A/N: Wyatt and Addison's son wants to be wild. Inspired by 'A World Without Fences' from Lady and the Tramp 2. I kinda picture this being, like, post 'A Walk in the Woods' timeline. But it's not directly associated.

~*~

"Wesley! Dinner time!" Addison called up the stairs.

Silence.

Her brows furrowed. Usually she'd immediately hear a reply or at least a groan if he was busy. But no, she heard nothing.

"Wes?" She called again, taking one step at a time to go check in on him. Maybe he'd fallen asleep?

Attempting to be as quiet as possible, she slowly cracked his door open. "Wesley?" She questioned gently.

When she peeked her head in and found his bed empty, panic flooded her system. "Wesley?!" She burst into the room and scanned the entire space over and over as if she'd missed him somehow.

He had come home from school! He told her he was tired! He went up to his room! He had to be there! But where?!

After spinning for the third time, it sank in that he really wasn't there. "Wyatt!" She finally screamed, running at full speed out of their son's bedroom. "Wyatt!" She continued to shout as she rushed down the stairs.

He appeared around the corner from the den with concern written on his face and eyes dilated from alertness. He easily caught her around the waist when she nearly collapsed down the last couple of steps, pulling her into his chest as tears burst from her eyes.

"I'm right here, calm down." He petted her hair soothingly. When she wasn't hyperventilating anymore, he finally asked, "What's going on, Addison?"

She looked up at him with panic still filling her features. "Wesley's gone! I didn't even see him leave! Did he talk to you? Tell you where he was going?" Wyatt's brows knitted in confusion as he shook his head.

Addison's eyes widened in horror and she was quick to try squirming out of his arms. "Addison! Calm down!" He ordered, caging her to his body in a tight embrace.

"He's only 8, Wyatt! He's 8 and he ran off somewhere out there! I have to go look for him! We have to go find him!" She shouted, weakly pounding her fists to his chest until she completely collapsed into him in a heap of sobs. He hugged her, kissing her hair comfortingly.

"I'll go find him. Everything will be alright." He told her gently.

She looked up at him from his words. "I'll go with you—" She started to say but he was quick to cut her off.

"No, I'm going alone." He told her with finality. Softening at the startled look on her face. "No offense, Baby, but you'd just slow me down." He joked, even with the half-truth to his words. Her stormy blue eyes stared up into his, desperately searching for any crack that he might change his mind. But she came up with none, finally nodding her agreement.

Wyatt gave her a smile, ready to turn away and start the hunt, but she stopped him by grabbing the collar of his shirt. "You have to bring him home." She said firmly. Wyatt chuckled, leaning in to plant a soft kiss to her quivering lips.

"I've got the best nose in town, Addy." He teased. Then placed his forehead on hers. "I'll find him. I promise." He felt her relax for the first time, giving her hand one last squeeze before taking off out the front door to sniff out their son's whereabouts.

The scent led him completely out of Seabrook and across the old barrier. He followed it all through Zombietown, as if Wesley was exploring every inch of the place.

He got a funny look from a zombie woman who walked by as he knelt down to sniff a trampled dandelion garden. Not that he cared what anyone thought of him. All that mattered was finding his boy.

And, yup, he was definitely on his trail.

The further Wyatt followed the scent, the more he realized exactly where his son must have wandered off to. Into what once was known as the Forbidden Forest.

His jaw clenched and his pace quickened as he followed in his son's tracks. He hadn't had a chance to teach Wesley how to safely navigate the wilderness. It would be easy for an exploring werepup to get lost or hurt without proper guidance.

As soon as Wyatt squeezed through the old bent-up fence, he took off like a bullet. Heart pounding anxiously and nose to the sky as he sniffed the air almost constantly. Not willing to lose track of his boy's scent.

It wasn't long before he caught whiffs of other familiar scents too. He sighed in relief, the tension in his muscles dissipating ever so slightly. They were his old pack mates. At least he wouldn't be alone. But until Wesley was in his sights, he couldn't fully relax.

His feet carried him across the woodsy terrain with practiced ease. A feeling of nostalgia built in his chest. It had been too long since he's been on a good run. The fresh air blowing past his ears and the refreshing smell of pine filling his lungs. The soft forest floor giving way just enough for his boots to get a good grip on the earth.

He wouldn't trade the life he has with Addison and Wesley, but he sure does miss the wilderness.

Before he even realized it, Wyatt was standing at the mouth of the den. Like muscle memory had just kicked in and brought him back to his old home without even thinking. One quick sniff was confirmation that his son was here. He was close. Wyatt's stomach leapt as he eagerly continued onward.

As he got closer to the den's center, he could hear rhythmic clapping, stomping, and laughter getting louder and louder. A beat he recognized from a long time ago. It felt so reminiscent that he didn't want to interrupt it. He crept down the tunnel and crouched down to peek around the corner into the gathering area.

The den was alive with song and dance. A song he remembered vividly when he'd brought Addison here the first time. It was her 'Call to the Wild'. Though this version was altered ever so slightly.

He spotted his boy bouncing excitedly in the midst of the pack, one of the widest grins Wyatt had ever seen on him splitting his cheeks. As the production came to a close, Wesley lifted his chin and howled. A sound that filled his chest with pride.

But there was also a tinge of hurt in his heart. The pack had made him this happy. Not him.

When murmuring settled, the crowd parted and his twin emerged. Willa strutted over to her nephew she'd only met a few times when he was a baby and knelt down to be at his level.

"What brings you into our forest young pup?" She asked him with a teasing smirk.

"I'm not a pup anymore! I wanna be like you real werewolves!" Wesley protested, face scrunched into a pout. "I wanna run through the woods! I wanna do what I want, when I want, and nobody can tell me no!" He continued to rant, pacing around and telling any wolf who would listen before returning to face Willa. A determination blazing in his eyes. "I wanna be a wild and free wolf!"

Willa's brows had jumped in surprise at the young boy's outburst but then stood into a proud stance, hands on her hips as if she's decided something. As Alpha, her word is always final after all. "Then I guess it's time for you to join our pack, officially." She replied matter-of-factly.

"Really?! You mean it?!" Wesley questioned excitedly.

Wyatt's eyes widened for only a moment before his brows knit into a glare, a low growl rumbling in his chest. The sound reverberating off the walls of the quiet den and catching every wolf's attention as they spun to face the entryway. Wyatt had already stood as the other wolves took defensive stances. He, however, held his head high with a straight spine, not looking for a fight if he didn't have to.

Wesley was wide-eyed standing beside the alpha. His shoulders hunched slightly, a habit of his when he knew he was in trouble. Willa saw her brother walking towards her with a scowl on his face and raised an amused brow. "Long time no see, Wyatt." She said casually, knowing exactly how to grate on his nerves. Though he tried to ignore her, instead turning his attention to his son.

"Wait, you know him?" Wesley asked the alpha from the familiarity in her tone. Willa chuckled.

"Oh, your father and I go way back." She joked, making Wyatt growl. It fell on deaf ears as his sister continued, strolling lazily to circle him. "In fact, he used to be one of the strongest and most loyal wolves this pack has ever known. The Beta Wolf." She said into his ear. He hid the way his spine shook. His features as hard as stone, not giving away the hurt he felt in his heart from what happened.

"Wow, no way," they vaguely heard Wes murmur.

Willa returned to Wesley's side, her eyes flashing to bore into Wyatt's. An intensity in her gaze that would make any other wolf shrink into the ground. "I'm surprised he never told you." Her voice dripping with venom.

"Come on, Wes. We're going home." He barked, walking over to grab his hand. But the boy pulled out of his grasp.

"What?! No!" He refused, backing up to stand next to Willa. Wyatt stared at him. He glanced at his sister and saw she was just as surprised as him but more in amusement than shock. Wyatt shook it off.

"What do you mean 'no'." He said more as a rhetorical question than anything. "Your mother has been worried sick! We can discuss this when we get home." Wyatt snapped, turning to head for the exit without waiting for a reply.

"No." Wesley stayed firm. "I'm not going back, Dad. You might not want this lifestyle but I do!" He tried desperately to make his father understand.

"You don't know what you want. You're too young to be out on your own like this!" Wyatt argued, moving to retake his hand. Willa took a step between them.

"He won't be on his own. He'll have his pack. Or have you forgotten what that's like?" She countered in Wesley's defense. Wyatt's lips pulled back to reveal his fangs, eyes glowing dangerously.

"Are you trying to take my son away from me now?" He growled threateningly. Willa growled right back.

"No! No one's forcing me to do anything!" Wesley shouted, pushing his way into the middle. He turned to his father with determination in his eyes. "This is what I want. I want to find where I belong."

Wyatt knelt down to his level, placing his hands on his son's shoulders. "You belong at home. With me and your mom. Your family." He tried to explain but Wesley turned his head away in frustration.

"You and mom just want to keep me caged up." He huffed.

Wyatt was taken aback. He didn't realize his son didn't feel free. Had they really been so oblivious to how Wesley was feeling?

"Your mom and I want you to be happy." Wyatt argued in confusion.

"Then let me go!" Wes exclaimed, making Wyatt's eyes widen. "Let me choose my own destiny. You got to choose yours."

He was right. Wyatt lived in the wild his entire youth. Then he met Addison and they decided to start a new life together. They thought they were doing the best thing for Wesley by raising him in Seabrook. But his heritage begged to differ.

He is a wolf.

Wyatt sighed, knowing what had to be done. Though he knew his wife wouldn't be happy about it. In one swift motion, he wrapped his son in a tight hug.

He held him there for a long moment before he whispered, "You can come home whenever you're ready."

When he pulled back, he hadn't expected the resistance as if Wesley didn't want the embrace to end just yet. He offered him a sad smile of reassurance. "We love you, Wesley." He added, ruffling the boy's white-streaked hair.

After standing upright, he was once again met by his sister. Her expression was neutral, neither arrogant nor remorseful about the whole situation. He looked her dead in the eyes, offering up his hand for her to take. Which she did.

"I'm trusting you." He said. She gave only a serious nod. Both knew the magnitude of what was transpiring for the young wolf. A right of passage that no one was prepared for just yet.

And Wyatt would miss it.

Reluctantly, it was time for him to turn away. His pace quick as he went back the way he came. He didn't want Wesley to see the moisture that built in his eyes. He'd be strong for his son.

It wasn't until the chilled open air hit him that the dam broke. The tears wouldn't stop streaming as he ran as fast as he could through the forest. Wouldn't stop when he passed through Zombietown. Most not even able to tell from how fast he was going. And definitely didn't stop when he broke the news to Addison. Their house felt empty without their little boy there.

And there was no telling when or if he would come home.