Ezekiel and Sam wasted no time packing up their belongings.  The stuff that remained after the fire was mostly gathered and everybody stuffed as much as they could carry into the saddlebags. Zion hoisted the backpack onto his back and shuffled a bit to feel the weight before turning to see if the rest of them were done. 

Akela, in wolf shape, had her bags attached but turned to look at Zion when a choked laugh burst from the wolf-faced man. He caught her eye and grinned before nodding towards where Abel was winding a long piece of cloth around himself and baby Helios.

Abel shot his brother a disgruntled glare before focusing back on the winding.

"Damn... The pack are going to faint with shock!" Zion chuckled.

Abel glared back at him, his nostrils vibrating.

"Look! Asshole! My saddlebags were lost in that damned fire, and Kira is still concussed and weak!" Abel muttered.

Akela walked over to her sister, still in human form, and nudged her hand with her nose.

"He suggested it. Besides my wolf shape is stronger than my human," Kira grinned and checked that the baby was safe.

Once she was sure, she shifted into her wolf and got into formation.

Abel grumbled for a moment about his central position in the pack, but quickly followed Sam, flanked by Akela, Felix and Zion. Kira followed behind, as the weakest and last was Zeke, the leader keeping his eye on all of them. 

They ran for hours. All of them conscious of getting as far away from the north pack as possible. There were scent trails crossing their paths, even as they neared their campsite on the first evening, but Zeke sensed Kira's exhaustion more than any of the others and made the order to stop by a small river, ideal for swimming and fishing.

Zion dumped his backpack before helping Abel unwind the cloth from his body. Helios had slept or quietly observed his surroundings for most of the day and started whimpering at the loss of close contact with the man who had carried him.

"Hey, dude! We're setting up camp. I'm not leaving you," Abel told the child softly, sending Zion into another fit of giggles.

"That's never going to get old!" Zion grinned at Akela who was shrugging out of her saddlebags. He was still smiling as he walked over to her and unclipped the harness from around her sweaty body.

"I mean. Abel as a dad!" Zion grinned.

Akela rolled her eyes before giving his jaw a simple lick. He gave her a simple, cheeky wink before wandering over to Sam to release him from his saddlebags and stopping Zeke from throwing a fit over his.

Kira had shifted to human form and was taking a wailing Helios out of Abel's grasp.

"But, Kira. He was quiet with me!" Abel protested before following Kira to a tree stump where he proceeded with cooing over the baby in a feeble attempt at asserting his baby-whispering abilities.

"I think I know when my child is hungry," Kira deadpanned, and Abel sheepishly skulked off when he saw her next move was not one he could replicate.

Zion placed a protein drink next to Kira before joining Abel in the hunt for firewood.

By the time they were all sat around a glowing fire, eating fresh fish from the river, everything seemed pretty normal.

Akela looked around at the people she was travelling with, amazed at how she owed her own, and her sister's life to each of them in turn. 

Felix, her brother with the deep inward stare towards the flames. He was highly strung, slightly fearful of Ezekiel while admiring his newfound Alpha.

Sam, who with his constant cheer kept them going.

Ezekiel, her uncle with the easy smile and big heart who risked everything he had to save Kira.

She leaned into Zion on her side, her rock, the solid, eternal love she felt radiating from him. His nose gently nudged her neck, and she felt him inhale her scent. 

On the ground, Helios was asleep on a sheepskin in front of Kira's feet. Abel was leaned over him, checking him every few moments to see that he was warm enough or comfortable. Akela couldn't work out if Abel was happiest about Kira or Helios, but the sudden change in him from cocky and immature into responsible mate was astonishing. He still flirted with Kira, but it was fairly obvious he didn't feel the need to flirt with anybody else.

While stretching his body after their meal, Ezekiel's nose scrunched in disgust.

"I don't know about you lot, but I still stink of smoke and adrenaline," He grumbled and grabbed the travel soap and his towel before heading for the river.

Zion held his hand out to Akela, who gratefully took it. Standing, with the firelight illuminating him and his weird doggie smirk down towards her, she felt so happy she couldn't fight the smile washing over her face.

"You just wanna see me naked!" Zion whispered into her ear, giving her shivers along her spine. Unable to answer she simply slapped his bicep before grabbing her own towel and ran for the river with Zion close on her heels.

Being shapeshifters, nudity had never been an issue before in Akela's life until se looked back and saw a trail of Zion's discarded clothes leading up to him jumping around on one foot trying to get out of his underwear.

Once he finally managed to disentangle himself, he looked up with a grin.

"Bathing with clothes on? Never had you for a shy shifter," He chuckled and sprinted into the river. Akela shook her head and removed her clothes a bit more demurely than him before splashing into the water. 

Once she was in, Zion turned, and the moment their eyes met, she saw his darken before he mumbled something about keeping cool. In a second he had swum into the deep middle of the river where the stream was swift and icy while Akela struggled to keep her laughter in.

She was amazed at how comfortable she felt around him. She had always felt safe with Zion, but knowing their bond was sealed, made it so much easier to allow herself to actually fall for him. And from the look in his eyes when he surfaced again, he was feeling the same about her.

Soon the water around them was filled with splashing. Felix had opted to go for a swim in wolf shape while Abel and Kira were running like children towards the deep pool where the stream was easier. Sam had volunteered to babysit Helios so Kira was free to get clean too, with Abel not far behind her, teasing her, offering to wash her hair and generally staying within her reach.

Akela finished washing the smokey, greasy feeling of the last few days off her and returned to shore only to find Zion already dressd holding her towel out for her.

Gratefully she let him wrap her up, before getting a tight hug.

"While I enjoy seeing you naked... I kinda just needed a cuddle," he smiled and handed her her cothes. In the water, Abel was wearing his flity grin and pursuing Kira through the water.

Kira was halfway laughing, but pushing him away every time he got too close. Eventually, she decided to leave the water but before she could get to the grassy bank, Abel had caught her in a hug and had her pinned on her back in the soft sand.

Akela's blood froze as the sheer panic cut through the link with her sister like ice. Abel took a second to catch up but once he did he scrambled in a panic to sit up.

Kira's sobs shook her body as she curled into a fetal position, recoiling form every one of Abel's attempts to touch her again.

Akela, ran back down the bank towards her sister, barely registering Abel's stream of "Shit, sorry, Kira Baby!"

Akela knelt down in front of her sister, finding Kira's arms around her a few moments later. 

"Are you an idiot!" Zion asked behind Abel's back while Abel was still sat in a weirdly frozen position with his hand out towards Kira and tears filling his eyes.

"Not now, Zi!" Abel grumbled and finally stood up to fetch a blanket that he gently wrapped around Kira's shoulders.

Zion frowned at his brother but stayed with his feet planted wide and his arms folded across his chest.

"Kira!" Abel implored softly.

Akela felt her sister soften slightly.

"Kira. I'm an idiot!" Abel whispered and Akela shot him a sharp look that he didn't even register.

She had not seen Abel looking this desolate before. Kira shook her head slowly as if throwing off an impulse.

"I will never force you. You know that right?" Abel said.

"This isn't about you!" Akela finally snarled, unable to hold her annoyance in, but Kira's head lifted. Slowly she turned to Abel, tears still clinging to her cheeks.

"Kira. Baby! I'm s sorry!" he whispered.

Kira shook her head, stood up and walked over to the campsite where she shifted into her wolf shape and curled up on the sheepskin nearest Helios.

Abel desperately followed her and sat like a lost puppy on the skin next to hers.

Eventually, Kira turned her head towards him and he lay down, shielding her from the forest beyond.

Akela reached intro the sibling bond, feeling Kira's torn heart. Felix was frowning at Abel as if a punch was being prepared in case he made a wrong move.

Zion shook his sleeping bag out with annoyed, choppy movements and Akela felt another wave of tenderness clench her heart. Her mate, with the infinite capacity to love, was focused on Abel and Kira.
Abel was in wolf shape, constantly licking Kira's jaw and seeking her forgiveness.
Zion lay down next to Akela's sheepskin but lay there turning and huffing, even when the air around them filled with the steady breaths of their sleeping friends.
Even Kira, fell asleep curled up with Abel.

Eventually, Akela gave up on the constant motions of the man next to her. She shifted and turned to face him.

Zion looked at her with worried eyes.

"Open," she whispered.

Zion shot a look along her naked body before giving her a questioning look.

"You sure?" He asked.

Akela rolled her eyes before landing on a deadpan smile.

"Not for that! I'm not having my first time in front of the whole pack! Just let me in. I'm cold," she huffed.

Slowly Zion opened the sleeping bag and she crawled into his embrace.

"Now. Calm down. Kira was triggered. It won't be the last time. But she trusts Abel, so you need to breathe and feel my heart," she whispered and rested her head on his chest where she heard his heart gradually slow down and his breathing even out until he was asleep.
Safely held in her mate's arms, Akela finally understood why her mother had always struggled to sleep if Link was ever away from the family.

She felt complete.
Whole.