By the time Ezekiel had finished updating his brother and nephew on the whole story, Gerry was grinning widely. Ezekiel smiled back and nodded. Both of them stood up at the same time. Archer gave a small sigh and looked between the two Alphas.

"Seriously?" he asked.

"I need to check this out, dad," Gerry grinned.

"Well... don't make it obvious. There is no change in allegiance so those two might not even know what happened," Archer sighed, trying to dampen the two other's enthusiasm.

"Well... my Alpha senses are tingling..." Gerry grinned gleefully.

"Yes, Spiderman... Your connection with the pack picks up changes, but we both know Akela is still terrified and vulnerable, so ease up," Ezekiel smiled at his nephew.

The three of them left the office and entered the kitchen to see Zion and Akela deeply and competitively engaged in a seemingly vicious cardgame. Gerry shot a look at his brother's tail. It slowly swung from side to side in a submissive, yet playful manner. The tip whipped faster, revealing the extent of his amusement. The furry wolf face was puppylike and playful with both ears up and the tip of his tongue hanging slightly out the side between his teeth.

The air rung out with an unfamiliar laughter Gerry had not heard before, and his eyes moved over to look at Akela in full-blown hysterics over some cheap shot cheat move Zion had made. The laughter rolled out of her, uninhibited and free. 

Curiously Gerry looked at Ezekiel who waved him a bit further away.

"What... happened?" the younger Alpha asked.

Ezekiel shot a glace in at the two young lycans and the way Zion would occasionally glance up at Akela with eyes so brim full of tenderness it made both alpha's ache on his behalf. Gerry had never felt this level of happiness in Zion before. Not since they were small.

"My guess is, they solidified the bond," Archer shrugged, a small smile tugging at his lips at the sight before him. Zion's weird breathy laugh accompanied the permanent smile on his face.

"She chose Zion? Just like that?" Gerry asked, full of doubt.

Ezekiel shook his head. His alpha bond told him what he needed to know.

"She's still holding back," Ezekiel smiled. 

In the kitchen, the two of them finished their game and Zion looked up as if waking from a dream to see his older brother stare at him with a questioning frown.

"Did you two make a deal or something? Am I going to have to tell Abel?" Gerry mindlinked and watched Zion's grin widen.

"I wish... I really do wish... But no. She's waiting for her sister to choose me apparently," Zion thought back with a smirk.

"But you don't think that will happen. Do you?" Gerry asked again, a smirk playing on his lips too as the mindlink revealed exactly how much Zion wanted to jump, dance and sing.

"Nope! My mate is sat right there!" Zion mindlinked with not even the slightest shadow of a doubt marring his mind.

"But I'll wait. She's worth waiting for," he thought again with a look towards Akela that made Gerry sigh in exasperation.

"You ready to go home, or are you going to cheat Akela out of some more cookies?" Archer asked, nodding to the pile of crumbs that had served as betting chips.

Zion stood up, picked up one cookie before pushing the rest of his loot into Akela's pile.

"Mylady, with your permission, I have to leave. These ruffians require escorting," He said with a formal bow, causing Akela to giggle.

"Well then, Sir Knight... I guess it's only fair to give you the victory in tonight's battle and bid thee farewell..." she replied with a mock dismissive wave of her hand.

"'till next time fair maiden, my allegiance is to your safety," Zion grinned and grabbed her hand, licking the back of it in a mock-gallant move.

Ezekiel practically felt the shudder along her nerves at the "kiss" and studied his new-found niece closer. She was holding back the connection with more force than he knew was possible, but from knowing her and her story, he understood.

Soon the car drove off towards the mountain and in the hallway, Ezekiel watched Akela, wide eyed and torn.

"Oh god. What am I doing?" she muttered with her hands covering her blushing cheeks.

"You did nothing wrong, Akela," Ezekiel told her and wrapped his arms around her in a hug he felt she was craving.

"Oh... but you don't understand. He's made for Kira!" Akeal muttered, her voice thick and emotional.

"All the more reason to bring her home," Ezekiel whispered comfortingly.

half an hour later, Zion entered the family living room and practically fell into the two seater sofa with a contented sigh. Abel barely lifted his eyes from the Supernatural episode he was watching on tv. The Winchester brothers were chasing a werewolf and Abel occasionally gave a muttered huff of exasperation at the terrible make up or the werewolf movements.

Zion tried paying attention, but his conversation with Akela was on his mind.

"Right... What's the smile for?" Abel eventually asked.

Zion tried to look neutral, but his tail was doing its little wiggle revealed how the bubbles rose and burst in his chest.

"I can sense your ridiculously happy grin and I can hear your tail!" Abel grumbled.

"Nothing..." Zion smiled innocently.

"It's not nothing. You've not been this happy since Felan was born..." Abel muttered without looking up from the screen.

"That is a terrible lycan! Does Hollywood even try to imagine what we are? That's a bloodlust halfie you idiots!" Abel swore at the TV.

"Yeah. Because a lycan, looking like a human... or a wolf... would just be terrifying..." Zion chuckled.

Abel looked at his brother.

"Akela... she said something... " he mumbled.

Zion felt his tail whip faster before he could stop it.

Abel narrowed his eyes and Zion knew he was on thin ice.

"She said she loves me," he smiled with a deliriously happy tailwag and a belly full of bursting bubbles.

"What?" Abel snarled.

"She told me she loves me..." Zion repeated.

Abel's snarl intensified.

"What the hell Zi!" Abel asked on a dangerous growl.

Zion looked at his younger brother and smiled.

"We were goofing around. And then she started crying. And she said she can't allow herself to fall in love because of Kira," Zion said evenly.

Abel's eyes narrowed to suspicious slits.

"And I said I love her and will wait for her to make her heart up," Zion continued.

Abel sat up very slowly, eyes fixed on Zion in what to anybody else would be a very threatening look. His body coiled for an attack.

"And then she said she loves me..." Zion smiled wistfully.

Abel stared at his brother, trying to find one ounce of smugness about this. 

But there was none. There was the tail, that Abel remembered playing catch with when he was very little. The tail that would betray Zion's emotions. And right now, it showed Zion's undivided happiness.
Abel took a deep breath and swallowed his selfish urge to punch his brother. Akela filled his dreams too.

"You really are in love with her, huh?" Abel asked once his jealousy had softened.

Zion sat up and faced his brother. There was a soft apology in there.

"I just want her to be happy, Abe!" He said seriously.

"And you think she will be happy with you?" Abel asked.

Zion shook his head.

"I don't know. I just know that whatever the moon Goddess has planned, Akela won't be happy without her sister," Zion said evenly.

Abel nodded.

"You love her too," Zion said, seeing the way Abel's face softened in agreement.

"I want the best for her," Abel nodded.

They looked at each other, the brotherly bond, recently frayed, was still solid.

"There is one other person I love this much. And that's you," Zion mumbled.

Abel looked at him in surprise. The love in their family was always implied, never expressed.
River would tell Gerry she loved him. And Gerry would say it sheepishly back. They knew he told her often in their private home, but in public, the Connor family weren't verbal about their bond.

"I love you, Abel. You're my best friend and my little brother. I remember being in that scary dungeon with Auntie Allie, and I remember my fear of never seeing you again!" Zion mumbled.

Abel stared at him for a few seconds.

"Hearing Akela say it. And the way it felt saying it to her... Abel, I don't want to fight you anymore! Akela makes my soul feel free, but if she's made for you, I will be the best uncle your pups can have because I love you both so much!" Zion said.

Abel sat back, still digesting the shock.

He blinked a few times and sat forward again, clearing his throat to get noises out of the sudden thickness clogging his breathing.

"She told me... I felt it when she kissed me.. She loves us both... But if she's yours... She will have the best in the world. I think she's yours, Zi," Abel said quietly.

Zion tilted his head. His ears up in points and his tail slowly wagging.

"I love her too Zion. I had no idea a woman could make me feel so good," Abel smiled.

"She thinks that I'm made for Kira..." Zion smiled.

Abel frowned in question.

"She said her sister will need someone kind and patient," Zion mumbled.

"But you think you're made for Akela?" Abel asked.

"Well... I'm about to explode with how I feel about Akela... it would be kinda weird to feel this way about my sister in law..." Zion smiled warmly.

Abel's smile twisted up on one side.

"You always think with your heart Zion," he teased.

"I know," Zion sighed.

"So what do we do?" Abel asked.

Zion shrugged.

"Wait for Kira to be here or for Akela to make her mind up," he said

"You two are way too civil about this," Diana chuckled and jumped over the back of the sofa to cuddle Zion.

"What are we supposed to do? Rip chunks out of each other?" Zion asked and licked his sister's ear in a little kiss.

"I'm delta prime. It's my job to see your fighting skills are honed," she grinned.

"And what a cute and adorable Delta prime you are..." Abel teased and was pounced on by a wildcat of a sister, playfully tickled wrestling him to the ground.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! You are the fiercest warrior ever!" Abel gasped for breath between tickles.

"Don't you forget it!" Diana grinned and stood up from the attack.
Casually she brushed the dust off before sitting back down with Zion.

"I vote we send Di in for Kira. Alpha Preston has no chance!" Abel grumbled as he shuffled back into the chair.

"Only if I can pick a boy toy from his famous delta fighters," Diana grinned and was faced with two big brothers staring her down.

"No punk ass fighter is going to be your boy toy!" Abel declared darkly.

"Unless he's your mate!" Zion warned.

Diana rolled her eyes before fixing on the TV.

"Oooh... the werewolf episode. This is good. Watch the wonky teeth!" She grinned, ignoring her protective brothers with a smug smirk.