Second Best

46

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.