Akela was sat on a log by the bonfire.
Opposite, Alpha Ezekiel was cooing over baby Helios while Sam was trying not to butt in. Kira was sat talking to Abel. She had given the two brothers equal attention while they had been there.

Between Zion's medical expertise and Ezekiel's leadership they had decided that both Kira and Felix needed a couple of days to rest before the return journey home could begin. It meant that for two days, Sam, Zeke and Abel had been running regular patrols around the cabin. Akela knew, just from looking at Ezekiel that the constant high alert was wearing on his nerves, but he brushed it off whenever Akela brought it up.

Kira sensed something as well. Her attention would sometimes wander and her body would curl in on itself in fear. She was still skinny and guarded by the rest of them, she would sleep most of the day.
When her concussion would allow her, she appeared as strong as ever, but Akela saw the fear in her, simmering just under the surface.

Akela studied her sister carefully. The high nutrition drinks Zion was always mixing up for her had brought back some of the colour in her cheeks. She no longer looked gaunt and unwell. The concussion and low bodyweight was temporary, and the glowing sparkle in Kira's eyes told Akela that despite the fear and traumas, Kira was still the same.
Curling up together at night placed Akela within touching distance of Kira's nightmares, and Akela had cried her eyes dry over her twin's jumpiness at the smallest sound.
Of course Kira put up a brave front, which seemed only to come down when Ezekiel used his knowledge of PTSD symptoms to chase her demons away.
It would take a while, but Ezekiel had promised Akela that Kira was still the same as always.
Perhaps a bit more cautious and less impulsive, but her twin was still there, currently flirting with Abel.

On another log, Zion sat, throwing little twigs into the fire with a weirdly neutral look on his face. Occasionally his eyes would drift over to Kira and Abel and every time Akela's guts felt like they shrunk.
Abel's charm was turned on and Kira was giggling every so often which had Zion looking at them.

Akela rested her forehead into her palms. There was so much going through her mind and heart.
Kira was right there. And she was so happy about that. She didn't want to lose her again. Not for anything. And definitely not over their mates.

If Akela gave in to that sore chest of hers, she could still end up taking the one who was made for Kira.
The one who was so right for Kira. The calm to her energy and the one who would wipe her tears when the bad memories became too much.
And Akela would probably be happy with his brother.
It was just...
She wanted Kira to choose.
Kira had been through hell. She would need her mate to get through it.

"Hey... What's wrong?" She heard Zion's voice next to her.

She looked up at him, slightly sideways, seeing his worried face.

"She's safe. Kiddo is healthy," Zion said softly.

"I'm just a bit... overwhelmed..." Akela shook her head.

Zion studied her with one of those weird lopsided smiles that Akela found so cute.

"It could be your stepson..." Akela said, taking his smile for exitement about being a dad.
She'd seen him with Felan enough to know he'd be a great stepdad... and a fantastic dad.

"We'll see," he smiled.

"Yeah. She'll need some time..." Akela shrugged.

Zion chuckled softly and turned so he sat astride the log facing Akela.

"There are four of us," he said.

Akela took a deep breath and straightened her back before facing him.

"Kira can't decide for all of us. I know my heart. Abel's heart is kinda set. It's really up to you," he smiled.

Akela felt her chest tighten. She nodded.

"But we'll give Kira a chance to settle in her new life before we need to decide on anything. As you say. She'll need time," he continued.

She nodded again before standing up.

"It's been a long day. I need to sleep," she whispered in a broken voice.

Kira took a sleeping Helios from Ezekiel and followed Akela in.

Quietly they lay him on the blanket Allie had packed for him before both curled up around the baby.
Akela inhaled the scent of her sister. Tears sprung to her eyes.

"I've missed you so much!" She thought.

Kira reached a hand out.

"I missed you too," she thought.

Suddenly, Kira's body tensed an Akela felt through the link the force of Preston's call for her.

Akela's eyes flew open and she found herself staring straight into Kira's tearfilled ones.

"You're not going to obey, are you?" Akela whispered.

Kira shook her head.

"He's calling for me all the time. He's getting closer and it's getting harder to resist," Kira said quietly.

Akela sat up and held her sister tightly.

"I'll be strong with you," she said.

Kira chuckled darkly.

"I almost gave in and told him where to find me when you arrived. I'm only resisting because you are here," she smiled.

Akela stared at her twin solemnly.

"He owns me, Aki. It's not just a mated claim, but an ownership. My wolf wants to run to him, to obey, she thinks it's where we belong," Kira admitted.

"And that's why you're afraid?" Akela nodded, finally understanding the full extent of a forced claim.

"He's getting closer. I don't know if I can resist him if he finds me," Kira said and shivered in her sister's arms.

"We'll go home tomorrow. I'll talk to Ezekiel," Akela reassured, the unwavering faith in their uncle evident in her voice.

They sat in the cabin that evening, the fire burning in the little stove. Akela was reminded of what it had been like to be in this cabin with their parents.

Zion and Abel had come in for the night and sat down quietly when they both sensed the serious mood between the sisters.

Akela quietly made peace with the fact that this would be her final goodbye with her parents. She recalled her father's proud smile as the rabbit had sizzled and the way she had thought it was forever. She looked at Kira, surprised to see tears in her eyes.

So much had changed. 

"Two years, Aki," Kira said quietly.

"Two years," Akela replied.

"What's two years?"  Zion asked and sat next to Akela, keen to ward off any of her demons.

"Two years ago, we were here. With mum and dad," Kira nodded.

Abel sat next to Kira, still careful and cautious.

"You are allowed to sit closer," Kira smiled at him.

"I don't want to push your comfort zone," Abel said sheepishly.

Kira huffed and grabbed his hand, wrapping his arm around her so she could rest up on him like a big, man size cushion.

"Better," she smiled.

Abel's face was a weird mix of surprise and delight.

"I'm not a delicate flower. You can touch me...," she grinned.

Abel studied her in awe.

"But... you... I don't want to push... " he mumbled.

"Look. I have my sister back from the dead. She's more confident than I have ever seen her. You holding me feels... nice. I feel safe with you," Kira smiled.

"Back from the dead?" Akela frowned, ignoring the sting of jealousy at Kira's flirting around Abel.

"Yeah. Preston said you were dead. And once he claimed me, I couldn't feel you anymore," Kira said quietly.

Akela looked at her in surprise.

"Until Alpha Ezekiel visited and his heir mentioned Akela who was like a sister to him," Kira smiled.

The two sisters both moved to hug each other.

"I thought you were gone, Aki. I thought I was alone," Kira sniffed.

"I missed you so much," Akela replied softly.

Kira sat up with a sadly cheeky smile.

"I refuse to believe that... these two hotties to distract you, and you missed me?" She grinned.

"You're half of me! How was I supposed to live without you?" Akela chuckled back.

Kira looked at her twin sister with a sly smirk.

"So? Which one?" Kira teased and looked between Abel and Zion.

Akela looked at the way Abel was holding Akela. They looked good togther, and she was hoping that the man sat respectfully next to herself would give a hint.

She looked at him, seeing his frowning face downturned. There was a jealous spike in his emotions and Akela's chest tightened. If Zion was jealous of Abel holding Kira... It could only mean he felt Kira was his. And it was as Akela had anticipated. She lifted her eyes to meet Abel's and looked for that jolt, that intense sense of belonging that linked them.

"I say we do a four-way mating and do regular swaps," Abel grinned and received a slap on his arm from Kira.

"Not keen on sharing, huh? Just admit it, You want all of this all to yourself," Abel grinned and made some snake-like stripper-moves.

Kira raised her eyebrows, trying not to laugh and untangled herself to walk over to Zion.

"Please protect me from his royal hotness?" she chuckled and sat next to Zion, oposite Akela.

Zion laughed and shook his head before wrapping Kira into a hug.

"Anything for you princess," he chuckled.

Akela huffed and shifted, curling up to sleep with her back towards them, shielding her from any further stabs of jealous fire that burned her.

She didn't see the tellign look on Kira's face as she looked at Zion.

Over on the other side, Abel huffed out an "idiot!" before he too shifted and curled up around Akela's body in an attempt to soothe her aching heart. Akela let herself relax into Abel's protective warmth before her tears could break free. Abel's tongue licked gently behind her ear. He wasn't asking for her love, but for her trust.

She fell asleep, eventually, with Abel wrapped around her, Kira next to her with Helios between them. Zion slept in the bunk on the other side of the room and Felix in wolf shape on the floor. 

The door opened and closed when Ezekiel came in after securing the area, and soon the cabin was quiet, the only sounds light snoring.

The night was still dark, when the sound of crashing interupted them. the only window of the cabin was broken into a scattering of small shards around a rock with a note tied to it.

Sam rushed in, picked it up and went pale.

"Oh shit!" he muttered and gave Ezekiel the note.

"Out! Now! Ezekiel ordered just as another object flew through the woindow and caught the rug on fire. 

The next few moments were chaotic. Sam opened the door only to have two more firebombs fly over his head and catch the far wall and the small table on fire. Ezekiel and Abel were obviosly in firefighter mode, mindlinking instead of speaking. 

"Talk to me!" Zion said.

"The Cellar!" Kira said.

Ezekiel looked at her in question.

She pointed to the floor behind him.

"There's a hole in the floor," she said. Ezekiel was just about to open it when it burst open and a pale gray northern wolf burst through, followed by another.

Felix bounded over the fire, growling before he attacked the first wolf, tearing his jugular without mercy before turneing to the other.

"Back down, Felix" the second attacker said, stalking towards Felix.

"No!" Felix replied, ready to attack again as more wolves burst through the hole in the floor, while the cabing was slowly getting engulfed in flames.

"Let my Luna out with my heir. The rest of them die in there!" A voice was heard form outside and Kira whimpered in fear as she stood in defence over her child.

Abel sent Kira a long look.

"We won't let him take you," he said and shifted into his beautiful dark wolf. Zion stood in fighting stance, his body ready to burst trough the door. Akela stood with her sister with a rusty knife in her hand, ready to defent the baby from whatever was about to happen.

Her eyes were focused on Felix and the three attackers facing him, Ezekiel and Sam. She completely missed the way Zion shot her one single, longing, look before he with a warrior's roar broke the door down to the outside.