Abel returned home after six months as a fire dog.
Six months of finding injured people and mindlinking Ezekiel about the injury and where in the building they were and if they could move out on their own under his guidance. Most of the time they were fainted from smoke inhalation, so his job was usually a case of guarding and barking for good measure.

Once he'd found a 13 year old lifeless girl.
In a fit of helpful initiative he shifted and gave her mouth to mouth resuscitation when her body failed.

Ezekiel only nodded in acknowledgement when he was told, but it felt like the finest praise.
He'd rescued her.
He had given her his breath and saved her life.
He, Abel Krystoph Connor had saved a life.
And when she was wheeled into the ambulance, he heard her tell her mother of the angel who had kissed her and told her to live.
He accepted the treat Ezekiel offered him and Rocky with a smile. Being a dog wasn't so bad.

Only once was he allowed in to sleep in a bed as a human. The one time a young child had been trapped in a basement where he had hidden from the flames with his puppy.
And Abel's efforts to reach them failed.
That evening, he held Blossom and cried his heart out, emerging the next morning with a sore chest and a fresh sense of understanding as well as an eternal devotion to his little cousin for her love and understanding when he had needed her. He never once, after that, complained about his life as a dog. There was a simple fulfilment in coming home from a shift at the fire station to be greeted by a playful Yzma, tugging on his ear.

With a lot more life experience and a million new emotions he was eventually told to come home.
River was close to her due date and Gervais wanted him home to take some of the Alpha duties while he and River got used to parenting the new heir.

He got as far as his own shower in his own room before the door opened and closed, bringing a rush of cold air into his bathroom.

"I figured we could pick up where we left off," Nia announced as she shimmied in under the water with him.

Abel turned to look at her and wondered for a moment why he had ever ended up in bed with her.
She was pretty. Curves and legs and all pouty, seductive smile.
But not what he wanted.
Not anymore.
Not after seeing Allie and Ezekiel.
Not after seeing real life.

Abel had a new yearning. A new dream of building his future with his true mate. To change himself so she could be proud of him.

He shook his head and pushed her away.

"It's been so boring without you... I mean. I was almost tempted to try my luck with Zion... " she teased with wafting eyelashes.

Abel frowned at her and shrugged to keep her hands away.

"He's got the body... but he's such a freak! And who would ever find that sexy?" She continued, thinking she was flattering him.

Abel fixed her with a firm look, opened the shower door and marched her out of the bathroom.

"I'm not interested, Nia!" He said.

"But... whyyyy?" She whinged.

Abel looked at her.

"First. You'd be damned lucky if Zion even looked at you. Second... Nia... I made a mistake with you. I made many people unhappy," he said pointing her to the door.

"You'll regret that..." Nia muttered.

"No. I won't," Abel smiled and locked the bathroom door behind him, not greatly caring about the dripping wet girl outside with tears forming in her eyes.

Somehow, Zion's puritan ideals made sense. Abel knew Zion wasn't as pure in mind as he claimed, but looking the way he did, meant Zion protected his heart. Quite a few girls had missed out on seeing Zion's full range because of his wolf head. And Abel hated those girls for it. Zion was the one person he'd die for. The one he knew would die for him. The kindest lycan in the world.

Abel eventually made his way down to the family lounge only to be ambushed by Diana.

"Who's a good boy?" She baby talked while messing around with his hair.

"Woof!" Abel grinned and grabbed her face, licking the side of it, loving the way she laughed at his silliness and embraced him in a tight hug.

Hoisting his little sister upside down over his shoulder he found Zion across the room and wrapped his Diana-free arm tight around him.

"Hey there..." Zion struggled to say as his ribs were practically crushed.

"Damn, I missed you guys!" Abel grinned, hugging his siblings tight and revelling in the way they both hugged him back.
He loved how Zion's scruffy fur felt on his own cheek and how Diana was piggy backed on him.

Releasing the two of them, Abel turned to look at Gerry and his Luna.

"Aww. You look beautiful River!" He grinned and kneeled by her belly.

"Hey little future Alpha. I can't wait to see you," he smiled with a hand either side of her belly.
Gerry looked at him suspiciously.

"Alpha," Abel nodded.

Gervais lifted an eyebrow.

"Don't worry. I'm just happy to be home," Abel smiled.

"And?" Gervais asked.

"And the next girl in my bed, will be my mate. I've seen what life means," Abel said firmly.

Gervais grinned back.

"Uncle Zeke kept us updated." He nodded.

"You've been a good doggie," Zion teased and ruffled his hair even more.

"Shut it," Abel grinned but received another friendly hug back from his brother.

A few weeks later,  River entered the large family living room from the short hallway leading off to her own and Gerry's little apartment. In the sofa she found Zion, with his knees pretzeled up and her tiny son gently cradled on his lap.

"I'm sorry. He was waving his little fists around in the bassinet," Zion said and let the tiny lycan grab his finger in his mindless newborn manner.

River sat down in the arm chair across from them and looked at how Zion was solely focused on the baby with what she had learnt to recognise as his happy smile.

"You're a perfect little person. And I'm gonna look after you. Diana is going to teach you to be strong, and Abel is going to let you build stuff. Maybe you can build a boat and send it on the creek going past Uncle Zeke's territory... and when we go swimming in the summer, you'll find your boat on the lake," Zion chatted.

There was a softness over him as he cooed and spoke until the little guy wiggled and started sniffing.

"You want your mama, huh?" Zion smiled and lifted him gently over to River who gave him what he was after.

"You're a natural, Zion," she smiled.

"Nah. I looked after Diana... And little Hunter, and Finn... And Blossom..." he smiled.

He wasn't able to hide the slight sadness in his voice.

"It will happen, Zi. Your mate will be so lucky to have you," River told him tenderly.

He shook his head.

"It will, Zion. You'll be her everything. Trust me," River smiled.

"Like you are for Ger," Zion smiled.

River simply nodded.

"He loves you so much," Zion smiled.

River smiled warmly with a faraway look in her eyes.

"I thought I was just a delta recruit, and ended up as Luna," She chuckled.

"And Gerry wasn't even looking at the other recruits..." Zion grinned.

"Maybe we need a line up from the neighbouring packs?" River smiled.

Zion shook his head with a small laugh.

"I think she's further away," he smiled.

River raised an eyebrow.

"I don't know... but... It feels like I should be up north. As if someone is stuck," he said quietly.

"And you worry you'll lose her?" Abel supplied form the doorway.

Zion nodded.

"I get that as well... Like there's someone who needs me... but then it goes away..." Abel continued and sat next to Zion.

Zion looked at his brother.

"You'll find her Zi. She's out there for you," Abel smiled.

"And before you know it, you'll have one of these..." River smiled and lifted small stuff up to burp.

Zion's face melted into a soft smile.

"I wouldn't mind that..." he said quietly.

The full moon rose over the village bonfire. To the side, Alpha Gervais and Luna River were receiving congratulations from the pack. Little Felan Connor had just been presented as the Alpha heir and Diana had been officially appointed Delta prime.
Even though she was only 17, she had proven her leadership. The Delta fighters held her in loving respect.

Zion was sat on a bench, watching his family. Abel was over by Ezekiel and Allie, looking like a natural member of their pack.
Zion swallowed the sting of jealously at how at home his little brother was with them.
Gervais had made them equal Betas. Both of them were responsible for the pack welfare. But Abel was still the one the pack turned to, leaving him as the halfie, cursed weirdo.

Zion held his head high, but the whispers among the pack members about his inability to shift and how he would never find a mate, looking the way he did, drifted along on the evening breeze. Years and habit had taught him to pretend he didn't hear them, but that didn't mean he could ignore them. As their former Delta prime he had proven his skills as a fighter, and his current Beta status showed the Alpha's trust in him. But it didn't mean he had the pack's support.

He didn't care much what the pack thought though. His heart ached with a single, simple wish.

To find his mate. Someone who would love him for who he was. His real self. And not reject him for his wolf-face.

Auntie Allie had told him the human fairy tales of maidens who fell in love with beasts only to be rewarded with a prince. It was almost too easy to imagine himself in the role of the beast. And he was smart enough to see that was what Allie had told him the stories for. So he would know to show his mate his true heart.

His fingers wrapped around the edge of the bench. His eyes flitting between the families. River and Gerry looking at each other with matching smiles. Ezekiel's constant attention to Allie. The whole Valley pack, looking out for each other.
Little Blossom standing on Abel's toes, forcing him to dance with her.
Finn was off running with the mountain pack teens over at the old sports field.

Old Darius made his way over to Sam, hugging him before dragging the valley Delta over to greet the latest heir.
Luna River smiled warmly at her grandfather as he approached before placing little Felan in his arms.

"All the good stuff. All the best of Connor heart and Cizinec courage," Darius smiled at the child.

"The Cizinec is so watered down by now it won't make a difference," Sam chuckled and looked over at his own Alpha with a nod.

"But he hails from strong and wise leaders," River smiled with a wink at Gervais.

Next to Zion a body sat.
He turned from the family bliss to look at young Hunter.

"Sappy people!" Hunter chuckled at all the kissing and hugging going on.
The full moon celebration was usually cheerful, but this was the first time in 28 years the pack could welcome a new heir. Mates would acknowledge their bond and new mates would often wait until a full moon to seal the claim. Around them were at least six couples who had consciously chosen to wait for the new heir before they formalised their own connection.

Zion shrugged.

"Gerry looks happy. I always thought he was so serious growing up," Hunter observed.

"He was..." Zion mumbled.

"River brings out the best of him huh?" Hunter grinned.

Zion shrugged again.

"He wasn't always so serious..." he said.

"Oh? All he did was train and study..." Hunter frowned.

Zion looked at his cousin and decided he was old enough for the truth.

"You know the Cizinec battle? The rogue fighters took him. It was 8 year old Gervais and your Delta Sam against four bloodthirsty, adult, lycan, mercenaries..." he said.

Hunter nodded seriously.

"Dad and Granddad Hunter found them and brought him back, but he wasn't the same after that. All he did was train. Preparing for the next battle," Zion explained.

"But... you were taken too..." Hunter frowned.

"I had auntie Allie. I felt safe," Zion smiled.

"But Gerry didn't," Hunter nodded.

"I'd climb into his bed saying I had nightmares to help him sleep until I was at least 12... I don't think he actually laughed until he found River," Zion smiled warmly towards where his eldest brother was smiling towards his mate and their son.

"She's good for him," Hunter agreed.

"She is," Zion nodded.

"Oh... I haven't told anyone yet, but my wolf found his name," Hunter grinned.

"Yeah? That's great!" Zion smiled.

"Well... we had a chat. And my wolf said it's a shame you haven't got your human. And I told him you haven't got your wolf... so we're not quite agreed which it is. But then my wolf said that he could be your wolf as well. Not sure how that's going to work... but anyway. My wolf says he wants to be Zion..." Hunter chuckled sheepishly.

"You're... but... That's my name!" Zion stuttered.

"If it's okay..." Hunter grinned.

"It's okay, Hunter. Hunter Daniel Zion Connor," Zion said softly.

Before Zion's eyes got a chance to water up, a person approached.

Zion looked up to see River holding baby Felan out to him.

"Would you mind holding him?" she asked cautiously.

Zion nodded and stood from the bench, cradling the tiny boy in his arms.

"It's time for the wolves to howl in your honour," Zion smiled at the future Alpha.

River looked a mix of guilty and self conscious.

"It's okay, River. I can't howl with you. You go with the rest of them," he smiled at his sister in law.

Around them, Lycans were shifting. Shed clothes lay strewn across the central square as wolves in all shapes and colours emerged. 

To the side, Luna Allie stood with the humans of the Valley pack. Beta Ameer, stood with his arms protectively around Emily's middle, his sister Saleha gave Delta Sam's ear an affectionate tug before he sprinted into the forest with Alpha Zeke and his pack. Even Finn had shifted and was getting used to his four legs. 

A few minutes later, a blood curdling howl rung out from the east. Zion recognised Gervais' voice as the first before he was joined by River, Nia and a few others.

The reply echoed from Diana and her the delta fighters in the west before another answer sounded from Abel and the common pack members the north and finally Ezekiel and the valley pack from the south, creating a wall of sound from the hilltops around the village.

At Allie's feet, old Teddy sat up and joined in with an enthusiastic series of howls of his own.

Together the Lycan community created an eerily harmonic prayer to the moon goddess, a thanks for the growth of their pack and a wish to keep the new heir strong and healthy.

Zion studied his little nephew's round nut-brown eyes as he took in the sounds of the pack howling his fortune.

"That's all for you, little Alpha Felan Connor. That's all for you," Zion whispered.