It felt like the entire population of Seabrook was packed into the small waiting area of the emergency room. Wyatt knew it was an exaggeration, but not by much. Mayar was sharing a chair with him, sitting across his lap with her arms draped softly around his shoulders. If he had it his way, she would never be further than an arm's width away from him again. As he considered this, he felt her head lean into the nape of his neck, and she sighed. He could tell that she was tired, and he squeezed her gently.

Next to Wyatt and Mayar were two of the Lunite Elders, Ayla and Badru, whom he had not met before tonight. They looked to be in their early forties, and were surveying their surroundings with expressions that were friendly yet concerned. This was not exactly the way they had hoped their people would be revealing themselves to the community of Seabrook.

Beside Ayla and Badru were Aruna, Qamar and Bucky. Bucky seemed to have fallen asleep, head rolled back against the wall behind his plastic chair and mouth hanging open as he snored quietly. Next to him were Mayor Missy and Chief Dale, and two other city council members, all looking equal parts confused and sleep deprived. Wynter, Willa, and Eliza were standing with their backs against the wall. Wynter looked tense, eyes darting back and forth between the various people that filled the room. Willa had an arm resting loosely around Eliza's waist, and Eliza was leaning her head against the werewolf's shoulder.

Rounding out the unique group were Bree, Bonzo, and three z-patrol officers, who had helped to transport most of them from the scene of the fire to the hospital. Two empty chairs sat next the the officers, waiting for Addison and Zed to be discharged from the emergency room.

Wyatt glanced at the clock, surprised to see that it was already four in the morning. Zed and Addison should have been here by now. He glanced to Mayar, who met his eyes with a mirrored look of concern. Maybe Zed's shoulder was worse off than they had assumed. He had figured that the doctors would just have to check him over. Well, and give him a new brace to replace the one he'd wrecked tackling Charon. Totally worth it, Wyatt thought, as he recalled the satisfying sound of the alien's skull thudding hard against the ground. He grinned at the memory.

Then, Mayar nudged Wyatt gently in the side.

"Starlight is coming up the hall," she said, brows turning down lightly. "But Zed isn't with her."

As she had predicted, Addison rounded the corner. She didn't look at all like her normal self, with her messy hair and reddened eyes. The quiet murmuring amongst the group ceased instantly, and everyone seemed to look up at her expectantly.

"Sorry it took me so long to get here," Addison said. Her voice rough, though Wyatt wasn't sure whether it was due to emotion, or the earlier smoke inhalation.

"Zed is in the intensive care unit." She continued. "There were... some complications."

"What? What complications?" Said a suddenly concerned Eliza.

Addison cleared her throat, looking suddenly furious as her expression darkened. "The ambulance tech gave him morphine."

There was a collective gasp from the zombies and Addison's parents, while the rest of the group continued to stare at her blankly. Wyatt had no idea what that meant, but it clearly wasn't anything good.

"Oh my goodness!" Said Addison's mom. "Is he alright?"

"He's going to be fine." Addison assured everyone, though Bonzo and Eliza were shooting each other nearly panicked glances. "But he's going to need constant monitoring for the next few hours, so they admitted him. His dad just got here, and he's in the room with him now. And once Zed's been stabilized, he's going to be having surgery."

Bonzo actually groaned at this, and Bree wrapped both arms around him comfortingly. From what Wyatt knew, it was extremely rare for a zombie to ever require surgery, since they healed so quickly. His injury must have been pretty severe.

"His collarbone is broken into two sections. They're going to have to put it back together with a metal plate. Apparently, he'll be the first zombie patient ever to have a bone repaired surgically."

"Holy moonstone." Wyatt gulped.

"All that being said," Addison continued, taking on a suddenly businesslike tone, "I'd like to get back to him as soon as possible. So, let's get this meeting up and running."

With that, she walked across the room to her parents, hugging them quickly before taking her seat in one of the empty chairs. As a cheerleader, he knew that Addison was good at compartmentalizing so that she could perform well during cheer routines. Wyatt was certain that it was also an ability she had been forced to cultivate, over a lifetime of having to work so hard to blend in with the other humans. He admired her ability to maintain a cool head, because even Wyatt couldn't completely tamp down the worry he felt for his friend. He felt a slight pressure as Mayar's grip briefly tightened on his hand. She was worried, too.

Even without a reciprocal ability to read minds, Wyatt found he was becoming pretty good at reading her. He liked that.

Addison gazed expectantly to Mayar, who nodded after a short moment.

Rapidly disentangling herself from his grasp, Mayar stood and attempted to straighten her wrinkled outfit before addressing the room.

"Hello, everyone." She said, smiling sweetly towards Addison's parents and the other humans in the room. "Most of you know me, but for those of you who don't, my name is Mayar. These are my friends, Qamar and Aruna." She gestured towards the two Lunites, who both smiled and offered nods of greeting. Qamar nudged Bucky, who jolted awake with a yelp.

"And these," Mayar continued, stifling a smile, "Are our elders, Elder Ayla and Elder Badru. They are two of our leaders, and they are here to introduce our people to all of you."

At this, the two Elders stood. Elder Ayla smiled warmly at Dale and Missy.

"Hello," She said, in the undulating, warbling voice that Wyatt now associated with all Lunites. "My name is Ayla, and I am honored and happy to meet you all. Of course, I had hoped it would be under more pleasant circumstances."

Ayla moved forward to where Addison's parents and the council members sat, and gently grasped each of their hands in her own.

Mayor Missy, ever the politician, stood to greet her with a friendly smile. Wyatt couldn't tell if it was genuine or not.

"I am pleased to meet you as well, Ayla. As mayor of Seabrook, I am very interested to hear what you all have to tell us." Missy glanced towards the assorted Lunites in the room, her gaze resting for a brief moment upon each head of white hair. Despite the supposed pleasantries, Wyatt saw that she was nervous as her gaze finally came to rest on Addison. Her white-haired daughter.

"Well, as I'm sure you have already realized, there are a few of us gathered here this morning who look rather different than the rest of you." She gestured good-naturedly at her own cascading waves of snowy hair. "This is because we are a different species. We call ourselves Lunites. Our people came here from the moon that orbits this planet long, long ago. In simpler terms, we are what you would probably call 'aliens.'"

At this, Wyatt watched as the mayor and her husband's mouths both dropped open at the exact same time. The council members and z-patrol officers all wore similar expressions of shock.

"Aliens?" Chief Dale managed. "You're... aliens?"

Ayla nodded. "Yes. However, we have lived on this planet for hundreds of years. We live beneath the ground, in our system of caves and tunnels. But we have always watched and observed the people Above, and hoped that one day we might all be able to live in peace alongside one another."

At this, Badru spoke up as well. "In fact, one of us has lived amongst you for some time. His name is Charon; but you all know him as Charles Moon."

Missy visibly paled at this, and Badru gave her a slightly sympathetic glance as he continued to speak. "He has gained great wealth and power during his time above, and we now know that he has become dangerous as well."

At this statement, there were looks of bewilderment and confusion on the faces of the city council members, but Badru spoke on. "He is currently in possession of a second moonstone. We do not know what his plans are for it, but we are certain that it is nothing good. Especially since he has already attempted to kill several young ones tonight, by setting fire to a Seabrook home."

Wyatt heard a soft crackling sound, and looked down to see Addison's dad clenching his fist so hard that it caused his knuckles to pop. Wyatt felt a similar wave of hot rage rolling over him for the briefest second, until he felt the reassuring pressure of Mayar's hand on his shoulder.

Missy silently slid her hand over Dale's as they listened to the Lunite elders. He couldn't imagine what had was going through their minds at this moment. Surely they were now putting together the fact that their daughter was part alien. What would this mean for his friend?

"Luckily, Charles Moon is now in your custody." Ayla interjected, "and with one of our people assisting your officers in guarding him, we should be able to keep him safely away from everyone else until the moonstone is located."

"My officers should be more than capable of holding him." Chief Dale replied, looking as though he wasn't sure he wanted an unknown alien taking over his officers' duties. "Besides, I've known Charles for years, and I've never seen him so much as raise his voice. What is it that makes your people think he's so dangerous? I haven't even got any evidence that he set the fire tonight."

Ayla and Badru exchanged glances before she continued to speak.

"Well, like every different species, we Lunites have our own unique skills and abilities. Zombies, for example, have enhanced strength and speed. Our skills are slightly different, though. Lunites have the abilities to hear the thoughts and feel the emotions of others. Some of us are also skilled at manipulating these emotions. Charon, in fact, is particularly skilled at manipulating and controlling others, in order to get them to do what he wants."

Mayor Missy's hand tightened it's grip over her husband's fist.

"This is why it is essential to have a Lunite posted near him. One of us will be able to prevent him from escaping, or causing harm to others."

"Elders," Qamar stated, causing multiple heads to swivel in his direction. "I can take first watch."

Bucky was instantly shaking his head in a frantic 'no' motion, but Elder Ayla nodded.

"Thank you, Qamar. You may go once this meeting is concluded; I'm sure that our new friend, Chief Dale, will inform his officers that they should expect you." Elder Ayla smiled as she looked back towards the chief of z-patrol.

Arching an eyebrow, Chief Dale sighed and nodded, quickly pulling out his cellphone and punching a quick message across the screen. Wyatt glanced back to Qamar, only to see that he was having a quiet but intense discussion with Bucky. It seemed as though the school president was very concerned about the Lunite's safety.

What, were they suddenly best friends now or something?

Elder Badru cleared his throat, and the room became silent once again as Elder Ayla continued.

"Now that Charon has been discussed, We can return to the subject at hand. As we stated, it has long been our goal to eventually meet and befriend the people Above, when the time was right. We have seen how well integration has gone here, with the human's acceptance of zombies and werewolves into the community of Seabrook. For this reason, we have decided that it is now time for us to reveal ourselves, and to join you in the Above."

There was a short stretch of absolute silence as the humans seemed to ponder this information.

Wyatt watched the moment teeter, casting glances back and forth between the mayor and the Lunite elders. He couldn't read Mayor Missy's face, and for a moment, he couldn't help but feel concern twisting his insides.

What if she reacted badly?

He vividly remembered a time, not so long ago, when that had been exactly the case.

Wyatt stood outside of City Hall in his powder blue Seabrook Power coverall, listening to the townspeople. They panicked at the idea of werewolves lurking near their precious community. He was there to gather intel in an inconspicuous fashion, and the coverall and thick glasses served as an excellent disguise. He leaned casually against the wall near the door, using his superior hearing to zone in on the voice of the person he believed to be the alpha.

"Mom, Dad, everything is fine." Said the white-haired girl, sounding exasperated.

"Everything is not fine!" An older male voice interjected. "There are werewolves circling us right now, waiting to attack!"

"Yeah," replied another male voice. "And I'm way too tasty. I'm always looking like a snack."

Wyatt rolled his eyes at the young man's ridiculous comment. As if he'd ever be interested in eating a human. Gross.

"Somebody has to do something!" The younger male continued.

"And someone will." Said an authoritative female voice. Wyatt sniffed at the air, recognizing the scent of authority in her tone. This woman was clearly the one in charge of things around here. He heard a slight shuffling and the thudding sound of a bag being thrust into someone's hands.

"Hold my purse." She said with grim determination, and he listened as the female alpha's pointy shoes clicked towards the front of the large space. There was a sound like a heavy piece of wood being struck repeatedly against a hard surface. Suddenly, her voice boomed over the mingled voices, amplified magically as he winced and cupped his hands over his ears.

"BY ORDER OF CITY COUNCIL," She said in her unnaturally loud voice, "EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, ALL ANTI-MONSTER LAWS ARE REINSTATED!"

The room erupted into a blend of spattered applause and worried discussions. This woman, this leader, was clearly not someone who believed the zombies of her community to be her equal. And apparently, she felt the same way about his kind.

The words had stung at Wyatt's heart.

How could the people of Seabrook hate wolves so much, when they didn't even know them?

Mayor Missy cleared her throat and straightened her shoulders, causing Wyatt to snap back to the present. He was about to find out if she still felt the same about monsters, or if she had truly changed.

Then, as he watched, Missy extended both hands, grasping Ayla's and shaking them firmly within her own. Her husband and the other two council members stood as well, smiling.

"Lunites," Mayor Missy said, "On behalf of our fine city, welcome to Seabrook. The more the merrier, I always say. I'm sure that you will love being a part of our community, just as much as we will love having you in it."

Wyatt felt his mouth hanging open, and quickly snapped it shut as the room filled with the sounds of greetings and exchanged handshakes.

It couldn't be that easy. Could it?

"Apparently," Mayar said, grinning as she watched the adults exchange pleasantries. "It is. Missy meant what she said."

"I... Honestly can't believe it." Wyatt said, running a hand through his head with a sigh of relief as the room broke into a series of small, quiet conversations. "Things really have changed around here. For the better."

"Yes," she said fondly. "They really have. I never expected this level of acceptance from Starlight's parents, or the other humans for that matter. Of course, some humans may not feel so accepting of us once this story shows up in their televisions and newspapers tomorrow morning."

She looked slightly crestfallen at this, and Wyatt frowned.

"Mayar," He said gently, reaching up and running a thumb along her cheekbone. "How could anyone who met you not love you right away?"

Wyatt felt his throat grow suddenly dry as he realized what he'd said.

Oh, bones.

His hand froze in place where it rested, cupping her face as he became a statue of tension. He'd been so careful not to say or even think the "L" word around her. He didn't want to scare her away with the intensity of his emotions. They'd only known each other for a couple of weeks!

Of course he loved her. It was impossible not to. He was pretty certain he'd loved her since the moment he woke up in the Crater and looked up at those shimmering green eyes. In fact, he loved her so much that he could barely imagine a life without her in it, now. It had all happened so fast, and now he couldn't live without this beautiful, white haired alien at his side.

He felt the blood drain from his face, knowing that she was hearing each lovesick thought now pouring out of his brain as the floodgates he'd been holding in place spilled forward.

"Mayar," Wyatt gasped, his voice cracking with worry and embarrassment. "I—"

She pulled at his arm, then, quickly spiriting them out of the waiting area and into the dimly lit hallway. Once they had rounded the corner into the secluded hall, Wyatt braved a glance at her face. To his astonishment and relief, she did not look horrified or angry, as he'd fully expected her to.

She looked... oh.

Before he could process it, her lips were crashing into his with fervor, and he was responding with equal enthusiasm. The world seemed to blur at the edges, and for a moment he forgot about all of the chaos awaiting them in the room around the corner. They stayed like this, intertwined for several long moments.

It was paradise, and a spark of hope ignited within his heart.

"Wyatt," she said, pulling back at him and giggling sweetly. Everything about her was sweet.

"I love you, too." She said earnestly." I hadn't said anything because I didn't want to rush you. You are the only person for me. Ever."

He blinked, his chest feeling more full of joy than it ever had.

"You... You love me? Really?" He said, releasing a small laugh of his own.

"How," she asked as she echoed his own words, "could anyone who met you not love you right away?" She leaned in again. This kiss was less heated than before. This kiss was instead filled with love and life, and promise for the future.

And there, in the dimly lit hallway of the Seabrook Medical Emergency Room, Wyatt's existence changed. His heart no longer belonged to him. His heart now fully belonged to the Lunite standing before him.

His love.

His mate.