Alright, so this took a little longer than I had hoped, but not as much as I feared.
I couldn't get an idea out of my head so i might have started a new story while still finishing this one... Still Zed/Addison, of course but omegaverse... Also there was a con and I had a cosplay to finish.

Hoping this post properly because I'm uploading this chapter from a train.

Addison stared at her reflection in awe. What the hell? She brought shaky fingers to her neck. She didn't dare touch it, afraid it was all an illusion about to shatter. Curiosity got the best of her. Or maybe it was hope; she wasn't quite certain. When it didn't disappear under a quick press from her fingertips, Addison allowed herself a nervous giggle. It couldn't be. Zed had said…

"Zed," she squeaked.

There was no surprise when the man in question didn't appear; she couldn't have been louder than a mouse. Addison breathed in and called again, her voice louder if not any less shaky.

She knew her voice was laced with emotion, but it was obviously worse than she thought because Zed barrelled through the door.

"Addie! Addie, what's wrong?"

Zed placed one hand on her shoulder while the other moved up her neck to cup her face, searching her eyes for answers. When his fingers brushed against it, Addison shivered.

"Are you okay? You're not getting sick, are you?"
"No," she said with a sob.
"Then what's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong."

Tears well up in her eyes at his confused expression.

"Addie, you're kinda scaring me, here."
"Look."

She stepped aside, effectively dislodging the hand on her face. She leaned her head to the right, shifting his attention to her throat. Zed let out a harsh breath, abruptly feeling dizzy. He reached out but stopped mid-movement.

"I…"
"It's really there," she sniffled.

Zed forced himself to breathe lest he passed out, thankful he wasn't imagining it. It was glorious. Nested between the rapidly darkening love bites he left behind were two rows of pink indentations, aligned perfectly in half-circles. There was no mistaking it for anything other than what it was. The perfectly scarred imprint of Zed's teeth on Addison.

It should have been impossible. She'd been bleeding not twelve hours ago, yet there it was. He vaguely remembered Addison cleaning in with soap and water before they went to bed—she should probably have disinfected it instead—but that was the extent of what she had done. He had expected the wound to start scabbing by tonight at the earliest. Zed suppressed an instinctive wince at the thought. Last night, he had been so damn convinced that he'd nearly mauled her.

The mark was deceitful, he couldn't help but think. While each one of his teeth had nicked Addison's supple flesh; the scar looked almost perfectly smooth, its pinkish hue one he associated with an injury at least a week old. Zed reached out a second time. This time he let his thumb stroke the mark, causing Addison to shiver.

Addison's heart raced in her chest. Zed looked absolutely shattered, though it seemed to be in a good way. His soft gaze filled with awed wonder as he studied the bite. She wanted to say something, remind him that he'd put it there himself only hours before, but the coolness of his fingers against the scar sent fire through her entire body. She shivered. His touch left her tingling and she wished he could experience it.

Suddenly remembering she'd left her own mark on him, she tugged at the collar of his shirts, swearing at his habit of wearing a second one over a t-shirt. Finally, getting with the program, Zed shrugged the first one off his shoulders and let her tug at the neckline of the second one. Addison brought her hand to her mouth, speechless. She hadn't clamped down half as hard as Zed had, but against all odds there it was. Quite smaller, but just as perfectly aligned, was the impress of her own teeth. A staggering amount of pride coursed through her veins, knocking her out. If she felt like this, she couldn't begin to imagine how Zed—and his zombie instincts—was experiencing this.

She breathed out nervously, not quite a sigh yet not quite a giggle either. Addison lifted a hand to his neck and traced the scar. The simple touch was all it took; Zed's zombie was out to play. Zed growled softly, pressing Addison against his firm body. She stumbled, his strong arms catching her and locking her in. Right away, she noticed the swelling in his pants; unable to control her body's reaction, Addison felt the moisture building up between her legs.

Zed might be a little zombied out, but he was still in charge. He looked down at the woman in his arms with nothing short of reverence. He was finally feeling the change. The mental barrier he'd always kept with his zombie side was gone, blasted away at the same time he took Addison as his mate. It was something that would usually leave him unsettled and with a frayed control, but he'd never felt more composed. It was an odd but welcomed sensation. Drawing his mate closer, his nose picked up her arousal in seconds. Maybe now he'd be able to get her back in bed…

When Zed slipped his hands under her sweater, Addison arched in his touch. She could probably move a few things around her mental schedule, right? Zed purred when he felt his mate melt into his embrace. However this was their life and not a rom com. Like it happened so many times before, one of their phones rang, Addison groaned, but pulled away. Or, at least, she tried as best as she could to do so when her zombie boyfriend was holding her tight.

"Come on, Zed. I've got to answer, it's my dad."

Unwelcome interruption aside, Zed knew Dale was the sole member of Addison's family that was on their side. They couldn't afford to lose his approval, so he let her go. Inside though, he wondered what it would take to destroy those two devices … or maybe he could get Eliza to hack them?

AZAZAZ

When the cab dropped them off at Addison's house, Zed was relieved to see that the mayor's car was gone. Zed had never been a coward, but the less he had to see the woman, the better it would be … for everyone involved. Addison entered the house first, calling for her dad while she hung her white coat. The man in question walked into the living room with a steaming mug of coffee, its rich taste almost making Zed drool. There were good sides to the mayor's snobbishness.

To Dale Wells' credit, the man didn't blink at his daughter's clothes, nor the fact that her zombie boyfriend was currently carrying last night's dress. Instead, he inhaled deeply. It was not exactly a surprise to see them together and Addison was almost 21, not 10.

"I kept the room service bill from your mother," he threw offhandedly.

To the chief's amusement, Zed ducked his head and Addison blushed. Now that they both knew that he knew exactly what they'd been up to last night, he could get back to his coffee. A father's job was never done. Just as he was about to leave, Addison turned on her heels to grab Zed by the arm. This time, he blinked. Dale Wells was man enough to admit that he hadn't been expecting that. For all that was holy, why him?

"Addison, why don't you go change while I get Zed here some coffee?"

His voice left no room for argument. Addison peered at him, confused, and Zed winced, but they both complied. Pressing a kiss to his cheek, she climbed the stairs, leaving him to follow her dad to the kitchen.

"I … Chief…"
"Would you care to explain to me why my only daughter looks like she's been mauled by a wild animal, Zed?"
"Hum… Not particularly," he said honestly.

Dale sighed. At least the kid had balls … and the decency to blush. In all of his years at the Z-Patrol, Dale was not certain he'd seen any zombie flush this dark. Good to know he was still intimidating. He brought his mug to his lips and swallowed a few mouthfuls. There was not enough coffee in the world for the conversation he knew was awaiting them.

"Right, right, right… Want to explain why your teeth are stamped on her skin, then?"
"Oh Z! Sir, I can explain!"

Addison's father raised an eyebrow, the mannerism so identical to hers and Zed couldn't help the stuttered ramblings.

"She wanted it! OMZ, not like that, I swear. Fuck, I sound like I took advantage of her … which I didn't, I swear. I wouldn't do anything to hurt her, sir. Everything was consensual… I mean… You probably don't want to hear about our … huh… Addie's sex life… I… We… It's a zombie thing? The biting… I'm talking about the bite mark, sir… I … zombie thing … cause you know… I am one … a zombie … not that you didn't know that … because you're the chief of Z-Patrol… Please don't arrest me?"

Zed's heart was thundering in his chest, and he could feel the cold sweats rolling down the back of his neck. Addie's dad was going to arrest him and throw him into Containment, Zoey would be heartbroken, Addison would have to face her relatives alone and … oh Z! What if her mom convinced her to go back to Warner? Was he hyperventilating? It felt like he might be.

"Zed! Kid?" Dale called oud, waving a hand in front of Zed's face.

Zed shook himself out of his stupor and squinted at his mate's father. The man seemed greatly entertained. That more than anything else prompted him to ask the question burning his tongue.

"So, you're not going to arrest me, then?"
"I have been the head of Z-Patrol for nearly 15 years, Zed. I can recognize a mating bite."

There was something quite satisfying to see his daughter's boyfriend turn white as a sheet. He would have kept the charade up, but he also knew it would annoy the hell out of his daughter. From the way his wife had been acting for the last week, at least one of them should be on good terms with Addison and it wasn't going to be Missy.

"Breathe."

The order had seemingly been needed because the young man in front of him gulped for air.

"I also know this thing is consensual."
"Yes, chief."
"And instinctual."
"Yes, chief." Zed flinched at the implication that he hadn't been in control … even though it was fairly true.
"And it's permanent."
"It is for me, chief. Addie's not a zombie, she could walk away."

Dale studied the young zombie with a newfound respect. Addison had the upper hand in their relationship. Zed was telling the truth; she could walk away and never look back but in doing so she would destroy him. He knew all of that, yet he still chose to put his trust in her, to claim her as his mate. It should have frightened him as her father. Instead, he was weirdly approving. If Zed had chosen Addison as his mate than he'd make sure she was safe. Him and his zombie. And wasn't that a slap in the face. They'd been so worried about Addison getting her face bitten off by a zombie and turned out she went and became one's mate.

"Zed, does my daughter strikes you as the flighty type?"
"Huh, no, chief."
"Then this is permanent."
"Yes, chief."

Zed beamed at him with such hope that he almostregretted playing hard ass with the kid. Almost.

"This is the moment where I tell you that we will never speak of what mating entails."
"Yes, chief." Zed muttered, hunching in his chair.
"Out of respect for everyone, I will ask you to refrain any such activities while there are other people in this house."
"Ye-es, chief."
"Excellent. Now, would you like a cup of coffee?"

The man got up and walked to the coffee machine.

"That's it?"
"Well, I would have preferred if you had waited a few years… Or at least until my wife had calmed down, but I suppose it is too late for that now."
"Um … yeah…"
"I need you to promise me two things, however," he said as he poured steaming coffee in a second cup.
"What is it?"
"One day, I would really want to walk my daughter down the aisle. Also, for the love of all that's holy, please hold off on giving me grandkids any time soon."
"I can do that, chief." He nodded vigorously.
"Now, didn't I ask you to call me Dale?"

Zed let out a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding. Tension bled out of his every muscle. He was still alive, not in handcuffs … that went better than he'd expected. He found himself reaching for the mug of coffee in front of him., cradling the warmth in his hands. He could do this.

AZAZAZ

Addison had never been happier to wear her own clothes again or at least most of her own clothes. She'd kept Eliza's grey sweater on but replaced the rest with more Seabrook-appropriate colours. Since they were hanging out with Zoey for the afternoon, Addison had packed a few things as well as her dress for dinner. There was no reason for her to come back early if she could get ready at Zed's. Passing in front of her mirror, her eye had caught the purple bruises all over her throat. Yeah, those definitely had to go.

Addison hurried back downstairs with an extra pep into her step. She found her dad and her boyfriend in the kitchen. Zed was gleefully drinking his coffee mug and she couldn't help but laugh. Her boyfriend—mate? could she use that term?—was ridiculous sometimes. She kissed him on the cheek, stealing a sip of coffee.

"What are you two up to?" She asks, pulling out a chair to sit down.
"Nothing much. It rather seems you have the monopoly on life-changing events!"

Addison froze halfway down to her seat. Her hand flew to her neck, covering the mating bite with one hand.

"Dad! I can explain. It's not Zed's fault… I asked him…"
"Stop!"

Addison's mouth closed shut and she let herself fall into her chair. She glanced at Zed, but he was staring at his coffee like it held the answers to the universe … and her dad was oddly calm about the entire thing.

"I don't need to think about what exactly happened any more than I already did. Though I thank you for covering the … bruises," Dale almost choked on the word, "you could have done the same with that bite."

Addison's face turned crimson. Okay, so she hadn't covered it … she was going to. She knew she should have, but something had stopped her. She'd been unable to do it, just thinking about doing it left an uneasy feeling in her stomach.

"I … I couldn't." Addison admitted.

Zed finally looked up from his mug to beam at Addison. He hadn't really thought about it because zombies just didn't cover mating bites with makeup. That was just distasteful. And even if he wouldn't have begrudged Addison for doing it, he could admit that his zombie was overjoyed that she had left it on display. He laced his fingers with hers under the table, prompting her to peek at him with her bright blue eyes. The happiness on his face was plain to see, and she gave him a broad grin.

Across the table for them, Dale rolled his eyes. Oh, young love! Had he ever seen Addison so happy? He guessed that as long as his only daughter didn't turn into a zombie, he could deal with mating instincts. Missy was going to be impossible; he could feel it. He cleared his throat.

"Alright you lovebirds." They both sent him glazed looks, obviously they'd forgotten all about him. "I get it, I do; but I don't think that's how you want to announce it to your mom."

Addison shivered at the thought. Zed frowned. He understood, really, but did she have to conceal it with makeup? Addison ran her fingers over the lines on his forehead, her pouty lips jutting forward. Dale rolled his eyes again and sighed. Maybe he should rethink his stance over zombie mating instincts.

"How about you make sure your clothes cover it at dinner tonight? It'll leave me some time to broach the subject with her."

Addison raised an eyebrow at Zed who shrugged. He could cope with clothes; he could easily push it aside if need be. Not that he needed the reassurance … okay maybe he did. Sue him.

"I can do that."
"Thank you. What are your plans for the day?"
"We're going to see Zed's little sister."
"Don't be late for dinner."
"We won't. We'll be back here, dressed and ready to face the family for five."
"Four."
"Four thirty."
"Deal."

Father and daughter exchanged smiles. They'd done that dance with her curfew more times than they could recall.

AZAZAZ

Addison parked her car in front of the now familiar Z-224a. She turned off the ignition but made no move to open her door. Instead she turned to Zed, twirling a lock of hair between her fingers. She bit down on the inside of her cheek. What if his family didn't approve? She suddenly wished they could wait before announcing it. However, she somehow knew it wasn't a possibility.

"Everyone is going to just know, aren't they?"
"Yeah."

There was no point in lying to her, Zed thought. The marks were just one part of mating.

"Scenting changes after we mate. It'll still be there, just much more subtle."
"Oh yeah?"
"My zombie and me both know you're ours," he confessed, bringing a hand to caress her cheek.
"I already was," she pointed out teasingly.

Zed bit his lips and unbuttoned the top of her coat. He slipped his fingers inside her collar, reverently stroking the mark underneath the fabric.

"Instincts," he explained. "You bear my mark and I bear yours. You chose me. I don't need to scare others off. Scenting is a courting thing."
"So I won't smell like you anymore?"
"You will." He chastely kissed the pout that had formed on her lips. "And I'll smell like you. It just won't send a warning to others that I might challenge them over any perceived slight."
"Like last night? When you zombied out with Warner?"
"Yeah. My zombie is more … confident? My instincts say we don't need to overdo things anymore."

A mischievous smirk tugged at Addison's lips, and she reached over to sensually trail her fingers down the zipper of his pants. Zed swallowed tightly.

"Does it mean that you won't be as … endowed anymore?"

Her fingers squeezed the bulge in his jeans. Zed's forehead hit hers as he gasped.

"Fuck."
"That's not an answer," she singsong before pressing the heel of her hand down his length.

Zed growled and snaked his arms around her waist, pulling her over the middle console. Addison chuckled even as she pushed herself into his lap.

"You're killing me!" Zed hissed.
"You are a little dark around the eyes," she agreed.

She raised her hips a little, ready to buck down but Zed clutched her hips in a vice-grip. She pouted at him.

"Addie," he warned.
"Well, you're not exactly forthcoming with answers. I just thought I'd investigate myself," she said with an innocent expression.
"Fuck!"
"You've said that already."

She wiggled in his grip, frustrated. It was Zed's turn to smirk. He brought her down, rocking his hips against her core. Addison's eyes rolled back. She whined when he kept her steady, not allowing her another inch.

"See. Don't have anything to worry about."
"Well, isn't someone cocky? I thought your instincts said you didn't need to overdo things?"
"I'm sorry, weren't you the one asking for it?"

Addison snorted and both of them dissolved into laughter. Zed leaned in to capture her lips when someone knocked vigorously on the car window, startling them.

"For Z's sake, you two! Seriously Zed? People don't need to see that. I'm going to barf."

Eliza's voice had the effect of a cold shower. They were out of the car within seconds, a mess of limbs and excuses.

"You lovebirds are ridiculous, I swear."
"Shut up, E."
"I guess it's not like I had to bring clothes over or something … wait! I did." Eliza was leaning on the fence, looking far too amused for Zed's comfort.
"Yeah, well we got distracted and didn't plan ahead, alright."
"If the car was a preview, I can imagine exactly how you got distracted." She wiggled her eyebrows at them, making Addison blush.
"Eliza!" Zed warns with the hint of a growl.
"Alright, alright. I'm stopping."

Zed shook his head and nudged Addison towards the door. As the couple walked past her, Eliza wrinkled her nose, mentally preparing for the stench that seemed to follow them. When nothing happened, her nostrils flared. That was strange. Eliza took a step towards her own home when it hit her. She stopped dead in her tracks and whirled around to see the Necrodopolis door close. She was going to kill him.

AZAZAZ

Zevon Necrodopolis was enjoying a rare Christmas Eve off and reading his newspaper in the kitchen when he heard the front door open and Zed call out that he was there with Addison. His eyebrows twitched up at his voice. From Eliza's earlier visit, Zevon had not been expecting them before lunch. He stood up to greet up when he heard the front door slam against the door. Zevon winced, easily imagining the plaster falling off the wall.

"You little shit!"

The yelling confirmed that it was indeed Eliza who'd come in. A strange scene was unfolding in his living room. Eliza was tugging at Zed's coat while his son pushed her off him, trying to get away. Addison sat on their ratty couch, giggling.

"Children!"

They both froze and twisted to look at him. He sent them a stern look, managing to make them let go of one another.

"How is it that the two of you always devolve into ten years old?"
"Pops —"
"It's Zed's fault. He didn't tell me!" Eliza turned on her heels to face Zed and crossed her arms over her chest. "Like my nose wouldn't catch on! DUDE! The least you could do is let me see it."

With all the talks Zevon had with his son over the last few days, it was embarrassing how long it took him to connect the dots. Startled, he sniffed the air and groaned. Zed sure knew how to get in trouble, didn't he? Zevon was convinced that this wouldn't go well with the girl's mother. Part of him—the more rational part—couldn't believe such a commitment after dating for less than a month; but another part—the zombie part, surely—couldn't help the pride for his oldest child finding his mate. All of him was tearing up as he gathered his son in his arms for a tight hug. After a second of surprised confusion, Zed wrapped his arms around his dad, returning the embrace just as fiercely. When they finally let go of one another, Zevon turned to Addison who stepped into his open arms.

The Necrodopolis's family gave the best hugs, Addison couldn't help but think. Zevon steps back enough for her to see Eliza and Zed hugging each other. She didn't know why she'd been nervous about telling them in the car. They were obviously happy for them.

"I still want to see it, you asshole!" Eliza complained when her best friend released her.

Zed rolled his eyes but shed his coat before tugging at the collar of his shirts. With a feeling she'd be next, Addison took off her own coat. The pink raised scar is blatant against the creamy skin of her neck; much more noticeable on her than it was on Zed … which was not saying much considering her choice of shirts. Eliza wolf-whistled.

"If we ever need to ID you through dental records, we'll just look at her neck."

Her tone was teasing yet fond and the smile spreading on Eliza's face as Zed facepalmed told Addison she got the exact reaction she'd wanted. Zevon's face was more serious though. He was studying their marks with a peculiar look on his face. Addison bit the inside of her cheek again. Maybe they'd been wrong and it wasn't what they had thought. Zevon caught her anxious expression and smiled reassuringly at her.

"In all seriousness, this has to be one of the clearest bites I've ever seen," Zed's father mused. "I shouldn't be surprised though; Zed's pheromones were out of control."

Somewhere in Zed's brain, he was vaguely aware that his lack of control should be a source of mortification; yet pride was all he could taste at the moment. He puffed his chest, though he managed to keep down the purr threatening to escape him. He moved to lace his fingers with Addison's, using his grip to pull her against him. She happily followed, both knowing that she was strong enough to stand her ground if she had wanted to. It warmed him to know that she welcomed his affections so easily. Zoey finally appeared at the top of the stairs. She took in the emotional state of the four of them and tilted her head to the side.

"Okay? What did I miss?"

AZAZAZ

Zoey had been bouncing off the walls when Zed explained to her what happened. If they'd let her, she would have gone and told all of Zombietown. Wanting to avoid putting that much pressure on Addison, he'd made her promise to keep it for herself until they made the announcement for themselves. For the most part, Zed enjoyed having Addison to himself. As soon as the cat was out of the bag, the neighbourhood was sure to organize some celebration or other. They could wait a bit for that; he didn't want to have to share her. He'd extracted the same promise from Eliza with minimal sarcasm and eye rolls.

Zevon had finally wrangled Zoey around, sitting her between Addison and her brother in font of her favourite Christmas movie. She'd snuggled against the two of them, reminding Zed of a younger version of herself. Once again, his heart twinged at the realization his baby sister wasn't so small anymore. She'd soon be too old for cuddles. After the movie, Zoey insisted on playing games. Addison indulged her, going along with every new game with a smile.

AZAZAZ

Eventually, Addison and Zed had to get ready for dinner with her family. Zoey frowned, her lips turning down. She smiled at the little girl, grabbing her by the hand and pulling her closer.

"You guys celebrate tomorrow, right?" Addison asked, brushing green bangs out of Zoey's eyes. When the little girl hummed noncommittally, she continued. "We're having Christmas dinner here. And we'll be there in the morning to open gifts with you."
"You're not going to be there to read me the story?" Zoey turned to Zed with wide eyes.
"Pops can read it to you this year, Zozo." Her brother tried.

Zoey shook her head, breaking away from Addison and running upstairs. The white-haired girl turned to Zed, wrapping her arms around her middle section.

"Did I do something wrong?"
"Hey! No, no, no… It's just something we do on Christmas Eve."

Zed pulled Addison in a hug, but she didn't respond. She hid her face in his chest.

"What is it?"

Zed sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He owed Addison the truth, but he didn't want to hurt her feelings…

"My mom used to read me 'Twas the Night Before Christmas every year… Mom died in childbirth and I was mad for a long time. But on Zoey's first Christmas, I read it to her while she was in her crib… I've been reading it to her every year since."
"Oh my God, Zed! I'm so sorry! This is all my fault. If you weren't coming to dinner —" Tears glistened in her blue eyes.
"No, don't cry, Addie." He pressed a kiss to the crown of her head and hugged her tighter. "It's okay, she's going to be okay. She's disappointed right now, but she understands."

Addison sniffled against his chest. She hadn't been lucky enough to have this kind of Christmas traditions as a child. Her mind went to her yearly picture with Santa. She'd been heartbroken when they had stopped. And sure she'd been younger than Zoey, but it didn't seem fair to her. She gently pushed against Zed's chest and took a step back.

"What if…" Addison bit her lip, it wasn't really her place, was it?
"Addie?"
"Never mind, it's none of my business."
"Hey! I know we haven't talked that much about it, but we're mated Addie. As good as marriage, remember." His voice was gentle, but firm.
"What if we make it back before midnight? Like say 11?"
"Addison…" Zed was breathless.
"I know it's late and it's definitely past her bedtime. And I know we'll probably have to wake her up so I understand if your dad doesn't want us to … but I don't want us being together to take priority over your traditions with Zoey."
"Addie… I…"
"I don't think we can ditch before 10 and I don't want to disappoint Zoey either…"

Zed cut Addison's ramblings with a searing kiss. When she finally gasped for air, she narrowed her eyes at him.

"What was that for?"
"For being amazing. For thinking of Zoey. For being you. Take your pick."
"Zed."
"Pops won't mind. Are you sure you want to do this?"
"100%."
"Alright then, I'll talk to Pops and then I'll get her out of her room."
"Actually…"

AZAZAZ

Addison knocked softly on Zoey's door, unwilling to just go inside without the little girl's permission.

"Go away Zed!" Zoey yelled in answer.
"It's Addison."

There was a long pause and for a moment, Addison thought Zoey might send her away as well.

"He's not there?"

Zoey's voice was rough; but not zombie rough, cried all the tears in your body rough. Addison's heart lurched. She wasn't sure if the question meant Zoey was happy or disappointed that Zed wasn't the one at her door.

"I asked him to stay downstairs … but I can go and get him if you'd like."
"NO!" A short pause. "I mean … you can come in. I didn't lock the door."

Addison pushed it open and walked inside, carefully closing the door behind her. Zoey was on her bed, curled up in the corner with an old blanket. Addison hurried at the sight of her, climbing into bed and wrapping an arm around the young zombie's shoulders. Zoey tensed against her, almost prompting Addison to release her.

The next second, Zoey wrapped her arms tightly around her middle. Addison sighed and pulled the girl closer. She caressed the silky green hair and made soothing sounds as sobs wrecked Zoey's body. Addison didn't let go for a second, even when Zoey's Z-band beeped, and she could suddenly feel the electromagnetic pulses grow stronger against her ribs. If anything she held on tighter, reassuring her that they were both safe. Even after her tears finally receded, Zoey hid her face against Addison's sweater.

"I'm sorry," she finally croaked.
"What for?"
"Your shirt."
"It's just a shirt, Zozo," Addison promised, the nickname rolling off her tongue effortlessly. Zoey hummed, still tensed. "Zoey?"
"And for being a baby."
"Look at me."

Zoey shook her head against Addison's chest, her eyes clenched shut.

"Come on, Zozo. We need to fix this," Addie coaxed the little girl.

Zoey shuffled back and finally looked up. Addison brushed green lock behind Zoey's ear and wiped away teardrops with her thumbs.

"You're not a baby, Zoey. You —"
"But I threw a fit and cried."
"You're allowed to be sad, kiddo. It's okay to cry sometimes."
"Yeah, but it was stupid." Zoey ducked her head down.
"No, it wasn't." Addison gently lifted her chin with her index finger. "Zed explained it to me."
"Oh!"
"I'm sorry, Zoey."
"Why?"

She tilted her head to the side, confused. It was such a perfect copy of her big brother that Addison couldn't help the smile tugging at her lips.

"Because I got so wrapped up in your brother that I didn't stop to consider how you were feeling."
"It's okay. You and Zed are mates!"

Addison could hear the duh tagged at the end of her sentence just as clear as if she'd said it.

"Not okay, Zoey. I should have double-checked with Zed. Just because you celebrate on the 25th doesn't mean you don't have other traditions."
"I guess."
"We have to go tonight."
"I know."
"But we'll be back by eleven so that Zed can read you the story."
"Really?" Zoey asked with wide eyes.
"Really, really!"

Zoey threw her arms around Addison and hugged her fiercely. Addison giggled even as she returned the embrace.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Zoey kept repeating.
"Don't worry about it!"

Zoey suddenly pulled away.

"But what about your traditions?"
"Dinner tonight is a family tradition."
"Oh! Didn't you have any when you were my age?"

Addison thought about it. When she'd been younger, they'd been allowed to open one gift before dinner and then the rest after midnight. Nowadays though, they did presents between dinner and dessert. Most of her mother's traditions—cookies, the tree and the likes—actually happened before Christmas. They didn't do stockings anymore either. Their presence over the chimney was more for appearance's sake. It was quite depressing if she stopped to think about which was why she usually didn't.

"One or two, but now that all the kids are in college, we don't anymore," she explained.
"You can share ours," Zoey said solemnly.
"Thank you!"

Addison ignored the way her heart tugged in her chest. There'd been enough tears for one Christmas Eve. Instead she deflected with humour.

"Alright! You need to go talk to your brother before he paces a hole in the living room floor," Addison tickled the little girl, making her squirm and giggle.
"O-kay!" Zoey got up from the bed and shuffled to her door, before turning around to face Addison. "Are you leaving soon?"
"Soon-ish. We need to get ready first … but we don't want to be late. Being on time is really important for my mom and I don't want her to be mad."
"Your mom is scary."

Addison cocked her head to the side. When had Zoey ever met her mom? Unless she meant from the news.

"I guess she looks pretty scary, doesn't she?"
"No. I mean she had that scary look on her face the other night," Zoey insisted.

Addison's heart thundered in her chest. What was she talking about? When had she seen her mother?

"The other night? You saw my mother?"
"Yeah, before the gala! I don't know what she said because Pops sent me to my room … but Zed looked all sad after."
"Right."
"Zed didn't tell you?" Zoey bit her bottom lip, looking far too worried for Addison's liking.
"You know what, it does ring a bell. I just forgot," she claimed. "Go hug your brother. I'll be down in a sec. I just need to use the bathroom."

Zoey seemed to believe her and darted out of her room, cheered up at a speed only kids can achieve. Addison locked the bathroom door with shaky hands. To be honest, she felt off-kilter. Why hadn't Zed said anything about her mother showing up at his house? She splashed water over her face. Knowing her mother's mood this last week, she had an inkling that this hadn't been a fun conversation. Addison took in a long breath then exhaled slowly. Zed certainly had his reasons for not bringing it up. Not that yesterday would have been a great moment to have this conversation. She looked at herself in the mirror, she didn't look as freaked out anymore which was a good thing because she really did need to get ready.

AZAZAZ

Zed was pacing by the front door, eyeing the time while he waited for Addison to finally be ready. Zevon chuckled from where he was watching TV, the scene strangely reminiscent of the many times he'd waited on his mate.

"Addie! We're going to be late at your parents!" Zed hollered.
"One half of a couple always takes forever to get ready. Better get used to it, son." Zevon snorted.

Zed groaned, barely avoiding raking his fingers through his hair. Not that his perfectly combed hair would change much—Addison's mother already hated him—but it couldn't harm with the rest of her family. Looking back at the clock on the wall, Zed pinched the bridge of his nose, attempting not to sigh. What was taking so long? After what felt like an eternity, the clacking sound of heels resonated in the room. Zed turned on his heels and forgot out to breathe. His mate was beautiful. She was wearing a Christmas red dress; the high-low skirt was separated from the top by a large bow. The dress hugged her curves perfectly; its only downside being the high neckline hiding her mark from view. Her white hair fell in soft waves and the bright shade on her lips made Zed want to devour them more than he usually did. He met her at the bottom of the stairs.

"You look delicious. Oh! I mean gorgeous."
"You're not so bad yourself."

Her smile was wide, but Zed noticed the tension around her eyes. He pressed his lips to her in a tender kiss. Her smile softened. They wished Zoey and Zevon a good evening and stepped outside. Zed gallantly opened the gate for Addison, curtsying, and eliciting a giggle from her lips. Calling his name, Addison threw something at him; he clumsily caught the object, raising an eyebrow at her when he recognized her car keys.

"You drive, don't you?"
"Sure. But you love driving," he said, perplexed.

She shrugged it off, but Zed could see the lines around her eyes. They sat in the car, but he didn't turn the ignition on.

"Alright, what's going on?"
"Nothing."
"Addison. We're not moving until you get it off your chest."
"Why didn't you tell me my mother came to your house?"

Zed let his forehead hit the steering wheel with a thump. Of course, that was coming back to bite him in the ass.

"Zoey?"
"She thinks my mom is scary."
"She kinda is, Addie," he mumbled, his face still smashed against the steering wheel.
"Zoey said you were sad after she left."

Zed sighed and lifted his head, turning to look at Addison. There was a dark spot in the middle of his forehead. Before she could realize it, she'd moved her arm to rub at the skin tenderly. Her silly zombie. Zed leaned into his mate's loving touch.

"She wanted me to break up with you last night."
"Wh—what?"
"Said I was going to ruin your life if we stayed together."
"Zed — " Addison tried, but he was on a roll.
"She thinks I can't provide for you, that I can't make you happy in the long run … that one day, you'll realize you made a mistake and that you should have chosen Warner."

Speaking those words aloud was gut-wrenching for Zed. All of him—primal zombie and otherwise—loathed them, all of his insecurities out for the world—for his mate—to see.

"Maybe she's right, Addie. Maybe I won't be able to provide all that luxury for you —"
"Z—"
"Let me finish. I'm not from a wealthy family, I can't change that. I'll always be a zombie and I wouldn't want to change that anyway. I don't know if we can have kids one day, half of you and half of me and I hope we can. And maybe we should have had this conversation before I gave you the mating bite… Addison, all I can promise is that I'll love you and I'll make you happy. I think I'm pretty good at those two things."

Addison sniffled, batting her eyelashes to chase the tears away.

"You're exceptional at them, Zed. I don't think anyone could love me better, could make me happier than you do. I don't care what she believes. I chose you and I'll always choose you."

Zed brought his hand to the side of Addison's face, caressing her cheek before pulling her into a kiss. How could he have gotten so damn lucky? Addison pulled away with a fit of giggles. Zed quirked an eyebrow at her.

"She's going to fucking lose her mind when she learns that we're mated." She sighed happily, she loved that word. She was mated to her boyfriend.
"At least your dad doesn't want to throw me in Zombie Containment."
"Small mercies. You got to promise me that if she tries this again or if she threatens you that you'll tell me."

Zed winced.

"She didn't threaten so much as tried to pay me off," he confessed.
"She WHAT?" Addison screamed.
"Not in those exact words, but she did say that Zoey wouldn't need to worry about paying for college."
"Oh my God, Zed! I want to kill her," Addison hid her face in her hands.
"She thought I'd choose Zoey's education over you."
"Because that's a lot of money!"
"Bold of her to assume Zoey won't qualify for a scholarship! And selfish as it is, I couldn't give you up for all the money in the world."

Addison looked up and shook his head at him.

"Most people would be running for the hills by now."
"Good thing I'm not most people, Addie."

She pulled him into another kiss. Her mother had tried to bribe her boyfriend, she could handle it if they were a little late.

I hoped you folks liked this chapter. I had fun writing it, especially Dale and Eliza. Please as always let me know how I have done. Reviews make my day so THANK YOU to all who left reviews on the last chapter.