She thinks about that day a lot. The day she met a wolf in the woods.

The same woods she finds herself drawn to at every opportunity she gets. Taking the alternate path brushing the edge of it on her way to school. And still, not a single sign of the mysterious werewolf or his piercing golden eyes.

Fall frosts over into winter.

And this winter has not been forgiving, much harsher than past years. She worries how he's managing. She guesses that food must be scarcer this time of year, maybe more now than ever before. Not to mention how cold it is out there. She assumes there are other wolves in his pack, right? Do they have younger pups with them? Her worry heightens.

What if they're freezing? Starving?! She can't let that happen.

She quickly starts gathering supplies for them. Shoving a couple of blankets into an oversized woven basket then piling any fruits and veggies they had in the house on top, along with a loaf of bread because her parents would probably let it go to waste anyways. It's better off going to someone who needs it.

She bundles up to leave, lifting the basket and heading out the door before her parents notice and question her. But as soon as she's out the door she stops.

How is she going to get this stuff to him? Do werewolves migrate for the winter like ducks? No, that's dumb. She internally scolds herself. But even if he is still around, she doesn't even know his name to call out to him!

She shakes off the doubts and just heads for the woods. When she reaches the edge, she sets the basket down. Standing upright and taking a moment to look around, hoping to catch some sign of movement in the barren, snowy wilderness. But there's not even a single bird singing at the top of the trees. It's eerily quiet.

A shiver runs down her spine, she figures because of the cold. Her arms wrap around herself for extra warmth, glancing from side-to-side in case she missed something but sighs when she still sees nothing. Turning on her heels, she makes the trek through the snow covered streets back home.

Under the protective gaze of brown eyes watching her leave.


The next morning when she passes on her way to school, she watches for the basket, expecting to either see it untouched or ravaged by animals. When she finally spots the wicker, at first glance, it looks untouched as she'd expected. But as she gets closer, she realizes the food is gone.

She stops in her tracks, gasping before her feet are carrying her off the beaten path into the crunching snow.

As she gets closer, her eyes scan the area for clues. She wants to be sure it was actually the werewolves and not just an animal stealing the food. But the idea quickly leaves her thoughts when a little bundle of winter flowers is the first thing to catch her sight. The memory of a fanged smile calling her 'Little Flower' rang in her ears.

After staring at the delicate petals for a few long seconds, she gingerly picks up the stems and holds them to her chest before lifting her gaze to scan the scarcely covered trees in front of her. Hoping she'd spot the wolf she had dreams of seeing again but there's no sign of him.

It wasn't hard to tell though that it was definitely the wolves who'd taken the resources she'd left for them, several tracks of boot prints carved through the snow heading back into the woods as proof. One last scan across the snowy woods and she lets out a sigh. They're gone. But she holds her head high knowing she helped them. Even just a little bit.

She isn't too far from home yet, she can take the basket back to refill later and set back out. So, with flowers in one hand and the basket hoisted into the other, she makes the short hike back home. She tucks the basket out of sight in case her parents get home before her today and grabs a vase from under the sink, the perfect vessel to hold the gift she'd been left, and places it on the counter.

Propping herself on the marble, she takes a second to admire the flowers, brown hair with a white streak flashes across her mind. She absently wonders if the white in his hair means anything.

Maybe if she could just ask him…

The beep of her phone jerks her out of the thought. She pulls it out and curses under her breath. Bree texted her because she's late. She'll have to worry about the wolves later.


As the weeks pass, Addison's drop-offs continue like clock work. She leaves the basket in the evening, the pack has it emptied before morning. But she never once spots the elusive creatures of the forest. Her bouquet however continues to grow. A sure sign that it's him leading his pack to her offerings.

She smiles as she adds the bright purple berry branches into the arrangement. It was such a unique mix that accentuated the best of winter's beauty. She's grown to appreciate nature so much in the past few months.

"My, my!" Addison jumps at the unexpected interruption of her mother's voice. "You've been gathering quite the collection lately!" Missy says as she hides her suspicion with cheerfulness. Addison gulps, knowing that's not going to be the end of her prying. And sure enough, "Where've you been getting them? Got a new admirer I should know about?" She wiggled her brows at her daughter. Addison knows her mother is hoping that's the case. She's never been a fan of Zed after all.

But the only thing running through her mind is 'LIE.'

"Oh! Um, I've just been picking them up on the edge of the barrier! Some of the zombies have been really getting good with their gardening along the Seabrook side!" She says with a nervous laugh.

Her mother's eyes are scrutinizing. She can almost feel herself cracking under her own lie. But then the mayor turns and fluffs the bundle of pretty flowers before giving Addison a smile.

"Well they are definitely a lovely display. I'm glad the zombies are finding more…human…hobbies to occupy their time." She adds the snotty remark, as if any more 'zombie-esque' hobbies would be frowned upon.

The comment boils Addison's blood but she just purses her lips to not reply. All it will do is start an argument she can't win. She's said everything she possibly could over the last few years to try and change her parents' minds, to make them understand, but they never budge.

Missy shrugs cutely with a tight lipped smile before she spins on her heels and saunters off. Addison glares after her but keeps her mouth shut. She couldn't let her figure out that she was helping werewolves. That would open a whole can of worms she did not want to argue about.

Humans or monsters, it didn't matter. They all deserve to be shown kindness. If only her parents could see all the good she was doing, all the people she was trying to help.

But she can't get her hopes up. So instead, she gets up from her seat and gathers another basket full of food and supplies for her next drop off. At least the wolves will appreciate her efforts.


Winter thaws into spring.

Green returns to the trees and the sounds of life fill the forest once again. There's no need for Addison's weekly routine anymore. The wolves won't need blankets for warmth or human food to keep their bellies full anymore. They can survive without her help now that winter has passed.

But she can't help the draw she feels towards the woods. The draw to finally see him again. To make sure he and his family are doing well, of course.

So, she goes into the woods, willing herself to get lost again in hopes that a certain werewolf will show himself. Hopefully without her life being in danger this time.

It's not long before she is lost. She's not sure if she'd passed that tree, and that cluster of bushes looks oddly familiar, but then again she feels a comforting presence in her moment of vulnerability.

"Hello?" She calls, whipping her head around.

"Hello, Little Flower."

Addison spins forward again. The rugged werewolf she'd been searching for suddenly there, smirking at her. She stares with wide eyes as he closes the last few feet between them. This is the moment she'd been wishing for for months. His brows knit but his eyes are curious.

"What are you doing out here? You know how dangerous it can be." His smirk telling her he's teasing. She snaps out of her daze.

"I needed to see you again." She blurts out. His brows jump in surprise then his wolfish smirk returns, making her realize what she'd just admitted. "To see how you fared through the winter!" She quickly corrected, then adding, "You and your family." His smile seems to brighten, eyes sparkling with something she couldn't put her finger on but made her heart begin to race.

"We thrived this winter," he said, leaning in, looking around as if he's about to tell her a secret. "Thanks to someone leaving us baskets of food and supplies every other week." She can't help but giggle as pink stains her cheeks.

Then he takes another step closer, his hand sliding into hers. She feels the sharp edge of his claws graze across her palm, sending a chill down her spine. But she was far from afraid. His hold on it is oh so gentle before he gives her hand a firm squeeze in his grasp. Her eyes snap up to meet his intensely warm brown eyes.

"Really, thank you." He tells her sincerely.

Something flares in her chest. She drops her eyes to their entwined hands to catch her shaky breath, then peeking back up at him through her lashes.

If there is something she could or should say, she can't find the words. But the way he's looking at her tells her she doesn't have to. It's a comforting silence. As if he already knew. As if he'd known her for much longer than just their short encounter last fall.

Feeling a little awkward still holding onto his hand, she finally pulls it away to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "It was nothing! Anyone would have done the same." She shrugs, trying to play it casual. The laugh her statement pulls from him, however, has her wide eyed and a blushing mess all over again.

"No. No they wouldn't have." He argues with a confident smirk. Her mouth opens to counter him but her brain can't formulate any kind of logical response as an argument.

"Well, I, um, I'm just glad I could help." She finally decides on. Her whisper seems to stretch his smirk and he takes her hand with a light tug.

"Come with me, I wanna show you something." He says while gently leading her across the unbeaten path. A path he's gone a million times, he knows the way without even looking.

She's sure he's slowed down basically to snail speed for her to keep up. He's so attentive to pointing out when to watch her step or holding branches out of the way. And when she passes by him so closely, it's hard to pull her eyes away from his.

What is this pull she feels towards him? Towards these woods? The pull into the unknown. It feels so freeing to explore between each tree, to feel the dirt give way beneath the sole of her shoes. When she was out here, the only eyes watching offered no judgement. No criticism.

Even though she's been making strides because of the zombies showing her it's ok to be different, she still feels her self-consciousness rear its ugly head every time she goes out without her wig on. But here, here she doesn't have to hide who she is. Away from Seabrook.

So consumed in her own thoughts, she doesn't even realize they stop.

Wyatt watches her carefully as she finally comes back into the present. It's easy to see the shift in her eyes as she is drawn out of her daze.

She'd been daydreaming the last stretch and he finds his fondness for the white haired girl bloom even more in his chest as he watches her. The trust she must have in him to get so lost in thought. The innocence she still possesses to be able to do so.

"Whoa," Addison muses at the grand opening into the side of the cliff, markings that seem to almost glow etched across the walls. "What is this place?"

Wyatt smirks, his chest puffing with pride. "Home."


Spring smolders into summer.

And Addison hasn't been as present as she used to be. Zed started noticing how she'd opt out of the group hangouts more and more often, until she just stopped going all together. But it's not until she started turning him down for dates that he starts to worry.

Luckily, today is the last day of school. They'll have plenty of free time to spend together.

So, just like always, Zed waits at her locker after the final bell. He spots her almost immediately when she rounds the corner talking to Bree. He stands up from leaning against the cold metal and shakes the nerves from his shoulders. It felt weird being so nervous to ask Addison out again but with her seemingly 'anti-social' habits lately, he can't help it.

When she finally turns to look where she's going, her eyes land on him beside her locker. The way her smile brightens that little bit more makes his shoulders relax and he sighs with his own smile of relief.

See? Everything is fine!

He sees her say goodbye to Bree with a hug before bouncing towards him, wrapping her arms around his neck as soon as she's close enough. And he is more than happy to hug her back.

"Hey!" She greets cheerfully as she pulls back.

"Hey." He replies breathlessly, his mouth suddenly dry as a bone.

Addison turns away to get her gym bag out of her locker, completely unaware of the inner turmoil of nervousness still bubbling in his stomach. He swallows and clears his throat to recompose.

"So Addy!" He starts, leaning against the neighboring locker to try looking smooth. "Since school's out for summer break, do you have any plans this weekend? 'Cause I have a movie ticket with your name on it for tomorrow night." He says, adding one of his signature winks at the end for good measure.

At first, he thinks her look of surprise is a good thing…until it obviously isn't. Addison's body language completely flips; tense shoulders, looking at anything except him, shifting her weight from foot-to-foot, you name it. She's radiating discomfort. And not in the 'butterflies in the tummy' kinda way. More like the 'hiding something' kinda way.

He feels sick.

"Oh! Uh, sorry Zed, I don't think I'll be able to make it. I have to, um, go with my parents! Yeah! Mom has this big political event and they're making me go!" She lies before finally looking up and seeing the disappointment written on his features. She instantly softens with a sincere, apologetic smile. "But, maaaaaybe I can convince them to let me stay home instead."

Addison can't stop the giggle that bubbles out from Zed's contagious excitement that she changed her mind. She listens as he rambles about all he has planned for their date and all the things he wants to experience with her over the summer.

But her mind keeps wandering to the woods. To all the new friends she's been making within the pack over these last few months. It felt like she was growing more accepted with each visit! Especially with their Alpha, Willa. Wyatt's overprotective but equally compassionate sister.

Willa only wants what's best for her pack and will do anything to keep them safe. Addison could understand why she was hesitant to let her come around. An outsider is a risk! But after all the kindness Addison had shown to them through the winter, Willa didn't stop her brother from bringing her to the den.

Wyatt seems to have done a pretty good job of convincing her to give Addison a chance, too. She's become pretty close with the twins during all her nights or weekends sneaking out. They have such an amazing and interesting culture! She's had so much fun with them!

And the only thing she wants to do this summer is spend time learning more from the wolves.

"Uh Addison? Did you hear me?"

Addison's head snaps up in surprise. She didn't know how deep in thought she was until realizing she had no clue what Zed was referring to.

"I'm, I'm sorry. What was that?" She asked him to repeat in embarrassment.

"I was just saying I'll be weight lifting with some of the guys so I can walk you home after cheer practice. …Unless you don't want me to…?" He adds, unsure of what she wants out of him anymore.

"No! That would be great!" She quickly assures him, feeling terrible for making him feel terrible. Instead of the happy expression she expects, his brows knit in concern.

"Is everything alright, Addy? You've been pretty distant for a while now." He asked, grabbing her hand as a reassurance he's there for her. That she can talk to him. She looks at his pale fingers wrapped softly around hers, the warm gesture lacking it's usual effect for some reason she's unsure about.

She wonders for a brief moment if she should tell him why she's been so preoccupied lately. But what if he didn't take it well? What if he reported her to her parents? Then her father's patrol would definitely push the wolves out of their home to be further from Seabrook! Maybe even kill them!

She can't risk that.

So she offers him a sincere smile. "I have been… distracted lately… But I promise I'm fine, Zed. Really, I am." He searches her face for a moment before deciding to believe her.

After all, he just wants her to be safe and happy. That's all he cares about.


Summer cools back into fall.

Almost exactly a year to the day that Wyatt had saved her from that bear. She is once again missing the fall festival but this time by choice rather than protest. Seabrook has been making small steps towards zombie integration being more widely accepted, which included them being allowed to attend the festival.

Yet, Addison still chooses to skip out on it, in favor of the wolves. The fall festival was the same every year anyways.

But something she hasn't seen before, is the entire den being so lavishly decorated. With candles, intricate paintings, crystals, flowers and foliage adorning every wall and surface. Addison was in awe when she arrived, following Wyatt inside.

But Wyatt had been acting strange all evening. While all the other wolves were excited and happy to see her, he seemed nervous and hesitant. Or when she asked what all the decorations were for, he wouldn't even make eye contact!

Is he mad at her? Did she do something wrong?

Of course, she barely had time to worry about it. Before she can figure out what's going on, Willa commences the celebratory feast. What they're celebrating? She has no idea. But the food is fantastic!

An amazing spread of fresh fruits and veggies in a variety of preparations to compliment the assortment of proteins; like the beef ribs, or fire roasted duck, or stewed rabbit, or venison steaks, or even the fresh salmon! Which she found out is a treat for all of them since the wolves don't fish as regularly as they hunt on land.

Addison makes it a point to try a little of everything. It's not everyday you get to be included in a werewolf feast after all.

She feels like breathing a sigh of relief when Wyatt lightens up during their meal. He's back to laughing and joking with her like his usual self as the twins tease about her lack of cooking knowledge.

"How have you never had rabbit stew before!" Wyatt criticizes. Addison lets out an unbelieving laugh.

"Um? Maybe because I've never went out and caught one before?" She laughs. "They don't exactly sell them at the supermarket!" The wolves laugh even harder. Commenting on how funny human tendencies are.

It was a ton of fun getting to goof off with Willa. It's not very often that she lets her guard down, especially around Addison. But sitting near the head of the table with Willa and Wyatt also makes her feel oddly important.

It made some sense. They're the alpha and beta. They are important. But Addison definitely is not important to their pack. She's just a guest! That had to be it.

Everything settles down once the feast is over. Most of the wolves help with cleaning up and moving the enormous table they had eaten at out of the way. But no matter how much Addison offers to help, no one would let her. A few of the wolves even mention how 'the guest of honor shouldn't have to lift a finger,' which confused her even more. 'Guest of honor'? Her? There's no way that's right.

So she decides to go find Wyatt and get to the bottom of this once and for all.

It can't be too hard to find him in the den, right? Wrong. The den is astonishingly larger than she thought. He wasn't in any of the main areas, or even the library. Wesley, a younger pup, comes up to her as she's looking pretty lost.

"What're you looking for?" He asks curiously.

"More like who." Addison mutters under her breath before fully turning her attention to the child. "Have you seen Wyatt? I've looked all over and can't find him." Wesley's eyes light up.

"Oh! I did! He and Willa went towards the sleeping corridors!" He tells her, excited to be helping.

"That's great! Can you tell me which way is Wyatt's room?" Addison pries some more. If the pup wants to help, who is she to deny him.

"Down that way and the fourth curtain on the left!" He directs eagerly. Addison can basically see him with a wagging tail at that point from how excited he is.

"Thank you Wesley! You've been such a big help!" She praised, scratching behind his ear as a reward. When his eyes roll back, Addison can't help but giggle before continuing her search.

She counts the entry ways as she passes them. The hushed voices of the twins getting a little louder the closer she gets to the fourth curtain. She goes to reach for the curtain but halts.

"Addison has the right to know." Willa says, sounding aggravated.

"I know!" Wyatt growls but quickly sighs, "I was trying to wait for the right moment."

Hearing her name perks her curiosity so she hesitates to pull open the clothe barrier. A part of her feels bad for ease dropping, but she wants to know what she had to do with their disagreement. So, she listens.

"The 'perfect moment' will never come. We have to seize the moments we're in." Willa tells him wisely. Then there's a pause. "Especially since we don't know how long we have left." Her voice comes out quiet and solemn.

"I know." Wyatt said sadly.

Addison's brows scrunch with concern. Why have they grown so sorrowful? Is there something wrong? Could she possibly help since she seems to be the center of conversation?

"So just tell her. Or I could for yo—" Willa starts.

"No!" Wyatt quickly cut his sister off in a panic. "I mean, no, I want to tell her."

"Tell me what?" Addison finally makes her presence known, slowly letting the curtain fall behind her as she enters the dimly lit room. Wyatt jumps, more startled than Willa, from her sudden appearance.

She stares at him expectantly with worry written across her features but Wyatt is at a loss for words under the pressure to say something. Willa slides past her brother and rests a heavy hand on his shoulder.

"I'll let you two talk." She says, giving Wyatt a stern 'tell her' look. Addison gives the alpha a tight smile before she exits her brother's quarters, leaving them alone.

An awkward silence blankets the room. And Wyatt's eyes are anywhere except on her. She knows there's something he wants to tell her but it's clear that he doesn't know where to start.

"So what did you want to tell me?" She offers. She watches him inhale a deep breath before finally looking at her.

"I believe you are The Great Alpha our pack has been searching for." He says with conviction.

Addison is taken aback.

"You, you think I'm what?" She manages.

"The Great Alpha. The one who will lead us to the moonstone. The source of our energy." He continues.

"Tha-that can't be true. I'm human." She denies.

"But maybe you aren't." He argues, stunning her even more.

"What?"

"I think you're a werewolf, Addison." His statement is firm in his belief, yet soft with a yearning for something she's not too sure of.

"But how?" Her brain was working overtime to process all of this very new, very impossible information.

"We have a prophecy that The Great Alpha would someday appear to save us all." Wyatt explains as he strides closer, taking a stray curl between his clawed fingers. "Her white hair would resemble the light of the full moon. Her heart so pure she would brave any obstacle to protect our people." His words strike a cord in her chest. She stares up at him with wide eyes. But he smirks at her lack of further protest that it could be true.

"If my theory is correct, your wolf has been dormant inside you all along." He finishes and walks back over towards his cot.

A short pause hangs in the air as the gears continue to turn in her head.

"Save you from what?" She is finally able to ask and she can see his shoulders stiffen. When he doesn't answer, she goes on. "You said The Great Alpha is supposed to save you all. How could I save a pack of werewolves? I'm not fast, or strong. I'm not even that smart! I almost got eaten by a bear a year ago!"

He lets out a breathy laugh with the slightest shake of his head. "If only you knew." He mutters.

"Then explain it to me." She quickly counters. Wyatt's eyes snap to meet hers. The intensity behind his gaze shakes her to the core.

"It's not so simple." He warns, taking a few steps closer. The seriousness in his tone doesn't stop her from meeting his advance with her own. Eyes remaining locked.

"Help me understand it then." She begs for him to open up to her. She wants to know, to be a part of his world. But if he won't let her in, what's the point of even being here?

"Addison," her name falling off his lips like a plea. Pleading for her not to push this. He doesn't want to burden her.

"Wyatt, please, tell me what's going on. What are you not telling me?"

He searches her eyes, almost like he's looking into her soul. To find any trace of fear or hesitation. But come out with worry and insistence. His features soften but a new intensity ignites between them.

"Our pack is sick, Addison." Sorrow fills his eyes as he spoke.

Addison sucks in a jagged breath. "Are you ok?" She quickly interjects. Wyatt smiles, lifting a hand to brush his knuckles along her rosey cheek as a show of comfort.

"I'm fine," he assures, admiring the darkening red that flares beneath his fingers for a moment. Before dropping his hand again. "For now."

His words stab at her heart. She could burst into tears at any moment. But she does her best to hold it in. Crying won't help anyone.

"What can I do?" She decides instead.

"The only way to save us is finding the moonstone that's been missing for centuries. We've been poking around Seabrook but haven't been able to find it yet. But we did find you." The atmosphere of the room thickens as she's suddenly hyper aware of how close he's standing. He raises his hand to her cheek again, but this time cradling her jaw in his palm.

"Even if you're not The Great Alpha, I'm so grateful to have found you." He tells her soft and sincere.

A small gasp fills her lungs as he closes the gap between their lips. Her eyes fluttering closed the moment they touch. Something inside her sparks to life and she can't deny it feels so right.

But she pulls away. Eyes still shut and struggling to keep her heartbeat steady.

When she finally looks up at him, her chest feels achy. "Wyatt, I…" she trails off but he brushes his thumb across her cheekbone to stop her from searching for the words.

"I know you love him." He says, surprising her that he was even aware of her relationship with Zed. "It's ok. You don't have to decide yet." He adds with a cheeky smirk. Drawing out a quiet laugh from her.

Then, a sudden boom startles them out of the moment. The sound of commotion in the main area sets Wyatt on alert that it wasn't just an accident. Something is wrong.

"Come on!" Wyatt quickly says, grabbing her hand and pulling her along.

Addison's stomach twists into knots as the sounds of growls and shouting get closer. Was it a bear again? Or worse. Had her parents followed her?!

As soon as they turn the corner, her heart drops to her feet. Zed, zombied out, is in the den fighting with the wolves.

"Where is she?!" He roars after throwing Wilmer into the far wall with a thud.

Before she can step in, Wyatt turns to her and says, 'stay here'. Then runs full force into the fray to protect his family from the rogue zombie. She watches in horror as the two men she holds closest to her heart battle pointlessly. She has to put an end to this.

Her eyes search the room for some kind of solution. Something metallic catches her eye in the corner. Zed's Z-band. Without second thought, she rushes towards it.

With the cold metal in her grasp, she turns to see razor sharp claws come eerily close to Zed's vein covered throat. "No! Wyatt! Please!" She cries, pushing past a few wolves in the way before reaching the two brawling men, stumbling into the wolf's arms.

Little was she aware that Zed had thrown a wooden bench that she was now in the direct path of. "Addison!" Zed's rough voice calls in fear.

In a split second, Wyatt holds her tightly and spins them so that his body would block the impact. The wood splinters into pieces when it crashes into his back. Wyatt grunts, it's obvious that the blow was painful by the look on his face.

"Let her go!" Zed demands with another roar. The wolf is quick to spin around but Addison also springs into action. She has to stop this!

Managing to slip past Wyatt without him catching her, she runs towards Zed. She isn't afraid of him, even in his zombified state. She knows he won't purposely hurt her.

As soon as she's close enough, she clasps the Z-band in its rightful spot on his wrist. The device beeps as it activates and Zed's harsh breathing begins to settle. The veins recede back until his skin is back to its usual grey tent.

With his Z-band fully active on his wrist again, Zed is able to focus on his surroundings better and his eyes immediately find Addison beside him. He lets out a sigh of relief and engulfs her in an embrace.

But his relief only lasts a brief moment as the wolves close in around them. Panic grips his chest again and he's quick to push Addison behind him, immediately gripping his Z-band.

"Stay back! You don't want me to zombie out again!" He threatens.

"Zed! Stop!" Addison protests, shoving past to stand in front of him.

"I'm just trying to protect you, Addy!"

"I don't need protecting!" She screams.

Zed freezes, staring at her with wide eyes. She sucks in some much needed air deep in her lungs to calm her raging breaths. "I don't need to be protected because…I think I belong here." She explains.

Zed's humorous laugh surprises her. "You can't belong here, they're werewolves! Beasts of the forest!"

"They think I might be a wolf, too!" She counters. His eyes widen in shock but he shuts them again as he shakes away the thought.

"There's no way that's true." He mutters.

"But there is! Wyatt thinks—"

"Wyatt? Him?!" Zed questions angrily. Addison vaguely hears the familiar growl from close behind her as Zed takes an aggressive step forward. She sidesteps to make sure she puts herself fully between them, her hands pressed firmly against the zombie's chest to stop him from doing anything else stupid.

"He just wants to take you away from me!" Zed sneers.

"What?! No! Zed that's not—!"

"That's exactly what it is! He's filling your head with lies so he can get closer to you!"

That's it. Addison uses all the strength she can muster to push him backwards. He takes a couple steps back, brows furrowed in confusion as he looks at her.

"Stop it, Zed! I—I believe in them. My hair means something! And being a part of this pack might be it." She tries to make him understand, to help him see and accept her like he always has. Her eyes search his desperately as he closes the distance between them again, taking her hands in his.

"Addison, you're human. You belong in Seabrook." He says as a matter-of-fact.

He was wrong. She hasn't 'belonged' in Seabrook her entire life. She pulls her hands from his with her lips pressed into a thin line. Her eyes water as she shakes her head at him in disbelief.

"I guess you don't know me after all."