Oh man, this chapter. I couldn't find a good break, so it's extra long. I hope you enjoy, I think I have two more chapters before we wrap. But the muse does its thing. THANK YOU for your support and reviews. They mean the world. ~SL
Chapter 9
Zed knew he was catching up. He didn't know how, to be honest his thoughts were fading into singulars fairly quickly, having not gone without his zband this long in a while.
Wyatt was right behind him, which annoyed him and comforted him, but Zed was having trouble sorting out why.
Zed ran deeper into the forest, pulling limbs and branch's out of his way. The need for any stealth or quiet escaping his reason. It didn't take long for him to catch up to a familiar wolf pack.
"Not food." His zombie told Zed.
"Wyatt, nice to see you and your boy." Willa winked at Zed, who stood motionless. It took her a moment to make the connection. "Oh, where's our zband?"
Wyatt stood up behind Zed, raising him arm to show the zband and the angry looking red mark it was creating around him, wrapping it around Zeds shoulder. Zed barred his teeth and Wyatt pulled it off.
"We need his monster, I smell-" Wyatt began.
"You smell almost 50 years of pack negotiation, trade, and treaty going up in flames." Willa cut off. "And you can take whatever they have left once I'm done because they double crossed the wrong wolves." Willas eyes glowed yellow with her statement, the wolves surrounding her let their moonstone charge them, their eyes yellowing in flashes in the moonlight.
"Addiska." Zed growled, already starting to move. Willa held his wrist and Zed shook her hold off.
"Excuse me, have sex later, I need Wyatt." Willa said.
"They have Addison Willa, so you're going to have to take whatever is left over." Wyatt touched his free wrist against Zed, a modified monster fist bump.
"And they took our moonstone." Willa countered. "So Pom Pom isn't my priority right now little brother." Willa locked eyes with Wyatt, challenging him. Wynter ran between them, hands touching both of their necks before Wyatt could respond.
"No alpha challenge in the Woods. You're missing your mate and we are missing our moonstone so our pack is missing a member AND a source of power. More in common than apart guys." Wynter smacked their cheeks gently.
"She's not my mate yet." Wyatt snarled our, Zed kicked Wyatt behind the thigh. "Ours." Wyatt corrected.
"And why not?" Willa looked Zed and Wyatt up and down. "Are we missing something boys?"
"Leave me alone!" Addisons voice sounded closer, a harsh edge to it. Zed tore off after her, Wyatt again right beside him, matching his step, keeping her smell centered on the path.
When they came to a clearing it was clear to Zed whatever lived here was older than Seabrook. A desolate field in a forest with a bare patch of grass, overgrown and trampled down. A circle of thin, needless trees arched skyward, making the moon fill the empty circle, the trees absorbing the light. And in the center was the giant moonstone, pulsing with energy. Around the stone were wolves Zed hasn't seen, but Wyatt had. Old families of the pack who refused to hope for a prophecy any longer. These wolves abandoned the pack, in selfish greed. And now that greed lead to the theft of the moonstone his pack had nearly died for. Wyatt growled, claws and fangs matching his pack as they caught up around him.
On the other hand, the zombies touching the stone were confusing to Wyatt, but Zed understood immediately. He watched their pale skin glow under the moonlight and then golden peach, rich mahogany, deep umber, golden sepia, green hair fading and being replaced. Using the stone to turn them human
Zeds roar froze them, their hands still touching the stone, drawing its power.
The wolves and the zombies around the stone thought the show of power was against them, and they were right in a fashion. But beyond then, Addison was fighting two zombies and a werewolf, trying to tie her to one of the trees. She had ropes around her wrists, ankles, and waist, and while she was kicking and punching, both zombies held fistfuls of rope, pulling tighter, pushing her flexible arms to her limits. The wolf was pushing her toward the tree as she tried to land her kicks, but he was too fast for her.
Wyatt and Zed roared in unison, racing toward her, fangs barred, claws out, venom flowing when all Addison used the shocked to pull her arms back. She wrapped the zombies in the ties around the neck, sliding them off her wrist. She landed a Cajun style running backflip in mid air, landing a solid kick on the werewolf, pulling both zombies in one hand straight into the werewolf. All three fell with a thud.
"Thanks for the distraction." Addison patted both of their stomachs as Wyatt and Zed stood frozen in shock.
Willa and the pack showed up, the wolves and zombies touching the stone scattered. Wynter tried to give chase, but Willa held up a closed fist, forbidding it.
"We all have the treasure we came for. For one night, that's enough. We will hunt down the traitors another night." Willa promised, her pack surrounding the moon stone.
"Zah." Zed said, kissing the top of Addisons head. Addison ducked her head away, looking up at him as she avoided his lips. Taking in his full zombie form and Wyatt's wrist burning under the zband.
"I thought I told you guys to sort this out?" Addison glared.
"We did Addison. It's just taking a little time." Wyatt stammered.
"I don't have time to help you both, I am cheer captain, okay? I'm leading varsity tomorrow morning to victory when I'm not being stolen out of my window, while sleeping, into the forbidden forest. I'm tired, I'm hangry, I want to be kissed by both of you and I can't because you'll kill each other, and I'm cranky." Addison slammed her foot down on Zeds accidentally, who let out a roar.
Addison looked back at the pack, ignoring the men who heart begged to fix. She wasn't going to fix anyone, in a world of constant perfection she craved something real. And sometimes real was ugly, and it took work, but she knew it would be worth it. Leaving her men, she walked over to help the pack lift, even though her arms were exhausted. Zed took the hint, along with Wyatt, and came to help, going on either side of Addison. Both adding their full strength to lifting the moonstone. Even with all the wolves at full power, they still couldn't lift the moonstone.
"Argh!" Willa shouted. "How did a group of just a few zombies and wolves steal it from our den, but our pack can't lift it."
"Perhaps I could be of assistance?" A voice called from behind the tree. Wyatt and Zed turned as Addison pushed in front of them, crouching low, ready to protect them.
The figure who stepped out from behind the tree, could have been Addison. Strong chin, brilliant eyes, gentle voice, and moonlight hair. She wore flowing robes of white and silver, and a soft smile. "I'm sorry for going through all this trouble, I just really couldn't find a way to meet my granddaughter. I hope you can forgive me."
"Lady do you need help? Are you lost from Seabrook?" Wynter asked.
"Are you in danger?" Willa asked.
Wyatt was toying with the zband, trying to get it to come off to slip it onto Zed. Stupid thing was locked tight.
Zombie can get it off every time he needs it, but I can't even pick it off. Wyatt looked around for something to slam it on. He felt the woman's eyes on him, and heard her footsteps as she approached. He realized she wasn't tall, about the same height as Addison, and he was having a hard time perceiving her as a threat.
"On my planet, the gravity is more forceful, so I'm quite strong by your standards. May I?" She pointed to Wyatt's wrist. Wyatt deferred to Addison.
Zed was shaking his head no as Addison carefully nodded yes. Taking a step closer as she let Wyatt out from behind her. The woman brought her thumb and finger, and gave a small pinch as the metal disconnect, the zband falling to the ground. Zed bent over, and quickly attached it to his wrist. He felt the pulse start his heart just enough to put his zombie to sleep.
Thanks for the assist big guy, I've got it from here. Zed told his monster, watching the death pull away from his veins.
"That's cute parlor trick, but you're a lady in her 90s in a dress out in the Forbidden Forest at night. Where can we take you?" Willa leaned against the moonstone. Her pack looked to her. "She doesn't deserve to die out here." Willa shrugged.
The woman walked over to the moonstone, grabbing the metal bracket, and lifted it into the air effortlessly. The pack gave her a wide space, but kept close.
"My dear, I need no protection, but I'm touched a young alpha would care. You make your pack proud. Come Addison, I need to return what I stole and we can talk along the way." The woman started to walk they the forest, carrying the moonstone like a lunch pail. Addisons eyes were wide, but she ran forward to listen.
"My name is Addison, how do you know me?" Wyatt and Zed were quickly behind her, on either side, one step behind.
"My name is Juniper, I'm your grandmother." The woman paused, and brought her other hand up under Addisons chin, giving it a small squeeze. She turned and kept walking, her pace efficient, and quick for her appearing age.
"My grandma died, her, when my grandfather was attacked by a zombie. I never knew my dads mom." Addison said, her voice full of memory.
"Is that the story they used? Poppycock." Juniper snorted and smirked in the darkness. "Glad to know your father was working on his prejudice at an early age. Let me guess, he made captain of zombie patrol too?" Her voice full of disdain.
"Yeah." Addisons voice was quiet as Wyatt looked to Zed. They both couldn't understand what was happening.
The walk to the den was quick and Juniper brought the stone back front and center.
"Wolf pack, I commend your bravery, your kindness, and your understanding. It has been many years since I could see my granddaughter and I am sorry I had to use the moonstone to travel here. I hope you don't mind that I will need it for travel for quite some time, and I hope we can come to an arrangement." Juniper tried to pull Addison in for a hug, who stayed just out of reach, backing into the arms of Wyatt and Zed.
"Travel to where?" Willa said, breathing as her moonstone was back safe and sound, unharmed.
"To Toliman." Juniper smiled.
"That's not around here." Zed questioned.
"That's in the Alpha Centauri system." Wyatt's eyebrows creased. "That's a different planet."
"You don't think your prophecy meant werewolf alpha did it?" Junipers smile was friendly. "Oh you did, I'm sorry we didn't make it more clear. Yes, we meant an Alpha, as in an alien. My granddaughter, Addison."
"What!" Addison yelled.
Juniper tried to walk up to Addison again, hands outstretched. Addison let her take her hands, and Juniper squeezed. "Addison, leaving you was the hardest thing I've ever done. I wanted nothing more but to be here and when your mother was born it was easy, I would travel back and forth using the moonstone. But then she met your father and he locked away the moonstone, built over it so I couldn't travel. Your grandfather had to sneak me out before the building was finished and I had to say goodbye. I never thought I would come back but I knew you would uncover it, I just didn't know if it would be in my lifetime. And I saw the signal and I knew, you did it! My brave grandgirl did it!" Juniper kisses Addisons knuckles, turning to the Wolfpack. "The moonstone needs clear access to the night sky in order to travel. That's why I stole it, I didn't know the zombies and wolves would come, I'm sorry. I don't want to take it, both your people were born from it, but so was I."
"Wait so it wasn't lime soda?" Zed asked.
"I'm sorry, no." Juniper looked guilty. Addison felt her heart flutter, thinking of the entire world of lies built, yet again, from hatred.
Wynter looked at Willa who nodded. Wynter walked over to the large lever on the right side and pulled. The den ceiling opened, a series of circles collapsing. Willa walked up to Juniper, hand extended. "Next time let's find a way to just leave it here. I can open the ceiling anytime." Juniper let go of Addison and clasped both hands around Willas, tears in her eyes.
"Addison are you okay?" Zed asked.
"I have no idea. All this time I wanted to know about my hair, wanted it to mean something. I thought I was a zombie, then I thought I was a werewolf alpha, and it turns out, I'm an alien." Addison looked at both of them. "I understand if neither of you want me now, especially since my family is the reason why you both were created and why you nearly died."
Wyatt and Zed both stepped into her. Their arms each pulling her close. Zed looked at Wyatt, and for the first time, let go. Wyatt pulled both arms around her.
"Addison, I've wanted you from the moment I met you." Wyatt squeezed slightly. "An answer as to why your hair glows like the moon doesn't change anything for me."
Wyatt released her, letting Zed take over. Zed lifted her in his arms, looking at her eyes.
"Addison I'm a monster, I'm a zombie. You can't control what the hatred of the past did. Wyatt is a werewolf. What could this possibly mean except you belong with me? With us" Zed kissed her forehead, and set her down between him and Wyatt. They pulled her into a hug.
"This is great and all guys but I have less than 4 hours until cheer and unless I get some sleep, I can kiss any leadership skills goodbye."
"Let's get you back to your house." Zed started to pick up Addison. Addison stopped him, looking at her grandma who was still talking with Willa.
"If what she says is true, I don't know if I want to be under the same roof as my dad right now." Addison admitted.
"Do you think she's lying?" Zed asked.
"She smells like you." Wyatt offered. "She smells that same scent you have, you're family."
"Yes, I do." Addison said.
"Well my house is all the way across town." Zed offered. "But dad won't mind."
"You can sleep in Wyatt's den, this is painful how awkward you all are!" Willa shouted from across the den.
"Mine?" Wyatt said, freezing. He ran off, leaving Zed and Addison behind, confused.
"Told you, you should clean your room!" Wynter laughed as understanding came over Addison and Zed. Hand in hand, they walked to Wyatt's den, letting Willa point the way.