, I swear that we were going to take every precaution to make sure no one got hurt. She was going to-” but he was silenced when her parents held up their hands. Missy closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose while Dale stared at the floor for a few minutes – drumming his fingers on his knee.

Addison could tell it was a lot for them to take in; her grandfather had his ear bitten off by a zombie after all, and she was sparring with Zed and Eliza in their feral states like it was nothing. They let out another round of long exhales before making eye contact with the skittish teens. “We’re going to have redefine our definition of reckless behavior when it comes to you lot!” Dale sternly spoke.

“…Oh no, here it comes” they thought.

“That being said…I’m glad you’re all safe” he finished and they were shocked to see such a relieved smile on his lips – and it directed towards everyone, not just his daughter.

“Addison” Missy addressed.

“Y-Yes?”

“I rescind my earlier statement.”

“H-Huh? Which one?”

“The one where I said that you couldn’t handle a werewolf during your combat trial. After seeing this and what you did in your hunting trial, there’s no doubt in my mind that you can” she smiled.

“R-Really?”

“That doesn’t mean we’re not going to worry though” she quickly added. “But…you’re right.”

“…About what?” she questioned.

“Sparring with your friends. They provide a more realistic challenge than we could ever hope to do since you’re both…evenly matched” she settled on, actively using her tact to avoid proclaiming what they were previously deemed.

Her friends noticed this and were shocked to say the least, but Eliza wasn’t about to let her heritage be denied. “No need to cut corners. We know we’re monsters” she bit back.

“No, you’re not” the mayor firmly refuted, surprising her. “All of you are certainly different, but that doesn’t make any of you any less. …I regret that it’s taken us so long to realize that humans are just diverse. From the hair on our head to the soles of our feet. The only time the term monster should ever be applied is if it’s towards someone who enjoys causing harm” and everyone nodded at that; even Addison’s tail thumped up and down on the couch when she said those sincere words.

“Now then, I don’t believe we’ve been properly introduced. Will you tell me your names please?” she asked. The zombies glanced at Addison and she gave them a small, assuring nod.

“Um, I’m Zed. Zed Necrodopoulous.”

“The star player of the football team” Dale grinned. “Y-Yes sir” he found himself smiling back.

“I’m Eliza Zambie and this is Bonzo Cadavilink” she introduced and he shyly waved at them.

“A pleasure to know you all. My name is Missy Wells and this is my husband Dale. Thank you for adjusting for our daughter’s new needs” she humbly expressed.

“Oh, um…it was no trouble at Mrs. Wells. It was a lot of fun” Zed replied, feeling a bit more courageous interacting with them.

“I could tell” she smiled. “But Addison.”

“Y-Yes?” she stuttered.

“I know that this time is it couldn’t be helped, but you are still under Dr. Wardlaw’s orders of no strenuous activity until he clears you! Do you have any idea how much you scared us just now?!” she scolded.

Addison looked down at the floor and wrung her hands together. “**whiinnne whiinnnne**…I’m sorry” she sorrowfully whined, and it wasn’t just an apology to get them off her back – it was genuine regret for worrying them.

Dale put his hand on her shoulder and said, “Addison, we’re not mad at you. We saw how much fun all of you were having. Your mother and I just need to stop seeing you as a fragile little girl that needs to be kept inside a foam-encased safe room. You’re intelligent, compassionate, insightful and tough as nails.”

“You always were” Missy added. “But you’re a werewolf now, and it frustrates us that we can’t properly care for you…that everything is trial and error. That being said, you will not be doing any training until you’re cleared or unless it’s absolutely, and I mean absolutely, necessary. And even then we’ll need meet with the werewolf elders so can they tell us everything there is to know about your body. Does that sound fair?”

“It does. Thanks mom. Thanks dad” she gratefully smiled and gave them a hug; the crew looked on with satisfied smiles of their own.

“No need to thank us sweetie. Besides, we’re going to need more evidence of zombies interacting with others without their z-bands, right?” the mayor winked.

“Wait…what??” Eliza questioned.

Missy turned to her and said, “Eliza, I would like for you to show that footage and explain your findings at our city council meeting next Tuesday at 9:00am.”

Her jaw could’ve hit the floor when she heard that request. “R-really?!” she stuttered.

“Really” she confirmed.

A huge grin slowly spread across her face; even her trepidation about the whole scenario couldn’t stop it. After all the protests she was finally getting her chance to advocate for zombie rights.

“Projiln Eliziska!” Bonzo praised and gave her a big hug. “Yeah, way to go!” Zed proudly smiled.

“Alright, alright” she whispered as a blushed covered her face. “Remember where we’re at” she reminded and that made them stop…to some degree. They still gave her acknowledging nudges with their elbows.

All the while Dale and Missy politely grinned at their ecstasy while Addison’s tail thumped even faster. But it stopped on a dime when something unfavorable crossed her mind. She hated that it did, but knew it would cause quite a stir. “Mom wait! If the council sees that video, then they’ll know that I’m a werewolf.”

And just like that all the wind was sucked out of her friends’ sail. “…You’re right. That’ll be a huge problem” Eliza agreed. Even though she fought relentlessly for this moment, she would never sacrifice her friend’s well-being in order to achieve it.

However Addison was still determined to help her friends’ goal become reality. “But we can get new footage where I’m not so…”

“That won’t be necessary. They already know” Missy revealed.

“WHAT?!” they exclaimed.

“And they were okay with it?!” Addison incredulously asked.

“I didn’t really give them a whole lot of options to disagree” she replied.

“Like I said, your mom’s more similar to your wolf friends than I realized” he repeated.

Addison let out an airy laugh before it morphed into a joyous howl. Her parents actually told someone what she truly was and fiercely defended her differences. Not only that, she could sense that they weren’t disgusted by the form her body had taken and she couldn’t be happier. Once again the majority of the room felt the tingly sensation and it expounded their glee.

“Now then…” Missy started to say and grounded their cloud nine. “While I can be quite persuasive, you must keep in mind that one video likely won’t sway the council nor the higher government officials. But it’s an important step for sure.”

“I understand. Thank you for the opportunity” Eliza bowed.

“The honor is ours” she warmly replied. “Alright Addison, let’s get you cleaned up.”

“Mom!” she shrieked in embarrassment.

“Yes, that’s what I am. I’ll see you upstairs” and she went on ahead.

“And that’s our cue” Eliza spoke and they all got up.

“Would you guys like a ride?” Dale offered.

They looked at each other for a moment before reaching a silent conclusion. “That’d be amazing sir. Thank you” Zed replied, which honestly surprised him. He figured that they still wouldn’t trust him, and rightfully so, but they were giving him a chance. He smiled and replied, “I’ll go start the car.” He grabbed his phone and keys before going outside.

“You guys” Addison beamed and gave each of them a hug. “Thanks again for everything!” she exalted and gave each of them a hug.

“Anytime” Zed smiled.

“You know it. We’ll always have your back” Eliza echoed and Bonzo lifted her up, making her laugh. He put her back down and she followed them out the door.

“Loko Addiska!” “Yep, we’ll see you later!” they waved and got in the car with her dad. She waved goodbye until they were down the street and out of sight. “Heh, no more miracles. Now its everyday life” she happily thought and she went back inside.

When she entered her room, the soothing smell of lavender and citrus hit her nose. Her mom was sitting on the stool by the bathtub, checking the water temperature with her elbow. She noticed her walk in and said, “Ah, perfect timing.”

“Thanks mom, but I can-”

“Don’t even try it. Not only are you recovering from that cougar fight, you just had the most intense game of tug of war I’ve ever seen! C’mon on.”

Addison managed to keep in her flustered groans while her mom helped her undress. No matter how times they’ve done it, it still didn’t make it any less embarrassing for her.

“How is it?” she asked as she stepped into the tub.

“It’s perfect” she assured. It took a bit a finagling to sit down now that she had a tail, but soon her body was submerged within the remedying water.

A content smile appeared on her lips as Missy started cleaning off the accumulated grime. It always amused her when she’d spend an extended amount of time washing her fur; always running her fingers through it in sheer amazement. “No one can resist the fluff” she thought before her body uncontrollably twitched when her mom got to her hands.

“Addison! Are you okay? Do your hands hurt!?”

“No, I’m fine. It just tickles” she grinned.

“Oh really?” she smirked and proceeded to garner more giggles out of her.

Soon she spared her daughter, but still held onto her hand. Addison watched her as she examined her ebony hand beans with a child-like fascination. She lightly chuckled before moving on to wash the rest of her daughter’s body.

“What?” Addison inquired.

“I was just thinking how adorable you are” she revealed, and that made her tail create little waves in the tub. Missy grinned and added, “Y’know, as cute as that is, you’d never be able to win a poker game. Your tail would give away the fact that you have good cards.”

“Or I could pretend to have good cards and psych them out” she smirked.

“That’s very true” she agreed.

“Besides, I’ve already hit the jackpot” she blissfully thought.

Meanwhile…

“There’s my baby!” Taki greeted when her son walked through the door.

“Hey mama” Jamie smiled and set his gear down by the door. He walked into the kitchen where she was cutting bell peppers and asked, “Whatcha making?”

But Taki got a whiff of him and balked, “Ooo boy! You need to back up, you’re all kinds of funky. Go take a shower – your favorite will be ready by the time you’re done.”

“Alright! Homemade Phillys!” he exclaimed and dashed into his room to wash off the day’s dirt. True to her word, his sandwich was waiting for him on the table with pippin’ hot fries and a can of refuel hydration. “Thanks mama!”

“Of course” she smiled. They gave their thanks for the meal and dug in. “So, how’d practice go? Did they name you starting kicker?”

“No, we won’t know the final roster until the middle of summer. And to be honest…I didn’t think I was going to make the team.”

“What’re you talking about baby cakes? You’ve been practicing for years. Our family even calls you “Mini Vinatieri.”

“Yeah…but I messed up pretty bad.”

“We’re talking about practice, of course you’re going to mess up. That’s how we learn.”

“Then I learned in probably the most unexpected way possible” he revealed.

“Well? Don’t keep me in suspense now.”

“So it started off normal enough, conditioning drills and things like that. Then we got separated into our different positions. But…that’s when I started getting nervous. Even though I was the only kicker trying out, I just put all this pressure on myself…thinking that I’d be easily replaced by someone who’s not even normally a kicker. And it screwed me up. I ended up shanking a kick and it almost hit some students that came to watch. But it didn’t, I swear!” he quickly added. “Instead this girl with long, white hair leapt out of her chair and snatched it out of the air like she stole somethin’! It was crazy! And when she threw it back to Coach Gladiolus, I thought his chest was going to cave in. She threw it hard. Next thing I know she’s running around on all fours! Turns out she’s actually a werewolf!”

“You don’t say” she knowingly smiled.

“Yeah! So apparently she really wanted to play and she had energy to spare. The offense and defense were doing zone drills to keep the ball away from her; kinda like tag combined with hot potato. But some of the guys were getting pounced on a little too hard, so they decided to have her do kick returns to wear her out.”

“So she was your unexpected teacher.”

“Yeah…I was so nervous kicking to her though. My first kick was pathetic, it only went to the twenty yard line. But she caught it and ran it back in under six seconds.”

“Wow that’s fast!”

“I know right!? And that’s not even the craziest part! When she brought the ball back to coach, she just stared at me for a sec and started sniffing me. Then she started barking, but she looked really happy for some reason, and gave me a big lick on the cheek.”

“Ooooh! My little baby got his first kiss” she gushed.

“I did not!” he refuted as a blush coated his cheeks.

“Oh relax, I’m just messing with you” she smirked. “So did you only kick to her one time?”

“No…and this going to sound crazy but when she did that, I didn’t feel as nervous. And she kept on giving me licks whenever I made a good kick. Which was a lot…actually.”

“Heh, just like Rudolph and Clarice” she grinned. “Well like I always say, sweetness begets sweetness. Sounds like she saw yours but it was starting to get covered up by all that bitter nervousness building up inside of you.”

“She definitely licked it off, that’s for sure” he mumbled. “But yeah, that was my first day of practice.”

“First of many” she amended.

“Yeah. …I wonder if I’ll see her around.”

“What’s her name?”

“Umm…I think it was Addison. But I can’t remember – everything was happening so fast.”

She smiled and replied, “Either way, something tells me you’ll be seeing her a lot. After all, she’s a fan of yours now.”

Later on…

**DEDE DOODLE DEE DEDE DOODLE DE** Missy’s gorgeous picture appeared on the console of the dimly lit Fiat. Dale answered the call and asked, “Missy? Is everything alright?”

“Yes, everything’s fine Dale. Are you close to home?”

“I’m about five minutes away, why?”

“Feel like making a quick store run?”

“Sure, for what?”

“Epson salt and bananas. Just based on what we saw, Addison’s going to need it tomorrow.”

Chapter 18: Fighting Internal and External Darkness

Chapter Text

**KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK** That typical tapping heralded the beginning of another glorious morning.

“**grrrmm…yawwwnnn…” the sleepy wolf grumbled as her sense of smell told her who was on the other side of the door. She beckoned her mother with an “Aroooo”, especially when a tantalizing aroma entered her nose too.

“I’m going to assume that means come in” Missy replied and walked inside. Addison peeked her head from up under her covers and saw the delectable array of cinnamon swirl toast, scrambled eggs, bananas and milk on the tray she was carrying. She set it down on her dresser and smiled, “Good morning honey wolf.”

She chuckled at the endearing nickname until it morphed into a pained moan. “Mm hm…feeling sore?” she knowingly guessed.

“…Yeah” she answered, and try as she might she couldn’t even sit up.

“Hold on, hold on” she halted her movements before she could hurt herself more. She walked over to the bed and helped her sit up. She noticed that she was still in her in-between form and moved her tail out of the way so she could put some pillows behind her back for extra support. Her heart went out to her daughter as she painfully whined all the while.

“Grrrr…DOMS sucks” she growled. “Feels like I ran seven marathons while getting bopped with heavy-duty punching bags.”

“I know sweetie, I know. I had a feeling this could happen after yesterday’s activity, but I didn’t think it’d be this debilitating.”

“…I’m sorry” she whined.

“There’s nothing to be sorry for. Like we said last night, we’re not mad. You were playing, that’s all. Besides, this isn’t your first rodeo dealing with DOMS. It’s just been a while.”

“Yeah…a long while” Addison agreed. She used to be sore every other day when she started doing cheer, until her body got acclimated to the rigorous training.

“At least you weren’t training with Pablo” her mom muttered.

“Who’s Pablo?” she asked.

“My old college tennis coach. He was a fantastic instructor and an overall good guy, but…well…let’s just say there’s a reason our team called him Diablo during practice” she shuddered.

“…Ooh” she cringed.

“Anyway, you know what you’re doing today right?”

“Absolutely nothing” the wolf wholeheartedly replied.

“Heh, well…almost. While it’ll be a rest day for sure, you got to move those muscles a little bit so they don’t get stiff. So after you eat we’re going to take a short walk around the neighborhood, then I’ll drive you over to see Paige.”

“Paige? Do you mean Noodle Paige? The fascia stretcher?” she asked.

“I wasn’t aware that was her nickname, but yes” Missy confirmed.

“Wow, I haven’t seen her in ages!”

“Yep, since your intermediate cheer camp. She has her own studio in town now. But…Noodle Paige?”

“Oh, right. During my first session I was saying how stiff my muscles were – like un-cooked noodles. Then she said that stretching is like adding boiling water to my noodles. And I’ve been calling her Noodle Paige ever since” she explained.

Missy chuckled affectionately and said, “You certainly have quite the creative mind. In that case, the cooking process will continue because you’ll take an Epson salt bath afterwards. Do you need any willow bark in the meantime?”

“No, I’m okay.”

“Alright” and she set the tray on her lap. “Enjoy your breakfast! I’ll check on you after a bit” she said and stretched her hand out to her daughter’s head. But she quickly realized what she was doing and froze just before she touched her hair. Nevertheless, Addison leaned in and nuzzled against her palm. A small, grateful smile formed on Missy’s lips and she stroked the soft strands. After a few seconds she ceased her caresses and said, “Howl if you need anything” before leaving.

Addison giggled at that and was about to dig in until a wave of unadulterated sadness smothered her; so much so that tears started spilling from her eyes. “Wh-what the!? Adelio?? What’s wrong?! Are you hurt?!”

All she got for a response was an anguished howl.

“Adelio, talk to me! Please!” she begged.

“Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! Adelio bad guardian!!” her baby cried.

“What?! No no no!”

“Yes yes yes! Pup hurt! Pup sore! Pup can’t move! Adelio give pup DOMS! Adelio bad guardian! Adelio failed pup!” she wailed.

Addison took a deep breath and wiped the flowing tears out of her eyes. “…Is that so?” she stated. Adelio flinched at those words and braced herself for whatever punishment her pup decided to inflict.

“Would a bad guardian help me take down a seven-hundred pound moose? Would a bad guardian protect me from a ravenous cougar? Would a bad guardian continually heal me? Would a bad guardian not only enable me to play safely, but also help my friends with their goal of achieving equal rights?!” she shouted before closing her eyes and putting her hands up to grasp an imaginary face. She chuckled at the mental visual of shocked golden eyes.

“Would a bad guardian comfort me and say encouraging things whenever I was scared or feeling low? Would a bad guardian call me their pup?” she smiled and could feel Adelio’s remorse fading away.

“Adelio. I understand where you’re coming from and it’s alright to feel sad. But it’s also important not to stay sad. It’s…it’s not a fun place to stay. Sometimes you can get out on your own, but sometimes you’ll need someone to help you out. Like you said, we are one. We care for each other – when you hurt, I hurt. And vice versa. But just like you always help me feel better, let me do the same for you. You’re more than just a guardian Adelio. You’re my child and a noble friend. And no matter what, I will always love you.”

“…Really?” she timidly whispered.

“Really” she smiled. She could feel her try and smile back, but it faltered a bit. “…But, DOMS-”

“Adelio, I’ll be fine. This isn’t my first time dealing with it and it certainly won’t be the last. In fact, I had it after my hunting trial. Remember how sore I was when I first woke up?”

She remembered, she was pretty exhausted too. “…What DOMS?” she asked.

“It stands for delayed onset muscle soreness. I overworked my muscles and they’re just tired, that’s all. But the cool thing is now they’re undergoing a transformation to make themselves stronger.”

“Really?”

“Yep! And I help it along by stretching, soaking in the tub, drinking lots of water and eating good food. WHOA!” Addison opened her eyes when she felt a nudge on the back of her head, almost pushing her face into the food.

“Pup eat! Pup eat and get better! Pup eat and be strong!” she commanded.

“Heheh, yes ma’am” she laughed, thrilled that her baby was in high spirits again. As she was chomping away, her mind drifted to her soon to be pack. “I wonder how they’re doing. Heh, I bet the pups are bouncing off the walls by now. Or everyone’s sleeping in from having an amazing dance party last night. …Can’t believe it’s been a week since I saw them. Hopefully I’ll be able to see them soon.”

Meanwhile…

Fleet footsteps traversed various terrains while the heightened nose of a skilled wolf followed an ingrained scent. The trail took him past a gigantic lake, through a grove of massive sugar pine trees, down boulders and even across the same gorge his cherished protégé leapt over on her victorious hunting campaign. But no matter where it took him or how sore and tired he was, he would follow until he saw his beloved sister safe and sound with his own eyes. But…the trail suddenly vanished within a remote location of the forest.

“What?! No! No, no, no!” he growled in frustration.

He channeled his moonstone energy to sharpen his senses even further and lifted his nose up to air. Every kind of scent imaginable, from blue jays to hibiscus to even raccoons, passed through his nostrils…but not Willa’s.

“Damn…she wasn’t kidding when she said no one’s catching me unless I wanna be caught” he thought. Instinctively his eyes looked at the piece of purple fabric that was tied around his wrist. A melancholy look appeared in his eyes as he fiddled with the frayed ends of what was his sister’s old shirt.

“Here baby brother. Whenever you miss me, smell this and know I’ll come back to you. I promise” she told him when she first started doing nightly patrols. As a pup he wasn’t used to being separated from her for long periods of time; if they could be joined at the hip they would. He didn’t need it as much as he got older, but now he prayed that that promise wouldn’t be broken. He took a big whiff in order to ground his worried mind “…Big sister…where are you?”

It had been a week since he and Wynter told her about Addison’s recovery. Thankfully she returned that night, but early the next morning she was gone. It wasn’t unusual for an alpha to go off by themselves, but Willa always made it a point to tell him where she was going.

“Should we go look for her?” Wynter asked.

“…No. Let’s give her some space. If she doesn’t come back after a few days, then I’ll go look for her” he decided.

But it was hard.

Although the pack was whole and healthy, that ecstatic joy was dampened by a dismal fog. Not only were they worried about their leader, the wolves that knew about Addison’s recuperation were longing to see her again – especially the pups. They even wrote “get-well letters” to their Run B&B leader, and Wynter discreetly delivered them. Still, no one said a word to the elders; they didn’t even know how the pack re-obtained the moonstone. It was decided that Willa was the sole key keeper to the treasure chest of information, and only she would explain everything just so there weren’t any misconceptions. But after two days his sister still hadn’t returned. With an stone-set resolve he went off to find her, but now…he had hit a dead end and didn’t know what else to do. He clenched his raw, soiled hands as tears started pooling in his eyes.

“**sniff** nghh…grrrgh…AARRRROOOOOOOOO!”

His desperate howl sliced through the chilly air, longing to be reciprocated. And it was…just not by a voice he was expecting to hear.

“Now I know I ain’t seein’ what I think I’m seein’” a tender yet slightly raspy voice scolded.

Wyatt quickly turned around and beheld a much welcomed sight for his puffy red eyes. Behind him was a prodigious female werewolf with the physique of a heavyweight boxer; she looked like she could bend cast iron skillets in her hands and cut a chunk out a sycamore tree with one claw swipe. Her broad frame was clothed in a magnificent midnight-blue sleeveless tunic, adorned with a pepper-patterned pelt along the collar and various runes stitched in gold thread at the base. A black leather rope belt was tied securely around her waist with little satchel hooked to it. Her cocoa butter skin glistened in the early daylight and her soft-featured head was crowned with thick, black corn rolls that ended in a fluffy bush of tight curls with white tips. There was a single purple-painted claw mark near her left eye. A thick sapphire hoop earring decorated her right ear as well as a simple gold choker necklace that intertwined beautifully with the thread of her egg-shaped moonstone.

“I don’t know who this wolf is, but it can’t be my lil’ Cotton Tail. The Cotton Tail I know wouldn’t let a lil’ ol’ setback stop him” she spoke with a gentle, supportive smile.

“B-Big Mama?! Wh-What are you doing here?!” he stuttered as he wiped his eyes.

“Why else would I be here? The alpha and beta are gone, and the whole pack’s frettin’ over y’all. Especially Tiny Terror!”

“You’ve been tailing me this whole time!?”

“Sho’ have. I’ll say this, when you’re focused on somethin’, you real focused. Though I’ll admit I certainly felt like my age when I had to climb over them boulders. Gotta work out the rest of these here knots that’s fo’ sho’” she commented as she rolled and released a few pops her shoulders. He whined and shamefully slicked his ears back. “Aww…come’ere puppy” she gently beckoned and he walked into the awaiting embrace; his body molded into her bosom as if she were memory foam.

“…I’m sorry” he whispered.

“Well I sho’ don’t know whatever fo’. Don’t think me and the rest of the elders haven’t noticed that some of y’all been actin’ funny since we got back. Now we didn’t want to press into nothin’ in case y’all were feelin’ some kind of way about possibly missin’ your parents, but now we’re at the point where somethin’ gotta give.”

“But…but Willa-”

“I can’t help you help her if I don’t know the whole story. After all, the strength of the pack is the wolf”

“…And the strength of the wolf is the pack” he finished.

“Exactly” she replied and easily hoisted him up in her strong arms – holding him as if he were a little pup. He clung to her body and she started walking. “Now, start from the beginnin’. Tell Big Mama everythin’” she beseeched, and he did. From when the pack first saw Addison in the woods after the bus crash all the way to her injuries after the hunting trial. “Oh…oh my God. You pups certainly had one heck of an adventure that’s fo’ sho’.”

“Mm hm” he mumbled, feeling a lot lighter after unloading all that heavy info.

“But I gotta say, that Addison pup sho’ does sound as sweet as sugar and as tough as packed ice.”

“She is” and she smiled when she heard the fondness in his tone. It definitely surprised her when he mentioned that she was his kinjataak; it’s not every day you hear about wolves discovering their mates that way. She’d have to see for herself if it’s truly the case, but regardless it was pleasing to hear about how she interacted with the pack. But first things first, they still had a missing alpha on their hands.

“Well now that I know the whole story, I have a pretty good idea where your sister might be.”

“You do?”

“Yep, and so do you.”

“Huh? But the trail ended back there” he reminded.

She put him down but kept one hand on his shoulder. “Now Cotton Tail, I know your mama and daddy trained you well. If one sense doesn’t lead you to your target…”

“Then use your other senses, I know. But I can’t see, hear, taste or touch her” he countered.

“Then you gotta feel her out. You know her better than anybody, so use that sixth sense. With as bad as she’s feelin’, what would she be doin’ right now?”

“She’d…she’d want to be alone so no one could see her feeling down, and in her mind…weak. Normally she’d go to Glacier Lake if she was feeling overwhelmed” he revealed and she knowingly nodded at that. Their parents would take them there every other day, whether it was helping their mom fish or their dad playfully throwing them into the water and having impromptu splash contest; for them it was a physical reminder of happier times.

“And we know her scent took us by there. Honey Bee may be as elusive as an annoyin' gnat buzzin' around your ear, but if she really wanted to be alone she would’ve hid her trail the moment she left the den. She wants to be found, but those stinkin’ thinkin’ fleas don’t. And now they’re makin’ her question her leadership skills. So given where the trail ended, where would she go to meditate on that?” she asked.

Wyatt looked around the area they were in and conjured up a mental map of all the places taught to him. Beyond this area was Uguunak, where various low-growing shrubs, mosses and bear berries could be found; it was a prime feeding ground for elk, caribou, musk ox and reindeer. After that was Sarulasaak, the whirlwind frozen wasteland. Although seals could be found there, it was an area that only experienced hunters could traverse; not to mention they had to compete with artic predators. Further off to the east, beyond the Uluunu Mountains was Pajaliksaa…the badlands; it had been pounded into his head that that area was to be avoided at all costs. He knew no matter how horrible his sister was feeling she would never exile herself to that hell hole.

“Don’t focus on landscapes Cotton Tail, focus on landmarks” Big Mama advised to help him narrow it down.

“Landmarks? But the only place around here is…!” He blanched as the horrible answer entered his mind. “No…no way. She couldn’t be there. That area’s off limits unless you elders take us there! She knows that!”

“…You’re right. But it is where her alpha coronation took place, so it’d be the perfect spot to reflect on her rank. And given that we were on our deathbed not too long ago, y’all would’ve been the youngest elders in our history and could’ve come here if y’all wanted to. It may be an unsavory place, but it’s still important” she corrected.

“I mean…yeah I guess. But you’re back now, so those rules still apply!”

“True, but I’ve yet to see someone think rationally when they stressed out” she reminded.

“Then we have to go!”

“Hold up, hold up” she halted and picked him up again. “Can’t have you bein’ reckless either. Plus, you’re plum tuckered out” and the small bags under his eyes emphasized that. “Now you just relax and let Big Mama do the runnin’. Like I said, gotta work these knots outta me” she smiled and took off.

Soon the trees started to get sparser and sparser until it gave way to an expansive, desolate stony land; not even the shine of the morning sun could take away its grey bleakness. They passed by giant oblong monoliths – each one tattooed with hieroglyphics depicting their history. Those markers led the way to a formidable yet unsettling fortress that hadn’t been seen by anyone in years; Wyatt instinctively held Big Mama a little tighter. “…The ancestral den” he whimpered.

Despite its ancient age, the imposing entrance to the crag-side cave still resembled a wolf’s open maw. From a strategic standpoint it was a perfect place to build a den; far away from humans yet close enough to food and water sources that were around at the time. But it was still cold and dreary; it established the “tough wolf” mentality for sure. It had been abandoned since the red duel, and the pack heightened their stealthy ways in order to live in their current home. And unfortunately…Willa really did return to their old home - her scent was coming from inside.

“Willa!” he shouted and tried to get out of her hold, but she still kept a firm grip on him.

“Hrngh! H-Hold up Cotton Tail! What don’t know what we’ll be dealin’ with when we see her. It’s never a good idea to come up on a scared wolf. We have to be careful” she told him and he reluctantly agreed. “Alright, let’s go” and she walked inside the eerie abode.

Moss and orange spider-web like lichen covered the fractured brick walls of the dilapidated corridor. Wyatt brought up the collar of his vest to cover his nose in order to block some of the musty smell. Soon the hallway opened up to a large room reminiscent of the main area, but it was enclosed. There were no luminescent bacteria to light up the room, so they relied on their night vision…though they wished they didn’t have to see the many deep claws marks that ripped through whatever art was etched on the walls. The stalactites that were starting to form only added to the threatening interior. The pup whimpered a bit and the elder gently stroked his hair – trying to dispel his unease about being here. She wasn’t too fond of this place either…given what occurred here. It felt so solemn and devoid of life. Even the various insects that took refuge for the night eagerly crawled across the slick floor in order to leave this dreary area. Nevertheless they pressed forwards.

They passed by a few small rooms that once served as sleeping areas until their ears perked up to a tiny whimper. She set him down and ushered him to go ahead. He stealthily approached the room where to noise came from. As he peered around the corner, his golden eyes beheld the glorious sight of unharmed sister. But…something was seriously wrong. He sensed unmitigated torment emanating from her curled up body as more cries came out of her throat. The scent of her tears cut through the dank odor of the grim dwelling. Suddenly he saw her take her vest off and throw it across the room before pressing her claws deep against her unmarred back, and he quickly realized it wouldn’t be that way for long!

“**GASP** WILLA NO!” he desperately shouted before the unimaginable could happen. A surprised gasp of her own exited her mouth and her hands recoiled off of her skin. Before she could turn around Wyatt was already on top of her in a smothering embrace. “Willa! W-Willa! Willa!” he repeated through relieved tears and nuzzled her relentlessly.

“Wha-Wy-Wya” she sputtered as her unclouded mind tried to play catch-up.

All she could remember running…just running from it all. Trying and failing to eliminate her own inadequacies by completing her own physically demanding trial. And those voices…those vile voice that spoke nothing but malicious words kept feeding her mind with dark ideas.

“You truly are a worthless leader! Can’t even replicate the deeds of a rookie! You’re supposed to be the exemplary symbol of the pack! So much for that! What knowledge could you possibly pass onto Addison? More ways to get her hurt?! Unless…that’s what you really wanted. Heh, showing your cunning after all eh? Eliminate your competition before the combat trial.”

“N-No! S-She’s my friend! She’s family” she remembered weakly refuting.

“Is that so? Then prove it! Shed your blood! Spill double the amount she gave for your mistake! You couldn’t do it in front of her, so do it now! If she has to live with painful scars for the rest of her life, then so should you!” was the last command she heard before her brother’s voice chased them away.

He released her from his enveloping hold, but still kept his hands on her shoulders. He looked her dead in the eye and yelled, “Wh-what were you doing?!”

“I…I don’t…I just”

“Just what?!”

“Cotton Tail!” Big Mama’s voiced boomed and the siblings cowered under her stern tone. She walked into the room and scolded, “Shoutin’ at Honey Bee ain’t helpin’!”

Wyatt looked back at his rattled sister and whimpered. “I-I’m sorry big sis. I was just…I thought I…I’d never see you again” he whined and plunged his nose into her neck, inhaling their shared scent to reaffirm that she was truly there. It was then that she noticed the piece of purple fabric tied around his wrist.

“That’s…that’s my old shirt” and his confession suddenly hit harder. He truly believed that she had broken her promise…and given her state of mind not too long ago, she almost would’ve. “Grrnn…nngh…WAAAAAAAH!” she wailed and fiercely gripped him – pouring her apology into him and letting him know that she would be there. Not even the wretched voices could penetrate the barrier of sibling bond to discredit her claim.

Big Mama let out an utterly relieved sigh; they may be crying their eyes out now, but all those tears were washing away the poison injected by those stinkin’ thinkin’ fleas. Even the air within the ancestral den didn’t feel as oppressive. She tip-toed over to the other side of the room where Willa had thrown her balled-up trophy garment and carefully shook it out – returning it to its pristine condition. She walked back over to the weeping pups and delicately draped it over the young leader. Willa flinched as the fabric touched her skin. She opened her wet eyes to see the elder crouched down next to her. “B-Bi”

“Shhh…” she softly shushed. “It’s alright Honey Bee, everythin’ll be fine. C’mon, let’s get out of here.”

The siblings let go of each other so Willa could put her vest back on. Once again Big Mama displayed her immense strength as she easily lifted them into her arms. Now that they were securely latched onto her, she walked out of the cave – letting the sunlight chase away any lingering darkness that was on them. She kept walking until she re-entered the wooded area; there was a little pond nearby surrounded by mini shrubs. She set their bare bottoms down on the plush grass and suggested, “How bout we get a lil’ somethin’ to drink.”

They slowly nodded and approached the pond’s edge – lapping up water like there’d be no tomorrow. Once their thirst was quenched she asked, “Are y’all hungry?”

“…A little” Willa confessed and Wyatt’s stomach echoed the sentiment with a growl; he didn’t realize how long he had gone without eating – worry and anxiety was his only sustenance for these past few days.

“Don’t worry, Big Mama’s got y’all covered” she assured and removed the satchel that was tied to her belt. Inside was a delectable assortment of dried meat. “Go on, help yourself” and she set the bag down in front of them.

“But…but what about you?” he asked.

“Don’t you worry about me lil’ puppy, I’m fine” she assured.

They looked at each other and after giving their thanks they dove right in. The satchel was emptied in no time flat. She smiled and re-attached it to her belt. “Y’all feelin’ alright now?”

“…Yes. Thank you Big Mama” Willa replied, but turned her gaze to the ground. Wyatt whined and nuzzled against her. She nuzzled back and grabbed the hand that had her old shirt tied around it. A small gasp escaped her lips when she felt how much rougher his already callus palm had gotten. “…I can’t believe I traveled all the way to the ancestral den. And…and he tracked me. His hands must be throbbing” she glumly thought. She brought’em up to her mouth and started licking them. He sighed as the soothing action alleviated some of the sting. Werewolf palms and soles were certainly tough, but even they had their limits – especially if you’ve been running non-stop across different terrains for almost a day and a half. “…I’m sorry” she whispered, still keeping her head down.

“Well like I told Cotton Tail, I don’t know whatever fo’. Cause from what he told me, everythin’ turned out alright” she revealed.

Willa snapped her head up and glared at him. “You told her?!” she incredulously growled.

“Nuh uh! Don’t be gettin’ mad at him! He was tryin’ to help!” she barked and she submissively backed down.

“…S-Sorry.”

“It’s okay” he assured. “It’s just…I lost your trail and I didn’t know what else to do. Big Mama was following me this whole time and it wasn’t until I told her everything that she was able to help me find you.”

“That’s right. Now what in the world were you thinkin’ goin’ all the way out there child? Don’t you know how worried we were?!”

“I…I don’t…I just” but she couldn’t finish her sentence as hiccupping sobs took over.

“Shhh…it’s alright” Big Mama cooed and scooped them up again. “I’m sorry for fussin’ like that. Now you take your time and tell Big Mama what ails ya” and she picked them up and rocked them until she calmed down.

“I…I messed up” she quietly confessed.

“How so Honey Bee?”

“I…I made the decision to send Addison out there to do the hunting trial. My decision almost got her killed! I’m the reason why she’s laid up in bed with gashes and feeling sore!” she cried.

“Hmm…Honey, can I ask you somethin’?” and Willa gave a small nod. “You split the pack up every day to go huntin’ right?”

“Yes.”

“And you know there’s a chance any one of’em could get hurt. One startled kick from a deer and you hope you’re not missin’ an eye.”

“…Yes.”

“So what’s the difference?”

“B-Because!” she shouted.

“C’mon now, that ain’t no answer and you know it” she chided.

Willa quieted down as she thought about how to respond. Big Mama was right, there really wasn’t a difference. Even with all the experience in the world there was still that unpredictability factor. “Because…because I sent her out there too soon! Seriously, what was I thinking?! Just telling her to trust her instincts?! We don’t send our pups out there until after a couple years of training! She only had a day with Wyatt! And she had just transformed too?! What kind of friend am I? What kind of leader does that!?”

“A leader who showed great confidence in her friend, especially if y’all were takin’ bets. You inspired her to do her very best. And given how she passed her respect trial, she really needed this boost in her life” Big Mama flipped around.

“H-Huh? But-”

“Willa. What you just told me showed how much faith you had in Addison to complete this trial. You believed that she grasped the basic huntin’ concept after a day with Cotton Tail, and that she’d be able to utilize that knowledge. Not to mention handle her new abilities; you can’t teach instincts, you can only listen to’em.”

“…I guess. But-”

“And you also made sure she was alright in the head, fed and well-equipped before sendin’ her out there. And I know for a fact that you didn’t tell no cougar to attack her” she finished.

“Big Mama’s right Willa. It was just one big accident. And…my worrying at the time didn’t help at all. …I’m sorry” he apologized.

“No, it’s not your fault. …It really isn’t anyone’s fault” she said and a pleased smile appeared on the elder’s lips when she saw the proverbial torch light up in the alpha’s mind. “…Still, I feel horrible.”

“I know puppy, I know. I understand where you’re comin’ from. Believe me, there are some things I wish I could do over. But that’s life sometimes. Sometimes you strike big and end up with three bison, or sometimes you end up with a boulder fallin’ on your leg. It’s only problematic if you don’t learn from your mistakes and keep on makin’em. But I ain’t worried about that; all y’all are filled to the brim with common sense.”

“Yeah! And your leadership skills only amplifies it” Wyatt enthusiastically praised, but it wasn’t matched.

“…I won’t be the alpha anymore” she whispered.

“Huh? What’re you talking about? Why not?” he asked.

“**sigh** …You know why Wyatt. The combat trial” and a nervous gulp slid down his down throat.

“Nuh uh, none of this!” Big Mama quickly refuted the icky aura that was starting to fester again. “What’s the combat trial have to do with you bein’ alpha? It’s just a test for the challenger.”

“Right…and I have to be Addison’s opponent” Willa solemnly replied.

“What? Who said that?” she asked.

“Huh? Y-You did! All the elders did!” she countered.

“Hold up. I may be old, but my memory’s still as sharp as one of Warrick’s arrows. We told y’all that our rules state that the challenger must beat a formidable opponent in a battle of the alpha’s choice.”

“Right, and in the past the alpha fought the challenging wolf. And I won’t do it! I…I won’t inflict any more pain on my friend. I don’t care if I lose my title…and that I’ll have to leave the pack.”

“No…no! There has to be another way! …Right Big Mama?” Wyatt whimpered.

The elder sighed, but it wasn’t one of resignation. Quite the opposite – if the warm smile she sported was any indicator. “Honey, I admire the fact that you’re willin' to give up so much to protect your friend, and I couldn’t be prouder. But on the flipside, y’all didn’t comprehend our history lesson. Then again, we were rushin’ to teach you everythin’ before our energy was used up, and fo' that I’m sorry. Now let me clarify some things. Whenever the alpha loses a duel, the new wolf becomes the alpha. And it’d be up to the new wolf to either keep the old alpha around but in a new role, or outright get rid of’em. Normally it was the latter in order not have their authority be compromised. But Addison’s not challengin' you fo' your title is she?”

“N-No.”

“Then like I said, it’s just a test.”

“Even so…the alphas in the past fought the challenger. I still won’t fight her. And if I don’t…then I’ll be denying her something she really wants and has rightfully earned. Either way…I’m still hurting her.”

“I swear you pups make things harder than they need to be sometimes” she exasperated and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Honey, listen to Big Mama now. The combat trial is a physical test right?”

“R-Right.”

“Of the alpha’s choice, right?”

“…B-But the ancient alphas-”

“That was them, you’re you. You decide who her opponent will be.”

“But no one in the pack will want to fight her after all she’s been through and done for us. And I won’t force them.”

“Who said anythin’ about anyone from the pack fightin’ her?” she grinned.

“Huh?”

“I’m gonna say it again. The challenger has to beat a formidable opponent of the alpha’s choice. And since it’s your choice, it can be anyone or anythin’. From a lil’ ol’ tick to…oh, I don’t know…a cougar.”

The siblings perked up and a sparkle appeared in their eyes when she said that. “B-Big Mama…y-you mean?” Willa dared to hope.

“Now I’m just throwin’ it out there, it’s still your call after all. But last I checked a lil’ pup goin’ against a fully-grown cougar is a pretty formidable match-up, wouldn’t you say?”

“Y-Yes. Yes! YES! I do say!” she cheerfully yipped. “Thank you Elder Usawa! Thank you!” and they accidentally knocked her down with the force of their hugs.

“Awww! You’re welcome pups, but I didn’t do nothin’. All I did was offer up some clarification and perspective. That’s what talkin’s fo’” she smiled.

“Yeah…I-I should’ve just done that in the first place. I was just trying to handle it on my own since I’m the alpha.”

“Child, lemme tell you somethin’. Just cause you’re the alpha doesn’t mean you’re supposed to do everythin’ and know everythin’. Shoot I’m one hundred and eighty nine years old and I still don’t know everythin’” she chuckled and they got off of her so she could sit up. “But if I know somethin’ that might help, then I’m gonna share it. That’s what having a council is fo’. That’s what havin’ a loving pack’s fo’. After all, what do we always say?”

“The strength of the pack is the wolf, and the strength of the wolf is the pack” the siblings simultaneously recited.

“That’s right. So Honey, I need you to promise me somethin’. Next time you start feelin’ sad and can’t stop it, tell somebody. We’ll be there.”

“…I know” she replied, and gave her brother a knowing, appreciative smile. He smiled back and licked her cheek, making her giggle.

“Soo...would telling Addison that she passed the trials and is now part of our pack a necessary reason to go into town?” he asked, feeling it was okay to joke like that.

She took it in stride and smiled, “Yes, I would say so.”

“Whoa, hold up now. I didn’t say she was part of the pack yet” Big Mama halted.

“What?!” they incredulously questioned. “But she passed the alpha trials!” Wyatt reminded.

"And she's a werewolf!" Willa added. "She would've been in the pack automatically if she didn't make that well-reasoned rebuttal."

“No she wouldn't have" Usawa corrected.

"What?!"

"Im'ma apologize again for rushin' to teach y'all everythin'; it's clear some stuff might've gotten mixed up. You can give honorary status to anyone y'all want, but to be a full-fledged pack member you have to be a werewolf and pass the alpha trials. Kinda hard to understand our personal ways if you ain't a wolf, though Addison is a rare exception to that even before becomin' a wolf" and the siblings smiled at that.

"Anyway, no wolf can just come in willy-nilly and not do nothin', or heaven forbid take over. They gotta prove themselves, and she did just that. But we Elders still gotta check her out. You know Worion will insist on it, especially given our experience with our…last visitor” she added and they apprehensively whined at that. They didn’t even want to imagine the kind of trials they could subject her to, and Elder Worion was the former alpha for a reason.

“Now don’t you two go an’ worry your lil’ heads none. Like I told Cotton Tail, Addison sounds like an absolute angel and I know the rest of’em will feel the same way too.”

“Yeah” he smiled.

“Well alright now, let’s head on home. Though you two’ll have to wait til tomorrow to tell your friend the good news. We won’t be gettin’ back until well after the sun sets” she commented.

“No we won’t! We can make it! C’mon Willa, race you to the den!” he challenged.

“Heh, you’re on baby bro!” and they took off – leaving a trail of kicked-up grass blades in their wake.

“Heh. No matter their rank, they’re still pups. I’m glad they finally can be'em too” Big Mama smiled and ran after them.

As she followed their trail through a thicket of gnarled trees, she stopped on a dime when an almost undetectable putrid odor passed through her nose. “What the?!” she thought when she sniffed the air. This scent…she hadn’t smelled something like this in well over a century. “This better not be what I think it is!” she growled, but looked in the direction the playful duo were traveling. Their scent was already ingrained in her olfactory catalogue so she knew she wouldn’t lose track of them. With that in mind she decided to veer off and investigate. She silently followed the trail through tall, dried grass – channeling her moonstone energy to sharpen her senses to the max. Suddenly she heard a small **CRUNCH** in the distance. With the speed of a fired bullet she silently ran towards the sound and leapt out of the concealing foliage with a frightening “BARK!”

Unfortunately it worked a little too well.

Instead of paralyzing it with fear, whatever was there scampered away quicker than a room full of cockroaches when a light’s been turned on. The only thing it left behind were a few misshapen paw prints. She leaned down to smell them and her pupils shrunk in horror before dilating in rage. She ground her fangs together and released a string of threatening barks in the direction the intruder fled. “Why the hell are they pokin’ around?! If they think for a second they’re gonna come on in after what all our pups have been through, they’re gonna wish Worion killed them off during that duel!” she angrily thought and inflicted the first strike by clawing out the prints.

“Don’t worry pups, you ain’t gonna deal with nothin’ else other than enjoying life” she swore and left to catch up with the upbeat siblings.

Chapter 19: Recollections and Affirmations

Chapter Text

“I-I won!” Willa proudly wheezed as she touched claw rock.

Wyatt had his hands on his knees, gasping for air, but still managed to show a tired smile. “You sure did big sis. You sure did” he thought.

“Ooo…woo child…” Big Mama huffed as she arrived on the scene.

“Are…are you alright Big Mama?” Wyatt asked.

“I’ll be fine, but chillld I swear I gotta get back in shape! Runnin’ eighty miles used to be nothin’ for me! At least all the knots our outta my body now. But sheesh! It ain’t no joke tryin’ to keep up with y’all lil’ hares – with your bobbin’ and weavin’. Then again, I call you Cotton Tail for a reason” she smiled and he ran his claws through his vest fur. “Heh, gotta love that gumption though. You said you wanted to get back and y’all did.”

“Yep, told you” he smugly grinned as he looked at the sky. Twilight colors were just starting to overtake the blue backdrop.

“Heh, well we ain’t home yet. Let’s let’em know we comin’ and I’ll carry y’all the rest of the way” and they let loose an announcing howl that was quickly reciprocated. “Betta not keep’em waitin’” she smiled and picked up the exhausted pups. When they arrived at the entrance, half the pack was outside waiting for them.

“WILLA! WYATT! BIG MAMA!” Wynter enthusiastically exclaimed. She was about to lead the charge to puppy-pile them until the elder shouted, “HOLD UP!” and everyone froze in their tracks. “Now I know y’all are excited, but we ran a mighty loooong way and we’re plum famished.”

“We get food ready now” Warren replied.

“Thank you kindly Skippity Silas. And after Walden and Wanbli give Honey and Cotton a checkup, then y’all can pounce on’em til they’re as flat as skipping stones” and everyone laughed at the visual. The teens followed Warren back into the tunnel…except for one. As soon as Big Mama set the siblings down, Wynter immediately latched onto them. The elder just shook her head and smiled; she didn’t have the heart to scold her especially with how worried she was. “Go easy on’em Tiny” she thought before going inside.

“You did it Wyatt! You found her! Thank you! Th-Thank you!” she expressed as tears streamed down her cheeks.

“No need to thank me Wynter; I’d find anyone no matter what” he smiled and wiped some of her tears away. Still, she showered him with gratitude by licking his face relentlessly.

Eventually she stopped and let him go to focus solely on her best friend. Willa could fell the desperation in her grip; the fear that if she’d let go…she’d disappear again. “Willa…I was so worried about you. I…I thought you’d never come back” she whispered.

Tears started forming in her eyes when she heard that. To think that she allowed those thoughts to take her mind to such an unfathomable place…it disgusted her to no end. Not only did they hurt her, they hurt her family as well. “I’m so sorry Wynter…I didn’t mean to” she whined.

Wynter backed up a little bit so she could see her alpha’s puffy face, and this time she didn’t try to hide it. She licked her tears away and assured, “It’s okay, I know it wasn’t you. I’m just glad you’re back safe and sound.”

“Y-Yep” she choked out, but a small smile soon appeared. “You’re stuck with me no matter what” and she lovingly licked her forehead.

“And I’m more than okay with that” Wynter grinned and nuzzled underneath her chin for a while before all of them walked inside hand in hand. A fervor of activity rang throughout the den as everyone prepared for dinner. They could smell aged moose and deer meat down the hall as well as something sweet yet herbal.

“Elder Wanbli and Elder Walden must be making tiallusa for us” Wyatt ventured.

“Yeah, I could go for a cup of that. And a nice grooming too” Willa replied as she looked at her dirty skin.

“Yep, we’ll need to look our best when we see Addison tonight” he agreed.

“Wait, what? You guys are going to see Addison!? Can I come?” Wynter begged.

“Of course you can. I was actually going to ask who wanted to come after dinner. I’m…I’m going to tell everyone everything” she revealed. Her friend knowingly nodded and gave her a reassuring lick on the cheek.

Wyatt smiled and said, “C’mon, let’s wash up for dinner.”

“Sounds good to me” she replied and they went down the corridor. As they walked down the hallway, which ever pack mates the siblings saw gave them gentle head ruffles and shoulder pats – their subdued way of welcoming them back; they gratefully returned each gesture. When they arrived at the water room, they saw Big Mama cleaning off the pups. Their little eyes widened when they saw them.

“ALPHA! BETA!” they shouted, but she held her arm out to stop them.

“Nuh uh, don’t even try it” she shook her head.

“Aww, c’mon Big Mama. Can’t we at least hug them?” Gnaw asked.

“Nope, because I know your hugs would instantly turn into tackles. Tell me I’m lyin’” she dared and they couldn’t refute that.

The co-leaders chuckled at that and went over to ruffle their heads; they giggled under the soft caresses. “You have no idea how happy I am to see your smiling faces. I’m sorry if I worried you” Willa apologized.

“That’s okay. It’s just that you’ve never been gone so long before” Wylie voiced.

“But we know everyone needs alone time sometimes” Wanda assured.

“…Yeah. Like big cuz or Setow” Kraw quietly compared.

“You’re right lil’ pupkins, but we all help out each other when we need it. Just like Walden helps out his nephew, and you help out your cuz lil’ Mash” she replied and everyone nodded at that.

“On that note, I might need your guys’ help with a secret mission tonight” Willa revealed.

“Ooh! What is it?” Wylan asked.

“I’ll tell you while we eat. I promise.”

“Then c’mon guys! Let’s help set up” he ordered and they left the room. Big Mama just laughed and gave Willa a knowing pat on her shoulder before following after them.

“If they’re this excited now, they’ll be bouncing off the walls in a minute” Wyatt grinned.

“Yep!” Wynter chuckled and they washed up.

By the time they returned to the main area the pups and most of the teens were already seated – including two older gentle-wolves who stood up once they saw the young leaders.

“Huzzah! There you are!” one of the males beamed as his ruby-red eyes shone with pure mirth. He wore a fitted black vest that had short coattails on the back. It meshed nicely with the black-silver pelted barbarian kilt he wore and leather wrist decoration that almost resembled cuff-links. White and tawny fur adorned the collar – fitfully matching the teeth buttons used to close it. His short brown/slightly reddish hair was styled into a somewhat messy pompadour that tapered at the ends; the pack’s signature white patch was on the back of his head. A perfectly quaffed handlebar mustache sat upon his soft-featured, chestnut colored face – emphasizing his jovial dimples and the few chocolate-chip freckles on them. His slightly athletic frame towered quite a few centimeters over his wilder looking companion.

A few wrinkles on his cinnamon skin belied the strong muscles on his sharp, slender body. His short, umber vest was clasped together with leather straps and a single gold ring, leaving more of his scarred torso exposed. Red strips of cloth were tied around his wrists. His kilt was comprised of different pelts, creating a magnificent collage. A tan leather belt with two detachable satchels encircled his waist. Vibrant, straight deep brown hair cascaded over his shoulders with a single white jagged band going behind his left ear. His angular face was framed at the bottom by a long, neatly trimmed goatee. Though his slanted eyebrows and green pupils gave him a threatening countenance, the pack knew his heart was as golden as the ring he wore. Both of them had rectangular moonstones that blended beautifully with their stone-fang beaded necklaces. They sported two painted purple claw symbols to resemble a circle underneath their right eyes as well as a singular matching onyx earring.

The mustached wolf hugged them and said, “Good tidings to you two, I’m glad to see that you’re alright! Especially you my dear.”

“Thank you Elder Wanbli” Willa smiled and he let them go. Soon the wilder wolf was upon them, looking them over with his golden wolfed-out eyes.

“Sit” he commanded with a deep, yet unintentionally sultry voice.

They did as they were told and sat against the painted wall that originally caught Addison’s attention. He sniffed them and examined their hands and feet. “Hmm… mamittuk and tulurk please.”

“Righty-o” Wanbli heeded his order and dug into a large leather bag that was next to them; he pulled out two ceramic containers and a spoon. “Alrighty young ones, open wide” he ordered as he stirred the mamittuk. They followed his order and he put a healthy portion of the healing concoction in their mouths. While they ate that, the wild elder gently rubbed a red goo onto the soles of their hands and feet until it was fully absorbed. They contentedly hummed – relishing the soothing sensation it provided.

“Hold still” he told them and proceed to press down on certain spots of their body. They whined for a moment until overwhelming relief flooded their no longer sore bodies. Satisfied with the results, he grabbed two cups filled with a sweet herbal drink. “Drink” he said and handed it to them. They sipped on the remedying liquid and instantly perked up. “How do you feel?”

“Amazing! Thank you Elder Walden” Willa praised. “Yes, thank you” Wyatt echoed.

He showed them a small, fanged smile and the healing elders sat near the base of the stairs. Just in time too for an oddly accented yet mature voice bellowed, “Begging your pardon!”

A moment later Wen, Wei and Warren appeared with the giant meat board. Right behind them was a seasoned female werewolf carrying an equally large platter filled to the brim by herself. A rich eggplant purple skin-tight hooded sleeveless shirt adorned her slim yet imposing body. It was complemented splendidly with an orange sash and a skirt composed of different pelts that went just below her knees, and had a high slit on the left side. Underneath were a pair of black shorts, magnifying the sprinter legs she had developed over the years. She had the same complexion and fur color as her granddaughter, though her white streak of hair was on the opposite side of her head. A single jade earring adorned her left ear while three claws marks that mimicked an arrowhead were painted underneath the corresponding eye. Her coffee-brown hair was French-braided into three long braids. Though a few crow’s feet were near her brown eyes, it didn’t lessen the tender look she possessed.

“Yes, very nice! Thank you gentle-wolves” the elder graciously addressed her helpers.

“You got it Elder Warrick” Wei replied and the trio took their seats. Before she sat next to the other elders, she gave everyone an affectionate head rub and scratched her granddaughter’s favorite spot behind her right ear.

Only two wolves were missing from their dinner gathering, but they didn’t have to wait long for’em. Soon they heard their footsteps as well as a clack of a cane. Big Mama entered the main area with her gargantuan mate by her side. He was well over two and a half meters tall with a slightly rotund stature reminiscent of a gladiator. He wore a long-sleeved red tunic with gold stitching at the base, and wide black-braided leather belt. Underneath were soft, tan trousers. His weathered dark chocolate-colored head was crowned with long, jet-black dreads that splayed across his broad shoulders. Combined with his wild beard that were tied into little braids at some ends it bore a striking resemblance to a lion’s mane. A matching sapphire earring gleamed in the midst of all that hair. Underneath his right eye was the exact painted mark of his mate.

The pack respectfully moved out of the way while he used blue stone and bone cane to help him walk. Once they reached the rest of the elders, he looked over the crowd with his warm sable eyes. In a commanding yet mollifying voice he praised, “My family! Let us give thanks for this bountiful food! And let us also give thanks for our restored health!”

Everyone howled their gratitude, though Willa remained quiet through it all. As she watched everyone sing their song, she made eye contact with the elder chief. He smiled and gave her a small nod before adding his voice to the vocal orchestra. The alpha appreciated the fact that he didn’t make a big scene over her return, but knew that it was now or never. She took a deep breath to steel her nerves and stood up just as they finished.

“Elders. Pack mates. I’m…I’m sorry for running off. I…I had a lot stuff on my mind, and I didn’t want to burden anyone with it. I thought I could handle it on own, but I couldn’t. I…I thought it made me weak when I couldn’t, but now I know that it doesn’t” and she got few understanding nods. “If I ever need help…I’ll ask. I-If that’s alright.”

“Of course!” “Why wouldn’t it be?” “Whatever you need, we got your back” were a few of the affirmative responses she received. More tears threatened to escape, but she managed to keep them at bay. “So…if it’s alright, I’d like to tell you how we got our moonstone back. As well as…something else.”

“Well color me intrigued” Wanbli smiled.

“Yes, I do enjoy a riveting tale while I eat” Warrick added.

“Then let us fill our plates and hear this surely stunning recount” Worion spoke and used his cane to ease himself down to the floor.

“Oh you have no idea” Willa thought. Plates filled with moose and deer meat were passed around like a conveyor belt until everyone had a sizable serving.

“Alright, here goes”she thought and told them everything in regards to retrieving the moonstone and the assistance Addison provided. All the elders except for Usawa were so enthralled by the harrowing story that they only ate a little bit of their food.

“They sprayed you with colloidal silver!?” Walden snarled.

“Yeah, but as soon as we got home Willie and Willow made plenty of saluyagak for the pack to drink. All the poison is out of our systems” Willa assured and they sighed in relief.

“Good…that’s good” he sighed in relief. “Still…I wasn’t expecting to hear all that.”

“Indeed…a human rallying everyone to help retrieve our sacred moonstone? Unbelievable” Wanbli marveled.

“Thank God all of you are alright!” Warrick exclaimed as she looked over the faces that could’ve been lost in that tunnel.

“Truly. We are extremely fortunate that no other lives were lost” Worion agreed, but still had a puzzled look in his eye. “…Though it is odd.”

“What is Smithy?” Warrick asked.

“I find it peculiar that those former humans could be mutated so easily with a little carbonated citrus beverage and our stone. And why wouldn’t the unaffected humans try to find the mysterious energy source to make sure that the catastrophe didn’t happen again?” he questioned.

“They most likely wanted to bury it and forget it. Just like they did with the history of this region” Walden scowled.

“…Perhaps. Even so I’m glad that in this present time they put aside their differences to rectify an overdue wrong.”

“All that darkness gotta come to light someday. And that Addison girl was spark that started the revealin' fire” Usawa added as she scarfed down another chunk of meat.

“…You’re unusually calm. I’m guessing you know the whole story already?” he asked his mate.

“Sho' do, and the rest’s a doozy lemme tell you. Actually I won’t, Honey Bee is about too” she clarified.

When she said that the elders ravenously ate their meal before they were paralyzed by undoubtedly more amazement. Though some of the pack were understandably confused.

“What else happened alpha?” one wolf asked.

“Yeah, did something happen after that earthquake?”

“You could say that” she replied and told them about Addison undertaking the alpha trials and her transforming into a werewolf. Wyatt and pups chimed how she passed the trial of respect while Row explicitly recounted her hunting trial as well as their time in Tamuialuk. “That being said, because she defeated a cougar in battle, for my last decree I proclaim that Addison Elizabeth Wells has completed the combat trial and has successfully completed the alpha trials” she deemed.

“REALLY?! YAAAY! ALRIGHT!” the pups cheered. The wolves that already knew about her tests let out overjoyed yips as well.

But Wyatt was hung up on couple words in Willa’s proclamation. “…Last decree?” he mentally repeated.

He wasn’t the only one in contemplative shock. Everyone else was in the same stunned state; if their jaws could’ve hit the ground they would’ve. There was just so much to digest. Addison passed the hardest trial on her first day?! She took down a moose and a cougar?! She’s a werewolf!?

But Walden addressed one very crucial detail. “Alpha…if I am comprehending this correctly, this werewolf/human hybrid sustained critical injuries from a cougar and was examined by a human doctor?! And she has rapid yet unpredictable healing abilities?! How could you wait so long to divulge this critical information?!” he snarled.

Willa cowered a bit under his harsh tone.

“Now hold up Walden!” Usawa intervened. “Honey and the pack took care of her as best they could before takin’ her back home. And they were right by her side at that human hospital. Besides, you and Wanbli were in no condition to heal anyone when we got back. Shoot, our fur hasn’t even grown in yet!”

“I am aware of that Usawa, but the fact of the matter is that there’s an injured werewolf that may have been misdiagnosed! And you know that does not sit well with me whatsoever! Alpha!”

“Y-Yes?” she whimpered.

“Once you are done eating take me to this Addison child immediately!” he ordered and left the main area with his medicine bag in hand.

“…Oh dear. Don’t worry young one, I’ll go talk to him. Though I’d better tag along as well. Once he gets like this all sense of decorum flies the nest. We definitely can’t have him undoing all the hard work Addison and the pack have done in regards to building a bridge between us and the humans so to speak” Wanbli remarked and followed after him.

Willa stared at the corridor entrance and let out small whine. “Willa” Worion spoke and she looked at him. “Do not take Walden’s response to heart.”

“…It’s not just that. I’m…I’m not deserving to be the alpha anymore” she admitted, causing everyone to gasp.