warning: brief mentions of nudity and other acts, but nothing explicit.
"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" and he 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" Wyatt 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 acting 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!"
"Yea! Wherever the sunlight and moonlight touch, we go" Wylan added, making Addison chuckle. "What's so funny?" he asked.
"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?" she asked.
"Yeah. Elder Smithy can make the pictures on the walls can move" he explained.
"What? Really? How? Or is that a werewolf secret?" she asked.
"…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?" she asked.
"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.
"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 replied.
"I know they were super proud of you" she smiled.
"Yeah…they were" he replied as his mind was taken 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 could sense 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" she replied.
"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" she finished.
Wyatt took in her question and debated on 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.
"…Yea. 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 whine came out of her and she squeezed it a little tighter, giving her comfort 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 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" he explained. 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 – 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" he explained.
"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 only a couple months older than me" 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 she glanced at the wandering pups. Yea…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 Addison nodded wholeheartedly. The pups looked at each other – clearly missing something going on between them. But it didn't feel like the emotional storm Addison 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" he explained.
"Wait a sec…our pack? That means there's more than one?!" she exclaimed.
"Observant hearing" he noted, but he 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. However, while he was barking something started humming inside Addison's 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" Addison 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" 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?" she asked.
"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 miles 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. Soon sunlight streamed 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. Addison 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 as he 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."
Wyatt smiled at that and replied, "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 agreed. 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 his face. "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?" he asked.
"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.
She thought back to the barks she heard. "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?" she sheepishly asked.
"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, not startling the feeding animals in the slightest – guess they're used to it. 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 awws 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" Wyatt 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.
"Uh…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 Addison 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 arrived 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 as she 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, and sometimes they left toys. These were always my favorite." He reached up and grabbed a wooden-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 as she noticed 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" Addison praised as she 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. "Yea, 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 but let out a small "Oh!" when he brought her in for a hug.
"Thank you Addison!" he happily said.
"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 getting 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 Addison 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 smiled. "She really is comfortable around us" he thought as they walked out of the room.
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, drying out. "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 them 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 and 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 the ocean" he added.
"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 said, "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 you guys 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 her shoulder – that was 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" she replied.
"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!" Addison complimented as she took 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" he answered.
"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. Addison looked at her arms and sure enough a light layer of dust coated them from when they were in the tunnel. He handed her one 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?" she asked.
"Many, many years" he answered.
"I believe it" she replied. "But you 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 those rocks trap and hold heat, so we lined our tubs and dividers with'em" he explained.
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?" she asked.
"We take'em out and put'em in our cooking hole. It takes about a week to recharge them" he answered.
"How long do they last?"
"About two full moons" he replied.
"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" Addison 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" he explained.
"That explains the holes I saw in the kitchen" she thought before she let out a little "Ah!"
"Addison, what's wrong?" Wyatt fretted.
"Nothing, it's nothing. Just an eyelash in my eye" she dismissed. "Good thing you handed me these" and 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 arms. "Wow, my skin feels amazing!" she noticed after she rinsed off the suds.
"It is amazing" he complimented making a blush appear again on her cheeks. He walked over the waterfall she was at 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 Addison 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 at that. "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 as she 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!" Wyatt quickly reminded. "No one's getting scratched up on my watch" and they dashed back into the den.
"Oh yeah, I forgot about their claws" Addison realized.
"…Addison, are-" but Wyatt's warning came up short as the pups rushed back in and yelled, "We're ready!" shaking 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?" she questioned.
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 and said, "Good luck" and gave her a thumbs up.
"Wait, you're not joining in?" she questioned.
"Someone has to be the referee" he replied.
"Gotcha" she understood.
"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 growl, 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 and little Nawnu clapped 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 she 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" Wyatt smiled back. "But you can take a break until there's a face off. If you want" he offered.
"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 but chuckled 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" he explained.
"I see" she replied.
"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 immediately everyone perked up.
"W-What?" Wyatt 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" she added.
"…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" and 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 has nothing on me" he growled as his moonstone changed his eye color and enlarged his fangs.
"Are you two 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 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. However at the last second she had her hands in front of her and her 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 gave 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.
"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" he pointed out.
"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 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 in 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?" Wyatt asked for added confirmation.
"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 Addison emerges from the den with shoes on, but is still shirtless. "All set" she announces. "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." Addison nodded at that. "Alrighty then, let's go" and he takes her hand and leads her to a new location that'll undoubtedly fascinate her.
"…Definitely didn't see that coming" Willa remarked as the pack watches them walk off.
"Like I said, Addison is full of surprises" Wyatt 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.
