Dixon's wedding day was a cold and crisp winter day. The sun was out in a pale blue sky that made the white landscape around the village church sparkle.

Akela was outside feeling slightly overwhelmed.

Seeing Dr Dixon exchange vows with the woman he chose had sent shivers down her spine. as far as she knew, humans didn't feel the mated bond as lycans did, but she had never thought of the option of making a conscious choice.

The almost childish smile on Dixon's face when his wife had said "I choose you, out of all the men in the world," had Akela's eyes filling.
He looked like a 12 year old who just had a present placed in front of him at Christmas. As if she could have chosen any other man. But from the look in her eyes, Dixon was the only one for her. And to Akela, that signified more than just a promise in front of a priest.

Right now, the newlyweds were posing for photos, close and looking like they couldn't care less if the rest of the party disappeared. He was holding her so gently and she was looking at him with a worshipful look in her eyes.

Akela struggled with the beat of her heart. She wanted that! She knew she could have that love and togetherness. But her soul felt stretched between Zion and Abel. And she couldn't tell which one her future belonged to.

Quietly she imagined cuddling up to Zion. He made her feel so safe. And she adored that fluffy tail of his, constantly revealing his thoughts.
And Abel. Oh goddess. Abel. With the million dollar smile that could turn anyone to jelly. The perfect man with the perfect body. And his declared devotion to her.

She looked across the park landscape when the snow-covered gravel crunched behind her.

"It's beautiful, isn't it? The human choosing ceremony," a serious, deep voice said quietly.

Akela turned to see the handsome man behind her.

"Abel!" she whispered.

His smile was warm.

"Uncle Zeke said you didn't have a date," he smiled.

Akela didn't know what had happened, but suddenly her arms were around him in a hug. She didn't know how much se had missed him until she saw him standing there and now her eyes were threatening to overflow.

"Hey, baby!" Abel whispered and planted a kiss on her forehead.

"I've missed you!" he said quietly.

Akela rested her face on his shoulder, breathing in the pine forest scent of him. It was wilder than Zion's scent, not the same scent of home, but her wolf still sighed with relief.

She felt a similar quiet sigh from Abel release into her hair.

"This human wedding ceremony... I like that they choose their mate. But this feels nice too," Abel murmured.

Akela straightened and looked at him. Her soul felt eased, but not complete.

"I'm not here to make you choose, baby. Just as a wedding guest. But my soul is whole when you're in my arms. I won't deny that," he smiled.

Akela nodded.

"I'll wait. And Zion would kill me if I ask you to be mine now, so I'll just ask if I can be your date," Abel smiled.

"I've missed you!" Akela said.

Abel grinned. Over by the church wall, Akela's wolf senses picked up whispers from bridesmaids and female guests. His smile set hormones on fire. Not just hers.
A bridesmaid with a confident body language glared at Akela over Abel's shoulder. Akela smirked back, for once enjoying the fact that she had the most attractive date of anybody.

Abel pulled back to look at Akela's grin. He too had sensed the bridesmaids and gave Akela a smug smirk.

"I mean... I missed both of you," she rolled her eyes at his cockiness, ignoring the single ladies by the wall.

"I know, Baby. We feel you. Both of us do," Abel smiled and offered an arm.
His focus was on her. Akela accepted his company and followed the wedding party to the party venue. The bridesmaids long gazes followed them as they passed, giving Akela a reason to giggle.

They entered the village hall and found their seats with Maddox, Hunter and Grange.

"Akela! How nice to see you!" Maddox smiled.
His grey ponytail hung from the nape of his neck in a contrast to his duck-egg-blue suit shirt. The suit jacket hung over the back of the chair and a crimson fedora was placed on the table next to his elbow.

"Dr Abrahams," Akela nodded politely.

"I'm just Maddox today, Akela," The veterinarian smiled warmly at her.

Akela nodded self-consciously. The ageing veterinarian had a few weeks earlier unceremoniously welcomed her into his surgery and simply ordered her to shift before he had examined her with an unexpected amount of delicacy. Between his care and Dr Dixon, she had been strictly monitored to ensure she gained the suufficent amount of weight.

Abel gave Grange a warm hug before finding his seat next to Akela.

Maddox looked between them with a sneaky little smirk.

"So? The two of you are going to keep my surgery busy I heard?" he grinned.

Akela straightened in surprise before looking at Abel.

"We're... not... no..." she stammered.

Maddox gave a dirty chuckle.

"Rocky and Yzma's offspring, Akela!" Maddox chuckled.

Akela frowned.

"Kyron and Sasha will be great additions to the pack. Their pups will be strong," Maddox continued grinning.

Akela jabbed an elbow into Abel's side to stop his giggles from turning into full blown laughter.

"Although I'll be happy to look after yours as well, once you settle," the vet grinned.

Abel was holding back a quiet laughter that Akela felt the need to stop with a repeated nudge. She didn't even need to look at him to know that his eyes were watering with the effort of holding his laughter in.

"Sorry! Maddox is funny!" Abel eventually whispered, which made Maddox's smile widen even more.

"Oh. Could you tell Zion I'll be up for the pack annual checkup next week?" Maddox told Abel in an attempt to regain a serious note.

Abel's face darkened slightly and his laughter died in an instant.

"I'll tell Gerry," he muttered, suddenly sounding strangled.

"Why not tell Zi directly?" Grange frowned.

Abel's face scrunched in a mix of embarrassment and distaste.

"We... Kinda... don't talk... that much," Abel said quietly, consciously avoiding looking at Akela.

"You don't talk to your brother?" Hunter frowned.

"Nah. We. kinda had a fight..." Abel admitted sheepishly.

Maddox sat back with his hands folded over his belly and a clever little glint in his eye.

"So that's with the stitches?" Maddox asked.

"What stitches? Did you injure Zion?" Akela's head snapped towards Abel with a surprised shock.

"Who said Zion was hurt?" Maddox chuckled as Abel silently unbuttoned his shirt, rolling the collar down to reveal a fairly fresh red gash across his shoulder.

Akela's eyes slowly lifted from the wound up to Abel's eyes. He was very serious, and there was a deep hurt evident in them.

"Zion did that?" she asked.

"You thought I had hurt him?" Abel asked in a faint, broken voice.

Akela shrugged.

"You shift. Your claws are sharp," she said evenly, trying not to reveal how her heart had leapt into her throat at the thought of Zion being injured.
But Abel had felt it. The link between them couldn't hide the spike in her emotions.

"Zion was Delta Prime, Akela. He's not a puppy!" Abel nearly hissed.
The jealousy was practically oozing from him. Akela could feel it, red hot, through their connection.

"Does it hurt?" Akela asked, laying her finger on Abel's shoulder, stroking the stitches through the shirt.

"What do you think, Akela? My own brother is trying to deny me my one true mate!" Abel whispered.

Akela's breath hitched. She was not willing to be a source of a feud between the brothers, but the look in Abel's eyes was pure possession.

She shook her head.

"I don't know Abel! I can't be sure it's you," she whispered.

"You've seen the human choosing ceremony, Akela! They choose their mate! If you want a wedding, I'll give you a wedding! Just choose me! Please!" Abel implored. His eyes were begging her, pleading with her to feel something.

Akela's hand lifted to cup his cheek, tenderly and gratefully.

"Abel! You are beyond doubt the most beautiful man I've ever met, and I feel the bond with you. But I can not choose without knowing which one of you is for Kira!" Akela said quietly.

Abel's face cracked into a pouty, cute smile.

"You know I'd make you so happy!" he said.

Akela smiled sadly back.

"And yet I feel my connection with Zion..." she replied.

His eyes darkened again and he nodded.

"Come to the village with Maddox? I'll talk to dad again about getting your sister free for Zion," he smiled.

"Or for you," Akela couldn't resist teasing.

"How could she possibly be for me, Akela?" Abel said with his best charmer smile.

Akela giggled at the unexpected way her stomach knotted itself and released in a weird tickle at his flirting.

"You're too much, Abel... and you know it!" she laughed.

He grinned back before leaning in. His breath tickling her neck at just the right spot to send shivers down her spine.

"I'm just enough... for one woman," he whispered before placing a demure kiss on her mating spot.

Akela felt her skin catch fire and her blush cover her entire body at his upfront seduction in public.

At the back of her mind something tickled. Some sensation she hadn't felt in a long time.
Like a deja vu it made her dizzy

Carefully her hands pushed Abel away.

"Let's dance," she told him.