Hi everyone. Chapters are going smooth. We are in the wolf den this chapter and hoping our wolves can talk our boy up a bit!

Chapter 3:

"Aroooooooo." Wyatt howled into the daytime sky, his fourth howl since they returned home. Willa came over to him and pulled on his ear. He yelled, pulling back and swatting at her with a growl.

"Uh uh. That's enough moaning, you're the alpha's brother. We found the white hair leader and found our ancestors stone. Our necklaces are charged, the pack is safe, our leaders are healed. And I'm not going to have you ruin all that because you couldn't ask a girl out." Willa patted the bottom stair as she sat down, inviting him to join.

"Willa you can't understand this feeling-" Wyatt started.

"Nope, try again baby brother."

Willa interrupted him.

"I messed up so badly. Addison was upset and I don't think Zed will ever be able to look at me again." Wyatt dropped his head into Willa's lap. Wynter came over and puppy piled into their group, her nails running down his back as Willa's ran thru his hair, comforting him.

"Do you remember when I joined the pack?" Wynter brought up. "Do you remember what happened?"

"How could I forget, yet again, I failed at a claiming." Wyatt squeezed his eyes shut, rolling away.

Wynter used her strength to roll him back over.

"I was told to join this pack, to claim the young alphas brother for my own, and slowly take over the pack, including murder you. You remember that?" Wynter looked directly at Wyatt's eyes, even if his were forced shut.

"My wolf never even tried to come out to play with yours, you were immediately just Wynter." Wyatt admitted. "Willa almost had to fight your pack elders one by one." Wyatt looked up at his sister. "I'm really sorry about that by the way. I didn't mean to ruin that one too. Maybe I should just accept being alone." Wyatt's breath caught once as others of his pack came near, feeling their packs pain.

"Wyatt, you are being a dumb dog, especially for being an alpha brother." Willa leaned back into the pack herself. "Your wolf protected all of us, it saved Wynter from her pack and brought her safely to ours. It rescued her wolf from a lifetime of abuse, it protected mine from having to fight an unfair fight. And I would have fought just because your previous pack was the worst Wynter." Willa bounced her leg up, causing Wyatt to bounce. "You recognized Addison before I did. You interpreted the prophecy and helped Addison bring our moonstone home." Her pack howled their success, their achievement; their thanks to Wyatt. "You never gave up. When the plant exploded we all felt the damage, and you kept going. We had no direction except death and you were still here, helping. Why in the hell do you think your pack would abandon you now?" The packs howls drowned out Willas last words as she sat up and pushed her forehead against Wyatt's. "You're in this pack for life brother. You deserve happiness."

"He challenged me Willa. Eliza had a book of werelaws, Zed challenged my mating claim on ancient pack tradition. That's a death match Willa. And I won't kill Zed." Wyatt tried to stand up, his pack too deeply around him to do anything more than sit up. "I'll meet him, let him kill me first."

" I didn't hear him say that." Willa grinned. "Did any of my pack hear Zed's challenge?"

"Willa it was plain as day-" Wyatt started.

"No. I heard a bunch of throaty sounds, almost like he was choking on some candy." Wynter added.

"I didn't hear anything except challenges to the mating claim." Willa smiled, her eyes sparkling. "And how well does a mate challenge their own claim here?" Willa screamed her question to the pack who's howls answered. "A mate or mates challenging your proposal is foreplay brother, so stop moping and start playing."

"Willa just because you don't speak zombie tongue-" Wyatt was cut off again.

"I don't, which means the challenge is unrecognized by this alpha." Willa slammed her boot down three times in finality. She took a deep breath, because what she was going to ask of Wyatt could be hard for him to work thru.

"You're trying to claim Addison and Zed, right Wyatt?" Willa leveled her eyes at Wyatt. It was never said out loud until now, but wolves had a very fluid mating in her pack. Men with men, women with women, some alone, some with both, groups of two, three, four once. All that mattered was preserving the pack while staying true to themselves.

Wyatt looked fearful and pained. He never said anything to his sister and yet somehow, she knew. And she was asking him to open up his darkest secret to his pack, on the day of his failure.

"Wyatt, Zed's cute. He's tall, he's strong. I'm missing the angst here?" Wynter added, the pack laughed softly behind her. Wynter stood up and walked over to him, placing her small hand on his chest. One of his pack mates stood up, and placed their hand on Wyatt's back. One by one, the pack offered their loved and support as Wyatt found the strength to look his sister in the eye.

"Alpha, pack mates. I haven't been completely honest with you. I seek to claim Addison, that was and is true. But not from Zed, but with Zed. My wolf sees them as a pair and I see them as my mates." Wyatt closed his eyes and deeply inhaled. "I seek to claim both."

Willa got up and patted his head. "Was that so hard? Now go get your boy and your girl and get back here. I'm anxious to see what you'll be like actually happy for once and not just worried." Willa pushed him out of the cave as his pack raced with him thru some of the forest. Wynter stood behind with Willa, her hand around her wait.

"Do you think it'll be easy for Wyatt?" Wynter asked.

"Where would the fun be in that?" Willa smiled to her fangs showed, laughing as she could feel Wyatt's joy in her chest.

"Are you going to let him go alone?" Wynter asked, looking out of the cave.

"Wyatt's a big wolf. He's got this." Willa turned back to the den as wolves started tricking back in. "Are we ready to welcome a zombie pack member?" Willa asked and was met with howls of agreement. Zed held a special place in her pack when he knowingly sacrificed himself to risk and danger in order to help the pack save their moonstone. He was perceived as pack already, dead as he is. Mating with Wyatt would just solidify it. Willa smiles to herself again.

"Bet you he comes home missing a fang." Willa spilled a colorful bill to Wynter.

"Double and only a black eye. I think Zed has enough honor to not permanently disfigure Wyatt." Wynter slid the money down her top.

"And if Wyatt thinks poorly and goes to Addisons house first and gets in before Zed? Willa asked watching Wynters face sink. This may be Wyatt's first triad claiming but it wasn't Willas. She was older and tested alpha when she was a child. Things usually got worse before they got better.

"He wouldn't be that foolish would be?" Wynter asked.