The wolves were running as fast as possible through the darkened powerplant, but they could still see clearly, an ear-piercing siren ringing all around them.
"We triggered the alarm! Hurry!" Willa led her pack onwards to the center of the powerplant, but suddenly they were lit by the lights from the Z-Patrol and demolition crew.
Dale jumped out of his car. "Wolves! Freeze where you are!"
Within a few moments, the wolves were surrounded by Z-Patrol on all sides, but they weren't going to back down. They formed a circle, claws and fangs out, their eyes glowing yellow. All of them knew they didn't have a choice, the time for negotiation was over.
"You're trespassing werewolves!"
"How can we be trespassing on our own land?" Wyatt retorted.
"This is werewolf territory!" Wynter declared with a growl.
"I don't know anything about that. You need to leave. Now! Or we'll have to take you in!"
"We can take them!" Willa ordered, all of them growling and baring their teeth. This got Dale and the Z-Patrol to back off a little bit. But everyone was still on edge.
"Hear it getting louder a call for revolution. We came for what is ours it's time for restitution. We'll protect our own take back the stone No human nature cannot hold us down!" Wila snarled to the Z-Patrol, she and the rest of the pack forced them farther and farther away to give them more space but they were still surrounded.
"Shredded at the bottom, way more than a whisper No we'll never be forgotten our blood's thicker than silver. When worlds collide it's do or die. So tell me is it wrong to stand your ground? We won't hideaway, we aren't like the zombies, you can't chain us down!" Wyatt howled proudly.
"Here is how all or nothing, fangs are out we ain't running here is how its all or nothing. This is our declaration of our new generation. It's now or never we're in this together. We'll fight through the highs and the lows. No, we won't break were more than flesh and bone!" The pack howled in unison as they continued their circling.
"We will never surrender, we need our Moonstone after you stole it. We are taking it back. Before you monsters destroy it forever!" Willa warned the humans and zombies surrounding them.
"Arrest them!" Dale yelled.
Several Z-Patrol guards began blowing a silvery-gray mist over the wolves. Willa could feel it entering her throat, forcing her to cough and take in choking breaths, the gas burned in her eyes and skin. The wolves for forced into a smaller, confused formation and within moments all of them were locked in Zombieproof handcuffs and pulled against the wall. With the effects of the gas and their moonstones near empty, none of them had the strength to break free.
"Colloidal Silver. That will tame those beasts." Dale informed Zevon, with a smirk.
"Double Time! Everybody clear out!" Zevon announced behind Dale. The Z-Patrol was preparing to start taking all the wolves to Containment and leave so that the demolition could remain on schedule.
Willa could hear the beeps from the remote as the demolition technician armed the charges.
"I failed you." Willa gasped, still breathless from the gas. "They'll destroy the Moonstone. They'll destroy us."
"We have to keep fighting," Wyatt said beside her, struggling against his bonds, with tears running down his cheeks.
"NO!" A voice called out.
Both Dale and Zevon looked up. "Addison?"
The wolves turned to the noise behind them and were just as surprised. Here was Addison along with her cheerleaders coming to help them.
"The world has gone crazy and no one seems to listen. Got to step in no more maybes. Stop the demolition. Is it hope or fear look in the mirror everything we built is coming down. This doesn't have to happen. The werewolves need all our help. There is no need to be afraid."
The cheerleaders split apart and in burst a crew of zombies led by Eliza.
Eliza led the chanting for her group. "No more hesitation. It's time we start to realize that all this separation, silence is still taking sides. So use your voice make a choice and tell me are you standing with the crowd? This is our place. It's the birthplace of Zombies, and it's the wolves' prison as long as their stone is lost. We can't lose either of those things, because we are all part of Seabrook! I am proud to be a zombie!"
All around them the powerplant was filling up with more students that joined the impromptu protest. Both humans and zombies were coming together to fight for the wolves.
"No we won't break we're more than flesh and bone!"
Bonzo opened up the ancient sprinkler system to help disperse the remaining silver gas that was still hurting the wolves and they all let out cheers of relief as the burning sensation disappeared.
"We say no more bad blood, no more bad blood. They can't stop us, no they can't stop us." Protesting students were everywhere, on the ground, in the catwalks, in the control room, there were soon more students than workers and Z-Patrol and nothing would stop them as the sprinklers continued to rain down.
Finally, Zed stepped up from the middle of the crowd. "History changes but we lost the pages we wrote. When you lose direction can't see the reflection you know. We came from the bottom then became the problem now everything's out of control. So hey, are you with me?"
"Let's go!" Everyone cheered.
Zed and Addison met front and center of the pumped-up crowd and gave each other a smile and a fist bump. Eliza, Bree, and Bonzo by their sides.
"This is our declaration of our new generation. It's now or never we're in this together. We'll fight through the highs and the lows. No, we won't break were more than flesh and bone."
Everyone stood united, and as they finished the final verse, they all stood strong, staring right at Dale and Zevon, refusing to give an inch.
Zed walked up to his dad. "You gotta stop the demolition Pops. I know how hard you worked to get this job. But if it's going to hurt the werewolves. You have to stop it."
Zevon's eyes slowly scanned the crowd, from his son's determined face to Addison and Eliza's, to the entire crowd standing with them. He even looked over the werewolves, their fierce gazes replaced with nervousness and fear that he knew all too well from his own life.
"You're right." He told Zed. "And Addison's right." Zevon said speaking loud enough for the whole crowd to hear. "Shut it down. Stop the detonation. Tomorrow, when its safe we'll find what you're looking for! But right now, you can all go home!"
Dale gave a nod to the Z-Patrol holding the wolves, but he still didn't look very happy.
Cheers of happiness quickly spread throughout the crowd, even Willa was smiling as the Z-Patrol removed the werewolves' handcuffs.
Zed picked up Addison in a hug and he spun her around.
"Thank you Zed, this means everything to me. Thank you."
"You're welcome." Zed said breathlessly, he was happy he could help Addison succeed, but he couldn't forget the weight sitting in his pocket.
Everyone continued to celebrate, the wolves howled, and hi-fives and hugs were exchanged all around as everyone slowly filtered out of the powerplant. Willa and the rest of the wolves traveled through the crowd, thanking as many students as they could, and for once, no one was flinching away from anybody. They were all united. Addison had never felt happier to be a part of Seabrook, despite the City Council, Seabrook could be united. Maybe she would be OK as herself if this is what they could accomplish when everyone worked together.
Later that night just after sundown, Addison, her friends, and all the wolves were finally exiting the powerplant. Her dad had promised to extend the curfew for a few hours so everyone could get home without trouble. Addison finally had a chance to really talk to Zed again.
"Hey." Zed shouted out
"We did it. We really stopped the demo!" Addison returned, walking right beside Zed with the wolves following them. Addison's smile faltered when she noticed Zed's downcast face. "What's wrong?"
Zed stopped walking and she did too. "Addison…I'm gonna lose the vote. Which means I can't take you to Prawn."
"That's OK Zed." Addison relaxed, and her smile returned. "We can not go to the Prawn together."
Zed's smile returned and he looked over at the wolves for a moment before his eyes traveled back to her. His smile faltered again and he slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out her moonstone necklace.
Addison's eyes lit up, her breath catching in her throat as she too looked over at the werewolves. "He found it! He found my necklace"! Addison could see Wyatt and the other wolves smiling at her.
Addison stepped up to her tiptoes to hug Zed over his shoulders. "Thank you. You are the best boyfriend ever. Where was it?" She asked as she pressed her head against his neck. When she pulled away, he could see his eyes sparkling with pain. "What?"
"I took it." Zed said quietly.
Addison froze, she must have misheard him. Zed would never do that to her.
"I stole it when you weren't looking."
Addison's voice started shaking. "I…I thought I lost it. I questioned myself!"
"Addison I'm sorry. I was afraid that if you turned into a werewolf I'd lose you."
"You don't get to make that choice for me!"
"But a werewolf?"
"I finally find where I belong and you try to steal that from me?" Addison shouted, her voice cracking with emotion. "Why would I ever go to the Prawn with you after what you did?"
Addison took the necklace from his hand and turned away. She took a deep breath to calm herself and closed her eyes, and placed the necklace around her neck. She took another deep breath in and she could see the blue glow below her chin. She shivered in excitement and anticipation. She spun around and tried to bare her claws and teeth at Bree like she had seen the wolves do dozens of times this week.
But Bree didn't look happy, or even scared by her transformation, she looked sad.
"Am I? Bree am I a werewolf?"
Bree gently took her hand. "You're beautiful Addie…but the same beautiful that you've always been. I'm sorry."
Addison looked past Bree at the wolves. "Willa do I have to do something to activate it?"
The wolves looked just as grief stricken as Bree did. "She's not a werewolf." Wyatt told Willa, his voice choked with emotion.
Willa stepped closer to Addison. "I'm sorry Addison. I thought you were one of us, as I got to know you, I wanted you to be one of us. But we were wrong, you aren't a wolf. If the moonstone didn't change you now. It never will. I'm sorry."
All of her friends looked just as morose as she felt, but she felt even worse. She was wrong again. She will never belong anywhere, she thought everything made sense, but it didn't she was still just different, with nowhere to belong.
Suddenly one of the demo crew workers ran up to Zevon and Dale. "Oh my Z! Boss! Boss! We've got a problem!"
"What is it?" Zevon asked.
"The remote shorted out, and now the detonation timer is running."
"Well shut if off!"
"I can't!"
Both the wolves and zombies heard that and started running back to the powerplant. Willa wasn't even thinking, she had to find the Moonstone. Now!
"NO! NO! Zed! Addison! No! It isn't safe!" Zevon hurried after the scattered group of teens sprinting back towards the danger. Dale followed two steps behind him.
BOOM! A massive fiery orange explosion lit up the night sky, and everyone felt the massive shockwave as it traveled through the air and through the ground. Before everyone's eyes, the entire powerplant collapsed into a burning pile of bricks. The only thing left standing was a single smokestack.
The wolves were devastated. "What have they done?" Willa whispered to herself. Moments later all the wolves started harshly coughing as their eyes and necklaces glowed green.
"It's over." Wyatt choked out. "It's only a matter of time until we're crowfood." They had failed, he had failed, everything they had done, all for nothing, their pack would soon be gone forever.
The wolves began to slowly stumble back to the forest. This would be their last visit to Seabrook, the last time any wolves could exist. The tiny flame of hope they had received from Addison the night before was completely extinguished.
"Wait hold on." Addison was following them. "Do you need help?"
Wyatt and Willa walked over to her.
"No, there is nothing we can do. Seabrook will get its wish, the monsters in the woods are going to finally disappear." Wyatt quietly explained.
"No there must be something we can do, if we all work together look at what we can accomplish."
"Look where that led us. Addison. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for trying to save us. You are a wolf in spirit, if not in blood, but I think its best if we go our separate ways. There is nothing we can do." Willa sighed.
"Addison. No one wanted you to be a wolf as much as I did, but now I'm glad you're not. You can still live a full life. If the necklace had changed you, your life would be on a ticking clock just like all of ours." Wyatt tried to reassure her.
"Wait a minute. Here." Addison removed her necklace. "You said it's fully charged right? Maybe it can help keep some…some of you alive for a little longer. It won't do anything for me obviously. You have to take it."
"Thank you Addison." Willa gently took the necklace and placed it in her pocket. Just…remember us as our best, our fiercest, not like this. And maybe fix that terrible history book. You will be the last to know our pack's secrets. Do with them what you will. This is goodbye."
"Goodbye Willa." Addison let a tear fall from her eye.
"Goodbye, Addison I'm sorry I was wrong. I wanted to be right, for the pack, for you, and for me. I'm sorry I got between you and Zed."
"No don't be sorry. That was all his fault, and I don't want to think about him right now. He… Take care of yourself, and take care of Willa, I know you two have the most difficult jobs imaginable. Are you sure you don't want my help?"
"Yes, we're sure. You should live your life while you have a chance, not watch our extinction. We all fought our hardest but looks like some things you just can't change. Goodbye Addison."
"Goodbye Wyatt. Awwoo!
"Awwooo! Addison, I couldn't have said it better myself."
They both turned their separate ways, but before Wyatt entered the forest, he felt a tap on his shoulder and turned around to see Eliza behind him.
"Hello, I'm sorry but I have to get going."
"I know, but, I made you this. It's a phone and it already has my number, and Addison's, so if you really need help, you can call one of us, call me, and I'll do what I can to help you out."
"Thank you." Wyatt gently took the glass and metal rectangle. "How does it work? I believe you said I was a caveman remember, I don't have all your tech skills."
"No, it was caveboy Fido. Just tap on the screen and my number is the first speed dial. Just tap it again and I'll be able to talk to you."
"Thank you Eliza. I will call if I have a problem and there's something you can do to fix it."
"No problem, so is this what Willa was talking about, without the Moonstone, you die?"
"Yes, it's only a matter of time. This is goodbye, I'm sorry I couldn't help you take down the monster laws."
"I'm glad for once my revolution worked, even if it was for only an hour. If only it could have lasted longer."
"I know your heart was in it. If you only worry about the failed hunts, you'll never catch anything. I know someday you will be the one to knock down that horrible barrier."
"Thank you Wyatt, I know we don't know each other that well, but I'll miss you."
"I'm going to miss you too. Goodbye Eliza."
"Goodbye Wyatt."
Wyatt followed the rest of the pack and quickly caught up with them. Wyatt wasn't sure, but he felt like the Moonstone being destroyed had sapped their energy even faster, or maybe it was just the feeling as they all gave up their last hope. By the time they made it back to the cave, only himself, Willa, and Wynter could even walk without assistance, most of the wolves were trying to support each other as they stumbled into the den. The three of them got everyone settled in their beds and then spent the rest of the night delivering what food and water they had. By the time the sun rose, Wyatt felt completely exhausted, he finally fell asleep in his own bed and drifted off into dreams, but instead of the beautiful white-haired werewolf, this time he dreamed of a cute, sarcastic zombie with brains and an attitude ten times her size.
When Willa entered his den to check on him, she could see the small smile on his face, it gave her a moment of affection to see him happy, even if it wasn't reality. She took Addison's necklace out of her pocket.
Despite everything, Willa had led the pack to failure, if they had moved a little faster, even one more day, the pack would have been saved, but that didn't matter. Willa was the Alpha of a species that would be extinct by the next full moon, many of them even sooner. She will do everything she can to keep her family alive as long as possible, she won't quit until her Moonstone was completely empty.
She looked down at the necklace again. When Addison returned it, she had unknowingly given Willa the most difficult choice of her life. Who will she save? How can she choose one wolf to live? She had always wanted to be the Alpha, but never in a million years had she ever dreamed her worst nightmare would come true.
The wolves could take their necklaces off for short periods, up to a few hours like Wyatt had done on his scouting mission. But Willa knew they couldn't just pass the charged necklace around. It would be wasted keeping a group of wolves alive for an extra day or two, or instead, it will guarantee the lifetime of a single wolf. Looking at Wyatt, Willa knew who her choice would be. He had always been there for her through everything, and for the pack. He had found Addison, and refused to back down no matter how much Willa refused to believe the prophecy.
He was also the most open to Seabrook, even though for the wolves that wasn't saying much. He deserved to live his life, and he would be able to live in Seabrook. He could hopefully learn to enjoy life again when they were all gone.
But she also knew he would refuse to take it for the same reasons she wouldn't dare use it for herself. They were both too loyal to the pack, and to each other, for either to put themselves above the rest. She knew they were both two of the strongest wolves remaining. So she would watch him, as they worked together to keep the pack alive as long as possible, and when his necklace finally failed, the last thing she will do with her life will be saving his, so he can't refuse it.
She really hoped he would forgive her for choosing him to remain. He was her brother, and she will do anything to protect him, even at the cost of her life, and everyone else she had ever loved. Wyatt will survive.
She slowly walked out of the den and into the forest. The pack needed food, she prayed she was still strong enough to catch it.
