Akela was still in the kitchen with Ezekiel when the door burst open and Zion came bursting into the kitchen.

She had to stop telling Ezekiel all about who her mother had been mid-sentence to stare at him in surprise.

"What happened?" Zion asked breathlessly looking in confusion at Akela's tear-streaked face and the way her hand was cradled between Ezekiel's. A slow, uncommonly jealous growl built in Zion's chest at the sight.

"Ease up there kiddo!" Archer grinned, slapping a calming hand on his son's shoulder.

"But.. she's upset!" Zion replied unusually suspicious of his uncle.

Akela giggled at his possessive aura. The sound made Zion look at her.

"I'm okay, Zion. Just very happy," she smiled. She didn't know how, but his presence in the room seemed to be the only thing missing to complete this chaotic day.

"But... I felt you! You were sad. And upset. And it felt like you needed me..." Zion said quietly, feeling a bit sheepish for somehow having hoped that her emotional message meant something other than what it obviously did.

Archer and Ezekiel exchanged looks at the way the air in the room seemed different the moment the two younger lycans looked at each other. Zion completely missed the tender little smile on Akela's face.

"I needed someone to help me make sense of some stuff..." Akela said.

Zion looked back at her, his bronze eyes full of hope.

"...apparently I needed you..." she continued.

Zion frowned.

"Not Abel?" Zion nearly mumbled.

Akela giggled again.

"I didn't even know I called for you!" She grinned.

"Well.. Abel would have been useless! He can't handle emotions," Gerry chuckled and helped himself to a cup of coffee.

"So what's the big news?" Archer asked his brother.

Ezekiel released Akela's hand and stood up behind her chair with both hands fatherly rested on her shoulders.

"Archer. Ger... I mean, Alpha Gerry. And Beta Zion," he grinned, trying to build up a formal occasion.

"Get on with it..." Gerry said, trying to sound bored. His half smile betrayed the amusement of seeing his uncle so excited.

"Guys. Meet my niece!" Ezekiel grinned with a flourish towards Akela.

Three faces fell in front of them. The surprise washed through the room like shockwaves.

"But... how?" Archer asked with a frown.

"Akela's mother was my sister," Ezekiel smiled proudly.

A few seconds passed before Archer sighed heavily.

"Raksha?" He asked.

Ezekiel and Akela both nodded.

"She had Lexi with the delta prime of the South Forest, who chased her off their territory. And then Lexi chose Link over Preston North," Ezekiel explained and quickly outlined the story as far as they had managed to patch it together.

"And they lived as migratory rogues?" Gerry asked.

"yes," Ezekiel replied.

"And Raksha never saw her again?" Archer asked.

Ezekiel shrugged. There was no way they could know for sure.

"As far as we know. Well. As far as I know. She didn't mention anything to me about a younger sister," Ezekiel frowned.

Archer grumbled something under his breath before sending Ezekiel a worried look.

"Damian?" Ezekiel asked.

"You know how dementia or Alzheimer or whatever it was changed his memories?" Archer said.

Ezekiel nodded. Their uncle had been Archer's Beta for only a year after Raksha had died, spending his last few years gradually losing his previously sharp mind.

"Well... his last year he kept telling me to 'find her... send someone to find her' and I would always try to tell him that Raksha was dead, but he would keep insisting that I should find someone," Archer sighed.

"So Damian knew about Lexi," Ezekiel nodded thoughtfully.

"I'm guessing he had promised Raksha not to tell..." Archer sighed, rubbing his hand over his face.

"Maybe Raksha was following mum and dad here?" Akela suggested.

She had been quiet, trying to piece the puzzle of her mother's life together. The sound of her voice startled the men. The three visitors all looked at her with varying degrees of questioning.

"They were here... or. At least Hunter and Grange thinks they were," Akela said quietly.

"During the battle against Erberus. The guy who fought with you before Sam came. Hunter thinks it might have been Link," Ezekiel told Gerry.

Gerry shuddered visibly at the memory. His younger brother took a careful step closer, which drew a grateful look from the Alpha. Slowly, Gerry placed a hand on his younger brother's shoulder and pulled him a few millimetres closer. As soon as he had his little brother's support, Gerry looked at his uncle again.

"I remember him. I had four feral greys surrounding me on the old training ground. All of them taunting me saying my dad was dead and I was the only one left of my bloodline and that the Connor blood was gone," Gerry said quietly.

His dad studied him for a moment with an intensity that made Akela fairly sure, Gerry had never spoken about this before.

"I thought you were dead..." Gerry whispered towards his dad, his voice barely holding up.

Zion gave his older brother a reassuring pat on the back, which made Gerry straighten again and draw a deep breath.

"And then this stranger appeared. He took out two of them, a third hanging on his back with his teeth clamped on the new guy's ear. I was so busy watching that I didn't see the fourth one. I was on my back with his jaw around my throat before I knew it, and I don't know what happened, but this stranger sideswiped my attacker with the one on his back, knocking both out at once... He killed my attacker. He just tore his guts as if his claws were knives. And then Sam came and before I knew it, the four rogues were dead..." Gerry said with a carefully neutral voice.

The rest of them were quiet, not sure what to say.

"He looked like one of those malamute sled dogs that humans have tamed," Gerry said, looking at Akela in an attempt to shift focus over to her again.

Akela smiled warmly and nodded.

"Did he have a nick in his ear?" she asked.

"Not sure, but his right ear was bleeding quite heavily," Gerry shrugged.

"Maybe that's how he got it? He always said it was a battle scar earnt defending a young pup," Akela mused.

Gerry nodded, looking lost for words. He was trying to look strong, but it was obvious that Zion's touch was as strong as any crutch.

Ezekiel nodded thoughtfully.

"Well... Wether it was Link or not, I'm grateful!" he smiled at his nephew. The younger Alpha smiled back and shook the worried look off his face.

"And Grange said Abel refused to leave the pregnant girl's side," Ezekiel said.

"That would make sense if she was carrying his mate," Gerry muttered. Akela noticed Zion's careful look in her direction and allowed herself to smile back.

Archer looked at two of his three sons.

"I have all my pups. All grown up," He smiled proudly.

Gerry scrunched his nose up in embarrassment over his dad's sudden sentimentality.

"So if Akela and Kira are your nieces, I guess we need a plan, Huh?" the younger Alpha said, trying to reinstate his leadership.

Ezekiel chuckled and nodded.

"I have maps and my computer in the office," he grinned, and led the two leaders off. Akela and Zion instinctively knew not to follow.

Zion leaned up on the counter, staring at Akela with a weirdly insecure look.

"You... OK?" he asked.

Akela's face split into a happy grin.

"Yeah!" she nodded.

"So... Not weirded out by... all of this...?" he asked.

Akela smiled again and shook her head.

"No. I mean... Mum would have loved to have a brother, and I can't wait to tell Kira we're Cizinecs, but no. I have an uncle... Who's the best Alpha ever," Akela chuckled.

Zion nodded and looked around the tidy kitchen.

"Ok. So I see Granny has put a stew on, which won't be done for a few hours knowing her. You hungry?" he asked.

Akela tilted her head and studied him with a sneaky smirk.

"Not really, but knowing you, and the fact you are asking, I'm guessing you are..." she giggled and stood from the kitchen chair she had been sat in for the past hour or so.

Zion's distinctive breathy laugh rolled along Akela's skin like silk. It felt like coming home.

To hide her reaction she went to the fridge and started pulling out ingredients for a sandwich, while Zion cut slices of bread and started assembling fillings.

As soon as it was done, and he turned to get the knife, Akela quickly stepped sideways, swiping the sandwich from in front of him.

"I changed my mind..." she grinned and went to take a bite.

Zion stared at her in surprise before his face slowly took on a more playful character.

"That was mine!" he said, nearly growling on the last word.

Akela felt his claim to her more than the sandwich, but chose not to acknowledge it.

"So take it!" she challenged, holding the sandwich just out of his reach.

"Don't worry... I will!" Zion grinned and made a few futile grabs for it around Akela, who deftly held the food out of his reach. Before she bumped into the table bahind her, Akela turned and started walking away, feeling Zion's breath on her neck as he was deciding what to do.

"Give it back..." he grumbled, hardly hiding the laughter under the playful growl, jsut as she started running from him.

Akela squealed as she ran around the furniture with a laughing Zion on her heels.

She rounded the dining table only to be caught and held in a strong but gentle grip.

"Give me back my sandwich!" Zion said in a not very threatening voice despite the attempt at a growl.

"Nope!" Akela grinned and took a big bite out of the food in her hand.

"Thief!" Zion grumbled and bit a chunk out of the other side of the sandwich.

Akela looked at the remains of food in her hand before looking up at Zion again. His eyes were glittery and the wolf face was split in a very cheerful smile.

Akela's heart pounded and she felt her soul reach for him. She longed to make the full connection with Zion.

The realisation hit her uninvited.

She wanted Zion!

Her heart wanted Zion!

She was falling in love with Zion!

Suddenly she felt her eyes fill with water and her bottom lip quiver.

"Hey... What's wrong?" He asked, concern obvious in his voice.

"I can't do this, Zion," she whispered.

"Do what?" He asked.

"I can't fall in love with you..." she said quietly, the first tear falling from her eye.

Zion started in surprise.

"What do you mean,?" He asked carefully. He didn't dare hope that she was his. Not yet.

"I can't fall in love with Kira's mate!" Akela whispered sadly

"Akela?" Zion asked with a confused frown.

Shd lifted her eyes to his again.

"I can't take you from her. She'll need you. She'll need your kindness and compassion and patience... if I ever get her out," Akela replied sadly.

Zion swallowed heavily.

"But.. I'm in love with you..." he mumbled.

Akela's middle erupted in a bright white warmth. Her insides tingled.

But she shook her head. Kira would need him more.

"Akela!" He whispered.

She lifted a hand, her fingers digging into the soft fur of his jaw. He hummed in pleasure and leaned his face into her hand.

"I wish I was yours," she said quietly and Zion opened his eyes to look at her in surprise.

"Don't say anything, Zion. I can't allow myself to be in love with you until Kira is free..." she mumbled.

Zion nodded.

"At least let me give you a hug," he whispered.

Akela reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck while his arms tucked her body close to his.

"I'll wait, Akela... I'll wait for Kira to choose Abel. Because I can't let myself believe that I'm not made for you," he whispered softly and felt another sob rack Akela's body.

"Why do you have to be so damned perfect?" Akela sighed.

Zion gave a one of his signature breathy bursts of quiet laughter. It reminded Akela of the way her father would laugh when he was in wolf shape. It was a safe, comfortable sound of pure joy.

"I'm nowhere near perfect," he chuckled.

"But you are, Zion. You're patient and kind and funny and.... everything Kira will need after everything she's been through," Akela said, shaking her head in embarassment, burying her face into the crook of his neck where the scent of him was strongest.

She inhaled, deeply and selfishly, the scent she loved, from the man who made her heart twist in on itself.

"And what?" He teased. His nose was buried in her hair where he was burrowing in her scent.

Akela's hands self consciously drifted from his neck, down along his chest and ribs and back up where she placed a hand either side of his face.

They stared at each other.

"I wish I could kiss you..." Zion said sadly.

Akela's lips tugged into a small smile.

"Me too," she whispered.

Zion gave a little cheeky wink before his tongue darted out and quickly licked her top lip.

It was nothing but a brief touch, but Akela's heart skipped several beats and she struggled to breathe. The innocent look in his eyes as he smiled at her again set a whole forest full of butterflies loose in her gut.

"I love you, Akela," he said seriously.

Akela shook her head, fighting tears again.

"I'll wait. For as long as it takes. But I know I'm made for you," he smiled and released her from the hug.

He walked back over to the counter where he finished making the second sandwich.

He was about to cut it in two when Akela came and wrapped her arms around his middle, resting her face into the dip between his shoulders..

"I love you too," she mumbled barely audible.

Zion calmly cut the sandwich in two before putting the knife down.

He turned slowly, Akela's arms still around him and licked her temple.

"I get it... I won't ask you to be mine until you are sure," he mumbled.

Akela nodded thankfully.

"Now, eat up," he said with a smile, handing her a half of the sandwich.

"Thank you," she replied, feeling like her heart wanted to bounce out of her chest.